“Love, friendship and respect do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something. » These are famous words of the Russian author Anton Chekhov. Chekhov was a very relevant writer in the Victorian era. Born in 1860, he began writing at a critical time for authors of his kind – those who focused on the most practical details of real human life through writing, those who unrestrainedly expressed their realistic vision of world as they knew it. At that time, realism was a style of writing that didn't appear often – it was essentially taboo to write that way. (Ladow) Everything about this style of writing was entirely new. Writers like Chekhov, and even Tolstoy, helped develop realism in what readers. Like his fellow writer Chekhov, he possessed realistic characteristics which he depicted in his literary works. Tolstoy is known as the author who created one of the longest novels ever written, War and Peace. Throughout this book, Tolstoy focuses on describing Russia after an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte and his French soldiers. War and Peace shows how this event affected Russian society. Touching on a more sensitive, yet incredibly practical, side, Tolstoy provides insight into what romance was all about. In this long novel, Tolstoy explains: "The higher a man stands on the social ladder, the greater the number of people with whom he is connected, the more power he has over others, the greater the predestination and inevitability of each of his actions are evident. action." ("War") This is basically Tolstoy's way of arguing that with a higher status level, one is more likely to be a person of authority and someone who has the ability to persuade/influence others with great ease This is something that has been true throughout history. If a person is ranked higher in terms of hierarchy, they are more likely to have a strong influence on others. 'a person without comparable status (Magee.