Anna Karenina, Part 2, Chapter 4 summary
Part 2, Chapter 4 of 239 · 5 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 4, Anna Arkadyevna Karenina withdraws from serious social circles and seeks fashionable company, where meeting Vronsky brings her joy and exposes her self-deception about his pursuit. At the opera, Princess Betsy Tverskaya encourages Vronsky, who describes an unfinished effort to reconcile a husband with a man who insults his wife.
What happens
- Anna finds her husband’s official connections unappealing and Countess Lidia Ivanovna’s circle insincere and tiresome.
- Since returning from Moscow, Anna favors fashionable society, where Betsy helps bring her into frequent contact with Vronsky.
- Disappointment at Vronsky’s absence from a party makes Anna recognize how deeply she welcomes his pursuit.
- At the opera, Betsy invites Vronsky to visit afterward and teases him about his passion.
- Vronsky reflects that fashionable society admires the pursuit of married women rather than finding it ridiculous.
- Vronsky explains that a reconciliation mission keeps him busy, and Betsy asks him to describe it.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Vronsky admits that Anna’s response falls short of his wishes. Betsy’s teasing and encouragement make his pursuit a shared concern.
Quick check
Why does Anna recognize that she welcomes Vronsky’s pursuit?
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