Roman I. S. Turgenev's āFathers and Sonsā is the writerās most famous work, which raises questions that remain relevant for centuries. The main one is the relationship of fathers and children. Therefore, it is no coincidence that today any school curriculum provides an essay on the subject of āThe dispute of generationsā.
Curriculum Vitae
Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev - a nobleman by birth. His childhood was spent in a family estate, where personal teachers and tutors were engaged in the upbringing of the boy. In 1827, the family moved from Orel to Moscow. Here Turgenev enters a boarding house, and then to Moscow University, from which he is transferred to Petersburg a year later. He traveled a lot in his youth in Europe, attended literary circles.
The year 1843 marked the beginning of Turgenevās service in the Ministry of the Interior. The writer gets acquainted with Belinsky, begins work on the first works. But only after the death of Nicholas II did the largest works, including āFathers and Sonsā, be released. This work of Turgenev became the most famous in many respects due to the fact that each of us wrote an essay in the school on the theme āFathers and Sons - a Conflict of Two Generationsā.
Ivan Sergeevich showed an incredible craving for Western literature, because of which he even moved to Baden-Baden. Here he participated in literary and cultural life and met foreign writers: Dickens, Merima, Hugo, Thackeray and many others. After some time, Turgenev begins to translate the works of Russian writers into foreign languages. His ebullient activities are ultimately rewarded with the title of doctor of the University of Oxford. The last days of the writer passed in Paris, where he died in 1883.
Turgenev's work
An essay on the topic āGenerational disputeā is best to start with a small paragraph, which contains a brief overview of the writer's entire work.
The first to notice and appreciate the talent of Turgenev Belinsky and Gogol. Acquainted with the future writer in his early years, they immediately noticed the potential in his work. According to Turgenevās early works, Belinsky managed to determine the features of the writer's work: observation, realism, ease and grace of the syllable, attention to detail.
Turgenev could not be called a revolutionary, but his interest in the fate of the homeland, the desire to ease its fate and correct the flaws is strongly manifested in the works. Many Russian revolutionaries were brought up precisely on these ideas of the writer.
The story of the creation of the novel "Fathers and Sons"
You can start writing an essay on the subject of āThe dispute of generationsā with a description of the process of creating a work.
The idea of āāwriting a novel arose in 1860. Turgenev immediately begins to work, and the first chapters are born very quickly. However, stagnation comes after productive activity, and it resumes only after a year. But overall, the novel was written very quickly. The story of the creation of the work can be completed by the announcement of its latest edition, which Turgenev carried out before publication in 1862. Later, the author himself never made any changes to his text.
The main conflict of the novel
The dispute of two generations in the novel of I. S. Turgenev āFathers and Sonsā is the main conflict of the work. The heated debate between senior and junior representatives of society has become plot-forming and raised a number of serious issues: the inevitability of changing values, the perception of the experience of ancestors, its understanding and transformation, the difference in worldview among representatives of different ages.
Besides this leading conflict, the issue of social strata is also raised in the novel. From the origin of the hero depends on his political views and ideas about the world.
The main confrontation, which should always be included in the essay on the theme āThe dispute of generationsā, is the conflict between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich.
The image of Bazarov
Evgeny Bazarov is a key character in the novel, he is a nihilist, believes only in science and does not see the point in beauty and useless art. This is a strong and confident person, he is endowed with a sharp mind and inclined to exact sciences. Bazarov is a materialist, the main thing for him is labor, the strength of his personality is such that it is easy to fall under his influence. Everything ephemeral, abstract and not bringing concrete benefit in his understanding is useless. Eugene sometimes appears as a very tough, even cruel and ruthless person. He freely criticizes and insults his opponents, without looking back at their feelings.
All this characteristic can be freely transferred to a written work on the subject of āThe dispute of generations: together and apart.ā The final essay must necessarily include an analysis of the image of Bazarov and his evolution.
Changes in the worldview of Eugene occur at the moment when he falls in love. After meeting with Odintsova, his previous ideals and theories collapse. Bazarov is at a crossroads, he can no longer hide behind cynicism, now he is aware of the complexity of human relationships.
Bazarov and Pavel Kirsanov
It is impossible, without having examined these two images, to write an essay on the subject āThe dispute of generationsā. Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich are characters on whose contradictions the whole conflict of the work is built. Bazarov rebels against what he calls the inventions of inactive aristocrats: art, friendship, love, soul, religion. Of course, his main opponent is just one of the āinventorsā of all this - Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov.
Kirsanov believes that the nobility is designed to preserve the main values āāof mankind - spiritual, therefore it is natural that Eugeneās reasoning leads him to anger and indignation. He is alien to "newfangled influences."
A mini-essay on the topic āThe problem of the conflict of generationsā can begin with a description of the acquaintance of Pavel Petrovich and Bazarov and those quarrels that immediately begin to break out between them. These heroes have different ideas about everything, be it science, politics, morality, feelings. Any topic leads them to confrontation.
But in these disputes, Bazarov invariably emerges victorious. All the arguments of Kirsanov remain unproven. Pavel Petrovich has no original thoughts and convictions; he voices the long-known and already outdated truths. Eugene also expresses original ideas that can really change the world and help people. Bazarov is a man of physical and mental labor, Pavel Petrovich is a contemplative and philosopher. There can be nothing in common between these heroes; they are representatives of diametrically opposed worldviews.
The episode in which his overseas life is described is indicative of the characterization of the image of Pavel Petrovich. The only reminder of the homeland that Kirsanov has preserved is an ashtray made in the form of a peasant bast shoe.
Conflict of Arcadia with his father
The confrontation between Arkady and his father is not as open as the conflict between Pavel Kirsanov and Bazarov. Therefore, an essay on the subject of āThe dispute of generations: together and apartā may include only a brief mention of these differences.
Nikolai Petrovich, unlike his brother, is endowed with Turgenev's wisdom and an elevated soul. The son is in many ways similar to his father, which does not allow these two heroes to finally move away and become irreconcilable enemies. Arkady himself is different from his idol Eugene, he is not so convinced of nihilistic ideas and theories. Cynicism and neglect of the feelings of Kirsanov Jr. are played up, which leads Nikolai Petrovich to indignation. However, Kirsanovās wisdom is so great that he does not blame his son and does not try to convince. He waits, and gradually Arkady returns home, refuses false ideals. In fact, Kirsanov Jr. needs peace, prosperity and a quiet happy family life from life. Therefore, the conflict between these two characters cannot be as strong as the confrontation between Bazarov and Uncle Arkady.
Conclusion
Thus, the essay on the topic āThe dispute of generations: together and apartā should reflect the main conflict between the nihilist odd-man Bazarov and the idealist aristocrat Pavel Petrovich. The contradiction of Arkady with his father is only a reflection of the desire of Kirsanov Jr. to appear independent and independent.