I. S. Turgenev, “Fathers and Sons”: the role of landscape in the novel

The main theme of the literary work “Fathers and Sons” is the struggle of the irreconcilable estates: the liberal nobility and the revolutionary-minded democratic youth. This conflict is already reflected in the title of the novel. And so, in order to more clearly and more clearly reveal all this semantic load, Turgenev uses nature, which is a living image and, as it were, another very important and decisive hero in the work “Fathers and Sons”. The role of landscape in the novel is very curious and interesting. In general, Russian nature in literature had already taken its firm place by then. Turgenev, as an observant person and knowledgeable in this matter, described landscapes in great detail and correctly, thanks to them he created the necessary psychological and emotional load.

Fathers and Sons: The Role of the Landscape in the Novel

The first description of nature is found during a trip of the main characters in Maryino. This Turgenev shows what is happening in the noble estates. After all, the problems were not only in Kirsanovsky villages, but also throughout Russia. The men looked emaciated and battered, the cows looked emaciated, they greedily plucked the grass. In the middle of a red day, the specter of a white and joyless winter with snowstorms and snowstorms arose. The author associates the life of a poor peasant with an endless and bleak winter.

After the writer wrote this literary masterpiece, many critics pondered what caused its creation. “Fathers and Sons” is a creation describing the events taking place in 1861 - in the era of serfdom, just before its abolition.

Assistive Techniques

The whole landscape of the novel is not only social, but also psychological. Through appeal to nature, the inner world of man is recreated and his thoughts and experiences are more clearly transmitted. Such techniques are literally at every step used by Turgenev in his work Fathers and Sons. The description of nature allows him to reproduce the most subtle and most important traits of the characters of his heroes. He writes, for example, about Arkady, that while he was thinking, spring was gaining its moment, everything was turning green, glossy and worried from the warm breeze, the larks immediately flooded loudly. Because of this, Arkady’s thoughts were weakened, he threw off his overcoat, looked at his father just as he had once, with his cheerful boyish look, and he hugged him.

Turgenev perfectly contrasts the landscape on the day of the duel (“glorious and fresh morning”) with a tragic denouement, and shows the unnaturalness of such a stupid death. By this, he emphasizes the vanity of people before the grandeur and beauty of nature. The landscape here becomes a symbol of true life. This is especially evident in the cemetery at the grave of Bazarov.

Fathers and Sons: The Main Characters

Well, now, perhaps, we need to proceed to the description of the plot - in just a few words, so that it is more clear what they are talking about. In the work “Fathers and Sons”, the main characters are Russian society, in which a new type of progressive people, democrats of different ranks, are beginning to form, who are imbued with an ardent desire to change the existing system in Russia.

“Fathers and Sons” begins (a brief summary of the chapters will tell about this) with the fact that in the first part Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, who lives in his Maryino estate, is waiting for the return of his son, who is not going alone.

In the second chapter, Arkady introduces his father to his friend. And represents Yevgeny Bazarov as a simple person who can be treated without ceremony or embarrassment.

Workshop

What is interesting in the works “Fathers and Sons”, the landscape in Chapter 3 describes the state of the heroes as accurately as possible. Father is very happy to meet, the son constantly looks at his friend Bazarov, Yevgeny Ilyich (a nihilist student who studies to be a doctor) and is even afraid that he will not hear his thoughts about the extraordinary beauty of nature. After all, Eugene did not consider nature as a temple of beauty, which can be admired, but in a workshop where a person should operate for his own and public benefit. Bazarov, in matters of nihilism, is the mentor of his friend, the one-thinker, and opposes the traditional conservative views of his parents and the liberalism of the Kirsanov brothers - father and uncle Arkady.

Turgenev is very sympathetic to Nikolai Petrovich, and his gazebo described by him, "overgrown and fragrant," speaks of the purity, gentleness and romance of his soul.

But the Odintsova garden with smooth avenues, trimmed Christmas trees and a planted greenhouse creates the impression of artificial life, for it it is monotonous and measured.

Bazarov in conversation with her compares people with trees. And he himself recalls his childhood and about aspen on the edge of the pit. This tree became his double - proud, lonely and very embittered. In general, you can immediately notice with a naked eye that all the heroes of the novel are checked by their attitude to nature. And it was not in vain that Bazarov was so attracted to Odintsova, as it turned out, they have a lot in common.

Image of the road

In the work “Fathers and Sons,” the chapter summary gradually gives a clear picture of the early spring awakening of nature, which brings a cheerful note to the story and hope for an early update. And no matter how joyful the landscape, the significance of the coming spring in the heroes of different generations manifests itself in different ways. Arkady is simply happy for a wonderful day, his father Nikolai Petrovich quotes Pushkin’s poems, all his thoughts are connected with the “road of memories” from the past. This image of the road will go through the entire narrative of the plot.

The landscape will constantly convey a feeling of spaciousness, not of confined space. After all, it’s not in vain that the heroes constantly travel. Immediately before my eyes comes the image of Russia and Tyutchev’s magnificent poem “These Poor Villages”.

Nature

As for the work “Fathers and Sons”, the role of landscape in the novel is very significant. It should be noted that it was nature that put the last point in the story. She kind of sums up the life of all the heroes. The epilogue describes the landscape of the village cemetery, it became the final proof that Bazarov’s theory collapsed, its principles were untenable and will soon be buried. That's just nature will always remind of "eternity, tranquility and reconciliation."

This is very clearly stated by Turgenev in the work Fathers and Sons. The role of the landscape in the novel is huge, a little later the writer with the help of his favorite tricks will reveal the identity of Bazarov, and he will manifest himself in his true nature. The result of Bazarov’s life is very sad. He will fall in love with the widow, the rich landowner Odintsova, and then, having contracted typhus, he will die.

Peace and inspiration

In Fathers and Sons, quotes speak for themselves. Bazarov’s nature seemed to avenge his misunderstanding, but when the hero didn’t feel well, “he went to the forest and walked along it with great strides, breaking the branches and scolding it in an undertone and himself and himself ...”. However, Turgenev shows that he is not a completely missing person, because he has not lost his sense of beauty.

Odintsova is practically indifferent to nature, like Bazarov, she walks around the garden only because it is a habitual thing for her. But for Nikolai Petrovich, nature is a source of inspiration. Katerina and Arkady are young and carefree, they are literally childishly in love with her. Although Arkady tries to hide it in every possible way, the truth is too obvious.

Fenichka against the backdrop of the summer landscape looks "fresh". Bazarov, although he denies the beauty of the world around him, is on a subconscious level with him. To understand himself, he goes for a walk in the forest, where he is angry and indignant. He can trust nature, it is she who becomes an involuntary witness to his experiences.

Conclusion

In the story “Fathers and Sons”, quotes from childhood memories of the protagonist Bazarov allow him to better understand his soul, in a conversation with his father he recalls: “I, as I drove up here, was glad for your birch grove, gloriously stretched out.” Here he shows that his soul is not as callous as he wants to show.

Turgenev here shows how strongly, deeply and powerfully nature affects a person, being a source of his thoughts, feelings and moods.