Anna Karenina, Part 3, Chapter 5 summary

What happens

1. Levin mows between an old man and Mishka, finding that steady, unthinking movement makes the work easier and happier.
2. The old man handles obstacles easily, while Levin and the young peasant struggle to change their movements.
3. Children bring dinner, and Levin shares the old man’s bread soup, talks with him, and sleeps beside the workers.
4. On waking, Levin admires the transformed meadow and asks whether the men can also cut Mashkin Upland.
5. Encouraged by promised vodka, the men finish the remaining corner and move to the wooded ravine.
6. Levin follows the old man up and down steep slopes, feeling driven by a force outside himself.

In this chapter

What to notice

The closing sentence captures Levin’s absorption in physical labor. He continues climbing and mowing despite feeling close to falling.

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