Anna Karenina, Part 5, Chapter 4 summary
Part 5, Chapter 4 of 239 · 9 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 4, Levin and Kitty enter the church, receive candles and blessings, and struggle through the exchange of rings while friends help them follow the ceremony. The prayers make Levin feel his need for help and his limited understanding of marriage, while Kitty feels that the service confirms an inward change already complete.
What happens
- Levin meets Kitty at the church entrance and admires her, barely noticing the guests or their remarks.
- Friends joke and offer advice, while Levin struggles to understand how to take Kitty’s hand for the ceremony.
- The priest blesses the couple and gives them candles, and Levin feels both joy and dread.
- The prayers move Levin to recognize his need for help, but Kitty absorbs herself in the emotional change marriage confirms.
- The couple repeatedly misunderstand the ring exchange, and their friends step forward to help.
- As the priest continues praying, Levin feels that his plans for marriage are childish, and tears fill his eyes.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Anna Karenina, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today, then USD 0.27 a day
In this chapter
What to notice
The ceremony does not give Levin certainty. Instead, its solemnity exposes the limits of his plans and deepens his emotional response.
Quick check
Why does Levin misunderstand Kitty’s expression during the prayers?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Anna Karenina, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeNothing to pay today, then USD 0.27 a day
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
