The main theme of Turgenev's novel is the problem of the relationship between the old and the modern generation. The fate of all the characters is closely intertwined with the solution of an urgent task, each of them determines his life priorities in his own way. In Turgenev's novel, a generational conflict is created, the main characters of "Fathers and Sons" are antagonists who do not want to understand each other.
Characteristics of the heroes "Fathers and Sons"
main characters
Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov |
Adult, approximately 30 years old. Skepticism towards the environment. His image is dominated by cold and hard features. Unprincipled and not highly moral. The son of a doctor from a peasant family, studying at the Faculty of Medicine, self-confident. Dies from blood poisoning. |
Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov |
The most pure and positive hero of the book. 44-year-old widower, father of Arkady, loves his son. Calm and balanced romantic. For a long time he experienced the death of his beloved wife, after which he became the husband of a simple poor peasant woman, Fenechka. |
Arkady Nikolaevich Kirsanov |
Romantic soul, sentimental, gentle and kind person. A nobleman, studied at the university, succumbs to the influence of Bazarov. Believes in real human feelings. |
Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov |
Former Guards officer. 45-year-old brother of Nikolai Petrovich. Principal aristocrat, adheres to liberal views. An adherent of all English, proud. Having experienced an unhappy love, he turned into a misanthrope, moved away from his relatives and went abroad. |
Minor characters
Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov |
An old man who loves his son, a former doctor, continues his medical practice, helping the peasants free of charge. Cheerful and hardworking, loves to chat and philosophize, lives simply and modestly. |
Arina Vlasevna Bazarova |
An elderly lady of a noble family, the mother of Eugene. An overly suspicious and pious old woman, a kind-hearted little man, affectionate and smart, neat and tidy. He is deeply distressed by the unfortunate death of his son. |
Anna Sergeevna Odintsova |
Cruel and prudent, widowed lady 28 years old. Independent and arrogant, proud, loves luxury. Prefers to live in seclusion, away from secular society. Unhappy woman. She never loved anyone, she gets married again by calculation. |
Katerina |
In severity, brought up by her sister, a young, meek girl. Kind, modest, loves nature and music. Calm and smart. Afraid of the strict disposition of his sister. She married Arkady. |
Viktor Sitnikov |
Merchant's son, ashamed of his pedigree. A man of a narrow mind, blindly imitates everything new. Weak-minded and timid, behaves stupidly and vulgarly, annoying and talkative in communication, dreams of becoming famous. He considers Bazarov his teacher. Having married, he became a henpecked man. |
Avdotya Kukshina |
A friend of Bazarov, Kirsanov and Sitnikov. landowner. Supporter of emancipation. He believes that carelessness in outfits and cheeky behavior is a sign of progressiveness. Cigarette and champagne lover. |
bauble |
The image of Fenechka is included in the list of secondary characters of the work, although her description corresponds to the female ideal. A simple peasant girl, she is the embodiment of purity and naturalness. Cozy and homely, she becomes the wife of Nikolai Kirsanov. |
Dunyasha |
Fenechka's maid helps her take care of the baby. A simple peasant woman, a cheerful and playful laugher, behaves strictly in the house. |
Peter |
The dull and narcissistic servant of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, having barely learned to read, considers himself a learned man. |
Princess R. (Nellie) |
An eccentric, mysterious person. The love of Pavel Petrovich's life, which greatly influenced his fate. After the story of her death, Kirsanov lost the meaning of life. |
This is a characteristic of the heroes of Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons", which deals with the eternal mutual misunderstanding of generations. The work "Fathers and Sons" heroes, the old and new generation of which, became an example to follow, and resonated in the hearts of readers. The names of the heroes, this table of characteristics, give a brief idea of the main characters from Turgenev's book. This compressed data can be used to write essays in literature classes.
useful links
See what else we have:
Artwork test
Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" was written in 1861. He was immediately destined to become a symbol of the era. The author especially clearly expressed the problem of the relationship between two generations.
To understand the plot of the work, we suggest reading "Fathers and Sons" in a summary of the chapters. The retelling was made by a teacher of Russian literature, it reflects all the important points of the work.
Average reading time is 8 minutes.
main characters
Evgeny Bazarov- a young man, a medical student, a vivid representative of nihilism, a trend when a person denies everything in the world.
Arkady Kirsanov- a recent student who arrived at the estate of his parents. Under the influence of Bazarov, he is fond of nihilism. At the end of the novel, he realizes that he cannot live like this and refuses the idea.
Kirsanov Nikolai Petrovich- landowner, widower, father of Arkady. Lives on the estate with Fenechka, who bore him a son. Adheres to advanced ideas, loves poetry and music.
Kirsanov Pavel Petrovich- Aristocrat, ex-military. Brother of Nikolai Kirsanov and uncle of Arkady. A bright representative of the liberals.
Bazarov Vasily Ivanovich- retired army surgeon, father of Eugene. Lives on his wife's estate, is not rich. Engaged in medical practice.
Bazarova Arina Vlasevna- Eugene's mother, a pious and very superstitious woman. Uneducated.
Odintsova Anna Sergeevna- a rich widow who sympathizes with Bazarov. But he values peace more in his life.
Lokteva Katya- Anna Sergeevna's sister, a modest and quiet girl. Marries Arkady.
Other characters
bauble- a young woman who has a little son from Nikolai Kirsanov.
Victor Sitnikov- an acquaintance of Arkady and Bazarov.
Evdokia Kukshina- An acquaintance of Sitnikov, who shares the beliefs of nihilists.
Matvey Kolyazin- city official
Chapter 1.
The action begins in the spring of 1859. At the inn, the small landowner Kirsanov Nikolai Petrovich is waiting for the arrival of his son. He is a widower, lives on a small estate and has 200 souls. In his youth, he was predicted to have a military career, but a small leg injury prevented him. He studied at the university, got married and began to live in the countryside. 10 years after the birth of his son, his wife dies, and Nikolai Petrovich goes headlong into the household and raising his son. When Arkady grew up, his father sent him to St. Petersburg to study. There he lived with him for three years and returned to his village again. He is very worried before the meeting, especially since his son is not traveling alone.
Chapter 2
Arkady introduces his father to a friend and asks him not to stand on ceremony. Eugene is a simple person, and you can not be shy about him. Bazarov decides to go in a tarantass, and Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady sit down in a carriage.
Chapter 3
During the journey, the father cannot calm down his joy at meeting his son, all the time he tries to hug him, asks about his friend. Arkady is a little shy. He tries to show his indifference and speaks in a cheeky tone. He keeps turning to Bazarov, as if he is afraid that he will hear his reflections on the beauty of nature, that he is interested in the affairs of the estate.
Nikolai Petrovich says that the estate has not changed. Hesitating a little, he informs his son that the girl Fenya lives with him, and immediately hurries to say that she can leave if Arkady wants it. The son replies that it is not necessary. Both feel awkward and change the topic of conversation.
Looking at the desolation that reigned around, Arkady thinks about the benefits of transformations, but he does not understand how to bring them to life. The conversation smoothly flows to the beauty of nature. Kirsanov Sr. is trying to recite Pushkin's poem. He is interrupted by Yevgeny, who asks Arkady to smoke. Nikolai Petrovich falls silent and is silent until the end of the journey.
Chapter 4
No one met them at the manor house, only an old servant and a girl who appeared for a moment. Leaving the carriage, the elder Kirsanov leads the guests into the living room, where he asks the servant to serve dinner. At the door they encounter a handsome and very well-groomed elderly man. This is the elder brother of Nikolai Kirsanov, Pavel Petrovich. His impeccable appearance stands out strongly against the background of the untidy-looking Bazarov. An acquaintance took place, after which the young people went to clean themselves up before dinner. Pavel Petrovich, in their absence, begins to ask his brother about Bazarov, whose appearance he did not like.
During the meal, the conversation did not stick. Everyone spoke little, especially Eugene. After eating, everyone immediately went to their rooms. Bazarov told Arkady his impressions of the meeting with his relatives. They quickly fell asleep. The Kirsanov brothers did not sleep for a long time: Nikolai Petrovich kept thinking about his son, Pavel Petrovich looked thoughtfully at the fire, and Fenechka looked at her little sleeping son, whose father was Nikolai Kirsanov. The summary of the novel "Fathers and Sons" does not convey all the feelings that the characters experience.
Chapter 5
Waking up before everyone else, Eugene goes for a walk to explore the surroundings. The boys follow him and everyone goes to the swamp to catch frogs.
The Kirsanovs are going to drink tea on the veranda. Arkady goes to the affected sick Fenichka, learns about the existence of a little brother. He rejoices and blames his father for hiding the fact of the birth of another son. Nikolai Kirsanov is touched and doesn't know what to say.
The older Kirsanovs are interested in the absence of Bazarov and Arkady talks about him, says that he is a nihilist, a person who does not take principles for granted. Bazarov returned with the frogs, which he carried to the experiment room.
Chapter 6
During a joint morning tea, a serious dispute flares up in the company between Pavel Petrovich and Evgeny. Both do not try to hide their dislike for each other. Nikolai Kirsanov is trying to turn the conversation in a different direction and asks Bazarov to help him with the choice of fertilizers. He agrees.
In order to somehow change Yevgeny's mockery of Pavel Petrovich, Arkady decides to tell his friend his story.
Chapter 7
Pavel Petrovich was a military man. Women adored him, and men envied him. At 28, his career was just beginning and he could go far. But Kirsanov fell in love with one princess. She had no children, but had an old husband. She led the life of a windy coquette, but Pavel fell deeply in love and could not live without her. After parting, he suffered greatly, left the service and traveled all over the world for her for 4 years.
Returning to his homeland, he tried to lead the same way of life as before, but, having learned about the death of his beloved, he left for the village to his brother, who at that time became a widower.
Chapter 8
Pavel Petrovich does not know what to do with himself: he is present during the conversation between the manager and Nikolai Kirsanov, he goes to Fenechka to look at little Mitya.
The story of the acquaintance of Nikolai Kirsanov and Fenechka: three years ago he met her in a tavern, where things were going badly for her and her mother. Kirsanov took them to the estate, fell in love with a girl, and after the death of her mother began to live with her.
Chapter 9
Bazarov meets Fenechka and the child, says that he is a doctor, and if the need arises, they can contact him without hesitation. Hearing Nikolai Kirsanov playing the cello, Bazarov laughs, which disapproves of Arkady.
Chapter 10
In two weeks, everyone got used to Bazarov, but they treated him differently: the courtyards loved him, Pavel Kirsanov hated him, and Nikolai Petrovich doubted his influence on his son. Once, he overheard a conversation between Arkady and Eugene. Bazarov called him a retired man, which offended him very much. Nikolai complained to his brother, who decided to rebuff the young nihilist.
An unpleasant conversation took place during an evening tea party. Calling one landowner "rubbish aristocrat", Bazarov aroused the displeasure of the elder Kirsanov, who began to assert that by following the principles, a person benefits society. Eugene in response accused him of also living meaninglessly, like other aristocrats. Pavel Petrovich objected that the nihilists, by their denial, were only aggravating the situation in Russia.
A serious dispute broke out, which Bazarov called senseless, and the young people left. Nikolai Petrovich suddenly remembered how a long time ago, being just as young, he had quarreled with his mother, who did not understand him. Now the same misunderstanding arose between him and his son. The parallel of fathers and children is the main thing that the author pays attention to.
Chapter 11
Before going to bed, all the inhabitants of the estate were occupied with their thoughts. Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov goes to his favorite gazebo, where he remembers his wife and reflects on life. Pavel Petrovich looks into the night sky and thinks about his own. Bazarov invites Arkady to go to the city and visit an old friend.
Chapter 12
Friends left for the city, where they spent time in the company of a friend of the Bazarov family, Matvey Ilyin, visited the governor and received an invitation to the ball. An old acquaintance of Bazarov, Sitnikov, invited them to visit Evdokia Kukshina.
Chapter 13
They did not like visiting Kukshina, as the hostess looked untidy, carried on meaningless conversations, asked a bunch of questions, but did not expect answers to them. In conversation, she constantly jumped from subject to subject. During this visit, the name of Anna Sergeevna Odintsova was mentioned for the first time.
Chapter 14
Arriving at the ball, friends get acquainted with Odintsova, a sweet and attractive woman. She shows attention to Arkady, asking him about everything. He talks about his friend and Anna Sergeevna invites them to visit.
Odintsova interested Evgeny with her dissimilarity to other women, and he agreed to visit her.
Chapter 15
Friends come to visit Odintsova. The meeting made an impression on Bazarov and he suddenly became embarrassed.
The story of Odintsova impresses the reader. The girl's father lost and died in the village, leaving his two daughters a ruined estate. Anna did not lose her head and took up the household. I met my future husband and lived with him for 6 years. Then he died, leaving his young wife his fortune. She did not like urban society and most often lived on the estate.
Bazarov did not behave the way he always did, which surprised his friend very much. He talked a lot, talked about medicine, botany. Anna Sergeevna willingly supported the conversation, as she understood the sciences. She treated Arkady like a younger brother. At the end of the conversation, she invited the young people to her estate.
Chapter 16
In Nikolskoye, Arkady and Bazarov met other inhabitants. Anna's sister Katya was shy and played the piano. Anna Sergeevna talked a lot with Yevgeny, walked with him in the garden. Arkady, who liked her, seeing her passion for a friend, was a little jealous. A feeling arose between Bazarov and Odintsova.
Chapter 17
While living on the estate, Bazarov began to change. He fell in love, despite the fact that he considered this feeling a romantic bilebird. He could not turn away from her and imagined her in his arms. The feeling was mutual, but they did not want to open up to each other.
Bazarov meets his father's manager, who says that his parents are waiting for him, they are worried. Eugene announces the departure. In the evening, a conversation takes place between Bazar and Anna Sergeevna, where they try to understand what each of them wants to get from life.
Chapter 18
Bazarov confesses his love to Odintsova. In response, he hears: “You did not understand me,” and feels extremely embarrassed. Anna Sergeevna believes that without Yevgeny she will be calmer and does not accept his confession. Bazarov decides to leave.
Chapter 19
There was a not entirely pleasant conversation between Odintsova and Bazarov. He told her that he was leaving, he could stay only on one condition, but it was unrealizable and Anna Sergeevna would never love him.
The next day, Arkady and Bazarov leave for Evgeny's parents. Saying goodbye, Odintsova expresses hope for a meeting. Arkady notices that his friend has changed a lot.
Chapter 20
They were received well in the house of the elder Bazarovs. The parents were very happy, but knowing that their son did not approve of such a manifestation of feelings, they tried to be more restrained. During dinner, the father told how he runs the household, and the mother only looked at her son.
After dinner, Eugene refused to talk to his father, citing fatigue. However, he did not fall asleep until morning. In the novel "Fathers and Sons" the description of the relationship between generations is shown better than in other works.
Chapter 21
Bazarov spent very little time at his parents' house, as he was bored. He believed that their attention they interfere with his work. There was a dispute between friends, which almost turned into a quarrel. Arkady tried to prove that it was impossible to live like this, Bazarov did not agree with his opinion.
Parents, having learned about Yevgeny's decision to leave, were very upset, but tried not to show their feelings, especially his father. He reassured his son that if he had to leave, then he had to do it. After leaving, the parents were left alone and were very worried that their son had abandoned them.
Chapter 22
On the way, Arkady decided to turn into Nikolskoye. Friends were greeted very coldly. Anna Sergeevna did not go down for a long time, and when she appeared, she had a displeased expression on her face and from her speech it was clear that they were not welcome.
In the estate of the Kirsans, the elders were delighted with them. Bazarov began to engage in wholesales and his own frogs. Arkady helped his father in managing the estate, but he constantly thought about the Odintsovs. Finally, having found correspondence between his mothers, his own and Odintsova, he finds an excuse to go to visit them. Arkady is afraid that he will not be welcome, but he alone was greeted warmly and cordially.
Chapter 23
Bazarov understands the reason for Arkady's departure and devotes himself completely to work. He retires and no longer argues with the inhabitants of the house. He treats everyone badly, making an exception only for Fenechka.
Once in the gazebo they talked a lot, and, deciding to check their thoughts, Bazarov kissed her on the lips. This was seen by Pavel Petrovich, who silently went into the house. Bazarov felt uncomfortable, his conscience woke up.
Chapter 24
Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is offended by Bazarov's behavior and challenges him to a duel. They do not want to admit to their family the true reasons and say that they shot themselves because of political differences. Yevgeny wounds Kirsanov in the leg.
Having completely ruined his relationship with the Kirsanov seniors, Bazarov leaves for his parents, but on the way he turns into Nikolskoye.
Arkady is more and more interested in Anna Sergeevna's sister, Katya.
Chapter 25
Katya talks to Arkady and convinces him that without the influence of a friend, he is completely different, sweet and kind. They try to declare their love to each other, but Arkady gets scared and hurriedly leaves. In his room, he finds Bazarov who has arrived, who told him about what happened in Maryino in his absence. Having met with Odintsova, Bazarov admits his mistakes. They tell each other that they just want to be friends.
Chapter 26
Arkady confesses his love to Katya, asks for her hand and she agrees to become his wife. Bazarov says goodbye to his friend, viciously accusing him of being unsuited for decisive matters. Eugene leaves for his parents in the estate.
Chapter 27
Living in the parental home, Bazarov does not know what to do. Then he begins to help his father, treats the sick. Opening a peasant who died of typhus, he accidentally wounds himself and becomes infected with typhus. A fever begins, he asks to send for Odintsova. Anna Sergeevna arrives and sees a completely different person. Before dying, Eugene tells her about his real feelings, and then dies.
Chapter 28
Six months have passed. Two weddings took place on the same day, Arkady with Katya and Nikolai Petrovich with Fenya. Pavel Petrovich went abroad. Anna Sergeevna also got married, becoming a companion not out of love, but out of conviction.
Life went on and only two old people constantly spent time at the grave of their son, where two Christmas trees grew.
This brief retelling of "Fathers and Sons" will help you understand the main idea and essence of the work, for deeper knowledge we recommend that you read the full version.
Novel test
Do you remember the summary well? Take the quiz to test your knowledge:
Retelling rating
Average rating: 4.4. Total ratings received: 40739.
| Evgeny Bazarov | Anna Odintsova | Pavel Kirsanov | Nikolay Kirsanov | |
| Appearance | An oblong face, a wide forehead, huge greenish eyes, a nose that is flat on top and pointed below. Long blond hair, sandy sideburns, a self-confident smile on thin lips. naked red hands | Noble posture, slender figure, high growth, beautiful sloping shoulders. Bright eyes, shiny hair, a slightly noticeable smile. 28 years | Medium height, thoroughbred, 45 years old. Fashionable, youthful slim and graceful. Gray hair with a dark sheen cut short. The face is bilious of the correct form without wrinkles. Remarkably handsome, black eyes. | Plump, slightly hunched, just over 40 years old. Soft liquid gray hair, small sad black eyes |
| Origin | The son of a military doctor with peasant roots. Raznochinets | Aristocrat. The father is a swindler and a gambler. Mother - from a princely family | Nobleman, aristocrat, officer's son | |
| Upbringing | homemade, free | Brilliant upbringing received in St. Petersburg | Home, and then in the Corps of Pages | |
| Education | Student of St. Petersburg University, Faculty of Medicine | – | Military service | Petersburg University |
| Traits | Kind and sensitive, wishing to appear as an indifferent cynic. Sharp and unyielding in judgment. Hard worker, self-confident, energetic, courageous. Loves people, but in his own way, independent, not distinguished by politeness, sometimes behaves defiantly | Clever, proud, free in judgment, reasonable. Incapable of hobbies, indifferent, selfish, cold | Proud, self-confident, impeccably honest. Intellectual, insightful, noble, principled. The English admire him. Strong-willed character | Slim person. Esthete, romantic, dreamy and sentimental, naive. Idealist, too modest and complacent. Weak-willed, impractical, but kind, hospitable, loving his family |
| Socio-political views | Nihilist democrat (denies everything but science) | Democratic | liberal conservative | Liberal |
| Life goals | Nihilists did not accept "doing nothing", they strove for activity. The main goals of youth are to denounce and destroy, someone else had to build a new world in a cleared place. | He wants to fall in love with Bazarov, but he cannot. She appreciates the state of comfort very much, she is afraid of losing inner harmony, so the heroine is not ready to surrender to feelings. The human essence is such that it simply cannot exist without love. In the absence of love, a life goal disappears, a person gets tired early and grows old from grief. | Aristocrats are the main force influencing the development of society. "English liberty" or constitutional monarchy is the ideal of the aristocracy. Progress, Glasnost and Reforms – Ways to Achieve the Ideal | The hero is trying to establish new relationships with the serfs, looking for spiritual support in art, and happiness in love. |
| Relationships with others | He speaks to the peasants as equals. Constantly arguing with aristocrats | The heroine is free from all prejudices, has her own opinion, does not seek to prove anything to anyone. Lives by the rules that she likes, while rejecting and indifferently accepting the vulgarity of life | A typical proud aristocrat who looks down on others. It does not accept the latest technologies, achievements of science and medicine. Although the hero shows admiration for Russian peasants, he does not know how to talk to them, he only frowns and sniffs cologne. He is cruel to Bazarov, because he cannot boast of noble origin | Friendly and gentle with all people, regardless of their origin |
Other works on this topic:
- Fenechka Fenechka is one of the main female characters in I. S. Turgenev's novel “Fathers and Sons”. She is an ordinary peasant girl, orphaned early. Mother...
- FATHERS AND CHILDREN (Roman, 1862) Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov - Arkady Kirsanov's uncle, Evgeny Bazarov's antagonist, aristocrat, Angloman, moderate liberal" Endowed with a spectacular biographical background: a brilliant career ...
- The most remarkable works of Russian literature of the 19th century are distinguished by the formulation of the most important social, philosophical, and ethical questions of their time. The richness of the problematics is one of the main qualities characteristic of ...
- Name of the hero How he got “to the bottom” Features of speech, characteristic remarks What Bubnov dreams of In the past, he owned a dyeing workshop. Circumstances forced him to leave to...
- Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is the brother of Nikolai Petrovich, the uncle of Arkady Kirsanov, a liberal aristocrat who, like his brother, is a representative of centuries-old noble culture. For my 40s...
- From the very first pages of the novel “Fathers and Sons”, we are convinced that I. S. Turgenev is a true portrait painter: he is laconic, but aptly captures the very essence of the character,...
- Hero Brief description Pavel Afanasyevich Famusov The surname “Famusov” comes from the Latin word “fama”, which means “rumour”: by this Griboedov wanted to emphasize that Famusov is afraid of rumor, public ...
- Petr Grinev Maria Mironova Aleksey Shvabrin Savelich Emelyan Pugachev Captain Mironov Vasilisa Egorovna Appearance Young, stately, collective image of a Russian person Pretty, Ruddy, chubby, with light blond ...
- As was customary in classicism, the heroes of the comedy "Undergrowth" are clearly divided into negative and positive. However, the most memorable, vivid are still negative characters, despite ...
Heroes of the second plan. satirical images."When a man like Bazarov died<…>, the verdict was pronounced on a whole trend of ideas,<…>is it worth following the fate of people like Arkady, Nikolai Petrovich, Sitnikov? .. ” Pisarev asks in his article. The answer is obvious to him. But we will try to take a closer look at the named heroes, maybe they will prompt something that will help to understand Bazarov.
Nikolai Petrovich is the first person we meet on the pages of the novel. The author presents him as a "gray-haired, plump and slightly hunched" man. Next to him appears as a kind of double "fat dove". With a superficial understanding, it is easy to accept the "Bazarov look" on Nikolai Petrovich: "a retired man, his song is sung." And following Bazarov, ironically treat his attempts to learn to play the cello - "at forty-four years old."
Let's give the word to the hero himself. In a conversation with his brother, Nikolai Petrovich bitterly complains: “It seems that I am doing everything in order to keep up with the century:<…>I read, study, in general I try to become in line with the time requirements. The author confirms the veracity of the words of Nikolai Petrovich. Next to his son, he spent three winters in the capital, listening to the "ebullient speeches" of the youth and even tried to participate in discussions. Little of. The great ideas of the century, discussed in student audiences, the provincial landowner boldly introduces into practice. From a further speech, we learn how Nikolai Petrovich "arranged the peasants, started a farm, so that even I am called red in the whole province ...". Recall that according to the novel calendar, the year is 1859, but officially “emancipation” began in 1861! The modest landowner is ahead of the reforms on a national scale by nearly two years!
Moreover, the reforms are carried out quite disinterestedly. No wonder the author devotes so much space to the description of the new estate of Kirsanov, under which "four tithes of a flat and bare field" is allotted, moreover, it is barren. Where water does not hold in ponds, where the park necessary for the estate does not grow well. Needless to say, the owner of the estate could, during the delimitation, repeat the best land for himself (which happened all the time during the nationwide "emancipation"). With many outwardly fleeting features, the author seeks to emphasize Nikolai Petrovich's unprecedented democratism for his time. The landowner is ashamed to call himself the owner of two hundred serf souls. Senior Kirsanov recognizes himself as having power only over acres of land, and the estate, not without pride, calls it a "farm." He calls his servant “Peter”, and not “Petrushka”, as most landowners would do in his place. In the scene of the arrival, Peter “as the newest servant” bowed to the gentlemen from a distance, and did not crouch to the pen. Further, when the Kirsanovs' crew rolled up to the porch, "the crowd of courtyards did not pour out onto the porch to meet the gentlemen." Nikolai Petrovich, obviously, does not tolerate a picture of false subservience. The writer does not want to hide the other side of what is happening. Perestroika in Maryino, like any undertaking, is not without difficulties. It’s hard for the gentleman, unusual for the peasant: “The economy, recently put into a new way, creaked like an unoiled wheel ...”, “everything ran<…>, climbed to the master, often with beaten mugs, in a drunken state and demanded trial and reprisals. These mistakes, this disorganization of the business that has just begun, become the subject of Bazarov’s malevolent pleasure: “... And the good peasants will fool your father ...” He wants the landowner to “experience in practice” and be convinced of the need for a general breakdown, and not gradual changes. In addition, mild Nikolai Petrovich lacks not only "principles" - not even "principles". But there is humanity and patience. In his next novel “Smoke”, speaking of reforms, Turgenev will say: “Patience was required above all, and patience is not passive, but active, persistent, not without skill, not without cunning at times ...” Modest Nikolai Petrovich, who uses wise wisdom, is endowed with such patience. saying: "If it grinds - there will be flour."
Among such household chores, the hero finds time to study music. He finds moments for communication with the classics, and his lyrical passages are by no means mediocre: “... He played with feeling, although with an inexperienced hand, Schubert’s “Expectation”, and a sweet melody poured through the air like honey.” Through the eyes of Nikolai Petrovich, we see a poetic picture of a summer sunset, which in itself is capable of refuting any attempts to proclaim nature only a “workshop”, and not a “temple”. Why doesn’t he protest when his son with a “condoling smile” hands over “Matter and Force” instead of his beloved Pushkin? Why does not oppose Bazarov? We can say that Nikolai Petrovich is humanly wise. The wisdom that Pyotr Ivanovich Aduev (“Ordinary History”) comprehends only at the end of his life path. He understands that it is impossible to make people fall in love with music, nature, art. It is impossible to logically explain the beauty of the surrounding world.
The hero has a softening, reconciling effect on his brother and Bazarov, but at the same time he is not afraid to tell his brother the bitter truth for him: "Bazarov is smart and knowledgeable." Nikolai Petrovich is characterized by conscientiousness and delicacy to the highest degree. For a long time he refuses his cherished desire - marriage with Fenechka, fearing to insult the memory of his mother in the eyes of his son and to embarrass the same Pavel Petrovich. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." These biblical words involuntarily come to mind when reading the final pages. Kirsanov's "nest has not gone out of line": Mitya is growing up, Kolya was born. Between generations in the Kirsanov estate there is no confrontation, but cooperation. When “father and son” got busy together, “their affairs begin to get better.” “Arkady has become a zealous owner, and the “farm” is already generating significant income.” So, according to the writer, it should be. In this cooperation of generations, wisdom and experience on the one hand, young energy on the other, lies, according to Turgenev, the key to the success of all reforms.
His very name speaks of Arcadia (happy). Arkady really has the talent to be happy in the present. Like his father, he is naturally delicate. This delicacy of his brought many pleasant minutes to the old Bazarovs, for whom he partly replaced his cold and impregnable son with his stories. From the lips of Arkady we learn a lot about Bazarov; no less important is his role in the compositional cohesion of the work: he brings Bazarov to his parents' estate, he awakens the curiosity of Odintsova with his stories about a friend, thanks to him Bazarov and Anna Sergeevna meet again (second and third dates). With outward softness, invisibility, his role as a kind of squire with a friend is very important for understanding the main character.
At the beginning of the novel, he is completely dominated by his older friend. Pavel Petrovich, talking about “what inexperienced hearts submit to,” indignantly points Bazarov to his nephew: “Look, one of them is sitting next to you, because he almost prays for you, admire it.” His admiration is sincere and naive, sometimes ridiculously. He "lazily" agreed to Bazarov's proposal to go to the city. “In his heart he was very happy with the proposal of his friend,” Turgenev comments, “but he considered it an obligation to hide his feeling. No wonder he was a nihilist!” The naivety of Arkady brighter sets off the seriousness of feelings and the true severity of Bazarov. But there is a trait in Bazarov that instinctively repels his "student". Although he agreed, on his advice, to take away the "unnecessary" book from his father, but when Bazarov began to "laugh" at Nikolai Petrovich, "Arkady, no matter how much he revered his teacher, did not even smile this time." 10th grade student in essay "Evgeny Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov are the sons of their fathers" perceptively notes that “Arkady's cold attitude towards Nikolai Petrovich is only ostentatious. This attitude appears under the "nihilistic" influence of Bazarov. But Arkady is trying, as it were, to justify himself to his father, and his "nihilistic" attitude is manifested insincerely. He also tries to soften Bazarov’s categorical assessments of his uncle by telling the story of Princess R. Subsequently, it comes to Bazarov’s clashes with his “student”:
- What did you call Pavel Petrovich?
“I called him properly—an idiot.”
"However, this is unbearable!" exclaimed Arkady.
Bazarov is inclined to explain the behavior of Arkady with the remnants of an outdated, in his eyes, "kindred feeling." Arkady rightly objected: "a simple sense of justice" speaks in him. The "sense of justice" is shaken in Arcadia and Bazarov's relationship with his own parents. He heartily praises both Vasily Ivanovich and Arina Vlasyevna; finally, he asks a direct question: does Bazarov love his parents? "They love you so much." In the soul of the soft-hearted Arkady, a kind of moral landmark is hidden, unmistakably showing when Bazarov's severity turns into cruelty. Arkady is a student, a devoted admirer. But not a slave. He gently but finally frees himself from the power of his friend, sensing in their relationship a hint of despotism, rudeness. We even know exactly when it happens - all in the same scene under the haystack. “Oh my friend, Arkady Nikolaevich! .. I ask you about one thing: do not speak beautifully,” an irritated Bazarov turns to Arkady. “I speak as best I can ... And finally, this is despotism. A thought came to me; why not say it?" - Arkady is rightly indignant at Bazarov's habit of subordinating the actions of people. Again Turgenev repeats the idea that each person is interesting and valuable in his own way.
Upon learning of the engagement of Arkady and Katya, Bazarov ironically congratulates him. And then he breaks up with a man with whom he is now not on the road. “You were not created for our bitter, tart, bean-like life,” Bazarov rightly remarks. “Our dust will eat your eyes out, our dirt will stain you, and you haven’t grown up to us...” The attentive reader will notice that with this monologue of the bazaars “executes” not only a friend, but all the “liberal nobles”. The hero admits that he "has other words"; he obviously would like to part with his old friend more warmly - “only I won’t express them, because this is romanticism, it means: to crumble.” Arkady's decision has its own strength and weakness. Yes, he chose a different path in life, easier than his friend. But this is his way. No one, no one's power will force Arcady to submit.
The same can be said about Katya, "a girl of about eighteen, black-haired and swarthy, with a somewhat round but pleasant face, with small dark eyes." Katya has the qualities that we are used to seeing, which give the charm of the Turgenev girl. On her first appearance, she was "holding a basket filled with flowers", befriending a "beautiful greyhound dog with a blue collar". The girl is kind to her aunt: “Katya put a bench under her feet,” although the evil old woman “did not even look at her.” Katya loves Mozart's music: "She played very well<…>, tightly clenching her teeth .., and only towards the end of the sonata her face flared up and a small strand of developed hair fell on a dark eyebrow. Like Arkady, she was influenced by a strong nature and even a little "intimidated" by her sister; she becomes timid and afraid when Anna Sergeevna "caresses" her. There is no secularism in Katya, she is “not a coquette”, she does not dream of new shoes. “Just without being ashamed or showing off,” she tells Arkady, who is financially dependent on her sister. The girl is not weak-willed at all. It has both character and pride. “Some young lady is only known to be smart because she sighs smartly; and yours will stand up for itself ... ”Bazarov notes. She will not agree, like her sister, to sell herself in marriage to a rich man, "because the song is about the uneven one."
Katya can be called a Turgenev girl with some reservations. There is no desire for self-sacrifice in her, no dream to leave "for a difficult feat", as in Natalya or Asya. Calmly and somewhat businesslike, she prepares herself for the main work of life: marriage and raising children. Arkady, as predicted by Bazarov, will soon fall under her influence; but this influence is beneficial to him. He leaves the habit of "sybaritic" and "zealously gets down to business" - the business to which his soul lies. No less than leaders, the world needs simple workers, modest figures. People cannot be manipulated.
| Fathers and Sons | |
| Fathers and Children | |
Title page of the second edition (Leipzig, Germany, 1880) |
|
| Genre: | |
|---|---|
| Original language: | |
| Year of writing: | |
| Publication: | |
| in Wikisource | |
The novel became a landmark for its time, and the image of the protagonist Yevgeny Bazarov was perceived by young people as an example to follow. Such ideals as uncompromisingness, lack of reverence for authorities and old truths, the priority of the useful over the beautiful, were perceived by the people of that time and were reflected in Bazarov's worldview.
Plot
Actions in the novel take place in the summer of 1859, that is, on the eve of the peasant reform of 1861.
Meaning of the ending:
Turgenev showed the greatness of Bazarov during his illness, in the face of death. In the speech of the dying, pain from the consciousness of the near inevitable end. Each remark addressed to Odintsova is a bunch of spiritual suffering: “Look, what an ugly sight: a worm half-crushed, but still bristling. And after all, I also thought: I’ll break off a lot of things, I won’t die, where! There is a task, because I am a giant!.. Russia needs me... No, apparently, it is not needed. And who is needed? Knowing that he will die, he comforts his parents, shows sensitivity to his mother, hiding the danger that threatens him from her, makes a dying request to Odintsova to take care of the old people: “After all, people like them cannot be found in your big world during the day with fire. ..” The courage and steadfastness of his materialistic and atheistic views manifested itself in his refusal to confess, when, yielding to the entreaties of his parents, he agreed to take communion, but only in an unconscious state, when a person is not responsible for his actions. Pisarev noted that in the face of death, "Bazarov becomes better, more humane, which is proof of the integrity, completeness and natural wealth of nature." Having not had time to realize himself in life, Bazarov only in the face of death gets rid of his intolerance and for the first time truly feels that real life is much wider and more diverse than his ideas about it. This is the main point of the ending. Turgenev himself wrote about this:
“I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, vicious, honest - still doomed to death - because it still stands on the eve of the future.”
main characters
Other heroes
- Dunyasha- servant at Fenechka.
- Victor Sitnikov- an acquaintance of Bazarov and Arkady, an adherent of nihilism.
- Kukshina- An acquaintance of Sitnikov, who, like him, is a pseudo-adherent of nihilism.
- Peter- Servant of the Kirsanovs.
- Princess R. (Nellie)- beloved P.P. Kirsanov
- Matvey Ilyich Kolyazin- official in the City ***
Film adaptations of the novel
- - Fathers and Sons (dir. Adolf Bergunker, Natalya Rashevskaya)
- - Fathers and Sons (dir. Alina Kazmina, Evgeny Simonov)
- - Fathers and Sons (dir. Vyacheslav Nikiforov)
Notes
Links
| Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev | |
|---|---|
| Novels | |
| Tales and stories |
|
| Dramaturgy |
Lack of money Where it is thin, there it breaks Freeloader Breakfast at the leader Bachelor A month in the village |
| Other |
Poems in prose Literary and everyday memories |
| Characters | |
| Related articles |
|
| Nihilism | ||
|---|---|---|
| Directions | Mereological nihilism Metaphysical nihilism ( English) Epistemological nihilism Moral nihilism ( | |