Anna Karenina, Part 5, Chapter 21 summary
Part 5, Chapter 21 of 239 · 6 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 21, Alexey Alexandrovitch maintains his public routine after Anna leaves, but a shop clerk's request exposes grief he can no longer conceal. His family history and narrow social relationships explain his isolation, while his failed attempt to confide in his secretary shows how completely official habits block personal comfort.
What happens
- Alexey Alexandrovitch accepts others' wishes about Anna's departure, then struggles to reconcile his recent tenderness with his abandonment.
- For two days, he follows his usual official and domestic routines while concealing his despair.
- A clerk asks where to send Anna's unpaid bill, and Alexey Alexandrovitch loses his composure and withdraws from company.
- He believes others despise his unhappiness and sees concealment as his only protection.
- His childhood, career, and marriage reveal how his attachment to Anna leaves little room for other close relationships.
- He cannot confide in Mihail Vassilievitch Sludin, finds his doctor inaccessible, and recoils from the thought of women friends.
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In this chapter
What to notice
The distinction explains why his social position provides no emotional refuge. His many useful relationships cannot meet his need for personal sympathy.
Quick check
What immediately breaks Alexey Alexandrovitch's outward composure?
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