Fathers and Sons

Fathers and Sons is Ivan Turgenev’s novel about generational conflict and the testing of intellectual convictions within family life. Bazarov and his friend Arkady return to households where new ideas unsettle existing loyalties and expectations. Bazarov’s forceful rejection of accepted authorities is placed beside feelings and experiences that cannot be settled by argument alone. Turgenev gives both the younger and older generations particular vulnerabilities, preventing the conflict from becoming a simple contest between intelligence and ignorance. The novel’s rural settings and quieter family scenes give emotional depth to its public debates.