Hi fellow bookworms! I’m reading Anna Karenina for the first time. I’m now at the part where Levin is home, and I can’t quite interpret some of this. He is frustrated by his bailiff not completing the requested repairs, he needs more field hands for his clover, and he helps a hired hand spread the dirt in clumps with a sieve. I realize this summary is ridiculous- but I am stuck right here.
Am I supposed to know that he is being unreasonable in his expectations? Or is it that he has unreliable management? I know nothing of farming, let alone 19th century Russian agricultural methods. If a contemporary farmer read this part, would they understand something here that I don’t? It feels important to recognize something here- am I recognizing that Levin has unrealistic expectations? Or that he is out of touch with the best methods? Or is his business here being managed terribly, and this is what he is maneuvering?
Any insight is appreciated.
by ihearhistoryrhyming
1 Comment
It’s been a long time I read it but I think he’s kind of just grousing about how much work his work is you can rely on anybody and they took advantage of his absence to not do their work. Kind of pissing and moaning. It’s also a reflection of how hard it is for him to get away from the country to pursue his interests in the city.