Anna Karenina · Chapter
XXIII explained
Countess Lidia Ivanovna receives a letter from Anna Karenina, begging to see her son Seryozha before leaving Petersburg.
What happens
Countess Lidia Ivanovna receives a letter from Anna Karenina, begging to see her son Seryozha before leaving Petersburg. The letter's tone and contents infuriate Lidia, who sees it as an affront. The chapter also provides a detailed psychological portrait of Lidia Ivanovna, revealing her history of serial, often politically-motivated infatuations and her current, intense, and possessive love for Karenin. She is determined to shield him from any contact with Anna.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Social Pretense
Lidia Ivanovna's self-image as a pious, magnanimous Christian is contrasted with her visceral hatred for Anna, her manipulative control over Karenin's life, and the self-serving nature of her 'love.'
Isolation and Misunderstanding
Anna's profound isolation is emphasized; she must appeal to her husband's pious admirer, a woman who despises her, for access to her own child. Lidia's own history of a failed, misunderstood marriage also underscores this theme.
Family and Domesticity
The central conflict revolves around the disruption of the family unit. Anna's maternal desire clashes with the domestic fortress Lidia has built around Karenin and Seryozha, highlighting how domestic life becomes a battleground.
Characters to notice
- Countess Lidia Ivanovna
Receives Anna's letter, is outraged by its tone and contents. Her backstory reveals a pattern of passionate attachments to notable figures, with her current, most intense love being for Karenin. She is actively working to protect him from Anna.
- Anna Arkadyevna Karenina
Writes a desperate, carefully-worded letter to Lidia Ivanovna, appealing to her Christian feelings to request a final meeting with her son Seryozha before leaving Petersburg.
- Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin
The object of Lidia's intense devotion and protection. Lidia writes to him urgently to discuss the 'grave and painful subject' of Anna's letter and her presence in town.
- Seryozha Karenin
The subject of Anna's desperate plea; she seeks permission to see him one last time.
- Count Alexey Kirillovitch Vronsky
Mentioned as being in Petersburg with Anna, referred to by Lidia as one of the 'infamous people.' Lidia has been tracking their movements.
Key passages
“The Christian feelings with which your heart is filled give me the, I feel, unpardonable boldness to write to you.”
Anna begins her letter by appealing to Lidia's professed piety, acknowledging her own request is audacious.
Shows Anna's strategic, flattering approach and her awareness of her own social vulnerability.
“I apply to you and not to Alexey Alexandrovitch, simply because I do not wish to cause that generous man to suffer in remembering me.”
Anna claims she is writing to Lidia instead of Karenin to spare him pain.
This is both a tactical move (going through the gatekeeper) and a subtle dig, implying Karenin is still affected by her.
“All these passions... did not prevent her from keeping up the most extended and complicated relations with the court and fashionable society.”
Despite her serial infatuations, Lidia remained deeply connected to high society.
Highlights the performative and social nature of many of her attachments.
“She loved Karenin for himself, for his lofty, uncomprehended soul...”
Lidia believes her love for Karenin is unique and based on his intrinsic qualities.
Contrasts with her previous politically-motivated passions, though her current love is equally possessive and controlling.
