The Ball explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Social Conventions vs. Individual Desire

  The ball is a theater of strict social conventions. Anna's deliberate snub of Vronsky and Kitty's internal agony over his delayed waltz invitation highlight the intense personal desires and conflicts playing out beneath the surface of prescribed etiquette.

• Love and Marriage

  The dance floor becomes a marketplace for romantic attention and potential matches. Kitty's hopeful anticipation and subsequent disappointment with Vronsky, alongside the visible tension between the married Anna and her admirer Vronsky, explore the complexities of love within the marital/social structure.

• Hypocrisy and Social Pretense

  The ball presents a glittering facade of gaiety and harmony. Korsunsky's generic compliments to all his partners and the collective admiration for Anna, which masks the private scandal of her behavior with Vronsky, exemplify the pretense upholding society.

Characters to notice

• Kitty Shcherbatskaya

  At the peak of her youthful beauty and confidence, she observes the ballroom with keen perception. She feels admiration for Anna, confusion and pain regarding Vronsky's delayed invitation to waltz, and is acutely aware of social dynamics.

• Anna Arkadyevna Karenina

  Appears in a striking, simple black velvet gown that accentuates her natural elegance. She is the center of attention and displays a pointed coldness towards Vronsky, deliberately ignoring his bow to dance with Korsunsky, signaling private discord.

• Count Alexey Kirillovitch Vronsky

  Present at the ball, he approaches Kitty with regret for not seeing her sooner. His delayed request for a waltz, which is interrupted by the music, causes Kitty pain. He is visibly snubbed by Anna, who refuses to acknowledge him.

• Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky

  Seen among the cream of society in the ballroom, indicating his entrenched position in high social circles.

• Yegorushka Korsunsky

  The renowned director of dances; he dances with both Kitty and Anna. His flamboyant, proprietary manner over the ballroom and his role as a social connector are on display.

Key passages

• “"She saw her now as someone quite new and surprising to her. Now she understood that Anna could not have been in lilac, and that her charm was just that she always stood out against her attire, that her dress could never be noticeable on her."”

  Kitty realizes Anna's true beauty lies in her person overshadowing her clothing, making the dress merely a frame.

  Highlights Anna's unique, natural elegance that defies conventional adornment and captivates observers.

• “"Kitty gazed in admiration at Anna waltzing, and listened to him. She expected him to ask her for a waltz, but he did not, and she glanced wonderingly at him. He flushed slightly, and hurriedly asked her to waltz..."”

  Kitty, while watching Anna, waits for Vronsky to ask her to dance. His delay and flustered, last-minute request confuse and hurt her.

  Marks a turning point in Kitty's perception of Vronsky, introducing doubt and emotional pain into her infatuation.

• “"'Why, have you met?' inquired their host. 'Is there anyone we have not met? My wife and I are like white wolves—everyone knows us,' answered Korsunsky."”

  Korsunsky jokes that he and his wife are as recognizable as 'white wolves,' known to everyone in society.

  Illustrates the insular, self-regarding nature of high society and the role of figures like Korsunsky as its ubiquitous fixtures.