The “Conflict of Fathers and Children”


Throughout the history of mankind there has always been a problem of fathers and children. I think that this problem will always be relevant, because, generations are always changing, each generation has different interests, tastes, desires. Each generation sets itself different goals and achieves them in different ways. Music, literature, painting is constantly changing, one generation loves one, the next – another.

In this work, this problem is vividly illustrated in the images of Bazarov and Kirsanov. They are not related by family ties, but they are two representatives of different generations. Kirsanov does almost nothing all the time, Bazarov is engaged in useful things that are beneficial to others. These two heroes often argue, and Kirsanov defends patriarchal foundations, and Bazarov seeks a bourgeois path of development. They argue about how best to develop the country, their disputes relate to certain aspects of science, they are interested in art, the material

world and much more. Bazarov thinks that to build something new, first you need to destroy the old, only after that start building a new one. Bazarov believes that you need to gradually change everything, but not immediately. Bazarov has serious problems with his parents, he does not like that they live, keeping traditions, he seems to like parents, it seems to be not. The convictions of Bazarov and his parents are completely different, they are united only by strong love of parents, they love in spite of everything.

There are also problems between the children and the older generation among Kirsanovs between Arkady and his son, Bazarov can be regarded as a teacher of Kirsanov, he tells him about nihilism, Kirsanov tries to look like Bazarov, so he has problems with his father. But by nature he is still closer to the patriarchal world than to nihilism. He likes to keep traditions, he is close to rest, family life. But because of the new nihilistic views there are conflicts in the Kirsanov house, but they disappear after Bazarov’s death.

The problem of fathers and children is revealed not only in the

images of the older and younger generation, Bazarov and Kirsanov are almost the same in age, but their views on life are completely different, they find it difficult to find a common language, they have different opinions about the role of man. They are not even friends, there is no mutual understanding between them, they share their life experience in communication and this is mutually beneficial for them. Turgenev shows that in this generation there are people who seek to change society, like Bazarov, and there are representatives of whom are satisfied with the old way – Kirsanov.


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The “Conflict of Fathers and Children”