Love Testing
I. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” was completed in 1862. In this work, the writer touched upon profound political, philosophical and aesthetic problems, captured real life conflicts, revealed the essence of the ideological struggle between the main social forces in Russia in the early 1960s. The central figure of the novel is the democrat-raznochinets Evgenie Bazarov.
At the first meeting of Bazarov with the rest of the heroes of the novel, the author presents us with the appearance of a young man. Clothing, manners and behavior of the hero speak of his belonging to a simple people, and that he is proud of this, and does not intend to observe the rules of etiquette of aristocratic nobility. He is a man of firm and uncompromising convictions, a man of cause. Bazarov is a nihilist. He is an experimenter, passionately passionate about science and medicine, working tirelessly. Bazarov disregarded the art and feelings of man: “Raphael is not worth a penny”.
Before the meeting with Odintsova, Bazarov – a man of sober and deep mind, confident in his abilities, proud and purposeful. He defends the ideas of nihilism, argued with Pavel Petrovich, admitting that the main task of the nihilists is to break down everything that is old in order to “clear the place,” and to build is not their business. Possessing the ability to influence other people, he suppresses them with his knowledge, logic and will.
But as soon as Bazarov’s relationship with Odintsova begins to develop, the author shows how the character changes. At first Odintsov attracted Bazarov only externally, as he expressed “physiologically”: “What kind of figure is this? On other women is not like”, “she has such shoulders
For Bazarov himself, the love for Odintsov became a serious test of his loyalty to nihilistic ideals. He deeply experienced what he himself rejected: “in conversations with Anna Sergeevna, he expressed ever more his indifferent contempt for everything romantic, and left alone, he was indignantly aware of the romance in himself.” Summoning Bazarov for frankness, Odintsov rejected his love. She liked him: “He impressed Odintsov’s imagination: he occupied her, she thought about him a lot.” But she was more expensive habitual way of life and comfort than a passing infatuation with Eugene Bazarov.
Unhappy love leads Bazarov to a serious mental crisis. The beliefs of nihilism come into conflict with his human essence. At this point, the hero no longer sees the goal, the sense of living. He leaves for his parents because of idleness, and in order to get distracted, begins to help his father in his medical practice. Accidental infection with typhus led to the death of his body, but not of the soul, the soul in it has long since died, having failed to pass the test of love.
Thus, Turgenev showed the inconsistency of Bazarov’s position. In his novel he debunks the theory of nihilism. Human nature is designed to love, admire, feel, live a full life. Denying all this, a person condemns himself to death. We see this on the example of the fate of Yevgeny Bazarov.
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