Original Text(~250 words)
Alexey Alexandrovitch, after meeting Vronsky on his own steps, drove, as he had intended, to the Italian opera. He sat through two acts there, and saw everyone he had wanted to see. On returning home, he carefully scrutinized the hat stand, and noticing that there was not a military overcoat there, he went, as usual, to his own room. But, contrary to his usual habit, he did not go to bed, he walked up and down his study till three o’clock in the morning. The feeling of furious anger with his wife, who would not observe the proprieties and keep to the one stipulation he had laid on her, not to receive her lover in her own home, gave him no peace. She had not complied with his request, and he was bound to punish her and carry out his threat—obtain a divorce and take away his son. He knew all the difficulties connected with this course, but he had said he would do it, and now he must carry out his threat. Countess Lidia Ivanovna had hinted that this was the best way out of his position, and of late the obtaining of divorces had been brought to such perfection that Alexey Alexandrovitch saw a possibility of overcoming the formal difficulties. Misfortunes never come singly, and the affairs of the reorganization of the native tribes, and of the irrigation of the lands of the Zaraisky province, had brought such official worries upon Alexey Alexandrovitch that he had been of...
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Summary
Levin struggles with deep philosophical questions about the meaning of life and his place in the world. Despite his material success and loving family, he finds himself tormented by existential doubts that keep him awake at night. He questions whether his work on the estate, his relationships, and even his love for Kitty and their son have any real purpose or lasting value. These aren't just abstract thoughts - they're eating away at his sense of peace and contentment. Levin represents the thinking person's dilemma: having everything you thought you wanted but still feeling empty inside. His internal battle reflects the broader human struggle to find meaning beyond daily routines and responsibilities. Tolstoy uses Levin's crisis to explore how even the most grounded, practical people can be shaken by life's big questions. This chapter shows that success and love, while wonderful, don't automatically provide the answers to why we're here or what we're supposed to be doing with our lives. Levin's wrestling with these questions makes him relatable to anyone who's ever felt lost despite having their life 'together' on paper. His search for meaning becomes a mirror for readers to examine their own sense of purpose. The chapter builds tension not through external drama but through the very real internal struggle of a man trying to understand his place in the universe. It's the kind of late-night thinking that can either lead to breakthrough or breakdown.
That's what happens. To understand what the author is really doing—and to discuss this chapter with confidence—keep reading.
Terms to Know
Existential crisis
A period of intense questioning about the meaning and purpose of life, often triggered by success or major life changes. It's when you have everything you thought you wanted but still feel empty or lost.
Modern Usage:
We see this in midlife crises, quarter-life crises, or when people achieve career goals but still feel unfulfilled.
Nihilism
The belief that life has no inherent meaning or purpose, that nothing we do ultimately matters. It's the dark place your mind can go when you question everything.
Modern Usage:
Shows up in depression, burnout, or when people say 'What's the point?' about work, relationships, or life goals.
Russian Orthodox spirituality
The dominant religious tradition in 19th-century Russia, emphasizing faith, community, and finding God through suffering and simple living. It offered answers to life's big questions.
Modern Usage:
Similar to how people today turn to therapy, self-help, meditation, or religion when searching for meaning and purpose.
Landed gentry
Wealthy landowners who didn't need to work for money but managed large estates. Levin belongs to this class, which gave him time to think deeply about life's meaning.
Modern Usage:
Like today's trust fund kids or early retirees who have financial security but struggle with purpose and direction.
Philosophical materialism
The belief that only physical matter exists and that consciousness, love, and meaning are just chemical reactions in the brain. This view can make life feel meaningless.
Modern Usage:
Appears in modern debates about whether humans are 'just' biology, or in feelings that love and relationships are 'just' brain chemistry.
Peasant wisdom
The simple, practical understanding of life that comes from hard work, tradition, and faith rather than education or overthinking. Tolstoy often contrasted this with intellectual confusion.
Modern Usage:
Like the practical wisdom of blue-collar workers, grandparents, or anyone whose life experience teaches them what really matters.
Characters in This Chapter
Levin
Protagonist in crisis
Experiences a severe existential crisis despite having a loving wife, healthy son, and successful estate. His material success makes his spiritual emptiness more pronounced and troubling.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful person having a midlife crisis - good job, nice family, but feeling lost inside
Kitty
Loving but concerned wife
Notices Levin's distress and tries to help, but can't understand his philosophical struggles since she finds meaning naturally through love and family.
Modern Equivalent:
The spouse who loves you but doesn't get why you're depressed when 'everything is going well'
Levin's son
Symbol of hope and responsibility
Represents the future and Levin's legacy, but even his love for his child can't answer Levin's questions about whether life has meaning.
Modern Equivalent:
The child whose existence should make everything worthwhile but somehow doesn't fix the parent's inner emptiness
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when life satisfaction problems stem from misaligned values rather than insufficient achievement.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you feel empty despite accomplishing goals—ask yourself what you're really seeking beyond the external marker of success.
You have the foundation. Now let's look closer.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What am I? Where am I? Why am I here?"
Context: During one of his sleepless nights wrestling with existential questions
These are the fundamental questions that torture anyone going through an existential crisis. They show how even basic questions about identity and purpose can become overwhelming when you really think about them.
In Today's Words:
Who am I really? What's the point of all this? Why do I even exist?
"I have everything I wanted, and yet I am miserable."
Context: Reflecting on his life achievements and current state of mind
This captures the painful irony of depression and existential crisis - having external success but internal emptiness. It shows that happiness can't be bought or achieved through conventional means.
In Today's Words:
I've got everything I thought I wanted, so why do I feel so empty inside?
"If I do not accept the answers Christianity gives to the problems of my life, what answers do I accept?"
Context: Struggling with whether to embrace faith or remain in philosophical doubt
This shows the practical problem of rejecting traditional sources of meaning - you need something to replace them with. It's the modern dilemma of losing faith but not finding anything else that works.
In Today's Words:
If I don't believe in God anymore, what else is there to believe in that actually helps?
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Success Emptiness Trap
Achieving external markers of success without internal purpose creates deeper dissatisfaction and confusion about life's meaning.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin questions who he really is beyond his roles as landowner, husband, and father
Development
Evolved from earlier focus on social identity to deeper existential questioning
In Your Life:
You might feel this when your job title or family role doesn't capture who you really are inside
Purpose
In This Chapter
Despite meaningful work and relationships, Levin can't find his ultimate purpose or reason for existing
Development
Intensified from practical concerns about estate management to cosmic questions about life's meaning
In Your Life:
You experience this during those 3am moments wondering if your daily routine actually matters
Class
In This Chapter
Levin's privileged position allows him the luxury of philosophical questioning that working people can't afford
Development
Continues the book's exploration of how social position shapes available concerns and anxieties
In Your Life:
You might notice how financial stress limits your ability to worry about life's bigger questions
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin's crisis represents the painful but necessary process of evolving beyond external validation
Development
Marks a deeper stage of his character development from social conformity to authentic self-examination
In Your Life:
You face this when outgrowing old definitions of success but haven't found new ones yet
Modern Adaptation
When Everything You Worked For Feels Empty
Following Anna's story...
Anna sits in her new corner office at the law firm, staring at the partnership track paperwork she's dreamed about for years. She has everything she thought she wanted: respect from colleagues, financial security, her ex-husband's grudging acknowledgment of her success. Her daughter is proud of her mom 'the lawyer.' But at 2 AM, Anna finds herself awake, scrolling through social media, wondering why none of it feels meaningful. She questions whether defending insurance companies against injury claims is really what she wants to spend her life doing. The salary pays for her daughter's activities and their nice apartment, but Anna feels hollow inside. She wonders if this is all there is—climb the ladder, make more money, repeat. The success she fought so hard for now feels like a beautiful cage. She loves her daughter fiercely, but even that relationship feels strained by her long hours and constant stress. Anna realizes she achieved her goals but lost sight of why they mattered in the first place.
The Road
The road Levin walked in 1877, Anna walks today. The pattern is identical: external achievement without internal purpose creates a crisis of meaning that success cannot solve.
The Map
This chapter provides a map for recognizing when accomplishment becomes emptiness. Anna can use it to understand that her feelings aren't failure—they're a signal to realign her work with her deeper values.
Amplification
Before reading this, Anna might have pushed harder, assuming more success would fill the void. Now she can NAME the success emptiness trap, PREDICT that external achievements alone won't satisfy her, and NAVIGATE toward work that connects to her sense of purpose.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific things does Levin have in his life that should make him happy, and why is he still struggling with emptiness?
analysis • surface - 2
Why do you think achieving everything he wanted made Levin's existential questions worse instead of better?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern of 'success emptiness' in modern life - people who seem to have it all but still feel lost?
application • medium - 4
If you were Levin's friend, what practical advice would you give him for finding meaning beyond his achievements?
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 Success vs. Purpose Gap
Create two lists: one of your current achievements or goals you're working toward, and another of what you hope those achievements will actually give you (feeling valued, making a difference, security, etc.). Look for gaps between what you're chasing and what you're really seeking. This isn't about abandoning goals, but understanding what you're truly after.
Consider:
- •Notice if you're expecting external achievements to solve internal needs
- •Consider whether you're building meaning alongside success or waiting until after
- •Think about small ways you could address your deeper needs right now
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you achieved something important but felt unexpectedly empty afterward. What were you really hoping that achievement would give you, and how might you find that feeling in other ways?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 106
As the story unfolds, you'll explore key events and character development in this chapter, while uncovering thematic elements and literary techniques. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.