Summary
Levin struggles with deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life and his place in the world. After his brother's death and his own marriage, he finds himself questioning everything - why he works, why he lives, what the point of it all is. These aren't just abstract thoughts; they're hitting him hard emotionally, making him wonder if life is worth living at all. He's caught between his rational mind, which tells him life is meaningless, and his heart, which still feels love for his family and connection to his work on the land. This internal battle represents something many people face - that moment when you step back and ask 'What's this all for?' Tolstoy shows us that even someone who seems to have everything - a loving wife, a successful estate, good health - can still wrestle with existential despair. Levin's crisis matters because it's universal. Most of us, especially during major life transitions, face these same questions about purpose and meaning. The chapter reveals how intellectual understanding and emotional truth don't always align. Levin knows logically that he should be grateful for his blessings, but his mind keeps circling back to darker thoughts. This struggle between head and heart, between what we think we should feel and what we actually feel, is one of the most honest parts of human experience. Tolstoy doesn't offer easy answers here - he's showing us that questioning the meaning of life is part of being fully human, and that sometimes our deepest moments of doubt come right after our greatest achievements.
Coming Up in Chapter 69
Levin's philosophical crisis deepens as he grapples with thoughts that frighten even him. A chance encounter with a peasant might offer an unexpected perspective on his spiritual struggle.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
Before the end of the course of drinking the waters, Prince Shtcherbatsky, who had gone on from Carlsbad to Baden and Kissingen to Russian friends—to get a breath of Russian air, as he said—came back to his wife and daughter. The views of the prince and of the princess on life abroad were completely opposed. The princess thought everything delightful, and in spite of her established position in Russian society, she tried abroad to be like a European fashionable lady, which she was not—for the simple reason that she was a typical Russian gentlewoman; and so she was affected, which did not altogether suit her. The prince, on the contrary, thought everything foreign detestable, got sick of European life, kept to his Russian habits, and purposely tried to show himself abroad less European than he was in reality. The prince returned thinner, with the skin hanging in loose bags on his cheeks, but in the most cheerful frame of mind. His good humor was even greater when he saw Kitty completely recovered. The news of Kitty’s friendship with Madame Stahl and Varenka, and the reports the princess gave him of some kind of change she had noticed in Kitty, troubled the prince and aroused his habitual feeling of jealousy of everything that drew his daughter away from him, and a dread that his daughter might have got out of the reach of his influence into regions inaccessible to him. But these unpleasant matters were all drowned in the sea of kindliness and good humor which was always within him, and more so than ever since his course of Carlsbad waters. The day after his arrival the prince, in his long overcoat, with his Russian wrinkles and baggy cheeks propped up by a starched collar, set off with his daughter to the spring in the greatest good humor. It was a lovely morning: the bright, cheerful houses with their little gardens, the sight of the red-faced, red-armed, beer-drinking German waitresses, working away merrily, did the heart good. But the nearer they got to the springs the oftener they met sick people; and their appearance seemed more pitiable than ever among the everyday conditions of prosperous German life. Kitty was no longer struck by this contrast. The bright sun, the brilliant green of the foliage, the strains of the music were for her the natural setting of all these familiar faces, with their changes to greater emaciation or to convalescence, for which she watched. But to the prince the brightness and gaiety of the June morning, and the sound of the orchestra playing a gay waltz then in fashion, and above all, the appearance of the healthy attendants, seemed something unseemly and monstrous, in conjunction with these slowly moving, dying figures gathered together from all parts of Europe. In spite of his feeling of pride and, as it were, of the return of youth, with his favorite daughter on his arm, he felt awkward, and almost ashamed of his vigorous step and...
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Achievement Emptiness
Success in external goals can trigger existential crisis when the momentum of striving stops and deeper questions about meaning emerge.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when success triggers existential questioning rather than satisfaction.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when accomplishments feel hollow rather than fulfilling—this signals your brain is ready for deeper questions about purpose beyond external validation.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Existential crisis
A moment of intense anxiety about the meaning and purpose of life. It's when someone suddenly questions everything they thought they knew about why they exist and what they're doing with their time on earth.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people hit midlife and wonder 'Is this all there is?' or when someone successful suddenly feels empty despite their achievements.
Rational vs. emotional truth
The conflict between what your mind tells you logically and what your heart feels emotionally. Sometimes these two don't match up, leaving you confused about what's really true.
Modern Usage:
Like knowing logically that your toxic relationship should end, but emotionally still feeling attached and unable to leave.
Russian Orthodox spirituality
The traditional Christian faith of Russia that emphasized community, suffering as meaningful, and finding God through daily life rather than just church services. It shaped how people thought about purpose and meaning.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how some people today find meaning through faith communities or spiritual practices that connect daily work to something bigger.
Landed gentry
Wealthy landowners who inherited their estates and lived off the income from farming and tenant farmers. They had social status but often struggled with feeling useful or purposeful.
Modern Usage:
Like trust fund kids today who have money but struggle to find meaningful work or feel like they're contributing something valuable.
Nihilism
The belief that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, that nothing really matters in the end. It's a philosophical position that can lead to despair or liberation, depending on the person.
Modern Usage:
Shows up in depression, burnout, or when people say 'What's the point?' after major disappointments or when scrolling through endless bad news.
Agricultural reform
Efforts to modernize farming methods and improve the lives of peasant workers. In Levin's time, this meant trying new techniques and treating workers more fairly than traditional feudal systems.
Modern Usage:
Like modern attempts at workplace reform - trying to make jobs more meaningful and fair while still being profitable.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
protagonist in crisis
He's having a complete breakdown of meaning despite having everything he thought he wanted - a wife, successful farm, good health. His philosophical questioning shows how success doesn't automatically bring happiness or purpose.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful guy who seems to have it all but lies awake at 3am wondering what the point of any of it is
Kitty
supportive wife
She represents the emotional anchor in Levin's life, the person who loves him even when he can't love himself. Her presence reminds him that connection matters even when logic fails him.
Modern Equivalent:
The partner who stays steady when their spouse is going through a midlife crisis or depression
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What am I living for? What am I striving for? What is the meaning of my existence?"
Context: During his intense period of self-questioning about life's purpose
These are the core questions that drive existential crisis. Levin has achieved his goals but finds them hollow. The repetition shows how these thoughts cycle obsessively in his mind.
In Today's Words:
Why am I even doing this? What's the point of getting up every day and going through the motions?
"I shall go on in the same way, losing my temper with the coachman, falling into angry discussions, expressing my opinions tactlessly."
Context: Realizing that philosophical insights don't automatically change daily behavior
This shows the gap between understanding life intellectually and actually living differently. Even profound realizations don't instantly transform how we act in small, everyday moments.
In Today's Words:
I'll still get road rage, argue with people online, and say stupid things even though I know better.
"The question is not what I live by, but how I live."
Context: Beginning to shift from seeking abstract meaning to focusing on daily practice
This represents a breakthrough - moving from paralyzing questions about ultimate purpose to practical questions about how to live well day by day. It's about process over product.
In Today's Words:
Maybe it's not about finding some big cosmic purpose, but about how I treat people and show up each day.
Thematic Threads
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin's crisis represents psychological maturation—moving beyond external validation to grapple with deeper questions of purpose
Development
Evolution from earlier chapters where Levin sought meaning through work and marriage
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when a major life achievement leaves you feeling unexpectedly empty rather than fulfilled.
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin questions who he is beyond his roles as landowner and husband, struggling with core sense of self
Development
Deepening from previous identity conflicts around class and social position
In Your Life:
You might face this when your job title or family role no longer feels like enough to define who you are.
Class
In This Chapter
Even with material success and social position, Levin discovers that privilege doesn't protect against existential questioning
Development
Complicates earlier themes about class advantages by showing their limitations
In Your Life:
You might see this when achieving a better economic position doesn't bring the satisfaction you expected.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Levin's love for his family conflicts with his rational despair, showing how connection anchors us even in crisis
Development
Builds on marriage themes to show how relationships provide meaning beyond logic
In Your Life:
You might notice how caring for others gives you purpose even when everything else feels pointless.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What triggers Levin's crisis of meaning despite having achieved everything he wanted?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does success sometimes lead to emptiness rather than satisfaction?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this 'achievement emptiness' pattern in modern life - people who got what they wanted but still feel lost?
application • medium - 4
How would you help someone navigate this crisis without dismissing their feelings or offering empty platitudes?
application • deep - 5
What does Levin's struggle reveal about the difference between external success and internal fulfillment?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Achievement Ladder
Draw a ladder with your major life goals on each rung, from past achievements to future aspirations. Next to each rung, write what you thought that achievement would give you (happiness, security, respect, etc.). Then mark which achievements actually delivered what you expected and which left you feeling empty or asking 'what's next?'
Consider:
- •Notice if your goals are mostly external (status, money, recognition) or include internal ones (growth, connection, purpose)
- •Look for patterns in which achievements satisfied you and which didn't
- •Consider whether you're climbing toward something meaningful or just climbing because that's what you're supposed to do
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you achieved something important but felt surprisingly empty afterward. What were you really seeking that the achievement couldn't provide?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 69
Moving forward, we'll examine key events and character development in this chapter, and understand thematic elements and literary techniques. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.