Arkady is in some ways more mature than Bazarov, specifically in the way that he is generally mellower and less angry at the world in general. We see this contrast most specifically when both fall in love with Anna Odintsov. Arkady accepts his ardour, appreciates how little interest she has in him and settles into a contemplative melancholy.
Full Answer
Arkady's relationship with people seems a great deal more wholesome than Bazarov's — he loves and admires certain aspects of his father, he fulfills himself with Katya, and understands his uncle Pavel well enough to offer a good defense of Pavel's character.
On the way home, Arkady is filled with Joy at being reunited with his father again, but he keeps the conversation on a prosaic level so as to discourage his father from becoming over-emotional. Thus, they discuss only the more mundane subjects and Arkady tells Nikolai how important his friendship with Bazarov is.
Bazarov likes the Germans because they are scientific and rational, and far superior to the Russians on this count. Each encounter reveals how set and determined both Pavel and Bazarov are.
FenechkaTo complicate this, the father has taken a servant, Fenechka, into his house to live with him and has already had a son by her, named Mitya. Arkady, however, is not troubled by the relationship: to the contrary, he openly celebrates the addition of a younger brother.
At the beginning of Fathers and Sons, both Arkady and Bazarov are reunited with their parents after years away, and both struggle to come to terms with the contrast between their university-educated, cutting-edge outlook on life and the more traditional ways still embraced by their families of origin.
The book closes with the weddings of Nikolai and Fenichka and Arkady and Katya. Pavel leaves them and goes to Dresden to live out the remainder of his life. The narrator surveys the lives of all the characters before ending by speaking of Bazarov's grave.
KatyaThe older Arkady has evolved his own worldview, different from the nihilistic one he adopted from Bazarov. He gives up nihilistic views through his open love for Katya. The two are engaged and are happily in love. Six months after Bazarov dies of typhus, Arkady and Katya marry.
The physician Bazarov, the novel's protagonist, is the most powerful of Turgenev's creations. He is a nihilist, denying the validity of all laws save those of the natural sciences. Uncouth and forthright in his opinions, he is nonetheless susceptible to love and by that fact doomed to unhappiness.
For Nishitani, Bazarov's particular form of Nihilism is entirely the first kind of Nihilism. Indeed, Bazarov's defining characteristics are his extreme egoism, his belief in science and the scalpel, and his opinions on society.
A father-son relationship is a beautiful and blessed one. From the birth of a son, the father plays an essential role in molding his life. He constantly shares valuable lessons with his son and guides him in the right direction. He becomes his friend, guide, teacher, and best companion throughout his son's childhood.
physician BazarovQuite controversial at the time of its publication, Fathers and Sons concerns the inevitable conflict between generations and between the values of traditionalists and intellectuals. The physician Bazarov, the novel's protagonist, is the most powerful of Turgenev's creations.
Fathers and Sons The "nihilist" refuses to take anyone's word for anything; he can have no alliances and no emotions; he cares no more for one country than for another and accepts only that which is scientifically proven. The purpose of the nihilist is to destroy all the existing institutions and values.
Bazarov gets up early in the mornings to collect grass and insect specimens, and Arkady sometimes goes with him. They often argue, and Bazarov always wins the arguments, though Arkady ... (full context) ...day Nikolai sits with Pavel at dinner. He feels hurt, having hoped that he and Arkady could now grow closer.
That day, Bazarov meets Fenichka while strolling in the garden with Arkady. He introduces himself to Fenichka and admires Mitya. Fenichka is impressed by Mitya’s calm with... (full context) ...walk, Bazarov criticizes Nikolai’s property, observing that his peasants are taking advantage of him.
After marrying Katya, Arkady settles at Maryino and takes over the management of the estate.
Arkady is an idealistic 22-year-old Petersburg University graduate, newly returned to his home estate of Maryino, in a rural Russian province. He is the son of Nikolai and Masha. Arkady brings home his new friend and mentor, a nihilist named Yevgeny Vassilyich Bazarov. Arkady is attracted to Bazarov’s nihilist ideas and takes a condescending ...
In 1855 Nikolai Petrovich brought his son to the University; he spent three winters with him in Petersburg, seldom going out anywhere and trying to make friends with Arkady’s youthful fellow students.
The Fathers and Sons quotes below are all either spoken by Arkady Nikolayevich Kirsanov or refer to Arkady Nikolayevich Kirsanov. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).
In 1847 Kirsanov’s wife died. The blow nearly killed him and in a few weeks his hair turned grey. In the hope of somewhat distracting his thoughts he decided to go abroad . . . but then came the year 1848.
The ThemeTracker below shows where, and to what degree, the theme of Love vs. Nihilism appears in each chapter of Fathers and Sons. Click or tap on any chapter to read its Summary & Analysis.
Below you will find the important quotes in Fathers and Sons related to the theme of Love vs. Nihilism.