Anna Karenina · Chapter
XV explained
Levin and Oblonsky go snipe shooting in an aspen copse.
What happens
Levin and Oblonsky go snipe shooting in an aspen copse. Levin is deeply attuned to the natural world, observing the signs of spring and the sounds of the forest. The shooting is successful, and as dusk falls, Levin unexpectedly asks Oblonsky about Kitty. Oblonsky reveals that Kitty is very ill and has been sent abroad, a revelation that briefly disturbs Levin's serenity before the final shot of the hunt.
Themes in this chapter
Search for Meaning
Levin finds profound, almost spiritual connection and awareness in the natural world, noting he can 'hear and see the grass growing.'
Isolation and Misunderstanding
Levin's serene isolation in nature is abruptly pierced by news from the social world—Kitty's illness—highlighting a disconnect between his inner peace and external realities.
Characters to notice
- Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin
Deeply immersed in the sensory details of nature during the hunt. His peaceful mood is shaken by the news of Kitty's illness, though he tries to dismiss it.
- Stepan Arkadyevitch Oblonsky
Participates in the hunt with Levin. He is the one who reveals the troubling news about Kitty's health and her being sent abroad.
- Laska
Levin's dog, alert and focused on the hunt, at one point seeming to reproach the men for talking instead of paying attention to the birds.
- Kitty Shcherbatskaya
Not present, but her condition is the subject of the pivotal conversation. Oblonsky reveals she is very ill, not thinking of marriage, and has been sent abroad for her health.
Key passages
“"Imagine! One can hear and see the grass growing!" Levin said to himself”
Levin is struck by a profound, hyper-aware connection to the natural processes of spring.
Highlights Levin's philosophical, searching nature.
“"She’s never thought of being married, and isn’t thinking of it; but she’s very ill, and the doctors have sent her abroad. They’re positively afraid she may not live."”
Oblonsky tells Levin that Kitty is gravely ill, not contemplating marriage, and has been sent overseas for treatment with a feared mortal prognosis.
The shocking news that disrupts the tranquil hunting scene and reopens Levin's emotional connection to Kitty.
“"They have chosen a time to talk," she was thinking. "It’s on the wing.… Here it is, yes, it is. They’ll miss it," thought Laska.”
Levin's dog, Laska, is impatient with the men's conversation, focusing intently on the game bird approaching.
A moment of free indirect discourse from the dog's perspective, contrasting animal instinct with human distraction.