his
             wife Sofya Andreevna Behrs, whom he married in 1862, and part after the
             marriage of his ideal character Levin to Kitty. Certain details in Levin's
             courtship of Kitty were actual occurrences in Tolstoy's own life, such as
             the forgotten shirt in Levin's wedding (1866). Levin is Tolstoy's image and
             in Levin, he reveals his innermost. Levin exudes Tolstoy's appreciation of
             peasants' morality, their friendships and pure enjoyment of living, which
             led him to spurn the artificiality of upper-class Russians. This rejection
             of upper-class superficiality developed into an inner or spiritual
             regeneration that, in turn, led to his giving up family possessions and his
             Although Levin is only a supportive character, he is Tolstoy's
             identity in the novel. Lev is Tolstoy in Russian and Levin executes the
             author's rabid search for the meaning of life. His confession of faith is
             equivalent to Tolstoy's conversion to religion after writing this novel.
             Independent-minded Levin has no other parallel in Tolstoy's actual Russian
             society - not his freethinking brother Nikolai, his intellectual half-
             brother Sergei, the bureaucrat Karenin or Betsy, the socialite. Levin, like
             the author, focuses on the destiny of the Russian nation. Both oppose
             liberals who wished to westernize Russia through their analytical and
             abstract approach, yet appreciate the usefulness of technology and
             agricultural science. Like Tolstoy, Levin proceeds with his own way of
             doing things. It may be confused, but it is his and not somebody else's or
             a group's. Levin describes Tolstoy's preference for isolation to over-
             fitting with what society approves or is comfortable with. With the same
             search and preferences, Levin is more than like the author in his being a
             loner who is not self-centered, as another loner may be. Levin does not
             present himself as someone superior or possessing exceptional qualities
             like a hero. But if th...