A look at the world and human life in general in the image of Nikolai Petrovich from the novel "Fathers and Sons". Composition “Characteristics of the image of Kirsanov Nikolai Petrovich

It is generally accepted that the main character of the novel I.A. Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" is the nihilist Yevgeny Bazarov. Of course, in many respects this is a correct point of view. But Bazarov cannot be named in any way goodie works. Is there such a thing in the novel at all?

In my opinion, there is. In "Fathers and Sons" there is a character who, in his life convictions, is extremely close to Turgenev himself. It is through this image that the writer conveys his view of the world and human life. This hero - Nicholas Petrovich Kirsanov.

It would seem that this is one of the most inconspicuous characters in the work. He is gentle, good-natured, sensitive and tactful. Perhaps that is why his words, at first glance, are not heard in the novel. However, this is only at first glance. In the course of the work, we are becoming more and more convinced that Nikolai Petrovich is one of the most harmonious and balanced heroes of the novel, who has known the true meaning of life and reached a state of happiness.

We see that Nikolai Petrovich is absolutely not adapted to "practical" life. The author emphasizes this already at the very beginning of the novel, showing us the abandoned lands belonging to this hero, the poverty of his peasants, devastation in the fields: “... the peasants were all shabby, on bad nags; like beggars in tatters stood wayside willows with peeled bark and broken branches; emaciated, rough, as if gnawed, cows greedily plucked the grass in the ditches.

However, despite this, Nikolai Petrovich lives a rich inner, spiritual life, is in harmony with himself, his age, and the life around him.

The biography of this hero is deduced in some detail, and in it we find many parallels with the life of I.A. Turgenev. So, Nikolai Petrovich was brought up, like the writer, until a certain age in the family of "mother - commander", and then was given to the "civilian part" - to St. Petersburg University. The older brother of the hero, like Turgenev's brother, studied at a military institution, and everyone predicted a brilliant career for him.

Turgenev shows that Nikolai Petrovich is capable of deep and sincere feelings. He is not shy about them, but, on the contrary, considers them the highest value in life. So, the hero was wholeheartedly devoted to his first wife: “The spouses lived very well and quietly: they almost never parted ...” When Masha died, Nikolai Petrovich “barely endured this blow, turned gray in a few weeks ...” We understand that all this hero transferred his love to his son Arkady, in whom he did not have a soul: “Arkasha! Arkasha! - shouted Kirsanov, and ran, and waved his arms ... "

We find this hero at the age of forty small years living, according to Turgenev, real, complete and rich life. This is how Kirsanov himself treats his existence, despite all the attacks of Bazarov (who, however, highly appreciates him) and the condescending attitude of his eldest son.

Nikolai Petrovich loves poetry, music, nature: “Have mercy! at forty-four, a man, pater familias *, in ... my district - plays the cello! He enjoys simple things, is able to love, give warmth and support. Confirmation of this is his young wife Fenechka and little son Mitya. It is important that Nikolai Petrovich considers Fenya his wife, and his son - the legitimate heir, despite the fact that the young woman who bore him Mitya is of humble origin. This suggests that class prejudices are alien to Kirsanov, for him the main thing is the voice of the heart, soul.

Nikolai Petrovich is truly kind and responsive, he is always ready to help those who need him, especially when we are talking about family members. So, he supported his brother Pavel Petrovich, when he, after a strong personal drama, was at a crossroads, did not know how to live on.

Nikolai Petrovich is truly wise and tolerant, does not like conflicts, condescendingly, but respectfully treats his son and his friend's passion for nihilism, although he himself does not share the views of young people. However, he does not “cut off the shoulder”, as Pavel Petrovich does. Kirsanov understands that, perhaps, he is behind the times, and therefore he tries to hear other points of view, but does not lose his opinion either.

At the end of the novel, Nikolai Petrovich is one of the happiest, most satisfied, harmonious people. He is truly happy - he is surrounded by loving family: wife, little son Mitya, Arkady - successor and assistant.

Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov above all else in life appreciates simple things - love, friendship, family, well-being of loved ones. And this, Turgenev tells us, is the only life values worth taking care of. Thus, Nikolai Petrovich expresses the author's own view of human life - its meaning, highest values, rules and laws. That is why Turgenev himself wrote: “Nikolai Petrovich is me ...”

The external conflict of Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons" is a clash of two eras, two worldviews, the philosophy of "fathers" and "children". The representative of the new generation in the novel is the democrat-raznochinets Yevgeny Bazarov. Bazarov's direct antagonist, his clear opponent, is Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, a refined, refined aristocrat. The “hidden” opponent of Bazarov is Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov, a subtle and delicate person, an esthete who loves everything beautiful: nature, music, poetry. The character of Nikolai Petrovich, the way of thinking, his feelings, habits, addictions - all this is contrasted in the novel with the character of Bazarov, his inner world, his ideology, rough, materialistic views.

Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov is a character on the side of which there are clear author's sympathies. We get to know him already on the first pages of the novel. His appearance has nothing remarkable, memorable. This is a “gray-haired”, “chubby”, “slightly hunched” gentleman, “about forty years old”.

His life circumstances are also quite typical. Nikolai Petrovich came from a military family. His father, a combat general in 1812, commanded first a brigade, then a division. The family lived permanently in the province. Like his older brother Pavel, Nikolai Petrovich was assigned to military service, but an unexpected injury prevented his military career. Then the father placed Nikolai in St. Petersburg University. Pavel Kirsanov also served in the Guards Regiment there. The parents of the young people soon died, and Nikolai Petrovich, having endured the period of mourning, married a young, lovely girl. Together with his wife, he settled in the village, where he soon had a son, Arkady. However, ten years later, Kirsanov's wife died. Nikolai Petrovich took up the education of his son, economic transformations. In 1855 he took his son to the university and lived with him for three winters in St. Petersburg. Then Kirsanov again returned to his estate, where for several years now his retired brother, Pavel, had lived with him, and where Arkady arrived after completing his studies.

The economy of the Kirsanovs is completely upset. The manager deftly deceives Nikolai Petrovich, who does not have the practical acumen necessary for a landowner. Kirsanov is impractical, soft-spoken, weak-willed. “Your father is a kind fellow, but he is a retired man, his song is sung,” says Bazarov to Arkady. However, Arkady, and the author himself, I think, have a different opinion about Kirsanov. There are many in Nikolai Petrovich positive qualities, clear merits. He is well brought up, educated, kind and delicate, hospitable, sincerely attached to his family, brother Pavel and Arkady, takes care of Fenechka and Mitya. This hero personifies the old, good nobility, receding into the past. Near his qualities, Nikolai Petrovich reminds us of Count Ilya Andreevich Rostov from Tolstoy's novel War and Peace.

Kirsanov is a real esthete, he appreciates everything beautiful, loves music, poetry. Bazarov laughs at him music lessons, considering them useless, and Turgenev, as if in passing, remarks: "... a sweet melody poured through the air like honey." Bazarov considers poetry to be nonsense, he notes that a decent chemist is twenty times more useful than any poet - Nikolai Petrovich reads Pushkin's poems.

Kirsanov is dreamy and sentimental. If for Bazarov dreams are a whim, nonsense, romanticism, then for Nikolai Petrovich it is an organic state of mind, a necessary component of being. And Turgenev reveals this feature of the hero's nature in the scene of a summer evening in the garden.

Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov is one of Turgenev's favorite heroes. “Nikolai Petrovich is me, Ogarev and thousands of others,” the writer notes in a letter to Sluchevsky. Pisarev considered this hero an unusually harmonious personality, a person living in harmony with his own nature, unlike Bazarov and Arkady. “As a soft, sensitive and even sentimental person, Nikolai Petrovich does not rush to rationalism and calms down on the worldview that gives food to his imagination ...”, the critic notes. On the side of Kirsanov in the novel are eternal life values: love, family, kindness and nobility, nature and art. And with this, Turgenev's hero evokes the unchanging sympathy of readers.

Kirsanov Nikolai Petrovich is the father of Arkady Kirsanov. This is a man no longer young, who has survived many disasters, but not broken by them. An idealist with romantic tastes and inclinations, he strives in his own way to realize in his life an ideal reminiscent of the ideal of Lavretsky from “ noble nest”, - works, tries to transform the landlord economy in the spirit of the times, establishes new relations with the peasants, seeks happiness in love and spiritual support in art. N.P. is depicted with the author's obvious sympathy - weak, but kind, sensitive, delicate and noble, he is loyal and benevolent in his attitude towards young people who are trying to think and live differently from how their fathers lived. But this attitude does not meet with an adequate response. Bazarov perceives N.P. as a “retired man” (“his song is sung”). Even his own son, whom N.P. loves and has high hopes for rapprochement with, with youthful tactlessness tries to “re-educate” his father in a “nihilistic spirit” and often hurts him painfully with this tactlessness. But the meek patience of N.P. and the natural evolution of Arkady do their job: at the end of the novel, father and son draw closer, uniting in a common cause, and both achieve family happiness. This is how the general law of Turgenev's novel is implemented, according to which people of the "golden mean" are rewarded with well-being for the moderation of their demands on life.

"Fathers and Sons" is one of eternal works Russian literature. And not only because new generations of readers perceive the difficult position of the author differently, but also because the novel captures an eternal and inevitable moment for history ...

50-60s 19th century became an era of humiliating defeats for Russia and at the same time were marked by the flourishing of liberal-democratic and revolutionary movements and parties, an era of grandiose changes. At the end of the 50s great empire preparing to enter...

The events that Turgenev describes in the novel take place in the middle of the nineteenth century. This is the time when Russia was going through another era of reforms. The title of the work suggests the idea that it will resolve the age-old question - the relationship ...

"We are not as few as you think," says Bazarov to Pavel Petrovich. But in the novel "Fathers and Sons" Bazarov is alone, and this is most affected by Turgenev's underestimation of the strength and breadth of the revolutionary-democratic movement. In Russia...

No one seems to suspect that I tried to present a tragic face in Bazarov, but everyone is interpreting: why is he so bad? Or why is he so good? I. S. Turgenev “The novel "Fathers and Sons" stirs the mind, while causing high pleasure ...

Article menu:

Life is full of paradoxes, you can easily find many such examples. One of them is the diametrical opposite in character and life principles the closest, in related senses, people.

Very often, brothers and sisters radically differ from each other, which causes sincere bewilderment. A similar situation is described by I. Turgenev in the novel "Fathers and Sons".

The place of the image of Nikolai Kirsanov in the novel and his relationship with his brother

Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov is one of the main characters of the novel. He is not an active figure in the events described, but it is difficult to overestimate his importance and participation in the conflict. Compared with other characters, Turgenev deprives Nikolai Petrovich of activity - the character appears at key moments, and his image is made up mainly of fragments and hints from the author, but at the same time, one cannot fail to note the influence of Nikolai Petrovich on the outcome of the conflict and strong influence this very conflict on the life of Kirsanov.

Ivan Turgenev closely connects his character with the image of Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, his elder brother. All descriptions and events life path Nikolai Petrovich are compared with certain events or qualities of the brother's character. In other words, we can say that the whole life of Nikolai Petrovich passes in comparison with the life and personality of his brother.

Childhood and youth of Nikolai Kirsanov

The tendency to compare and contrast the personalities of brothers dates back to childhood. In the descriptions, the reader notices that the image of the older brother is contradictory contrasted with the image of the younger.

First of all, this is expressed in the willingness to follow in the footsteps of his father. Pyotr Kirsanov was of origin hereditary nobleman, but their genus did not have much influence. The situation was corrected by merits in the field military service- his authority increased significantly, and in the rural wilderness, where their family estate was located, he became an indispensable and highly respected person.

Based on this turn of events, the fate of the boys was predetermined - they also had to start military service. For the eldest son, this was a feasible task - he had a tough and firm character. The younger one was a man of a completely different composition - soft and impressionable, he was not at all suitable for military career. To this all was added a certain timidity and cowardice: he "not only did not differ in courage, but even earned the nickname of a coward." The resulting leg injury, which made the boy lame for the rest of his life, saved Nikolai Kirsanov from a heavy burden. The parents had no choice but to send their son to the university. “Father waved his hand at him and let him go in civilian clothes ...”
In "1835, Nikolai Petrovich left the university as a candidate."

Nikolai Kirsanov and Masha Prepolovenskaya

The troubles associated with Nikolai were not limited to physical trauma. Soon the parents were shocked by yet another unpleasant news about their younger son. This time, the reason was falling in love - their Nikolai was head over heels in love with the daughter of the "official Prepolovensky" Masha. Turgenev does not go into the details of the case, but states a fact - the parents were extremely unhappy with the choice of their son, they believed that the girl was unworthy to be Nikolai's wife.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the “characteristics of Pavel Kirsanov”

The tense situation was defused by the death of his parents - authoritarianism in relation to Nikolai was excluded, and there were no longer any obstacles to the marriage of lovers. after waiting right time for mourning, the young married. Parents' fears about the inconsistency and fallacy of marriage with Masha were in vain. "The couple lived very well and quietly: they almost never parted." Family life Kirsanova looked like a utopia, but this fairy tale was suddenly interrupted - Masha dies after ten years of married life. Nikolai Petrovich has only memories of her and her little son Arkady.

The appearance of Nikolai Petrovich

"Nikolai Petrovich limped, had small, pleasant, but somewhat sad features, small black eyes and soft, liquid hair."

Turgenev pays little attention to describing the appearance of his characters, especially in cases where the wardrobe does not become the subject of constant attention of the character. Nikolai Petrovich belongs to the second category of characters - he is indifferent to fashion trends and appreciates convenience in clothes. He does not spend a long time, like his older brother, at the toilet and with a certain degree of indifference to the state of his suit, but at the same time he does not run it.

Relations between Nikolai Petrovich and Arkady

It was in Arcadia that Nikolai Petrovich found solace and the meaning of life after the loss of his wife. Despite all his gentleness of character and great grief that suddenly surging, Kirsanov understands that he cannot afford to be covered with a wave of blues - in this case, he will lose absolutely everything and, after that, he is unlikely to be able to change the situation.

In relation to Arkady, Nikolai Petrovich does not hesitate to show the most tender feelings, he is alien to the rigidity and pragmatism that were common among fathers. He can gently hug his son, languish in anticipation of his arrival and miss him unspeakably. In a word, the behavior of Kirsanov the father is more similar to the behavior of the mother than the father. This state of affairs does not bother either father or son.

Arkady is also very attached to his father, he considers him a good and kind person. Arkady often speaks well of his father: "Father is a kind fellow, you are the kindest and smartest person in the world."

Life after the death of his wife

After the loss of his wife, Kirsanov finally moved to the village and took up the affairs of the Maryino estate. Their family estate was “a good estate of two hundred souls, or, as he puts it since he separated from the peasants and started a “farm,” two thousand acres of land.”

Unfortunately, the gentleness of character and lack of practicality do not allow Nikolai Petrovich to improve things on the estate “life did not turn out very nicely in Maryino, and poor Nikolai Petrovich had a bad time. The chores on the farm grew every day - cheerless, stupid chores.

Thanks to the diligence of Nikolai Petrovich, things do not look completely terrible - the estate somehow keeps afloat. Pavel Petrovich believes that the main reason why things went downhill is his brother’s impracticality: “Brother is not quite practical,” he reasoned with himself, “he is being deceived.”

Romance in the life of Nikolai Kirsanov

Nikolai Petrovich has always been an impressionable and romantic person. Most young people are characterized by such a commitment, but over time, under the influence of life's difficulties, romanticism is replaced by pragmatism. This did not happen in relation to Nikolai Petrovich - he retains a romantic mood until the end of his days. The bulk of the events of the novel fall on Nikolai Petrovich's age limit of 44 years.

In part, the preservation of romanticism was affected by his country life. “He liked to dream; rural life developed this ability in him.

Nikolai Petrovich did not leave music lessons, and although he musical skills were far from perfect, he still does not neglect playing the piano and cello - he experiences catharsis.

The next way to find peace of mind for Kirsanov is to read books. Pushkin's poems were especially popular with him. Often, admiring nature, a wide variety of verses came to his mind and he replayed the familiar text with pleasure in his head.

Nikolai Petrovich and Fenya

Undoubtedly, the death of his wife was a huge loss in the life of Kirsanov. The image of Masha became a key, ideal for him. At times he became nostalgic and dreamed of the old days when he was happy with his wife. He sincerely wanted Masha to come to life and he could once again feel her warmth next to him. Whatever the significant loss, time gradually replaced it in Kirsanov's life, 10 years after the death of his wife, a spark arose new love.

We offer you to get acquainted with the “image of Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov” in I. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons”.

The object of tender feelings this time was a girl of ignoble origin - Fenya. She moved with her mother to the Kirsanov estate, after Nikolai Petrovich offered the woman a service on his estate. At that time, Fenya was a little girl. Time passed, and from a little girl, a very attractive and pious woman turned out. Kirsanov falls in love with her, and after the death of her mother begins an affair. These relationships do not become a fleeting hobby in Kirsanov's life - he has love for the girl, and this feeling is mutual. Kirsanov is in no hurry to get married - he is worried about possible condemnation from the aristocracy, but lives with Fenya as with a legal wife. Under the influence of the request of Pavel Petrovich, the wedding nevertheless took place.

Nikolai Kirsanov and Evgeny Bazarov

The appearance of Arkady's friend, the nihilist doctor Yevgeny Bazarov, could not pass unnoticed in the life of Nikolai Kirsanov.

life positions Nikolai Petrovich and Evgeny are too different. Eugene is a specific person, he likes to provoke people into a conflict, but, despite all the disagreements, Nikolai Petrovich does not enter into an argument or discussion. Kirsanov softly asks Bazarov about his position, but at the slightest hint of a discussion, he stops the discussion. This behavior of Kirsanov is connected with the desire to please his son. Arkady is delighted with his new friend, and his father does not want to become a stumbling block between them. On the other hand, Nikolai Petrovich realizes that his time has come to “swallow the bitter pill” of the new time - new orders have come and old people like him are not able to succeed in the course of their development.

The third reason that hinders the discussion is Kirsanov's dislike for conflicts and disputes.

Thus, Nikolai Kirsanov has a calm temperament, he is not characterized by harsh judgments or actions. He is romantic and emotional person- not capable of meanness and deceit. hallmark Nikolai Petrovich is a sense of tact and delicacy. In general, it is positive and a kind person endowed with wisdom and the ability to deeply analyze the situation.

Characteristics of Nikolai Petrovich Kirsanov in the novel "Fathers and Sons": description of appearance and character in quotes

"Fathers and Sons" - a novel by I. S. Turgenev, a landmark for that time. It was written in 1860. His heroes became knowing Russia an example to follow. And people like Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, whose characteristics are given in this article, simply lived out their lives.

What place does Kirsanov take in the novel?

Turgenev's novel shows an acutely social period of time, when the old foundations are collapsing at an incredible speed, and they are being replaced by new, progressive ones.

Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, whose characterization shows his position as an "old-timer", occupies a central place in the work. He, along with several other characters, represents the "fathers", an established social class.

In the face of Pavel Kirsanov, a whole generation is represented, which receives only reproaches and condemnation from others. And all that remains for them is to live out their lives, looking at the growing progress of society.

From the title it is clear that the novel is a kind of confrontation: young and old, new and old. Turgenev puts Pavel Kirsanov in a pair with the nihilist and revolutionary thought Bazarov. At the end of the work, the reader must find out which of them will win.

Life story

The novel takes place in 1859. The landowner Nikolai Kirsanov has an older brother, Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov. The characteristic immediately betrays in him a strong and smart person. He is a military man, graduated from the page corps. Because of his status, he has always been successful in society, especially with women.

At twenty-eight he received the rank of captain and was preparing for brilliant career. But suddenly his whole life changed dramatically. Of course, he met a woman who became fatal for him.

A certain Princess R. in St. Petersburg society was known as a frivolous young lady and a coquette. But Kirsanov fell in love with her without memory. The princess, who at first reciprocated his feelings, quickly lost interest in the officer.

Pavel Petrovich was deeply struck by this outcome, but did not give up. Passion for this woman consumed him, incinerated him from the inside. It is surprising that he did not feel satisfaction from their meetings, there was no joy in his heart, only bitter annoyance in his soul.

In the end, breaking with the princess, Kirsanov tried to return to old life. But she didn't let him go. In every woman he saw her features. Even in Fenechka, the beloved of his brother Nikolai.

Together with his brother, he lived on the estate of Maryino, and then went to distant Dresden, where his life faded away.

Appearance

The appearance of Kirsanov Pavel Petrovich changed with the development of the events of the novel. Initially, the reader is presented with a real aristocrat, a well-groomed man dressed to the nines. Only by looking at him, one could understand that Kirsanov was a noble dandy and a secular person. The manner of holding and talking betrayed it in him.

Turgenev points out that his gray hair was in perfect order, his face had no wrinkles and was unusually beautiful.

However, in disputes with Bazarov, Pavel Petrovich was transformed. He no longer radiated complete calm. As his irritation grew at not understanding the views young man, the number of wrinkles increased, and the hero himself turned into a decrepit old man.

Image

The aristocrat Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov, whose characterization is very positive, is shown to be smart, impeccably honest, and principled. However, he is a representative of the old generation with prim habits and views.

Kirsanov is far from ordinary people, does not understand and does not accept him. And the people are afraid of him, as Bazarov aptly put it. The hero is an adherent of everything English. This is expressed in his behavior, habits, conversations. Quotes by Pavel Petrovich Kirsanov fully reveal his character and views. The liberal principles with which he boasts remain only on the lips. But, despite this, he is a worthy opponent of Bazarov, although he always loses to him.

Pavel Kirsanov characterizes the "old guard". His departure to Dresden is very symbolic, as it represents the departure of a whole generation into the past.