Ger Essay, Research Paper

Stepan Oblonsky’s wife Dolly had discovered that her husband was having an affair. With her beauty fading and her household a wreck, she had had enough. Stepan fretfully wrote to his sister, Anna Karenina, asking her to come to Moscow and convince Dolly not to leave him.

Later, while working at his job in the entrenched Moscow bureaucracy, Stepan received an unexpected visitor: Levin, an old friend from the university, came to discuss Dolly’s sister Kitty, whom he wanted to marry. After being informed by Stepan that he had a rival for Kitty’s affections, a certain Count Vronsky of St. Petersburg, Levin resolved that he would propose to Kitty that very night.

At that same moment, Anna and Count Vronsky were riding together in a train bound for Moscow. Vronsky noticed the charming woman as he made his way to the first-class compartment that he shared with his mother. He had time to take note of “the suppressed eagerness which played over her face” as their eyes met, and she remained in his mind. However, upon reaching their destination, the two went their separate ways – Anna to her brother’s home, Vronsky and his mother to a hotel.