Fathers and Sons

"Fathers and Sons" is a famous novel by Ivan Turgenev, published in 1862. This work became one of the most significant in 19th-century Russian literature. The main theme of the novel is the opposition between the old and new generations,... the conflict between fathers and their children. The primary confrontation is centered around two characters — Yevgeny Bazarov and Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov. Yevgeny Bazarov is a representative of the new generation, young, rational, and skeptical of the traditions and ideas of his time. He preaches a scientific approach to life and rejects old ideals and values. In contrast, Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov is an adult man, a supporter of traditions and a landowner. He represents the old generation that is not ready to accept new ideas and challenges. The conflict between the representatives of "fathers" and "children" becomes an emotional, intellectual, and ideological plot of the novel. The novel had a profound impact on the development of social thought and culture of its time.