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Part 6, Chapter 10
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Anna Karenina, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage and Family Life
Adultery and Jealousy
Physical Activity and Movement
Society and Class
Farming and Rural Life
Compassion and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Levin and Oblonsky join Veslovsky at a peasant’s cottage, where Veslovsky is enjoying himself tremendously. They discuss wealth and class. Levin argues that money earned without working is dishonest, while Oblonsky argues that Levin isn’t making a clear point. Levin says that it’s unjust that he himself makes so much more money than his peasants, but Oblonsky observes that Levin is not going to give the peasant his property. Veslovsky wants to flirt with the pretty farm girls, and he and Oblonsky go to have a rousing time with the women, but Levin stays behind to try and sleep, although he is distracted and anxious.
Veslovsky is charmed by what he sees as the quaint peasant life, while to Levin it is actual normal life, as real and dignified as city life. Oblonsky and Levin seem to be antagonistic just under the surface, which has been characteristic of their relationship of late: though they do not argue openly, Levin does not agree with Oblonsky’s somewhat loose morals and hypocrisies. Levin is completely faithful to Kitty, eschewing any temptations of the peasant maidens; indeed, he doesn’t even register that sleeping with other woman is a possibility for him to consider, even though he’s able to be jealous of Kitty.
Themes
