What are Bazarov and Arkady arguing about? Bazarov and Arkady generation of young people

June 14 2011

The novel “Fathers and Sons” by Turgenev was written in 1862. As D.I. Pisarev notes, it is devoid of both beginning and ending. There is no clear, deliberate plan here. But at the same time, the novel describes completely different types and characters, and there are vividly drawn pictures. Here you can clearly feel Turgenev’s attitude towards his characters and the events unfolding on the pages of the novel.

At the beginning of the novel we see that Arkady is completely under the influence of his friend Bazarov. Despite the fact that he often gets into arguments with him, he idolizes his older friend. Arriving home, Arkady is even somewhat embarrassed by his family in front of Bazarov. He speaks deliberately casually with his father and uncle, trying to show that he is already quite mature and independent. Unlike Bazarov, Arkady is still just emerging as a... He absorbs everything new and quickly falls under the influence of those around him. So, for example, Odintsova, having a great understanding of people, immediately begins to treat Arkady as a younger brother. Despite the admiration for Bazarov, already at the beginning of the novel one can notice differences in the views of the friends. Arkady is more humane, gentle, he does not reject feelings, he loves art and nature. Bazarov is interesting to the young man as a strong independent personality, but it cannot be said that Arkady unconditionally accepts all his friend’s reasoning. He is dissatisfied when a friend, with his characteristic cynicism, thinks about the young man’s relatives, about Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, and in general about the people around him. Bazarov treats Arkady more as an obedient student and comrade-in-arms than as a friend. All arguments with a friend are somewhat instructive in nature. When a young man calls on a friend to take pity on Pavel Petrovich, Bazarov sharply replies that he does not consider the man “who put his entire life on the line for a woman’s love” to be a real man, a “male.” Next comes the idea that “every person must educate himself.” Bazarov does not hesitate to set himself as an example, knowing that Arkady is fascinated by his ideas as a nihilist. The more the young man gets to know his friend, the closer he gets to know him, the more often the thought arises that Bazarov is contradicting himself. So, for example, he notices with surprise that Evgeny feels shy in front of Odintsova and behaves unnaturally cheekily. Although he had previously convinced Arkady that the relationship between a man and a woman can be fully explained from a physiological point of view. The young man subtly senses the change in Bazarov when he falls in love with Anna Sergeevna. At first, he feels jealous and upset about the current state of affairs. However, he quickly resigns himself, recognizing the superiority of his friend, and directs all his attention to Odintsova’s younger sister Ekaterina Sergeevna.

I think Bazarov is attracted to Arcadia by his youth, freshness of perception, liveliness of feelings. He is somewhat flattered by his younger friend's reverent attitude towards himself. He condescends to Arkady, easily refuting all his friend’s arguments about feelings, women, and art. Arcadia has something that Bazarov does not have: a naive, unclouded perception of the world by cynicism, the ability to enjoy life and find the bright sides in it.

A split in the relationship between friends begins to emerge in Maryino, in Arkady’s house. The young man does not agree with Bazarov’s opinion that Nikolai Petrovich is a “retired man” and “his song is over.” Arkady is not able to “throw away” a person, even if his views are outdated. Be it a father or just a stranger. The culmination of the tension in the relationship between friends can be considered the moment when Bazarov speaks out about Sitnikov’s arrival: “I need such boobies... it’s not for the gods, in fact, to burn pots...” Only now before Arkady “the whole bottomless abyss of Bazarov’s pride opened up for a moment.” The young man begins to understand how his friend treats him, but out of old habit he still tries to maintain friendly relations with Bazarov. Leaving Odintsova, he begs to go to a friend’s tarantass, although “twenty-five miles seemed like as much as fifty.” Arkady was unpleasantly surprised by how Bazarov treated his parents, which also did not help strengthen the friendship between friends. The young man gradually leaves the influence of his friend. He falls in love with Katya and gradually becomes imbued with her views on life. Bazarov understands his friend’s condition very well. He realizes that the friendship has come to an end, that it is time to say goodbye to his old friend forever. In a conversation with Arkady, Evgeniy asserts that he “has neither insolence nor anger” and that therefore he is not suitable for the job. He considers his friend to be too soft a gentleman, a romantic, and understands how far he and Arkady are from each other. Bazarov does not consider it necessary to continue friendly relations. By and large, he never perceived Arkady as a friend, since he is a loner by nature. Therefore, having parted with the young man, Bazarov erases him from his memory. When his father suggests that Evgeny, who is dying of infection, send for a friend to say goodbye, he has difficulty remembering the name of Arkady Kirsanov and refuses to meet with him.

In the novel by Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev one can find examples of a variety of relationships between the characters: romantic, platonic, family, friendly and hostile. Evgeny Bazarov is a very controversial person, arousing the love of some and the hatred of others. His relationship with Pavel Petrovich, his uncle - a friend of Evgeniy, who invited him to stay at the Kirsanov family estate during the holidays) is especially interesting, since these seemingly complete opposites are not so clearly antagonistic.

The dispute between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich reveals new facets of each person's personality. Read in detail about the characteristics of the characters of the two heroes and their relationships in this article.

Pavel Petrovich - proud military man

At first glance, one can discern a proud man in Pavel Petrovich. Even his costume reflects this. When the hero first appears before the reader, the narrator notes that he had long, neat nails, that, although he is no longer young, he still remains an attractive man, and that Pavel Petrovich behaves with the same aristocratic elegance. And how interesting are the disputes between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich! The “table” of their relationships includes contrasts even in appearance.

What are Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich arguing about?

While the narrator notices these striking details, Bazarov immediately recognizes in Pavel Petrovich a man who thinks too much of himself. In the eyes of Evgeny Vasilyevich, his pride is unfounded and absurd. The dispute between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, their confrontation, thus begins with the very acquaintance of the characters.

As we learn a little more about this retired military man's background, we begin to better understand why he behaves the way he does. This military man was the beloved son of General Kirsanov and, in contrast to his brother Nikolai, was always a man of action. By the age of twenty-seven, Pyotr Petrovich was already a captain in the Russian army. He knew how to behave in high society and was popular with women. Thus, Pavel Petrovich from a young age was accustomed to respect and admiration.

The rude young Bazarov was destined from the very beginning to become this man's antagonist. They were united by extreme vanity, and, even without taking into account the fact that the opinions of the two heroes differed on everything, each saw a threat to himself in the image of the other. From Bazarov's point of view, Pavel Petrovich is a proud old man, into whom he himself may one day turn. In the eyes of the aristocrat, the young man was an arrogant upstart who had not yet earned the right to be so self-confident. Even before Pavel Petrovich knew anything about Bazarov, he began to dislike him because of his sloppy appearance and too long hair.

After Arkady discovered that Bazarov is a nihilist and informed his uncle about this, Pavel Petrovich has a clue that can be used to justify his hostility towards his guest. The nephew tries to argue, saying that a nihilist is one who critically evaluates all things, but Pavel Petrovich rejects this philosophy as a new fad of young people who do not recognize any authorities.

He compares this way of thinking with unsuccessful examples from history, in particular with the ideas of supporters of Hegelian logic, and with the manner of a connoisseur he says to Arkady: “Let us see how you will exist in emptiness, in Paul appeals to his experience and wisdom and speaks as if he already knows in advance that nihilism is a deeply flawed philosophy of youth.

A dispute about principles. Views of Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov

When Pavel Petrovich involves Bazarov in a dispute, he appeals to the English value system. The main idea of ​​this aristocrat: “... that without self-esteem, without self-respect - and in an aristocrat these feelings are developed - there is no solid foundation for a social... bien public, a public building.” Thus, the retired military man associates with aristocratic values, gradually developing this idea. This is how the dispute between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich continues.

On the other hand, in the discussion he gradually moves on to the absurdity of the existence of those who have no principles, and presents his opponent with a whole set of principles from high society, which he considers indisputable. Although Pavel Petrovich might have denied this, for him it is still important not just the presence or absence of values ​​as such. What is more important is the presence or absence of aristocratic values. This is what Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich are arguing about.

As the plot develops, both the shortcomings and advantages of this aristocrat emerge clearly. His military pride forces him to challenge Bazarov in the form of a duel, which ends in a complete fiasco for Pavel Petrovich.

It's not just that the old aristocrat gets injured, but that he had to explain to everyone that it was his fault.

However, the military man's assertion that a person cannot live without values ​​and his sense of self-respect are ultimately justified. We recognize this mainly by the isolation and confusion to which Bazarov’s attempts to find his place in the world lead. Arkady, who was not endowed with such a strong will, but at the same time was not so devoted to traditional values, arranges his life quite happily. Almost without remembering himself, Evgeniy follows the path of a retired military man and becomes entangled in his failed love. The dispute between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich seems somewhat absurd at this moment, because the life lines of the heroes and their behavior turn out to be so similar...

The story of Pavel Petrovich

When Bazarov begins to laugh at Pavel Petrovich, Arkady decides to tell him the story of his uncle, in the hope that this story will evoke sympathy in his friend. We learn that unsuccessful love played a big role in the life of Pavel Petrovich. He fell head over heels in love with a mysterious woman named Princess R. Pavel Petrovich courted her and after he achieved, his obsession with the princess only increased.

Rejected Lover

When his lover ran away from Pavel and her family, Pavel resigned and followed her. He was ashamed of his behavior, but her image sank into Pavel Petrovich’s soul too much, and he could not get it out of his head. It is not clear what exactly attracted the military princess R. Perhaps because of her mystery, the fact that she could not be fully understood or conquered.

In Baden, Pavel Petrovich managed to meet her, but a few months later the princess ran away again. After this, he returned to Russia and did his best to play his former role in society, although he did so without the same enthusiasm. After Pavel Petrovich heard that the princess died in Paris in a state close to madness, he gradually lost interest in life and stopped doing anything.

The Irony of Fate

Bazarov did not like this story. He believed that it was unmanly to give up after being defeated on the love front, and suggested that Paul spends the rest of his days teaching young people, and cannot do anything worthwhile with his own life.

By an evil irony of fate, Bazarov subsequently, like a former military man, becomes obsessed with Anna Sergeevna and cannot cope with this feeling and accept the fact that he was rejected.

However, Bazarov’s disputes with Pavel Petrovich do not stop there. Who is right?

Hidden motives

When we meet Pavel Petrovich, the narrator describes him as follows: “A lonely bachelor, he was entering that vague, twilight time, a time of regrets similar to hopes, and hopes similar to regrets, when youth had passed and old age had not yet come.” The vague feeling of despair that possessed the hero can explain many of his actions. It also explains why he clung so desperately to his pride and his family, since there was nothing else to cling to.

As the story progresses, we are shown a softer side of the elderly aristocrat. Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich, the dispute between whom never stopped, were certainly enemies. However, the real reason for his duel with Bazarov was that he wanted to defend his brother's honor, not his own. His last wish was for Nikolai to marry Fenechka and be happy.

Although Paul was not able to achieve his own happiness, he tries to make those around him happy. The hero lives the life of his brother, but still cannot forget the betrayal of Princess R. and become happy. He does not choose to be unhappy, he simply cannot do otherwise.

The attractiveness of Bazarov

The strength and weakness of Bazarov’s position in the dispute with Pavel Petrovich are present simultaneously. It's easy to condemn Evgeniy. He thinks he is better than everyone. He's rude. Eugene does not recognize any of those things that fill our lives with meaning (love, for example). Bazarov's disputes with Pavel Petrovich sometimes cause bewilderment. At times, Evgeniy is so stubborn that he is completely unable to admit that he is wrong. But still...

Bazarov inspires. We first see him through the admiring eyes of Arkady, and later we learn that his friend is just one of his students. As soon as these two move away from each other, we begin to see Bazarov in a more objective light, to see in him a born leader. He is a powerful, dignified person. When Evgeny Vasilyevich says to Pavel Petrovich: “In the present time, denial is most useful - we deny,” the reader cannot help but succumb to the power of these words and this personality.

This topic is discussed in great detail in the dispute between Evgeny Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich. The topics of their disputes cannot be covered in one article. We recommend turning to the original source for a deeper understanding. The lines of dispute between Evgeny Bazarov and Pavel Kirsanov, thus, can be continued.

Final scene

Turgenev himself admired Bazarov's strong, almost magnetic personality. He admitted that he cried when he described the scene of Yevgeny Vasilyevich’s death. Bazarov's character is fully revealed in this final scene. He's not just an arrogant young upstart. This man was truly talented and wanted to do something great in life.

Looking into his past, Bazarov thinks: “And I also thought: I’ll screw up a lot of things, I won’t die, no matter what! There is a task, because I’m a giant!” Although he does not show the fear of death, yet its approach makes Eugene feel his own insignificance, and not just talk about it. However, it is ultimately the fact that Bazarov shows no remorse that makes his character so compelling. Evgeny is the embodiment of daring youth with its illusion that we will never die. After all, why should we die?

Is there any benefit to denial?

When Fathers and Sons was first published in 1862, Turgenev was severely criticized by the younger generation because they believed that Bazarov's character was a parody of themselves. Of course, Ivan Sergeevich did not have such an intention when creating the work, but at times Evgeniy really resembles a parody, but not of youth in general, but of himself. I can’t help but remember the witticism of a retired military man directed at him: “He doesn’t believe in principles, but he believes in frogs.” Evgeny Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov reveal both their strengths and weaknesses in an ideological dispute.

Bazarov has a complex character. It is impossible to put forward a simple argument against him, but Eugene was deeply mistaken. Perhaps it is his shortcomings that do not make the character of this young nihilist so interesting and convincing.

What brings together and what separates these heroes of the novel "Fathers and Sons"?

Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov are connected by a nihilistic theory, a social movement of young people who understood the need for urgent reforms. Arkady's ardent desire to participate in the birth of new ideas for reforming society brought him under the tutelage of Bazarov, who liked the role of mentor and teacher, which is why he tried to get closer to Arkady. At first, the “student” really wanted to please the “teacher”; he even began to “re-educate” his father, Nikolai Petrovich. As it turned out later, Arkady and Evgeny actually had neither friendship nor a common cause. Later, Bazarov calls his “student” a “soft liberal gentleman” in whom there is “neither insolence nor anger”, and therefore he is not suitable “for a bitter, tart, bourgeois life.” And Arkady himself understood that their paths would diverge: he would get married, and having created a family, he would continue the family traditions of the Kirsanov nobles.

Bazarov needed supporters, followers, students, like a retinue for a king. And Arkady is convinced of this when he asks about Sitnikov: “...why is he here?” Bazarov’s answer shows the bottomless abyss of his pride: “You, brother, are still stupid... We need the Sitnikovs. I... need idiots like this. It’s really not for the gods to burn pots.” Arkady understands that he, too, is one of the “boobies,” and this offends him.

To reveal the ideological content of the novel, the episode where the characters talk while lying on the hay is of great importance. The ideological dispute that began on the Kirsanov estate continues here. Arkady, who seemed to be like-minded with Bazarov, gradually realizes how far his ideas about the impending changes in life are from the nihilistic theory of his friend and mentor.
In the previous (XIX chapter) the author notes that “for some time now a kind of false, cheeky banter has been established between both young people, which always serves as a sign of secret displeasure or unspoken suspicions.” It was on this evening that Arkady realized that Bazarov despises those who consider themselves his students. He himself did not feel respect for Sitnikov and Kukshina, but he would not want to subject them to insults, although he sometimes unwittingly participates in very unpleasant scenes of humiliation of “like-minded people.”

The conversation of young people under a haystack helps to reveal new sides of Bazarov’s character and his relationship with Arkady. Bazarov's tragic situation is that he is rejected by the woman he loves. But even Arkady does not understand his friend, although Evgeny admitted to him that he was defeated. For the first time, Bazarov realized what a collapse in thoughts and hopes was. He is deeply worried, he has lost weight, cannot sleep, is almost sick. For him, who denied love as romanticism and unforgivable stupidity, the truth was suddenly revealed: the human heart is capable of deep and strong feelings when the mind and life are subordinated to one goal - to be close to the beloved. Until recently, Bazarov did not seek to commit himself to a serious relationship with a woman and could have acted like others: “God give me legs.” Now Evgeniy assures Arkady that he is not like that. It turned out that the test of love revealed the strong, robust nature of a person capable of responsibly resolving issues of relations between a man and a woman. But it was precisely during this turning point and difficult period for Bazarov that he was suddenly thrown away by a blow of denial, like an unnecessary object or an undesirable phenomenon in the life of the one who had become dearer to him than anything in the world.

In a conversation with Arkady under a haystack, Bazarov promises that he will no longer talk about feelings. He struggles with his pain, trying to be philosophical about what is happening. He is looking for a fulcrum and talks about the insignificance of a grain of sand, an “atom”, a “mathematical point” in comparison with world space, in comparison with the universe: “... and the part of time that I manage to live is so insignificant before eternity.. ." Deep melancholy and tragic loneliness are heard in these words of Bazarov, who begins to realize that he is losing not only the barely born hope of happiness of being loved, but in general in life he is alone: ​​there are no real students, no like-minded people, and he has long been estranged from his parents.

Bazarov, in a dispute with Arkady, declares that he has not yet met his equals among those around him, which explains his contempt for people. He also recalls how he felt hatred for the peasant, for whom “public figures should try” to improve the life of the peasant. Evgeny uttered these words as they walked past the good-quality house of the headman of the peasant community in the village where Bazarov’s parents lived. Evgeniy begins to contradict himself: he is dissatisfied with everything, he is tormented by hatred, and he no longer wants to devote his life to the struggle for something new. Arkady tries to stop his friend, reminding him that it is possible to reach an agreement until the nihilists have no principles, and Bazarov says that there are no principles, but only sensations.

In the dispute, they reach contradictions in relation to literature, to the thinking abilities of a person and his speech. “Don’t speak beautifully,” Bazarov urges Arkady when he compares a falling leaf to the flight of a butterfly. Arkady is outraged by such an imposition of the elder’s will, as well as by the arrogance of the “teacher”, who predicts his life “in the footsteps” of his uncle and at the same time calls Pavel Petrovich an idiot. As a result, the friends almost quarreled, and A. Kirsanov suggested that “no friendship can withstand such clashes for long.”

The episode showed that the time has come for Arkady Kirsanov to move away from Bazarov, their paths will soon diverge. It was in a conversation under a haystack that the “student” showed a desire to break free from the power of the “teacher” and boldly objected to him. They have different points of view on love, on marriage, on attitudes towards parents, different views on life goals, on social movements, attitudes towards peasants, on the role of a person in society. They argue about the principles of aristocrats and the “feelings” of nihilists, about Pushkin and the peculiarities of human speech, about the sense of justice.

The author does not express obvious sympathy for any of the characters, but his attitude is conveyed through speech characteristics, through the perception of nature (the old noble house and greenery around), through statements about Bazarov’s parents. The author’s attitude towards the characters is manifested through colloquial expressions and evaluative epithets: “this idiot would be glad,” “I’ll grab you by the throat,” long and stiff fingers, an ominous face, a serious threat, a wry smile if we are talking about Bazarov, but “involuntary timidity.” ”, if the state of Arkady is described, who “resists as if jokingly.”

Arkady, as it turned out, was much closer in his beliefs to the aristocrats than to the nihilist Bazarov. He loved nature, poetry and music; he could not be annoyed by his father’s passion for playing the cello. And he also had the desire to run the household correctly and economically, to work on the family estate. Later, Arkady even achieves some success on his estate.
Arkady's attitude towards love and family values ​​also differed from Eugene's nihilistic views.
A. Kirsanov falls in love, he is happy in love and becomes a good family man.

Bazarov’s monologues helped to better know and understand the hero, but then there was an aggravation of contradictions between the young people, and dialogues with Arkady revealed a tendency towards divergence not only in beliefs, but also in the paths they would take next.

Reviews

In school lessons I didn’t understand Bazarov. Now, having some life experience, I can say: Bazarov builds his life, but he himself does not fully understand the essence of his personality. He is not the way he sees himself. Hence all his contradictions.

Best regards, Galina

PS. I love Turgenev! And I disagree with D. Bykov: Turgenev is not a forgotten author.

Rkady and Bazarov

After its publication in 1862, Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” caused

literally a barrage of critical articles. None of the public

the camps did not accept Turgenev’s new creation. Liberal criticism is not

could forgive the writer for the fact that representatives of the aristocracy,

hereditary nobles are depicted ironically that the “plebeian” Bazarov

mocks them all the time and is morally superior to them.

Democrats perceived the novel's protagonist as an evil parody.

Critic Antonovich, who collaborated in the Sovremennik magazine, called

Bazarov "Asmodeus of our time."

But all these facts, it seems to me, speak in favor of

I.S. Turgeneva. Like a real artist, creator, he was able to guess

the trends of the era, the emergence of a new type, the type of commoner democrat,

who replaced the advanced nobility. The main problem,

set by the writer in the novel, it sounds in its title: “Fathers and

children." This name has a double meaning. On the one hand, it

the problem of generations is an eternal problem of classical literature, with

the other is a conflict between two socio-political forces operating in

Russia in the 60s: liberals and democrats.

The characters in the novel are grouped depending on their

which of the socio-political camps can we attribute them to?

But the fact is that the main character Evgeny Bazarov turns out to be

the only representative of the camp of “children”, the camp of democrats -

commoners. All other heroes are in the hostile camp.

The central place in the novel is occupied by the figure of the new man -

Evgenia Bazarova. He is presented as one of those young figures

who "want to fight". Others are older people who

do not share Bazarov’s revolutionary democratic beliefs.

They are depicted as petty, weak-willed people with mean,

limited interests. The novel features nobles and

commoners of 2 generations - “fathers” and “children”. Turgenev shows

how a commoner democrat acts in an environment alien to him.

In Maryino, Bazarov is a guest who is distinguished by his

democratic appearance from the landowners. And with Arkady he

differ in the main thing - in their ideas about life, although at first they

are considered friends. But their relationship still cannot be called

friendship, because friendship is impossible without mutual understanding, friendship

cannot be based on the subordination of one to the other. On

Throughout the novel, the submission of a weak nature is observed

stronger: Arkady - Bazarov. But still Arkady gradually

acquired his own opinion and stopped blindly repeating

Bazarov's judgments and opinions of a nihilist. He can't handle arguments

and expresses his thoughts. One day their argument almost led to a fight.

The difference between the heroes is visible in their behavior in Kirsanov’s “empire”.

Bazarov is busy with work, studying nature, Arkady

sybaritizes, does nothing. It is clear that Bazarov is a man of action.

immediately across his red bare arm. Yes, indeed, he is in any

environment, in any home, he tries to get busy. His main business

Natural sciences, study of nature and testing of theoretical

discoveries in practice. attraction to science is a typical feature

cultural life of Russia in the 60s, which means that Bazarov keeps pace with

time. Arkady is the complete opposite. He's nothing

he is busy, none of the serious matters really attracts him.

For him, the main thing is comfort and peace, for Bazarov - not to sit idle,

work, move.

They form completely different judgments regarding

art. Bazarov denies Pushkin, and unfoundedly. Arkady

trying to prove to him the greatness of the poet. Arkady is always neat,

neat, well dressed, he has aristocratic manners. Bazarov is not

considers it necessary to observe the rules of good manners, so important in

noble life. This is reflected in all his actions, habits,

manners, speech, appearance.

A major disagreement arose between the "friends" in a conversation about the role

nature in human life. Here you can see Arkady's resistance

According to Bazarov, the “student” is gradually getting out of control

"teachers". Bazarov hates many, Arkady has no enemies. "You,

a gentle soul, a slob,” says Bazarov, realizing that Arkady

cannot be his associate. The "disciple" cannot live without

principles. In this way he is very close to his liberal father and Paul

Petrovich. But Bazarov appears before us as a man of the new

generation that replaced the “fathers” who were unable to decide

main problems of the era. Arkady is a man belonging to the old

generation, the generation of "fathers".

Pisarev very accurately assesses the reasons for the disagreements between

"student" and "teacher", between Arkady and Bazarov: "Attitude

Bazarova to his comrade casts a bright streak of light on his character; at

Bazarov has no friend, because he has not yet met a person who

I wouldn't give up on him. Bazarov's personality closes in on itself,

because outside of her and around her there are almost no people related to her

elements".

Rkady wants to be the son of his age and puts ideas on himself

Bazarov, who absolutely cannot grow together with him. He

belongs to the category of people who are always looked after and never

noticing guardianship. Bazarov treats him patronizingly and

almost always mockingly, he understands that their paths will diverge.

Arkady and Bazarov are very different people, and the friendship that arose between them is all the more surprising. Despite the young people belonging to the same era, they are very different. It is necessary to take into account that they initially belong to different circles of society. Arkady is the son of a nobleman; from early childhood he absorbed what Bazarov despises and denies in his nihilism. Father and uncle Kirsanov are intelligent people who value aesthetics, beauty and poetry. From Bazarov’s point of view, Arkady is a soft-hearted “barich”, a weakling. Bazarov does not want to admit that the liberality of the Kirsanovs is a consequence of deep education, artistic talent and high spirituality of nature. Bazarov denies such qualities as completely unnecessary. However, in this case we are talking not only about intelligence, but also about the deep continuity of the experience of previous generations, about the preservation of traditions and the entire cultural heritage.

The family theme played a big role in Russian literature, so the demonstration of intra-family conflict turned out to be revolutionary. The integrity and harmony of society was measured by the unity of the family. Consequently, such problems turned out to be not just family problems, but also problems of the entire society.

Bazarov attracted Arkady with his sharpness, originality and courage. For the young “barich” such personalities were a novelty. Arkady has become a kind of embodiment of youth, which is drawn to everything new and unusual, is easily carried away by new ideas, and has a keen interest in life in all its manifestations. Arkady is looking for his own path in life through trial and error. His attitude towards traditions, authorities and other things important to his father is quite frivolous. He lacks the wisdom of age, tolerance and consideration for other people that his father has. The conflict between Arkady and Nikolai Petrovich does not contain any political origin; it is cleared of social motives. Its essence is the eternal misunderstanding between youth and old age. However, this situation does not at all contradict the nature of things. On the contrary, old age is a guarantor of the preservation of moral values, cultural heritage and traditions in society. Youth, in turn, ensures the movement of progress with its craving for everything new and unknown.

Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov is a completely different matter. He came from a simple family, he is even somewhat ashamed of his parents. He is harsh, at times rude, decisive, categorical in his judgments and categorical in his conclusions. He quite sincerely believes that a good chemist is worth twenty poets. He does not understand the role of culture in society. He proposes to destroy everything in order to start writing history anew from scratch. This sometimes drives Pavel Petrovich, with whom he argues, into despair. We see maximalism on both sides taken to the extreme. Neither one nor the other wants to give in to each other and admit that their opponent is right. This is their main mistake. All sides are right up to a point. Pavel Petrovich is also right when he speaks of the need to preserve the heritage of his ancestors, and Bazarov is also right when he speaks of the need for change. Both of these sides are sides of the same coin. Both are sincerely concerned about the fate of their native country, but their methods are different.

The friendship of Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov begins to crack when Bazarov falls in love with Odintsova, and Arkady with Katya. Here their differences are fully revealed. If feeling is difficult for Bazarov, he cannot surrender to love, then Arkady and Katya learn to be themselves. Bazarov moves away from his friend, as if feeling his rightness, and not his own.

The image of Arkady was drawn in order to highlight the image of Bazarov and show the versatility of human nature and the same social problem. This makes the image of Bazarov even more lonely and tragic. Bazarov is considered, like Rudin, Pechorin, Onegin and Oblomov, a “superfluous man.” He has no place in this life, although such rebels always arise in troubled times.