Part 5 section 10: Mikhaylov has
just finished a painting he has been working on for a while, and is excited to have guests there so
that he can hear their opinions. He is always quite concerned about what people say about his
work. Anna and Vronsky have already been prejudiced against Mikhaylov by Golenishev's accounts
of his lack of education.
Part 5 section 11: Mikhaylov sees
that they are wealthy Russians and assumes they are the type that think they know about art but really
know nothing. He takes the three into his studio though and is interested in what they have to
say about his painting. The three of them only say obvious things about the painting, but the artist
takes it as important praise until Golenishchev starts talking about his technique, and he gets irritated.
Part 5 section 12: Vronsky and
Anna try to move them on to another painting that they quite like. When the visitors leave the
artist looks at his painting again and is reassured in its perfection. On their way home the three
talk about Mikhaylov's talent.
Part 5 section 13: Vronsky buys
the painting they liked and asks Mikhaylov to paint Anna's portrait. He consents, and every time
he comes for a sitting is very deferential to them and does not want to be friends with them.
Vronsky tries to show him his paintings, which the artist thinks are bad, and Golenishchev keeps trying
to talk to him about art. All are happy when the sittings are done and the portrait is finished.
They think that Mikhaylov is just jealous of Vronsky because he can paint too, but soon Vronsky sees
the defects in his work and stops painting. He becomes bored again, and Vronsky and Anna decide
to return to Russia and live in the country.
Part 5 section 14: Levin has been
married three months and finds that married life is not all he thought it would be. He sees that
his wife has many jealousies and petty household interests that he does not share, and they have many
arguments. So, the first of their marriage is very trying, and it is not until they have been
married for three months that it runs more smoothly.
Part 5 section 15: Levin starts
to work again on his manuscript, finding that his book is worth writing after all. He feels that
he has gotten little work done in months and needs to get back to his duties and his book.
Part 5 section 16: Levin receives
a letter from Mary Nikolavna saying that his brother is quite ill. Levin says he will go to him,
and Kitty says she will go too. Levin thinks that she just wants to go so that she does not have
to be alone and is angry at her for not taking his brother's illness more seriously. They argue,
and even though he is not convinced that Kitty is going to help him, he agrees to let her go.
He really does not want his wife to be around Mary Nikolavna.
Part 5 section 17: They arrive
at the dirty hotel in the provincial town and Levin takes Kitty to their room and goes to see his brother.
His brother looks very bad and Levin does not know how to act or what to say to him. He says that
he will go and get Kitty, but he does not really want her to see him. She wants to help though,
and goes to see him. Mary Nikolavna is nervous and self-conscious about her position around Kitty.
Kitty tells Nicholas that she will help him.
Part 5 section 18: Levin cannot
be calm around his brother. He smells the air and sees the pain his brother is in but does not
think that anything can be done about it. Kitty immediately starts to set things to right though.
She, her maid and Mary get things cleaned up and get a doctor in, and soon things are better.
Levin is afraid Nicholas will not like Kitty's help, but he praises her to Levin.
Part 5 section 19: Levin thinks
about how much more Kitty knows about death and how to deal with it than he does. She has convinced
Nicholas to receive Communion. Kitty tells Levin that the doctor has said that Nicholas will not
live more than three days. He admits to her that he is glad that she came and that she has done
much to help. She tells him that she learned it while helping the sick people at the watering
place she went to.
Part 5 section 20: After receiving
Communion Nicholas seems better. Levin is surprised at how seriously Nicholas was taking it, but
he admits to him that he did it for Kitty. Later Mary Nikolavna comes to say he is dying, but
all through the night he suffers but does not die. He suffers still more, and all wish for his
death to end the suffering. Kitty gets ill, but is soon better. Nicholas dies, and Levin
again has feelings of horror about the inevitability of death, but Kitty's presence helps him.
The doctor confirms that Kitty's illness is pregnancy.
Part 5 section 21: Karenin has
been alone a while now and finally truly understands his position and can no longer maintain an appearance
of calm, as he sees that people look at him with contempt and harshness. He has no one to turn
to for talk though. He did not make any real friends at school or university. Anna's aunt
introduced him to Anna and soon convinced him that he was bound by honor to propose to her because of
the attentions he had been giving her. He has no intimate male friends, and would not even consider
talking to a female friend like Countess Lydia Ivanovna, as he finds all women repulsive now.
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