Anna Karenina - LimpidSoft

PART SEVEN CHAPTER 3
“But in what do you see the special characteristics of the Russian laborer?” said
Metrov; “in his biological characteristics, so to speak, or in the condition in which he
is placed?”
Levin saw that there was an idea underlying this question with which he did not
agree. But he went on explaining his own idea that the Russian laborer has a quite
special view of the land, different from that of other people; and to support this
proposition he made haste to add that in his opinion this attitude of the Russian
peasant was due to the consciousness of his vocation to people vast unoccupied
expanses in the East.
“One may easily be led into error in basing any conclusion on the general vocation
of a people,” said Metrov, interrupting Levin. “The condition of the laborer will
always depend on his relation to the land and to capital.”
And without letting Levin finish explaining his idea, Metrov began expounding
to him the special point of his own theory.
In what the point of his theory lay, Levin did not understand, because he did not
take the trouble to understand. He saw that Metrov, like other people, in spite of his
own article, in which he had attacked the current theory of political economy, looked
at the position of the Russian peasant simply from the point of view of capital, wages,
and rent. He would indeed have been obliged to admit that in the eastern–much the
larger–part of Russia rent was as yet nil, that for nine-tenths of the eighty millions of
the Russian peasants wages took the form simply of food provided for themselves,
and that capital does not so far exist except in the form of the most primitive tools.
Yet it was only from that point of view that he considered every laborer, though in
many points he differed from the economists and had his own theory of the wagefund,
which he expounded to Levin.
Levin listened reluctantly, and at first made objections. He would have liked to
interrupt Metrov, to explain his own thought, which in his opinion would have rendered
further exposition of Metrov’s theories superfluous. But later on, feeling convinced
that they looked at the matter so differently, that they could never understand
one another, he did not even oppose his statements, but simply listened. Although
what Metrov was saying was by now utterly devoid of interest for him, he yet experienced
a certain satisfaction in listening to him. It flattered his vanity that such
a learned man should explain his ideas to him so eagerly, with such intensity and
confidence in Levin’s understanding of the subject, sometimes with a mere hint referring
him to a whole aspect of the subject. He put this down to his own credit,
unaware that Metrov, who had already discussed his theory over and over again
with all his intimate friends, talked of it with special eagerness to every new person,
and in general was eager to talk to anyone of any subject that interested him, even if
still obscure to himself.
“We are late though,” said Katavasov, looking at his watch directly Metrov had
finished his discourse.
“Yes, there’s a meeting of the Society of Amateurs today in commemoration of the
jubilee of Svintitch,” said Katavasov in answer to Levin’s inquiry. “Pyotr Ivanovitch
and I were going. I’ve promised to deliver an address on his labors in zoology. Come
along with us, it’s very interesting.”
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