The idea of the novel by I.S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons” arose from the writer in the pre-reform 1860. In a year, serfdom will be abolished in Russia. And in the work, the author conveys the atmosphere of the time of fracture and turmoil. We will talk about the problems of this work in this article.
Serfs are no longer so willing to carry out the orders of their landlords. There are a large number of young people with radical views and ideas. An ideological conflict is brewing between raznochintsev revolutionaries and liberals. In the novel, Bazarov represents a revolutionary raznochinets, and Pavel Petrovich represents the liberal nobility.
At this time, people of a new generation, nihilists, are already appearing in Russia, whose views are shared by Bazarov. The protagonist is well aware that the time for such people has not yet come and directly declares this: “... yes, make more children. They will be smart, that they will be born on time, not like you and me. Nihilism is the denial of everything that is recognized in society: love, family and other values.
Against the background of Bazarov's convictions, he has an ideological conflict with his friend's uncle Pavel Kirsanov. The first dispute between them takes place on the topic of science and art. In it, the protagonist drops a phrase that succinctly reveals the direction of his views: "A decent chemist is twenty times more useful than any poet." This dispute gave rise to the first wave of misunderstanding between Bazarov and Pavel Kirsanov.
After some time, their quarrel resumed with renewed vigor and reached its climax. This time, the subject of disagreement between Paul and Eugene was questions about the people, laws, and the social system. Bazarov sees the need to “clear up space”, which is a minimum program, but at the same time, his plans do not include a maximum program. On the question of the people, Bazarov is of the opinion that the people should be educated, while Pavel Petrovich, on the contrary, is inclined to adhere to the opposite point of view. When discussing the laws, Bazarov claims that they are not being implemented, while Pavel Petrovich is sure of the opposite.
Bazarov, with his nihilistic views, should be alien to the feeling of love, but suddenly he realizes his feelings for Odintsova. This confuses and annoys the main character, but nevertheless he decides to express his sympathies, to open up, but in response he receives a refusal, because for Anna Sergeevna "calmness ... is the best thing in the world."
At the end of the novel, we observe how, day after day, the disease depletes Bazarov's strength. At this time, he thinks about many things in his life. When Odintsova comes to visit him in the last minutes, he argues: “Russia needs me ... No, apparently it’s not needed.” Perhaps Evgeny understands that his beliefs are still being born in the minds of young people, the time for new, progressive events lies ahead. Society does not yet accept people like Bazarov and does not take their worldview seriously. But to some extent, it can be argued that nihilism prevented Bazarov from living a full life, which should be filled with real feelings and experiences.
Filippova Anastasia spoke about the problems of the novel "Fathers and Sons"
* This work is not a scientific work, is not a final qualifying work and is the result of processing, structuring and formatting the collected information, intended to be used as a source of material for self-preparation of educational work.
Moral problems in the works of Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century. (Based on one or more works of Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century).
The work caused a lot of articles, epigrams, cartoons. The main object of controversy was the image of the central character of the novel, Yevgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov. A.I. Herzen spoke most correctly about the essence of the controversy surrounding the novel and remarked: “The cool Bazarov carried away Turgenev, and instead of whipping his son, he flogged his fathers.” The novel shows the most urgent problem not only of the 60s of the 19th century, but of any time - this is the moral problem of the dissimilarity of generations. Being an aristocrat, a fan of beauty, an aesthete, a fan of the revolution, the great Russian writer depicted the uselessness, worthlessness, spiritual deadness of the nobles in his work. This is how he formulated the author's intention: “My whole story is directed against the nobility as an advanced class. Look into the faces of Nikolai Petrovich, Pavel Petrovich, Arkady. Weakness and lethargy or limitation. Aesthetic feeling forced me to take just good representatives of the nobility in order to prove my theme all the more correctly: if cream is bad, what about milk? He respected, oddly enough, the nihilist, the destroyer, the revolutionary, and the author himself repeatedly stated that, firstly, “Bazarov is my favorite brainchild”, and secondly, “if he is called a nihilist, then must be read as a revolutionary.
From the problem of dissimilarity of generations, other moral problems of the Turgenev era follow, which are popular even now, at the beginning of the 21st century. This is a thought about friendship and love and about their role in people's lives, thoughts about whether people like Bazarov are needed.
This means that it is precisely these moral problems that should interest us in the novel by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, since they are “eternal”, always relevant. A.V. Lunacharsky is right when he wrote: “Fathers and Sons” is still a living novel, and all the disputes that were around it find a certain response in our thoughts.” These words can be repeated at any time, since I.S. Turgenev has a remarkable feature - the ability to guess only a movement that is emerging in society.
The amazing laconicism of Turgenev's style is striking: a huge amount of material fits in a small work, although the writer does not give detailed pictures of Russian life, does not introduce a large number of characters - he selects the most characteristic, the most significant.
With the help of artistic details and "secret psychology", the writer managed to briefly but convincingly tell about people, about the life of Russia in one of the critical periods of its history.
Already from the first pages of the book, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev convinces us that "transformations are necessary", first of all, these are transformations in agriculture, since the author is worried about the fate of the people, the creators of all spiritual and material values, however, they are in extreme poverty. A bitter reflection arises in the author and the reader: “No, this land is not rich, it does not impress either with contentment or hard work. It is impossible, it is impossible for him to remain like this, transformations are necessary, but how to fulfill them? how to start? This question worries the heroes of the novel: Nikolai Kirsanov talks about "the forthcoming government measures, committees, deputies, the need to start cars, etc."; Pavel Petrovich places his hopes on "the wisdom of the government and the people's community"; Arkady proclaims the principles of nihilism, understanding nothing in the revolutionary-democratic regime. Against the backdrop of the unsettled life of the country, the mighty figure of Bazarov, a man of a new generation, a fighter, a revolutionary, who replaced the "fathers", unable to solve the main problems of the era, looms.
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev sharply contrasts Evgeny Vasilyevich with the world of aristocrats. The first thing that catches our eye when we meet a young nihilist is the features of democracy inherent in this character. The clothes, which he casually called "clothes", consisted of "a long robe with tassels" and an old dirty hat, "to the crown of which some kind of marsh plant stuck." Let us recall the suit in which the aristocrat Pavel Petrovich went out to morning tea: “He was wearing an elegant morning suit, in the English style; on his head was a small fez. All the details of the costume were elegantly chosen by the owner, who, apparently, had nothing else to do. We understand: we have two people with different manners, tastes, beliefs, leading a different lifestyle.
Evgeny Vasilyevich is a naturalist, he studies medicine, zoology, botany, which is a feature of the cultural life of Russia in the 60s of the 19th century. However, it is not in this field that he will achieve the fame that is predicted for him. It is not difficult to guess that the talent of the nihilist will unfold in revolutionary activity. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev wrote about his favorite character in the following way: “I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, vicious, honest - and yet doomed to death ...” Yevgeny Bazarov is an independent nature, not bowing to any what authorities, but subjecting everything to the judgment of thought. And if love for Anna Sergeevna Odintsova defeats the principles of nihilism, then in the dying scene Bazarov is faithful to his ideals to the end, but not broken, proudly looks death in the eyes. He had to die to remain Bazarov. What is the tragedy of the hero and how is the hopeless situation of Bazarov drawn? From the writer’s point of view, in the fact that “the time of the Bazarovs” we remember in what suit the aristocrat Pavel Petrovich went out to morning tea: “a man of a new generation, a fighter, a revolutionary, has not come yet, Turgenev’s character himself feels this: dying, he says : “Russia needs me... No, apparently not needed.” Consequently, Ivan Sergeevich emphasizes the tragic loneliness of the nihilist not only among the “fathers”, not only with an imaginary friend (Arkady), but also in the most important thing for him - in relations with the people. "But Bazarov's relationship with the people is very complex. On the one hand, the peasants see him not as a gentleman, but as "their brother." On the other hand, they call him a "pea jester." However, there are episodes in the novel that may bewilder the reader.
At the beginning, the reader learns that “Bazarov had a special ability to inspire confidence in people from the people,” and at the end of the book, the attitude of the people towards Yevgeny and his view of the peasants are revealed in a completely different way.
The death of Bazarov makes his image deeply tragic, Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev correctly notes: "to die the way Bazarov died is the same as to accomplish a great feat." On the last pages of the novel, all the best human that was in Bazarov appears: tenderness for parents, poetic love for Odintsova, a thirst for work and feat in the name of their native country; willpower, courage in the face of the threat of inevitable death. To Odintsova’s question whether he could surrender completely to the feeling of love, he honestly answers: “I don’t know, I don’t want to brag.” From his words, she could conclude that this man, no matter how much he loved, would not sacrifice his beliefs in the name of love. For him, convictions are more precious than love, and for Odintsova, peace and comfort are more precious than love.
We hear words, unusual for Bazarov, full of romantic feelings and poetry, addressed to the beloved woman: “Blow on the dying lamp, and let it go out ...” We hear words full of love and pity about parents when he asks Anna Sergeevna to take care of them: “ After all, people like them cannot be found in your big world during the day with fire ... "
Bazarov died young, not having time to start the activity for which he was preparing, but we are sure that if necessary, he would be able to give his life in the name of the cause.
The novel ends with a picture of an abandoned rural cemetery, where Yevgeny Vasilyevich is buried. Peace and silence reign here. The novel ends with the following thoughts of the author: “No matter how passionate, sinful, rebellious heart hides in the grave, the flowers growing on it serenely look at us with their innocent eyes; they tell us about eternal reconciliation and endless life ... ”Bazarov died, and with him died his wonderful, strong character, his ideas and convictions. Flowers on the grave of Eugene confirm that true life is endless.
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev solved moral problems in the novel "Fathers and Sons", telling us, people of the 21st century, about the "eternity" of such concepts as love for parents, for the Motherland, for nature, as the high romantic love of a man and a woman, as the immortality of those people who are true to their duty.
Bazarov is a new type of person. Dying, he wants to look at the woman he loves for the last time. This speaks of Eugene's ability to a deep feeling. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev ends the novel with the death of Bazarov, because he does not know what his hero should do next, and also because he does not want Evgeny to commit any mistakes or crimes in the future.
The problems of the novel "Fathers and Sons"
The novel "Fathers and Sons" was created by Turgenev in a hot time for Russia. The growth of peasant uprisings and the crisis of the serf system forced the government to abolish serfdom in 1861. In Russia, it was necessary to carry out a peasant reform. The society split into two camps: in one were revolutionary democrats , the ideologists of the peasant masses, in another - the liberal nobility, who stood for the reformist path.The liberal nobility did not put up with serfdom, but feared a peasant revolution.
The great Russian writer shows in his novel the struggle between the worldviews of these two political trends. The plot of the novel is built on the opposition of the views of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov and Evgeny Bazarov, who are the brightest representatives of these trends. Other questions are also raised in the novel: how one should treat the people, work, science, art, what transformations are necessary for the Russian countryside.
The title already reflects one of these problems - the relationship between two generations, fathers and children. Disagreements on various issues have always existed between the youth and the older generation. So here, a representative of the younger generation, Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov, cannot, and does not want to understand the “fathers”, their life credo, principles. He is convinced that their views on the world, on life, on relations between people are hopelessly outdated. “Yes, I will spoil them ... After all, this is all pride, lion's habits, folly ...”. In his opinion, the main purpose of life is to work, to produce something material. That is why Bazarov has a disrespectful attitude to art, to sciences that do not have a practical basis; to "useless" nature. He believes that it is much more useful to deny what, from his point of view, deserves to be denied, than to watch indifferently from the side, not daring to do anything. “At the present time, denial is most useful - we deny,” says Bazarov.
For his part, Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is sure that there are things that cannot be doubted (“Aristocracy ... liberalism, progress, principles ... art ...”). He values habits and traditions more and does not want to notice the changes taking place in society.
The disputes between Kirsanov and Bazarov reveal the ideological intent of the novel.
These characters have a lot in common. Both in Kirsanov and in Bazarov pride is highly developed. Sometimes they can not calmly argue. Both of them are not subject to other people's influences, and only experienced and felt by them themselves makes the heroes change their views on some issues. Both the commoner democrat Bazarov and the aristocrat Kirsanov have a huge influence on those around them, and neither one nor the other can be denied strength of character. And yet, despite such a similarity of natures, these people are very different, due to the difference in origin, upbringing and way of thinking.
Differences already appear in the portraits of the heroes. The face of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is "unusually correct and clean, as if drawn with a thin and light chisel." And in general, the whole appearance of Uncle Arkady "... was graceful and thoroughbred, his hands were beautiful, with long pink nails." Bazarov's appearance is the complete opposite of Kirsanov. He is dressed in a long robe with tassels, he has red hands, his face is long and thin ", with a wide forehead and not at all an aristocratic nose. The portrait of Pavel Petrovich is a portrait of a "secular lion" whose manners match his appearance. The portrait of Bazarov undoubtedly belongs to a "democrat to the end of his nails", which is also confirmed by the behavior of the hero, independent and self-confident.
Eugene's life is full of vigorous activity, he devotes every free minute of his time to natural science studies. In the second half of the 19th century, the natural sciences were on the rise; there appeared materialistic scientists who, through numerous experiments and experiments, developed these sciences, for which there was a future. And Bazarov is the prototype of such a scientist. Pavel Petrovich, on the contrary, spends all his days in idleness and groundless, aimless reflections-memories.
The views of those arguing on art and nature are opposite. Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov admires works of art. He is able to admire the starry sky, enjoy music, poetry, painting. Bazarov, on the other hand, denies art (“Rafael is not worth a penny”), approaches nature with utilitarian standards (“Nature is not a temple, but a workshop, and man is a worker in it”). Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov also does not agree that art, music, nature are nonsense. Coming out onto the porch, "... he looked around, as if wanting to understand how one can not sympathize with nature." And here we can feel how Turgenev expresses his own thoughts through his hero. A beautiful evening landscape leads Nikolai Petrovich to the “sorrowful and gratifying game of lonely thoughts”, brings back pleasant memories, opens up to him the “magic world of dreams”. The author shows that by denying admiring nature, Bazarov impoverishes his spiritual life.
But the main difference between a raznochint-democrat, who ended up on the estate of a hereditary nobleman, and a liberal lies in his views on society and the people. Kirsanov believes that aristocrats are the driving force behind social development. Their ideal is "English freedom", that is, a constitutional monarchy. The path to the ideal lies through reforms, glasnost, progress. Bazarov is sure that aristocrats are incapable of action and there is no benefit from them. He rejects liberalism, denies the ability of the nobility to lead Russia to the future.
Disagreements arise about nihilism and the role of nihilists in public life. Pavel Petrovich condemns nihilists because they "respect no one", live without "principles", considers them unnecessary and powerless: "You are only 4-5 people." To this, Bazarov replies: "Moscow burned down from a penny candle." Speaking of the denial of everything, Bazarov has in mind religion, the autocratic-feudal system, generally accepted morality. What do the nihilists want? First of all, revolutionary action. And the criterion is the benefit to the people.
Pavel Petrovich glorifies the peasant community, family, religiosity, patriarchy of the Russian peasant. He claims that "the Russian people cannot live without faith." Bazarov, on the other hand, says that the people do not understand their own interests, are dark and ignorant, that there are no honest people in the country, that “a man is happy to rob himself just to get drunk on dope in a tavern.” However, he considers it necessary to distinguish between popular interests and popular prejudices; he argues that the people are revolutionary in spirit, therefore nihilism is a manifestation of precisely the people's spirit.
Turgenev shows that, despite his tenderness, Pavel Petrovich does not know how to talk with ordinary people, “grimaces and sniffs cologne.” In a word, he is a real gentleman. And Bazarov proudly declares: "My grandfather plowed the land." And he can win over the peasants, although he teases them. The servants feel "that he is still his brother, not a gentleman."
This is precisely because Bazarov possessed the ability and desire to work. In Maryino, on the Kirsanov estate, Evgeny worked because he could not sit idle, “some kind of medical and surgical smell” was established in his room.
Unlike him, representatives of the older generation did not differ in their ability to work. So, Nikolai Petrovich tries to manage in a new way, but nothing works out for him. He says about himself: “I am a soft, weak person, I spent my life in the wilderness.” But, according to Turgenev, this cannot serve as an excuse. If you can't work, don't take it. And the biggest thing that Pavel Petrovich did was helping his brother with money, not daring to give advice, and “not jokingly imagined himself to be a practical person.”
Of course, most of all a person is manifested not in conversations, but in deeds and in his life. Therefore, Turgenev, as it were, leads his heroes through various trials. And the strongest of them is the test of love. After all, it is in love that the soul of a person is revealed fully and sincerely.
And then the hot and passionate nature of Bazarov swept away all his theories. He fell in love, like a boy, with a woman whom he highly valued. “In conversations with Anna, Sergeevna, he expressed even more than before his indifferent contempt for everything romantic, and left alone, he indignantly recognized the romance in himself.” The hero is going through a severe mental breakdown. “…Something…was possessed by him, which he never allowed, over which he always mocked, which revolted all his pride.” Anna Sergeevna Odintsova rejected him. But Bazarov found the strength to accept defeat with honor, without losing his dignity.
And Pavel Petrovich, who also loved very much, could not leave with dignity when he became convinced of the woman’s indifference to him: couldn't get in the right track." And in general, the fact that he seriously fell in love with a frivolous and empty secular lady says a lot.
Bazarov is a strong person, he is a new person in Russian society. And the writer carefully considers this type of character. The last test he offers his hero is death.
Anyone can pretend to be whoever they want. Some people do this all their lives. But in any case, before death, a person becomes what he really is. All pretense disappears, and it is time to think, maybe for the first and last time, about the meaning of life, about what good you did, whether they will remember or forget as soon as they are buried. And this is natural, because in the face of the unknown, a person discovers something that he may not have seen during his lifetime.
It is a pity, of course, that Turgenev "kills" Bazarov. Such a brave, strong man would live and live. But, perhaps, the writer, having shown that such people exist, did not know what to do with his hero further ... The way Bazarov dies could do honor to anyone. He does not pity himself, but his parents. He is sorry to leave life so early. Dying, Bazarov admits that he "fell under the wheel", "but still bristles." And bitterly he says to Odintsova: “And now the whole task of the giant is how to die decently .., I won’t wag my tail.”
Bazarov is a tragic figure. It cannot be said that he defeats Kirsanov in a dispute. Even when Pavel Petrovich is ready to admit his defeat, Bazarov suddenly loses faith in his teaching and doubts his personal need for society. "Does Russia need me? No, apparently I don't," he reflects. Only the proximity of death restores Bazarov's self-confidence.
Whose side is the author of the novel on? It is definitely impossible to answer this question. Being a liberal by conviction, Turgenev felt the superiority of Bazarov, moreover, he claimed: "My whole story is directed against the nobility as an advanced class." And further: "I wanted to show the cream of society, but if cream is bad, then what is milk?"
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev loves his new hero and in the epilogue gives him a high rating: "... a passionate, sinful, rebellious heart." He says that not an ordinary person lies in the grave, but really a person Russia needs, smart, strong, with non-stereotypical thinking.
It is known that I.S. Turgenev dedicated the novel to Belinsky and argued: "If the reader does not fall in love with Bazarov with all his rudeness, heartlessness, ruthless dryness and harshness, it is my fault that I did not achieve my goal. Bazarov is my favorite brainchild."
Turgenev wrote the novel "Fathers and Sons" in the last century, but the problems raised in it are relevant in our time. What to choose: contemplation or action? How to relate to art, to love? Is the generation of fathers right? Each new generation has to solve these questions. And, perhaps, it is the impossibility of solving them once and for all that drives life.
As we remember, in the previous two novels, Turgenev convinces both himself and the reader that the nobility in Russia is doomed to quietly and ingloriously leave the stage, since he bears great guilt before the people. Therefore, even the best representatives of the nobility are doomed to personal misfortune and to the inability to do anything for the Motherland. But the question remains open: where can we find a hero-doer capable of carrying out cardinal transformations in Russia? In the novel "On the Eve" Turgenev tried to find such a hero. This is not a nobleman and not a Russian. This is a Bulgarian student Dmitry Nikanorovich Insarov, who is vastly different from the previous heroes: Rudin and Lavretsky.
Rice. 2. Elena and Insarov (Ill. G.G. Filippovsky) ()
He will never live at the expense of others, he is resolute, efficient, not inclined to chatter, speaks with enthusiasm only when he talks about the fate of his unfortunate homeland. Insarov is still a student, but the goal of his life is to lead an uprising against Turkish rule. It would seem that the ideal hero has been found, but this is not quite the hero, because he is Bulgarian and will fight against the enemies of Bulgaria. At the very end of the novel, when many people die, including Insarov and his beloved Elena (Fig. 2), some characters wonder if there will be such Insarovs in Russia.
Now let's turn to Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons", written in the period from 1860 to 1861. (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. Title page of the second edition of the novel "Fathers and Sons", 1880 ()
At the very beginning of the work, we see the question of one of the characters: "What, Peter, can't you see yet?" Of course, the situation in the novel is quite specific: Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov (Fig. 4)
Rice. 4. Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov (Artist D. Borovsky) ()
is waiting for her son Arkasha, a candidate who has just graduated from the university. But readers understand: the search for a hero continues. « No way, sir, you can’t see it”, the servant answers. Then the same question and the same answer follow. And now, for three pages, we are waiting not just for Arkasha the candidate, but for a hero, significant, intelligent, active. Thus, we are faced with a certain author's technique, which is easy to read. Finally the hero appears. Together with Arkady, Evgeny Bazarov arrives, (Fig. 5)
Rice. 5. Bazarov (Artist D. Borovsky, 1980) ()
who is distinguished by honesty, clarity, masculinity, he despises ordinary prejudices: he comes to a noble family, but is dressed in a completely different way, as it should be on such occasions. At the first meeting, we learn that Bazarov is a nihilist. Recall that in the first three novels, Turgenev persistently searches for a hero-doer, but new people from the nobility and intelligentsia did not fit this role. Not suitable for this role and Insarov. Bazarov, in turn, is also not quite suitable, since he is not a hero-doer, but a destroyer hero who preaches all-round destruction.
« Nihilist- This is from the Latin word nihil, Nothing; This a man who does not bow before any authorities, does not take a single principle on faith, no matter how respect this principle is surrounded by ... "
Bazarov's nihilism is impressive. He denies God, because he is a convinced atheist, he denies all the laws of contemporary Russia, the customs of the people, he also treats the people nihilistically, because he is convinced that the people are at a low stage of development and are the object of action of people like Bazarov. Bazarov is skeptical about art, does not know how to appreciate nature and its beauty, for him “Nature is not a temple, but a workshop, and man is a worker in it”. Bazarov is also skeptical about friendship. His devoted, albeit a little narrow-minded friend is Arkady. But as soon as Arkady tries to talk to Bazarov about something sincere, Bazarov cuts him off quite harshly: "AboutI ask you one thing: do not speak beautifully ...» . Bazarov loves his parents, but he is rather ashamed of this love, because he is afraid of “getting wet”, therefore he repels them too. And finally, love, the world of feelings. Bazarov believes that if you can get some sense from a woman, then you need to act, and if not, then you should look elsewhere. He completely denies the possibility of a mysterious look: « We physiologists know […] the anatomy of the eye: where does the […] mysterious look come from?» Thus, Bazarov's nihilism is striking in its scale, it is comprehensive.
Modern researchers point out that Bazarov's nihilism is not similar to the real manifestations of the nihilists, Bazarov's contemporaries, because the nihilists did not even recognize themselves in this portrait. There were angry responses. Young critic Antonovich (Fig. 6)
Rice. 6. M.A. Antonovich ()
even wrote an article "Asmodeus of our time", Bazarov seemed to him a petty devil. Nihilists in life denied a lot, but not everything. Turgenev objected to his young opponents and said that he wanted to portray the figure in all its scale. Indeed, Bazarov is such a significant person that he has neither friends nor enemies in the novel. He is tragically alone. Can we seriously talk about his friendship with Arkady? Arkady is a kind, friendly, handsome man, but he is small and not independent, he literally glows with the reflected light of Bazarov. However, as soon as he has a more serious authority, the young and determined girl Katya, (Fig. 7)
Rice. 7. "Fathers and sons." Chapter 25. Arkady and Katya (Artist D. Borovsky, 1980). ()
Arkady leaves from under the influence of Bazarov. Bazarov, in turn, seeing this, he himself breaks off their friendly relations.
There are two people in the novel, Sitnikov and Kukshina, who consider themselves students of Bazarov. These are anecdotal personalities: stupid, fashion-conscious, nihilism for them is fashionable entertainment. Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov can be considered an enemy of Bazarov (Fig. 8),
Rice. 8. Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov (Artist E. Rudakov, 1946-1947) ()
he is the only person who objects to Bazarov. As we remember, Nikolai Petrovich does not always agree with Bazarov, but he is afraid to object, he is embarrassed or does not consider it necessary. And Pavel Petrovich from the first minutes felt a sharp antipathy for Bazarov, and quarrels flare up almost from the very beginning of their acquaintance (Fig. 9).
Rice. 9. "Fathers and sons." Chapter 10. Dispute between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich (Artist D. Borovsky) ()
If you do not delve into the essence of the dispute, then you can see that Pavel Petrovich fusses, swears, quickly turns to anger, while Bazarov is calm and self-confident. But if you delve into it, it turns out that Kirsanov is not so wrong. He accuses Bazarov of denying everything moral, but meanwhile the people are conservative, they live by these principles. Is it possible in a country inhabited by a huge number of illiterate serfs to call for violent action? Wouldn't that be the death of the country? These thoughts were nurtured by Turgenev himself. Bazarov, in response, says rather strange things: at first we only wanted to criticize, then we realized that it was useless to criticize, we need to change the whole system. They accepted the idea of total destruction of everything that is. But who will build? Bazarov is not thinking about this yet, his job is to destroy. This is precisely the tragedy of the novel. Bazarov is most likely wrong. We already have historical experience: we remember what a catastrophe the desire to destroy turned out to be in 1905, 1917.
But Pavel Petrovich himself cannot compete ideologically with Bazarov, if only because he wasted his life: he lives in the countryside, professes the principles of liberalism, aristocracy, but does nothing. Kirsanov devoted his whole life to insane love for Princess R. (Fig. 10),
Rice. 10. Princess R. (Artist I. Arkhipov) ()
who died, and Pavel Petrovich shut himself up in the village.
How did Turgenev himself relate to nihilistic youth? He was familiar with such people in whom he was struck by a certain untidiness, their type of education, and most importantly, their attitude towards the fate of Russia. Turgenev was against the revolution, which, he believed, could lead to disaster. An objective attitude towards such youth, the author's disagreement with their position formed the basis of the image of Bazarov.
This is how Turgenev himself defines the idea of the novel: "If the reader does not fall in love with Bazarov with all his rudeness, dryness, harshness, then I, as a writer, have not achieved my goal." That is, the hero is ideologically alien to the author, but at the same time he is a very serious personality and worthy of respect.
Now let's see if there is a dynamic in the image of Bazarov. At first, he is absolutely confident in himself, he is a total nihilist and he considers himself above all those phenomena that he denies. But then Turgenev puts tests before the hero, and this is how he passes them. The first test is love. Bazarov does not immediately understand that he has fallen in love with Odintsova (Fig. 11),
Rice. 11. Anna Sergeevna Odintsova (Artist D. Borovsky) ()
smart, beautiful, deeply significant woman. The hero does not understand what is happening to him: he loses sleep, appetite, he is restless, pale. When Bazarov realizes that this is love, but love that is not destined to come true, he receives a heavy blow. Thus, Bazarov, who denied love, laughed at Pavel Petrovich, himself found himself in a similar situation. And the unshakable wall of nihilism begins to crumble a little. Suddenly, Bazarov feels a general melancholy, he does not understand why he is busy, denies himself everything, lives a strict life, depriving himself of all kinds of pleasures. He doubts the meaning of his own activity, and these doubts corrode him more and more. He is surprised by the carefree life of his parents, who live without thinking (Fig. 12).
Rice. 12. Bazarov's parents - Arina Vlasyevna and Vasily Ivanovich (Artist D. Borovsky) ()
And Bazarov feels that his life is passing, that his great ideas will turn into nothing and he himself will disappear without a trace. This is what Bazarov's nihilism leads to.
Modern researchers have an opinion that not only students and raznochintsy of that time served as the prototype of Bazarov, but also to some extent L.N. Tolstoy (Fig. 13),
Rice. 13. L.N. Tolstoy ()
who in his youth was a nihilist, which infuriated Turgenev. But in 10 years Tolstoy will also experience the horror of the fact that life is finite and death is inevitable. In his novel, Turgenev seems to predict what nihilism can lead to.
Thus, Bazarov's nihilism does not stand up to scrutiny; the very first test of life begins to destroy this theory. The second test is the nearness of death. In a difficult state of mind, Bazarov lives with old parents, helps his father, and one day they go to open the body of a peasant who died of typhus. Bazarov inflicts a cut on himself, there is no iodine, and the hero decides to rely on fate: there will be blood poisoning or not. When Bazarov finds out that the infection has occurred, then the question of death arises before him. Now we see that, as a personality, Bazarov survives this test. He does not lose courage, does not change his basic convictions, but before death he turns out to be more humane, more gentle than before. He knows that if he dies without communion, it will bring suffering to his parents. And he agrees: when he loses consciousness, let the parents do what they think is right. Before his death, he is not ashamed to show love and care for his parents, not ashamed to admit that he loved Odintsova, not ashamed to call her and say goodbye to her. Thus, if at the beginning of the novel we had a nihilist hero, similar to Lermontov's demon, then at the end of the work Bazarov becomes a real person. His death is reminiscent of the departure of Shakespeare's Hamlet, who also accepts it courageously.
Why did Turgenev doom his hero to death? On the one hand, as Turgenev said: "Where I write 'nihilist', I mean 'revolutionary'." And Turgenev could not portray a revolutionary both because of censorship and because of ignorance of this circle of people. On the other hand, doubts, torment and heroic death enormously increase the figure of Bazarov in the mind of the reader. Turgenev wanted to say that he categorically disagrees with what the new young generation is trying to offer as salvation for their country. But at the same time, he pays tribute to these people who have high spiritual qualities, who are selfless and ready to give their lives for their beliefs. It was in this that Turgenev's high writing skills, his high spiritual freedom, were manifested.
Bibliography
- Sakharov V.I., Zinin S.A. Russian language and literature. Literature (basic and advanced levels) 10. - M.: Russian word.
- Arkhangelsky A.N. etc. Russian language and literature. Literature (advanced level) 10. - M.: Bustard.
- Lanin B.A., Ustinova L.Yu., Shamchikova V.M. / ed. Lanina B.A. Russian language and literature. Literature (basic and advanced levels) 10. - M.: VENTANA-GRAF.
- Litra.ru ().
- Online store of the publishing house "Lyceum" ().
- Turgenev.net.ru ().
Homework
- Expand the author's attitude to Bazarov.
- Make a comparative description of the images of Insarov and Bazarov
- * After analyzing the images of Rudin, Lavretsky, Insarov and Bazarov, derive the ideal image of a new hero-actor.
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.
