Anna Karenina, Part 3, Chapter 4 summary

What happens

1. Levin recalls enjoying mowing and arranges for the peasants to cut Kalinov Meadow, asking Tit to sharpen his scythe.
2. He tells Sergey Ivanovitch his plan, and his brother questions his endurance and the peasants’ reaction.
3. Levin arrives after work begins, joins forty-two mowers, and starts behind Tit under the workers’ watchful eyes.
4. He struggles through the first row, welcomes sharpening pauses, and feels happy despite his poor cutting.
5. Rain cools the workers, and Levin sometimes mows more smoothly when he stops consciously directing his movements.
6. At the lunch break, an old man reassures Levin about the rain; Levin rides home for coffee and returns.

In this chapter

What to notice

Levin’s pleasure comes from discovering endurance rather than achieving perfect work. This marks a change from his initial fear that he cannot maintain the pace.

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