The question of why Turgenev killed his hero of the novel "Fathers and Sons" - Yevgeny Bazarov, was of interest to many. Herzen said on this occasion that the author of the novel wanted to kill his hero with "lead", that is, with a bullet, but he killed him with typhus, because he did not accept much in him. Is it so? Maybe the reason lies much deeper? So why did Bazarov die?
Why Turgenev killed Bazarov
And the answer lies in life itself, in the political and social situation of that time. Opportunities in order to implement the aspirations of raznochintsy for democratic reforms, the social conditions of Russia in those years did not give. In addition, they remained cut off from the people they were drawn to and fought for. They were not able to carry out the titanic task that they set for themselves. They could fight, but they could not win. They were stamped with doom. It turns out that Eugene was doomed to death and defeat, to the fact that his deeds would not come true. Turgenev was sure that the Bazarovs had come, but their time had not yet come.
The death of the protagonist of "Fathers and Sons"
Answering the question of what Bazarov died from, we can say that the cause was blood poisoning. He injured his finger while opening up the corpse of a typhus patient he was treating. But most likely, the reasons lie much deeper. How did the hero accept his death, how did he treat it? How did Bazarov die?
At first, Bazarov tried to fight the disease by asking his father for a hellish stone. Realizing that he is dying, he ceases to cling to life and gives himself into the hands of death rather passively. It is clear to him that to comfort both himself and others with the hope of healing is a vain thing. Now the main thing is to die with dignity. And this means not to relax, not to whimper, not to give in to despair, not to panic and do everything to alleviate the suffering of old parents. Such concern for loved ones before death elevates Bazarov.
He himself has no fear of death, he is not afraid to part with life. During these hours, he is very courageous, which is confirmed by his words that he will not wag his tail anyway. But his resentment does not leave him because his heroic forces are perishing in vain. He demonstrates his power. Raising a chair by the leg, weakened and dying out, he says, “The power, the power is still here, but you have to die!”. He overcomes his semi-forgetfulness and at the same time speaks of his titanism.
The way Bazarov died looks random and ridiculous. He is young, he is a doctor and an anatomist. Therefore, his death looks symbolic. Medicine and natural sciences, which Bazarov hoped so much for, turn out to be insufficient for life. His philanthropy turned out to be misunderstood, because he dies just because of an ordinary peasant. His nihilism is also inexplicable, because now life denies him.
Death test. This last test Bazarov also has to go through in parallel with his antagonist. Despite the successful outcome of the duel, Pavel Petrovich had long since died spiritually. Parting with Fenechka broke the last thread that tied him to life: “Illuminated by bright daylight, his beautiful emaciated head lay on a white pillow, like the head of a dead man ... Yes, he was a dead man.” His opponent also passes away.
Surprisingly persistent in the novel are references to an epidemic that spares no one and from which there is no escape. We learn that Fenechka's mother, Arina, "died of cholera." Immediately upon the arrival of Arkady and Bazarov at the Kirsanov estate, "the best days of the year came", "the weather was beautiful." “True, cholera was threatening again from afar,” the author remarks meaningfully, “but the inhabitants of *** ... the province managed to get used to her visits.” This time, cholera “pulled out” two peasants from Maryin. The landowner himself was in danger - "Pavel Petrovich had a rather strong seizure." And again, the news does not amaze, does not frighten, does not disturb Bazarov. The only thing that hurts him as a doctor is the refusal to help: “Why didn’t he send for him?” Even when his own father wants to tell "a curious episode of the plague in Bessarabia" - Bazarov decisively interrupts the old man. The hero behaves as if cholera alone does not pose any danger to him. Meanwhile, epidemics have always been considered not only the greatest of earthly adversities, but also an expression of God's will. The favorite fable of the beloved Turgenev fabulist Krylov begins with the words: "The most severe scourge of heaven, nature's horror - the pestilence rages in the forests." But Bazarov is convinced that he is building his own destiny.
“Every person has his own destiny! - thought the writer. - Just as clouds are first formed from the vapors of the earth, rise from its depths, then separate, alienate from it and bring it, finally, grace or death, so around each of us is formed<…>a kind of element, which then has a destructive or saving effect on us<…>. To put it simply: everyone makes their own destiny and it makes everyone ... ”Bazarov understood that he was created for the“ bitter, tart, bean-like ”life of a public figure, perhaps a revolutionary agitator. He accepted this as his calling: “I want to mess with people, at least scold them, but mess with them”, “Give us others! we need to break others!” But what to do now, when the former ideas have been justifiably questioned, and science has not given an answer to all questions? What to teach, where to call?
In Rudin, the astute Lezhnev remarked which idol is most likely to “act on the youth”: “Give her conclusions, results, even if they are incorrect, but results!<…>Try to tell the youth that you cannot give them the full truth because you do not own it yourself.<…>, young people will not listen to you ...>. It's necessary that you yourself<…>believed that you possess the truth ... "But Bazarov no longer believes. He tried to find the truth in a conversation with a peasant, but nothing happened. Too condescendingly, lordly-arrogantly, the nihilist addresses the people with a request "to state their views on life." And the peasant plays along with the master, presenting himself as a stupid, submissive idiot. It turns out that it is not worth sacrificing your life for this. Only in a conversation with a friend does the peasant take his soul away, discussing the “pea jester”: “It is known, master; does he understand?
What remains is work. Help father in a tiny estate of several souls of peasants. One can imagine how small and insignificant all this must seem to him. Bazarov makes a mistake, also petty and insignificant - he forgets to burn a cut on his finger. A wound obtained from dissecting a decomposing corpse of a man. "A democrat to the marrow of his bones," Bazarov invaded the lives of the people boldly and self-confidently<…>, which turned against the "healer" himself. So is it possible to say that Bazarov's death is accidental?
“To die the way Bazarov died is the same as doing a great feat,” D.I. Pisarev. One cannot but agree with this observation. The death of Yevgeny Bazarov, in his bed, surrounded by relatives, is no less majestic and symbolic than the death of Rudin at the barricade. With complete human self-control, in a medically short way, the hero states: “... My case is lousy. I am infected, and in a few days you will bury me…” I had to be convinced of my human vulnerability: “Yes, go and try to deny death. She denies you, and that's it! “It doesn’t matter: I won’t wag my tail,” says Bazarov. Although "no one cares about this", the hero cannot afford to sink - until "he has not yet lost his memory<…>; he was still fighting.
The proximity of death for him does not mean the rejection of cherished ideas. Such as atheistic rejection of God's existence. When the religious Vasily Ivanovich, “down on his knees,” begs his son to make a confession and be cleansed of sins, he outwardly carelessly answers: “There is still nothing to hurry ...” He is afraid of offending his father with a direct refusal and only asks to postpone the ceremony: “After all, they also commune the memoryless … I'll wait". “When he was unctioned,” says Turgenev, “when the holy myrrh touched his chest, one of his eyes opened and, it seemed, at the sight of the priest<…>, censer, candles<…>something like a shudder of horror instantly reflected on the dead face.
It seems like a paradox, but death in many ways frees Bazarov, encourages him not to hide his real feelings anymore. Simply and calmly, he can now express his love for his parents: “Who is crying there? …Mother? Will she feed someone now with her amazing borscht? .. ”Affectionately bantering, he asks the grief-stricken Vasily Ivanovich to be a philosopher in these circumstances. Now you can not hide your love for Anna Sergeevna, ask her to come and take his last breath. It turns out that you can let simple human feelings into your life, but at the same time not “raw up”, but become spiritually stronger.
The dying Bazarov utters romantic words that express true feelings: “Blow on the dying lamp, and let it go out ...” For the hero, this is an expression of only love experiences. But the author sees more in these words. It is worth recalling that such a comparison comes to the lips of Rudin on the verge of death: “... It’s all over, and there is no oil in the lamp, and the lamp itself is broken, and the wick is about to finish smoking ...” Turgenev’s tragically cut short life is likened to a lamp, like in the old poem:
Blazed with a midnight lamp Before the shrine of goodness.
Bazarov, who is dying, is hurt by the thought of his uselessness, uselessness: “I thought: I won’t die, where! There is a task, because I am a giant! ”,“ Russia needs me ... no, apparently not needed! .. A shoemaker is needed, a tailor is needed, a butcher ..." Likening him to Rudin, Turgenev recalls their common literary “ancestor”, the same selfless wanderer Don- Quixote. In his speech “Hamlet and Don Quixote” (1860), the author lists the “generic features” of the Don Quixotes: “Don Quixote is an enthusiast, a servant of the idea, and therefore is covered with its radiance”, “He lives all outside of himself, for his brothers, for the extermination of evil, for counteracting forces hostile to humanity. It is easy to see that these qualities form the basis of Bazarov's character. According to the largest, "don Quixote" account, his life was not lived in vain. Let Don Quixotes seem funny. It is this kind of people, according to the writer, who move humanity forward: “If they are gone, let the book of history be closed forever: there will be nothing to read in it.”
The illness and death of Bazarov seemed to be caused by an absurd accident - a deadly infection that accidentally entered the bloodstream. But in the works of Turgenev, this cannot be accidental.
The wound itself is an accident, but there is also a share of regularity in it, since during this period Bazarov lost his vital balance and became less attentive, more distracted in his work.
The pattern is also in the author's position, since Bazarov, who always challenged nature in general and human nature (love) in particular, had, according to Turgenev, to be avenged by nature. The law is cruel here. So he dies, infected with bacteria - natural organisms. Simply put, it dies by nature.
In addition, unlike Arkady, Bazarov was not suitable for "making a nest for himself." He is alone in his beliefs and lacks family potential. And this is a dead end for Turgenev.
And one more circumstance. Turgenev could feel the prematureness, the uselessness of the Bazarovs for contemporary Russia. If Bazarov looked unhappy on the last pages of the novel, then the reader would certainly feel sorry for him, and he deserves not pity, but respect. And it was in his death that he showed his best human traits, with the last phrase about the “dying lampada” finally coloring his image not only with courage, but also with bright romance, which, as it turned out, lived in the soul of a seemingly cynical nihilist. This, in the end, was the whole point of the novel.
By the way, if the hero dies, it is not at all necessary that the author denies him something, punishes him or takes revenge for something. Turgenev's best heroes always die, and from this his works are colored with a bright, optimistic tragedy.
Epilogue of the novel.
An epilogue can be called the last chapter of the novel, which briefly tells about the fate of the heroes after the death of Bazarov.
The future of the Kirsanovs turned out to be quite expected. The author writes especially sympathetically about the loneliness of Pavel Petrovich, as if the loss of Bazarov, a rival, completely deprived him of the meaning of life, the opportunity to at least apply his vitality to something.
The lines about Odintsova are significant. Turgenev with one phrase: "I married not for love, but for conviction" - completely debunks the heroine. And the last author's description already looks simply sarcastically destructive: "... they will live, perhaps, to happiness ... perhaps to love." It is enough to understand at least a little Turgenev in order to guess that love and happiness are not “lived out”.
The most Turgenevian is the last paragraph of the novel - a description of the cemetery where Bazarov is buried. The reader has no doubt that he is the best in the novel. To prove this, the author merged the departed hero with nature into a single harmonious whole, reconciled him with life, with his parents, with death, and still managed to say about “the great calmness of indifferent nature ...”.
The novel "Fathers and Sons" in Russian criticism.
In accordance with the vectors of the struggle of social movements and literary views in the 60s, points of view on Turgenev's novel were also lined up.
The most positive assessments of the novel and the main character were given by D.I. Pisarev, who had already left Sovremennik at that time. But from the bowels of Sovremennik itself, negative criticism sounded. An article by M. Antonovich “Asmodeus of our time” was published here, in which the social significance and artistic value of the novel was denied, and Bazarov, called a talker, a cynic and a glutton, was interpreted as a pitiful slander on the younger generation of democrats. N.A. Dobrolyubov had already died by this time, and N.G. Chernyshevsky was arrested, and Antonovich, who rather primitively accepted the principles of “real criticism”, took the original author’s intention for the final artistic result.
Oddly enough, the liberal and conservative part of society perceived the novel more deeply and fairly. Even here, however, there are extreme judgments.
M. Katkov wrote in Russkiy Vestnik that Fathers and Sons is an anti-nihilistic novel, that the occupation of “new people” by the natural sciences is a frivolous and idle matter, that nihilism is a social disease that needs to be treated by strengthening protective conservative principles.
The most artistically adequate and profound interpretation of the novel belongs to F. M. Dostoevsky and N. Strakhov - the magazine "Vremya". Dostoevsky interpreted Bazarov as a “theorist” who was at odds with life, as a victim of his own dry and abstract theory, which crashed into life and brought suffering and torment (almost like Raskolnikov from his novel “Crime and Punishment”).
N. Strakhov noted that I.S. Turgenev "wrote a novel that was neither progressive nor retrograde, but, so to speak, everlasting." The critic saw that the author "stands for the eternal principles of human life," and Bazarov, who is "alienated from life," meanwhile, "lives deeply and strongly."
The point of view of Dostoevsky and Strakhov is quite consistent with the judgments of Turgenev himself in his article “On the“ Fathers and Sons ”, where Bazarov is called a tragic person.
The episode of Bazarov's death is one of the most important in the work. Being the denouement of the idea of the work, this episode plays a key role in the novel, being the answer to the question: “Is it possible to live, rejecting all human feelings and recognizing only reason?”
Bazarov returns home to his parents a person different from what he was before. He begins to avoid the loneliness that used to be an integral part of his life and helped him to work.
He is always looking for company: he drinks tea in the living room, walks in the forest with his father, because being alone becomes unbearable for him. Alone, his thoughts are taken over by Odintsova, the woman he loves, who destroyed his unshakable faith in the absence of romantic feelings. Because of this, Bazarov becomes less attentive and less focused on work. And, due to this very inattention, he receives a slight cut, which later became fatal for him.
Bazarov, as an experienced doctor, is well aware that he has little time left to live. Understanding the imminent inevitable death tears off the mask of insensibility from him. He worries about his parents and tries to protect them from worries, hiding the disease from them to the last.
When Bazarov’s condition worsens completely, and he stops getting out of bed, it doesn’t even occur to him to complain about the pain. He reflects on life, sometimes inserting his characteristic ironic jokes.
Realizing that he had very little time left, Bazarov asks to send Odintsova to see her for the last time before his death. She arrives dressed all in black, as if to a funeral. Seeing the dying Bazarov, AS finally realizes that he does not love him. Bazarov tells her everything about what is in his soul. He still does not complain, but only talks about life and his role in it. When E.V. asks Odintsova to give him a glass of water, she does not even take off her gloves and timidly breathes in fear of getting infected. This once again proves the lack of romantic feelings in her towards Bazarov. The dying Bazarov still has a small spark of hope for reciprocity of love, and he asks for her kiss. AC fulfills his request, but kisses him only on the forehead, that is, in the way that the dead are usually kissed. For her, the death of Bazarov is not an important event, and she has already mentally said goodbye to him.
Analyzing this episode, we see that the illness and understanding of imminent death finally turns Bazarov from an independent nihilist into an ordinary person with his own weaknesses. In his last days, he no longer harbors any feelings and opens his soul. And he dies a strong man, without complaining or showing pain. Odintsova's behavior shows her lack of love for Bazarov. Her visit to the dying man is only politeness, but not the desire to see the hero for the last time and say goodbye.
This episode is inextricably linked with others in this work. It is the denouement of the main conflict of the work, logically continuing the whole idea of the novel, and especially chapter 24. In this chapter, a duel takes place between Kirsanov and Bazarov, which is why the latter has to go back home to his parents.
From all of the above, we can conclude that this episode plays one of the key roles in the work. Being a denouement, it brings to an end the story of a man who rejected all feelings, and shows that it is still impossible to live, denying human joys and being guided only by reason.
The novel "Fathers and Sons" by I.S. Turgenev ends with the death of the main character. Understanding the reasons why the author ends his work in this way is possible through an analysis of the episode "Bazarov's death". "Fathers and Sons" is a novel in which the death of the protagonist is certainly not accidental. Perhaps such an ending speaks of the failure and convictions of this character. So, let's try to figure it out.
Who is Bazarov?
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death is impossible without understanding what this character is like. Thanks to what is told about Eugene in the novel, we imagine a smart, self-confident, cynical young man who denies generally accepted moral principles and ideals. He considers love to be "physiology", in his opinion, a person should not depend on anyone.
Subsequently, however, Turgenev reveals to us in his hero such qualities as sensitivity, kindness, and the ability for deep feelings.
Bazarov is a nihilist, that is, a person who denies all generally accepted values, including he does not share the enthusiasm of amateurs. In his opinion, only that which brings practical benefit is significant. Everything beautiful he considers meaningless. Eugene designates his main "work for the benefit of society." His task is "to live for the great goal of renewing the world."
Attitude towards others
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death in Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" cannot be carried out without understanding how the relationship of the protagonist with the people who made up his social circle was built. It should be noted that Bazarov treated others with contempt, he put others lower than himself. This was manifested, for example, in the things he said to Arkady about himself and his relatives. Attachment, sympathy, tenderness - all these feelings Eugene considers unacceptable.
Lyubov Bazarova
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death requires mentioning that, with all his disdain for lofty feelings, he, ironically, falls in love. His love is unusually deep, as evidenced by the explanation with Anna Sergeevna Odintsova. Realizing that he is capable of such a feeling, Bazarov ceases to treat him as physiology. He begins to consider the existence of love possible. Such a change of views could not pass without a trace for Eugene, who lived with the ideas of nihilism. His former life is destroyed.
Bazarov's explanation of love is not just words, it is a recognition of his own defeat. Eugene's nihilistic theories are shattered.
Turgenev considers it inappropriate to end the novel with a change in the views of the protagonist, but decides to end the work with his death.
Bazarov's death - an accident?
So, in the finale of the novel, the main event is the death of Bazarov. Analysis of the episode requires remembering the reason why, according to the text of the work, the main character dies.
His life becomes impossible due to an unfortunate accident - a small cut that Bazarov received during the autopsy of the body of a peasant who died of typhus. Ironically, he, a doctor doing a useful job, cannot do anything to save his life. The realization that he was going to die gave the protagonist time to evaluate his accomplishments. Bazarov, aware of the inevitability of his death, is calm and strong, although, of course, being a young and energetic person, he regrets that there is so little left to live.
Bazarov's attitude to death and to himself
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death is impossible without a deeper understanding of how the hero relates to the proximity of his end and death in general.
Not a single person can calmly realize the approaching end of his life. Eugene, being a man, certainly strong and self-confident, is no exception. He regrets that he did not fulfill his main task. He understands the power of death and speaks of the approaching last minutes with bitter irony: "Yes, go ahead, try to deny death. It denies you, and that's it!"
So, the death of Bazarov is approaching. Analysis of the episode, which is one of the key ones in the novel, needs to understand how the character of the protagonist has changed. Eugene becomes kinder and more sentimental. He wants to meet his beloved, once again to say about his feelings. Bazarov is softer than before, treats his parents, now understanding their importance.
An analysis of the episode of Bazarov's death shows how lonely the protagonist of the work is. He does not have a close person to whom he could convey his beliefs, therefore, his views have no future.
Understanding True Values
In the face of death they change. Understanding what is really important in life comes.
An analysis of the episode “The Death of Bazarov” based on the novel by I. S. Turgenev requires an understanding of what values the protagonist now considers to be true.
The most important thing for him now is his parents, their love for him, as well as his feelings for Odintsova. He wants to say goodbye to her, and Anna, not afraid to get infected, comes to Evgeny. With her, Bazarov shares his innermost thoughts. He comes to the understanding that Russia does not need it at all, it needs those who do their usual work every day.
It is harder for Bazarov to come to terms with his death than for any other person, because he is an atheist and does not believe in life after death.
Turgenev ends his novel with the death of Bazarov. The principles by which the hero lived are destroyed. Stronger, new ideals did not appear in Bazarov. Turgenev notes that it was precisely the deep commitment to nihilism that killed the protagonist, which forced him to abandon the universal values that allow him to live in this world.
