The marriage of the only 17-year-old Effi Briest to the more than twice her age Baron von Instetten is doomed from the start. After the wedding, the couple moves to the remote Hinterpommern village of Kressin, while Instetten, as the district administrator, is constantly away on official trips. Lonely, Effi embarks on a brief affair with the young Major von Crampas, which only comes to light years later by chance. Bound by an outdated code of honor, Instetten lacks the strength to forgive his wife and challenges Crampas to a duel.