Anna Karenina, Part 5, Chapter 15 summary

What happens

1. Back from Moscow, Levin writes beside his sewing wife and finds that happiness changes his relationship to work.
2. His new chapter argues that premature railways, manufacturing, and credit damage Russian agriculture.
3. His wife recalls Prince Tcharsky’s flirtation, thinks Levin is jealous, and silently urges him to turn toward her.
4. They exchange affection and abandon their work until Kouzma announces tea.
5. Alone, Levin reproaches himself for neglecting writing and estate duties during nearly three months of marriage.
6. He criticizes his wife’s limited interests, but the narrator explains her present happiness as preparation for demanding domestic responsibilities.

In this chapter

What to notice

Levin’s wife accepts happiness without suspicion, unlike Levin, who finds it almost undeserved. Their different responses help explain his subsequent guilt and her contentment.

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