(309 words) I. S. Turgenev in the novel “Fathers and Sons” presented to the readers his views on Russian society in the second half of the nineteenth century. Through the characters and their conflicts, the writer reflected the main trends of his time. The protagonist of the work is a student and a convinced nihilist Evgeny Bazarov, who can rightfully be called the hero of his time.
From the first pages of the novel, we see that we have a decent, modest person. He dresses simply, not trying to impress anyone. He greeted Nikolai Petrovich as a working man, calling himself Evgeny Vasiliev. Bazarov never seeks to be what he is not, without hesitation, demonstrating to people his own strengths and weaknesses. The hero’s commendations and convictions deserve praise; the commoner and democrat Evgeny speaks not only against serfdom, but also against the noble society of the empire itself. Bazarov denies both conservative and liberal views as outdated and unable to truly help people. His beliefs are somewhat cynical, but progressive. Moreover, he is able to defend his beliefs both in a verbal skirmish with the Kirsanov brothers and in a direct physical confrontation with Pavel Petrovich. At the same time, Eugene is not a sofa philosopher, capable of only generating ideas divorced from reality. He is engaged in science, medicine, physical labor, monitors his health and is actively engaged in self-development. Such a bright representative of Russian youth could become one of the most positive characters in Russian literature, but Turgenev shows the reader why Bazarov’s example is not the most successful.
In the course of the action, we understand that the extraordinary Bazarov is a typical example of an extra person. Without the ability to apply his abilities in real life, Eugene is bored and weak. Unable to adapt to the society of his time, he is doomed to be an outcast, capable of only ridiculing and criticizing what is happening around him, but deprived of the opportunity to influence the course of history. The death of Eugene looks extremely symbolic - so boring and inexpressive for such an ambitious young man.
The image of Bazarov is multifaceted, bright and ambiguous. Turgenev created a collective portrait of the young people of his time. Energetic, talented, but doomed to misunderstanding and oblivion.
