Conflict in the work fathers and sons. Fathers and sons, how is the generational conflict expressed?

The problem of “fathers and sons” is an eternal problem that arises for people of different generations. The life principles of elders were once considered the basis human existence, but they become a thing of the past and are replaced by new ones life ideals belonging to to the younger generation. The generation of “fathers” tries to preserve everything that they believed in, what they lived with all their lives, sometimes not accepting the new beliefs of the young, strives to leave everything in their place, strives for peace. “Children” are more progressive, always on the move, they want to rebuild and change everything, they do not understand the passivity of their elders. The problem of “fathers and sons” arises in almost all forms of organization human life: in the family, in the work team, in society as a whole. The task of establishing a balance in views when “fathers” and “children” collide is complex, and in some cases it cannot be solved at all. Someone enters into open conflict with representatives of the older generation, accusing them of inactivity and idle talk; someone, realizing the need for a peaceful solution to this problem, steps aside, giving both themselves and others the right to freely implement their plans and ideas, without colliding with representatives of another generation.

The clash between “fathers” and “children,” which occurred, is occurring, and will continue to occur, could not help but be reflected in the works of Russian writers. Each of them solves this problem differently in their works.

Among such writers, I would like to highlight I. S. Turgenev, who wrote the magnificent novel “Fathers and Sons.” The writer based his book on the complex conflict that arises between “fathers” and “children,” between new and obsolete views on life. Turgenev personally encountered this problem in the Sovremennik magazine. The new worldviews of Dobrolyubov and Chernyshevsky were alien to the writer. Turgenev had to leave the editorial office of the magazine.

In the novel “Fathers and Sons” the main opponents and antagonists are Evgeny Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. The conflict between them is considered from the point of view of the problem of “fathers and sons”, from the position of their social, political and public disagreements.

It must be said that Bazarov and Kirsanov differ in their own social background, which, of course, affected the formation of the views of these people.

Bazarov's ancestors were serfs. Everything he achieved was the result of hard mental work. Evgeniy became interested in medicine and natural sciences, conducted experiments, collected various beetles and insects.

Pavel Petrovich grew up in an atmosphere of prosperity and prosperity. At eighteen he was assigned to the page corps, and at twenty-eight he received the rank of captain. Having moved to the village to live with his brother, Kirsanov maintained social decency here too. Great importance Pavel Petrovich gave appearance. He was always well shaven and wore heavily starched collars, which Bazarov ironically ridicules: “Nails, nails, at least send me to an exhibition!..” Evgeny does not care at all about his appearance or what people think of him. Bazarov was a great materialist. For him, the only thing that mattered was what he could touch with his hands, put on his tongue. The nihilist denied all spiritual pleasures, not understanding that people get pleasure when they admire the beauties of nature, listen to music, read Pushkin, and admire the paintings of Raphael. Bazarov only said: “Raphael is not worth a penny...”

Pavel Petrovich, of course, did not accept such nihilist views. Kirsanov was fond of poetry and considered it his duty to uphold noble traditions.

Bazarov's disputes with P.P. Kirsanov play a huge role in revealing the main contradictions of the era. In them we see many directions and issues on which representatives of the younger and older generations do not agree.

Bazarov denies principles and authorities, Pavel Petrovich claims that “... only immoral or empty people can live without principles in our time.” Evgeniy exposes government system and accuses the “aristocrats” of idle talk. Pavel Petrovich recognizes the old social order, not seeing any flaws in it, fearing its destruction.

One of the main contradictions arises between the antagonists in their attitude towards the people.

Although Bazarov treats the people with contempt for their darkness and ignorance, all representatives the masses in Kirsanov’s house they consider him “their” person, because he is easy to communicate with people, there is no lordly effeminacy in him. And at this time, Pavel Petrovich claims that Yevgeny Bazarov does not know the Russian people: “No, the Russian people are not what you imagine them to be. He sacredly honors traditions, he is patriarchal, he cannot live without faith...” But after these beautiful words When talking to men, she turns away and sniffs cologne.

The disagreements that have arisen between our heroes are serious. Bazarov, whose life is built on negation, cannot understand Pavel Petrovich. The latter cannot understand Evgeniy. The culmination of their personal hostility and differences of opinion was a duel. But main reason The duel is not a contradiction between Kirsanov and Bazarov, but an unfriendly relationship that arose between them at the very beginning of their acquaintance with each other. Therefore, the problem of “fathers and sons” lies in personal bias towards each other, because it can be solved peacefully, without resorting to extreme measures, if older generation will be more tolerant of the younger generation, perhaps agreeing with them somewhere, and the generation of “children” will show more respect for their elders.

Turgenev studied the eternal problem of “fathers and sons” from the perspective of his time, his life. He himself belonged to the galaxy of “fathers” and, although the author’s sympathies were on the side of Bazarov, he advocated philanthropy and development spiritual origin in people. Having included a description of nature in the narrative, testing Bazarov with love, the author imperceptibly gets involved in a dispute with his hero, disagreeing with him in many respects.

The problem of “fathers and sons” is relevant today. It stands out sharply to people who belong to different generations. “Children” who openly oppose the generation of “fathers” must remember that only tolerance towards each other and mutual respect will help avoid serious clashes.

More than half a century Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev was at the center of the social and spiritual life of Russia and Western Europe, striving, according to him in my own words, “during all this time... to embody into proper types both what Shakespeare calls the very image and pressure of time, and that rapidly changing physiognomy of the Russian people of the cultural layer, which predominantly” served as the “subject” of his “observations.” Turgenev owned the ability to guess the emerging movement in society. The breath of the era of the 60s, its typical features are palpable in the images of the heroes of the novel “Fathers and Sons”, in the historical ending in which the action unfolds, in central conflict novel. Turgenev wrote to Pauline Viardot: “I tried to imagine the conflict of two generations.”

• “The main person seems to be an expression of our newest modernity,” Turgenev wrote to Dostoevsky. One of the most important historical phenomena of this time was the struggle of bourgeois-noble liberalism with revolutionary democracy around the fundamental issues of Russian life, the struggle of two directions, two historical trends - reformist and revolutionary - in Russian social development since the 60s. This conflict served as an objective historical basis Turgenev's novel.

Based on the novel The socio-political conflict between liberals and revolutionary democrats began on the eve of 1861 on the issue of the upcoming reform.

Clashes between these political forces found expression on the pages of the novel in disputes between Bazarov and the Kirsanov brothers. These heroes are discussing the upcoming reform. Bazarov directly says that the reform will not work for future use. The novel vividly conveys the disputes between “fathers” and “children”, representatives of two cultures - the old one, the outgoing one. noble culture and new, democratic. These disputes reflected the clash between the noble liberals, who played their relative progressive role in the 40s, and common democrats who became the leaders of the advanced social movement. Disputes are about the situation of the people, their prospects, about art, literature, about the political system, life principles. It is not for nothing that the book is called a novel of ideological disputes.

Disputes took place around a variety of issues that concerned social thought 60s: about the attitude towards the nobility cultural heritage, about art and science, about the system of human behavior, about moral principles, about education, about public duty - all these problems found their way into Turgenev’s novel. Runaways but with expressive strokes emphasizing the historical necessity of destroying the serfdom, the novel shows the bleak fate of the serfs, the darkness and ignorance of the people. Thought about difficult situation people are introduced by Turgenev from the very beginning of the novel and in Nikolai Petrovich’s sorrowful lamentations about bad work men, and into Arkady's thoughts about the need for reforms, caused by the unsightly picture of rural poverty. The deep basis of Turgenev’s novel was the question of the fate of Russia, the Russian people, about their paths further development. Turgenev himself gave the following assessment of the political content of Fathers and Sons: “My whole story is directed against the nobility as an advanced class. Look at the faces of Nikolai Petrovich, Pavel Petrovich, Arkady. Weakness and lethargy or limitation.

An aesthetic feeling forced me to take the good representatives of the nobility in order to prove my theme all the more accurately: if cream is bad, what about milk?.. They are the best of the nobles - and that is why I chose them to prove their inconsistency.” These words did not mean a desire to caricature representatives of the nobility. Writer noticed in the nobles and a lot good qualities, possessing certain advantages, but at the same time saw their historical futility. The images of Pavel Petrovich, Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady show the Russian liberal nobility in its various manifestations. Main Bazarov’s antagonist, on whose collision the main ideological conflict rests, is Pavel Petrovich, endowed with strength, passion, and uncompromisingness.

The main character of the novel, Evgeny Bazarov, has a broad scientific horizon: he has deep scientific knowledge in the field of medicine, chemistry, physics, botany, zoology. Passion for natural sciences was typical feature cultural life Russia of the 60s. The study of natural sciences at that time was looked upon as the necessary foundation of all knowledge. Bazarov is not only a future materialist scientist, but also a future public figure.

Old man Bazarov asks Arkady: “...It’s not in the medical field that he will achieve the fame that you prophesy for him?” “Of course, not in medicine, although in this regard he will be one of the first scientists,” answers Arkady, who knew Evgeniy’s intentions. Bazarov's Nihilism born in the era of withdrawal public consciousness.

Dobrolyubov wrote about people of Bazarov’s type even before the appearance of the image of the main character Turgenev and said that such people decide to “step onto the road of merciless denial in order to find pure truth,” their ultimate goal is “bringing is possible.” greater benefit to humanity." I. I. Mechnikov wrote: “The belief has spread among young people that only positive knowledge can lead to true progress, that art and other manifestations of people’s spiritual life, on the contrary, only slow down progress. Sensitive to all the aspirations of the younger generation, Turgenev portrayed the type in Bazarov young man who believes exclusively in science...

» Turgen in vividly depicted the conflict between two generations. The elder Kirsanov, hardly realizing this, hated Bazarov because he crossed out his whole life. Pavel Petrovich believed that he led a noble life and was worthy of respect. According to Bazarov, Pavel Petrovich is an “archaic phenomenon”, his existence is “promiscuity, emptiness”, his principles are “the self-justification of a person who “sits with arms folded”. The novel shows the spiritual death of Pavel Kirsanov. He treats his brother, Fenechka, nobly, is constant in love, honest, and it is bitter that the life of a man with undoubted merits passes so mediocrely. Nikolai Petrovich is also happy in his family, surrounded by loved ones, but his life is also poor in content.

All the good undertakings of Nikolai Petrovich - the desire to organize the estate, the desire to keep up with the progressive youth, to keep up with life - end in failure. He is a “retired man.”

Turgenev says with sad irony in the epilogue of the novel that the existence of Nikolai Petrovich is as meaningless as the existence of his brother. The fate of the “fathers” also applies to the old Bazarovs. The novel caused controversy immediately after its publication, and critical reviews came from both conservatives and the democratic camp, where they also assessed the novel differently. Antonovich, an employee of Sovremennik, published an article “Asmodeus of Our Time,” in which he wrote that Bazarov is an evil slander against commoner democrats.

The critic denied artistic value novel and called it the founder of anti-nihilistic novels. Antonovich interpreted the image of Bazarov as slander against the younger generation. This understanding of the novel stemmed from the critic’s incorrect methodological principles: he replaced what was actually depicted in the novel with what, in his opinion, Turgenev wanted to say.

On behalf of another democratic magazine, " Russian word", Pisarev spoke with the article "Bazarov". Pisarev cleared Bazarov of the charge of caricature, explained the positive meaning of the image, emphasized social role Bazarovs. Pisarev analyzed the way of thinking, behavior in society, and the ideals of people like Bazarov. The critic separated the true democrat Bazarov from the caricatured nihilists Sitnikov and Kukshina. At the same time, Pisarev, unlike Antonovich, divided “fathers” and “children” not according to age, but according to political principles, classifying only Bazarov as “children”.

Pisarev also saw in the novel Turgenev’s antipathy towards his hero, expressing the idea that when depicting people of the opposite camp, one must keep one’s antipathy in check. Grade Pisareva was not impeccably correct: the critic was inclined to justify Bazarov’s indifference to the future of the people, lack of faith in their potential forces, because he himself was in agreement with Bazarov in this. In addition, Pisarev, who underestimates the role of aesthetics and art in life, largely agrees with Bazarov’s judgment about art.

Philosophical reflections on the change of generations, on the eternal struggle between the old and the new were heard more than once in the works of Russian writers even before I. S. Turgenev (in the comedy “Woe from Wit” by A. S. Griboyedov, in “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin and etc.). After finishing work on his fundamental novel “Fathers and Sons,” Turgenev wrote to Pauline Viardot: “I tried to imagine the conflict of two generations.”

The novel “Fathers and Sons” was written in the years when commoners became a real social force in Russia, and the aristocracy gradually lost its leading role. The society of that time was eventually split into several camps, each of which preached its own truths. In the novel “Fathers and Sons” the author tried to present his point of view on this problem and gave a sharp characterization of the struggle between the old and young generations, because he witnessed the ongoing debate about the moral duty of children and the wisdom of fathers.

The novel's plot is based on a poignant social conflict“new man” Bazarov with the world of the Kirsanovs. The writer himself sought to soften the eternal conflict with kindness, tolerance, wisdom and love. Despite his sympathy for the truth of the young, he hoped that fatherly love and restraint could correct and soften youthful egoism and arrogance.

Many heroes can be classified as “fathers” in the novel. Among them are the Kirsanov brothers and the old Bazarovs. Arkady also belongs to the “fathers” camp, since their views are closer to him, he is a romantic by nature, like his father, and therefore Arkady rather adapts to Bazarov and his nihilism than deeply and sincerely believes in his principles. Thanks to his talent and out of a sense of gratitude to the past, Turgenev draws out the noble traits of the generation of “fathers”.

Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, Arkady's father, is not a retrograde, not an ignorant serf owner like Famusov and Prostakova, on the contrary: he graduated from the university, loves music and nature, classical Russian literature. So, when Arkady invites his father to read a book on physics instead of Pushkin, Nikolai Petrovich, having read several pages and not understanding anything, returns to Pushkin. When his son was studying, his father lived with him and “tried to make acquaintances with Arkady’s young comrades.” He warmly welcomes Bazarov in his house, sincerely wants to get closer to him as a friend of his son, as a representative of the younger generation and simply as an interesting person. But he still cannot understand why this rapprochement is not happening.

One cannot help but admire the old Bazarovs and read indifferently about their love for their son. Vasily Ivanovich argues that a person should live by his work, and he himself has worked all his life and continues to work. He, like Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, is drawn to the younger generation, thinking of learning: “...for a thinking person there is no backwater, I try as much as possible, as they say, not to become overgrown with moss, not to lag behind the times.”

The kind old man sees a connection with new era in order to somehow make the life of the peasants easier by putting them on quitrent, and he considered such an act “his duty,” although other “owners do not think about it.” But he too soon bows his head to the youth: “Of course, gentlemen, you better know where we can keep up with you? After all, you have come to replace us.”

The tragedy of Pavel Petrovich, who leads an empty and meaningless life and is able to care only about his appearance and well-being, is also palpable. In an argument with Bazarov, he does not look in the best possible way: unable to maintain an aristocratic tone, he reaches the point of insults and suffers defeat due to a lack of fatherly love for the young and a lack of understanding of their aspirations. The author says that Uncle Arkady became a dead man while he was still alive.

Observing the life of his fathers, Bazarov gave her an accurate assessment: “It seems that what is better: eat, drink? Only melancholy will overcome such a life!” And the author himself understands that people like Bazarov are cramped in parental home that they do not have enough air in the stuffy aristocratic world, they need space for action, for the implementation of grandiose plans and colossal life changes that are capable of changing old life for the better. At the same time, the author does not completely deny the aristocracy. He lovingly treats Nikolai Petrovich and the old Bazarovs. And only Pavel Petrovich’s aristocracy is denied by Turgenev; it is not for nothing that he is the only one of the generation of aristocrats who has no children - the successors of his family.

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For example, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons,” written in the 60s of the 19th century.

The novel is considered significant for that time, and the image of the main character Evgeny Bazarov was perceived by young people as an example to follow of uncompromisingness, admiration for authorities and old truths. Bazarov is a “nihilist commoner” and in his reasoning the priority of the “useful” over the “beautiful” prevails, when in everything there is a certain touch of denial inherent in early atheism. Now it would be more correct to call such a person a demagogue, but this is no longer important.

Important in in this case is the conflict between fathers and children described by Ivan Turgenev using the example of Bazarov and Arkady Kirsanov, who came to Maryino and spent some time staying with the Kirsanovs (Arkady’s father and uncle). Tensions with the elder Kirsanovs force Bazarov to leave Maryino and go to provincial town, where he meets the rich widow Odintsova. By the end of the novel, Bazarov’s skepticism was lost due to various life circumstances.

Nihilism mid-19th century is based on denial and skepticism of love, art, generally accepted morality and religion. A nihilist is a revolutionary democrat who denies conservatism public policy states. The movement for women's emancipation complemented nihilism in Russia and contributed to a change in public consciousness after the “Declaration of the Rights of Woman” was promulgated in 1789, demanding political rights for women on an equal basis with men.

In this case, the conflict between fathers and children is illustrated by the example of the average age level when the role of children is played by already established individuals who are capable of having children of their own. Therefore, it would be correct to call this conflict the conflict of “Fathers and Grandfathers”, fathers are the middle, and grandfathers are the outgoing generation in system construction life path humanity. Fathers in this case are an age limit that determines the period of children’s release from subordination to the father’s will.

The situation of conflict between relatives arises against the background of their legal property rights, when until the 20th century all property rights of the family were on the side of the father and were supported by existing legislation. Article 1534 of the Penal Code prosecuted for inflicting personal offense on a father or mother through any offensive action. Thus, the law protected the right of the head of the family to raise family members and dispose family life.

The nihilists fought against such conservatism, which consolidated the advantages of the “Fathers.” In this case, family members did not have the right to claim any part of the property, and there was an “allocation” when the father separated his son for self-management farm, transferring parts of the family property to him at his own discretion. It is difficult to say whether such relations of forced respect for elders and the assignment of property rights to them have been preserved in today’s society. Although there is a legal right of parents to receive alimony from their children for their maintenance.

Logically building what we know historical events, we come to the conclusion that the generational conflict noted by Ivan Turgenev exists as a kind of natural given that distinguishes a person in his development. The triune principle in this case is manifested in the systematic construction of a person’s living space: past – present – ​​future, when this relationship at the everyday level will look like grandfathers – fathers – grandchildren.

It turns out that the conflict of generations is laid down by nature itself for evolutionary transformations in the surrounding world. This conflict is manifested in the process of raising children, when parents are forced in some cases to suppress the child’s psyche by subordinating and forcing him to fulfill any requirements for the child’s successful adaptation in society. Until the 20th century, as already mentioned, children were subordinate to their parents and financially dependent on them.

IN modern society the child is forced to obey his parents until he reaches adulthood. At this time, children are often aggressive towards their parents, who, fulfilling the social requirements of society, must prepare a new member of society and teach him all the requirements of existing morality. At this moment, both sides of the conflict, both parents and their children, may have feelings of acute hostility towards each other.

Thus, each person goes through all stages of his development from the moment of his birth, the birth and upbringing of his children, until the moment of his departure from the earthly plane. And every time he faces the problem of self-assertion when confronted own interests with the interests of his parents, and then with the interests of his children. These features of human behavior in different transformations are interpreted differently in esoteric and religious teachings.

These teachings explain at the level of knowledge of a person and his “ego”, which has its own personal “soul,” that fathers and children are different people, having a blood relationship, but each with their own psyche. This psyche or “ego”, when determining its place in the community and asserting “selfhood,” builds conflicting relationships with the outside world.

The very title of the work suggests that it will resolve the eternal question - the relationship between generations. To some extent this is fair. But the author's main attention is drawn to the conflict different worldviews- liberals and revolutionary democrats, called nihilists. Turgenev created the image of a new man, a commoner by birth, a democrat by political views. The contrast between the views of commoners and nobles, democrats and liberals is the basis of the novel’s conflict.

Among the heroes of the novel, the most active representatives of irreconcilable worldviews are Evgeny Bazarov and “aristocrat to the core” Pavel Kirsanov. Pavel Petrovich was a typical representative of his era and environment. He followed the “principles” everywhere and in everything, even continuing to live in the village as before. He kept his habits unchanged, although from a practical point of view it was inconvenient. But for the nihilist Bazarov it looked simply ridiculous.

Pavel Petrovich is about forty-five years old, he is always shaven, wears a strict English suit, the collar of his shirt is always white and starched. “The whole appearance of Pavel Petrovich, elegant and thoroughbred, retained youthful harmony and that desire upward, away from the earth, which for the most part disappears after the twenties.” In appearance and by conviction, Pavel Petrovich is an aristocrat. True, as Pi-sarev notes, “he... has no convictions, but he has habits that he values ​​very much,” and he “out of habit proves in disputes the need for “principles.” What are these “principles”? First of all, this is a view of the state structure. A nobleman and aristocrat himself, he holds the same views as most nobles of that time. Pavel Petrovich is for the established order, he is a monarchist.

Pavel Petrovich cannot tolerate dissent and fiercely defends doctrines that “his actions constantly contradicted.” He loves to talk about Russian peasants, but when he meets them, he “wrinkles and sniffs cologne.” Kirsanov talks about Russia, about the “Russian idea,” but at the same time uses great amount foreign words. He speaks with pathos about the public good, about serving the fatherland, but he himself sits with folded hands, satisfied with a well-fed and calm life.

But, seeing that he cannot defeat the nihilist in a dispute, cannot shake his moral foundations, or rather, the lack of them, Pavel Petrovich resorts to the last resort of resolving conflicts this kind. This is a duel. Evgeniy accepts the challenge, although he considers this the trick of a crazy “aristocrat”. They shoot, and Evgeniy wounds Kirsanov. The duel did not help solve their problems. With the help of a partly satirical depiction of these events, the author emphasized the absurdity of Pavel Petrovich’s behavior, because it is ridiculous and even senseless to believe that you can force the younger generation to think the same way as the generation of “fathers”. They part, but each of them remains unconvinced. Bazarov only managed to violate peace of mind Pavel Petrovich,

For young people, nihilism is a certain political and life position. Many perceive it as a fashionable fad (Sitnikov, Kukshina, Arkady). Deny everything: authorities, science, art, the experience of previous generations and not listen to anything - that’s their motto. But sooner or later they will all grow up, start families and remember their beliefs as the mistakes of their youth. And now they are only vulgarizing the ideas that Bazarov preaches.

However main character is aware of his thoughts and is firm in his convictions. He is interested in natural sciences and intends to continue the work of his father, a retired doctor, who does not give up practicing medicine even in the wilderness of the village.

Evgeny scoffs at Pavel Petrovich’s “principles”, considering them unnecessary and simply frivolous. Bazarov finds that it is better to deny, and he denies. To Pavel Petrovich’s exclamation: “But we need to build!”, he replies: “This is no longer our business.” Evgeniy speaks sarcastically about romantics, but, having met love, he realizes the romance in himself. Life treated Bazarov cruelly. Not believing in love, he fell in love, but his love was rejected.

Looking at the album of Saxon Switzerland, Bazarov says to Odintsova: “You don’t assume in me artistic meaning“Yes, I really don’t have it in me, but these species could interest me from a geological point of view.” Bazarov tries to debunk ineffective “principles” and does not accept illusory dreaminess. But at the same time, he rejects the great achievements of culture (“Raphael is not worth a penny”) and perceives nature in a utilitarian way.

Bazarov dies with the words: “Russia needs me... No, apparently he doesn’t need me. And who needs a wife?” This is the tragic result of the life of Eugene.

The author's attitude towards his characters is not at all simple. The writer himself belongs to the generation raised in German universities, he is a nobleman and a liberal. But he remarkably managed to show the change in forms of consciousness, as well as the inevitable tragedy of people who are the first to take a step forward towards a new world order.