The problems of the novel by I. S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons"
"Fathers and Sons" can be safely called a new novel, since for the first time a new type of hero appears in it, a new person - a common democrat Yevgeny Bazarov.
In the title of the novel, the author sought to reflect not just the relationship of two generations, but the confrontation between two social camps. Showing the clash of two different social forces, Turgenev brought a new hero to the historical arena, a new force that marked the onset of a new era. In the face of social change, noble culture had to be tested.
All the acute social problems of Russian life in the 50s of the XIX century were reflected in the disputes between Bazarov and the Kirsanovs. Turgenev believed that "a poet must be a psychologist, but secret." He must know and feel the roots of a phenomenon, but imagine only the phenomena themselves in their flourishing or fading. “To accurately and strongly reproduce the truth, the reality of life, is the highest happiness for a writer, even if this truth does not coincide with his own sympathies,” Turgenev wrote in his article “On Fathers and Children,” setting this reproduction as his task. Therefore, he sought to comprehensively show his heroes and their belief systems, without leaning towards any of the points of view.
And this principle he observes throughout the novel. Turgenev shows the clash between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, who rigidly oppose each other and do not agree on anything. Pavel Petrovich does not accept anything that is in Bazarov, and vice versa. When Arkady tries to explain to his father and uncle who the nihilists are, he says that nihilists are those who do not take a single principle on faith, doubt everything, deny love. His uncle replies to this that “there were Hegelists before, and now there are nihilists,” but in essence everything is the same. This moment is very revealing, it says that Pavel Petrovich does not want to come to terms with the fact that time and views are changing.
Turgenev is a master of detail. Through such a stroke as a knife with butter, Turgenev shows Pavel Petrovich's dislike for Bazarov. The episode with the frogs has exactly the same role.
Bazarov, with his characteristic youthful maximalism, denies everything: he understands a person like a frog. Bazarov believes that “first you need to clear the place”, and then build something, he believes only in science. Paul
Petrovich is indignant, and Nikolai Petrovich is ready to think, perhaps, indeed, he and his brother are backward people.
In Chapter X, Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich approach the most important thing - the question of who has the right to speak on behalf of the people, who knows the people better. The most interesting thing is that each of them thinks that the opponent has no idea about how things really are. “I do not want to believe that you, gentlemen, know the Russian people exactly, that you are representatives of their needs, their aspirations! No, the Russian people are not what you imagine,” says Pavel Petrovich, who insisted that the Russian people are “patriarchal” and “cannot live without faith.” Bazarov, in turn, believed that “the freedom that the government is fussing about will hardly work for us, because our peasant is happy to rob himself just to get dope in a tavern.” Thus, it turns out that one embellishes, and the other denigrates, and in this contrast Turgenev seeks to show the farce and absurdity of the situation.
Bazarov is too pessimistic about the current state of the people: he talks about superstitions, about underdevelopment, about the lack of enlightenment of the people. He grandiloquently declares: "My grandfather plowed the land," thus trying to show closeness to the people, to prove to Pavel Petrovich that he better understands the peasants and their needs. But in fact, this phrase is an exaggeration, since Bazarov's father was poor, but still a landowner, and "was formerly a regimental doctor." Turgenev writes that, despite the fact that Bazarov was a commoner and considered himself close to the people, he "did not even suspect that in their eyes he was still something like a pea jester."
The attitude towards the people of Pavel Petrovich is also described in the novel rather ironically. He idealized the people, believed that he loved and knew them, but at the same time, speaking with a peasant, he "wrinkles his face and sniffs cologne." At the end of the novel, Turgenev writes that Pavel Petrovich went to live in Germany, “he doesn’t read anything Russian, but he has a silver ashtray in the form of a peasant’s bast shoes on his desk.”
The history of the relationship of these irreconcilable debaters ends with a duel. This happens after Pavel Petrovich sees that Bazarov is kissing Fenechka in the arbor.
Turgenev very carefully approached the description of the duel scene, which is presented in the novel as if on behalf of the author, but it is clear from everything that this episode is shown through the eyes of Bazarov. Before the duel, a verbal duel takes place, where there is one ambiguous symbolic detail: in response to the French phrase of Pavel Petrovich, Bazarov inserts an expression in Latin into his speech. Thus, Turgenev emphasizes that his heroes really speak different languages. Latin is the language of science, reason, logic, progress, but it is a dead language. French, in turn, is the language of the Russian aristocracy of the 18th-19th centuries, it implies a huge cultural layer. Two cultures stand on the historical arena, but together they have no place on it - and a duel takes place between them.
All the pathos of the author's position regretfully states that the best people of Russia do not understand, do not hear each other. Their trouble is that no one wants to make concessions. Turgenev mourns that they speak different languages, cannot agree and understand each other.
The secret psychologism of the novel lies in the fact that the narration is conducted on behalf of the author, but it still seems that the author's position is close to that of Bazarov. Due to the fact that the description of the duel is given as if on behalf of Bazarov, it has a mundane character. Bazarov is not close to this noble tradition, he is a man of a different culture, a physician, and for him this is doubly unnatural.
The duel produces a certain coup in Pavel Petrovich. He now looks differently at the civil marriage of Nikolai Petrovich and Fenechka - he blesses his brother for marriage with her.
Turgenev masterfully combines the comic and the serious. This is especially well manifested in the description of the duel, or rather the commandant Peter, who turned green, then turned pale, and after the shot he hid somewhere. The wounded Pavel Petrovich, seeing Peter appear, says: “What a stupid physiognomy!”, Which is also, of course, an element of the comic.
In Chapter XXIV, Turgenev allows himself a direct authorial word: “Yes, he was a dead man,” in relation to Pavel Petrovich. This should be understood as a statement that a “change” has already taken place: it is clear that the era of Pavel Petrovich is ending. But the author resorted to a direct expression of his own views only once, and usually Turgenev used hidden or indirect ways to show his attitude, which, undoubtedly, is one of the types of Turgenev's psychologism.
Working on the novel "Fathers and Sons", Turgenev strives to be objective, therefore he is ambiguous in relation to his heroes. On the one hand, Turgenev shows the inconsistency of the nobility, and on the other hand, he says about Bazarov that he cannot accurately answer the question of why he killed him. “I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, vicious, honest - and yet doomed to death, because she still stands on the eve of the future.” - Turgenev wrote in a letter to K. K. Sluchevsky.
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The main conflict of the novel
The conflict between fathers and children has been going on since the beginning of time to this day. It is especially acutely felt during periods of change in public life, when the generation of the past acts as a conservative, and the youth stands up for novelty. This situation is typical for Russia in the 1960s. 19th century, she found her reflection in the novel by I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons". The clash of the old and the young generation overcomes the family conflict and affects the socio-political structure of the country - the Social Democrats stand up to fight the liberal aristocrats.
Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich
The young nihilist Yevgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov confronts the nobleman, aristocrat Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. The difference between generations is already expressed in the appearance of the characters.
Bazarov is a man of great willpower, a man of his word, a little removed from people. Turgenev pays special attention to the living mind of the hero. And Kirsanov is described only externally: he wears white underwear, starched collars, patent leather boots. Being a well-known socialite in the past, Pavel Petrovich retained his habits in his brother's village estate - the impeccability and elegance of the image.
Kirsanov does nothing, has no duties and aspirations, lives for his own pleasure. Bazarov is active, everything he does is useful for society, for science, for the people.
The life positions of the characters are extremely opposite. They argue constantly and argue about everything in the world: about how Russia should develop further, about the real and the irrational, about the usefulness of science and art, about the patriarchal nature of the people. Bazarov claims that everything old should be destroyed, and Pavel Petrovich is sure that all this should be preserved for future generations. Kirsanov is also outraged by the fact that Bazarov and his followers do not have a specific plan for transforming the world order. They call only to destroy, but they are not going to create. In response to a reproach for this, Bazarov says that first you need to "clear the place."
Bazarov and his parents
In Bazarov's relationship with his parents, a generational conflict is also clearly visible. Bazarov loves his father and mother, but at the same time feels contempt for their stupid aimless life. Despite the misunderstanding of each other, parents love Eugene. Love does not cease to exist even after the death of the hero. In the end, it turns out that only Bazarov was truly dear to his parents.
Arkady and family
In the Kirsanov family, the opposition of generations is not so obvious. Arkady Kirsanov is gradually turning into a copy of his father. In life, he appreciates the same things that he does: home, family life, peace. For him, this is much more important than the struggle for the global welfare of the world. Arkady just imitated Bazarov, and this caused a little strife in the family. And when Bazarov leaves Arkady's field of vision, and conflicts come to naught.
The theme of "fathers" and "children" in Russian literature
The relationship between fathers and children is one of the most important and significant in Russian literature. This problem is reflected in the comedy by A.S. Griboyedov "Woe from Wit", in the drama "Thunderstorm" by A.N. Ostrovsky, in the works of A.S. Pushkin and more. etc. The authors, as creative people, are on the side of the younger generation. However, Turgenev does not take a definite position, and gives the reader the opportunity to choose the right ideology for himself. I think it was important for Turgenev to show that only in peace and harmony can society develop properly in the future.
Composition on the topic: The problem of fathers and children in Turgenev's novel
The eternal problem of fathers and children will forever remain eternal. We rarely find common language with our parents, our parents did not find a common language with their parents, as well as those, in turn, with theirs. The problem is indeed eternal. With his work, Turgenev decided to show this problem for what it really is. The problems of fathers and children were most clearly expressed in the sixties. This is a turning point in which everyone lives in their own era. The youth and the older generation do not understand each other and are taught how to live correctly, but not everyone can withstand these moralizing, because you want to live as you like, and not someone else. In the novel "Fathers and Sons" this turning point is shown. Turgenev did not dwell on the problem of family relations. He wrote about both family and social problems.
Turgenev makes his heroes absolutely different. Outwardly and spiritually. Everyone has their own views and lusts. We can find some similarities between the characters, but many will answer that there are many more differences. So it is in real life. Turgenev looks into the soul of every reader. Each person has their own character and state of mind. Some are calmer, and some are fierce. Someone treats himself with disdain, while someone, on the contrary, does everything to stay forever young. Everyone's life is different in the same way as the fate of the characters in the novel.
The novel "Fathers and Sons" deals with the relationship of Bazarov, who, as he claims, is a nihilist, with the nobleman Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, as well as relationships within the Kirsanov family and in the Bazarov family. As mentioned earlier, all the characters are completely different. The appearance of each conveys their inner world. Only the protagonist of the novel, Yevgeny Bazarov, can be attributed to a separate group of people. He looks like a gloomy, calm and very intelligent person, but a huge force rages inside him, he cannot be robbed of energy. At the same time, he is cut off from the whole world and does not know what to do and what his destiny is. The writer draws attention to the mind of the hero. He makes Bazarov unusually smart and internally rich. The description of Pavel Petrovich is completely different from the description of Bazarov. The emphasis of the writer for this hero falls on appearance. Pavel Petrovich is a handsome, noble man, in a white shirt and patent leather ankle boots. He is an elegant and neat man, a famous person in his past, about whom there were many rumors. A typical aristocrat who suffers from idleness and spends his time on holidays and important events. Unlike Pavel, Evgeny Bazarov benefits society every day. In Turgenev's novel, the problems of these two heroes are clearly shown. Let them not be related, but their case shows the reader the essence of the problems of different generations.
If we compare the views of Kirsanov and Bazarov on political, labor problems, we can see that they have completely different positions in life. Pavel Petrovich does not like the new and stands up for the already established. At this time, Bazarov introduces novelties and destroys what has existed for so long. To the question with Kirsanov's reproach "What are you destroying everything?", Bazarov simply answers "First you need to clear the place."
A common thing, conflict in families. Children are trying to teach their parents to live in a new way, but the elderly do not understand this and protect their children. Passions also raged in the Bazarov family. He loves his parents and admits it, but at the same time, he doesn't understand their "stupid life". Of course, first of all, Bazarov is separated from his parents by his convictions. He cannot imitate anyone. He has his own views and a different position in life. We can look at another hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons", Arkady, who imitates his friend, Bazarov, in everything. He does not live his own life, thinking that he is doing better for himself. He lives by the principles and convictions of a friend, despises the older generation and pretends to be a spiritually rich person.
In any case, Evgeny Bazarov's parents love him and do not pay attention to some of the problems that reign in their family. Even after the death of the main character, Bazarov, the parents pretend that nothing happened, and they were a close-knit family. They come to his grave every day and love their late son to the last.
The Kirsanov family also has its own problems. But can their problems be considered so serious? The views of Arkady and his father were very similar. They brewed in the same pot, they had the same position, but Arkady pretended to be an intelligent person, imitating his friend. Thus, he spoiled his relationship with his father. There were many disagreements in the Kirsanov family about the fact that Bazarov had a bad effect on Arkady. Later, Yevgeny Bazarov passes away and Arkady is torn about what to do. Now he has no one to imitate, and he did not build his plans. After some time, he finally finds his destiny, begins to live his life.
The novel "Fathers and Sons" is a common story about the relationship of generations for classical literature, but how did Turgenev present it? Great, I think. Emotions cover the entire body of the reader and it is impossible to tear yourself away from the work. There weren't many pieces that caught my eye, but this was the best of the best. It seems to me that these problems will not disappear, the problems of fathers and children are eternal. Turgenev for me is the genius of the word. He showed me the essence of the majority of society not only in this work. It is a pity that not everyone understood Turgenev at the time when the novel was being written. It is a pity that the writer was accused of slander. But for many, he remains a Genius with a capital letter until now!
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>Compositions on the work of Fathers and Sons
The problem of fathers and children
The problem of fathers and children can be called eternal, because its relevance never fades. The younger generation often comes into conflict with the older one because of the divergence of ideas and worldviews. This problem is especially well depicted in the novel by I. S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons", which was published in the second half of the 19th century. He became a symbol of the era, and the relationship between the nihilist Bazarov and the aristocrat Pavel Kirsanov became an undesirable model for many.
These two characters are by no means negative. However, their intransigence and intolerance of other people's opinions forced critics to take a fresh look at the two social classes. Pavel Petrovich, although a man of the old school, tried to adhere to progressive trends. He is always well-groomed, well-dressed and neatly dressed. Kirsanov Sr. respects the peasants, speaks well of them, but at the same time he frowns at the sight of them and "smells perfume", which already speaks of his controversial character.
His younger brother Nikolai Petrovich, on the contrary, is trying to smooth out all the conflicts that arise. He perfectly sees that their views differ from the younger generation, but he does everything possible to maintain friendly relations with his son Arkady. We also observe the problem of fathers and children in Bazarov's relationship with his own parents - people brought up on the old foundations, believing in the power of one god and loving their only son to unconsciousness.
Being a nihilist, Eugene denies the existence of God and does not accept any frank manifestations of love. Vasily Ivanovich and Arina Vlasyevna know about this and therefore try not to show their love. The author emphasizes that these people would have been born a century earlier, since their views on life are too outdated. However, he does not detract from their merits and breadth of soul. Eugene himself, being dying, admits that people like his parents cannot be found among today's people, they are so decent and complacent towards others.
Despite all the efforts of Nikolai Petrovich, a conflict still flares up between Bazarov and Kirsanov Sr. These two are involved in a secret duel, where Evgeny inadvertently wounds Pavel Petrovich, then he himself is the first to give him a helping hand. The problem of fathers and children has been and remains one of the most important in Russian classical literature. Many authors reflected it in their works, among them Griboyedov, Pushkin, Ostrovsky. However, Turgenev's work most fully reflected the collision of the "past century" with the "present century".
