Tolstoy's masterwork, "Anna Karenina," is a poignant examination of the suffocating constraints imposed upon women by patriarchal societies. Anna's relentless struggle against the suffocating weight of societal expectations, her yearning for autonomy, and her eventual tragic demise stand as a searing indictment of the narrow roles allotted to women in 19th-century Russia. Through Anna's tumultuous journey, Tolstoy lays bare the injustices and insidious double standards that women confront when they dare to challenge traditional gender roles. The central plot revolves around the affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky. I think Tolstoy uses this relationship to critique the institution of marriage and the double standards associated with infidelity. Anna's decision to follow her heart and pursue love outside the bounds of a conventional marriage is met with harsh judgment and condemnation from society.