# The Storm explained — Anna Karenina

> Chapter companion for Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

## What happens

A sudden, violent storm interrupts the party's outing. Levin, in a panic, rushes to find Kitty and their baby Mitya, who are in the copse. He witnesses a great oak tree being struck by lightning and fears the worst. He finds them safe under a lime tree, though Kitty is drenched. Relief turns briefly to anger before gratitude prevails.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family and Domesticity

The entire chapter revolves around the primal fear for the safety of the nuclear family (Levin, Kitty, Mitya). Levin's terror and prayer, followed by relief and a squeeze of Kitty's hand, powerfully underscore the family as the central, fragile source of meaning.

### Love and Marriage

Levin's intense emotional reaction—anger born of fear, followed by penitence—reveals the depth of his love and commitment within his marriage, contrasting with other relationships in the novel.

## Character check-ins

### Konstantin Dmitrievitch Levin

Panics during the storm, fearing for Kitty and Mitya's safety. His terror at the lightning strike and subsequent relief reveal his deep familial love and vulnerability.

### Kitty Shcherbatskaya

Is caught in the storm with Mitya and the nurse. She is drenched but calm, defending her actions to a worried Levin, showing her maternal dedication.

### Mitya

The baby, who is unharmed and sleeps through the entire storm, the central object of his parents' fear and relief.

### Darya Alexandrovna Oblonskaya

Struggles to run home with the children ahead of the storm, showing her practical maternal role in the group.

### Agafea Mihalovna

Meets the party in the hall with kerchiefs and rugs, providing practical aid and information about Kitty's whereabouts.

## Key lines

> "My God! my God! not on them!" he said.

Levin prays desperately for his family's safety.

_A raw, instinctual plea highlighting his love and fear, transcending his usual rationalism._

> "Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? I can’t think how you can be so reckless!"

Levin scolds Kitty angrily after finding them safe.

_His anger is a mask for his profound fear, showing how deep emotion can momentarily override tenderness._

> Levin... penitent for having been angry, he squeezed her hand when the nurse was not looking.

Feeling remorseful for his outburst, Levin secretly gives Kitty's hand an affectionate squeeze.

_A small, intimate gesture that reconciles the moment of conflict and reaffirms their bond._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anna_karenina_se/chapters/part-viii-xvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anna_karenina_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/anna_karenina_se/chapters