Anna Karenina: Part 4, Chapter 6
The recap, key beats, and evidence for Part 4, Chapter 6, without reopening the whole book.
Section recap · 2 min read
What happens in Part 4, Chapter 6.
Stiva Oblonsky visits Karenin to discuss what should happen now. He pushes Karenin toward granting Anna a divorce. Karenin resists. He has forgiven Anna in a Christian sense but he is not willing to free her, partly out of genuine moral conviction and partly because divorce would humiliate him publicly. Stiva finds Karenin's position frustrating and hard to argue with because Karenin frames everything in terms of duty and religion. The conversation goes nowhere useful.
The beats worth remembering.
Stiva lobbies for divorce
Oblonsky comes as Anna's informal advocate and tries to convince Karenin that letting Anna go is the right thing. He appeals to Karenin's sense of generosity.
Karenin refuses on moral grounds
Karenin says he has forgiven Anna but that forgiveness does not mean endorsing her adultery by granting a divorce. He sees divorce as a sin and a social disgrace.
The conversation stalls
Stiva can't find a lever that moves Karenin. Every practical argument Stiva makes, Karenin deflects with a religious or legal one. They part without resolution.
The moments you can actually use later.
Karenin's refusal framed as Christian duty
Karenin tells Stiva that granting a divorce would mean condoning adultery, which his faith forbids. He presents himself as the injured party who is already showing extraordinary mercy.
Stiva's inability to shift Karenin
Despite being charming and persuasive in most social situations, Stiva finds Karenin unmovable. The scene shows how thoroughly Karenin has entrenched himself behind a moral position.
What to carry forward.
Karenin uses principle as a shield
His religious objections to divorce are sincere, but they also conveniently protect him from public shame. Students should watch for this pattern: Karenin's morality and his self-interest often point the same direction.
Stiva as go-between
Oblonsky frequently acts as a fixer in this novel. He rarely succeeds, but his attempts reveal what other characters want and what they're afraid to say directly.
Ask about this chapter
Keep the question locked to Part 4, Chapter 6 instead of the whole book.
How this guide is built
This guide is built from the original text to help you get oriented fast. It is designed for recall, paper planning, and getting unstuck, but it is still a paraphrased guide, not a substitute for the reading itself. Double-check anything important before you turn in formal work.