ANNA
...tion indefinitely. Leo Tolstoy makes this evident as with his portrayal of Anna and Vronsky. The society itself is known for its hypocrisy and its inflexible rules; how things should be done according to their standards. Anna is introduced to us in the story as someone of great essence and character. "It was as though an excess of something so filled her whole being that it expressed itself against her will, sometimes in the brilliance of her gaze, sometimes in her smile. She deliberately tried to extinguish that light in her eyes, but it blazed out against her will in that faint smile."(Part I; pg.64). Vronsky is smitten by Anna automatically from his first meeting with her at the train station. It surprises him the attraction he feels instantly, “Without turning his eyes away Vronsky looked at her and smiled; he didn’t know why himself.”(Part I; pg.65). From their first chance meeting, Tolstoy makes it apparent that they will be seeing more of one another whether the other did or didn’t. Most members of Russian society conduct extra-marital affairs, although affairs were common and perfectly acceptable for both men and women, they were condoned only so long as external conditions were maintained. “Neglect of one's spouse in public in order to pay attention to one's lover was considered a breach of those conditions, as was outward disrespect for the wronged husband or wife”.(Gary Adelman). If those conditions were breached, especially by a woman, Russian society would turn upon the offender with full force, as was done to Anna in her situation with Karenin and Vronsky. Anna was shunned by those in her soci...