The action of Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" takes place before the abolition of serfdom. It reveals many problems, one of them is the conflict of different age generations. A new type of dissident people is emerging, denying both state orders and moral values. We offer a brief analysis of the work, the material of which can be used for work in literature lessons in the 10th grade according to the plan, and in preparation for the Unified State Exam.
Brief Analysis
Before reading this analysis, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the work Fathers and Sons.
Year of writing : 1860 – 1861.
History of creation - The writer worked for a long time in the Sovremennik magazine. He often had disagreements with Dobrolyubov, which formed the basis of the novel.
Theme – The main theme of “Fathers and Sons” is ideological differences, generational problems, the emergence of a new type of people, love, the natural world around us.
Composition - The composition of the novel is built on oppositions, on the principles of contrast.
Genre – Roman.
Direction - A reliable and historically accurate depiction of reality, as observed in the novel “Fathers and Sons,” belongs to the direction of critical realism.
Essay The meaning of the title and title Fathers and sons of the novel Turgenva
The novel “Fathers and Sons” occupies an important place in Turgenev’s work. The title of this work can be interpreted from different points of view.
Firstly, the main conflict of the work is the clash of liberal and democratic views. From the first pages we understand that the “Fathers” Kirsanovs and the “Children” (essentially only one Bazarov) are opposed to each other. At the first meeting with Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, Bazarov did not immediately shake his hand. And the hero turned out to be right, Nikolai Petrovich’s brother did not shake his hand to Bazarov at all and even hid it in his pocket. This is how the main conflict of the novel emerged. The portrait of the heroes also contrasts them: Bazarov’s robe and Pavel Petrovich’s neat appearance are immediately noticeable to the reader.
In the arguments between Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov, we learn about their views. Evgeny declares that he is a nihilist, and Arkady supports his friend. But later we understand that in fact Arkady does not share Bazarov’s views. Evgeniy considers nature a workshop, and Kirsanov perceives it as something more than just a workshop. The Kirsanovs love poetry and music, but Evgeniy denies this.
The culmination of the storyline with Pavel Petrovich and Bzarov will be the duel of the heroes. Kirsanov will be wounded and Evgeniy will leave the house in Maryino forever. Thus, the Kirsanov brothers cannot accept Bazarov’s views. Conflicts and misunderstandings between generations are inevitable, the young bring new ideas, and the old are convinced of the correctness of time-tested foundations. Neither the aristocrat Pavel Nikolaevich nor the simple gentleman Nikolai Petrovich accept Evgeniy’s democratic views.
Also, the title of this novel can be understood as the relationship between fathers and children in the literal sense. The relationship between Arkady and his father and Bazarov's relationship with his parents. Nikolai Petrovich is trying to become closer to his son, but at the same time he is embarrassed to talk about his new wife and child. Arkady, being kind and sensitive, meets Fenechka himself. The hero happily helps his father.
Evgeniy has a completely different relationship with his parents. On his first visit, he restrains his feelings, his mother is afraid to ask something again, and his father tries not to be intrusive. On his second visit, everything changes, Bazarov has already experienced his love for Odintsova, he begins to reconsider his views. In addition, the hero is terminally ill. In his last days, to console his parents, he allows religious rituals to be performed, which the nihilist at the beginning of the novel would never have allowed. Bazarov asks his parents to call Odintsova to see her for the last time.
Thus, the meaning of the novel's title lies in the confrontation between two generations. Both in one family and on a larger scale, as a confrontation between liberals and democrats. In the epilogue we see that the Kirsanovs live happily on their estate, Arkady married Katya, Pavel Petrovich went abroad. Bazarov's parents come to their son's grave. Why did Bazarov die? Only death could force the hero to abandon his nihilistic views. Bazarov is doomed to death because he stands only on the threshold of the future.
Other works: ← Bazarov and Kirsanov↑ TurgenevWhy Gerasim drowned the mumu →
History of creation
In “Fathers and Sons,” the analysis of the work begins with determining the meaning of the title “Fathers and Sons.” From the title it immediately becomes clear what the story will be about; it will be about family relationships, but not just about relationships, but about the eternal conflict between generations. About the difference in their views and concepts about life.
The history of the creation of “Fathers and Sons” is quite fascinating. The writer's first ideas for the novel arose in 1860, when he was in England. By chance, Ivan Sergeevich was forced to spend the whole night at the railway station, where he met a young doctor. The writer and the new acquaintance talked all night; it was his ideas that Ivan Sergeevich put into the speeches of his future protagonist of the novel, Bazarov.
In the same year, the writer returned to Paris, where he began writing the first chapters of the work. In the summer of 1861, already in Russia, work on the work was completed. It was a novel written in the shortest possible time; only about two years passed from conception to the year of writing, and in 1862 the novel was already published.
The writer reflected his ideological differences with the critic Dobrolyubov in the relationships of the characters in the novel, in their disputes among themselves.
The role of the title in a work of fiction
The idea for the novel “Fathers and Sons” originated with I.S. Turgenev back in 1860, during the writer’s summer holiday in England on the Isle of Wight. In February 1862, the work was published in the Russian Bulletin.
Immediately after the publication of the novel, a barrage of criticism rained down on the writer. Turgenev's new creation was not accepted by any of the public camps. Liberal criticism could not come to terms with the fact that representatives of the aristocracy, nobles in the work are depicted ironically, and the “plebeian” Bazarov mocks them and always turns out to be morally superior to them. Democrats perceived the image of Bazarov as an evil parody.
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Turgenev, as a true artist of words, was able to guess the trend of the era, the emergence of a new type - a democrat commoner who replaced the progressive nobility. Already in the title of the novel is the main theme of the work. The title "Fathers and Sons" has a double meaning:
- On the one hand, this is an eternal problem of generations;
- On the other hand, this is a conflict between two socio-political forces operating in Russia during this period: liberals and democrats.
When focusing on the title, one should take into account its place and role in the artistic system, which is any literary work. There are three sides to a literary work:
- Subject,
- Verbal,
- Compositional.
The main elements of the objective world are the characters considered within the framework of the plot of the work. Often a title is associated with these elements. The most important aspect of a work of art is its speech structure, which is also manifested in the title. The title is not only a verbal construction indicating the subject, but also a construction reflecting the author's choice of words. The title, in addition, being the absolute beginning of the text, also performs an important compositional function - it unites all the elements of the artistic system.
Finished works on a similar topic
Coursework The meaning of the title in the novel by I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons” 490 ₽ Abstract The meaning of the title in the novel by I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons” 230 ₽ Test The meaning of the title in the novel by I. S. Turgenev “Fathers and Sons” » 190 ₽
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This connection between the text and the title emphasizes its role. “Fathers and Sons” contains an indication of the characters in the work, their arrangement and generally represents the system of characters.
In the reader's mind, fathers and children are thought of as an inseparable, but often conflicting pair. The title of the novel also sets up a conflict. The change of generations and the displacement of the old by the new is a manifestation of a life pattern. However, it is unlikely that the work of an outstanding writer is such a simple illustration of this idea. Turgenev here focuses on the features of a specific manifestation of a pattern. This determined the topicality of the novel.
The author interpreted contemporary life material from the perspective of universal human concepts. This position of Turgenev determined the presence of a second layer of content in the work, where “eternal” themes are put forward. In the novel “Fathers and Sons” there is a collision of the eternal and the modern everyday life, which creates a multi-dimensionality of the work, makes the picture of reality more vital and more complex. It is no coincidence that the narrative begins with an exact date, and ends with the writer’s words about “eternal reconciliation and endless life...”.
Subject
The problems of the novel are global. The author touches on the eternal problems of fathers and children.
The meaning of “Fathers and Sons” is not only family relationships, fathers and sons are adherents of new and old views who, from their own point of view, judge current events; the course of all life depends on the conflicts of these worldviews.
A new type of person is emerging, progressive-minded, with strong and decisive convictions, calling for the destruction of the old. Bazarov is a typical representative of the new generation, which denies the old world, whose antagonist is Pavel Kirsanov. Kirsanov is an ardent supporter of old views, a hereditary nobleman. Patriarchal foundations are close and understandable to him, in them he sees the meaning of life, and tries to live up to his beliefs.
The main idea of the book is to put the reader before a serious choice, to understand what is important and most important for the further development of life, lazy contemplation of what is happening, or the struggle for a new, progressive future.
We can conclude that the author’s book has an educational purpose, the main thing is to understand its essence, and the choice depends on everyone, the author only pushes to the right decision, without imposing his opinion.
After the stormy reaction of the critic Katkov to the original manuscript, the writer made some changes to the text, and completely redid some fragments of the episode where Bazarov argues with Kirsanov, making significant cuts.
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Composition
The composition of the novel was determined by the construction of the struggle of ideological differences. The action of the story is arranged in chronological sequence, but it is all built on contrast.
Antithesis is used to compare the characters of the novel with each other. The contrast is observed when comparing the city life of bureaucrats and the world of the noble estate.
Parallel descriptions of opposing views give the novel greater emotionality; bright personalities collide in it, each of whom is convinced that he is right.
The composition of the novel , which describes two circles of the journey of Bazarov and Kirsanov along the same route, gives completeness to the work. On the second journey there is a break with the entire past, new sides of the characters of Bazarov and Arkady are revealed.
The entire plot of the novel is built around Bazarov, he is compared with each of the characters, the character of each is given in comparison with comparison with him. All this suggests that the author opposes him not to individual heroes, but to his entire life, against whose patriarchal views Bazarov is fighting.
