Fathers and Sons is a story about differences
and conflicts, differences in
how people
think, new vs. old and the conflict that
having different views can
cause.
The story begins with Nikolai Kirsanov and his
servant Piotr who are
awaiting the
arrival of Arkady, Nikolai's son, who has just graduated from collage
and is returning
home for a visit. Arkady arrives with a friend that he introduces as
Bazarov, Nikolai
is pleased to meet the friend of his son and all four begin to head
back to Nikolai's
farm that he calls Marino. Arkady and his father get into a
separate coach
than Bazarov.
On the ride back the father and son begin to talk
about how the
farm has changed since he's been gone, and also warns him of the
fact that he is
living with a servant, which is usually considered inappropriate. We
then begin to see
Arkadys new way of thinking first show because he shows
himself as being
unimpressed and not caring and assures his father that their quest
Bazarov doesn't
care either.
At the arrival to Marino they are met by
Prokofitch who is described as a
simpering old
servant. Arkady is then met by his uncle Pavel, Pavel shakes hands
with Arkady but
abruptly puts his hand away when he is greeting Bazarov. We can
see from the
actions of Pavel that he immediately doesn't like Bazarov. After
Arkady and
Bazarov leave to go to their rooms, Pavel begins to ask about the
"hairy
creature" that is visiting with Arkady, and Bazarov begins to mock Pavel by
comments his
European demeanor and finds him "terribly affected for someone
living so far out
in the country"(ch4). Arkady and his father are also having
problems at this
time, Nikolai tells Arkady of his relationship with Fenichka,
Arkady responds with
saying that "You know my philosophy of life, and I would
hardly want to
interfere with your life or your happiness"(ch5). Nikolai can tell
that his son has
changed and he does not know how to accept these new ideas and
is thrown in to
confusion by them. This is the start of a conflict between the two.
In the mean time
while Bazarov is out catching frogs and Pavel ask Arkady about
his friend and is
told that he is a Nihilist, Arkady
explains that a nihilist is a
person who
"examines everything from a critical point of view, a person who does
not bow down to
authorities, who doesn't accept any principle on faith, no matter
how hollowed and
how venerated the principle is."(ch5). Pavel is the extreme
opposite and
believes that without principles it is impossible to exist. When
Bazarov comes
back in, a conflict escalates between the two when he is greeted as
"Mr.Nihilist"(6)
by Pavel. The argument between the two is a result of their
different
views.
When the two are alone Bazarov makes several
comments about Pavel,
Arkady defends
Pavel by demanding that Pavels life story deserves some
sympathy, he then
tells the story of Pavels life. Bazarov listens to the story about
Pavel and remarks
that "a person who stakes his whole life on the card of a
womans love, then
withers and sinks to the point of becoming incapable of
anything when
that card is trumped, isn't a man, isn't a male."(7) Bazarov's
statement is
important because we see that at the end of the story his own beliefs
are dismissed for
the love of Madame Odintsova.
After a few more run in's with Pavel and with
Arkady and his father not
being able to see
things on the same basis, since Nikolai can't understand Arkadys
views even when
reading them, the two boys decide to leave Marino and visit
Arkady's uncle
Matvei Kolyazin, who invites them to a ball. This is where they
meet Viktor
Sitnikov an old acquaintance of Bazarov's. At the ball is Odintsova, a
woman who has
very liberal views. Arkady talks to Odintsova through out most of
the ball and
begins to believe that he is in love with her. but she shows no interest
in Arkady and
wants to know more about his friend Bazarov. When she finds out
that he is a
nihilist she wants to meet him since she never met "someone who has
the courage not
to believe in anything"(15). Arkady
agrees to call upon Madame
Odintsova at her
hotel. At the hotel we see that Bazarov is embarrassed in the
presence of her
and is bothered that he is in the presence of someone who has a
personality as strong
as his and tries to cover it up by saying derogatory remarks
about her to
Arkady after they have left, being invited to meet her at her home.
Two days later they arrive at the home of Madame Odintsova, where she
lives with her
aunt and sister. The sister is a shy girl of about eighteen and the aunt
is a noblewoman.
Madame Odintsova suggest to Bazarov that they argue about
something and
sends Arkady to play the piano with her sister. Arkady enjoys
hearing her play
the piano, something a real nihilist would'nt do. The two spend
about two weeks
at the house before Bazarov surprises
Madame Odintsova by
announcing that
he will soon be leaving. By this time Bazarov believes that he is
in love with her
and claims to her that only there is only one
thing that could keep
him from leaving
and that it is something he could never have and admits to her
that he is
"madly and foolishly"(18) in love with her, and rushes from the room.
This is a
important point in the story for Bazarov since he once ridiculed Pavel for
the same such
actions, he now finds himself a victim of the same passions.
The two leave Madame Odintsovas together on
separate coaches, Bazarov
is heading to his
parents house and Arkady is heading to Marino, but the two join
back and head
together to Bazarov's parents where they are happy to see him after
such a long time.
But because of his failed relationship with Madame Odintsova
Bazarov is
miserable at home and is bored, and the relationship between the two
friends is
deteriorating. At one point on an argument about whether a man should
have any
principles or not, the argument gets out of hand and later Bazarov
instigates the
fight again by insulting Arkadys uncle Pavel. Bazarov gets so upset
that he threatens
to quarrel "to the death, to annihilation." (21) .
Bazarov is so miserable and bored that he
decides in only a few days that
he wants to go
back to Marino to get some work done. On the way to Marino they
wind up at the
Madames but this time only stay the day. They both return to
Marino, but
Arkady decides to return back to Nikolskoe, not to see the Madame
but to see Katya.
While Arkady is gone a conflict arise between Pavel and
Bararov, when he
is caught kissing Fenichka. Pavel speaks to Bazarov and suggest
that their should
be a duel. Bazarov accepts and later laughs at the idea. Before
Bazarov would
have never have accepted the duel since it is against the beliefs of
a nihilist. To
duel for ones honor is the height of romanticism. The two duel and
Pavel is injured
and instead of finishing Pavel off he runs over to help him. This is
kind of ironic
since earlier at Bazarovs parents house Bazarov wanted a duel and
would kill, but
know he is unwilling to. It is also willing to note that Bazarov had
to compete in
something romantic and against his beliefs and in Pavels world
before Pavel
could notice any worthy quality in him.
When Bazarov arrives at Nikolskoe the relationship
between the two
friends is pretty
much over. Bazarov tells his friend that "A romantic would say
that I feel our
paths are beginning to divide, but I would simply say that we have
grown tired of
each other. In the garden the next day Arkady confesses his love for
Katya and finds
out that she also loves him. In the story it's obvious to note that
gardens play a
romantic role. Nicolai went their to remember his wife, Bazarov
kissed Fenishka and walked with Madame Odintsova in
a garden, and Arkady
know pronounces
his love for Katya in the garden.
Back at Bazarov's parents home Bazarov is doing
some careless work and
contracts a fatal
disease. He realizes that he will soon die and sends a note off to
Odintsova. A
extremely romantic role for a Nihilist. As long as he is conscious he
refuses his last
rights and thus remains true to his beliefs, but comforts his father
by reminding him
that the last rights can be given to an unconscious man.
Bazarov gives into romanticism when he begins
to tell the Madame how
beautiful she is
and as he becomes delirious, says things that contradict his earlier
views. And admits
that there are certain types of men that are needed in Russia
and, he is not
one of them.
The story follows a certain path of conflict in
that Bazarov who was a
Nihilist who
believed in nothing and believed that romanticism was nonsense, was
turned around and
in the end suffered the same conflict Pavel went through in life,
the love of a
woman he could'nt have and the feelings of love so great that it
helped destroy
him.
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