Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

by

Leo Tolstoy

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Anna Karenina: Part 5, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
On the day of his wedding, Levin is not allowed to see Kitty, so he dines with three bachelor friends. The men tease Levin about his loss of freedom, but Levin is so happy that he doesn’t see any loss because he loves Kitty so much. After the men leave, Levin panics, thinking that Kitty is only marrying him to get married, not because she loves him. He runs to see her, and she tells him that she loves him; five minutes later, everything is fine. Levin returns home, late, to prepare for the wedding.
Levin is highly sensitive and emotional; even the slightest teasing can send him swirling from bliss to panic attack. However, the benefit of Levin’s volatility is that his fear is easily assuaged, particularly as there is no reason for him to have any jealousy—he and Kitty share a deep, nonverbal bond.
Themes
Marriage and Family Life Theme Icon
Society and Class Theme Icon
Compassion and Forgiveness Theme Icon