The ideas of nihilism have no future;
It may be late, but the hero’s insight, awakening: human nature prevails over an erroneous idea;
Bazarov strives not to show his suffering, to console his parents, and to prevent them from seeking solace in religion.
The mention of Sitnikov and Kukshina is a confirmation of the absurdity of the ideas of nihilism and its doom;
The life of Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady is an idyll of family happiness, far from public disputes (a variant of the noble path in future Russia);
The fate of Pavel Petrovich – the result of a life ruined by empty love affairs (without family, without love, far from the Motherland);
Odintsova’s fate is a version of a fulfilled life: the heroine marries a man who is one of the future public figures Russia;
Description of Bazarov's grave - a declaration of the eternity of nature and the life of the temporality of the empty social theories, claiming eternity, the futility of human desire to know and change the world, the greatness of nature compared to vanity human life.
Evgeny Vasilievich Bazarov – main character novel. Initially, the reader only knows about him that he is a medical student who came to the village on vacation. First, Bazarov visits the family of his friend Arkady Kirsanov, then goes with him to the provincial town, where he meets Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, lives for some time in her estate, but after an unsuccessful declaration of love, he is forced to leave and finally ends up in his parents’ house, where I was headed from the very beginning. He doesn’t live long at his parents’ estate; longing drives him away and forces him to repeat the same route again. In the end it turns out that there is no place for him anywhere. Bazarov returns home again and soon dies.
The basis of the hero’s actions and behavior is his commitment to ideas nihilism. Bazarov calls himself a “nihilist” (from the Latin nihil, nothing), i.e. a person who “recognizes nothing, respects nothing, treats everything from a critical point of view, does not bow to any authorities, does not accept a single principle on faith, no matter how respected this principle may be.” He categorically denies the values of the old world: its aesthetics, social structure, the laws of life of the aristocracy; love, poetry, music, the beauty of nature, family ties, such moral categories, as a duty, right, obligation. Bazarov acts as a merciless opponent of traditional humanism: in the eyes of the “nihilist,” humanistic culture turns out to be a refuge for the weak and timid, creating beautiful illusions that can serve as their justification. The “nihilist” opposes the humanistic ideals with the truths of natural science, which affirm the cruel logic of life-struggle.
Bazarov is shown outside the circle of like-minded people, outside the sphere of practical affairs. Turgenev speaks of Bazarov’s readiness to act in the spirit of his democratic convictions - that is, to destroy in order to clear a place for those who will build. But the author does not give him the opportunity to act, because, from his point of view, Russia does not yet need such actions.
Bazarov fights against old religious, aesthetic and patriarchal ideas, mercilessly ridiculing the romantic deification of nature, art and love. He affirms positive values only in relation to the natural sciences, based on the conviction that man is a “worker” in the workshop of nature. A person appears to Bazarov as a kind of bodily organism and nothing more. According to Bazarov, society is to blame for the moral shortcomings of individual people. With the correct structure of society, all moral diseases will disappear. Art for a hero is a perversion, nonsense.
Bazarov's test of love for Odintsova. Bazarov also considers the spiritual sophistication of love to be “romantic nonsense.” The story about Pavel Petrovich's love for Princess R. is not introduced into the novel as an inserted episode. He is a warning to the arrogant Bazarov
In a love conflict, Bazarov’s beliefs are tested for strength, and it turns out that they are imperfect and cannot be accepted as absolute. Now Bazarov’s soul is split into two halves - on the one hand, we see the denial of the spiritual foundations of love, on the other hand, the ability to love passionately and spiritually. Cynicism is being replaced by a deeper understanding of human relationships. A rationalist who denies the power of true love, Bazarov is overwhelmed by passion for a woman who is alien to him and social status, and by nature, he is so overwhelmed that failure plunges him into a state of depression and melancholy. Rejected, he won a moral victory over a selfish woman from the noble circle. When he sees the complete hopelessness of his love, nothing causes him to make love complaints and requests. He painfully feels the loss, goes to his parents in the hope of being healed of love, but before his death he says goodbye to Odintsova as to the beauty of life itself, calling love the “form” of human existence.
The nihilist Bazarov is capable of truly great and selfless love, striking us with depth and seriousness, passionate intensity, integrity and strength of heartfelt feeling. IN love conflict he looks big strong personality capable of real feelings for a woman.
Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov is an aristocrat, an Anglomaniac, and liberal. Essentially the same doctrinaire as Bazarov. The very first difficulty - unrequited love - made Pavel Petrovich incapable of anything. Brilliant career and secular successes are interrupted tragic love, and then the hero finds a way out in abandoning hopes for happiness and in fulfilling his moral and civic duty, Pavel Petrovich moves to the village, where he tries to help his brother in his economic reforms and advocates in support of liberal government reforms. Aristocratism, according to the hero, is not a class privilege, but a high social mission of a certain circle of people, a duty to society. An aristocrat must be a natural supporter of freedom and humanity.
Pavel Petrovich appears in the novel as a convinced and honest man. but clearly limited. Turgenev shows that his ideals are hopelessly far from reality, and his life position It doesn’t even provide him with peace of mind. In the reader’s mind, the hero remains lonely and unhappy, a man of unfulfilled aspirations and unfulfilled destiny. This to a certain extent brings him closer to Bazarov. Bazarov is the product of the vices of the older generation, his philosophy is the denial of the life attitudes of the “fathers”. Turgenev shows that absolutely nothing can be built on negation, because the essence of life lies in affirmation, not negation.
Duel of Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich. For the insult inflicted on Fenechka, Pavel Petrovich challenged Bazarov to a duel. This is also the conflict point of the work. The duel completed and exhausted his social conflict, for after the duel Bazarov would forever part with both the Kirsanov brothers and Arkady. She, putting Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov in a situation of life and death, thereby revealed not the individual and external, but the essential qualities of both. The true reason for the duel was Fenechka, in whose features Kirsanov Sr. found similarities with his fatal beloved Princess R. and whom he also secretly loved. It is no coincidence that both antagonists have feelings for this young woman. Unable to tear true love out of their hearts, they try to find some kind of surrogate for this feeling. Both heroes are doomed people. Bazarov is destined to die physically. Pavel Petrovich, having settled Nikolai Petrovich’s marriage with Fenechka, also feels like a dead man. The moral death of Pavel Petrovich is the passing of the old, the doom of the obsolete.
Arkady Kirsanov. In Arkady Kirsanov, the unchanging and eternal signs of youth and youth with all the advantages and disadvantages of this age are most openly manifested. Arkady’s “nihilism” is a living play of young forces, a youthful feeling of complete freedom and independence, an ease of attitude towards traditions and authorities. The Kirsanovs are equally far from both the noble aristocracy and the commoners. Turgenev is interested in these heroes not from a political, but from a universal human point of view. The ingenuous souls of Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady maintain simplicity and everyday unpretentiousness in an era of social storms and catastrophes.
Pseudo-nihilists Kukshin and Sitnikov. Bazarov is lonely in the novel; he has no true followers. His imaginary comrades-in-arms cannot be considered as successors to the hero’s work: Arkady, who after his marriage completely forgets about his youthful passion for fashionable freethinking; or Sitnikova and Kukshina - grotesque images, completely devoid of the charm and conviction of the “teacher”.
Kukshina Avdotya Nikitishna is an emancipated landowner, a pseudo-nihilist, cheeky, vulgar, downright stupid. Sitnikov is a pseudo-nihilist, recommended to everyone as Bazarov’s “student”. He tries to demonstrate the same freedom and sharpness of judgment and actions as Bazarov. But the resemblance to the “teacher” turns out to be parodic. Next to the truly new man of his time, Turgenev placed his caricature “double”: Sitnikov’s “nihilism” is understood as a form of overcoming complexes (he is ashamed, for example, of his father, a tax farmer, who makes money by soldering the people, at the same time he is burdened by his human insignificance ).
Bazarov's worldview crisis. Denying art and poetry, neglecting the spiritual life of man, Bazarov falls into one-sidedness, without noticing it. Challenging the “damned barchuks,” the hero goes too far. His denial of “your” art develops into a denial of art in general; the denial of “your” love - into the assertion that love is a “feigned feeling”, explainable only by the physiology of the sexes; denial of sentimental noble love for the people - into contempt for the peasant. Thus, the nihilist breaks with the eternal, enduring values of culture, putting himself in a tragic situation. Failure in love led to a crisis in his worldview. Two mysteries arose before Bazarov: the mystery of his own soul and the mystery of the world around him. The world, which seemed simple and understandable to Bazarov, becomes full of secrets.
So is this theory needed by society and is it necessary to him this type of hero like Bazarov? The dying Eugene tries to reflect on this with bitterness. “Is Russia necessary... no. apparently not needed,” and asks himself the question: “And who is needed?” The answer is unexpectedly simple: a shoemaker, a butcher, a tailor are needed, because each of these invisible people does their job, working for the good of society and without thinking about high goals. Bazarov comes to this understanding of the truth on the threshold of death.
The main conflict in the novel is not the dispute between “fathers” and “children”, but internal conflict As experienced by Bazarov, the demands of living human nature are incompatible with nihilism. Being a strong personality, Bazarov cannot renounce his convictions, but he is also unable to turn away from the demands of nature. The conflict is insoluble, and the hero is aware of this.
Death of Bazarov. Bazarov's beliefs come into play tragic contradiction with his human essence. He cannot renounce his convictions, but he cannot strangle the awakened person within himself. For him there is no way out of this situation, and that is why he dies. The death of Bazarov is the death of his doctrine. The hero's suffering, his untimely death is a necessary payment for his exclusivity, for his maximalism.
Bazarov dies young, without having time to begin the activity for which he was preparing, without completing his work, alone, without leaving behind children, friends, like-minded people, not understood by the people and distant from them. His enormous strength is wasted in vain. Bazarov's gigantic task remained unfulfilled.
Bazarov's death revealed Political Views author. Turgenev, a true liberal, a supporter of the gradual, reformist transformation of Russia, an opponent of any revolutionary explosions, did not believe in the prospects of the revolutionary democrats, could not pin high hopes on them, perceived them as a great force, but transitory, believed that they would very soon go away historical arena and will give way to new social forces - gradualist reformers. Therefore, the revolutionary democrats, even if they were smart, attractive, honest, like Bazarov, seemed to the writer to be tragic loners, historically doomed.
The dying scene and the scene of Bazarov's death are the most difficult test for the right to be called a man and the most brilliant victory of the hero. “To die as Bazarov died is the same as to accomplish a great feat” (D. I. Pisarev). Such a person who knows how to die calmly and firmly will not retreat in the face of an obstacle and will not be afraid in the face of danger.
The dying Bazarov is simple and humane, there is no longer any need to hide his feelings, he thinks a lot about himself and his parents. Before his death, he calls Odintsova to tell her with sudden tenderness: “Listen, I didn’t kiss you then... Blow on the dying lamp and let it go out.” The very tone of the last lines, the poetic rhythmic speech, the solemnity of the words, sounding like a requiem, emphasize loving relationship author to Bazarov, moral justification of the hero, regret about wonderful person, the thought of the futility of his struggle and aspirations. Turgenev reconciles his hero with eternal existence. Only nature, which Bazarov wanted to turn into a workshop, and his parents, who gave him life, surround him.
The description of Bazarov’s grave is a statement of the eternity and greatness of nature and life in comparison with the vanity, temporality, futility of social theories, human aspirations to know and change the world, and human mortality. Turgenev is characterized by subtle lyricism, this is especially evident in his descriptions of nature. In landscape, Turgenev continues the traditions of the late Pushkin. For Turgenev, nature as such is important: aesthetic admiration of it.
Critics about the novel.“Did I want to scold Bazarov or praise him? I don’t know this myself, because I don’t know whether I love him or hate him!” “My whole story is directed against the nobility as an advanced class.” “The word “nihilist” I released was used then by many who were only waiting for an opportunity, a pretext to stop the movement that had taken over Russian society...” “I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, evil, honest - and yet doomed to destruction because it still stands on the threshold of the future” (Turgenev). Conclusion. Turgenev shows Bazarov in a contradictory way, but he does not seek to debunk him or destroy him.
In accordance with the vectors of the struggle of social movements in the 60s, points of view on Turgenev’s work were also built. Along with the positive assessments of the novel and the main character in Pisarev’s articles, negative criticism was also heard from the ranks of the democrats.
Position of M.A. Antonovich (article “Asmodeus of our time”). A very harsh position that denies social significance and artistic value novel. In the novel “... there is not a single living person or living soul, but all are only abstract ideas and different directions, personified and named proper names" The author is not friendly towards the younger generation and “he gives complete preference to fathers and always tries to elevate them at the expense of the children.” Bazarov, in Antonovich’s opinion, is a glutton, a chatterbox, a cynic, a drunkard, a braggart, a pathetic caricature of youth, and the whole novel is slander against the younger generation.” Dobrolyubov had already died by this time, and Chernyshevsky was arrested, and Antonovich, who primitively understood the principles of “ real criticism", accepted the original author's plan for the final artistic result.
The liberal and conservative part of society perceived the novel more deeply. Although there were some extreme judgments here too.
Position of M.N. Katkov, editor of the magazine “Russian Herald”.
“How ashamed Turgenev was to lower the flag in front of the radical and salute him as before an honored warrior.” “If Bazarov is not elevated to apotheosis, then one cannot help but admit that he somehow accidentally ended up on a very high pedestal. It really overwhelms everything around it. Everything in front of him is either rags or weak and green. Is this the kind of impression you should have wanted?” Katkov denies nihilism, considering it a social disease that must be fought by strengthening protective conservative principles, but notes that Turgenev puts Bazarov above everyone else.
The novel as assessed by D.I. Pisarev (article “Bazarov”). Pisarev gives the most detailed and thorough analysis of the novel. “Turgenev does not like merciless denial, and yet the personality of the merciless denier emerges as a strong personality and inspires involuntary respect in every reader. Turgenev is prone to idealism, and yet none of the idealists depicted in his novel can compare with Bazarov either in strength of mind or strength of character.”
Pisarev explains the positive meaning of the main character, emphasizes the vital importance of Bazarov; analyzes Bazarov’s relationships with other heroes, determines their attitude towards the camps of “fathers” and “sons”; proves that nihilism got its start precisely on Russian soil; determines the originality of the novel. D. Pisarev’s thoughts about the novel were shared by A. Herzen.
The most artistically adequate interpretation of the novel belongs to F. Dostoevsky and N. Strakhov (Time magazine). Views of F.M. Dostoevsky. Bazarov is a “theorist” who is at odds with “life”, a victim of his dry and abstract theory. This is a hero close to Raskolnikov. Without considering Bazarov's theory, Dostoevsky believes that any abstract, rational theory brings suffering to a person. Theory breaks down in reality. Dostoevsky does not talk about the reasons that give rise to these theories. N. Strakhov noted that I. S. Turgenev “wrote a novel that is neither progressive nor retrograde, but, so to speak, eternal.” The critic saw that the author “stands for the eternal principles of human life,” and Bazarov, who “shuns life,” meanwhile “lives deeply and strongly.”
The point of view of Dostoevsky and Strakhov is fully consistent with the judgments of Turgenev himself in his article “About “Fathers and Sons”,” where Bazarov is called a tragic person.
Death of Bazarov
The main character of I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” - Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov - dies at the end of the work. Bazarov is the son of a poor district doctor, continuing the work of his father. Eugene’s position in life is that he denies everything: views on life, feelings of love, painting, literature and other forms of art. Bazarov is a nihilist.
At the beginning of the novel, there is a conflict between Bazarov and the Kirsanov brothers, between the nihilist and the aristocrats. Bazarov's views differ sharply from the beliefs of the Kirsanov brothers. In disputes with Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, Bazarov wins. Therefore, there is a gap for ideological reasons.
Evgeniy meets Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, an intelligent, beautiful, calm, but unhappy woman. Bazarov falls in love, and, having fallen in love, he understands that love no longer appears to him as “physiology,” but as a real, sincere feeling. The hero sees that Odintsova highly values her own calmness and measured order of life. The decision to part with Anna Sergeevna leaves a heavy mark on Bazarov’s soul. Unrequited love.
The “imaginary” followers of Bazarov include Sitnikov and Kukshina. Unlike them, for whom denial is just a mask that allows them to hide their inner vulgarity and inconsistency, Bazarov, with confidence in his abilities, defends views close to him. Vulgarity and insignificance.
Bazarov, having arrived to his parents, notices that he is getting bored with them: Bazarov cannot talk to either his father or his mother the way he talks to Arkady, or even argue the way he argues with Pavel Petrovich, so he decides to leave. But soon he comes back, where he helps his father treat sick peasants. People different generations, different development.
Bazarov likes to work, for him work is satisfaction and self-esteem, so he is close to the people. Bazarov is loved by children, servants and men, because they see him as simple and smart person. The people are their understanding.
Turgenev considers his hero doomed. Bazarov has two reasons: loneliness in society and internal conflict. The author shows how Bazarov remains lonely.
Bazarov's death was the result of a small cut he received while opening the body of a peasant who had died of typhus. Evgeny is waiting to meet the woman he loves in order to once again confess his love to her, and he also becomes softer with his parents, deep down in his soul, probably still understanding that they have always occupied a significant place in his life and deserve a much more attentive and sincere attitude. Before death, he is strong, calm and calm. The death of the hero gave him time to evaluate what he had done and realize his life. His nihilism turned out to be incomprehensible, since he himself is now denied by both life and death. We feel not pity for Bazarov, but respect, and at the same time we remember that before us is ordinary person with your fears and weaknesses.
Bazarov is a romantic at heart, but he believes that romanticism has no place in his life now. But still, fate made a revolution in Evgeny’s life, and Bazarov begins to understand what he once rejected. Turgenev sees him as an unrealized poet, capable of the strongest feelings, possessing fortitude.
DI. Pisarev claims that “It’s still bad for the Bazarovs to live in the world, even though they sing and whistle. No activity, no love, and therefore no pleasure.” The critic also argues that one must live “while one can live, eat dry bread when there is no roast beef, be with women when one cannot love a woman, and generally not dream about orange trees and palm trees when there are snowdrifts and cold tundra underfoot.”
Bazarov's death is symbolic: medicine and natural sciences, on which Bazarov so relied, turned out to be insufficient for life. But from the author's point of view, death is natural. Turgenev defines the figure of Bazarov as tragic and “doomed to death.” The author loved Bazarov and repeatedly said that he was “clever” and a “hero.” Turgenev wanted the reader to fall in love with Bazarov with his rudeness, heartlessness, and ruthless dryness.
He regrets his unspent strength, his unfulfilled task. Bazarov devoted his entire life to the desire to benefit the country and science. We imagine him as smart, reasonable, but deep down, sensitive, attentive and kind person.
According to his moral convictions, Pavel Petrovich challenges Bazarov to a duel. Feeling awkward and realizing that he is compromising his principles, Bazarov agrees to shoot with Kirsanov Sr. Bazarov slightly wounds the enemy and himself gives him first aid. Pavel Petrovich behaves well, even makes fun of himself, but at the same time both he and Bazarov are embarrassed. Nikolai Petrovich, from whom the true reason for the duel was hidden, also behaves in the most noble way, finding justification for the actions of both opponents.
“Nihilism,” according to Turgenev, challenges enduring values spirit and natural foundations of life. This is seen as the tragic guilt of the hero, the reason for his inevitable death.
Evgeniy Bazarov cannot in any way be called " extra person" Unlike Onegin and Pechorin, he is not bored, but works a lot. Before us is a very active person, he has “immense strength in his soul.” One job is not enough for him. In order to really live, and not drag out a miserable existence, like Onegin and Pechorin, such a person needs a philosophy of life, its goal. And he has it.
The worldviews of the two political trends of nobles-liberals and revolutionary democrats. The plot of the novel is built on the opposition of the most active representatives of these trends, the commoner Bazarov and the nobleman Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. According to Bazarov, aristocrats are not capable of action; they are of no use. Bazarov rejects liberalism, denies the ability of the nobility to lead Russia to the future.
The reader understands that Bazarov has no one to convey what little, but the most precious thing he has is his beliefs. He has no near and dear person, and therefore no future. He doesn't think of himself county doctor, but he also cannot be reborn, become like Arkady. There is no place for him in Russia, and, perhaps, abroad too. Bazarov dies, and with him his genius, his wonderful, strong character, his ideas and beliefs die. But true life is endless, the flowers on Eugene’s grave confirm this. Life is endless, but only true...
Turgenev could have shown how Bazarov would gradually abandon his views; he did not do this, but simply “dead” his main character. Bazarov dies from blood poisoning and before his death he recognizes himself as an unnecessary person for Russia. Bazarov is still alone and therefore doomed, but his fortitude, courage, perseverance, and perseverance in achieving his goal make him a hero.
Bazarov does not need anyone, he is alone in this world, but does not feel his loneliness at all. Pisarev wrote about this: “Bazarov alone, by himself, stands at the cold height of sober thought, and this loneliness does not bother him, he is completely absorbed in himself and work.”
In the face of death, even the strongest people begin to deceive themselves and entertain unrealistic hopes. But Bazarov boldly looks into the eyes of inevitability and is not afraid of it. He only regrets that his life was useless, because he did not bring any benefit to his homeland. And this thought gives him a lot of suffering before his death: “Russia needs me... No, apparently, I don’t. And who is needed? I need a shoemaker, I need a tailor, I need a butcher..."
Let us remember the words of Bazarov: “When I meet a person who would not give up in front of me, then I will change my opinion about myself.” There is a cult of power. “Hairy,” - this is what Pavel Petrovich said about Arkady’s friend. He is clearly offended by the appearance of a nihilist: long hair, hoodie with tassels, red unkempt hands. Of course, Bazarov is a working man who does not have time to take care of his appearance. This seems to be the case. Well, what if this is “deliberate shocking of good taste”? And if this is a challenge: I dress and do my hair the way I want. Then it is bad, immodest. The disease of swagger, irony towards the interlocutor, disrespect...
Speaking purely from a human perspective, Bazarov is wrong. At his friend’s house he was greeted cordially, although Pavel Petrovich did not shake hands. But Bazarov does not stand on ceremony and immediately enters into a heated argument. His judgment is uncompromising. “Why would I recognize authorities?”; “A decent chemist is twenty times more useful than a poet”; he brings down high art to the “art of making money.” Later it would go to Pushkin, Schubert, and Raphael. Even Arkady remarked to a friend about his uncle: “You insulted him.” But the nihilist did not understand, did not apologize, did not doubt that he behaved too impudently, but condemned: “He imagines himself to be a practical person!” what kind of relationship is this between a man and a woman...
In Chapter X of the novel, during a dialogue with Pavel Petrovich, Bazarov managed to speak out on all the fundamental issues of life. This dialogue deserves special attention. Bazarov claims that the social system is terrible, and one cannot but agree with this. Further: There is no God as the highest criterion of truth, which means do what you want, everything is permitted! But not everyone will agree with this.
There is a feeling that Turgenev himself was at a loss while exploring the character of the nihilist. Under the pressure of Bazarov’s strength and firmness and confidence, the writer became somewhat embarrassed and began to think: “Maybe this is necessary? Or maybe I’m an old man who has ceased to understand the laws of progress?” Turgenev clearly sympathizes with his hero, and treats the nobles condescendingly, and sometimes even satirically.
But a subjective view of the characters is one thing, the objective thought of the entire work is another matter. What is it about? About the tragedy. The tragedies of Bazarov, who, in his thirst for “doing things for a long time”, in his enthusiasm for his god-science, trampled upon universal human values. And these values are love for another person, the commandment “thou shalt not kill” (fought in a duel), love for parents, leniency in friendship. He is cynical in his attitude towards women, mocks Sitnikov and Kukshina, narrow-minded people, greedy for fashion, miserable, but still people. Eugene excluded from his life high thoughts and feelings about the “roots” that feed us, about God. He says: "I look at the sky when I want to sneeze!"
Bazarov in the face of death is one of the most bright images, created by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev in his famous work"Fathers and Sons". This work became iconic for the generation that grew up in the 60s XIX century. Many perceived this hero as an ideal, a role model.
Roman Turgeneva
Bazarov appears in the face of death at the very end of this novel. Its actions take place in 1859, on the eve of the peasant reform, which forever abolished serfdom in Russia. The main characters are Evgeny Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov. These are young people who come to stay at the Maryino estate with Arkady’s father and uncle. Bazarov develops a difficult and tense relationship with the older Kirsanovs, as a result of which he is forced to move away from them. Arkady, carried away by his comrade, follows him. IN provincial town they find themselves in the company of progressive youth.
Later, at the governor’s party, they meet Odintsova, perhaps the main female character novel. Bazarov and Kirsanov go to her estate called Nikolskoye. Both of them are infatuated with this woman. Bazarov even confesses his love to her, but this only scares Odintsova. Evgeniy is forced to leave again. This time again, together with Arkady, he goes to his parents. They love their son too much. Bazarov soon frankly gets tired of this, so he returns to Maryino. There he develops a new hobby - the girl's name is Fenechka. They kiss, and it turns out that Fenechka is the mother illegitimate son Arkady's father. All this leads to a duel between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, Arkady's uncle.
Meanwhile, Arkady himself goes alone to Nikolskoye and stays with Odintsova. True, he is not interested in the mistress of the estate, but in her sister, Katya. Bazarov also comes to Nikolskoye. He explains to Odintsova and apologizes for his feelings.
Fates of heroes
The novel ends with Bazarov, having said goodbye to his friend, leaving for his parents. He helps his father in a difficult task - treating those sick with typhus. During the operation, he accidentally cut himself while autopsying another deceased and contracted a fatal infection.
Before his death, he asks Odintsova to see him one last time. The fate of the remaining characters is as follows: the progressive Pavel Petrovich goes abroad, Nikolai Petrovich marries Fenechka, and Arkady Kirsanov marries her sister, Katya Odintsova.
Problems of the novel
In Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons", Bazarov finds himself in the face of love and death. The author's decision to end his work with the death of the main character says a lot about the intention that the creator had. Turgenev's Bazarov dies in the finale. Therefore, it is so important to understand why the author treated him this way, why the description of this death is so important for understanding the meaning of the entire work. A detailed study of the episode dedicated to death helps answer these questions. central character. How does Bazarov find himself in the face of death? Summary You can find the ending of the novel in this article.
Image of Evgeny Bazarov
Describing the main character of his work, the author notes that Bazarov was the son of a doctor. When he grew up, he decided to continue his father's work. The author himself characterizes him as an intelligent and cynical person. At the same time, somewhere inside, in the depths of his soul, he remains attentive, sensitive and kind.
Bazarov has a specific life position, which in subsequent years received large number adherents and supporters. Evgeniy denies any moral values contemporary society, as well as morality and any ideals. Moreover, he does not recognize any art, does not perceive love, which is sung by many poets, since he considers it pure physiology. At the same time, he does not recognize any authorities in life, believing that each person should focus only on himself, without following anyone.
Nihilism
Bazarov is a supporter of nihilism, but at the same time he differs from other young people who adhere to a similar philosophy, for example, from Kukshin or Sitnikov. For them, denial of everything around them is nothing more than a mask that helps hide their own inadequacy and callous, deep-seated vulgarity.
Bazarov is not at all like them. He does not prevaricate at all, defending his views with his characteristic ardor. He believes that the main thing for which a person should live is work that benefits the whole society. At the same time, Evgeniy treats most of those around him condescendingly, even despises many of them, placing them below himself.
Meeting with Odintsova
This philosophy of life of Bazarov, in the inviolability of which he was sure, changed radically after meeting with Odintsova. Bazarov truly falls in love for the first time, and after that he understands how much his beliefs diverge from the truths of life.
Collapse of ideals
The main character of Turgenev's novel feels that love is not only physiology, but also the present, strong feeling. An epiphany sets in, which changes a lot in the hero’s worldview. All his beliefs collapse, and after them his whole life loses its meaning. Turgenev could write about how this man abandons his ideals over time, turning into an average person. Instead, he puts Bazarov in the face of death.
It is worth recognizing that the death of the hero occurs stupidly and largely by accident. It is the result of a small cut that was received during the autopsy of a person who died of typhus. But at the same time, death was not at all sudden. Knowing that he was ill, Bazarov was able to appreciate what had been done and realize the extent of what he would never accomplish. It is remarkable how Bazarov behaves in the face of death. He doesn't look scared or confused. Instead, Evgeniy is strong, surprisingly calm and stoic, almost imperturbable. At these moments the reader begins to feel not pity for him, but sincere respect.
Death of Bazarov
At the same time, the author does not let us forget that Bazarov is still an ordinary person who is characterized by various weaknesses. No one perceives their death indifferently, which is why Evgeniy is openly worried. He constantly thinks about what he could still do, about the strength that is in him, but remains unspent.
At the same time, Bazarov remains ironic and cynical to the last in the face of death. Quote “Yes, go ahead, try to deny death. It denies you, and that’s it!” this only confirms it. Here, behind the hero’s irony, we can see the bitter regret of the passing minutes. In the last minutes of his life, he longs to meet his beloved woman, with whom he could not be together. Bazarov, in the face of death, asks Odintsova to come to him. She fulfills this wish.
On his deathbed, the main character softens towards his parents, realizing that in reality they have always occupied an important place in his life, shaped his essence and worldview. The way Bazarov looks in the face of death is probably what everyone would like to look like. He calmly analyzes everything he has done during his short but fruitful life, which he devoted to science, wanting to benefit his country. Death for the main character turns out to be not only the cessation of physical existence, but also a sign that Russia does not really need him. All his dreams of changing something end in virtually nothing. The physical death of the protagonist is preceded by the death of his views. Together with Bazarov, his genius dies, as well as his powerful character and sincere convictions.
Question
How did you perceive last pages novel? How did Bazarov's death make you feel?
Answer
The main feeling that the last pages of the novel evoke in readers is a feeling of deep human pity that such a person is dying. The emotional impact of these scenes is great. A.P. Chekhov wrote: "My God! What a luxury “Fathers and Sons” is! Just at least shout guard. Bazarov's illness was so severe that I became weak and felt as if I had become infected from him. And the end of Bazarov?.. It’s the devil knows how it was done. Simply brilliant."
Question
How did Bazarov die? (Chapter XXVII)
“Bazarov was getting worse every hour; the disease took on a rapid course, which usually happens with surgical poisoning. He had not yet lost his memory and understood what was being said to him; he was still struggling.
“I don’t want to be delusional,” he whispered, clenching his fists, “what nonsense!” And then he said: “Well, subtract ten from eight, how much will it come out?” Vasily Ivanovich walked around like a madman, offering first one remedy, then another, and did nothing but cover his son’s feet. “Wrap in cold sheets... emetic... mustard plasters to the stomach... bloodletting,” he said with tension. The doctor, whom he begged to stay, agreed with him, gave the patient lemonade, and for himself asked for either a straw or a “strengthening-warming”, that is, vodka. Arina Vlasyevna sat on a low bench near the door and only went out to pray from time to time; a few days ago the dressing mirror slipped out of her hands and broke, and she always considered this a bad omen; Anfisushka herself did not know how to tell her anything. Timofeich went to Odintsova.”
“The night was not good for Bazarov... A severe fever tormented him. By morning he felt better. He asked Arina Vlasyevna to comb his hair, kissed her hand and drank two sips of tea.”
“The change for the better did not last long. The attacks of the disease have resumed."
“I'm finished. Got under a wheel. And it turns out that there was nothing to think about the future. The old thing is death, but something new for everyone. I’m still not afraid... and then unconsciousness will come, and fuck! (He waved his hand weakly.)"
“Bazarov was no longer destined to wake up. By evening he fell into complete unconsciousness, and the next day he died.”
Question
Why D.I. Pisarev said: “To die the way Bazarov died is the same as doing a great feat...”?
Answer
Bazarov's fatal illness is his last test. In the face of the inevitable force of nature, courage, strength, will, nobility, and humanity are fully manifested. This is the death of a hero, and a heroic death.
Not wanting to die, Bazarov fights illness, unconsciousness, and pain. To last minute he does not lose his clarity of mind. He shows willpower and courage. He himself made an accurate diagnosis and calculated the course of the disease almost hourly. Feeling the inevitability of the end, he did not chicken out, did not try to deceive himself and, most importantly, remained true to himself and his convictions.
“...now, for real, the hellstone is not needed. If I got infected, it’s too late now.”
“Old man,” Bazarov began in a hoarse and slow voice, “my business is crappy. I am infected, and in a few days you will bury me.”
“I didn’t expect to die so soon; This is an accident, a very unpleasant one, to be honest.”
“Strength, strength,” he said, “is all still here, but we have to die!.. The old man, at least he managed to wean himself from life, and I... Yes, go ahead and try to deny death. She denies you, and that’s it!”
Question
According to the beliefs of believers, those who received communion were forgiven all their sins, and those who did not receive communion fell into eternal torment in hell. Does Bazarov agree or not to take communion before his death?
Answer
In order not to offend his father, Bazarov “finally said”: “I do not refuse, if it can console you.” And then he adds: “... but it seems to me that there is no need to rush yet. You yourself say that I’m better.” This phrase is nothing more than a polite refusal to confess, since if a person feels better, then there is no need to send for a priest.
Question
Does Bazarov himself believe that he is better?
Answer
We know that Bazarov himself accurately calculated the course of the disease. The day before, he tells his father that “tomorrow or the day after tomorrow his brain will resign.” “Tomorrow” has already arrived, at most there is still a day left, and if you wait any longer, the priest will not have time (Bazarov is precise: that day “by the evening he fell into complete unconsciousness, and the next day he died”). This cannot be understood otherwise as an intelligent and delicate refusal. And when the father insists on “fulfilling the duty of a Christian,” he becomes harsh:
“No, I’ll wait,” Bazarov interrupted. - I agree with you that a crisis has arrived. And if you and I were wrong, well! after all, even the unconscious are given communion.
- Have mercy, Evgeniy...
- I'll wait. And now I want to sleep. Don't bother me."
And in the face of death, Bazarov rejects religious beliefs. For weak person It would be convenient to accept them, to believe that after death one can go “to heaven”; Bazarov is not deluded by this. And if they do give him communion, it will be unconscious, as he foresaw. There is no will here: this is the act of parents who find solace in this.
Answering the question why Bazarov’s death should be considered heroic, D.I. Pisarev wrote: “But to look death in the eyes, to foresee its approach, without trying to deceive oneself, to remain true to oneself until the last minute, not to weaken and not to become afraid - this is the thing strong character... a person who knows how to die calmly and firmly will not retreat in the face of an obstacle and will not be afraid in the face of danger.”.
Question
Did Bazarov change before his death? Why did he become closer to us before his death?
Answer
The dying Bazarov is simple and humane: there is no longer any need to hide his “romanticism.” He thinks not about himself, but about his parents, preparing them for a terrible end. Almost like Pushkin, the hero says goodbye to his beloved and says in the language of a poet: “Blow on the dying lamp and let it go out.”
He finally uttered “other words” that he had been afraid of before: “... I loved you!.. Goodbye... Listen... I didn’t kiss you then...” “And caress your mother. After all, people like them cannot be found in your big world during the day…” Love for a woman, filial love for his father and mother merge in the consciousness of the dying Bazarov with love for his homeland, for mysterious Russia, which remains an incompletely solved mystery for Bazarov: “There is a forest here.”
Before his death, Bazarov became better, more humane, softer.
Question
In life, Bazarov dies from an accidental cut on his finger, but is the death of the hero in the composition of the novel accidental?
Why does Turgenev end his novel with the death scene of the main character, despite his superiority over other characters?
Answer
About his departure, Bazarov says: “Russia needs me... No, apparently I’m not needed. And who is needed?
Every plot and compositional device reveals the writer’s ideological intent. Bazarov's death, from the author's point of view, is natural in the novel. Turgenev defined Bazarov as a tragic figure, “doomed to destruction.”
There are two reasons for the hero’s death - his loneliness and internal conflict. Both of these interrelated reasons were part of the author's intention.
Question
How does Turgenev show the hero's loneliness?
Answer
Consistently, in all of Bazarov’s meetings with people, Turgenev shows the impossibility of relying on them. The first to fall away are the Kirsanovs, then Odintsova, then the parents, then Fenechka, he has no true students, Arkady also leaves him, and finally, the last and most important clash occurs with Bazarov before his death - a clash with the people.
“Sometimes Bazarov went to the village and, teasing as usual, entered into a conversation with some peasant.
-What were you talking about?
- It is known, master; does he really understand?
- Where to understand! - answered the other man, and, shaking their hats and pulling down their sashes, they both began to talk about their affairs and needs. Alas! Shrugging his shoulder contemptuously, knowing how to talk to the peasants, Bazarov (as he boasted in a dispute with Pavel Petrovich), this self-confident Bazarov did not even suspect that in their eyes he was still something of a fool...
The new people look lonely compared to the vast majority of the rest of society. Of course, there are few of them, especially since these are the first new people. Turgenev is right in showing their loneliness in the local and urban nobility; he is right in showing that here they will not find helpers.
The main reason for the death of Turgenev’s hero can be called socio-historical. The circumstances of Russian life in the 60s did not yet provide an opportunity for fundamental democratic changes, for the implementation of the plans of Bazarov and others like him.
“Fathers and Sons” caused fierce controversy throughout the history of Russian literature of the 19th century. And the author himself, with bewilderment and bitterness, stops before the chaos of contradictory judgments: greetings from enemies and slaps in the face from friends.
Turgenev believed that his novel would serve to unite the social forces of Russia, that Russian society will heed his warnings. But his dreams did not come true.
“I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, evil, ancient, but still doomed to death, because it still stands on the threshold of the future.” I.S. Turgenev.
Exercise
1. Share your feelings about the novel.
2. Did the hero evoke your sympathy or antipathy?
3. Do the following assessments and definitions of him coexist in your idea of him: smart, cynic, revolutionary, nihilist, victim of circumstances, “genius”?
4. Why does Turgenev lead Bazarov to death?
5. Read your miniature essays.
The episode of Bazarov's death is one of the most important in the work. Being the denouement of the idea of the work, this episode plays a key role in the novel, being the answer to the question: “Is it possible to live, rejecting everything? human feelings and recognizing only reason?
Bazarov returns home to his parents as a person different from what he was before. He begins to avoid loneliness, which used to be an integral part of his life and helped him work.
He is always looking for company: drinking tea in the living room, walking in the forest with his father, because being alone becomes unbearable for him. Alone, his thoughts are dominated by Odintsova, the woman he loves, who has destroyed his unshakable belief in the absence of romantic feelings. Because of this, Bazarov becomes less attentive and less focused on work. And, due to this very inattention, he receives a slight cut, which later became fatal for him.
Bazarov, as an experienced doctor, understands perfectly well that he has little time left to live. The understanding of his imminent inevitable death tears off his mask of insensibility. He worries about his parents and tries to protect them from his worries, hiding the illness from them until the last moment. When Bazarov’s condition completely deteriorates and he stops getting out of bed, it doesn’t even occur to him to even think about complaining about the pain. He reflects on life, sometimes inserting his characteristic ironic jokes.
Realizing that he has very little time left, Bazarov asks to send Odintsova to see her one last time before his death. She arrives dressed completely in black, as if for a funeral. Seeing the dying Bazarov, A.S. finally realizes that he does not love him. Bazarov tells her everything about what is in his soul. He still does not complain, but only talks about life and his role in it. When E.B. asks Odintsova to give him a glass of water, she does not even take off her gloves and fearfully breathes in fear of getting infected. This once again proves her lack of romantic feelings towards Bazarov. The dying Bazarov still begins to have a small spark of hope for reciprocity of love, and he asks for her kiss. A.S. fulfills his request, but kisses him only on the forehead, that is, the way they usually kiss the dead. For her, Bazarov's death is not important event, and she already mentally said goodbye to him.
Analyzing this episode, we see that illness and the understanding of imminent death finally transforms Bazarov from an independent nihilist into ordinary person with your weaknesses. In their last days he no longer conceals any feelings within himself and opens his soul. And he dies a strong man, without complaining or showing pain. Odintsova's behavior shows her lack of love for Bazarov. Her visit to the dying man is only politeness, but not a desire to see the hero for the last time and say goodbye.
This episode is inextricably linked with others in this work. It is the denouement of the main conflict of the work, logically continuing the whole idea of the novel, and especially chapter 24. In this chapter, a duel takes place between Kirsanov and Bazarov, which is why the latter has to go back home to his parents.
From all of the above, we can conclude that this episode plays one of the key roles in the work. Being a denouement, it brings to an end the story of a man who rejected all feelings, and shows that it is still impossible to live, denying human joys and guided only by reason.
