Anna Karenina · Chapter
Chapter XXV explained
Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin visits Countess Lidia Ivanovna, who advises him on Anna's request to see their son, Seryozha.
What happens
Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin visits Countess Lidia Ivanovna, who advises him on Anna's request to see their son, Seryozha. Karenin, plagued by doubts about his past actions and forgiveness, initially agrees to the visit. However, Lidia Ivanovna persuades him to refuse, and she writes a cruel, self-righteous letter to Anna in his name, achieving her secret aim of wounding Anna deeply. Karenin returns home troubled, unable to regain his spiritual peace as he is tormented by memories of his handling of Anna's infidelity.
Themes in this chapter
Hypocrisy and Social Pretense
Lidia Ivanovna's entire performance—her 'agitated smile,' false piety, and claim to understand 'Christian love'—masks her cruel, manipulative intent. The letter is a masterpiece of hypocritical virtue, using religious language to inflict pain.
Family and Domesticity
The core conflict revolves around a mother's desire to see her child versus the father's (and society's) control over domestic access. The argument centers on what is best for the child's spiritual and emotional well-being, perverting domestic care into a tool for punishment.
Infidelity and Betrayal
Karenin's torment stems directly from Anna's betrayal. His review of past mistakes—not sending a challenge, writing a certain letter, offering forgiveness—shows how the initial infidelity continues to define and poison his inner life and decisions.
Characters to notice
- Alexey Alexandrovitch Karenin
Tortured by memories of his past actions regarding Anna's infidelity and his forgiveness. Seeks guidance from Lidia Ivanovna, showing irresolution and a need for external validation in his 'saintly' role, but is left spiritually unsettled.
- Countess Lidia Ivanovna
Acts as Karenin's spiritual advisor and manipulator. She feigns piety and concern for Seryozha to persuade Karenin to refuse Anna's request, then writes a hypocritically cruel letter designed to wound Anna, achieving her hidden objective.
- Anna Arkadyevna Karenina
Her request to see her son, conveyed via a letter to Lidia Ivanovna, is the chapter's catalyst. She is described as 'baseness' by Lidia and is ultimately wounded 'to the quick' by the refusal letter.
- Seryozha Karenin
Invoked by both Karenin and Lidia Ivanovna as the reason for their decision. Lidia claims he views Anna as dead and prays for her, and that seeing her would implant 'a spirit of censure' in him.
Key passages
“The memory of how he had received her confession of infidelity on their way home from the races (especially that he had insisted only on the observance of external decorum, and had not sent a challenge) tortured him like a remorse.”
Karenin is haunted by his past focus on maintaining social appearances rather than acting on his honor when Anna first confessed.
Highlights his internal conflict between social convention and personal feeling, and his regret over his passive response.
“"I don't think I have the right to refuse her," he said, timidly lifting his eyes.”
Karenin initially feels obligated to grant Anna's request to see their son.
Shows a flicker of his earlier, more legalistic sense of fairness and forgiveness, before Lidia manipulates him.
“"I pray to Almighty God to have mercy on you."”
The closing line of Lidia Ivanovna's letter to Anna.
The pious sign-off is the ultimate hypocritical stroke, cloaking malice in a blessing to deepen the wound.