Critical Analysis Of Fathers And Sons By Ivan Turgenev

Ivan Turgenev is one of the greatest Russian writers. In his writings, Turgenev shows deep concern for the problems of nineteenth century Russia, such as the considerable difference between peasants and upper classes, the social standards for women and how the ideas behind nihilism are represented through the archetypical characters. In his novel, ‘Fathers and Sons’, Turgenev emphasizes the enormous difference between social status by describing their distinctive philosophical views and ways of living. ‘Fathers and Sons’ is about two young men returning to their families after coming home from university when they get home their idealistic story was changed. Through Bazarov in ‘Father and Sons’ Turgenev wishes to show to the reader that science and art can combine instead of opposing as they usually do, in order to create something bigger, more beautiful and in this way, proving that Turgenev was ahead of his time.

When analysing ‘Fathers and Sons’, the novel was published in 1862, one year after the emancipation of the serfs, which represented a sea-change in the way educated Russians viewed the lower class. Arguably, the main point expressed in Turgenev’s novel was this issue of the abolition of serfdom. In fact, this issue divided Russia into proto-liberals and proto-democrats. The democrats were looking for a revolutionary change in

Why it’s all personal vanity with them, the habit of being top dog and showing off….’ When describing one of the aristocrats Bazarov say to Pavel: ‘He’s trash, a lousy little aristocrat’ which is later applicable as a general statement to all members of the aristocracy. Bazarov clearly wishes to remove the assumptions and non-scientifically proven “truths” of social, political, emotional, and spiritual life in