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Part 6, Chapter 9
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Anna Karenina, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Marriage and Family Life
Adultery and Jealousy
Physical Activity and Movement
Society and Class
Farming and Rural Life
Compassion and Forgiveness
Summary
Analysis
Veslovsky drives the horses too fast, and they arrive at the big marsh while it’s still too hot to shoot. Both Levin and Oblonsky plot separately how they might rid themselves of the bumbling Veslovsky; Oblonsky manages to saddle Levin with Veslovsky. Levin’s first shots go badly, and he shoots poorly for the rest of the day; even Laska gets frustrated and sloppy. Some peasants invite them to drink vodka, and Levin tells Veslovsky to go with them, which he does, but even without Veslovsky, Levin shoots poorly. When he and Oblonsky met again, Oblonsky has been much more successful.
Oblonsky smoothly uses his master manipulation skills to steer the hunting situation to his advantage, which makes Levin feel powerless and yet more frustrated than before. Even Levin’s dog, Laska, can sense his anger, and she responds to him in kind, mirroring his own frustrations. Just as Veslovsky has thrown Levin off his rhythms at home, he has thrown him off his game in the snipe marsh.
Themes
