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Part 7, Chapter 1
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
Kitty tells Levin to call on friends, though Levin still dislikes making social calls. She also tells Levin she needs more money. Kitty asks whether they’re doing something wrong, as the money seems to be going fast, which makes Levin displeased with himself, because he is the one doing all the spending. Levin asks Kitty how she feels, and Kitty says she is not afraid to have her baby. Kitty notes also that Dolly is completely in debt.
While Kitty is perfectly competent in an urbane setting, over and over again Tolstoy demonstrates that Levin is completely out of his element in the city. In the country, Levin can control his finances, suggesting that he has a clear understanding of how he manages his life, but in the city, the money seems to go of its own accord, operating within some system that Levin doesn’t fully understand.
Themes
Levin drives into town to meet with Katavasov, a friend from his university days; Katavasov has promised to introduce him to Metrov, a famous professor of sociology, who will talk to him about his book. On the way, Levin thinks about how expensive city life is and how fast his savings have disappeared.
One thing that Levin does think he understands, however, is his book, and he is eager to get back to what he thinks of as his serious pursuit and a facet of his real work.
Themes
