Composition

Turgenev’s six novels, created over more than twenty years (“Rudin” -1855, “Nove” -1876), represent an entire era in the history of the Russian socio-psychological novel.

The first novel “Rudin” was written in a record short time - 49 days (from June 5 to July 24, 1855). The speed of work is explained by the fact that the idea for the novel was hatched for quite a long time. At the beginning of 1853, the writer enthusiastically worked on the first part of the novel “Two Generations,” but after critical reviews from friends who read the manuscript, the novel was abandoned and, apparently, destroyed. For the first time, Turgenev tried his hand at a novel genre that was new to him, and already in this work, which has not reached us, the general outlines the problem of “fathers and sons”, vividly posed in the novel “Fathers and Sons”.

The “romantic” aspect was already felt in “Notes of a Hunter”: it was in the stories of this cycle that Turgenev’s interest in the worldview and psychology of modern man, a thinking, suffering, passionate seeker of truth, was manifested. The short stories “Hamlet of Shchigrovsky District” and “The Diary of an Extra Man,” together with the unfinished novel “Two Generations,” became a kind of “prologue” to a series of novels in the second half of the 1850s and early 1860s.

Turgenev was interested in “Russian Hamlets” - a type of noble intellectual captured by a cult philosophical knowledge 1830s-early 1840s, which passed the stage of ideological self-determination in philosophical circles. This was the time of the formation of the writer’s personality, so the appeal to the heroes of the “philosophical” era was dictated by the desire not only to objectively evaluate the past, but also to understand oneself, rethinking the facts of one’s ideological biography. An important creative impulse of Turgenev the novelist, with all the “objectivity” of his narrative style, restraint, and even some asceticism of the author’s assessments, was an autobiographical impulse. This must be taken into account when analyzing each of his novels of the 1850s, including the novel “Fathers and Sons,” which completed the first period of his novelistic work.

Turgenev believed that the main genre features his novels had already taken shape in Rudin. In the preface to the publication of his novels (1879), he emphasized: “The author of Rudin, written in 1855, and the author of Novi, written in 1876, are one and the same person. During all this time, I tried, as far as I had the strength and skill, to conscientiously and impartially embody into proper types both what Shakespeare calls “the body and pressure of time” (the very image and pressure of time), and that rapidly changing physiognomy of the Russian people cultural layer, which primarily served as the subject of my observations."

Among his tasks, the novelist identified two of the most important. The first is to create an “image of the time,” which was achieved not only by a careful analysis of the beliefs and psychology of the central characters who embodied Turgenev’s understanding of the “heroes of the time,” but also by a historically accurate depiction of the everyday environment and secondary characters. The second is attention to new trends in the life of the “cultural layer” of Russia, that is, the intellectual environment to which the writer himself belonged. This task required careful observations, a special, “seismographic” sensitivity to the new and, of course, artistic tact in depicting moving, “half-formed” phenomena of social and ideological life. The novelist was interested not only in individual heroes, who especially fully embodied the most important trends of the era, but also in the “mass” layer of like-minded people, followers, and students. These people were not as bright individuals as the true “heroes of the time.”

The prototype of the title character of the novel “Rudin” was a member of the philosophical circle of N.V. Stankevich, a radical Westerner, and later one of the leaders of European anarchism, M.A. Bakunin. Knowing very well people of the “Rudin” type, Turgenev hesitated in assessing the historical role of the “Russian Hamlets” and therefore revised the novel twice, achieving a more objective coverage of the figure of the main character. Rudin ultimately turned out to be a contradictory person, and this was largely the result of the author’s contradictory attitude towards him. The historical distance between him and Rudin's prototype, Bakunin's friend from his youth, was not so great as to achieve an absolutely impartial portrayal of the hero.

Rudin is a richly gifted nature. He is characterized not only by a thirst for truth, a passion for philosophical self-knowledge, but also by spiritual nobility, depth and sincerity of feelings, and a subtle perception of poetry. It was these qualities that attracted the heroine of the novel, Natalya Lasunskaya. Rudin is a brilliant polemicist, a worthy student of Pekarsky’s circle (the prototype is Stankevich’s circle). Having burst into the inert society of provincial nobles, he brought with him the breath of world life, the spirit of the era and became the most striking personality among the heroes of the novel. In Turgenev's interpretation, Rudin is the exponent of the historical task of his generation. And yet it bears the stamp of historical doom. He turned out to be completely unprepared for practical activity; his character has Manilov-like traits: liberal complacency and the inability to complete what he started. Rudin's impracticality is criticized by Lezhnev, a hero close to the author. Lezhnev is also a student of Pekarsky’s circle, but, unlike Rudin, he is not a polemicist, not a religious teacher, but rather a moderate “progressive”, alien to the verbal radicalism of the protagonist.

For the first time, Turgenev “tests” his hero with love. Rudin's contradictory, feminine nature is contrasted with the integrity and masculinity of Natalya Lasunskaya. Turgenev's contemporary criticism interpreted the hero's inability to take the decisive step in his relationship with her as a sign of not only his spiritual, but also his social failure. At the moment of his explanation with Natalya, Rudin seemed to have been replaced: in his passionate monologues one could feel the element of youth, idealism, and a willingness to take risks, but here he suddenly becomes weak and weak-willed. The final scene of the novel - the death of Rudin on the revolutionary barricade - emphasized the tragedy and historical doom of the hero, who represented the “Russian Hamlets” of a bygone romantic era.

Second novel - " Noble Nest", written in 1858 (published in the first book of Sovremennik in 1860), strengthened Turgenev’s reputation as a public writer, an expert on the spiritual life of his contemporaries, a psychologist, and a subtle lyricist in prose. He subsequently admitted that The Nobles' Nest "was the greatest success that has ever befallen me." Even Dostoevsky, who did not like Turgenev, highly appreciated the novel, calling it in the “Diary of a Writer” a work “eternal”, “belonging to world literature" “The Noble Nest” is the most perfect of Turgenev’s novels.

The second novel differs from “Rudin” in its clearly expressed lyrical beginning. Turgenev's lyricism was manifested both in the depiction of the love of Lavretsky and Liza Kalitina, and in the creation of a lyrical image-symbol of the “noble nest”. According to the writer, it was in estates like those of the Lavretskys and Kalitins that the main cultural values Russia. Turgenev seemed to predict the emergence of a whole literature that poeticized or satirically depicted the decline of the old Russian nobility, the extinction of the “nests of the nobility.” However, in Turgenev's novel there is no unambiguous attitude towards this topic. The lyrical theme was born as a result of understanding the historical decline of the “nests of the nobility” and the affirmation of the “eternal” values ​​of the culture of the nobility.

If in the novel “Rudin” there was one main character who occupied a central place in the system of characters, then in “The Noble Nest” there are two such heroes: Lavretsky and Lisa Kalitina. The novel amazed contemporaries because for the first time an ideological dispute took center stage and for the first time lovers became its participants. Love itself is shown in an unusual way: it is a love-dispute in which life positions and ideals.

In “The Noble Nest” there are all three situations that determine the problems and plot of Turgenev’s novels: the struggle of ideas, the desire to convert the interlocutor or opponent “to one’s faith” and a love affair. Lisa Kalitina seeks to prove to Lavretsky the correctness of her convictions, since, according to her, he only wants to “plow the land... and try to plow it as best as possible.” The heroine criticizes Lavretsky for the fact that he is not a fanatic of his business and is indifferent to religion. Lisa herself is a deeply religious person, religion for her is the source of the only correct answers to any “damned” questions, a means of resolving the most painful contradictions of life. She considers Lavretsky a kindred spirit, feeling his love for Russia, for the people’s “soil,” but does not accept his skepticism. The character of Lisa herself is determined by a fatalistic attitude towards life, humility and obedience - it is as if she takes on the burden of the historical guilt of a long series of previous generations.

Lavretsky does not accept the morality of humility and self-denial. This is what gives rise to disputes between him and Lisa. Their love also becomes a sign of the tragic disunity of modern noble intellectuals, although, renouncing his happiness, submitting to the will of circumstances (their union with Lisa is impossible), Lavretsky draws closer to the attitude towards life that he rejected. His welcoming words at the end of the novel, addressed to the younger generation, mean not only a renunciation of personal happiness. Farewell to the joys of life of the last of the Lavretsky family sounds like a blessing to young forces unknown to him.

Turgenev does not hide his sympathy for Lavretsky, emphasizing his superiority in disputes with Mikhalevich, who represents a different human type - a quixotic apologist for the “cause”, and the young bureaucrat Panshin, ready to crush everything old if it corresponds to the latest government orders. Lavretsky is more serious and sincere than these people, even in his delusions, the writer claims.

Turgenev’s third novel “On the Eve”, written during 1859 (published in the magazine “Russian Messenger” in February 1860), immediately caused a stream of articles and reviews in which the images of the main character, the Bulgarian revolutionary Insarov, were assessed differently. and Elena Stakhova, who fell in love with him. N.A. Dobrolyubov, having read the novel as a call for the emergence of “Russian Insarovs,” noted that in Elena “the best aspirations of our modern life" Turgenev himself reacted with indignation to Dobrolyubov’s interpretation, considering it unacceptable to interpret the novel as a kind of revolutionary proclamation. Turgenev the artist’s “answer” to the expectations of Dobrolyubov and his like-minded people was a novel about a modern nihilist hero.

In the works written by 1860, the main genre features of Turgenev’s novels developed. They also determine the artistic originality of the novel “Fathers and Sons” (begun in September 1860, published in February 1862 in the magazine “Russian Messenger”, in the same year it was published as a separate edition).

Turgenev never showed the clash of major political forces; socio-political struggle was not the direct object of depiction in his novels. The action is concentrated, as a rule, in an estate, in a manor house or in a country house, so there are no large movements of the heroes. Complicated intrigue is completely alien to Turgenev the novelist. Plots consist of events that are quite “life-like”: this is, as a rule, an ideological conflict against the background of a love conflict or, conversely, a love conflict against the background of a struggle of ideas.

The novelist was little interested in everyday details. He avoided excessive detailing of what was depicted. Turgenev needs details exactly to the extent that they are able to recreate the socially typical appearance of the heroes, as well as the background and setting of the action. According to him, in the mid-1850s. “Gogol’s boot” became too tight for him. Turgenev the prose writer, who began as one of the active participants in the " natural school", gradually abandoned Gogol's principles of depicting the everyday environment in favor of a broader ideological interpretation of the characters. The generous Gogolian figurativeness in his novels was replaced by Pushkin’s “naked” simplicity of narration and soft impressionistic descriptions. The most important principle of characterizing the characters and the relationships between them was the dialogue, accompanied by the author’s sparse comments from them. state of mind, gestures, facial expressions. Indications of the background and setting of the action (landscape, interior, nature of everyday communication) are extremely important. Background details in Turgenev's novels are as significant as the events, actions and statements of the heroes.

Turgenev never used the so-called “deductive” method of creating images. The novelist’s starting point was not an abstract philosophical or religious-moral idea, as in the prose of F.M. Dostoevsky and L.N. Tolstoy, but a “living face.” If, for example, for Dostoevsky it was not of decisive importance who in real life was behind the images of Raskolnikov, Stavrogin or Ivan Karamazov he created, then for Turgenev this was one of the first questions that arose during the work on the novel. Turgenev's favorite principle of creating a human image is from a prototype or group of prototypes to artistic generalization. The problem of prototypes is one of the most important for understanding the problems of Turgenev’s novels, their connection with topical problems of the 1850s - 1860s. Rudin's prototype was Bakunin, Insarova's was the Bulgarian Katranov, and one of Bazarov's prototypes was Dobrolyubov. However, this does not mean at all that the heroes of “Rudin”, “On the Eve” or “Fathers and Sons” are exact “portrait” copies of real people. Individuality real person seemed to dissolve in the image created by Turgenev.

Turgenev's novels are not, unlike the novels of Dostoevsky or Tolstoy (Anna Karenina, Resurrection), parable novels: they do not contain supporting ideological structures that are important for other Russian novelists. They are free from direct authorial moralizing and moral and philosophical generalizations that go beyond what directly happens to the characters. In Turgenev's novels we will not find any “crimes,” or “punishments,” or the moral “resurrection” of the heroes. There are no murders in them, sharp conflicts with laws and morals. The novelist prefers to recreate the course of life without disturbing its “natural” measure and harmony.

The action in Turgenev's works is always local, the meaning of what is happening is limited by the actions of the heroes. Their worldview, ideals and psychology are revealed primarily in their speech behavior, in ideological disputes and exchange of opinions. The most important artistic principle of Turgenev is the recreation of the self-movement of life. The solution to this problem was achieved by the fact that the novelist carefully avoided any form of direct authorial “interference” in the narrative, imposing his own opinions and assessments on readers. Even if the characters are directly assessed by the author, these assessments are based on their objectively existing qualities, emphasized tactfully, without pressure.

Turgenev, unlike, for example, Tolstoy, extremely rarely uses the author’s commentary on the actions and inner world of the heroes. Most often, their spiritual appearance is, as it were, “half-hidden”. Refusing the novelist's right to “omniscience” about the characters, Turgenev carefully records subtle, at first glance, nuances in their appearance and behavior, indicating changes in their inner world. information indicating changes in their inner world. He does not show his heroes as mysterious, mysterious personalities, inaccessible to understanding by others. His restraint in depicting their psychology and refusal of direct psychologism is explained by the fact that, according to Turgenev, the writer “must be a psychologist, but a secret one.” Never trying to recreate the entire process of a person’s inner life, he focused readers’ attention only on the external forms of its manifestation, made extensive use of meaningful pauses, psychological landscape, psychological parallels - all the main techniques for indirectly depicting the psychology of characters.

There are few characters in Turgenev's novels: as a rule, there are no more than ten of them, not counting a few episodic persons. The character system is distinguished by its logical consistency and clear distribution of plot and problem “roles.” The author's attention is focused on the central characters, in whom he discovers the features of the most important socio-ideological phenomena or psychological types. The number of such characters ranges from two to five. For example, in the “lyrical” novel “The Noble Nest” there are two central characters: Lavretsky and Lisa Kalitina, and in the broader novel “Fathers and Sons” there are five: Bazarov, Arkady Kirsanov, his father Nikolai Petrovich, uncle Pavel Petrovich and Anna Sergeevna Odintsova. Of course, even in this relatively “multi-figured” novel, the significance of each of the characters is not the same. It is Bazarov who is the main figure who united all participants in the plot action. The role of other central characters is determined by their relationship to Bazarov. Minor and episodic characters in novels always perform some particular task: they either create the background against which the action takes place, or become a “highlight”, often ironic, of the central characters (such, for example, are the images of Mikhalevich and Panshin in “The Noble Nest”, servants and provincial “nihilists” in “Fathers and Sons”).

The basis of conflicts and plots are the three most common plot situations. Two of them were practically not used in Russian novels before Turgenev - these are situations of ideological dispute and ideological influence, apprenticeship. The third situation is quite common for a novel: love or infatuation, but its significance in the plot goes beyond the traditional love intrigue (such intrigue exists, for example, in the novels “Eugene Onegin” by Pushkin or “Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov). The relationship between lovers reveals the complexity of interpersonal relationships that arise “at a turning point” during a change in ideological guidelines. Women in Turgenev's novels are truly emancipated beings: they are independent in their opinions, do not look down on their lovers, and often surpass them in the power of conviction, contrasting their softness and pliability with unyielding will and confidence in their own rightness.

In a situation of ideological dispute, the points of view and ideals of the characters are opposed. The disputes reveal differences between contemporaries (for example, between Rudin and Pandalevsky (“Rudin”); Lavretsky, on the one hand, and Mikhalevich and Panshin, on the other (“The Noble Nest”); Bersenev and Shubin, the heroes of the novel “On the Eve”), incompatibility of people living in seemingly different historical eras(Bazarov - Pavel Petrovich, Arkady - Nikolai Petrovich).

The situation of ideological influence and apprenticeship determines the relationship of the protagonist with his young followers and those whom he seeks to influence. This situation can be found in the relationships between Rudin and Natalya Lasunskaya (“Rudin”), Insarov and Elena Stakhova (“On the Eve”). To some extent, it also manifests itself in “The Noble Nest”, but here it is not Lavretsky, but Liza who is more active in her “teacher” aspirations. In “Fathers and Sons,” the author is silent about how Bazarov managed to influence Arkady Kirsanov and Sitnikov: the reader of the novel faces his already “convinced” students and followers. Bazarov himself is outwardly completely indifferent to those who openly imitate him, only occasionally does “Pechorinsky” irony appear in him towards them.

In the first novels (“Rudin”, “The Noble Nest”, “On the Eve”), the situation of love or falling in love was necessary in order to “test” the strength of the convictions of the noble protagonist, testing him in the plot climax: the hero had to make a choice, show will and ability to act. The same role was played by love relationships in the stories - “companions” of Turgenev’s novels. It was in the article “Russian man on rendesvous” (1858), devoted to the analysis of the story “Asya”, that N.G. Chernyshevsky first drew attention to the ideological meaning of Turgenev’s depiction of love. “... While there is no talk about business, but you just need to occupy idle time, fill an idle head or an idle heart with conversations and dreams, the hero is very lively,” the critic wrote with irony, “it’s time to directly and accurately express his feelings and desires - most of the heroes are already beginning to hesitate and feel clumsy in their language.” This, in his opinion, is “a symptom of an epidemic disease that has taken root in our society.”

But even in “Fathers and Sons,” where the hero was not a reflective nobleman brought up in the era of “thought and reason,” but an empiricist commoner, a man not prone to abstract reflection, trusting only experience and his own feelings, love intrigue plays a significant role . Bazarov passes the “test of love”: for him, love for Odintsova turned out to be an insurmountable obstacle, in contrast to the disputes imposed on him with Pavel Petrovich. All the central characters of the novel are involved in love relationships. Love, as in other novels, is a “natural” background for the socio-ideological and psychological characteristics of the characters. Nikolai Petrovich is romantically in love with young Fenechka, who lives with him as an “unmarried wife,” and Pavel Petrovich is clearly not indifferent to her. Arkady secretly dreams of love, admires Anna Sergeevna, but finds his happiness with Katenka Odintsova, anticipating the coming harmony family life and getting rid of the “sharp corners” of Bazarov’s worldview. The smart, sensible and practical widow Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, just like Bazarov, goes through the “test of love”, although she quickly ends her “romance” with the nihilist, without experiencing the same strong mental shock that Bazarov experienced.

Love relationships do not cancel out ideological disputes or the desire of the heroes to influence people and find like-minded people. Unlike many minor novelists, the second half of the 19th century V. (for example, P.D. Boborykin, I.N. Potapenko), guided by the experience of Turgenev as a novelist, he achieved in his works the organic unity of love intrigue and socio-ideological plot. In fact, the appearance of the nihilist Bazarov would have been completely different if it had not been for the sudden outbreak of love for Odintsova in him. Role love feeling in the fate of Bazarov is also enhanced by the fact that this is his first love: it not only destroys the strength of his nihilistic beliefs, but also does what first love can do to every person. Turgenev wrote about this in a pathetic tone in the story “First Love”: “First love is the same revolution: the monotonously correct order of the existing life is broken and destroyed in an instant, youth stands on the barricade, its bright banner flutters high, and whatever lies ahead neither awaited her - death or new life, she sends her enthusiastic greetings to everyone.” Bazarov's first love, of course, is far from the inspired picture painted by Turgenev. This is love-tragedy, which became the strongest argument in Bazarov’s dispute, but not with the “old romantics”, but with human nature itself.

The backstories of the heroes are of exceptional importance in each of Turgenev’s novels. This is the epic basis of the modern narrative. The background reveals the writer's interest in the historical development of Russian society, in the succession of different generations of Russian intellectual elite. Events occurring in novels, as a rule, are precisely dated (for example, the action in “Fathers and Sons” begins on May 20, 1859, less than two years before the peasant reform). Starting from modernity, Turgenev likes to go deep into the 19th century, showing not only the “fathers”, but also the “grandfathers” of his young heroes.

In “The Noble Nest” a lengthy background of Lavretsky is given: the writer talks not only about the life of the hero himself, but also about his ancestors. In other novels, the backstories are much shorter: in “Fathers and Sons” only the life story of Pavel Petrovich is told in sufficient detail, while Bazarov’s past, on the contrary, is laconic and fragmentary. This can be explained by the fact that Pavel Petrovich is a man of the past, his life took place. Bazarov, on the other hand, is entirely in the present, his story is created and completed before the reader’s eyes.

The creation of each novel was preceded by painstaking preparatory work: compiling character biographies, thinking about main storylines. Turgenev prepared outlines of novels and individual chapters, trying to find the right tone of the narrative, to understand the “roots of phenomena,” that is, to connect the actions of the heroes with their inner world, to feel the psychological impulses of their behavior. Most a shining example Such an immersion in the psychology of the character became the “diary of a nihilist”, which he kept while working on the novel “Fathers and Sons”. Only after developing a detailed plan and thinking through the composition of the work did the writer begin to create the text. Creative process Turgenev could not imagine without consultations with friends, “test” readings of individual chapters and the entire text, alterations and additions taking into account the opinions of friends. Magazine publications of novels were also one of the stages of work on them: after the first publication, the final edition of the work was prepared for a separate publication.

The nature of the work on the novel “Fathers and Sons” largely clarifies the author’s concept of the work, primarily Turgenev’s interpretation of the personality of Bazarov, who is completely different from the heroes of previous novels. If earlier, showing the inconsistency of his noble heroes, deprived of the ability to act, Turgenev did not completely reject their ideas about life, then in “Fathers and Sons” his attitude towards Bazarov’s beliefs from the very beginning was sharply negative. All the programmatic principles of a nihilist (attitude to love, nature, art, rejection of any principles in the name of experience, experiment) are absolutely alien to Turgenev. He considered everything that Bazarov rejected to be eternal, unshakable human values. Turgenev’s focus is not on Bazarov’s views on private, albeit very important social problems in the context of the era, but on Bazarov’s “philosophy of life” and the “rules” he developed for relationships with people.

The first task set by Turgenev while working on the novel was to create a portrait of a modern nihilist, completely different from the skeptics and “nihilists” of the previous, noble generation. The second, more important task significantly complemented the first: Turgenev, the “Columbus” of Russian nihilists, wanted to create not just a “passport” portrait, but a “forecast” portrait of modern nihilism. The writer's goal is to consider it as a dangerous, painful epidemic that can lead a person to a dead end. The solution to these two problems required maximum authorial objectivity: after all, according to Turgenev, nihilism is not only one of the many modern ideological movements, popular among “children”, due to their rejection of the worldview of their “fathers”, but above all a radical change in the point of view on the world, on the meaning of human existence and traditional life values.

Turgenev the novelist was always interested in the figures of skeptics, “true deniers,” but he never equated the “deniers” of the 1830s - 1850s. and “nihilists.” A nihilist is a person of a different era, a different worldview and psychology. He is a commoner-democrat by origin, a natural scientist, not a philosopher by conviction, and a kulturtraeger (educator) by understanding his role in society. “Reverence for natural science”, the cult of natural science experiment, knowledge based on experience and not on faith - characteristic of the younger generation, separating it from the idealistic “fathers”.

In the article “About “Fathers and Sons”,” Turgenev noted that the personality of one of the “naturalists,” the “young provincial doctor” “Doctor D.” and formed the “base” of Bazarov’s figure. According to the writer, “in this wonderful man, in my eyes, that barely born, still fermenting principle was embodied, which later received the name of nihilism.” But in the preparatory materials for the novel there is no “Dr. D.” Turgenev does not name. Characterizing Bazarov, he made the following entry: “Nihilist. Self-confident, speaks abruptly and is a little hard-working. - (A mixture of Dobrolyubov, Pavlov and Preobrazhensky).” Thus, it was the critic and publicist Dobrolyubov who was named first among the prototypes: his contemporaries, in particular Antonovich, were not deceived in believing that Bazarov was his “mirror” reflection. Another prototype, I.V. Pavlov, whom Turgenev met in 1853, was a provincial doctor who became a writer. S.N. Preobrazhensky was Dobrolyubov’s institute friend and one of the authors of Sovremennik. The “mixture” of individual psychological qualities of these people allowed the writer to create the image of Bazarov, which reflected a new socio-ideological phenomenon. In the personality of the hero, Turgenev emphasized, first of all, the conflict with the “fathers,” their beliefs, way of life, and spiritual values.

Already at the first stage of work on the main text of “Fathers and Sons” (August 1860 - July 1861), Turgenev’s attitude towards the nihilist hero was extremely complex. Commenting on the novel, he refused to make direct assessments of Bazarov, although he openly expressed his attitude towards the heroes of previous novels to his friends. At the second stage of work (September 1861-January 1862), making amendments and additions taking into account the advice of P.V. Annenkov and V.P. Botkin and the comments of the editor of the magazine “Russian Messenger” M.N. Katkov, Turgenev strengthened in Bazarovo negative traits: conceit and self-confidence. The writer decided that in the original edition of the novel the figure of Bazarov turned out to be too bright and therefore completely unsuitable for the conservative “Russian Messenger”, which was supposed to publish “Fathers and Sons”. The appearance of Bazarov’s ideological opponent Pavel Petrovich, on the contrary, was somewhat “ennobled” at the request of the vigilant Katkov. At the third stage of the creation of the novel (February-September 1862), after its magazine publication, significant amendments were made to the text, mainly affecting Bazarov. Turgenev considered it important to draw a clearer line between Bazarov and his antagonists (primarily Pavel Petrovich), between Bazarov and his “disciples” (Arkady and especially Sitnikov and Kukshina).

In Fathers and Sons, Turgenev returned to the structure of his first novel. Like "Rudin" new novel became a work in which all the plot threads converged to one center - a new figure of the common democrat Bazarov, which alarmed all readers and critics. It became not only the plot, but also the problematic center of the work. The assessment of all other aspects of Turgenev’s novel depended on the understanding of Bazarov’s personality and fate: the system of characters, the author’s position, and private artistic techniques. n of Turgenev's novel: the system of characters, the author's position, private artistic techniques. All critics saw in Fathers and Sons a new turn in his work, although the understanding of the landmark meaning of the novel was, of course, completely different.

Among the many critical interpretations, the most notable were the articles by the critic of the Sovremennik magazine M.A. Antonovich “Asmodeus of our time” and a number of articles by D.I. Pisarev in another democratic magazine - “ Russian word": "Bazarov", "Realists" and "Thinking Proletariat". Unlike Antonovich, who sharply assessed Bazarov negatively, Pisarev saw in him a genuine “hero of the time,” comparing him with the “new people” from N.G. Chernyshevsky’s novel “What is to be done?” The conflicting opinions about the novel expressed by democratic critics were perceived as a fact of internal controversy in the democratic movement - a “schism among the nihilists.”

It was no coincidence that both critics and readers of Fathers and Sons were concerned about two questions - about prototypes and the author’s position. They are the ones who create two poles in the perception and interpretation of any work. Antonovich convinced himself and his readers of Turgenev’s malicious intent. In his interpretation, Bazarov is not at all a person copied “from life”, but “Asmodeus”, “ evil spirit”, released by a writer angry at the younger generation. The article is written in a feuilleton style. Instead of an objective analysis of the novel, the critic created a caricature of the main character, as if substituting his “student” Sitnikov in Bazarov’s place. According to Antonovich, Bazarov is not an artistic generalization, a mirror of the younger generation. The author of the novel is interpreted as the creator of a biting feuilleton novel, which must be objected to in exactly the same manner. The critic's goal - to "cause" the writer with the younger generation - was achieved.

The subtext of Antonovich’s rude and unfair article is a reproach that the figure of Bazarov turned out to be too “recognizable”, because Dobrolyubov became one of his prototypes. In addition, Sovremennik journalists could not forgive Turgenev for breaking with the magazine. The publication of the novel in the conservative Russky Vestnik was for them a sign of Turgenev’s final break with democracy.

A different point of view on Bazarov was expressed by Pisarev, who considered the main character of the novel not as a caricature of one or several persons, but as an “illustration” of an emerging socio-ideological type. The critics were least interested author's attitude to the hero, features of the artistic embodiment of the image of Bazarov. Pisarev interpreted the hero in the spirit of “real criticism.” Pointing out the author's bias in his portrayal, he, however, highly appreciated the very type of “hero of the time” guessed by Turgenev. The article “Bazarov” expresses the idea that Bazarov, depicted in the novel as a “tragic face,” is a new hero who has been so lacking in modern literature. In subsequent interpretations of Pisarev, Bazarov became increasingly detached from the novel. In the articles “Realists” and “The Thinking Proletariat,” the critic named “Bazarov” a type of era, a modern raznochinsky cultural activist, close in worldview to Pisarev himself.

Accusations of bias contradicted the calm, objective author's tone in the depiction of Bazarov. “Fathers and Sons” is Turgenev’s “duel” with nihilism and nihilists, but the author complied with all the requirements of the dueling “code of honor”: he treated the enemy with respect, “killing” him in a fair fight. Bazarov, a symbol of dangerous human delusions, according to Turgenev, is a worthy opponent. Caricature and mockery of him (this is what some critics accused Turgenev of) could have given a completely different result - an underestimation of the destructive power of nihilism, confident in its right to destroy, striving to put its own false idols in place of the “eternal” idols of humanity. Recalling the work on the image of Bazarov, Turgenev wrote to M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin in 1876: “I would not be surprised, however, that Bazarov remained a mystery to many; I myself can’t really imagine how I wrote it. There was—don’t laugh, please—some kind of fate, something stronger than the author himself, something independent of him. I know one thing: there was no preconception of thought, no tendency in me then.”

As in previous novels, Turgenev does not draw conclusions, avoids comments, and deliberately hides inner world hero, so as not to put pressure on readers. The author's position, so straightforwardly interpreted by Antonovich and ignored by Pisarev, is manifested primarily in the nature of the conflicts and in the composition of the plot. They implement the author's concept of Bazarov's fate.

Bazarov is unshakable in his arguments with Pavel Petrovich in the first chapters of the novel, but is internally broken after the “test of love.” Turgenev emphasizes the thoughtfulness, “rigidity” of the hero’s beliefs, the interconnection of all components of his worldview, despite the outwardly fragmentary, fragmentary nature of his remarks, “aphorisms”: “a decent chemist is twenty times more useful than any poet,” “the art of making money, or no more hemorrhoids !”, “from a penny candle, you know, Moscow burned down,” “Raphael is not worth a penny,” etc.

Bazarov is a maximalist: from his point of view, any belief has a price if it does not contradict others. As soon as he lost one of the “links” in the “chain” of his worldview, all the others were subject to doubt and revaluation. In the last chapters of the novel, Bazarov’s thoughts are turned not to the momentary and topical, as in the first, “Maryinsky” chapters, but to the “eternal,” universal. This becomes the cause of his internal anxiety, which manifests itself in his appearance, in his behavior, in “strange”, from Arkady’s point of view, statements that cross out the meaning of his previous statements. Bazarov not only experiences his love painfully, but also thinks about death, about what kind of “monument” the living will erect for him. Bazarov’s remark in a conversation with Arkady has a special meaning: it clearly shows how his scale has changed. life values under the influence of thoughts about death: “... - Yes, for example, today you said, passing by the hut of our elder Philip, - it is so nice, white, - so, you said, Russia will then reach perfection when the last man has the same room, and each of us must contribute to this... And I hated this last guy, Philip or Sidor, for whom I have to bend over backwards and who won’t even say thank you to me... but why should I thank him? Well, he will live in a white hut, and a burdock will grow out of me; Well, what next? "(Chapter XXI). Now Bazarov does not have a clear and precise answer to the question about the meaning of life, which previously did not cause difficulties. What frightens the nihilist most is the thought of the “grass of oblivion”, the “burdock”, which will be the only “monument” to him.

At the end of the novel, we see not the self-confident and dogmatic Bazarov the empiricist, but the “new” Bazarov, solving the “damned”, “Hamlet” questions. A fan of experience and natural scientific solutions to all mysteries and mysteries human life, Bazarov faced what he had previously unconditionally denied, becoming the “Hamlet” of nihilists. This led to his tragedy. According to Turgenev, “eternal” values ​​(love, nature, art) are not capable of shaking even the most consistent nihilism. On the contrary, a conflict with them can lead a nihilist to a conflict with himself, to painful, fruitless reflection and loss of the meaning of life. This is the main lesson tragic fate Bazarova.

Other works on this work

The history of the creation of the novel “Fathers and Sons”

The idea for the novel arises from I. S. Turgenev in I860 in the small seaside town of Ventnor, in England. “...It was in the month of August 1860, when the first thought of “Fathers and Sons” came to my mind...” It was a difficult time for the writer. His break with Sovremennik magazine had just occurred. The occasion was an article by N. A. Dobrolyubov about the novel “On the Eve”. I. S. Turgenev did not accept the revolutionary conclusions contained in it. The reason for the gap was deeper: rejection of revolutionary ideas, “the peasant democracy of Dobrolyubov and Chernyshevsky” and their intentions to “call Rus' to the axe.” The novel “Fathers and Sons” was an attempt to comprehend the character and direction of the activities of the “new people,” a type of which was just beginning to emerge in Russian society. “...At the base of the main figure, Bazarov, lay one personality of a young provincial doctor that struck me. (He died shortly before 1860.) This remarkable man embodied - to my eyes - that barely born, still fermenting principle, which later received the name of nihilism. The impression made on me by this person was very strong and at the same time not entirely clear; At first, I myself could not give myself a good account of it - and I listened intensely and looked closely at everything that surrounded me, as if wanting to check the veracity of my own feelings. I was embarrassed by the following fact: in not a single work of our literature did I even see a hint of what I saw everywhere; Involuntarily, a doubt arose: am I chasing a ghost?” - wrote I. S. Turgenev in an article about “Fathers and Sons”.

Work on the novel continued in Paris. In September 1860, Turgenev wrote to P.V. Annenkov: “I intend to work with all my might. The plan for my new story is ready down to the smallest detail - and I’m eager to get to work on it. Something will come out - I don’t know, but Botkin, who is here... very much approves of the idea that is the basis. I would like to finish this thing by spring, by April, and bring it to Russia myself.”

The first chapters were written during the winter, but work in progress slower than expected. Letters from this time constantly contain requests to report news public life Russia, seething on the eve of the greatest event in its history - the abolition of serfdom. To get the opportunity to directly become acquainted with the problems of modern Russian reality, I. S. Turgenev comes to Russia. The writer finished the novel, begun before the reform of 1861, after it in his beloved Spassky. In a letter to the same P.V. Annenkov, he informs about the end of the novel: “My work is finally over. On July 20 I wrote my blessed last word.”

In the fall, upon returning to Paris, I. S. Turgenev reads his novel to V. P. Botkin and K. K. Sluchevsky, whose opinion he valued very much. Agreeing and arguing with their judgments, the writer, in his own words, “plows” the text, makes numerous changes and amendments to it. “I corrected and added some things, and in March 1862 “Fathers and Sons” appeared in the “Russian Bulletin” (I. S. Turgenev. “About “Fathers and Sons”).

So, a year and a half after the idea was conceived, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was published on the pages of the February issue of the magazine “Russian Messenger”. I. S. Turgenev dedicated it to V. G. Belinsky.

I. S. Turgenev had a remarkable gift for seeing and feeling what was happening in Russian social life. Your understanding of what is brewing social conflict The writer expressed the relationship between liberal aristocrats and revolutionary democrats in the novel Fathers and Sons. The bearers of this conflict were the nihilist Bazarov and the nobleman Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov.

A detailed description of the appearance of the characters shows how opposite they are to each other. The whole “elegant and thoroughbred” appearance of Pavel Petrovich, his chiseled, classic facial features, snow-white starched collars, “beautiful hand with long pink nails” reveal him as a rich, pampered nobleman-aristocrat. In the portrait of Bazarov, the author persistently emphasizes such details as a “broad forehead”, “large protuberances of a spacious skull”, which indicate that before us is a man of mental labor, a representative of the common, working intelligentsia. The appearance of the characters, their clothing and demeanor immediately evoke strong mutual hostility, which determines their future relationship. This means that when you first meet them, their opposite is striking, especially since the author persistently contrasts Bazarov’s “plebeian manners” with the refined aristocracy of Pavel Petrovich.

But one cannot help but notice the similarities between them. Both Bazarov and Kirsanov are two smart, strong and strong-willed individuals who do not succumb to the influence of others, but, on the contrary, know how to subjugate others. Pavel Petrovich clearly suppresses his meek, good-natured brother. And Arkady is strongly dependent on his friend, perceiving all his statements as an immutable truth. Pavel Petrovich is proud and proud, calling similar traits of his opponent “satanic pride.” What is it that separates these heroes? Of course, their views are completely different, different attitude to the surrounding people, the people, the nobility, science, art, love, family, the entire state structure of modern Russian life. These differences are clearly manifested in their disputes, which touch on many social, economic, philosophical, cultural issues that worried Russian society in the early 60s of the 19th century. But what is noteworthy is the special nature of Kirsanov’s disputes with Bazarov, their predilection for abstract, general subjects, such as, for example, authorities and principles. If Pavel Petrovich asserts the inviolability of authorities, then Bazarov does not recognize this, believing that every truth must be tested by doubt. Pavel Petrovich's views reveal his conservatism and reverence for old authorities. The class arrogance of the lord does not allow him to perceive new social phenomena and treat them with understanding. He takes everything new with hostility, firmly defending established life principles. If Kirsanov had a fatherly, wise attitude toward the younger generation, forgiving them of maximalism and arrogance, then perhaps he would be able to understand and appreciate Bazarov. But the hero-commoner does not at all have a filial attitude toward the older generation, denying with proud contempt all the cultural and moral values ​​of the past. He laughs when he sees Nikolai Petrovich playing the cello, and gets annoyed when Arkady, in his opinion, “speaks beautifully.” He does not understand the delicate politeness of Nikolai Petrovich and the lordly arrogance of his brother. In the quiet “noble nest” of the Kirsanovs, a cult of admiration for beauty, art, love, and nature reigns. Beautiful, elegant phrases are devoid of specific significant actions. And the nihilist Bazarov longs for real gigantic activity that would destroy the entire way of life that he hates.

History of creation. The famous Russian writer, playwright, author of “Notes of a Hunter”, “Poems in Prose”, numerous stories, one of the creators of the classic Russian realistic novel, Turgenev began his career in literature as a representative of the “natural school”. Already a renowned writer, he continued to actively collaborate with Sovremennik, on whose pages, from the mid-1850s, the novels “Rudin” (1856), “The Noble Nest” (1859), and “On the Eve” (1860) appeared one after another. If in the first two the writer draws a type of hero who continues the line “ extra people"in Russian literature (Rudin, Lavretsky), then in the novel "On the Eve" he makes an attempt to find a new hero, public figure, creating the image of the Bulgarian revolutionary Insarov. This novel and its hero evoked a wide response from readers and critics. Dobrolyubov published an article in Sovremennik, “When will the real one will come day?”, in which he gave his own interpretation of this novel, sharply opposite to the author’s. The critic argued that the task of the “Russian Insarovs” was to fight the “internal Turks,” which included not only reactionary serf-owners, but also supporters of liberal reforms. A liberal by conviction, Turgenev could not accept such a conclusion drawn on the basis of his novel. He tried to prevent the publication of Dobrolyubov’s article in Sovremennik, but, encountering Nekrasov’s resistance, he irrevocably broke with the magazine.

In the novel “Fathers and Sons,” Turgenev made an attempt to express his position in relation to a Russian hero like Insarov. While abroad in 1860, the writer begins to think about the plan for a new novel, and he thinks of Dobrolyubov as one of the prototypes of Bazarov. Work on the novel was completed in the summer of 1861 in family estate Spasskoye-Lutovinovo. Leaving for France, Turgenev left the manuscript to the editor of the conservative magazine “Russian Messenger” M.N. Katkov. Already in Paris, the writer, finalizing the novel based on the editors’ comments, strengthened the negative traits in Bazarov’s character. Subsequently, he eliminated many of these edits, preparing the novel for a separate publication. The first magazine publication of the novel appeared in the February book of the Russian Messenger for 1862. Turgenev asked to postpone publication because he considered the historical moment inappropriate: after the reform, government reaction set in, many democratic leaders were arrested, and Dobrolyubov died in November 1861. But the “literary merchant” Katkov did not consider it necessary to take into account the author’s position, and the novel appeared in print at the most inopportune moment, causing a flurry of criticism, receiving the most contradictory assessments and responses from readers.

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 chapter-by-chapter summary. The retelling was done 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 bright representative of nihilism, a trend when a person denies everything in the world.

Arkady Kirsanov– a recent student who arrived at his parents’ estate. Under the influence of Bazarov, he becomes interested in nihilism. At the end of the novel, he realizes that he cannot live like this and abandons the idea.

Kirsanov Nikolay Petrovich- landowner, widower, father of Arkady. He lives on the estate with Fenechka, who bore him a son. Adheres to progressive ideas, loves poetry and music.

Kirsanov Pavel Petrovich- aristocrat, former military man. Brother of Nikolai Kirsanov and uncle of Arkady. A prominent representative of the liberals.

Bazarov Vasily Ivanovich– retired army surgeon, Evgeniy’s father. Lives on his wife's estate, is not rich. He is engaged in medical practice.

Bazarova Arina Vlasevna- Evgeniy’s mother, a pious and very superstitious woman. Poorly educated.

Odintsova Anna Sergeevna- a rich widow who sympathizes with Bazarov. But he values ​​peace in his life more.

Lokteva Katya- sister of Anna Sergeevna, modest and quiet girl. Marries Arkady.

Other characters

Fenechka- a young woman who has a small 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 Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov 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 destined for a military career, but a minor leg injury prevented him. He studied at the university, got married and began to live in the village. 10 years after the birth of his son, his wife dies, and Nikolai Petrovich throws himself into farming 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 his friend and asks him not to stand on ceremony. Evgeny is a simple person, and you don’t have to be shy about him. Bazarov decides to ride in a tarantass, and Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady sit in the carriage.

Chapter 3.

During the journey, the father cannot calm down his joy from meeting his son; he always tries to hug him and asks about his friend. Arkady is a little shy. He tries to show his indifference and speaks in a cheeky tone. He constantly turns to Bazarov, as if he is afraid that he will hear his thoughts about 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 tells his son that Fenya’s girlfriend lives with him, and immediately hurries to say that she can leave if Arkady wants it. The son replies that this is not necessary. Both feel awkward and change the topic of conversation.

Looking at the desolation that reigned all around, Arkady thinks about the benefits of transformations, but he does not understand how to implement them. The conversation smoothly flows into the beauty of nature. Kirsanov Sr. is trying to recite a poem by Pushkin. He is interrupted by Evgeniy, who asks Arkady for a cigarette. Nikolai Petrovich falls silent and remains silent until the end of the journey.

Chapter 4.

At the manor's house no one met them, only an old servant and a girl who appeared for a moment. Having left 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 Nikolai Kirsanov’s older brother, Pavel Petrovich. His impeccable appearance stands out strongly against the background of the unkempt-looking Bazarov. An acquaintance took place, after which the young people went to clean up before dinner. In their absence, Pavel Petrovich begins to ask his brother about Bazarov, appearance which he didn't like.

During the meal, the conversation did not go well. Everyone said little, especially Evgeniy. 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 earlier than everyone else, Evgeniy 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 see Fenechka, who is said to be ill, and learns about the existence of his little brother. He rejoices and blames his father for hiding the fact of the birth of another son. Nikolai Kirsanov is touched and does not know what to answer.

The older Kirsanovs are interested in Bazarov’s absence 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 took to the experiment room.

Chapter 6.

While having morning tea together, a serious argument breaks out between Pavel Petrovich and Evgeniy. Both do not try to hide their dislike for each other. Nikolai Kirsanov tries to take the conversation in a different direction and asks Bazarov to help him with the choice of fertilizers. He agrees.

In order to somehow change Evgeny’s ridicule towards 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 a princess. She had no children, but had an old husband. She led the life of a flighty coquette, but Pavel fell deeply in love and could not live without her. After the separation, he suffered greatly, quit his service and followed her all over the world for 4 years.

Returning to his homeland, he tried to lead the same lifestyle as before, but, having learned about the death of his beloved, he went to the village to live with 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, and comes to Fenechka to look at little Mitya.

The story of how Nikolai Kirsanov and Fenechka met: 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 the 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 play the cello, Bazarov laughs, which causes Arkady's disapproval.

Chapter 10.

In two weeks, everyone got used to Bazarov, but they treated him differently: the servants loved him, Pavel Kirsanov hated him, and Nikolai Petrovich doubted his influence on his son. One day, he overheard a conversation between Arkady and Eugene. Bazarov called him a retired man, which greatly offended him. Nikolai complained to his brother, who decided to fight back against the young nihilist.

An unpleasant conversation took place during evening tea. By calling one landowner a “rubbish aristocrat,” Bazarov displeased the elder Kirsanov, who began to argue that by following principles, a person benefits society. Eugene responded by accusing him of living meaninglessly, like other aristocrats. Pavel Petrovich objected that the nihilists, by their denial, are only aggravating the situation in Russia.

A serious argument broke out, which Bazarov called senseless, and the young people left. Nikolai Petrovich suddenly remembered how a long time ago, when he was just as young, he quarreled with his mother, who did not understand him. Now the same misunderstanding arose between him and his son. The parallel between fathers and children is the main thing the author draws attention to.

Chapter 11.

Before going to bed, all the inhabitants of the estate were busy with their thoughts. Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov goes to his favorite gazebo, where he remembers his wife and reflects on life. Pavel Petrovich looks at the night sky and thinks about his own things. Bazarov invites Arkady to go to the city and visit an old friend.

Chapter 12.

The friends went to 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. Bazarov’s longtime acquaintance Sitnikov invited them to visit Evdokia Kukshina.

Chapter 13.

They didn’t like visiting Kukshina, because the hostess looked untidy, had meaningless conversations, asked a lot 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 heard for the first time.

Chapter 14.

Arriving at the ball, friends meet 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 because she was different from other women, and he agreed to visit her.

Chapter 15.

Friends come to visit Odintsova. The meeting made an impression on Bazarov and he, unexpectedly, became embarrassed.

Odintsova's story makes an impression on the reader. The girl's father lost the game and died in the village, leaving his two daughters a ruined estate. Anna was not at a loss and took up housekeeping. 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 city society and most often lived on the estate.

Bazarov behaved differently than always, which greatly surprised his friend. He talked a lot, talked about medicine and 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 Evgeniy and walked with him in the garden. Arkady, who liked her, seeing her passion for her friend, became 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 billbird. 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. Evgeniy announces his departure. In the evening, a conversation takes place between Bazar and Anna Sergeevna, where they try to understand what each of them dreams of getting from life.

Chapter 18.

Bazarov confesses his love to Odintsova. In response, he hears: “You didn’t understand me,” and feels extremely awkward. Anna Sergeevna believes that without Evgeny 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 unrealistic 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 remain more restrained. During lunch, the father talked about how he runs the household, and the mother just looked at her son.

After dinner, Evgeniy refused to talk to his father, citing fatigue. However, he did not fall asleep until the morning. In the novel "Fathers and Sons" the description of relations 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 with their attention they were interfering with his work. There was an argument between friends that 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 Evgeniy’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 take a detour to Nikolskoye. Friends were greeted very coldly. Anna Sergeevna did not come down for a long time, and when she appeared, she had a dissatisfied expression on her face and from her speech it was clear that they were not welcome.

The elder Kirsanovs' estate was delighted with them. Bazarov began to engage in wholesale and his own frogs. Arkady helped his father manage the estate, but constantly thought about the Odintsovs. Finally, having found correspondence between his mothers and Odintsova’s, he finds an excuse to go 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.
One day in the gazebo they talked a lot, and, deciding to test their thoughts, Bazarov kissed her on the lips. This was seen by Pavel Petrovich, who silently went into the house. Bazarov felt awkward, his conscience awoke.

Chapter 24.

Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is offended by Bazarov's behavior and challenges him to a duel. Confess to home in true reasons they don’t want to and say that they shot because of political differences. Evgeny wounds Kirsanov in the leg.

Having completely ruined his relationship with the elder Kirsanovs, Bazarov leaves for his parents, but on the way he turns to Nikolskoye.

Arkady becomes more and more interested in Anna Sergeevna's sister, Katya.

Chapter 25.

Katya talks to Arkady and convinces him that without his friend’s influence 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 want to remain just friends.

Chapter 26.

Arkady confesses his love to Katya, asks for her hand in marriage and she agrees to become his wife. Bazarov says goodbye to his friend, angrily accusing him of being unsuitable for decisive matters. Evgeniy goes to his parents' estate.

Chapter 27.

Living in his parents' house, Bazarov does not know what to do. Then he begins to help his father, treating the sick. While opening up a peasant who died of typhus, he accidentally injures 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 his death, Evgeniy tells her about his real feelings, and then dies.

Chapter 28.

Six months have passed. Two weddings took place on the same day, Arkady and Katya and Nikolai Petrovich and 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 their son’s grave, where two Christmas trees grew.

The brief retelling“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.

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Purpose: Purpose: Observation of the text of the novel, Observation of the text of the novel, to find out the reason for mutual rejection of P.P. Kirsanov and E. Bazarov, find out the reason for the mutual rejection of P.P. Kirsanov and E. Bazarov, determine the author’s attitude towards his heroes, determine the author’s attitude towards his heroes, note the means of creating images used by I.S. Turgenev; note the means of creating images used by I.S. Turgenev; work on the development of monologue speech, the ability to analyze work on the development of monologue speech, the ability to analyze

The history of the creation of the novel. The idea for the novel arises from I. S. Turgenev in I860 in the small seaside town of Ventnor, in England. The idea for the novel arises from I. S. Turgenev in I860 in the small seaside town of Ventnor, in England. It was a difficult time for the writer. His break with Sovremennik magazine had just occurred. The occasion was an article by N. A. Dobrolyubov about the novel “On the Eve”. I. S. Turgenev did not accept the revolutionary conclusions contained in it. The reason for the gap was deeper: rejection of revolutionary ideas, “the peasant democracy of Dobrolyubov and Chernyshevsky” and their intentions to “call Rus' to the axe.” The novel “Fathers and Sons” was an attempt to comprehend the character and direction of the activities of the “new people,” a type of which was just beginning to emerge in Russian society. It was a difficult time for the writer. His break with Sovremennik magazine had just occurred. The occasion was an article by N. A. Dobrolyubov about the novel “On the Eve”. I. S. Turgenev did not accept the revolutionary conclusions contained in it. The reason for the gap was deeper: rejection of revolutionary ideas, “the peasant democracy of Dobrolyubov and Chernyshevsky” and their intentions to “call Rus' to the axe.” The novel “Fathers and Sons” was an attempt to comprehend the character and direction of the activities of the “new people,” a type of which was just beginning to emerge in Russian society.

I.S. Turgenev about the novel “...At the basis of the main figure, Bazarov, lay one personality of a young provincial doctor that struck me. (He died shortly before 1860.) This remarkable man embodied - to my eyes - that barely born, still fermenting principle, which later received the name of nihilism. The impression made on me by this person was very strong and at the same time not entirely clear; At first, I myself could not give myself a good account of it - and I listened intensely and looked closely at everything that surrounded me, as if wanting to check the veracity of my own feelings. I was embarrassed by the following fact: in not a single work of our literature did I even see a hint of what I saw everywhere; Involuntarily, a doubt arose: am I chasing a ghost?” “...At the base of the main figure, Bazarov, lay one personality of a young provincial doctor that struck me. (He died shortly before 1860.) This remarkable man embodied - to my eyes - that barely born, still fermenting principle, which later received the name of nihilism. The impression made on me by this person was very strong and at the same time not entirely clear; At first, I myself could not give myself a good account of it - and I listened intensely and looked closely at everything that surrounded me, as if wanting to check the veracity of my own feelings. I was embarrassed by the following fact: in not a single work of our literature did I even see a hint of what I saw everywhere; Involuntarily, a doubt arose: am I chasing a ghost?”

Work on the novel continued in Paris in September 1860. Work on the novel continued in Paris in September 1860. During the winter, the first chapters were written. In letters from this time there are constantly requests to report on the news of the social life of Russia, seething on the eve of the greatest event in its history - the abolition of serfdom. To get the opportunity to directly become acquainted with the problems of modern Russian reality, I. S. Turgenev comes to Russia. The writer finished the novel, begun before the reform of 1861, after it in his beloved Spassky. The first chapters were written during the winter. In letters from this time there are constantly requests to report on the news of the social life of Russia, seething on the eve of the greatest event in its history - the abolition of serfdom. To get the opportunity to directly become acquainted with the problems of modern Russian reality, I. S. Turgenev comes to Russia. The writer finished the novel, begun before the reform of 1861, after it in his beloved Spassky. In the fall, upon returning to Paris, I. S. Turgenev reads his novel to V. P. Botkin and K. K. Sluchevsky, whose opinion he valued very much. Agreeing and arguing with their judgments, the writer, in his own words, “plows” the text, makes numerous changes and amendments to it. “I corrected and added some things, and in March 1862 “Fathers and Sons” appeared in the “Russian Bulletin” (I. S. Turgenev. “About “Fathers and Sons”). In the fall, upon returning to Paris, I. S. Turgenev reads his novel to V. P. Botkin and K. K. Sluchevsky, whose opinion he valued very much. Agreeing and arguing with their judgments, the writer, in his own words, “plows” the text, makes numerous changes and amendments to it. “I corrected and added some things, and in March 1862 “Fathers and Sons” appeared in the “Russian Bulletin” (I. S. Turgenev. “About “Fathers and Sons”). So, a year and a half after the idea was conceived, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was published on the pages of the February issue of the magazine “Russian Messenger”. I. S. Turgenev dedicated it to V. G. Belinsky. So, a year and a half after the idea was conceived, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was published on the pages of the February issue of the magazine “Russian Messenger”. I. S. Turgenev dedicated it to V. G. Belinsky.

Changes in the socio-political system (constitutional monarchy); softening or abolition of serfdom; allocation of small plots of land to peasants; Russian national identity; Zemsky Sobors - the voice of the people; The only true and moral religion is Orthodoxy. In their opinion, the Russian people have a special spirit of collectivism. By this they explained the special path of Russia. Fought against the worship of the West

They advocated the development of Russia in line with European civilization; advocated the development of Russia in line with European civilization; explained the difference from the West by the historical backwardness of Russia; explained the difference from the West by the historical backwardness of Russia; denied special role peasant community; denied the special role of the peasant community; advocated for widespread education of the people. advocated for widespread education of the people. They looked up to the West in everything, extolled Peter I as the great transformer of Russia. Westerners

They considered the peasantry as the main revolutionary force in the country; combined the idea of ​​a peasant revolution with the ideas of utopian socialism; they believed that Russia, after the abolition of serfdom through the peasant revolution, bypassing capitalism, would come to socialism through the peasant community; advocated for development social sciences, literature, art. N.G. Chernyshevsky, N.A. Dobrolyubov, A.I. Herzen, N.P. Ogarev Magazines “Sovremennik”, “Bell”

So, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was completed by the author in July 1861, published in 1862. These dates are certainly important. It is no coincidence that I.S. At the very beginning of the novel, Turgenev gives a whole series of numbers and dates. What can they tell the attentive reader? So, the novel “Fathers and Sons” was completed by the author in July 1861, published in 1862. These dates are certainly important. It is no coincidence that I.S. At the very beginning of the novel, Turgenev gives a whole series of numbers and dates. What can they tell the attentive reader? Russia in the second half of the 19th century lived on the eve of a huge social event - the abolition of serfdom, which for the country was supposed to become a turning point in all spheres of public life, including the breaking of the worldview of the advanced social strata. What does the expression “time split” mean? II half of the 19th century. “Time has split,” separating the liberal nobles and the “new” people of Russia—the commoners—democrats, “fathers” and “children” on opposite sides of the historical barrier. II half of the 19th century. “Time has split,” separating the liberal nobles and the “new” people of Russia – commoners – democrats, “fathers” and “children” – on opposite sides of the historical barrier.

Working with the text of a novel. Reading. Observation. Analysis - How is the confrontation between “fathers” and “children” depicted in the first chapters of the novel? - How is the confrontation between “fathers” and “children” depicted in the first chapters of the novel? This confrontation is revealed even more clearly in Chapter IV, when Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, the elder brother of Arkady’s father, appears on the stage. This confrontation is revealed even more clearly in Chapter IV, when Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, the elder brother of Arkady’s father, appears on the stage. Find this scene. We read by role. Find this scene. We read by role. What details caught your attention? What details caught your attention? What technique does the author use? What is its essence? What technique does the author use? What is its essence? Another character in the novel is the author. Based on the description of the heroes, based on the first impression, can one guess whose side he is on? Another character in the novel is the author. Based on the description of the heroes, based on the first impression, can one guess whose side he is on?

Bazarov is in no hurry to greet Father Arkady, emphasizes his simple origins, and abruptly interrupts Nikolai Petrovich when he quotes lines from Eugene Onegin. We see Arkady's secret superiority over his father. Bazarov is in no hurry to greet Father Arkady, emphasizes his simple origins, and abruptly interrupts Nikolai Petrovich when he quotes lines from Eugene Onegin. We see Arkady's secret superiority over his father. Nikolai Petrovich does not understand his son, notices dramatic changes in him, cannot “establish” a conversation, is embarrassed, timid, and silent. Nikolai Petrovich does not understand his son, notices dramatic changes in him, cannot “establish” a conversation, is embarrassed, timid, and silent. The author of the novel “above the fray”, he is equally ironic both in the description of Bazarov and in the description of P.P. Kirsanov, but there will definitely be a fight, and the first serious indication of it is in Chapter. 5 The author of the novel “above the fray”, he is equally ironic both in the description of Bazarov and in the description of P.P. Kirsanov, but there will definitely be a fight, and the first serious indication of it is in Chapter. 5

Analysis of Chapter 5 Again two central figures - Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov. Find their description, pay attention to the word “nihilist” that sounded like a bolt from the blue and puzzled the senior Kirsanovs. Again two central figures - Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov. Find their description, pay attention to the word “nihilist” that sounded like a bolt from the blue and puzzled the senior Kirsanovs. - Have you noticed how Pavel Petrovich’s first question about Bazarov sounds? ("What's happened?"). - Why is Nikolai Petrovich surprised, why did Pavel Petrovich’s hand freeze in the air? - Why is Nikolai Petrovich surprised, why did Pavel Petrovich’s hand freeze in the air? - Compare the interpretations of the word “nihilist” given by Nikolai Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich, what is the difference? - Compare the interpretations of the word “nihilist” given by Nikolai Petrovich and Pavel Petrovich, what is the difference? - A master of detail, Turgenev is true to himself here too, but now this is a different detail. Did you notice her? What is emphasized by this detail? - A master of detail, Turgenev is true to himself here too, but now this is a different detail. Did you notice her? What is emphasized by this detail? - In what phrases does Pavel Petrovich’s attitude towards nihilists sound? What does he conclude? Do you understand it? - In what phrases does Pavel Petrovich’s attitude towards nihilists sound? What does he conclude? Do you understand it?

Evgeny Bazarov Long robe with tassels, “clothes”; Long robe with tassels, “clothes”; naked red hand; naked red hand; introduces himself as a man of the people: “Evgeny Vasiliev” introduces himself as a man of the people: “Evgeny Vasiliev” N.P. Kirsanov “didn’t immediately... give his hand”; N.P. Kirsanov “didn’t immediately... give his hand”;

Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov Beautiful hand with long pink nails; Beautiful hand with long pink nails; the snowy whiteness of a sleeve fastened with a single large opal; the snowy whiteness of a sleeve fastened with a single large opal; “I didn’t shake my hand to Bazarov and even put it back in my pocket” I didn’t shake my hand to Bazarov and even put it back in my pocket

Lesson summary. It was important for us to see the confrontation between old and new, fathers and sons, and also to determine the author’s attitude towards the heroes. Was it a success? Was it a success? Later we will see that Turgenev is ready to understand Pavel Petrovich, it is no coincidence that he cites the story of his life, the old Kirsanovs are closer in spirit to him than Bazarov, with whom the author will nevertheless sincerely sympathize when the “simple” formulas of Yevgeny Bazarov’s life begin to break down “ complicated” relationship with Odintsova. And this will once again prove that the author is trying to be “above the fray”, that the artist’s task is to show the truth of life and he will not impose his assessment on the reader.

Homework re-read chapters VI-X, re-read chapters VI-X, compose comparison table: views of Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, in which include quotes characterizing the heroes’ attitude to art, love, the Russian people, nature, aristocracy and liberalism and other things that the heroes will argue about. (If you wish, you can make a spreadsheet) create a comparative table: the views of Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, in which you can add quotes characterizing the heroes’ attitude to art, love, the Russian people, nature, aristocracy and liberalism and other things that the heroes will argue about. (Those who wish can make a spreadsheet) individually: the story of Pavel Petrovich and the story of Bazarov (their lives before meeting in Maryino); individually: the story of Pavel Petrovich and the story of Bazarov (their life before meeting in Maryino); Feelings of Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov. (spreadsheet) Feelings of Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov. (spreadsheet)