Black eyes Quote by Leo Tolstoy
““Oh, it's awful! oh dear, oh dear! awful!" Stepan Arkadyevitch kept repeating to himself, and he could think of nothing to be done. "And how well things were going up till now! how well we got on! She was contented and happy in her children; I never interfered with her in anything; I let her manage the children and the house just as she liked. It's true it's bad HER having been a governess in our house. That's bad! There's something common, vulgar, in flirting with one's governess. But what a governess!" (He vividly recalled the roguish black eyes of Mlle. Roland and her smile.) "But after all, while she was in the house, I kept myself in hand. And the worst of it all is that she's already… it seems as if ill-luck would have it so! Oh, oh! But what, what is to be done?””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Anna Karenina, Part 1, 1877
A man feels trapped by social expectations and personal anxieties, fearing misfortune and questioning his choices.
In simple terms: He is anxious about his life and future.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and confront personal fears.
Themes
anxiety
social pressure
self‑doubt
Mood
uneasy
reflective
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- marriage
- family dynamics
- career decisions
- social reputation
Key Concepts
existential dread
class constraints
personal agency
Questions to Reflect On
- What assumptions fuel your anxiety?
- How can you gain perspective on perceived misfortune?
A Different Perspective
His worries may be exaggerated and stem from over‑thinking.
![“His [the President's] earnest desire is, that you may perpetuated and preserved as a nation; and this he believes can only be doneand secured by your consent to remove to a country beyond the Mississippi… Where you are, it is not possible you can live contented and happy.” quote by Andrew Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d65/andrew-jackson-2317_believe_his-the-president-s-earnest-desire-is-th_581736.jpg)
