Love And Nihilism And Turgenev's Father's And Sons

Turgenev's Fathers and Sons is held as a beacon of defining nihilism in 19th Century Russia. However, despite the novel's political and social backdrop, the primary focus of the text is on the subtlety of an unhappy love story. This is most clearly demonstrated by the contrast of romantic pairs vis-Ðo-vis the predominant characters. Bazarov and Odintsova are contrasted with Arkady and Katya. This comparison extends further to the secondary characters of Pavel and his failed romance, and Arkady's father, Nikolai, and his relationship with Thenichka. Interestingly, Turgenev begins his work by highlighting the ideological bond between Bazarov and Arkady; thus is able to clearly indicate their eventual divergence as a by-product of their romantic endeavors. Moreover, their relationship parallels that of Pavel and Nikolai, who, like Bazarov and Arkady, are linked by friendship (and in their case also blood), but come to very different romantic ends. Turgenev also cross-links these characters, demonstrating the similarities between Bazarov and Pavel, despite their outward ideological differences, and between Arkady and his father. As such, two very different generations are unified with one transcending thematic force. Furthermore, Turgenev's elaborate structure of using all his characters as foils of each other reinforces the fact that the entire novel is structured as an examination of one character - Bazarov, whose psychological unfolding is the focal point around which all the other players' actions and relationships can be understood.

Turgenev's novel outwardly depicts Bazarov as an early nihilistic revolutionary type belonging to the raznochintsy. However, based on the manner in which Turgenev focuses his story, Bazarov is soon exposed to the reader as a man who is so set on his own convictions that he self-creates his persona. Turgenev's work stresses how Bazarov's personal life is far from revolutionary, lacking in the excitement of interpersonal relationships. This is demonstrated by his inability to allow himself to become engaged in the dramas of life, distancing himself by deeming them as mundane and trivial. Due to his convictions, he purposely cuts himself off from nature and emotion in order to forge his own image. The problem with Bazarov is that he can do nothing but act as a revolutionary, and the reader soon becomes aware that he has no control over his personality. Therefore, when his ideas are challenged, he loses his sense of self, and in the text it can be detected that part of Bazarov envies Arkady for being able to display more humanity. Regardless, he is unwilling to let go of his ideas and is controlled by the personality that he has created. He finds himself caught in the dilemma of creating something new, such as his desire to be the model of the new and modern scientific man, and tearing down something old, such as the social constructs and emotions that he eventually finds himself facing. One example of this is shown when he accepts Pavel's challenge to a duel, a practice that he rationally should reject, but proceeds out of social norms.

The text conveys numerous indications of Bazarov's struggle with his dualistic nature. While he continually tries to reject established convention, he is confronted with his own humanity when he falls in love with Odintsov. He cannot help but perceive his love as a weakness, as his ideas innately prevent him from believing in romantic love. Here the duality is portrayed by his contempt for Pavel's romanticism despite his similar behaviour in his relationship with Odintsova, and, upon falling in love, he begins to develop insecurities over his disdain for romantic sentimentality. His love highlights the inconsistencies of his ideas and how they do not account for his emotional being. As a result, in chapter 27 he attempts to break through the barriers that his nature has constructed. When he declares his love to Odintsova, Bazarov leans against the windowpane, trying to free himself and come closer to physical nature, a symbol that is prevalent throughout the text as one that enables freedom and acceptance of life. However, Odintsova, like Bazarov, is unwilling to submit to love. Her assertion of her independence as a woman during this timeframe suggests that, similar to Bazarov, she also seeks to represent herself as an exceptional being that defies societal norms.

Odintsova's rejection is in turn devastating for Bazarov, placing him in an emotional realm that cannot be reconciled by his ideological views or convention. He denounces his feelings for Odintsova as frivolous and seeks refuge in diversions. Thus, Bazarov's return to his family home parallels the acts of Pavel after his romantic failures. Both men seek to fill the void and repair their tarnished pride. More bluntly stated, they busy themselves with the problems and tasks of others in an effort to forget. In so doing, Bazarov further isolates and incapacitates himself rather than obtaining the liberation he seeks. His attempts to recover from Odintsova's rejection prove fruitless, and he is subsequently filled with self-disgust towards his entanglement with the mundane. His torment deepens with the realization of his powerlessness over both himself and the flow of life. Unable to heed his own advice, Bazarov suffers from "staking his whole upon a woman's love. " Consequently, this causes him to lose all meaning in life and self. He has nothing to turn towards and can no longer find clarity or solace is his past work and rationality.

Turgenev utilizes Bazarov's romantic misfortunes to contrast the budding relationship of Katya and Arkady. The use of the two romantic situations as foils suggests a deeper connection between personal nature and its ability to endow one with true love and happiness. In Turgenev's novel, true love affairs and happiness are those that involve the casting aside of dominance and assertion. It is the destiny of those who submit and accept the demands of life. This is noted most clearly in how Katya, unlike Odintsova and Bazarov, is not controlling and surrenders herself to "the great waves of life. " Likewise, despite Arkady's early presentation as a follower of Bazarov, there are consistent signs of his humanity, compassion, and appreciation for the sentimental. In fact, the novel implies from an early stage that his shared beliefs with Bazarov are contrived. When he and Bazarov are lying in a haystack,