In which we learn of another obstacle for Levin...
CHAPTER XII E-TEXT
Seen from Levin's point of view in Chapter IX, Kitty's mother came off as rather cold. Hell, she's flat-out described as cold in her reception of Levin. And now we see why she wasn't so happy to see him skating alongside her daughter.
It's because she wants Kitty to marry Vronsky, as the narrator explains in this exposition-heavy chapter. What made this chapter interesting for me was how my opinion on mom changed at least twice. At first, I'm all booo Mom, getting in the way of Levin and his Kitty. Booo.
But then, well, Levin didn't do much to ingrain himself with her. He came to their house for six weeks straight, never bothering to directly explain his intentions to the Prince and Princess. A little rude, and I don't buy the whole "well Levin is a shy guy." Maybe losing the love of his life will teach him some manners. I was a shy guy growing up. I still am. But you have to be unshy unless you want people to think you're an aloof jerk.
If I were the Princess, I would have serious reservations with my daughter marrying a shifty cattle-breeder almost fifteen years her senior. Unseemly, it is. Vronsky, apart from having manners, is a prized son-in-law for many other reasons: money, cleverness, good breeding, and his career is looking bright.
Her worry is that Levin's arrival will disturb the iminent proposal from Vronsky, who apparently has to check with his mom before doing anything. She's so worried about Kitty's future that she can't really spare any sympathy for her oldest daughter, who, oh yeah, is being jilted by Levin's close friend.
Stressful times for Princess Shtcherbatskaya. The Prince? He thinks Levin would work great with Kitty. Huh.
NOTES:
-I can't think of a good photo for this chapter, other than just a photo of an old stressed-out Russian Princess.
-I'll try to include links to the e-text for each chapter. Be warned, the translation is riddled with typos. But it's helpful if you forget your book.
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