Nothing exists to hinder an individual's pursuit of happiness except the chains constructed from the expectations of others. Societal norms become ironclad laws, and those who do not accept these constraints often find themselves lost, ostracized and abandoned by their peers. Society's current obsession with social media, along with the election in the United States of a president whose rhetoric propagates the marginalization of minorities, has created a constant need to conform to a crowd-accepted persona and to gain validation from others. These restrictions have weighed on individuals since the formation of social groups. In Leo Tolstoy's literary realism novel Anna Karenina, Alexei Vronsky and Anna Karenina attempt to escape the social climate of Russia in the late 1800s to experience a love not accepted by the public. Although Anna's beauty and grace seem to place her above the society that belittles her, the biased judgments and sexist expectations of her peers influence almost every aspect of her life and ultimately lead to the loss of her status. social and at the end of his affair with Vronsky. By demonstrating the impossibility of maintaining a relationship simply through love, Anna Karenina highlights the unavoidable implications of social class on an individual's life and happiness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay Society imposes its expectations on Anna and Vronsky's lives and relationships, although these effects possess a double standard based on sex. In her article on the unrealized inner desires of Anna Karenina's characters, "Keeping Secrets in Anna Karenina," Mary Ann Mefi states that "from the beginning, Anna and her brother Stiva Oblonsky are associated with a tendency to allow themselves to be shaped by the outside world. in a way that prevents the inner life from flowing into consciousness and becoming their primary motivation” (Mefi). These two characters are strongly influenced by their societies. Instead of living according to their own desires, they take inspiration mainly from those around them. Tolstoy uses Oblonsky as a satirical example of this influence because he "firmly adhered to the view of the majority" (Tolstoy 19) on all subjects, and he changed his opinion whenever the majority changed, without any conscious thought. Although Oblonsky has an affair, he is not ostracized for his actions because the affairs do not go against the accepted status quo for men. This concept of differential treatment based on gender appears throughout the novel. Oblonsky's peers consider him in the same dignified position before and after the affair, as he supports his friends, his work, and his marriage. Vronsky, who is also a sociable individual, receives no judgment for his affair from conception. Upon learning of Vronsky's relationship, other men admire him for "Karenin's exalted position and the resulting publicity for their bond in society" (Tolstoy 162). He is idolized for his affair since he took the wife of a high-ranking man in society, Alexei Karenin. In this scenario, Anna Karenina is a coveted item. It is of no consequence that an affair is considered immoral because it places him above others in his society. Although her lover is revered for his affair, Anna becomes the subject of public scrutiny for her parallel actions. After news of Anna's affair spread, "most of the young women, who envied Anna and had long been tired of hearing her described as virtuous, rejoiced at the fulfillment of their predictions and did not expect that a decisive turning point inpublic opinion to fall upon it with the full weight of their contempt” (Tolstoy, 162). Anna's position in society does not depend on the substance of her character, as her peers are willing to change their views of her when gossip gives them the opportunity (Roberts). Social reputations are manufactured concepts that are based on how others perceive an individual, not necessarily how they behave. Anna is treated as worthless and despicable because she loves someone, which demonstrates the hypocrisy of society in its treatment of men and women for the same actions. Societal pressures also influence Anna's relationship with her husband, Alexey. Upon learning of her affair, Alexei declared that he would ignore it "as long as [his] name is not dishonored... and that only in the event that you compromise me will I be obliged to take measures to guarantee my honor” ( Tolstoy 297). Alexey would rather have a difficult marriage than admit to Anna's affair, because her social status is more important to him than the basis of his relationship. As Henry Pickford states in The Tolstoy Studies Journal, Alexey is not worried about Anna cheating on him because he is not married for happiness but because it is seen as necessary by the society in which he resides ( Pickford). So, Anna cannot be with the person she loves and is forced to maintain a public image that she herself no longer wants. Due to the pressures placed on them by society, Anna and Alexey must lead a life of lies or persecution. After continuing their affair, the constraints of their public images become so important in their lives that Anna and Vronsky attempt - unsuccessfully - to escape their hypercritical social class by fleeing to Italy. Despite being in a country completely separate from Russia, Anna and Vronsky only hang out with Russians and are quickly repelled by their surroundings: "The palace suddenly seemed so old and dirty, the stains on the curtains, the cracks in the floors, the broken plaster on the cornices became so unpleasantly obvious...that they had to make some changes” (Tolstoy 444). Anna and Vronsky's escape cannot last because the Italian environment does not suit them due to their excessive Russian social conditioning. In no context are they capable of finding happiness; they therefore never manage to free themselves from the influence of their social circles. Tolstoy uses imagery in this context to further emphasize these cultural pressures. In Italy, Anna and Vronsky meet a Russian painter and, seeing his talent in portraits, request a painting of Anna. Once the painting is finished, Vronsky is surprised that the painter was able to capture Anna's characteristic beauty: "You have to know her and love her as I loved her to discover the sweetest expression of her soul" (Tolstoy 442). However, the narrator explains, “only through this portrait did Vronsky himself learn of this sweetest expression of his soul. But the expression was so true that he and others believed they had known it for a long time” (Tolstoy, 442). This painting, along with the social perspective from which Anna is viewed, creates an unattainable idea of ​​beauty that does not exist. Although Vronsky feels like he has known this idea of ​​her for a long time, his discovery of this “characteristic beauty” (Tolstoy 442) occurs simply because she is placed before him. Although starting out in a positive manner, in which their glamorous reputation precedes them, this critical view of Anna and Vronsky eventually becomes a negative perspective. The continued impact on them proves the harmful and deep influences of the culture around them. Juxtaposed to this relationshipFailing is a successful couple: Levin and Kitty. They remain independent of outside influences and focus solely on each other. In a comment on Tolstoy's writing style, SE Shevitch states that the relationship between Levin and Kitty can last because society does not impact both of them. Throughout his life and throughout their relationship, Levin remained alienated from trivial social and political issues (Shevitch). Conversely, Anna and Vronksy openly disobey their society, while being dependent on it. Their elite status throughout their lives has made them unable to escape the spotlight, even when they are highly critical of them. Thus, Tolstoy proposes a contrasting pair to emphasize the negative effect of society on a person's mental well-being. Levin and Kitty's relationship succeeds because Levin always separated himself from political debates and social circles and never became dependent on their approval. The comparison of these two relationships throughout the novel highlights the way society influences the way individuals act in achieving their own desires and in their relationships with others. The inevitable effects of Anna and Vronsky's refusal to obey society's rules plague their daily lives upon their return to Russia. Anna is willing to abandon her social position for love by breaking social norms by “not having obtained a divorce, but having absolutely rejected any idea of ​​divorcing” (Tolstoy 403). However, Anna and Vronsky's love cannot last as the societal implications of this choice continue to affect their relationship. In 1800s Russia, social stigma was so powerful that without validation, love could not prevail, no matter how strong it was. Anna and Vronsky's affair was doomed to failure because the heavyweight of society dictated most of their choices and feelings. After Anna momentarily refuses to see Vronsky, he exclaims: “This is how people go crazy... and how they commit suicide... to escape humiliation” (Tolstoy, 387 ). Although his peers previously envied him, they now view him as a failure because his relationship is no longer pleasant. Fortunately, Vronsky survives his injury, but his actions demonstrate his belief that death is the only way to escape society's judgment. Anna faces a similar sense of humiliation when she attends a play with a friend after returning to town. She is disgraced by her peers simply because she was present and so laments to Vronsky: “Hideous! As long as I live, I will never forget it. She said it was a shame to sit next to me” (Tolstoy, 507). According to Henry Pickford, the characters in Anna Karenina often face a battle between their internal desires and their external actions, which results in negative psychological impacts on them. These “external roles, ruts, duties, and customs devoid of intentional meaning” (Pickford) can threaten a person's free will and ability to be independent in their own desires. The Russian upper class mercilessly adheres to these social norms. Therefore, Anna's endless experience of denigration due to her inability to find a place in society severely strains her mental state and her relationship with Vronsky. These burdens lead his final act of life to defy the society that destroyed his happiness. After arguments with her lover gradually worsen due to incessant humiliation from the public, Anna decides to commit suicide: "I will... escape." of everyone and of myself” (Tolstoy, 706). By committing suicide on the railway tracks, Anna shows the harsh consequences of her struggle..