"Anna Karenin" Post 5b

The section relating to the death of Levin's brother was particularly interesting for several reasons. Firstly, Levin does not wish for Kitty to come along with him, which is an odd thing for a couple so in love. The two of them have trouble expressing their feelings to each other: Levin doesn't wish to show Kitty the squalor he is sure his brother is in and thinks that she is being too clingy; she wants simply to help and show her devotion to her husband by being interested in what he is, and thinks that he thinks that she will simply be in the way. Levin relents and allows her to come along, and they understand each other in the end. This was interesting in that some of the same behaviors were shown between Karenin and Anna, where he was trying to express his concern for her and could not form his thought, and they were both misinterpreting each other. However, in Anna's case the Karenins never tried to remedy the situation, and thus it continued the misunderstanding. The Levins come to see each other's point of views after the agreement, and one is happy knowing that they are a true couple. Vronsky has just left Anna now to go to a conference and they parted each hiding things from the other: this must be foreshadowing their downfall. Secondly, relating to Nikolai's death, Levin's inability and Kitty's extreme ability makes things odd. Levin knows his brother the best but is helpless, whereas Kitty can't know him but is able to make him much more comfortable. However, showing their strength as a couple, they do not feel jealous of the other but complement each other, Kitty providing constant care and Levin being there finally at the end for his brother. It is interesting to note that this is chapter is the only one in the book with a title, it being "DEATH".