Chapter 06
Stiva asks why Levin is in Moscow, and Levin blushes because the ho...
When Oblonsky asked Levin what had brought him to town, Levin blushed, and was furious with himself for blushing, because he could not answer, “I have come to make your sister-in-law an offer,” though that was precisely what he had come for. The families of the Levins and the Shtcherbatskys were old, noble Moscow families, and had always been on intimate and friendly terms. This intimacy had grown still closer during Levin’s student days. He had both prepared for the university with the young Prince Shtcherbatsky, the brother of Kitty and Dolly, and had entered at the same time with…
Public-domain chapter text, formatted for reading.
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
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I have come to make your sister-in-law an offer,"
Context: What Levin cannot say when Stiva asks why he is in Moscow
The blush names the stakes before the backstory explains them. Levin already knows his purpose; shame only delays speech.
In Today's Words:
He came to propose and could not say it when asked why he was in town. That gap between private intention and public speech hits whenever the answer would expose how much you want something. Levin's blush admits the risk before his mind allows words.
"he was sure that everything that was done there was very good, and he was in love precisely with the mystery of the proceedings."
Context: Levin idealizes the feminine life of the Shtcherbatsky household in his student days
Love begins as enchantment with a whole world, not a single person. That veil makes later self-judgment harsher when he compares himself to the family he adored.
In Today's Words:
Falling for someone's whole world makes their routines feel sacred before you know them as individuals. Kitchen rituals and family outings can carry more magic than any line spoken to you. That admiration turns painful when you decide you do not belong in the world you worship, even if nobody has said so yet.
"a fellow of no ability, who had not turned out well, and who was doing just what, according to the ideas of the world, is done by people fit for nothing else."
Context: Why Levin thinks the Shtcherbatskys must see him as a poor match for Kitty
Levin accepts society's verdict against land work and turns it into a verdict against his soul. Unworthiness becomes the reason rejection feels inevitable.
In Today's Words:
Peers on corporate ladders can make slower physical work feel like failure. Levin assumes Kitty's family reads his life as proof he missed importance. Many people disqualify themselves before anyone speaks because they measure worth by the wrong scoreboard entirely. Ask which ranking system you accepted without proof.
"Or ... he could not conceive what would become of him if he were rejected."
Context: Levin's resolve to propose despite fear of refusal
The chapter closes on the real fork: not whether he loves, but whether he can survive a no. That blank future pushes him forward anyway.
In Today's Words:
The scariest part of asking is often not embarrassment but not knowing who you become after a refusal. Levin can picture marriage but not life if Kitty says no. That void makes people delay hard questions for years until uncertainty hurts more than the answer.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Levin measures himself against classmates in official careers and concludes he has not turned out well
Development
Introduced here as the inner barrier before any proposal scene
In Your Life:
You might rank yourself out of an opportunity before anyone else has evaluated you
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Levin's love begins with the whole Shtcherbatsky household, especially its feminine order, before centering on Kitty
Development
Deepens the Kitty-Levin arc begun when Stiva sent him to the skating rink
In Your Life:
You might discover that you fell for someone's entire life, not just their face
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
A good family and solid fortune should make Levin an obvious match, but lack of a definite career counts against him
Development
Pairs city definitions of success with Levin's country definition of a real life
In Your Life:
Relatives may ask what someone does before asking whether the match makes you happy
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Levin leaves Moscow to escape imagined rejection, then returns because the question will not let him rest
Development
Sets up his willingness to act despite fear in the skating and proposal chapters ahead
In Your Life:
You might finally schedule the conversation because not knowing hurts more than a possible no
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
Why does Levin blush when Stiva asks what brought him to Moscow?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
He came to propose to Kitty but cannot say so aloud yet. The blush exposes the stakes before he tells the backstory.
- 2
How does Levin's student history with the Shtcherbatsky sisters shape his love for Kitty?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
He loved the household's feminine world first, moved from sister to sister, and returned this winter knowing Kitty was the one destined for him.
- 3
When have you talked yourself out of something before getting a real answer?
application • mediumOne way to read it
Like Levin listing career and appearance reasons Kitty must refuse him, people often rehearse rejection using social scoreboards nobody else stated.
- 4
Why does Levin leave Moscow after two months, and why does he come back?
application • deepOne way to read it
He convinced himself the match was impossible, yet country solitude showed the feeling would not rest until he proposed and learned her answer.
- 5
What does the closing fear of rejection tell you about Levin's courage?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
He is not confident; he is compelled. He returns because uncertainty hurts more than the risk of a no.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Decision Committee
Think of a current decision you're facing where other people have strong opinions. Draw or list the 'committee members' - who they are, what they're pushing for, and what fear or value drives their advice. Then identify what your own voice is saying underneath all the noise.
Consider:
- •Notice which voices are loudest and why they might feel entitled to weigh in
- •Distinguish between practical concerns and personal preferences in the advice you're getting
- •Consider what each person gains or loses based on your choice
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you went against well-meaning advice and were glad you did. What did you know about your situation that others couldn't see?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 7
Levin reaches his brother Sergey's study hoping for advice about Kitty, but a professor from Harkov is already deep in a philosophical battle over mind and body. Levin's urgent private question will have to wait while the room argues in citations.
