Pisarev's article "Bazarov": a summary and analysis

In the main character of Turgenev’s novel Fathers and Sons, the critic Pisarev saw what he himself liked. This is a kind of embodiment of his own ideal. Pisarev's article “Bazarov,” a summary of which will be presented below, was published in March 1862. In it, the author defines and details the character of the hero of the novel. He portrayed him as the proclamator of egoism and a self-liberated person. Pisarev and then continued to write about Bazarov. In 1864, in an article entitled "Realists," he points out that this hero from the first minutes of his appearance in the novel became his favorite. And then for a long time he continued to remain them.

Pisarev's article "Bazarov": a summary of the chapters

Pisarev in the first chapter wrote that Bazarov does not recognize any authority, regulator, any moral laws and principles, because he lives on his own: how he knows how, how he knows, how he wants and regardless of face.

The author also pointed out that Bazarov placed himself above the crowds of the masses. He tried in every way to distance himself from them and in no way wanted to be at least somewhat similar to them.

People like Bazarov really behave very sharply, sometimes arrogantly and fearlessly. Their character is manifested in actions, habits and lifestyle. Such people are completely uninterested in whether the people will follow them and whether their society will accept them. Before that, they do not care.

Pisarev's article “Bazarov”: content and analysis

The Bazarovs are filled with their own life and do not want to let anyone into it. But we will continue to develop the topic further, consider what else Pisarev’s article “Bazarov” tells us. A brief summary of the work of the famous critic also indicates that at first, perhaps, the main character felt quite confident and comfortable, but then, as time has shown, he did not find himself happy in his nihilistic image, except for “inner life”.

Pisarev writes that Bazarov, with his principles and ideas, is not so good at living in the world. After all, where there is no activity, there is no love, there are no pleasures. What to do then? Pisarev, who did not share revolutionary views, gives an interesting answer to this question. He writes that in this case one must "live while living, if there is no roast beef, eat dry bread, and be with women, since you can’t love a woman." In general, do not dream about something like orange trees and palm trees, but realistically content with snowdrifts and cold tundra, not wanting more.

What to do?

Pisarev’s short article “Bazarov” tells that the critic himself understands perfectly well that all representatives of the modern generation of his age in their views and aspirations can definitely recognize themselves in the image of the hero Turgenev. But this applies not only to them. In Bazarov, those who followed Pisarev could also recognize themselves. But those who followed such a leader of the revolution as Chernyshevsky are unlikely. Their Bazarov would be an expresser of ideas, but no more. The thing is that revolutionary democracy approached the people and the political struggle in exactly the opposite way.

That is why the criticism of Sovremennik very sharply reacted both to the novel Fathers and Sons and Pisarev’s interpretation of the image of the hero Bazarov. Those images in which the then revolutionary democracy recognized itself were in Chernyshevsky’s novel What to Do? It was in this work that a different answer was given to the main question, different from the one proposed by Pisarev at the end of his article. Indeed, the critic in the future paid much attention to Bazarov in other articles: “Realists” (1864), “The Thinking Proletariat” (1865), “Let's See!” (1865).

In addition to all the material presented by Pisarev's article “Bazarov,” its brief summary is continued by the thought of the appearance of new people in society with a forgivable and understandable extreme.

New people

Pisarev speaks of Bazarov as a new type of person, but, it is true, further, over time, his interpretation has already begun to change, in accordance with changes in the socio-political views of the author. In the article "Realists," he already differently considers Bazar egoism. He says that such consistent realists live "the highest guiding idea." She gives them great strength in the struggle. Such egoists have their own "personal calculation" that does not impede their struggle for high goals. But at that time they consisted in the destruction of the poverty of the working people. The critic already writes that it is precisely this egoism that finds in itself the satisfaction of this activity, leading to the realization of the set goal.

What does Pisarev's article “Bazarov” end with? A brief summary of it tells us that Turgenev himself is not very sympathetic to his hero. Realism warps and corrodes the vulnerable and loving nature, and the slightest manifestations of cynicism insult its subtle aesthetic sense. Without showing us how he lived, the author very vividly paints a picture of how his hero dies. This is quite enough to understand how powerful this man was. However, unfortunately, she did not find her application for a useful and dignified life.