The novel "Fathers and Sons" is always considered as an anti-nihilistic novel or a novel about a generational dispute. At the same time, the images of Arkady Kirsanov, Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov are drawn to the analysis. Few people consider female images. In Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” their role is quite significant. In total, in the novel we see five main characters: Fenechka, Odintsova, her sister, Bazarova’s mother Arina Vlasevna and Kukshina.
Evdoksiya Kukshina
Female characters in the novel “Fathers and Sons” perform different functions. Evdoksiya Kukshina at first glance cannot evoke anything but antipathy. Firstly, she is casually dressed, unkempt, with disheveled hair. Secondly, she behaves provocatively. She seems to know nothing about decency. But what is most indignant is her desire to seem advanced and cutting-edge. She pretends to be knowledgeable in all areas of modern science and philosophy. In fact, her knowledge is superficial. Bazarov sees this immediately. Her friend Sitnikov is as pathetic as she is. These two heroes are pseudo-nihilists. Turgenev uses the image of Kukshina to reduce the level of perception of nihilism as a trend. If these are his representatives, will they go far? Even Bazarov himself begins to doubt the correctness of his beliefs. People like Kukshina and Sitnikov can undermine the authority of any teaching. How powerfully the image of the omnipresent, babbling nonsense Kukshina contrasts with the noble figure of Odintsova.
Anna Odintsova
Yevgeny Bazarov met her at a ball in the city. If we classify female images in the novel “Fathers and Sons” by importance, then the image of Odintsova should take first place. She amazes with her grace, calmness, and royal bearing. Her gaze is full of intelligence. That is why Bazarov immediately pays attention to her. However, subsequently the reader becomes convinced that Odintsova’s coldness is not only external, she is also too rational in reality. So, Bazarov, a cynic who denies all attachments between people, falls in love. He talks for a long time with Odintsova, finds smart thoughts in her speeches, he is truly interested in this woman. Odintsova allows us to identify the internal conflict in the soul of the protagonist; from this point of view, her image is very significant. Bazarov's mind comes into conflict with his feelings. Nihilism does not justify itself; ideas turn out to be erroneous.
Why didn't their relationship work out? All female characters in the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" are interesting and mysterious. In general, Turgenev paid special attention to depicting psychology and the female soul. In response to Bazarov's confession, Odintsova states that he misunderstood her. And then he thinks to himself: “God knows where this could lead.” Her peace of mind is more valuable to her. She turned out to be too reasonable, afraid of feelings. And Bazarov, in turn, was afraid of feelings.
Essay: Female images in the novel “Fathers and Sons” (I.S. Turgenev)
(398 words) In the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" the figures of Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, Kukshina, Fenechka, Katya Lokteva are given a special place. Each heroine has its own unique character. The only thing that unites them is their acquaintance with Yevgeny Bazarov. Through female images, not only a holistic portrait of the hero himself is revealed, but also the essence of the era is conveyed, which pitted fathers and sons in an irreconcilable dispute about the future of Russia.
Anna Sergeevna had a significant influence on the protagonist’s worldview. This strong woman certainly stands out among others. She is endowed with exceptional appearance: tall, slender body, impeccable posture. Her light-colored eyes combine tenderness and seriousness at the same time: “Her beautiful eyes shone with attention, but serene attention.” The heroine is fully intelligent and proud. Odintsova, having lost her father at an early age, managed to independently take care of her younger sister and raise her. After the death of her husband, her courageous prudence and ability to think helped keep the estate in excellent condition. Having gone through such a thorny path, the heroine gets tired of life. No one could ignite the fire of love in her heart. She is not used to giving in to feelings, and communication with Bazarov and Kirsanov is just a game for her to relieve her boredom.
A certain opposite of Anna is Kukshina. She does not have an extraordinary appearance, she looks rather sloppy and unkempt. There are always dirty things and cigarette butts scattered around her house. This lady is not against alcohol or cigarettes. The pseudo-nihilist follows extreme expressions of radicalism, fights for the independence of women, and studies natural sciences. However, the reader sees Kukshina as vulgar and stupid. Her interest in science is only apparent.
Another important female image is Fenechka. She is reasonable, reserved and decent. She is a wonderful mother and meek wife who truly loves her middle-aged husband. Despite her common origin, Fedosya Nikolaevna forces those around her to have a soft spot for her. Even the arrogant and arrogant Pavel Petrovich recognizes the need for a misalliance and himself asks his brother to marry the kind and gentle Fenechka.
Katya Lokteva, Anna Sergeevna’s younger sister, can be called a real Turgenev young lady. The heroine has a pretty appearance. By nature she is modest and shy. Subsequently, throughout the entire work, the persistence of her nature is observed. Balls, coquetry, flirting with men are activities that do not interest such a young lady at all. She loves to read, is interested in nature, and plays the piano. The description of this heroine conveys all the good attitude of the author towards her.
In the novel by I.S. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" shows different images of women: from a peasant woman to a noble lady. But they are all strong, independent, able to cope with any problem on their own. But despite all this, “Turgenev women” are capable of loving and sacrificing themselves for the sake of their loved one.
Author: Rada Hibba
Arina Vlasevna
The idyll of Bazarov's parents also clearly shows the inconsistency of his idea. The mother loves her “Enyusha” excessively and tries in every possible way to surround him with love. The image of this elderly woman seems very touching. She is afraid that her son will be offended by her warmth, she does not know how to behave with him, she is careful with every word, but sometimes a mother’s heart cannot be appeased and Arina Vlasevna begins to lament near her smart and talented son, of whom she is sincerely proud. Perhaps Evgeny cannot stay at home for a long time precisely because of Arina Vlasyevna’s love. Always uncompromising and tough, he is afraid that he will melt from his mother’s caresses and will indulge in unnecessary romanticism.
“Female images in Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons””
The most prominent female figures in Turgenev's novel “Fathers and Sons” are Anna Sergeevna Odintsova, Fenechka and Kukshina. These three images are extremely different from each other, but nevertheless we will try to compare them. Turgenev was very respectful of women, which is perhaps why their images are described in detail and vividly in the novel. These ladies are united by their acquaintance with Bazarov. Each of them contributed to changing his worldview. The most significant role was played by Anna Sergeevna Odintsova. It was she who was destined to turn the world familiar to Bazarov upside down. Love, the existence of which he did not believe, came to him. Bazarov's internal conflict begins precisely from the moment when he meets Anna Sergeevna Odintsova.
With his eccentricity, Bazarov naturally arouses the keen interest of the cold lady Odintsova. But this love simultaneously attracts and frightens her. Since this is not a completely familiar feeling for a young nihilist, he, accordingly, does not know how to behave. On the one hand, he allegedly does not believe in love, and on the other, he does not know what to call the longing that he experiences. The scene where his confession to Odintsova is described very vividly conveys his torment. His love is more like anger at her, at himself for his weakness. Anna Sergeevna is always calm, dignified and unperturbed. There is something primordially Russian about her. She is a real woman who demands attention, respect and even some admiration for her person. But at the same time, she is not capable of all-consuming passion. She needs the same restraint, a certain coldness that is inherent in herself. Odintsova is unable to respond to Bazarov’s feelings, he frightens her, his love is more like hatred, at her, at himself for weakness. And Bazarov himself cannot give what she needs - peace, comfort and harmony. They are forced to part, although it is Odintsova that Bazarov wants to see before his death.
The image of Kukshina is completely different. This “nihilist” is deeply unhappy, and precisely as a woman. Her husband left her, and now behind the modern mask of an emancipated lady she hides her personal dissatisfaction with the current situation. Her manners are affected and false, but even she evokes sympathy when at the ball, abandoned by her male acquaintances, she unsuccessfully tries to attract their attention. Cheeky behavior often hides a feeling of inferiority. This happened in the case of Kukshina. Forced to play a role that is not her own, she, unlike Odintsova, who always feels at ease, behaves extremely unnaturally.
Fenechka is a real Russian woman. She does not have the majesty and spoiledness of Odintsova, and even more so she does not have the pretentiousness and falsehood of Kukshina. However, she also rejects Bazarov. He is drawn to Fedosya Nikolaevna, he seeks in her some confirmation of his theory of love as a simple sensual attraction. But this attitude offends Fenechka, and Bazarov hears a sincere reproach from her lips. Her morality, deep spirituality and purity are insulted. If for the first time the hero can explain Anna Sergeevna’s refusal by lordly effeminacy and caprice, then the refusal of Fenechka, a simple woman, suggests that the high spirituality and beauty despised by Bazarov are initially inherent in feminine nature itself. Women subconsciously feel aggression and hostility, and rarely can anything make them respond to contempt with love.
Self-esteem, spirituality and moral beauty unite Odintsova and Fenechka. In the future, Turgenev will use some of their character traits to create the image of a “Turgenev girl.” In this work, their role is to show the reader the author’s concept of the beauty of the Russian soul.
Fenechka
Female images in the novel “Fathers and Sons” are opposite to each other. I can’t believe that Fenechka can be in the same space as Kukshina and Odintsova. She is modest, quiet and timid. She is a caring mother. Without wanting it, Fenechka becomes a grain of discord between Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov, the last straw of patience. The scene in the gazebo becomes the reason that Pavel Petrovich challenges Evgeniy to a duel. And the duel demonstrates the author’s assessment: the heroes are similar, and because of the similarity they hate each other. Therefore, their duel is comical and looks like a farce.
Katya Odintsova
This is Odintsova's younger sister. Compared to Anna, she seems less interesting, overly modest and inconspicuous. However, over time, spiritual strength is discovered in this sweet girl. She gives vital energy to Arkady, he can finally express his opinion and act as his heart tells him. Together, Arkady and Katya create a family, the kind of relationship that both dreamed of. After all, Arkady was initially too different from Evgeny, he was simply seduced by his intelligence, knowledge, and strength of character. Katya is a female image that confirms the author’s original thought.
Female images in the novel “Fathers and Sons” (conclusions)
The author involves several heroines in order to express his assessment. For example, Kukshina shows how Turgenev treated nihilism. In his opinion, mostly useless and empty people were carried away by this direction. The female characters in Turgenev's Fathers and Sons also complicate the conflict by adding action to it. Here, first of all, we should name Fenechka. As for Irina Vlasyevna and Anna Odintsova, they are called upon to reflect the internal conflict in Bazarov’s soul. Katya, among other Turgenev heroines, is the embodiment of beauty and simplicity. In general, all the female characters in the novel give it artistic completeness and integrity.
Essay Female images in Turgenev’s novel Fathers and Sons
“Fathers and Sons” by I. S. Turgenev is a novel imbued with lyricism and poetry. Subtle female images add exceptional poetry to the creation. “Turgenev’s woman” is a female ideal that combines all the best features, the beauty of the human soul, Avdotya.
Odintsova Anna Sergeevna, Fenechka, Avdotya and Kukshina are bright female images in Turgenev’s poetic work. The three female images are extremely different from each other. But the reader compares them while reading the novel. The author's respectful attitude towards the female sex is very noticeable in the lines of the work. The only thing these ladies have in common is their acquaintance with Bazarov. Each, without exception, brought changes to his worldview.
The heroine Fenichka is described with special trepidation and love on the pages of the novel. Naturalness and warmth prevail in it. She is a peasant girl who lives with Nikolai Petrovich and gave birth to his son Mitya. Ashamed of her dual marital status, Fenechka does not appear in the novel from the first pages. Fenechka feels very constrained, despite the fact that Nikolai Petrovich sheltered her and recognized Mitya. The author treats her very positively. He feels her orphan soul and admires her, describing her as a young beautiful mother with a healthy child in her arms. In addition to the author, Bazarov treats her very well, he is happy to communicate with her, overcoming his gloominess.
