Tergenev published actively during his lifetime. And although not every work of his delighted critics, it did not leave anyone indifferent. Disputes flared up constantly not only because of literary differences. Everyone knows that at the time when Ivan Sergeevich lived and worked, censorship was especially strict, and the writer could not openly talk about many things that would affect politics, criticize the government or serfdom.
Individual works and complete works of Tergenev are published with enviable regularity. The most voluminous and complete collection of works is considered to be the release of the Nauka publishing house in thirty volumes, which combined all the works of the classic into twelve volumes, and published his letters in eighteen volumes.
Artistic features of I.S. Turgenev’s creativity
Most of the writer's novels have the same artistic features. Often the center of attention is a girl who is beautiful, but not beautiful, developed, but this does not mean at all that she is very smart or educated. According to the plot, this girl is always courted by several suitors, but she chooses one, the one whom the author wants to highlight from the crowd, to show his inner world, desires and aspirations.
According to the plot of each novel by the writer, these people fall in love with each other, but there is always something present in their love that does not make it possible to be together right away. It’s probably worth listing all the novels of Ivan Turgenev:
★ "Rudin".
★ "Nobles' Nest".
★ “Fathers and Sons.”
★ “The day before.”
★ “Smoke.”
★ “New.”
To better understand Turgenev’s works and his peculiarities of writing, we should consider several of his novels in more detail. After all, most of the novels were written before the peasant reform was carried out in Russia and all this was reflected in the works.
Roman "Rudin"
This is Turgenev's first novel, which was first defined by the author himself as a story. And although the main work on the work was completed in 1855, the author made adjustments and improvements to his text several times. This was due to criticism from comrades who received the manuscript. And in 1860, after the first publications, the author added an epilogue.
The following characters act in Turgenev's novel:
⇒ Lasunskaya.
⇒ Pigasov.
⇒ Pandnlevsky.
⇒ Lipina.
⇒ Volyntsev.
⇒ Bassists.
Lasunskaya is the widow of a privy councilor who was very rich. The writer rewards Daria Mikhailovna not only with beauty, but also with freedom in communication. She participated in all conversations, trying to show her importance, which in reality she did not have at all. She finds Pigasov funny, who shows some kind of anger towards all people, but especially does not like women. Afrikan Semenovich lives alone because he is very ambitious.
Turgenev's hero from the novel is interesting - Konstantin Pandelevsky, since it was impossible to determine his nationality. But the most remarkable thing in his image is his unusual ability to court ladies in such a way that they then constantly patronized him. But he had no business with Lipina Alexandra, since the woman, despite her young age, was already a widow, although without children. She inherited a large inheritance from her husband, but so that she would not waste it, she lived with her brother. Sergei Volyntsev was a headquarters captain, but already retired. He is decent, and many knew that he was in love with Natalya. The young teacher Basistov hates Pandelevsky, but respects the main character - Dmitry Rudin.
The main character is a poor man, although he is a nobleman by birth. He received a good education at the university. And although he grew up in the village, he is quite smart. He knew how to speak beautifully and for a long time, which surprised those around him. Unfortunately, his words and actions differ. His philosophical views pleased Natalya Lasunskaya, who falls in love with him. He constantly said that he was also in love with the girl, but this turned out to be a lie. And when she denounces him, Dmitry Nikolaevich immediately leaves, and soon dies in France on the barricades.
According to composition, Turgenev's entire novel is divided into four parts. The first part tells how Rudin comes to Natalya’s house and sees her for the first time. In the second part, the author shows how much the girl is in love with Nikolai. The third part is the departure of the main character. The fourth part is an epilogue.
Novel "The Noble Nest"
This is Ivan Sergeevich’s second novel, work on which lasted two years. Like the first novel, “The Noble Nest” was published in the Sovremennik magazine. This work caused a storm in literary circles, from disagreements in the interpretation of the plot to outright accusations of plagiarism. But the work was a great success among the readership, and the name “Noble Nest” became a real catchphrase and has firmly entered into everyday life to this day.
There are a large number of heroes in the novel, who will always be interesting in their character and Turgenev’s description to readers. The female images of the work are presented by Kalitina, who is already fifty years old. Marya Dmitrievna was not only rich, but also a very capricious noblewoman. She was so spoiled that she could cry at any moment because her wishes were not fulfilled. Her aunt, Marya Timofeevna, caused her particular trouble. Pestova was already seventy years old, but she easily and always told everyone the truth. Marya Dmitrievna had children. Lisa, the eldest daughter, is already 19 years old. She is friendly and very pious. This was due to the influence of the nanny. The second female image in Turgenev's novel is Lavretskaya, who is not only beautiful, but also married. Although after her betrayal her husband left her abroad, this still did not stop Varvara Pavlovna.
There are many heroes in the novel. There are those that play an important role in the plot, and there are episodic ones. For example, several times in Turgenev’s novel a certain Sergei Petrovich appears, who is a gossip from a secular society. The handsome Pashin, who is very young and has a position in society, comes to the city for his work. He is obsequious, but easily liked by the people around him. It is worth noting that he is very talented: he composes music and poetry himself, and then performs them. But his soul is cold. He likes Lisa.
A music teacher comes to the Kalitins' house, who was a hereditary musician, but fate was against him. He is poor, although he is German. He does not like to communicate with people, but he perfectly understands everything that happens around him. The main characters include Lavretsky, who is thirty-five years old. He is a relative of the Kalitins. But he could not boast of his education, although he was a kind person in himself. Fyodor Ivanovich has a noble dream - to plow the land, because he has failed to do anything else. He is counting on his friend, the poet Mikhalevich, who will help him realize all his plans.
According to the plot, Fyodor Ivanovich comes to the province to realize his dream, where he meets Lisa and falls in love with her. The girl reciprocates his feelings. But then Lavretsky’s unfaithful wife arrives. He is forced to leave, and Lisa goes to a monastery.
The composition of Turgenev's novel is divided into six parts. The first part tells the story of how Fyodor Ivanovich arrives in the province. And therefore, the second part talks about the main character himself. In the third part, Lavretsky, Kalitin, and other heroes go to Vasilyevskoye. Here the rapprochement between Lisa and Fyodor Ivanovich begins, but this is already described in the fourth part. But the fifth part is very sad, since Lavretsky’s wife arrives. The sixth part is an epilogue.
Novel "On the Eve"
This novel was created by Ivan Turgenev in anticipation of a revolution in Russia. The main character of his work is a Bulgarian. It is known that the novel was written by a famous writer in 1859, and the very next year it was published in one of the magazines.
The plot is based on the Stakhov family. Nikolai Artemyevich Stakhov, who not only spoke French well, but was also a great debater. In addition, he was also known as a philosopher who was always bored at home. He met a German widow and now spent all his time with her. This state of affairs greatly upset his wife, Anna Vasilievna, a calm and sad woman who complained to everyone in the house about her husband’s infidelity. She loved her daughter, but in her own way. By the way, Elena was already twenty years old at that time, although at the age of 16 she left parental care, and then lived as if she were on her own. She had a need to constantly take care of the poor, the unfortunate, and it didn’t matter whether they were people or animals. But for those around her, she seemed a little strange.
Elena was simply created to share her life with Dmitry Insarov. This young man, who was barely 30 years old, has an amazing and unusual fate. His purpose was to liberate his land. Therefore, Elena follows him and begins to believe in his ideas. After the death of her spouse, she decides to devote herself to a noble mission - she becomes a sister of mercy.
The meaning of Turgenev's novels
All the novels of the famous writer Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev reflect the history of Russian society. He doesn't just portray his characters and tell their life stories. The writer walks the path together with his characters and guides the reader along this path, forcing them to philosophize together about what the meaning of life is, what goodness and love are. Landscapes also play a huge role in Turgenev’s novels, reflecting the mood of the characters.
M. Katkov wrote about Turgenev’s novels:
“Clarity of ideas, skill in depicting types, simplicity in design and course of action.”
Turgenev's novels have not only educational, but also historical significance, since the writer reveals the moral problems of the entire society. In the fates of his heroes, the fates of thousands of Russians who lived more than one hundred and fifty years ago are guessed. This is a real excursion into the history of both high society and ordinary people.
, – novel “Rudin”. The writer's idea was inspired by modern life. Having entered into direct communication with the idealists of the 1830s in his youth and many times talking and arguing with friends about the distinctive features of people of this type and their attitude to life, Turgenev decided to portray a similar type in a work of fiction. The novel “Rudin” was an attempt of this kind. The novel was a success both because it served as a response to the life we were experiencing and because of its artistic merits. Since the center of gravity of the novel lies in its hero, Rudin, whose character is exclusively reflected in words and reasoning, and not in action, there is little movement in the novel, but on the contrary, the characters in it indulge almost entirely in reflection and reasoning. In portraying Rudin, Turgenev wanted to bring out in him not some eccentric, a rare phenomenon of contemporary reality, but, on the contrary, a typical face, embodying the characteristic features of the younger generation. Turgenev himself had many of these traits; in addition, he saw them in most of the friends of Stankevich’s circle. This socio-psychological type was very widespread among us at that time, and in depicting it, Turgenev made the first attempt to reflect the moment of social life in its characteristic manifestations.
Rudin. Feature film based on Turgenev's novel
General features of Rudin. A man of the 1830s and 1840s, Dmitry Rudin embodies the typical features of this generation. The distinctive features of this type of people are that in their lives abstract, mental interests, which have very little connection with real life, are in the foreground. Immersed in poetry and philosophy, staying at the heights of abstract speculation, they develop high life ideals, which they talk about a lot and enthusiastically. But these ideals remain so in their words and friendly letters and have no influence on their own lives. Enthusiastically believing in goodness and preaching their moral ideals, these dreamers do not see what a sad discord is revealed between their preaching and life, both their personal and those around them. All these features distinguish the nature of Rudin, who is, as it were, a mirror of the type common at that time. The story of his life has features of the biography of the author of the novel himself.
Childhood. A spoiled son, his mother's favorite, Rudin from childhood was accustomed to adoration and constant care for him. His mother doted on her only son and forestalled all his desires. The proud boy is accustomed to looking at himself as an object of adoration, accepting it as a natural tribute to his exceptional nature.
In a circle of idealists. Having entered Moscow University, Rudin, like Turgenev in his youth, became involved in a literary and philosophical student circle, fascinated by the teachings of Schelling and Hegel. In the center of the circle stood the young man Pokorsky, who had great influence on everyone and left in the memory of his friends the memory of his charming appearance. Reading about Pokorsky, you involuntarily remember Stankevich. In this circle, Rudin occupied a prominent place, since his pursuit of philosophy was facilitated by his ability and love for abstract thinking, a penchant for reflection, and a pure-headed life. With his gift to quickly grasp the main features of a philosophical concept, clearly assimilate them and harmoniously convey them to listeners in an eloquent and captivating speech - Rudin resembled one of the members of Stankevich’s circle - M. Bakunin. In the literature, views have been expressed that the author copied Rudin from Bakunin. Fervently devoting himself to philosophy and poetry, always occupied with the ideas and images of literature, Rudin expressed his new views and convictions in front of a circle of comrades in fascinating speeches and brilliant improvisations. His gift of eloquence won him great success among young people. Somehow, involuntarily, Rudin becomes some kind of preacher, a speaker at circle and random evenings and gatherings, becomes a man of his word, always ready for an exciting speech, for streams of lofty words about God, about truth, about the future of humanity, etc.
Personal traits of Rudin. In the end, his whole life boils down to the fact that he, not really busy with anything, wanders around other people’s corners, not having his own, and delivering his tirades and sermons. This gives reason in the first part of the novel for the sober and businesslike Lezhnev to make a very unflattering characterization of Rudin, treating him with rather caustic irony. Rudin's eloquence and passion act primarily on young men, on young people who sacredly believe every word spoken with passion. But Lezhnev is clear that Rudin’s words do not matter, that they remain only good words that have no influence on life. Lezhnev emphasizes that Rudin is interested in words for the sake of words themselves, that he loves the very process of speech, loves to produce an effect, to win an argument to captivate the enemy with eloquence and show it off in front of the youth. But for Lezhnev himself, it later becomes clear that the dreamer and enthusiast Rudin could not find the application of his powers not only because of his personal traits, but also due to the contemporary conditions of social life, and found himself in the role of a “superfluous person” in which so many people found themselves heroes of Russian literature and by the way Beltov in Herzen's novel. Rudin is always in an excited and restless state, he is always seething and carried away, he is an eternal youth until old age, and when he surrenders to the flow of his eloquence, then with all his soul he believes every word he says, and in this sincerity lies the secret of his charming effect. speeches to youth. A passionate and internally active nature, Rudin made one feel this energy of his inner life in his speeches. But between Rudin’s intense inner life and outer life there is an irreconcilable discord.
Discord between word and life. Although active in his inner life, Rudin, due to some properties of his nature and the conditions of his contemporary life, was doomed to complete passivity, to inaction. His predilection for the world of abstract interests made him a man of ideas and words, but not of practical deeds. For Rudin there was an abyss between developing ideals and putting them into practice. He was helpless and weak in practical life, and the sharp discord between his word and life became clear. Capable of passion, outbursts, courageous and noble acts in a moment of passion, Rudin is completely unsuitable for systematic life work to achieve his goals. He sets himself problems that he does not solve, he drafts essays that he does not write. One of the significant reasons for his practical inactivity is his complete ignorance of the surrounding life, its conditions in which he could work. Immersed in his mental, personal life, Rudin makes no attempt to get acquainted with the peculiarities of the life that takes place around him. He knows everything abstractly, theoretically, because he does not live a real life, but only talks about life. That’s why his slightest attempts to take on anything end in complete failure, and Rudin is forced to admit that he has no ground under his feet.” Lezhnev in his characteristics emphasizes that Rudin does not know Russia, does not know Russian life, and therefore finds himself, as it were, thrown overboard, alien to life and unadapted to it.
Weakness of will. This purely cerebral character of life, the predominance of mental, abstract interests over everything else in life, serves as an explanation for the weakness of will shown by Rudin. Rudin avoids practical steps and direct actions, avoids active external life, because it is easier and more convenient for him in the sphere of abstract reasoning and general phrases. This is the element that is dear to his soul. He excites the soul of a young girl, Natalya, with calls for the fullness of immediate life, but in the beginning of the novel he reveals a desire to avoid decisive action and remain in the realm of only words and reasoning. He is determined in words, but he is weak and helpless in life. An important role is also played here by the fact that, prone to reflection and eternal introspection, Rudin lives not by feeling, but by thought; he is incapable of being captured by a strong passion and quickly: he extinguishes in his impulses, making himself and his feelings the subject of petty and detailed analysis.
Social significance of the Rudin type. As a result, Rudin’s life is sad, he calls himself “tumbleweed,” because he always wanders without a corner or shelter, without his favorite job, always worried about lofty goals and not having or knowing how to implement them. However, a warm corner would hardly have pleased this restless and spiritually searching person. Rudin himself reflects bitterly on his life and sums it up sadly, calling his life useless. But Lezhnev correctly explains the great vital importance of types like Rudin. In contrast to the skeptic, as in the same novel Pigasov, whose skepticism deadens and poisons everything that is alive and captivated in life, in contrast to the practicality and sobriety of Lezhnev himself, in which there is some heaviness and dryness and in which the absence of another principle is striking - enthusiasm, youth, spiritual pathos - Rudin is abundantly endowed with precisely this youthful fervor of the soul and the precious ability to be carried away by the high and ideal and to captivate others. Rudins are a fermenting principle in the world, bringing into it pathos, animation, and a youthful upsurge of life. Being himself inactive and passive, Rudin, with his fascinating words, sows good seeds in young souls that can bear good fruit. A stimulator of enthusiasm and spiritual impulses, Rudin brings into young life something that is more important than skepticism and no less valuable than sober businesslikeness: idealism, that faith in life that merges with a sense of poetry, beauty and the lofty truth of life. This is the vital significance of types like Rudin; they made their contribution to the development and enlightenment of their native country, preparing future figures in literature and public life with their moral influence.
Novel “Fathers and Sons” Summary
“Fathers and Sons” is one of the most famous works of the Russian writer I.S. Turgenev. One of the fun facts: L.N. Tolstoy fell asleep while reading this novel. Why did it happen so?
In the book by P. Weil and A. Genis “Native Speech”, in the chapter dedicated to Turgenev’s novel, it is said in black and white that “Fathers and Sons” are perceived as something official. The problem is simple: the last thing art wants to do is serve anything or anyone. On the contrary, art requires sacrifice.
Turgenev relied on objectivity - and the result was a situation where it was impossible to understand whose side the writer was on.
A brief retelling of the plot of Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”
Arkady Kirsanov returns home with his friend Evgeny Bazarov. The young people had just graduated from university. They develop a difficult relationship with the older Kirsanovs - Arkady's father and his uncle. There is a clash between two generations - fathers and children. The elders adhere to patriarchal views, and the younger ones are infected with the youth’s vision of the world and nihilism. Two generations argue and cannot find a common language.
After some time, Arkady and Evgeny meet the young widow Anna Odintsova and her younger sister Katerina. The young people simultaneously fall in love with Anna. Bazarov’s foundations, in particular, the denial of marriage and feelings, are crumbling. He confesses his love to Anna, but gets turned around. Arkady abandons nihilism and realizes that he is in love with Katerina. A duel takes place between Evgeniy and Uncle Arkady. Fortunately, everyone remains alive. Evgeny goes to his parents and soon dies, contracting typhus, and his friend marries Katerina. Uncle Arkady is leaving the country. Anna Odintsova is getting married again.
Novel “Fathers and Sons” Summary in parts
Part one
The story begins in mid-May 1859. Arkady, the high-society bear, is about to return to the estate of Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. But before talking about the master's son, the writer spoke in detail about the master himself. Nikolai Kirsanov was not known for his courage, and avoided military service by breaking his leg and remaining lame for life. The master's parents died, unable to adapt to life in St. Petersburg.
Nikolai Petrovich married, and lived as a family man for twelve years. Having been widowed, the master went abroad, but the Hungarian Revolution broke out, and he had to return to Russia.
The memories of the prematurely aged widower master were interrupted by the sound of wheels. Arkady Kirsanov arrived on a tarantass. And not alone, but in the company of a friend - Evgeny Vasilyevich Bazarov. We learn that Bazarov is a graduate of a medical university. And since he is a doctor, his character is harsh and cynical.
A little later it turned out that Evgeny Bazarov is not only a supporter of progress. Talking with the yard boys, the young doctor decided to go after the frogs. To the logical question “what do you need frogs for?” Bazarov said that he wanted to find out how the frog’s body works. And knowledge will be useful if you have to treat a person.
In a conversation with his father and uncle, Arkady Kirsanov reveals the secret of his friend. It turns out that Bazarov is a nihilist, that is, he does not recognize any authorities and looks at everything critically.
In a conversation with the Kirsanov family, Bazarov, an expert in medicine and natural sciences, began to glorify science with all his might. It turned out that the Germans should be honored - their science is very advanced, not like in Russia. On top of that, the young doctor directly says that a decent chemist is much better than any poet.
Part two
Arkady Kirsanov, in a conversation with Evgeny Bazarov, remembers his uncle. It turned out that Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov at one time fell in love with a married lady. It would be nice if she was a beauty, but no, she didn’t see much beauty. The reason for everything turned out to be a mysterious look, and it became the beginning of the drama.
At first, love brought joy to both the secular leopard and the tigress in human form. But, alas, sooner or later they had to part, and this happened. Love left, and Pavel Kirsanov suffered terribly. He retired. Several years passed, and Kirsanov learned the sad news: the princess died. The ring with the figurine of the sphinx returned to Pavel Petrovich, only on the figurine there was an image of a cross. It turned out that the married lady bore a heavy cross when during the day she pretended to be a social coquette, and at night she suffered from the fact that she was terribly sinning before God.
After listening to his friend’s story, Bazarov spoke ironically about Pavel Petrovich, and then stated that the so-called mysterious look had nowhere to come from. Moreover, the doctor expressed an interesting opinion: “Let’s go and look at the beetle.”
Part three
Arkady Kirsanov became a typical gentleman with sybarite habits. But Evgeny Bazarov worked hard, learned the wisdom of physics and chemistry, as well as medicine. It is interesting that Arkady sincerely believed that his friend was right, and Nikolai Petrovich admitted a lot. But Pavel Petrovich did not hide his dissatisfaction - nihilism was too unpleasant for him. And sometimes Bazarov attacked art - he denied the greatness of Raphael, declared that there was no need to read Pushkin, something businesslike would be better.
Later, both Kirsanov brothers breathed a sigh of relief: Bazarov decided to visit the landowners, and together with a friend he went on this trip. And after visiting those weirdos, the friends visited the so-called advanced woman (however, given her vulgar and simply abnormal habits, a word suggests itself, which is an antonym of the word “advanced”).
During the conversation, it turned out that Bazarov and this “advanced” woman are friends, which is not surprising. Now is the time to remember the saying “tell me who your friend is, and I will tell you who you are.” The emancipated fool did not consider smoking and drinking to be vices (outrageous!), denied the existence of God, and sincerely rejoiced at her childlessness (got it!). It is precisely these women that L.N. Tolstoy couldn't stand it.
True, the friendship with the “advanced” woman was short-lived, because Bazarov soon lost interest in her.
Part four
During the governor's ball, Arkady Kirsanov met with Odintsova. Although the age difference between them was small, the young socialite felt, at best, like a high school student. The style of their conversation was forced at first, but then a relaxed conversation about life began. At the end of the conversation, Odintsova expressed her desire to meet Bazarov.
The friends started talking, and the doctor once again amazed the secular gentleman with his cynicism. The friends calmly left, and the emancipated “woman” was offended by the fact that she turned out to be inconspicuous (which is not surprising, because excessive vulgarity quickly brings on terrible boredom).
A little later we learn something from the life of the young princess-widow, and then an interesting intrigue unfolds: Bazarov and Kirsanov come to Anna Odintsova’s room. A conversation ensued between the social bear and the nihilist, and it turned out that Odintsova did not waste time and managed to read several good books. It is interesting that when meeting the widow and saying goodbye to her, Bazarov was embarrassed (and surprised at himself).
On the street, a secular romantic decided to find out what the nihilist thought about Odintsova. Bazarov again flashed his signature medical humor, speaking about a “rich body” and “anatomical theater.”
Part five
A little later, the friends end up at the estate of Princess Odintsova. Oddly enough, it was with the young widow that the cynical nihilist quickly found a common language. They calmly discussed the problems of society associated with bad upbringing, then calmly played a game of preference. Bazarov lost, and, oddly enough, this insignificant loss hurt him a little. But much bigger troubles awaited the nihilist. But that happened later.
So far there was no reason for trouble: during dinner the widow started talking about botany and expressed a desire to learn the Latin names of plants the next day. And Arkady Kirsanov had a fun time with Katya, the sister of the widow princess.
So fifteen days passed. Bazarov constantly wondered at himself: how can one be a nihilist, and at the same time understand that it is impossible to command the heart to immediately stop loving Odintsova. It turned out to be a situation where they say “the mind and the heart are not in harmony.”
On the thirteenth day, Evgeny Bazarov decided to look at his father. Having met his teacher, Evgeniy Vasilyevich asked about his parents and found out that they were in good health. Bazarov decided to visit his parents and made the teacher promise that he would inform about the upcoming visit.
That evening, the nihilist and the widow princess talked for a long time about happiness. The next day the conversation resumed, and at one point Odintsova decided to find out why Bazarov was so tense and restrained. It turned out that mad love was to blame for everything (although it was more of a passion, fierce, bestial). The passion of the nihilist frightened the widow princess. In the evening, she realized the reason for her fear: looking beyond the line of prudence, Anna Odintsova saw something disgusting.
The next day, during a conversation with the princess, the nihilist said that he had to leave. After spending the last day at the Odintsov estate, the friends went to Bazarov’s parents. It is interesting that the cynic himself felt out of place, and it is not surprising: the exam related to love was completely failed. It was an unpleasant start.
Part six
For some time, Evgeny Bazarov felt calmer when he and Arkady Kirsanov arrived at his parents’ estate. Father and mother were delighted: finally, after so many years of separation, the son returned to his home!
Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov began a casual affair with his son and his friend. During the conversation, opinions were expressed that many scientific theories become outdated after about twenty years. The imaginary science of phrenology (also known as craniology) was also mentioned. During the conversation, Bazarov Jr. notes that he is already ridiculing not only imaginary sciences, but also medicine, although he will become a district doctor.
Then the friends' paths diverged in different directions. Evgeny Bazarov delved into science with all his might, conducting chemical experiments with frogs, and Arkady Kirsanov had fun at the Odintsovs’ estate. Princess Katya once told Arkady that Bazarov was a stranger to them: he was one of the “predatory” ones, and they were one of the “tame” ones. It’s not hard to guess what these words meant: predatory – not tolerant of any rules, tame – recognizing the rules.
The nihilist soon returned to his parents and began practicing medicine. And once Evgeny Bazarov participated in the autopsy procedure of a man who died of typhus. During the autopsy, the young cynic managed to injure his finger, and cadaveric poison got into the wound. It was possible to cauterize the wound only a few hours later, when Bazarov returned to his father’s house.
Two days later, what is called sepsis began, that is, blood poisoning. The nihilist directly said that he would die in a few days. At one point, Bazarov noted that it is useless to deny death - because “it denies you, and that’s it!”
Anna Odintsova came to the dying cynic. This was their last conversation. By evening, Bazarov lost consciousness and died the next day.
Epilogue
The Bazarovs often come to their son's grave. There they stay for a long time, pray, and remember him.
What about the other characters? Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov and his son Arkady had a successful fate: both became married and happy men. Anna Odintsova found herself a good husband. And Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov settled in Germany, in Dresden.
Characters of the novel "Fathers and Sons"
- Arkady Kirsanov - University graduate. He was a friend of Bazarov, but gradually their paths diverged. He experienced brotherly love for Princess Katya Odintsova, but gradually this feeling grew into true love. Soon they got married.
- Evgeny Bazarov - a nihilist, his life principle is associated with the denial of various kinds of rules. According to Weil and Genis, this character managed to fail almost all life exams. At the end of the story, the cynic injured his finger while autopsying a man who died of typhus; cadaveric poison got into the wound. Bazarov died from blood poisoning.
- Anna Odintsova - a young princess-widow. For some time she was friends with Bazarov, but the nature of the nihilist prevented a truly close friendship. At the end of the story she became the wife of a certain influential man.
- Ekaterina Odintsova - Anna Odintsova's younger sister. She became friends with Arkady Kirsanov. Gradually, friendship grew into love. At the end of the story, Catherine became the wife of Arkady and the mother of the family.
- Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov - owner of the estate. He had serious problems with hired workers, but gradually everything went smoothly (his acquaintance with Bazarov had an impact). At the end of the story, he married the maid Fenya.
- Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov - Uncle Arkady, a typical social dandy. He didn’t like Bazarov, and it was mutual. The enmity turned into a duel, then reconciliation. At the end of the story he settled in Dresden.
- Vasily Ivanovich Bazarov - retired doctor. I am sincerely confident that his son Evgeniy will become a great man. The grief was even greater when my son died.
- Evdoksiya Kukshina– obviously a minor character. A typical “advanced” dumbass, extremely unnatural. After a short friendship, Bazarov lost interest in her.
The predecessors of Turgenev's social novel in Russian literature were Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin", Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" and "Who is to Blame?" Herzen. What are its features? It is small in volume. The action unfolds without long delays or retreats, without complications with side plots, and ends in a short time. It is usually timed at a specific time. Thus, the plot events in “Fathers and Sons” begin on May 20, 1859, in “On the Eve” - in the summer of 1853, in “Smoke” - on August 10, 1862. The biography of the characters, standing outside the chronological framework of the plot, is woven into the course The narratives are sometimes detailed and detailed (Lavretsky), sometimes brief, fluent and incidental, and the reader learns little about Rudin’s past, and even less about the past of Insarov and Bazarov. In its general constructive form, Turgenev’s novel is like a “series of sketches” that organically merge into a single theme, which is revealed in the image of the central character. The hero of Turgenev's novel, who appears before the reader as a fully formed person, is a typical and best ideological representative of a certain social group (advanced nobility or commoners). He strives to find and implement the depot of his life, to fulfill his social duty. But he always fails. The conditions of Russian socio-political life doom him to failure. Rudin ends his life as a homeless wanderer, dying as an accidental victim of a revolution in a foreign land. Lavretsky, whose best years of his life were “spent on a woman’s love,” resigns himself and calms down. After long wanderings, he arrived at his desolate Vasilyevskoye estate and waits for him to be “sobered up by boredom ... and prepared to slowly build a depot,” that is, .e. good management. He is still “waiting for something, mourning the past and listening to the surrounding silence... But the outcome of his life has already been summed up. Leaving, flowing away, lonely, useless - this is the elegy of the life of the dying Lavretsky, who did not find an answer for himself what to do in life. But the commoner Insarov, who knows what to do, the “liberator” of his homeland, dies on the way to his chain. In a distant churchyard, Bazarov, a rebellious man with a fiery heart, found his peace. He wanted to “break things,” “get things done,” “mess with people,” but he, the “giant,” only managed to “die decently.”
Many heroes of Turgenev's novels were united by a fiery, genuine love for their homeland. But inevitable failure in life awaited them all. Turgenev's hero is a failure not only in public affairs. He is a loser in love too. The ideological face of Turgenev's hero most often appears in disputes. Turgenev's novels are filled with controversy. Hence the particularly important compositional significance in the novel of dialogue-argument. And this feature is by no means accidental. The Rudins and Lavretskys, people of the forties, grew up among Moscow circles, where the ideological debater was a typical, historically characteristic figure (the nightly dispute between Lavretsky and Mikhalevich, for example, is very typical). With no less acuteness, ideological disputes were conducted, turning into journal polemics, between “fathers” and “sons,” that is, between nobles and commoners. In “Fathers and Sons” they are reflected in the disputes between Kirsanov and Bazarov.
One of the characteristic elements in Turgenev's novel is the landscape. Its compositional role is varied. Sometimes it seems to frame the action, giving an idea only of where and when this action takes place. Sometimes the background of the landscape matches the mood and experience of the hero, “corresponds” to him. Sometimes the landscape is drawn by Turgenev not in consonance, but in contrast with the mood and experience of the hero. The “indescribable charm” of Venice, with “this silvery tenderness of the air, this flying away and close distance, this wondrous consonance of the most graceful outlines and melting colors,” contrasts with what the dying Insarov and Elena, depressed by grief, are experiencing.
Very often Turgenev shows how deeply and powerfully nature acts on his hero, being the source of his moods, feelings, and thoughts. Lavretsky is traveling along a country road in a tarantass to his estate. The picture of an evening day puts Nikolai Petrovich in a dreamy mood, awakens sad memories in him and gives support to the idea that (contrary to Bazarov) “one can sympathize with nature.” “Sympathizing,” Nikolai Petrovich submits to her charm, “favorite poems” are remembered to him, his soul calms down, and he thinks: “How good, my God!” The pacifying power of nature, “speaking” to man, is revealed in the thoughts of Turgenev himself - in the last lines of “Fathers and Sons”. The flowers on Bazarov’s grave “speak” not only of the great, “eternal” peace of “indifferent” nature - “they also speak of eternal reconciliation and endless life.” The lyrical element plays a significant role in Turgenev's novels. Especially the epilogues of his novels - Rudin, The Noble Nest, Fathers and Sons - are imbued with deep lyricism.
Rudin (1856, other sources – 1855)
Turgenev's first novel is named after the main character.
Rudin is one of the best representatives of the cultural nobility. He was educated in Germany, like Mikhail Bakunin, who served as his prototype, and like Ivan Turgenev himself. Rudin is endowed with eloquence. Appearing at the estate of the landowner Lasunskaya, he immediately charms those present. But he speaks well only on abstract topics, carried away by the “flow of his own sensations,” not noticing how his words affect his listeners. The commoner teacher Basistov is captivated by his speeches, but Rudin does not appreciate the young man’s devotion: “Apparently, he was only looking for pure and devoted souls in words.” The hero also suffers defeat in the field of public service, although his plans are always pure and selfless. His attempts to teach at a gymnasium and manage the estates of one tyrant landowner end in failure.
He wins the love of the landowner's daughter, Natalya Lasunskaya, but retreats before the first obstacle - his mother's opposition. Rudin does not stand the test of love - and this is how a person is tested in Turgenev’s artistic world.
Nobles' Nest (1858)
A novel about the historical fate of the nobility in Russia.
The main character, Fyodor Ivanovich Lavretsky, falls into the love net of the cold and calculating egoist Varvara Pavlovna. He lives with her in France until an incident opens his eyes to his wife’s infidelity. As if freed from an obsession, Lavretsky returns home and seems to see anew his native places, where life flows silently, “like water through swamp grasses.” In this silence, where even the clouds seem to “know where and why they are floating,” he meets his true love, Lisa Kalitina.
But this love was not destined to be happy, although the amazing music composed by the old eccentric Lemm, Lisa’s teacher, promised happiness for the heroes. Varvara Pavlovna, who was considered dead, turned out to be alive, which means that the marriage of Fyodor Ivanovich and Lisa became impossible.
In the finale, Lisa goes to a monastery to atone for the sins of her father, who acquired wealth through dishonest means. Lavretsky is left alone to live out a joyless life.
The Eve (1859)
In the novel “On the Eve,” Bulgarian Dmitry Insarov, fighting for the independence of his homeland, is in love with a Russian girl, Elena Strakhova. She is ready to share his difficult fate and follows him to the Balkans. But their love turns into cruelty towards Elena’s parents and friends, leading her to break with Russia.
In addition, the personal happiness of Insarov and Elena turned out to be incompatible with the struggle to which the hero wanted to devote himself without reserve. His death looks like retribution for happiness.
All Turgenev’s novels are about love, and all are about the problems that worried the Russian public at that time. In the novel “On the Eve”, social issues are in the foreground.
Dobrolyubov, in the article “When will the real day come?”, published in the magazine “Sovremennik,” called on the “Russian Insarovs” to fight the “internal Turks,” which included not only supporters of serfdom, but also liberals, like Turgenev himself who believed in the possibility of peaceful reforms. The writer persuaded Nekrasov, who published Sovremennik, not to publish this article. Nekrasov refused. Then Turgenev broke with the magazine with which he had collaborated for many years.
Fathers and Sons (1861)
In the next novel, “Fathers and Sons,” the dispute is between liberals, like Turgenev and his closest friends, and a revolutionary democrat like Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov (Dobrolyubov partly served as the prototype for the main character Bazarov).
Turgenev hoped that “Fathers and Sons” would serve to unite the social forces of Russia. However, the novel caused a real storm of controversy. The Sovremennik staff saw in the image of Bazarov an evil caricature of the younger generation. The critic Pisarev, on the contrary, found in him the best and necessary traits of a future revolutionary, who does not yet have room for activity. Friends and like-minded people accused Turgenev of currying favor with the “boys”, the younger generation, of unjustifiably glorifying Bazarov and belittling the “fathers”.
Offended by the rude and tactless polemics, Turgenev leaves abroad. Two very unusual stories of these years, with which Turgenev then intended to complete his literary career, are imbued with deep sorrow - “Ghosts” (1864) and “Enough” (1865).
Smoke (1867)
The novel “Smoke” (1867) differs sharply from Turgenev’s previous novels. The main character of "Smoke" Litvinov is unremarkable. The center of the novel is not even him, but the meaningless life of a motley Russian society in the German resort of Baden-Baden. Everything seemed to be shrouded in smoke of petty, false significance. At the end of the novel, an extended metaphor for this smoke is given. who watches Litvinov returning home from the carriage window. “Everything suddenly seemed like smoke to him, everything, his own life, Russian life - everything human, especially everything Russian.”
The novel revealed Turgenev's extreme Westernizing views. In the monologues of Potugin, one of the characters in the novel, there are many evil thoughts about the history and significance of Russia, the only salvation of which is to tirelessly learn from the West. "Smoke" deepened the misunderstanding between Turgenev and the Russian public. Dostoevsky and his like-minded people accused Turgenev of slandering Russia. The Democrats were unhappy with the pamphlet on revolutionary emigration. Liberals – a satirical depiction of the “tops”.
Nov (1876)
Turgenev's last novel, Nov, is about the fate of populism. At the center of the work is the fate of the entire social movement, and not its individual representatives. The characters' characters are no longer revealed in love affairs. The main thing in the novel is the clash between different parties and layers of Russian society, primarily between revolutionary agitators and peasants. Accordingly, the social resonance of the novel and its “topicality” increase.
Poems in prose
The swan song of the aging writer was Poems in Prose (their first part appeared in 1882, the second was not published during his lifetime). They seemed to crystallize into lyrical miniatures the thoughts and feelings that possessed Turgenev throughout his career: these are thoughts about Russia, about love, about the insignificance of human existence, but at the same time about feat, about sacrifice, about the meaningfulness and fruitfulness of suffering.
last years of life
In the last years of his life, Turgenev became more and more homesick. “I am not only drawn, I am vomiting to Russia...” he wrote a year before his death. Ivan Sergeevich died in Bougival in the south of France. The writer's body was transported to St. Petersburg and buried at the Volkov cemetery in front of a huge crowd of people. Over his coffin, the fierce debates that during his life did not cease around his name and books fell silent. Turgenev's friend, the famous critic P.V. Annenkov wrote: “A whole generation came together at his grave with words of tenderness and gratitude to both the writer and the person.”
Homework
Prepare to share impressions about the novel “Fathers and Sons” and its hero.
Formulate in writing the questions that arose while reading.
Literature
Vladimir Korovin. Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev. // Encyclopedias for children “Avanta+”. Volume 9. Russian literature. Part one. M., 1999
N.I. Yakushin. I.S. Turgenev in life and work. M.: Russian Word, 1998
L.M. Lotman. I.S. Turgenev. History of Russian literature. Volume three. Leningrad: Nauka, 1982. pp. 120 – 160