“Sometimes [one should be] terrified [of] the heart; of his constant hunger for whatever he wants (Edgar Allen Poe). The efforts of the heart can be the most dangerous of all and cause dismay. Leo Tolstoy's Anna Karenina follows the lives of several families living in 18th-century Russia, each from different social groups and classes. The story begins with Anna's brother, Stiva Oblonsky, being caught having an affair. As a result of this discovery, Anna must leave her family in St. Petersburg and go to Moscow in an attempt to repair her brother's failed marriage. While in Moscow, Anna meets Count Vronsky, an eligible young bachelor with whom Anna's sister-in-law Kitty is in love. Unable to repress her love, Anna has an affair with Vronsky. Furthermore, a love triangle develops which adds Levin, a childhood friend of Kitty into the toxic combination making him head over heels in love with Kitty. Although all the characters commit wrongful acts, only a few are penalized and the judgment they receive from society is unfair. In the novel Anna Karenina, the presence of love and lust serves as a catalyst for chaos against the backdrop of a misogynistic society, with discrimination paving the way for the characters' progression in social status. As a result of the protagonist's domineering personality, the characters allow the drive of love to destroy them. In relation to the relationship between Vronsky and Anna, their every movement intensifies, thus causing a distance between the two. As the relationship becomes more intimate, Vronsky becomes angry at Anna's "attacks of jealousy, which of late had been more and more frequent with her [and] horrified him and, no matter how much he tried to disguise the fact, made him feel cold towards him" (Tolstoy,... middle of paper... and the desperation of many. First, the characters' strong and unwavering personalities make it difficult for them to fully indulge in society, leaving them ostracized. Furthermore, Russia's views of the 18th century allows discrimination for those with unorthodox views. Finally, all the pressures of society cause conflicts between the characters which make it difficult for them to focus on their social position within Russian high society love, causing dismay and anguish, felt by all the characters. Society is unable to overcome discrimination, the world will be undeniably stagnant in terms of progress in equal rights. Works Cited Tolstoy, Leone. "Anna Karenina". Toronto: Random House, Inc., 1994. Print.Poe, Edgar Allan. "Edgar Allan Poe." Famous Quotes on BrainyQuote. Np, nd Web. 26 September. 2013.