Dolly Oblonsky

Part 1 section 1-Part 1 section 12

Part 1 section 1: Dolly Oblonsky has discovered an affair between her husband and their former French governess.  She declares that she will not live with him anymore and has locked herself in her room.  Her husband, Prince Stephen Arkadyevich Oblonsky goes about his normal business for the most part.

Part 1 section 2: Oblonsky does not feel repentant about his affair, as he is a handsome man who is not in love with his wife and the mother of their five living and two dead children.  He feels that she really has no right to be carrying on like this.  He receives a note saying that his sister, Anna Arkadyevna, is coming for a visit, and he hopes that she will be able to patch things up between he and his wife.  He has the valet go and tell his wife that Anna is coming, but she sends down word that she will be going away.  The children's nurse encourages Oblonsky to go and talk to Dolly again. 

Part 1 section 3: Oblonsky goes into the dining room to have his coffee and read his letters from the office.  He thinks about how the sale of a forest on his wife's estate must wait until they are reconciled.  He reads the paper and agrees with much of it, because his opinions are the opinions of the majority, and he changes his opinions when the majority changes theirs.  After talking to his daughter and taking care of some more business, he decides that he must go and talk to his wife.

Part 1 section 4: Dolly is trying to pack her children's' clothes so that they can go away, but she is not making any progress.  She keeps saying that she will leave her husband, but she realizes that this is impossible because she could not get out of the habit of loving him.  When she sees him she realizes that he is happy and contented while she is miserable.  He tells her that Anna is coming, and she replies that she cannot receive her.  He asks her to forgive him.  When he is gone, Dolly thinks again that they cannot be reconciled and must leave, but soon the servants come to ask her questions about the children and the housekeeping, and she resumes her daily tasks.

Part 1 section 5: Oblonsky is liked by everyone who knows him, and it seems as if half of Moscow and half of Petersburg are either his relations or friends. Anna's husband, Alexis Alexandrovich Karenin, helped him to obtain his post as head of one of the Government Boards of Moscow.  Oblonsky arrives at his office and works, and when they break for lunch, Levin, a friend of Oblonsky's, is there to see him.  The two have many differences and disagree on many issues, but they retain their friendship because they have been friends for so long.  Levin tells Oblonsky that he is no longer a member of the Zemstvo (a country government organization) as he feels that it gets nothing done.  Levin asks Oblonsky what the Shcherbatskys are doing.  Oblonsky knows that Levin is in love with Kitty Shcherbatsky, his sister-in-law.  Oblonsky is interrupted with work, and Levin tells him that he does not understand and could not do his work there.  Oblonsky tells him that Kitty will be skating that day, and they decide to meet later for dinner.

Part 1 section 6: Levin has come to town to propose to Kitty.  He had been a good friend of Dolly's and Kitty's brother before he died, and has seen the women since they were small. Levin had spent two months in Moscow earlier, and was near Kitty very much, but he left when he convinced himself that she could not love him.  But after spending two months alone in the country on his farm, he realizes he must come back and try for her hand.

Part 1 section 7: Levin is staying at the house of his half-brother Koznyshev.  He goes to talk to him, but a philosophy professor is there.  He sits and listens to their conversation a bit and tries to join, but when his participation is virtually passed over he stops listening.

Part 1 section 8: The man leaves, and Levin is able to talk to his brother.  He had made up his mind to talk to him about Kitty, but after the conversation he decides not to.  Koznyshev asks him about the Zemstvo, and Levin tells him that he is no longer a member.  Koznyshev tells him that their brother Nicholas is in Moscow, and then is sorry he did because it upsets Levin.  Nicholas is a ruined man who squandered his fortune and mixed with bad society.  He shows Levin a letter he had received from him.  It says: "I humbly beg you to leave me alone.  That is all I demand of my dear brothers.-Nicholas Levin" (26).  Levin decides to go and visit his brother as soon as he settles things with Kitty.

Part 1 section 9: Levin goes to the skating rink to see Kitty, and cannot stay calm once he sees her.  He goes up and talks to her cousin, and she soon skates up.  He tells her that she is a good skater, and she replies that he is the best, and that they should skate together. Levin is quite excited and goes to rent some skates.  They skate together, and when Kitty asks how long he will be in Moscow, he replies that it depends on her, and she gets uncomfortable.  She realizes that she has great feelings for Levin, but that he is not the man she loves.

Part 1 section 10: Levin goes to dinner with Oblonsky and is uncomfortable in the restaurant with its private rooms, fancy food and extravagance.  They talk about why Levin is in Moscow, and Oblonsky says that there is nothing he would like better than for him to marry Kitty.  Levin tells Oblonsky that he feels bad about the sins with women in his past.

Part 1 section 11: Oblonsky tells Levin that there is a rival for Kitty, an officer named Vronsky.  He says that he had arrived soon after Levin left before and is in love with Kitty.  Levin turns pale, and Oblonsky advises him to ask Kitty to marry him soon.  Oblonsky tries to talk to Levin about his affairs, but Levin says that he could not comprehend being fascinated by a woman other than his wife. 

Part 1 section 12: This is Kitty's first season out, and she has had good success in Society, with first Levin and then Vronsky paying her attentions.  Her father wishes her to marry Levin, but her mother thinks that Vronsky is the better man. 

Part 1 section 13-Part 1 section 24

Part 1 section 13: Kitty is nervous about Levin and Vronsky meeting for the first time.  She is sure that Levin loves her, and feels herself simple and clear around him, but she pictures herself with Vronsky.  Levin arrives to the house early, and Kitty is alone with him.  He asks her to be his wife, and this makes Kitty quite happy, but she replies that it cannot be.  Levin turns to leave.

Part 1 section 14: He is stopped by Kitty's mother.  She sees Levin and Kitty's expressions and is grateful that Kitty has refused him.  The Countess Nordston arrives.  She likes to make fun of Levin, and the two have a hostile relationship.  Vronsky arrives, and Levin looks at Kitty and sees that she is in love with him. The conversation turns to spiritualism and table turning, and the Countess teases Levin for not believing in it and thinking he knows everything. Vronsky proposes that they try table-turning then, and Levin turns to go but is stopped by Kitty's father.  He embraces Levin and hardly notices Vronsky.

Part 1 section 15: Later Kitty tells her mother that she refused Levin.  Kitty is happy that she has had a proposal, and feels that she has done the right thing, but something about it doesn't sit right with her.  Her parents have an argument, her father arguing that Levin is a thousand times a better man than Vronsky.  He thinks that his wife will realize this too late, just as she did with their daughter Dolly. 

Part 1 section 16: Vronsky has never really known family life.  He would be surprised if he knew that Kitty and her parents thought about him marrying Kitty.  He likes being with her company and does not want to hurt her, but has never considered marrying her.

Part 1 section 17: The next morning Vronsky and Oblonsky happen to meet at the train station.  Vronsky is there to meet his mother, and Oblonsky to meet his sister Anna.  Oblonsky tells Vronsky that his sister's husband is Karenin, the politician.  He also asks Vronsky if he met Levin the night before.  He hints that there was a reason that he may have been happy or unhappy that night, and Vronsky asks him straight out if he proposed to Kitty.  He thinks that she could make a better match than Levin. 

Part 1 section 18: The train arrives, and Vronsky is drawn to a woman who exits it, and they look at each other.  He then goes in to get his mother, and when the woman comes back in, he realizes that she is Anna, and that she had sat with his mother on the ride.  He learns that they had both talked about their sons all the way over, as Anna has an eight-year-old boy.  His mother thinks that Anna is quite charming, and he thinks so too, and cannot stop smiling at her.  As they all are leaving, there is a commotion at the station.  It is determined that a watchman had stumbled on to the tracks and been run over.  Anna wonders if anything can be done for his widow, and Vronsky goes and gives some money that is to go to her.  They all leave again, Oblonsky telling Anna about what is going on at home.

Part 1 section 19: Even though Dolly had said that she would not prepare things for her sister in law's visit, she does.  Anna arrives and talks to Dolly about all of her children, and then tells her that Oblonsky has told her what has happened.  Dolly expects her to try to console her, but she does not.  Anna tells her that she is sorry for her and that Oblonsky is full of remorse.  She then asks her if she has enough love in her soul for forgiveness.  Dolly tells her that things will never be the same, but perhaps she could forgive him. 

Part 1 section 20: Anna sends a note to Oblonsky to tell him to be sure to come to diner.  After dinner Oblonsky and Dolly talk alone.  Kitty arrives soon after dinner, and Anna likes her.  They talk about the ball that is to occur the next week.  Oblonsky had told Anna that all expect Vronsky to propose to Kitty, so she congratulates Kitty and tells her that she had met Vronsky at the railway station.

Part 1 section 21: When Dolly and Oblonsky come out after their talk, Anna can see that they have reconciled.  A bit later Vronsky stops by to talk with Oblonsky, but he sees Anna and when invited, he does not come in.  There is nothing really strange about it, but all find it strange anyway.

Part 1 section 22: The ball begins, and Kitty dances with the master of the Ceremonies, George Korsunsky.  She then has him take her over to Anna.  She sees that Levin is there, and that he is looking at her.  Korsunsky tries to get Anna to dance, and she refuses until she sees Vronsky approaching, and then she accepts.  Vronsky and Kitty dance, but she realizes that her looks of love to him get no response.

Part 1 section 23: Vronsky and Kitty dance several times.  Kitty did not expect anything really to happen during the quadrille, but she is waiting for the mazurka to settle everything between them.  Later she notices how happy Anna looks, and when she looks to see who she is dancing with, she sees that it is Vronsky, and that he obviously admires Anna.  The mazurka is about to begin, and Kitty is in despair because she has no partner as she thought she would be dancing with Vronsky.  The Countess Nordston has seen Vronsky and Anna together and asks Kitty what it means.  Kitty ends up dancing with Korsunsky again.  During the dance she notices how Vronsky and Anna dance as if they were alone in the room together.  Anna does not stay to supper and tells Vronsky that she plans to leave the next day to return to Petersburg.

Part 1 section 24: When Levin leaves the Shcherbatskys after Kitty's refusal, he is convinced that there is something repellent about him.  He does not know how he imagined that she would accept him, and realizes that he should have looked for Nicholas sooner.  Nicholas had lived a simple and religious life, but then he started hanging out with vile people and lived a life of debauchery.  Levin arrives at Nicholas' address and finds him there with a young man and woman.  He sees that he looks quite ill.  Nicholas introduces Levin to the woman, Mary Nikolavna, his life's companion. 

Part 1 section 25-Part 2 section 2

Part 1 section 25: Nicholas tells Levin about a Locksmith's Association they are starting where all the products and profits will be common property.  He also tells Levin not to talk to him about their brother, Sergius Ivanich, as they do not get along.  When Nicholas goes out in the hall with the young man, Levin is alone with Marry and finds out that she has been with his brother for two years and that his health is bad.  Levin invites Nicholas to come and visit him in the country, and Nicholas replies that he would come if he were sure he would not find Sergius Ivanich there.  His speech starts to get confused, and Levin and Mary convince him to go to bed.  Mary tells Levin that she will write to him in case of need and that she will try to convince Nicholas to go to him.

Part 1 section 26: The next morning Levin leaves Moscow for home.  As he nears home he gets happier and feels less shame and dissatisfaction with himself.  He decides that he will no longer hope for the happiness which marriage would have brought and that he will not allow himself to be carried away by passion, as other times that he has allowed that to happen torment him.  He also vows to watch over Nicholas and to live more simply and work harder.  His old nurse, Agatha Mikhaylovna, greets him when he arrives home.  He soon gets underway with his farming duties.

Part 1 section 27: Later, in the drawing room, Levin thinks about how all of his happiness depended on his marriage and that now he must renounce it.  He sits and talks with Agatha Mikhaylovna for awhile, and she seems to understand his disappointment.

Part 1 section 28: The morning after the ball Anna is making preparations to return home.  Dolly thinks that she is acting strangely.  Anna tells her that Kitty did not come to dinner that day because she is jealous of her because of Vronsky.  She asks Dolly to make things right between her and Kitty, and Dolly replies that she would not want Kitty to marry Vronsky if he could fall in love with another so quickly anyway.

Part 1 section 29: In the train Anna is happy to be leaving.  She sits and tries to read an English novel, but is too distracted and can't stop feeling uneasy about her time in Moscow.  At a stop she leaves the train to get some air.

Part 1 section 30: Anna sees Vronsky there.  She had been trying to convince herself that Vronsky meant nothing to her, but she is filled with joy when she sees him.  She knows that he is going so that he can be near her, and that is what he says when she asks him.  She tells him not to say things like that and re-enters the train.  She does not sleep that night and cannot stop thinking about Vronsky.  When she arrives home she sees her husband, Karenin, there to meet her and at once notices how large his ears are.  He says he is a devoted husband to pick her up like this.

Part 1 section 31: Vronsky does not sleep that night either and thinks that he would go anywhere to be near Anna.  The next day at the station he sees Karenin first and thinks that Anna cannot love him.  He goes toward them and tries to talk to Anna.  Karenin talks to him slightly, trying to make it obvious he wants to be alone with his wife. 

Part 1 section 32: When Anna arrives home her son runs down to meet her, and she realizes that she is disappointed with him to, just as she was with Karenin when he met her at the station.  She had pictured him nicer than he was in reality while she was away.  Karenin leaves home to go to work.  The Countess Lydia Ivanovna (a friend of Karenin's) comes to visit Anna and wants to know all about the gossip from Moscow.  While talking to her Anna wonders if the Countess was always as irritating as she was then being. 

Part 1 section 33: When Karenin returns home they have dinner, and as usual there are about three guests.  Karenin is a very busy man and every moment of his day is planned.  After dinner he has a meeting to attend.  Anna was also going out, but some dresses she had left to be altered were not finished yet, and she decides to stay home with her son.  Karenina returns and they talk a bit about her trip and Moscow, and Anna realizes that he is a good man. 

Part 1 section 34: When Vronsky had gone to Moscow he had loaned his Petersburg flat to his comrade Petrisky.  At is arrival, Petrisky is there with some friends.  Petrisky is happy to see him and they order coffee and talk.  The people in Vronsky's Petersburg world are divided between the inferior sort who think that a husband should live with the one wife he is married to, and the real people to which his friends belong who abandon themselves to passion. Vronsky puts on his uniform to report himself and then goes to see his brother and his friend Betsy so that he can start visiting the people with whom he would likely meet Anna Karenina.

Part 2 section 1: Kitty is ill.  A consultation with doctors has determined that the Shcherbatskys should go abroad to restore her health.  Both Kitty and her father know that she is just suffering from a broken heart.

Part 2 section 2: Dolly comes over and is sorry to hear that they are going abroad as she will miss Kitty.  Her reconciliation with her husband has not really lasted, and she has suspicions that he has another mistress. Dolly tells her mother that Levin had wanted to propose to Kitty when he was there.  Her mother lies and says that she heard nothing about it.  Dolly says that if Kitty refused him she could be ill with regret now that Vronsky has gone.  Kitty's mother feels bad about how much she is to blame for the whole thing, since she encouraged Vronsky over Levin.

Part 2 section 3-Part 2 section 15

Part 2 section 3: Dolly goes and talks to Kitty.  She asks Kitty if Levin had proposed to her, and Kitty won't answer, but Dolly can tell that he had and that she refused him.  Kitty gets angry and says that at least she would not stay with a man who betrayed her.  The two sisters are angry at each other but soon make up.

Part 2 section 4: Anna has friends in three of the different sets of the highest Petersburg Society.  The first set is the circle of her husband's official colleagues, which she is not interested in.  The second set surrounds the Countess Lydia Ivanovna, and this circle has become unbearable to Anna, as she feels that all of them are only pretending, and with them she is bored and uncomfortable.  The third set she is connected to through the Princess Betsy Tverskaya, the wife of her cousin.  Before she had left Moscow she had spent more time with the Countess Lydia, but now that she has returned, she avoids these moral friends and goes into grand Society with Betsy.  There she is able to see Vronsky, and he speaks to her about his love whenever he can.  Vronsky goes to the Opera to see Betsy.  He tells her that he had reconciled two young men with the man whose wife they had insulted.

Part 2 section 5: Vronsky relates the details of the story to Betsy and then goes to the French Theatre to talk over this reconciliation with the Commander of his regiment, as both of the young men belong to Vronsky's squadron. 

Part 2 section 6: Guests begin to arrive at the Princess Betsy's home after the opera.  There are some different conversations, some revolving around gossip.  They talk about the Karenins and how much Anna has changed now that she has Vronsky as her shadow. 

Part 2 section 7: Anna arrives at the party.  There is a conversation about marriages based on reason versus marriages based on passion.  Anna tells Vronsky that she has learned in a letter that Kitty is very ill.  She is angry at him for not caring more and for not realizing what he had done.  He tells her that what happened in Moscow as a mistake and not love.  It becomes clear through their conversation that Anna is in love with him.  He talks to her about how much he loves her, and Anna replies that he should not say such things but that they can just be good friends.  Vronsky can see that she does not mean it.

Karenin arrives and sees his wife and Vronsky talking away from the rest of the guests. He sees that the rest of the guests are uncomfortable with this, and Betsy goes to break them up.  Karenin asks his wife to come home with him, but she says that she will stay to supper, and he leaves.

Part 2 section 8: Karenin does not see anything improper in his wife's actions, but he realizes that the others do, so he decides to talk to her about it.  He does not know quite how to do it though, as he does not want to appear jealous, as he thinks that jealousy is a shameful feeling.  This is the first time that Karenin has thought about the possibility of his wife falling in love with someone else, and he is quite upset.  He decides on four points to make: First, the importance of public opinion; secondly, the religious meaning of marriage; thirdly, the harm that may result to their son; fourthly, her own unhappiness.

Part 2 section 9: Anna arrives home and Karenin tells her that he must warn her, and tells her that her conversation with Vronsky attracted attention.  He can see that she is no longer being open with him, and she sees that he only cares about her actions because Society cares.  He keeps trying to talk to her, not saying what he had originally planned, and she keeps saying that she does not understand what he is talking about and is sleepy.  They go to bed.

Part 2 section 10: From that time on, the internal relationship between Anna and Karenin changes, and Karenin feels powerless to do anything about it.  He tries to talk to her again, but each time "he felt the same spirit of evil and falsehood which had taken possession of her master him also" (147). 

Part 2 section 11: That which Vronsky had wanted to happen between he and Anna for almost a year finally occurres.  Anna feels very guilty and cannot even think about what to do.  She dreams that both Vronsky and Karenin are her husbands, but when she wakes she is filled with horror.

Part 2 section 13: Levin goes out to walk around his property.  He gets angry when he sees that the men are working on things that should have already been done and that the things that need to be done now are not being done. Levin rides out to where the men are sowing clover, and feels better when he has done some hard work with them. 

Part 2 section 14: When Levin returns home in better spirits he finds Oblonsky there.  He has come to see him, to do some shooting and to sell his wife's forest.  He tells Levin that his brother Sergius Ivanich intends to come and stay the summer with him there in the country.  Levin talks to Oblonsky about his book and his idea that the laborer should be studied as one of the factors that should decide the agricultural method.

Part 2 section 15: They go out to shoot snipe and do quite well.  During the shooting, Levin asks about Kitty.  Oblonsky tells him that she is very ill and has gone abroad, and Levin is upset to hear it.

Part 2 section 16-Part 2 section 27

Part 2 section 16: On their way back to the house Levin and Oblonsky argue about the sale of the forest, as Levin thinks that he is basically giving it away.  When they arrive back the dealer is there and tries to buy it for even less, but when Levin says that he will buy it himself, the dealer says they already had a deal and pays the original price. 

Part 2 section 17: Levin is quite annoyed that Oblonsky let the dealer swindle him out of the forest like that.  He tells Oblonsky that one of problems with the higher classes is that they are impoverishing themselves by making bad deals. Oblonsky asks Levin why he left Moscow and did not propose to Kitty.  Levin tells him that he did and was refused and that it is a humiliating memory for him.  They decide that they will go shooting in the early morning and then Oblonsky will return home.

Part 2 section 18: Vronsky's external life goes on as it had before, but his internal life is full of Anna.  He does not speak to his friends in the regiment about his relationship with her, but they all know.  Most young women had waited for the majority to turn against Anna and then they did as well.  Vronsky's mother was happy with her son's relationship with a woman like Anna before, but when he turns down a promotion so that he can stay near her, she changes her mind.  His elder brother is also against the affair.  Vronsky's other interest is horses, and he is to take part in an officers' steeplechase.

Part 2 section 19: The day of the races Vronsky decides to ride out to the Karenins' country house to see Anna.  First he sees Yashvin, his best friend in the regiment, and spends some time with him.  Vronsky feels that he is the only one who would understand his relationship with Anna. 

Part 2 section 20: The two of them go to Vronsky's cottage and see Petritsky there.  Vronsky tells them that he has to go to the stables and then to see Bryansky about the horses.  Petritsky tells Vronsky that his brother stopped by and gives him a letter and a note that he left for him.  Vronsky knows that both the letter and note will tell him they disapprove of his relationship with Anna. 

Part 2 section 21: Vronsky goes to the stables and sees the English trainer and Frou-Frou, the mare he is to ride.  She is quite nervous.  Vronsky tells the trainer that he will be back, and the trainer tells him to stay calm before the race, as if he knows where he is going.  Vronsky is irritated at everyone's interference with his affair with Anna.  He thinks about the shame Anna feels at the deception and lying they must do and realizes that things must change. 

Part 2 section 22: Vronsky arrives at the house.  He realizes that he had forgotten about Anna's son, and does not want to run into him.  The boy does not know what to think of Vronsky, as his father and all of the servants dislike him, but he is his mother's best friend.  He was not at home though, because he had gone for a walk.  Vronsky finds Anna and sees that she is very upset.  She finally tells him that she is pregnant.  He tells her that she must end her relationship with her husband so that they can unite their lives. 

Part 2 section 23: He tells her to tell her husband everything and leave him.  She tells him that he would not allow his name to be dishonored like that and would take measures to prevent it.  She does not mention her son, and Vronsky does not realize that he is the main obstacle to the plan.  She asks him not to speak of it again.  Her son approaches and Vronsky leaves, saying he will return at one that night. 

Part 2 section 24: Vronsky continues on to Bryansky's not realizing how little time he has.  He does not stay with Bryansky long and rushes to the stables.  All are wondering where he has been, and he barely makes it to his horse on time.  Vronsky's brother Alexander comes up to him and asks if he got his note.  Vronsky says that he did, and that it is none of his business.  Oblonsky then arrives and they make a plan to meet the next day.  The riders mount, and Vronsky is irritated when Makhotin, his main rival in the race, gallops by on his horse Gladiator. 

Part 2 section 25: There are nine obstacles in the race, and when the race starts Frou-Frou is behind at least three horses.  She soon overcomes them and it is just Gladiator in front of them.  Vronsky gets the lead, and there is just one major obstacle ahead of them.  Vronsky thinks that he will overcome it and win the race but he makes a horrible mistake.  He had been dropping back in the saddle and pulling on Frou-Frou's head, and before he can realize what is happening, he and his horse fall and Gladiator rushes by.  He is unhurt, but the mare's back is broken and it is decided that she must be shot.  Vronsky rushes off and Yashvin follows him.  The memory of this race long remains one of the most painful memories of Vronsky's life.

Part 2 section 26: Externally Karenin's relationship with his wife remains the same, except that this year he never stays the night at the country house but remains in Petersburg.  He is rather colder to her and to their son.  He does not wish to think about his wife's conduct and does not want to see what is going on.  The Countess Lydia tries to warn him about it, but he does not want to hear it.  Without admitting it to himself though, he knows he is a wronged husband.  The day of the races Karenin stops by the country house. 

Part 2 section 27: Karenin arrives at the country house and Anna is sorry to see him but tries to be civil towards him.  Serezha, her son, seems to be scared of his father.  She tells Karenin that she is going to the race with Betsy, and when she arrives, they all leave. 

Part 2 section 28-Part 3 section 4

Part 2 section 28: When Karenin arrives at the racecourse he sits near his wife.  She cannot take her eyes off of Vronsky and is quite irritated by her husband's repulsive, unceasing voice as he talks to others around her.  She is angry that he has done and said nothing about her relationship with Vronsky and would respect him more if he had killed them both.  During the races Karenin watches Anna and sees that she looks only at Vronsky.  She notices her husband's gaze, but does not care. 

Part 2 section 29: When Vronsky falls, Anna gives a loud exclamation and loses control over herself.  Karenin offers her his arm, but she ignores him.  An officer arrives and says that Vronsky is OK, but that the horse has a broken back.  Anna hides her face and cries.  Betsy says she will take her home, but Karenin says that he will.  He is angry that she has behaved so improperly.  He tries to talk to her about it in the carriage, but she can only wonder if Vronsky is really unhurt.  He tells her to be more careful in public, and asks her to forgive him if he is mistaken.  She replies that he is not mistaken and that she loves Vronsky, is his mistress and that she cannot endure him.  Karenin replies that he understands, but that externally she must remain proper until he finds a way to protect his honor.  After he has gone Anna receives a note from Betsy saying that Vronsky is indeed unhurt.  Anna is relieved and knows that he will come that night.

Part 2 section 30: The Shcherbatskys have gone to a German watering place for Kitty's recuperation.  The family becomes friends with many of the other people there.  Kitty is mostly interested in a young Russian woman who came to the place with Madame Stahl and who seems to be nursing her and all of the other invalids.  Kitty wants to meet this girl, Varenka, as she feels that she is a model of what she could be.  A Russian couple arrive, and Kitty' mother finds out that they are Nicholas Levin and Mary Ivanovna, and she tells Kitty that Nicholas is a bad man.

Part 2 section 31: Kitty finally meets and becomes friends with Varenka, and Varenka wants to be friends as much as Kitty does.

Part 2 section 32: Madame Stahl had adopted Varenka when her own child had died, and Kitty is fascinated by her.  Varenka can sing very well and gives a concert.  Kitty is impressed that she can sing and give pleasure but not seem to be proud about it.  They talk about why Kitty is there, and Varenka tells her that she has no reason to be ashamed and that this sort of thing happens all the time with young girls. 

Part 2 section 33: Kitty becomes more fascinated by Madame Stahl and by her spiritual life, a religion that Kitty had not known before.  Kitty tries to be more like Varenka and be content in loving others and trying to help them be at peace.  She decides to devote her life to the Gospels and to helping the sick, criminals and the dying.  She starts at the watering place by helping the sick there.  Her mother tells her that she is overdoing things.  She has been helping Petrov, a sick artist, but soon Anna Pavlovna, his wife, starts to avoid her, and it becomes clear that she is jealous of her husband's interest in Kitty. 

Part 2 section 34: At the end of the season Kitty's father arrives.  He does not like foreign life or Madam Stahl or her religion.  Kitty introduces him to everyone, and he tells Kitty that she should do good things so that no one knows about them.  Kitty realizes that that she has been carried away and is not doing things for the right reason, and she also becomes less fascinated by Madame Stahl and her religion after she is around her father again. 

Part 2 section 35: The Prince invites some of the other watering-place guests for coffee, and they all have a good time.  Varenka must leave to help Anna Pavlovna pack because the family is leaving, and she tells Kitty that it is better if she does not come, as they are no longer comfortable around her.  Kitty realizes that she had no right to become involved with strangers and that it is better that she be bad than for her to be false as she has been. She still has much affection for Varenka, and asks her to come and visit her after they go home.  Varenka replies that she will come when Kitty marries, and Kitty replies that she will never marry.  Kitty returns to Russia quite cured.

Part 3 section 1: Levin's brother Sergius Ivanich Koznyshev, the philosopher, comes to stay with him for the summer.  Levin likes to see him, but his brother thinks that coming to the country means taking a break from work, while for Levin, work is in the country.  Levin does not like to leave his brother alone during his visits, as he knows he wants to have conversations with him about what he is thinking about, but Levin has work to do. 

Part 3 section 2: On his way out to work Levin takes his brother to a fishing place, and he tries to get him to stay and talk to him. 

Part 3 section 3: Levin and his brother discuss the Zemstvo meetings and why Levin no longer attends.  Levin says that he gets nothing out of it, but his brother says that it is his duty to go and improve conditions.  They try to have a philosophical conversation about it, but neither really understands the other. 

Part 3 section 4: Levin remembers how much he enjoyed the physical labor of mowing before, and thinks that he should do it again to calm him.  He decides to mow with the peasants all of the next day, and his brother does not think it is a good idea.  The next morning Levin arrives and starts mowing, and is glad that he is able to keep up with the peasants, as he was not sure he would not lag behind.  The peasants are surprised to see him there, but seem to accept it.  At breakfast, Levin rides home to eat and then returns. 

Part 3 section 5-Part 3 section 16

Part 3 section 5: Levin is again able to keep up, and at a break, one of the men gives him a drink of his kvas.  Later Levin sees little boys and girls approaching with the peasant's dinners.  He sits with them, as he does not want to go away.  One man offers him some of his dinner and they talk about their lives.  Levin is pleased with how much they had mown that day so far, but wants more done and encourages the men to continue.

Part 3 section 6: Levin is sorry when the mowing is over and he has to return home.  He cleans up and then eats with his brother.  A letter from Oblonsky says that Dolly and the children are at their country place in Ergushevo, near Levin, and he asks Levin to go and see them.  Koznyshev tells Levin that the peasants do not approve of him working with them. 

Part 3 section 7: Oblonsky had to go to Petersburg on business, so while he was away, it was decided to send Dolly and the children to the country to cut down on their expenses.  It is an old house, and Oblonsky visited there before Dolly moved there to get things ready, but he had forgotten many things, and Dolly is dismayed when she arrives.  Her maid knows how to take care of things though, and soon everything is all right.

Part 3 section 8: At the end of May, Dolly is still living without her husband in the country, but he keeps saying he will come.  On one Sunday, Dolly gets her children ready to take to Church, and when they are ready she sees that they are beautiful and pleasant children and is filled with pride for them.  She feels that the people in the Church admire them.  Dolly has much work to do taking care of all of the children. She takes them swimming, and some women come by, and they talk about the children. 

Part 3 section 9: As they are returning to the house, Levin approaches, and Dolly is glad that he will see her with her children and in all her glory.  He offers her his help in anything, realizing that her husband should be taking care of everything.  She replies that everything is put to right now.  The children like Levin and play with him.  Dolly tries to talk about Kitty, and Levin tries to change the subject to milking cows. 

Part 3 section 10: Dolly brings the subject back to Kitty, and Levin asks how her health is.  Dolly says that she is much better and asks Levin if he is angry with Kitty.  He tells her that he proposed to her and was rejected, and she tells him that she suspected it, but did not know it.  She tells him that he has only pride to suffer, but that Kitty is really suffering.  Levin feels his old feelings for Kitty rising again.  She tells him that Kitty's refusal proves nothing, and that he should come and visit while she is here, but he remembers Kitty's reply, "No, it cannot be," and decides not to visit.  The children start fighting and Dolly's illusions about them disappear as she realizes that they are bad and ill bred.  Levin thinks that he will never have children like hers. 

Part 3 section 11: In July, an Elder from Levin's sister's village comes to see him on business.  He talks vaguely, and Levin thinks that he must go there to see about the apportionment of the hay-harvest himself.  He takes over the apportionment, and either the peasants were trying to cheat him, or he had just cheated them with the new apportionment.  While he is there he sees a young peasant couple and how happy they are working together.

Part 3 section 12: He watches the young couple work, and then the peasants walk by singing and nodding to him.  He admires the peasant's life and the young couple's relationship.  He thinks about renouncing his place and taking a peasant wife to live that life, so pure and simple.  He sits there all night thinking how to do it, and near dawn a coach drives by. Levin looks in the window and sees Kitty, just waking up.  He thinks with disgust about his thoughts of taking a peasant wife, as he is quite in love with Kitty.

Part 3 section 13: Karenin cannot bear to see children or women weeping, and if he does, he is not able to think.  After the races when Anna told him everything about Vronsky, she started crying, and Karenin said whatever he could to get away from her.  Now that his suspicions are confirmed, he feels relieved of the pity and jealousy he had felt before.  He thinks that he is not the guilty one, so he should not be unhappy.  He tries to think of what he should do, and thinks about what other men in his position have done.  One fought a duel, but he realizes that he cannot do that as he is afraid of looking like a coward and is sure he would be killed or wounded.  He then thinks of divorce, but does not want to do that because in order to gain a divorce he would need to gather visual proof of his wife's infidelity and he does not want to be so coarse.  He also does not want Anna to be free to be with Vronsky.  He thinks about just separating with her, but again, she could be with Vronsky.  He does not admit it to himself, but he wants Anna to suffer.  He decides that she must return to live with him and that he must do all he can to put an end to the affair. 

Part 3 section 14: Karenin writes a note to Anna saying that she must return and they will live as before as a married couple.  He tells her that she must do this for herself and for her son, and tells her to return not later than Tuesday.  He then tries to read, but cannot, and works on business, deciding to demand that a committee be formed to inquire about the subject races and the irrigation in the Zaraysk Province. 

Part 3 section 15: Anna is glad that she told her husband everything, as she now thinks that all of the deception and falsehood will end.  Vronsky visited the night before, but she did not tell him that she had told Karenin about them.  She imagines that Vronsky is no longer in love with her.  A note from Betsy arrives asking her to come and visit, as she is expecting guests of the highest society.  Anna does not know what to do.  She thinks of her son and realizes that she cannot give him up and that she must leave with him to make sure that Karenin does not try to take him.  She decides to go to Moscow, and has the servants start packing. 

Part 3 section 16: As they are all working on packing, Anna receives Karenin's letter.  In the morning she had wished that she could unsay the words she said to her husband, and now with the letter she realizes that Karenin is practically pretending he did not hear them.  She thinks that it is dreadful, and does not want him smothering her anymore as he has during the last eight years.  She realizes that in his letter is a threat that he will take their son from her if she does not comply.  She weeps, as she sees that the lies and deception will continue, and that things will be worse than before.  She decides she must see Vronsky, and leaves for Betsy's, telling the servants they are not going to Moscow.

Part 3 section 17-Part 3 section 28

Part 3 section 17: Anna arrives at Betsy's and then remembers that Vronsky had said that he would not be going there since she said she was not going.  Anna tells Betsy that she cannot stay long as she must go and visit the Countess Vrede as she had promised to.  She finds it easy to lie now.  Realizing Anna is upset, Betsy writes a note to Vronsky and asks Anna to send it, knowing that she could then add a note of her own.  Anna writes to Vronsky that she must see him and to meet her at six in the Vrede's garden. 

Part 3 section 18: The other guests arrive at Betsy's, including the beautiful Lisa Merkalova.  Anna and she are introduced and get along, happy to finally meet each other.  Anna has to take her leave to go and meet Vronsky. 

Part 3 section 19: Every so often Vronsky takes time to organize his financial affairs.  He does that this morning, and realizes he is quite in debt, because his mother has not sent him his allowance this year because she is displeased with his relationship with Anna.  Vronsky has also given much of his yearly allowance to his brother, as his brother is married.  It is understood that Vronsky will want it again when he is married, but now that Vronsky is in this relationship with Anna, he realizes he may need it when he is not married.

Part 3 section 20: Vronsky has a code of rules that he lives by, but recently these rules have been broken as his relationship with Anna progressed, and especially now that she is pregnant. He is worried that Anna will take him up on his offer to leave together, as he would have to leave the army and does not have any money.  He had passed on a promotion earlier, trying to show his independence, but it has backfired on him, and he has since been passed over for other positions.  Serpukhovskoy, an old friend of his and the same year as himself, has progressed much further in his career than has Vronsky, and Vronsky tries not to be envious.

Part 3 section 21: Petrisky comes for Vronsky and they go to the Commanding Officer, as Serpukhovskoy has arrived.  They all laugh and drink a great deal at the party, and Vronsky and Serpukhovskoy talk about their future.  He tells Vronsky that the chief stumbling block in a man's career is women, as he seems to know about Anna.  A man brings Vronsky Betsy and Anna's note, and he leaves.

Part 3 section 22: Vronsky meets Anna in the garden and she tells him that she told Karenin and that he wants her to return home and pretend everything is fine.  Anna will run off with him if he passionately asks her to now, but he does not.  He says that he is glad of it, as he knows that things cannot return to how they were and that there must be change.  He is actually thinking of the duel that he thinks is inevitable.  Anna says that she will go back to Petersburg on Tuesday, and Vronsky says that he will try to arrange something for them. 

Part 3 section 23: On Monday the Committee meets, and Karenin proposes his considerations on the question of the settlement of the native races.  His opponents jump to cut him off, but in the end Karenin is successful and three new committees are formed.  On Tuesday Anna arrives back home, and Karenin does not go to see her.  She finally goes in to see him, and she tells him that things will not change.  He says that he will ignore everything as long as his name is not dishonored and that Vronsky does not come to the house.  She tries to tell him that she cannot be his wife in that way, and he says that that is not what he wants at all.

Part 3 section 24: That night Levin spent out in the village changes his outlook on his work.  He now clearly sees that the opposition between he and his laborers is hindering his work and profits and that things must change.  Many things are going wrong on Levin's farm.  Dolly sends a letter to ask for a sidesaddle for Kitty, and she wants him to bring it.  Levin tries to write back, but cannot think what to say, so just sends the saddle with no letter.  Levin decides to go see his friend Sviyazhsky for a bit.

Part 3 section 25: Halfway to Sviyazhsky's house Levin stops at a peasant's house to feed his horses.  He talks to the peasants and gets the history of their farm and thinks about them often on his way to his friend's.

Part 3 section 26: It is obvious that Sviyazhsky and his wife want Levin to marry the wife's sister, but Levin is not interested in her at all.  Some landowners come over, and Levin goes to talk to them so that he can get away from the sister and her low cut dress that is making him uncomfortable.

Part 3 section 27: They talk about the problems with the laborers, and one talks about how much better things were under serfdom.  Levin cannot stop thinking about his dissatisfaction with the way things are going on his farm and finding a solution. 

Part 3 section 28: That night Levin goes to borrow books from Sviyazhsky.  They discuss whether peasants should be educated or not, and Levin cannot find a connection between his friend's thoughts and his life.  Levin reads the books and has an idea for how to reverse his methods of farming.  He leaves early the next day even though he said he would stay.

Part 3 section 29-Part 4 section 8

Part 3 section 29: Levin finds it hard to implement his new idea that all would be shareholders in the farming, because everyone is so busy with their duties and some do not trust him. Things eventually start going his way though, even though there are a few problems.  This new project takes up all of Levin's time and thoughts.

Part 3 section 30: Levin thinks that everything is going well on his estate and that he needs to go abroad to study more on the subject of what he is doing on his farm with the peasants.  He makes preparations to go.

Part 3 section 31: A guest arrives, and Levin hopes that it is not his brother Nicholas, but it is.  To be with his brother torments him, and he can see that Nicholas is thinner and weaker than before, and he feels pity for him.  Nicholas tells Levin that he got rid of Mary because she treated him like an invalid.  Both Levin and Nicholas can only think of Nicholas' impending death, but neither can talk about it, so they try to talk about other things and sound false.  That night Levin can hear his brother tossing and coughing.  Levin realizes that everything ends in death and that everything he has been trying to do is useless.

Part 3 section 32: The next morning Nicholas is irritable, and finds fault with all of Levin's plans, saying they are communist.  Levin thinks that he wants a balance between the present situation and communism.  They argue about Levin's plans and his motives, and Nicholas says that he is sorry he came and will leave.  Levin asks his forgiveness, but Nicholas leaves, asking Levin not to think badly of him.  Three days later Levin leaves for abroad, his mind on death, thinking that it is his time to die.

Part 4 section 1: The Karenins live as they had before, so that society and their servants cannot talk about them.  Vronsky never comes to the house, but he and Anna meet elsewhere.  Vronsky has to act as guide to a foreign prince who wants to see Russian life, especially the nightlife and women.  Vronsky sees much of himself in the Prince, and is happy to part with him when he leaves.

Part 4 section 2: When he returns home from taking leave of the Prince, there is a note from Anna saying that Karenin is going out for the evening and she wants him to come there.  He falls asleep, has a strange dream about a peasant speaking French and wakes up to see that he is late.  He rushes to Anna's and runs face to face with Karenin at the doorway.  Karenin bows to him and continues on his way out.  Vronsky goes to Anna who is in anguish because things cannot go on as they have been.

Part 4 section 3: Vronsky tells Anna that he ran into Karenin.  She has been acting more jealous about Vronsky lately, and asks him about all of his activities with the Prince and the women they visited.  He tells her that he is done with that kind of life.  He is horrified by all of her jealousy lately, and he thinks how she has changed both physically and morally since he met her.  They talk again about Karenin, and Vronsky says that he does not understand his behavior and would have thought he would have challenged him.  Anna tells Vronsky that their situation will come to an end, but not how he thinks.  She says that she will die during the delivery of their baby. Vronsky says that she is speaking rubbish.  Anna says that she has had a dream about a peasant speaking French and interprets his words to mean that she will die in childbirth.  Vronsky says it is nonsense, but he remembers his own dream.

Part 4 section 4: After he runs into Vronsky, Karenin continues on to the Opera as planned.  He returns home angry at his wife for not observing the rules of propriety and ignoring his wish that she not meet Vronsky at their house.  He thinks again about divorce, and thinks that he must get proof of her infidelity.  Anna is surprised by his appearance when he enters her bedroom.  He rushes to her writing table and finds a letter-case full of Vronsky's letters.  He tells her to sit down and expresses his anger, and she gets mad at him for how he is talking to her.  He tells her that he is going to put an end to the situation and that he is going to Moscow to get a divorce.  He says that their son will stay with his sister, and she accuses him of only taking him to hurt her. 

Part 4 section 5: Karenin explains his situation to the lawyer in Moscow and asks him about the divorce laws.  He says that in the case of adultery there can be detection of the guilty party by mutual consent or involuntary detection without such consent.  Karenin cannot consent to the mutual consent as he has religious qualms against it.  The lawyer explains that the letters are not enough for the involuntary detection, and that there must be physical witnesses.  Karenin says that he will write to him about his decision.

Part 4 section 6: Karenin had had a victory in the Committee before, but then his opponent, Stremov, pretended to be on his side and made some outlandish changes to the plan in Karenin's name, and now his victory has undermined his power.  Karenin asks to go himself to the Province being talked about.  On his way he stops in Moscow and runs into Oblonsky and Dolly.  They are hurt that he did not tell them he was coming to Moscow, and they invite him to dinner. 

Part 4 section 7: The next day Oblonsky goes to the Hotel to see Levin, who has just returned from abroad, his new supervisor and Karenin.  He is planning a dinner with some of Moscow's intellectuals.  Kitty and Levin's brother will be there, and he wants to invite Levin and Karenin.  Oblonsky sees Levin, talks to him about his work in the country and invites him to dinner.  Levin wants to ask if Kitty will be there, but he does not, and says he will come.  Oblonsky then has a successful visit with his new supervisor and goes to see Karenin. 

Part 4 section 8: Karenin returns to the Hotel from church and writes a letter to the lawyer telling him to go ahead and get the evidence he needs to continue with the divorce.  Oblonsky arrives, and Karenin tells him that he cannot come to dinner since he has started divorce proceedings against his sister.  Oblonsky acts dismayed and asks Karenin to at least talk to Dolly before he continues with it.  Karenin says he will come to dinner.

Part 4 section 9-Part 4 section 20

Part 4 section 9: Oblonsky returns home after some of the guests have already arrived.  Levin is happy to see that Kitty is there, as he has not seen her since she refused him.  He sees that she is quite different, and she is happy to see him.  Oblonsky seats them together.

Part 4 section 10: Pestov, one of Moscow's intellectuals, Koznyshev and Karenin discuss the differences between classical and modern education as well as the education of women. 

Part 4 section 11: Levin and Kitty normally would have been interested in these discussions, but they are having their own separate conversation.  Levin tells Kitty that he saw her in the carriage in the summer, and they are getting along great.  Kitty sees that Levin thinks badly of another guest, and she convinces him that he is a good man.  He tells her that he will never think badly of anyone again.

Part 4 section 12: Dolly takes Karenin aside to talk to him about Anna.  She is convinced of Anna's innocence, but he tells her that Anna told him of her guilt herself.  He says that this is not the kind of situation one can just bear, but that one must act.  She thinks of her own situation with her husband and how she can do nothing but bear it.  She tells Karenin that he cannot divorce Anna because she would be nobody's wife and would be ruined.  He tells her that he cannot forgive Anna, and he leaves the house.

Part 4 section 13: Kitty and Levin sit down in the drawing room at the card table, and Kitty plays with the chalk on the green cloth on the table. They have been getting along so well, and Levin's hopes are raised again.  He takes the chalk from Kitty and writes W, y, a: i, c, n, b; d, y, m, t, o, n? Kitty understands it to mean: When you answered: it cannot be; did you mean then or never? She rubs out his letters and replies: T, I, c, n, a, o.  Levin understands this to mean: Then I could not answer otherwise.  She tells him that she wants him to forgive her and forget what happened.  He replies that he has nothing to forgive.  They continue on with the letter game and it is revealed that she loves him, and they decide that he will call on her parents in the morning.

Part 4 section 14: Everyone is leaving the Oblonsky's, but Levin does not want to be alone, so asks his brother if he can accompany him to the Town Council meeting he is going to.  His brother understands what has happened between Levin and Kitty and is happy for him.  At the meeting Levin listens to the debates and feels like he can see what all of the men are really like and that they are all kind.  Sviyazhsky asks him to come home for tea, and Levin is happy to go. He then goes back to his hotel, talks to the attendant until he is called away, and spends the rest of the night by the window.  At dawn he goes out, having not slept at all.

Part 4 section 15: Levin goes to the Shcherbatskys' house twice before people are ready to receive him.  He feels exceptionally happy.  He later goes again to the house and sees Kitty, who has also not slept all either.  Her father and mother have given their consent and she runs to Levin.  Her mother comes and kisses Levin and is quite happy.  Kitty's father also comes and says he has always wished it.

Part 4 section 16: Levin wants to have the wedding as soon as possible, but Kitty's mother knows there are many things to do.  Relatives arrive and Levin realizes that he is expected to go and buy flowers and gifts.  It seems to him that everyone knows about his happiness and shares it.  He wants to talk to Kitty about his shameful past and about how he is agnostic, so he gives her his diaries to read.  She says nothing about his agnosticism, but he can see that his impure past has made her suffer.  She forgives him.

Part 4 section 17: When Karenin returns to the hotel from dinner at the Oblonsky's he has two telegrams.  The first says that his opponent, Stremov, has been given a position he was hoping for, and Karenin is mad that he was passed over.  The second is from Anna and she writes that she is ill and needs his forgiveness.  He thinks that it may just be a cunning trick, but realizes he must go home and see.  On his way back to Petersburg he thinks about how Anna's death would solve the situation, and it is not until he arrives home that he realizes he has been desiring her death.  He learns that Anna has given birth to a baby girl, and he goes to Anna's room.  There he sees Vronsky who asks him to allow him to stay, and hears Anna babbling about many things.  Anna tells her husband that she has not long to live and needs his forgiveness.  She asks him to forgive Vronsky as well.

Part 4 section 18: The next day Karenin tells Vronsky that he had started divorce proceedings, but that now he knows that he must stay with his wife. He tells Vronsky that he forgives both of them and will call him if she asks for him.  Vronsky has not slept for days and he does not know what to do as he leaves.  When he arrives home he can only see Anna's face and think about what a good man Karenin is and how humiliated he is.  He thinks that perhaps he is going mad and thinks of the same things over and over.  He goes to his table, takes his revolver and shoots himself in the chest.  The servant goes for help, and soon Varya, Vronsky's sister-in-law, comes with doctors.

Part 4 section 19: At his wife's bedside, Karenin gives over to the feelings of sympathy that other people's suffering bring to him and he forgives and loves his wife.  He also forgives Vronsky and pities him when reports of his desperate action reach him.  He also grows fond of the newborn girl and spends much time with her.  He realizes that his presence is distasteful to his wife and that she fears him.  One day he returns home and sees that Princess Betsy is with Anna.  He goes in and Anna tells him that Vronsky is leaving town and that Betsy is asking Anna to let him come and say goodbye.  She wants Karenin to know that she has said that she cannot receive him.  Karenin replies that it is up to her.

Part 4 section 20: Karenin returns to Anna after seeing Betsy out and sees that she is crying.  He feels helpless in the whole situation, as he does not want to place Anna in a shameful position, but it was clear she couldn't break off relations with Vronsky.

Part 4 section 21-Part 5 section 9

Part 4 section 21: On her way out Betsy meets Oblonsky and he tells her that he is there to help the Karenins settle their affairs.  He goes to see Anna and she tells him that she cannot live with Karenin and hates him for his virtues.  She starts to say that there is nothing left for her but death, but Oblonsky will not hear it.  He asks her what she wants, and she replies that she wants it all to end. 

Part 4 section 22: Oblonsky goes to talk to Karenin, as he thinks that a divorce will solve everything.  Karenin has been writing a letter to Anna saying that he knows she does not want to see him but that he needs her to tell him what she wants and he will do it.  Oblonsky knows that Karenin's goodness and this letter will only make Anna feel guiltier. Karenin knows that a divorce is not as simple as Oblonsky thinks, as there is religion, Anna's shame and their son to think about.  He realizes that to save Anna he himself must take the disgrace and say that he has been unfaithful so that Anna is not ruined and can marry Vronsky and not live in an illegal relationship.  He consents to this, and Oblonsky leaves felling proud of himself for arranging things.

Part 4 section 23: Vronsky's wound had missed his heart, but he did lay between life and death for several days. Serpukhovsky arranges a position for Vronsky elsewhere, and Vronsky prepares to go. Betsy comes to tell him that Oblonsky told her that Karenin is agreeing to a divorce.  Vronsky runs to the Karenin's and without even looking, runs into Anna's room and embraces and kisses her.  She has been expecting him and his passion passes to her. He is so happy that they will be as husband and wife, but she says that she cannot accept Karenin's generosity, and that she doesn't want a divorce and wonders why she did not die.  Before, Vronsky would have thought it disgraceful to refuse a post such as the one he was offered, but now he refuses it with no hesitation, and resigns his position.  A month later, after refusing the divorce, Anna and Vronsky go abroad together and leave Karenin and her son. 

Part 5 section 1: Levin continues to be quite happy.  Oblonsky suggests that he and Kitty go abroad after the wedding, but Kitty wants to go and start their life in the country.  Levin goes to confession because he must have a certificate proving he has taken communion before he can be married.  He is worried that he will have to blaspheme or lie during the confession, but he tells the priest about his doubts and does not have to lie. 

Part 5 section 2: On the wedding day Levin dines with his brother and some other friends and they mourn the loss of his freedom.  Levin does not see any loss though, and is quite happy.  Suddenly he gets quite worried about what Kitty may be feeling and wanting, and he convinces himself that she does not really love him.  He runs to her and tells her that there is still time to stop the wedding.  She convinces him that she loves him.

Part 5 section 3: People have assembled at the church, and the wedding is delayed, and everyone is wondering what the problem is.  Kitty is waiting, already dressed, for Levin to arrive.  Levin's servant had set out his suit for the wedding, but thought that Levin could wear the shirt he was wearing.  But shirt did not go with the suit and was wrinkled by the time of the wedding.  All of his other clothes had been packed and sent to the Shcherbatskys', and as it was Sunday, they could not buy a new one.  The servant has to run to unpack and find a shirt, and at last he arrives with it.

Part 5 section 4: Levin arrives at the church, and Kitty teasingly tells him she thought he was running away.  The ceremony starts and Levin has trouble understanding what he is supposed to do.  Both Levin and Kitty have trouble paying attention to what is going on around them. 

Part 5 section 5: The women in the audience are talking about weddings and Kitty.  They wonder who will step on the mat during the ceremony first, as it is said that the first one who steps on the mat will be the predominant partner. 

Part 5 section 6: The first part of the ceremony ends, and none can agree who stepped on the mat first.  The crown is set on Kitty's head, meaning she will be lucky, and at the end of the ceremony Levin and Kitty kiss and are quite happy.  That night they leave for the country.

Part 5 section 7: Vronsky and Anna have been traveling through Venice, Rome and Naples and are now in an Italian town where they plan to stay for a while.  Vronsky runs into Golenishchev, a friend from his student days, and is glad to have someone to help end his boredom. Vronsky introduces him to Anna, and the three of them go to see the palazzo that Vronsky and Anna will be staying in.  Vronsky will have a studio in it, as he has started to paint.

Part 5 section 8: During this time, at the beginning of her freedom, Anna is quite happy.  She is sorry to have had to leave her son, but this does not trouble her too much, as she has the little girl to think of.  She is happy and in love with Vronsky.  Vronsky is not as happy as he thought he would be when he had received everything he wanted.  He feels much boredom now, and when he tries to go out with some friends for a late supper, Anna gets too jealous.  So, he has begun to paint.  He feels that he has the talent for art because he can imitate other artists.

Part 5 section 9: Golenishchev and Vronsky talk about Mikhaylov, a Russian artist living nearby.  The three of them go to see him.

Part 5 section 10-Part 5 section 21

Part 5 section 10: Mikhaylov has just finished a painting he has been working on for a while, and is excited to have guests there so that he can hear their opinions.  He is always quite concerned about what people say about his work.  Anna and Vronsky have already been prejudiced against Mikhaylov by Golenishev's accounts of his lack of education.

Part 5 section 11: Mikhaylov sees that they are wealthy Russians and assumes they are the type that think they know about art but really know nothing.  He takes the three into his studio though and is interested in what they have to say about his painting. The three of them only say obvious things about the painting, but the artist takes it as important praise until Golenishchev starts talking about his technique, and he gets irritated. 

Part 5 section 12: Vronsky and Anna try to move them on to another painting that they quite like.  When the visitors leave the artist looks at his painting again and is reassured in its perfection.  On their way home the three talk about Mikhaylov's talent.

Part 5 section 13: Vronsky buys the painting they liked and asks Mikhaylov to paint Anna's portrait.  He consents, and every time he comes for a sitting is very deferential to them and does not want to be friends with them.  Vronsky tries to show him his paintings, which the artist thinks are bad, and Golenishchev keeps trying to talk to him about art.  All are happy when the sittings are done and the portrait is finished.  They think that Mikhaylov is just jealous of Vronsky because he can paint too, but soon Vronsky sees the defects in his work and stops painting.  He becomes bored again, and Vronsky and Anna decide to return to Russia and live in the country.

Part 5 section 14: Levin has been married three months and finds that married life is not all he thought it would be.  He sees that his wife has many jealousies and petty household interests that he does not share, and they have many arguments.  So, the first of their marriage is very trying, and it is not until they have been married for three months that it runs more smoothly.

Part 5 section 15: Levin starts to work again on his manuscript, finding that his book is worth writing after all.  He feels that he has gotten little work done in months and needs to get back to his duties and his book. 

Part 5 section 16: Levin receives a letter from Mary Nikolavna saying that his brother is quite ill.  Levin says he will go to him, and Kitty says she will go too.  Levin thinks that she just wants to go so that she does not have to be alone and is angry at her for not taking his brother's illness more seriously.  They argue, and even though he is not convinced that Kitty is going to help him, he agrees to let her go.  He really does not want his wife to be around Mary Nikolavna.

Part 5 section 17: They arrive at the dirty hotel in the provincial town and Levin takes Kitty to their room and goes to see his brother.  His brother looks very bad and Levin does not know how to act or what to say to him.  He says that he will go and get Kitty, but he does not really want her to see him.  She wants to help though, and goes to see him.  Mary Nikolavna is nervous and self-conscious about her position around Kitty.  Kitty tells Nicholas that she will help him.

Part 5 section 18: Levin cannot be calm around his brother.  He smells the air and sees the pain his brother is in but does not think that anything can be done about it.  Kitty immediately starts to set things to right though.  She, her maid and Mary get things cleaned up and get a doctor in, and soon things are better.  Levin is afraid Nicholas will not like Kitty's help, but he praises her to Levin. 

Part 5 section 19: Levin thinks about how much more Kitty knows about death and how to deal with it than he does.  She has convinced Nicholas to receive Communion.  Kitty tells Levin that the doctor has said that Nicholas will not live more than three days.  He admits to her that he is glad that she came and that she has done much to help.  She tells him that she learned it while helping the sick people at the watering place she went to.

Part 5 section 20: After receiving Communion Nicholas seems better.  Levin is surprised at how seriously Nicholas was taking it, but he admits to him that he did it for Kitty.  Later Mary Nikolavna comes to say he is dying, but all through the night he suffers but does not die.  He suffers still more, and all wish for his death to end the suffering.  Kitty gets ill, but is soon better.  Nicholas dies, and Levin again has feelings of horror about the inevitability of death, but Kitty's presence helps him.  The doctor confirms that Kitty's illness is pregnancy.

Part 5 section 21: Karenin has been alone a while now and finally truly understands his position and can no longer maintain an appearance of calm, as he sees that people look at him with contempt and harshness.  He has no one to turn to for talk though.  He did not make any real friends at school or university.  Anna's aunt introduced him to Anna and soon convinced him that he was bound by honor to propose to her because of the attentions he had been giving her.  He has no intimate male friends, and would not even consider talking to a female friend like Countess Lydia Ivanovna, as he finds all women repulsive now. 

Part 5 section 22-Part 5 section 33

Part 5 section 22: The Countess comes to see Karenin and tells him that she will help take care of his house and his son.  She does not do a very good job, and Karenin's valet Korney actually ends up arranging most things. 

Part 5 section 23: The Countess had married when she was quite young, but her husband left her and they now live apart but are not divorced.  After her husband left she never ceased to be in love with somebody, often with several men and women at the same time.  At this time she convinces herself that all of those loves meant nothing and that she is in love with Karenin.  She has heard that Anna and Vronsky are in town and does not want Karenin to know it, as she does not want him to be hurt.  She receives a note from Anna asking to see her son, Serezha, and she sends back no answer.

Part 5 section 24: Karenin receives the Order of Alexander Nevsky, the tsar's favor.  All of the other committee members laugh at his situation behind his back.  The Countess goes to see Karenin, and tells him that Anna is in Petersburg.

Part 5 section 25: Karenin goes to see the Countess and reads Anna's note.  He thinks that he does not have a right to refuse Anna.  The Countess convinces him that it would not be good for the boy to see his mother as he thinks that she is dead.  She writes Anna a note saying that her husband has refused her request. Karenin remembers all of his recent dealings with his wife and feels shame and regret, especially when thinking about how no one wanted his forgiveness.

Part 5 section 26: Serezha's birthday is coming and he is excited.  He wants everyone to be happy and is proud of his father for having gotten the award.  He tries to have his lessons, but he does not learn much.

Part 5 section 27: Serezha's favorite occupation while out is keeping an eye out for his mother.  He was told that she had died, but he did not believe it.  He later heard accidentally that she was not dead, and he continues to look for her.  His father comes home and much of his joy diminishes, and his father gives him his lessons from the Old Testament.  His father and his teacher are both displeased with him because he does not learn well.

Part 5 section 28: Vronsky and Anna put up at one of the best hotels when they arrive in Petersburg.  Vronsky goes to see his mother and brother and they still do not approve of his relationship with Anna.  Anna and Vronsky have plans to go and live at Vronsky's estate in the country.  Both of them think that Society has changed and that they will be somewhat accepted.  However, while the world is open to Vronsky, it is closed to Anna.  Betsy comes to see Anna, but makes it clear that she is not satisfied with Anna's position because she is not yet divorced.  Vronsky tries to get his sister-in-law Varya to visit Anna, but she tells him that she has her daughters to think of and cannot offend Society.  Vronsky realizes that they are no longer accepted in the Petersburg Society. 

Part 5 section 29: Anna does not want to write or come into contact with her husband, but she wants to see her son.  That is why she writes to the Countess, and she is humiliated when she receives no reply.  When she does receive the reply with the refusal, she gets angry.  As the next day is Serezha's birthday, Anna buys a lot of toys and plans to go and see him early in the morning. She goes, and the old hall-porter recognizes her and lets her in.  She goes up to see her son and realizes how much he has changed.  He tells her that he knew she would come on his birthday.  They kiss and talk intimately.

Part 5 section 30: Meanwhile, the servants are concerned because they know that soon Karenin will wake and will go in to see his son.  The nurse enters and tells Anna that Karenin will be coming.  Serezha tells her not to leave yet, and she tell him that she loves him and that he should love his father.  Anna leaves the room and sees Karenin approaching her.  He bows his head to her and she is seized by loathing for him and leaves the house.  She had forgotten to give Serezha the toys she brought him, so she takes them away with her.

Part 5 section 31: Anna is greatly affected by the visit with her son.  She realizes that she does not have the love for her baby girl that she does for him.  She takes out some pictures of Serezha to look at and sends for Vronsky so that she does not have to be alone in her anguish.  He has Yashvin as a visitor and so brings him as well, and Anna thinks that Vronsky does not want to be alone with her. 

Part 5 section 32: Vronsky thinks that Anna has been acting strangely and wants to talk to her about it.  Anna receives a note from Betsy asking her to come see her, but gives specific times for her visit, so that it is obvious she has arranged that no one will meet Anna at her house.  Anna asks a friend to get her a box at the opera.  Vronsky does not understand what she is doing and why she seems so aggressively merry.  He asks her if she is really going to the theatre, and she asks why she shouldn't.  He tells her that it is out of the question for her to go and begs her not to.  She says that she will go.

Part 5 section 33: Vronsky enters the theatre and does not see Anna but can tell where she is by the direction people are looking.  He then sees her and sees that she is disturbed as are the Princess Barbara and Yashvin who are also in the box with her.  In the box next to theirs are the Kartasovs, and the wife is angry and standing with her back to Anna, putting on her cloak.  Vronsky can see that something humiliating happened to Anna.  He goes to see his brother, and his sister-in-law tells him that Madame Kartasova insulted Anna and then left.  He runs into Anna and she tells him that this is his entire fault.  He replies that he had asked her not to come, and she tells him that Madame Kartasova had said that it was a disgrace to sit near her.  Vronsky is both sorry for and angry at Anna.  The next day they leave for the country.

Part 6 section 1-Part 6 section 12

Part 6 section 1: Dolly and her children are staying with Kitty and Levin for the summer.  Oblonsky is not staying there, but comes to visit.  Kitty's mother and Varenka are also there, as is Levin's brother, Koznyshev.  The group is talking about going mushroom hunting, and Koznyshev wants to go too.  Kitty thinks that he and Varenka have fallen in love and that a proposal will happen on this walk. 

Part 6 section 2: The women that did not go mushroom hunting are sitting on the balcony sewing and making jam.  They are talking about how good a marriage between Koznyshev and Varenka would be, and then talk about the different ways that they were proposed to. 

Part 6 section 3: Everyone is concerned about Kitty talking care of herself because she is pregnant.  She and Levin slowly walk to meet up with the group and they talk about Sergius and Varenka.  Levin says that he does not know what to think, and that his brother has only ever been in love with a girl who died. 

Part 6 section 4: Varenka is excited about the possibility of an offer of marriage.  Koznyshev thinks about it and realizes that it is not a sudden impulse and decides that he is in love with her and will propose.

Part 6 section 5: They walk together and are away from Dolly's children and he thinks he will propose.  There is a silence, and she does not know what so say, so she says something about mushrooms, and this irritates him.  There is a longer silence and both know that he must propose then or never, and instead he asks her a question about mushrooms and both know that it is all over.  He has decided that he cannot be unfaithful to Marie's (the girl he had loved) memory.  Kitty can tell by their faces that nothing happened.

Part 6 section 6: They are all sitting around together, and Kitty and Levin are particularly happy with their love for each other.  Oblonsky arrives and he has brought Vasenka Veslovsky, a second cousin of Kitty's, with him.  Levin is sorry to see it, and the man seems quite silly.  Levin notices that he kisses Kitty's hand with particular attention, and Levin gets irritated by everyone and leaves the room. 

Part 6 section 7: Later he returns for supper, and Oblonsky asks if they will go shooting the next day.  Levin does not like Veslovsky, and seeing Kitty talking to him in an animated fashion, he convinces himself that she is in love with him.  Veslovsky has been to see Anna, who is living not far from there, and Dolly says that she has been meaning to go and see her.  Levin blames Kitty for leaving herself open to the behavior of Veslovsky.  Later they talk about it and she is offended by his jealousy.  They make up.

Part 6 section 8: Veslovsky is ready for hunting in his shiny new clothes, not realizing that the custom is to wear rags. Oblonsky is also ready, and when Levin comes downstairs they leave.  They will be gone overnight, so Levin asks Kitty to send him a note so that he knows if she is all right.  Levin hopes that he will not be rude to Veslovsky and that he will shoot better than Oblonsky. 

Part 6 section 9: They plan to travel a bit to a marsh for the hunting, but Oblonsky convinces him to stop off quickly at a marsh along the way.  There is only room for two, so Levin stays with the horses and cart.  They come back with nothing, and when the horses start Levin hits his head on Veslovsky's gun and Veslovsky pulls the trigger.  No one was hurt, and they try to laugh it off.  They move on, but again they stop at a small place.  Levin stays with the cart, but after Veslovsky gets a bird he stays at the cart and lets Levin go.  Soon Veslovsky has let the horses wander into the marsh, and Levin and the coachman have to work to get them unstuck.  Levin is irritated at Oblonsky and Veslovsky for not helping.  Veslovsky wants to drive to make up for it, and Levin lets him even though he thinks he will tire out the horses.

Part 6 section 10: Veslovsky does drive too fast and it is still hot when they arrive at the marsh.  Oblonsky goes off by himself and does very well with his hunting, but Levin is stuck with Veslovsky and does not shoot well. 

Part 6 section 11: They all meet at the peasant hut where they are spending the night.  They talk for a while and Levin does not join Oblonsky and Veslovsky when they go out to court some maidservants nearby.  Oblonsky tells him that a man must be independent and that he sees no reason why he should not be with maidservants.  Levin says that he will sleep so that he can start hunting early. 

Part 6 section 12: Levin gets up at dawn and tries to get the others up, but they want to sleep.  He shoots very well and has a good time.

Part 6 section 13-Part 6 section 24

Part 6 section 13: Levin returns hungry, but Veslovsky has eaten everything.  There is a note from Kitty saying that everything is fine.  Oblonsky is envious of Levin's good hunting.  Later that night they leave for home.

Part 6 section 14: The next day Kitty's mother and others try to convince Levin to move to Moscow near the end of Kitty's pregnancy.  Across the room he sees Veslovsky talking to Kitty and smiling and sees her blushing.  The conversation is unpleasant for Kitty, but she does not know how to end it.  Later Levin and Kitty talk and she says that she cannot live like this and wonders why Veslovsky had to come when she and Levin were so happy.  She convinces him that she is not to blame for how Veslovsky talks to her.

Part 6 section 15: Levin goes to talk to Dolly about Veslovsky and she says that both she and Oblonsky had noticed Veslovsky's behaviors.  She is surprised when Levin says that he is going to ask him to leave.  She says that she will have Oblonsky take him away, but Levin wants to do it himself. Veslovsky is quite surprised that Levin wants him to leave, but he goes.  Oblonsky is also surprised and tells Levin that he is being ridiculous.

Part 6 section 16: Dolly goes to see Anna.  On her way she thinks about her life and about how many times she has been pregnant and how hard it and raising children are.  She also thinks about how she and Oblonsky do not have enough money.  She wonders if maybe she should not have gotten back with her husband but that she should have an affair as Anna is.

Part 6 section 17: Dolly arrives at Anna's and Veslovsky, Princess Barbara and Sviyazhsky are also there.  She sees that Anna looks quite beautiful and happy.

Part 6 section 18: Anna tells her that she is very happy and that later they will talk about her and what Dolly thinks about her position.  The estate and house is very nice and Dolly is surprised by the luxury and the newness of everything there.

Part 6 section 19: Dolly is embarrassed about her clothes as she is surrounded by such luxury.  Anna takes Dolly to see her little girl, and it is apparent to Dolly that Anna does not spend much time with her.  Dolly does not like Princess Barbara as she is a relation to her husband and she knows that she just uses rich people for their money.  Anna tells her that she has been very nice to her though and has made her position easier. 

Part 6 section 20: Anna brings everyone together and they go for a walk.  They walk to the area of the employees who work on the estate to see the new hospital that Vronsky is building.  Dolly is a bit uncomfortable with people so different from herself. 

Part 6 section 21: Vronsky arranges to be alone with Dolly so that he can talk to her about Anna.  He tells her that he wants her to convince Anna to ask her husband for a divorce so that he can marry her.  He wants to legitimate their relationship and become the legal father of their daughter and of any other children so that he can have heirs. 

Part 6 section 22: They return home and have dinner, and Dolly is again struck by the luxury of everything.  It becomes obvious to her that Vronsky takes care of everything in the house and that Anna is really more of a guest there.  They talk a bit about Levin and his lack of interest in the politics of the area, and Dolly defends him because she likes Levin more than Vronsky.  Dolly notices that all of Vronsky's participation in the area's politics annoys Anna since it takes him away from her.  They then play lawn tennis and Dolly is not feeling happy and decides to leave the next day.

Part 6 section 23: Before bed, Anna comes in to talk to Dolly.  She has been saying all day that they will have a talk about her position, as Dolly is the only one she can talk to, but once they are together Anna does not know what to say.  Anna wants to know what Vronsky talked to her about, and Dolly tells her about his concerns about her divorce and their children.  Anna says that they will not be having any more children, as her doctor took care of that after her illness.  Dolly is horrified.  She has wondered how some women can have only a few children, but she is shocked that actions could be taken to limit children, even though she had herself been earlier thinking about doing just that.  She feels that she and Anna are so far away from each other that they could not agree on anything.

Part 6 section 24: Anna tells Dolly that a divorce is not possible and that she does not want to talk about it.  She says that she does not think that Karenin would agree to it now anyway since he is under the influence of the Countess Ivanovna. She also does not want to humiliate herself by writing him a letter and is concerned about what would happen to her son.  After Anna leaves, Dolly goes to bed and decides to certainly go home the next day. She does leave, and is glad to be going.

Part 6 section 25-Part 7 section 4

Part 6 section 25: Vronsky and Anna continue living in the country and taking no action toward getting a divorce. Anna tries to occupy herself with reading, and Vronsky has the hospital and all of his other interests.  Vronsky wants freedom though, and is annoyed that Anna tries to keep him with her always.  In October there is a Nobility election in the Kashin Province, which Vronsky's, Sviyazhsky's, Koznyshev and Levin's estates are in.  Vronsky gets quite serious and tells Anna that he is going.

Part 6 section 26: In September Levin and Kitty move to Moscow for Kitty's confinement.  His brother asks him to come to Kashin for the elections, and Kitty tells him to go. He attends the elections that last for days but does not understand what is going on. 

Part 6 section 27: On the sixth day of the elections there are many men in attendance, and everyone seems to understand what is going on but Levin.  There is much shouting and a big dispute.

Part 6 section 28: Levin's brother speaks, and people call for a vote.  Levin leaves the room to get away from it all but someone comes for him because his brother is looking for him.  He asks his brother quietly how he should vote, but others hear the improper question.  Levin thinks it is almost over, but it is really only beginning.

Part 6 section 29: Levin is trying to avoid Vronsky, who is also there, and instead talks to one of the landowners that he had met at Sviyazhsky's on his last visit.

Part 6 section 30: Sviyazhsky comes to get Levin, and he is forced to talk to Vronsky.  Levin tries to ask questions about the election but ends up saying the wrong things.  Soon everyone is busy and Levin tries to leave the room again, but he is again brought back.  Nevedovsky wins the election and all of Levin's friends are happy about it.

Part 6 section 31: Nevedovsky and the other members of his party dine at Vronsky's that night.  Everyone is interested in Vronsky, and he likes them all, except perhaps for the fellow that Kitty married.  Everyone is cheerful.  After dinner Vronsky receives a letter from Anna.  He was to have been home the day before and had sent a letter, but Anna would not have received it yet.  He knows that this letter will be a reproach for his not returning on time.  The letter says that their little girl is ill and that he should come home.

Part 6 section 32: Vronsky thinks about his freedom and how Anna will not let him have it on his way home.  She is mad because he can go wherever he wants whenever he wants but in her position she has to stay home and is not welcome in Society.  She also thinks that he is becoming cold toward her and does not love her anymore.  She receives his letter and feels bad for sending hers, since the little girl is no longer ill.  Vronsky returns and she tells him that their daughter is better.  Later Vronsky tells Anna that he has to go to Moscow on business, and she gets mad wondering how he can be home for a day and then leave again.  She says that she will go with him and that she will write to Karenin and ask for a divorce.  She does so, and at the end of November Anna and Vronsky move to Moscow and establish themselves as a married couple since they soon expect a divorce.

Part 7 section 1: The Levins have been in Moscow for two months now.  Kitty happens to meet Vronsky at the house of another, and altough she is nervous at first, she handles the situation well.  She tells Levin about it and he is glad that the meeting took place because now he will not have to feel uncomfortable around Vronsky in the future.

Part 7 section 2: Levin is going out, and Kitty tells him that she needs some more money.  He gets nervous because the expense of living in the city is something he tries not to think about.  When they first arrived Levin would compare how much he was spending in the city with how much it could buy in the country, but now he is used to it.  He is selling his products in the country for less than he ever would have before since he needs money for spending in Moscow.

Part 7 section 3: While in Moscow, Levin has renewed his friendship with a friend from his university days, now Professor Katavasov.  Levin had enjoyed reading an article by Metrov, so now Katavasov is going to introduce Levin to him.  Levin talks about his book and ideas to Metrov, but when Metrov begins talking about it Levin can see that they see the question so differently that they cannot understand each other.  He attends a meeting with them for a bit, but then leaves. 

Part 7 section 4: Levin has become friends with Kitty's sister's (Nataly) husband Lvov.  Levin tells Lvov that he has excellent children and hopes to bring up his children like them.  Kitty has asked Levin to talk to Lvov about Oblonsky, as he and Dolly are quite in debt. She hopes that they will talk to him about it.  Levin talks to Lvov about it, but Lvov doesn't see why they should.

Part 7 section 5-Part 7 section 16

Part 7 section 5: Levin accompanies Nataly to a concert and there tries very hard to concentrate so that he can reach an opinion about the music, but he cannot.  He runs into a friend who gives him the program so that he can read along.  Levin leaves and remembers that Kitty asked him to pay a visit to Count Bol since he had called on them.

Part 7 section 6: Levin enters the Countess Bol's house, not knowing why he is there and feeling uncomfortable with these Society visits.  He tries to talk to the Countess and her two daughters and leaves as soon as he can.  He then goes to a meeting and picks up Nataly and accompanies her to his house.

Part 7 section 7: Levin arrives at the club, and although he has not been there in a long time it seems familiar.  He sees Kitty's father, his brother and Vronsky there.  Another friend takes him to his table where he is saving seats for him and Oblonsky.  They all eat and drink with great pleasure and talk about how Vronsky's horse won the race.  Vronsky comes over and is friendly to Levin, and they talk about cattle.  Levin is glad there is no animosity.

Part 7 section 8: Levin leaves the table and he and Kitty's father walk around the club. 
The go into the billiard room, the reading room and the 'wise room' where people discuss the news.  Levin comes upon Vronsky and Oblonsky talking about Anna, and Oblonsky talks Levin into going and seeing her.  Vronsky says that he must stay and keep and eye on Yashvin who is gambling.

Part 7 section 9: On his way to Anna's, Levin wonders if he should really be going and what Kitty would think about it.  Oblonsky tells him that he is glad he is going and that Dolly has wanted him to meet Anna.  Oblonsky tells Levin that Anna cannot go out because of her position but that she has been writing and that she has taken in a little English girl and is teaching her.  They enter Anna's, and Levin is struck by the portrait of Anna. 

Part 7 section 10: He is then struck by the beauty of Anna herself.  They all talk, and it seems to Levin as if their conversation is of special importance.  Anna talks about how much she enjoys helping and taking care of the little English girl.  Levin likes Anna very much and keeps finding more features about her to like.  Before, he had judged her, but now he feels pity for her and feels that Vronsky does not understand her. 

Part 7 section 11: Levin tells Oblonsky how much he likes Anna as they are leaving.  Oblonsky tells him that they hope to soon have a divorce for her so that she can marry Vronsky.  At home he finds Kitty doing well, but she is distressed that he did not come home sooner.  He tells her that he went to see Anna because Oblonsky and Dolly wished it.  He can tell that Kitty is upset by it.  They talk, and Kitty accuses him of having fallen in love with Anna.  After a long talk they are reconciled.

Part 7 section 12: After her visitors have left Anna thinks about Vronsky.  She wonders about why Vronsky is so cold to her when she can even make a man like Levin fall in love with her in one evening.  Vronsky comes home and they fight about his being gone so long.  She frightens Vronsky when she tells him that she is near a catastrophe.  When he tells her that he will do whatever she wants, she can tell that she has won the argument.

Part 7 section 13: That night Kitty wakes Levin up and tells him that they need to send for the doctor, as she is having the baby.  He gets very nervous and stumbles around trying to do what is necessary. He starts to pray, and does not think it strange even though he has doubts about the existence of God.  He sees the midwife and she tells him to get the doctor and some opium.

Part 7 section 14: Levin arrives at the doctor's to find that he is not up yet, so he goes to the chemist's to get some opium.  The doctor is still not up when he gets back.  He finally hears the doctor up and yells at him to hurry.  The doctor is amused by him, and tells him that there is plenty of time and that he will come in an hour.  Levin makes him promise to come sooner and goes back home.  Levin is very afraid and is in torment.  Hours pass and he does not realize it is already five o'clock in the evening. 

Part 7 section 15: Later there is screaming and he runs to Kitty.  She tells him to stay and then pushes him away.  Dolly keeps telling him that everything is all right, but he is sure that Kitty is dying.  Finally the baby is born and Levin goes in to see Kitty, who is fine.  They have a boy, and Levin is not used to the idea of him.

Part 7 section 16: Kitty's father, his brother and Oblonsky come, and Levin talks to them but is always thinking about Kitty.  He goes in to see her and their son, but seems to feel nothing for the boy but repulsion and pity at his helplessness. 

Part 7 section 17-Part 7 section 28

Part 7 section 17: Oblonsky is quite in debt.  Dolly has claimed her estate so that he cannot sell anymore of it, and he has no money at all.  He learns about a good post that pays well, as a member of the Committee of the Joint Agency of the Mutual Credit Balance of Southern Railways and Banking Houses.  He thinks that he could get the post, so he goes to Petersburg to ask people to use their influence to help him.  He goes to see Karenin and talks to him about the post.  Karenin wonders about how all of these posts could have such high salaries while others doing more important things are paid so little.  He knows it is all personal interests and not supply and demand.

Part 7 section 18: Oblonsky asks Karenin about the divorce.  Karenin says that he thought that Anna refused a divorce again when Karenin said that he would not let her have their son. Oblonsky tells him that she is willing to take the divorce without her son now, and reminds him that he had given his word.  Karenin replies that he had given his word to do what was possible, and he no longer knows if it is possible to give Anna a divorce and act according to Christian law.  He tells Oblonsky he will think it over and will get back to him.

Part 7 section 19: As Oblonsky is leaving, Serezha comes in.  Oblonsky sees that he has grown a lot.  Serezha does not know how to act around Oblonsky, so he leaves the room.  Oblonsky follows him and finds him more talkative now that his father is not around.  Karenin had asked Oblonsky not to talk about Anna since the boy was ill after his mother's surprise visit, but he asks Serezha if he remembers his mother anyway.  Serezha hurriedly replies that he doesn't and starts to cry after Oblonsky leaves.

Part 7 section 20: Oblonsky always feels refreshed when in Petersburg, as he does not have to think about his wife's ill humor or the education of his children or any of the other things he has to think about when in Moscow.  He likes how people think about money in Petersburg, as there are many who are much more in debt than he but keep living lavish lifestyles.  Oblonsky goes to see Princess Betsy.  He thinks that his flirting behavior has gone too far (as he does not find her attractive) and is glad when the Princess Myagkaya arrives.  He tells them that instead of a decision about the divorce, Karenin has sent for him to come to the Countess Lydia Ivanovna's that night.  The Princess Myagkaya says that he will meet Landau there.  He is a clairvoyant that Lydia and Karenin consult now.  She tells him that his sister's fate is in Landau's hands. 

Part 7 section 21: On his way to the Countess Lydia's house, Oblonsky thinks that it would be good to make friends with her as she could put in a good word for him for the post.  He arrives and is introduced to Landau.  The Countess says that Landau has heard a voice and will be returning to Paris soon.  The Countess tells Oblonsky that Karenin has changed very much and has been given a new heart, and that she has noticed that most men are indifferent to religion.  While she is talking to him Oblonsky is wondering when he should bring up the post he wants.  She then starts reading to him from a religious text, and he thinks that maybe it is best not to ask about the post that night but to just get out without making a mess of things.

Part 7 section 22: Oblonsky is confused by the text that the Countess is reading him and begins to fall asleep.  When he hears the Countess say, He is asleep, Oblonsky jumps awake embarrassed, but the Countess had been taking about Landau.  He is in his trance.  They go over to him and he tells them to have the doubting one leave.  Oblonsky leaves, forgetting his request about the post and his sister's affairs, as he wants to get away as fast as possible.  The next day Oblonsky gets a note from Karenin with a definite refusal to divorce Anna, and Oblonsky understands that it is a result of whatever Landau told him.

Part 7 section 23: Vronsky and Anna are still in Moscow, but have been talking about leaving for the country, where life would be easier for Anna.  She is angry at Vronsky because of what she sees as his diminishing love, and Vronsky is angry at having gotten himself in this position.  Anna thinks that Vronsky does not understand how hard her situation is and that if he did they would already be in the country.  They argue again and say mean things to each other, and Anna decides that they must move to the country and starts packing.

Part 7 section 24: Vronsky returns and Anna tries not to be irritable. He sees that she has been packing and agrees that they should go.  Anna wants to go the day after the next, but Vronsky says that he has to go and see his mother so they should go the next day.  Anna gets quite angry and jealous and says that they won't go at all then.  They have another bad fight and Anna thinks that all is finished between them.  She wonders where she can go now, and wonders why she did not die when she was ill.  Vronsky comes in to see her, agreeing to her plan, and her jealousy turns to tenderness, and they embrace and kiss passionately.

Part 7 section 25: They are reconciled and each agree to the other's plan so that neither is sure when they are leaving for the country.  Anna finds out that Vronsky had received a telegram from Oblonsky that he did not show her.  Vronsky tells her that it only said that he had not gotten an answer from Karenin yet, so he did not want to upset her with it.  Anna wonders if this is also how he hides his affairs with other women from her, and they argue again.  Vronsky spends the day away from home, and when he returns he is told that Anna has a headache and does not want to be disturbed.

Part 7 section 26: That is the first time that Vronsky and Anna had been angry at each other all day, and Anna grows more and more exasperated.  She decides that if he comes in even though she said she did not want to be disturbed, he still loves her, and that if he does not come, he no longer loves her.  When he does not come, she thinks that all is over.  She thinks again of death and how it would punish him if she died.  Her thoughts about this scare her, and she thinks that she would do anything to live. That night she has terrible nightmares.  The next morning she sees a carriage arrive and a young girl hand Vronsky something from it.  It is the Princess Sorokina bringing things from Vronsky's mother.  Anna knows that Vronsky's mother wants him to marry the Princess Sorokina, so she gets quite jealous, telling him that he will repent of this. He is alarmed by her, but thinks that the only thing he can do now is to pay no attention.  He gets ready to go into town and go to his mother's.  Anna hears him leave.

Part 7 section 27: Anna knows he is gone and gets frightened that it is all over.  She sends a note to Vronsky saying that she was to blame and to please come home, as she is frightened.  She waits for him to return, but Vronsky does not get the note on his way, and Anna tells the servant to take it to Vronsky's mother's house to give it to him there.  She also sends a telegram to him asking him to come home.  In the meantime she decides to go and visit Dolly. 

Part 7 section 28: On her way to Dolly's Anna thinks that Death no longer seems inevitable and that she will tell Dolly everything.  She finds out that Kitty is at Dolly's also.  Dolly talks to Anna in the hall, and Anna asks if Kitty will not see her.  But then Kitty comes out (Dolly had persuaded her to), and Anna can see by her face that she finds it humiliating to meet with Anna.  Anna decides that she cannot talk to Dolly and leaves.

Part 7 section 29-Part 8 section 9

Part 7 section 29: Anna leaves Dolly's feeling even worse that she did when she left home.  She looks at all of the people and billboards on her way home.  She sees a funny billboard and wants to tell someone about it, but realizes she has no one to tell.  She arrives home and there is a note from Vronsky saying he cannot return before ten.  She then knows that she must go and talk to him at his mother's, and that she has never hated anyone like she hates him.  She does not realize that his note is in response to her telegram and that he did not receive her desperate note yet.  She decides to go to the railway station and then to Vronsky's mothers if she does not find him there. She packs what she will need for a few days, as she knows that she will not return.

Part 7 section 30: On her way to the station Anna looks closely at her relations with Vronsky, something she has always avoided doing.  She realizes that he was in love with her, but be was more proud of having gotten her.  She thinks that her love for him grows greater while his love for her dwindles.  She realizes that if she does get a divorce and marry Vronsky things will not change.  Kitty will still look at her like she did that afternoon, and she will not have her son.  She buys a ticket so that she can go to Vronsky's mother's house. 

Part 7 section 31: She gets on the train and everything and everyone irritates her. The train stops at the station and she tries to avoid everyone.  She asks if there is a note from Count Vronsky, and she gets one saying that he is sorry that her note did not catch him, but that he cannot be home before ten.  She is getting desperate, and she remembers the man who had been run over by the train on the day that she had met Vronsky, and she knows what she must do.  She wants to punish him and escape from everybody. She waits for the middle of the truck and jumps under, dropping to her knees.  At the last minute she realizes horrorstruck what she is doing and wonders where she is and why she is doing it.  She tries to throw herself back but is struck on the head and dragged down. 

Part 8 section 1: Nearly two months have passed and Koznyshev is preparing to go to his brother's farm.  He has just finished the book that he has been working on for six years, but no one is talking about it and he feels that he had wasted his time.  The Slavonic issue is very popular in Russia, and there are many balls and dinners for the Slavs.  Koznyshev is glad to devote himself to this movement.  Katavasov accompanies him to Levin's.

Part 8 section 2: At the station Koznyshev and Katavasov run into many Volunteers who are on their way to fight for Turkey.  He learns that Vronsky is also going to fight by that train.  He also runs into Oblonsky at the station who tells him that his wife is at Levin's and to tell her that he got the post.

Part 8 section 3: Koznyshev and Katavasov get on the train.  Katavasov does not know any Volunteers or of the bad reputation of them, so he goes to meet some of them, and is not impressed by them.

Part 8 section 4: Koznyshev walks by Vronsky's compartment and sees his mother there.  She is traveling part of the way with him.  She tells him how devastated Vronsky was over what happened with Anna.  When news came that a woman had been run over at the station, he rode there quickly and saw her.  He came back like a corpse and would not speak and hardly ate for weeks.  She says that Anna deserved to end that way.  She also tells him that Karenin has taken their little girl to raise.  She tells Koznyshev that this Serbian war is a godsend because now Vronsky has something to do.  She asks Koznyshev to find Vronsky and talk to him. 

Part 8 section 5: Koznyshev walks along the train and sees Vronsky.  He tells him that it is good that he is going and that more good men like him need to go to raise the reputation of the Volunteers.  While they are talking Vronsky catches sight of the rails and thinks about Anna's corpse as he has seen it at the station.  He tries to remember her as she was when they first met, but he can only think of her saying that he would repent.  He talks to Koznyshev about the war some more, and they return to their carriages.

Part 8 section 6: Koznyshev and Katavasov arrive at Levin's, and Kitty sends a note out to Levin who is in the field to say that they have visitors.  Having arranged for her guests, Kitty goes to feed her son, Mitya. 

Part 8 section 7: Kitty thinks about her husband and how he has been tormented lately by his lack of faith.  She is not really concerned about it, but is concerned about him.  She does not understand how he cannot believe.  She thinks of how good he is and about how just a few weeks ago he suggested that she give Dolly her portion of her estate since she and Oblonsky are so in debt. 

Part 8 section 8: Since his brother's illness, Levin has been preoccupied in thinking about life and death.  He reads many books trying to find the answer, but they do not help.  He thinks about how all of the good people he knows are believers.  He also remembers that when Kitty was giving birth he prayed and believed, but that that moment has passed.

Part 8 section 9: Levin has convinced himself that he can get no answers from books or philosophers.  All that spring he has been preoccupied by these thoughts and has even been near suicide when wondering why he lives.

Part 8 section 10-Part 8 section 19

Part 8 section 10: Levin has many duties which he enjoys such as taking care of the farm, managing Dolly's affairs, caring about the baby, and a new hobby - beekeeping.  He enjoys doing these things, as it appears to him that he cannot do otherwise. 

Part 8 section 11: The day that Koznyshev arrives is a very busy day, and again Levin wonders why all of them are living and doing the things they do.  He talks to one of his workers who mentions a wealthy peasant who lives for his soul and remembers God (788).  Levin wonders what he means by this and gets excited when thinking about it.

Part 8 section 12: He goes somewhere to think alone and realizes that living for God and not for one's own needs is having faith.  He has been looking for a miracle, when the answer has been around him all along.  He realizes that the meaning of life is to live for God.  He had been living by the truths he had learned when young, and now realizes that this means he had been living with faith. 

Part 8 section 13: Levin tries to think if there is anything that contradicts what he is now thinking.  He thinks about the teachings of the Church and decides that he believes them.  Levin is happy that he has found the answer.

Part 8 section 14: The coachman arrives and tells Levin that his brother and another gentleman have arrived.  Levin starts driving back and thinks that everything has changed now and that he will never quarrel with anyone again.  Just then though, the coachman gives Levin some driving advice, and Levin snaps back at him to stop and realizes that his relations with others will not change so much as he thought.  On his way back he sees the others walking out to the apiary and greets them.  He learns that Kitty has taken their son into the woods for a nap since it is so hot in the house.  Levin still does not feel close to his brother.

Part 8 section 15: Dolly tells Levin that Koznyshev traveled with Vronsky on the train and that he is on his way to the war.  The all talk about the war and some do not understand why men are going at all.  Levin does not understand how men can take it upon themselves to start a war without the Government declaring war.  The discussion continues.

Part 8 section 16: They talk more about the war and voting, and Kitty's father expresses disbelief that Oblonsky could get such money in his new post when he isn't even sure that the job is useful.  Koznyshev is irritated because his comments are not to the point.  Levin cannot agree that the Volunteers and the newspapers really represent the will of the people as his brother and others are arguing, as he does not see it in the people around him.  Levin wants to stop arguing, so he draws attention to the clouds that are gathering.

Part 8 section 17: They all hurry back as the clouds are getting darker and the wind is picking up.  They arrive back at the house to learn that Kitty, Mitya and the nurse are still in the woods, and it has started to rain.  Levin fights the wind to go into the woods and sees lightning start a fire and knock down a tree in their usual spot.  Levin calls on God and runs into the woods and sees Kitty and the nurse calling to him.  They are all fine, and they go home.

Part 8 section 18: It continues to rain so they all spend the day indoors.  Levin is called to the nursery.  On his way he wonders about other faiths such as the Buddhist and Mahomedan faiths.  They also teach and do good, so are they also not right? In the nursery Kitty shows Levin that Mitya protests when the cook stands over him, but is happy when Kitty stands over him.  So they know that know Mitya recognizes her, and he also recognizes the nurse and Levin.  Levin tells Kitty that the pity he felt for their son is gone and that after the fright in the storm he realizes how much he loves him. 

Part 8 section 19: Levin leaves the nursery and stops on the balcony on his way to the drawing room.  He thinks again of the other faiths and decides that it is not his right or duty to decide if all of those people have faith.  Kitty comes out there with him and sees that he has changed and understands that he has found faith.  He wonders if he should talk to her about it, but decides against it.  Levin realizes that his new faith will not change things utterly as he thought it would, but he has now found meaning in his life.

Character Profiles

Anna Arkadyevna Karenina- Anna is one of the main characters of the novel.  She starts an affair with Vronsky and is overcome with guilt, grief at giving up her son and anguish at her position out of Society.  She and Vronsky fight often about her jealousy and what she sees as his diminishing love.  In the end she does not know what to do and sees no way out for herself.  Remembering a man who had been run over by a train earlier in the novel, she chooses the same fate for herself and jumps under one.  Anna's thoughts and actions are one way that the moral issues and the Death theme in the novel are explored.

Alexis Alexandrovich Karenin - Karenin is Anna's husband and a politician.  He does not know how to handle Anna's infidelity, and seems more concerned about what Society thinks than about Anna or himself.  He is a Christian and in the end only wants to do what is right and what will save Anna, but his goodness makes her feel even worse, and she is not able to accept his generosity.  He accepts Anna and Vronsky's little girl to raise after Anna's death.  Karenin's belief system and actions help to define the religious and moral themes of the novel.

Count Alexis Kirilich Vronsky- Vronsky is an officer and at first seems to be courting Kitty.  After he meets Anna though, he follows her back to Petersburg to be near her.  They start an affair, and after Anna is no longer welcome in Society she tries to get him to stay with her as much as possible.  He does not understand how hard her position is on her, but is devastated after she dies.  In the end he has decided to go to war in order to die in helping others.

Prince Stephen Arkadyevich Oblonsky- Oblonsky is Anna's brother and husband to Dolly.  He has affairs and does not repent of them because he is a handsome man and is no longer in love with his wife.  He spends much beyond his means and gets the family in debt.  His ideas and opinions follow that of the majority.  Through Oblonsky the reader can see some of the differences between life in the city verses the country, and also the theme of the impoverishment of the nobility.

Princess Darya Alexandrovna Oblonskaya (Dolly Dolly is Oblonsky's wife and is devastated by his affairs.  She does not see any way out for herself though, as she is still in love with Oblonsky and does not want to hurt her children.  She is mainly concerned with her children, and when she finds out that Anna cannot have anymore children because the doctor had taken care of that, she is horrified.

Princess Catherine Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya (Kitty Kitty is Dolly's sister.  In the beginning of the novel she thinks that she is in love with Vronsky and that she will marry him, and so refuses Levin's proposal.  After Vronsky leaves with Anna she feels ashamed and gets ill.  When the family goes to a watering-place for her recuperation, she meets Varenka and decides to devote herself to helping others and doing good.  She later realizes that it is better for her to be herself and is quite happy in the end with her life in the country with Levin and their son.

Constantine Dmitrich Levin- Levin lives in the country and believes in hard work.  He does not understand men like Oblonsky or their jobs.  He thinks much about agriculture and the role of the laborer, and is devastated when Kitty refuses his proposal.  Later, after he and Kitty are married, he is preoccupied with his doubt about the existence of God.  In the end of the novel he finds meaning in his life though, and is quite satisfied.  His struggle to find faith as well as his concern about Death illustrate these themes in the novel.

Sergius Ivanich Koznyshev - Koznyshev is Levin's step-brother.  He is a famous philosopher in Moscow.  He and Levin get along but are not very close, as their lives are so different.  Koznyshev thinks of asking Varenka to marry him, but realizes that he cannot dishonor the memory of the first woman he loved. 

Nicholas Levin- Nicholas is Levin's brother.  His illness makes Levin think about Death and the uselessness of his work, making him preoccupied with thoughts of Death and the existence of God.  Nicholas is quite scared of his illness and death, but in the end his suffering is great and it is a relief to all when he dies.

Mary Nikolavna- Mary Nikolavna is the woman who lives with Nicholas.  She takes care of Nicholas and writes to Levin when he gets very ill.  Levin does not really want Kitty to be around Mary, as she is a ruined woman, and Mary is nervous around Kitty because of her position.

Sergey Alexeyich Karenin (Serezha Serezha is Anna and Karenin's son.  He does not know what to think about his mother or Vronsky, and is scared of his father.  Anna is sorry to have to leave him, as she loves him more than she does her little girl.

Countess Lydia Ivanovna- The Countess is a good friend of Karenin's and after Anna leaves him she falls in love with him and tries to take care of him.  She convinces Karenin not to let Anna see Serezha (which she does anyway) and convinces him to become even more serious about his Christianity.  In the end she and Karenin take guidance from a French clairvoyant for their decisions.  She and her Society represent the moral social group.

Princess Elizabeth Fedorovna Tverskaya (Betsy Betsy is the link between Anna and Vronsky, and it is through her and her Society that they are able to meet and begin their affair.  She also has affairs, but she shuns Anna after Anna is open about her affair and does not get a divorce.  She and her society represent the Grand Society and the group more concerned with pleasure than morality.

Mlle Varenka- Varenka is the woman who Kitty meets at the watering-place.  She helps others and is not proud, and Kitty tries to be like her.  She and Kitty remain friends even after Kitty realizes it is better to be herself.

Vasenka Veslovsky - Veslovsky is a second cousin of Kitty's.  Oblonsky brings him to Levin's, and Levin is soon annoyed by him.  Veslovsky is a silly man and pays too much attention to Kitty.  Levin gets angry at his behavior and asks him to leave.