Anna Karenina · Chapter
The Crystallization of Society explained
Kitty, at a German spa with her mother, observes the rigid social stratification of the resort.
What happens
Kitty, at a German spa with her mother, observes the rigid social stratification of the resort. Bored by her established social circle, she becomes fascinated by a Russian girl, Mademoiselle Varenka, who attends to the invalid Madame Stahl and other sick visitors. Kitty idealizes Varenka, seeing in her a model of a meaningful, dignified life independent of the marriage market. Her romantic illusions are shattered, however, when she learns that a disagreeable-looking Russian man is Nikolay Levin, Konstantin's brother, whom her mother describes as 'a bad man'.
Themes in this chapter
Social Conventions vs. Individual Desire
The spa's rigid social 'crystallization' contrasts with Kitty's inner desire to break free from the conventional marriage market and find a life of authentic meaning, which she projects onto Varenka.
Search for Meaning
Kitty's attraction to Varenka stems from her painful search for 'interest in life, a dignity in life' apart from worldly relations with men, seeing Varenka's selfless work as a model.
Isolation and Misunderstanding
Kitty's idealization of strangers (first the Levins, then Varenka) highlights her isolation and misunderstanding of others' true natures and circumstances.
Characters to notice
- Kitty Shcherbatskaya
Deeply bored by the spa's social routine; idealizes Varenka as a model of purposeful living and is revolted by the 'shameful hawking about' of the marriage market.
- Mademoiselle Varenka
Described as selfless, constantly busy caring for the sick, including Madame Stahl. Seen by Kitty as a 'fine flower' past its bloom, unattractive to men but possessing a dignified purpose.
- Nikolay Dmitrievitch Levin
Appears at the spa with Marya Nikolaevna; his twitching and 'terrible eyes' arouse intense disgust and an 'irrepressible feeling of disgust' in Kitty after she learns his identity.
- Marya Nikolaevna
Appears with Nikolay Levin; described as pockmarked and kind-looking, dressed tastelessly.
- Princess Shcherbatskaya
Ensures the family is placed in the correct social stratum at the spa, presenting Kitty to a German princess and providing negative information about Nikolay Levin.
- Madame Stahl
An invalid Russian lady of high society who keeps to herself out of pride, attended by Varenka.
Key passages
“She was like a fine flower, already past its bloom and without fragrance, though the petals were still unwithered.”
Varenka's beauty is faded and no longer alluring, though not yet decayed.
Metaphor for Varenka's perceived lack of sexual attractiveness but enduring quality.
“the usual process, as it were, of the crystallization of society went on, assigning to each member of that society a definite and unalterable place.”
Spa society quickly and rigidly sorted everyone into fixed social ranks.
Central metaphor for the chapter, describing the inflexibility of high society.
“she was now so painfully seeking: interest in life, a dignity in life—apart from the worldly relations of girls with men, which so revolted Kitty, and appeared to her now as a shameful hawking about of goods in search of a purchaser.”
Kitty wanted a meaningful, respectable life, separate from the degrading process of finding a husband, which she saw as being like selling merchandise.
Core expression of Kitty's disillusionment with her prescribed social role.
