Chapter 22
Kitty arrives at the ball in perfect order: tulle, gloves, chignon,...
The ball was only just beginning as Kitty and her mother walked up the great staircase, flooded with light, and lined with flowers and footmen in powder and red coats. From the rooms came a constant, steady hum, as from a hive, and the rustle of movement; and while on the landing between trees they gave last touches to their hair and dresses before the mirror, they heard from the ballroom the careful, distinct notes of the fiddles of the orchestra beginning the first waltz. A little old man in civilian dress, arranging his gray curls before another mirror, and…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Rewrite the Night From the Room
Describe a social or professional event you entered with strong expectations. First write it from your script; then rewrite the same scene noting who others actually watched, praised, or paired with.
Consider:
- •What evidence did you treat as proof before anything happened?
- •When did the room's focus shift, and what signal did you miss?
- •Where did your face show more than you intended?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a moment your confidence turned into exposure. What would you do differently if you could hold hope without treating it as fact?
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
You Might Also Like
Lessons from Anna Karenina
Theme-by-theme analyses that connect this book to modern life skills.
Balancing Passion and Responsibility
Follow Seryozha's birthday visit, Karenin's public face, and the divorce that never arrives, and count what desire costs other people.
6 chapters·Explore AnalysisFinding Authentic Meaning
Walk the mowing with Levin, then sit through Kitty's imperfect household, and see a life that does not need an audience.
6 chapters·Explore Analysis
Deep diving the literary elements.
