Fathers and sons of the bazaars are sick. Evgeny Bazarov in the face of death - analysis of the work and characteristics
Question
How did you perceive the last pages of the novel? How did Bazarov's death make you feel?
Answer
The main feeling that the last pages of the novel evoke in readers is a feeling of deep human pity that such a person dies. The emotional impact of these scenes is great. A.P. Chekhov wrote: "My God! What a luxury “Fathers and Sons” is! Just at least shout guard. Bazarov’s illness was so severe that I became weak and felt as if I had become infected from him. And the end of Bazarov?.. It’s the devil knows how it was done. Simply brilliant."
Question
How did Bazarov die? (Chapter XXVII)
“Bazarov was getting worse every hour; the disease took on a rapid course, which usually happens with surgical poisoning. He had not yet lost his memory and understood what was being said to him; he was still struggling.
“I don’t want to be delusional,” he whispered, clenching his fists, “what nonsense!” And then he said: “Well, subtract ten from eight, how much will it come out?” Vasily Ivanovich walked around like a madman, offering first one remedy, then another, and did nothing but cover his son’s feet. “Wrap in cold sheets... emetic... mustard plasters to the stomach... bloodletting,” he said with tension. The doctor, whom he begged to stay, agreed with him, gave the patient lemonade, and for himself asked for either a straw or a “strengthening-warming”, that is, vodka. Arina Vlasyevna sat on a low bench near the door and only went out to pray from time to time; a few days ago the dressing mirror slipped out of her hands and broke, and she always considered this a bad omen; Anfisushka herself did not know how to tell her anything. Timofeich went to Odintsova.”
“The night was not good for Bazarov... A severe fever tormented him. By morning he felt better. He asked Arina Vlasyevna to comb his hair, kissed her hand and drank two sips of tea.”
“The change for the better did not last long. The attacks of the disease have resumed."
“I'm finished. Got under a wheel. And it turns out that there was nothing to think about the future. The old thing is death, but something new for everyone. I’m still not afraid... and then unconsciousness will come, and fuck! (He waved his hand weakly.)"
“Bazarov was no longer destined to wake up. By evening he fell into complete unconsciousness, and the next day he died.”
Question
Why D.I. Pisarev said: “To die the way Bazarov died is the same as doing a great feat...”?
Answer
Bazarov's fatal illness is his last test. In the face of the inevitable force of nature, courage, strength, will, nobility, and humanity are fully manifested. This is the death of a hero, and a heroic death.
Not wanting to die, Bazarov fights illness, unconsciousness, and pain. Until the last minute he does not lose clarity of mind. He shows willpower and courage. He himself made an accurate diagnosis and calculated the course of the disease almost hourly. Feeling the inevitability of the end, he did not chicken out, did not try to deceive himself and, most importantly, remained true to himself and his convictions.
“...now, for real, the hellstone is not needed. If I got infected, it’s too late now.”
“Old man,” Bazarov began in a hoarse and slow voice, “my business is crappy. I am infected, and in a few days you will bury me.”
“I didn’t expect to die so soon; This is an accident, a very unpleasant one, to be honest.”
“Strength, strength,” he said, “is still here, but we have to die!.. The old man, at least he managed to wean himself from life, and I... Yes, go ahead and try to deny death. She denies you, and that’s it!”
Question
According to the beliefs of believers, those who received communion were forgiven all their sins, and those who did not receive communion fell into eternal torment in hell. Does Bazarov agree or not to take communion before his death?
Answer
In order not to offend his father, Bazarov “finally said”: “I do not refuse, if it can console you.” And then he adds: “... but it seems to me that there is no need to rush yet. You yourself say that I’m better.” This phrase is nothing more than a polite refusal to confess, since if a person feels better, then there is no need to send for a priest.
Question
Does Bazarov himself believe that he is better?
Answer
We know that Bazarov himself accurately calculated the course of the disease. The day before, he tells his father that “tomorrow or the day after tomorrow his brain will resign.” “Tomorrow” has already arrived, at most there is still a day left, and if you wait any longer, the priest will not have time (Bazarov is precise: that day “by the evening he fell into complete unconsciousness, and the next day he died”). This cannot be understood otherwise as an intelligent and delicate refusal. And when the father insists on “fulfilling the duty of a Christian,” he becomes harsh:
“No, I’ll wait,” interrupted Bazarov. - I agree with you that a crisis has arrived. And if you and I were wrong, well! after all, even the unconscious are given communion.
- Have mercy, Evgeniy...
- I'll wait. And now I want to sleep. Do not disturb me".
And in the face of death, Bazarov rejects religious beliefs. For a weak person it would be convenient to accept them, to believe that after death he can go “to heaven”; Bazarov is not deluded by this. And if they do give him communion, it will be unconscious, as he foresaw. There is no will here: this is the act of parents who find solace in this.
Answering the question why Bazarov’s death should be considered heroic, D.I. Pisarev wrote: “But to look death in the eyes, to foresee its approach, without trying to deceive oneself, to remain true to oneself until the last minute, not to weaken and not to become afraid - this is a matter of strong character... such a person who knows how to die calmly and firmly, will not retreat from an obstacle and will not will cower in the face of danger".
Question
Did Bazarov change before his death? Why did he become closer to us before his death?
Answer
The dying Bazarov is simple and humane: there is no longer any need to hide his “romanticism.” He thinks not about himself, but about his parents, preparing them for a terrible end. Almost like Pushkin, the hero says goodbye to his beloved and says in the language of a poet: “Blow on the dying lamp and let it go out.”
He finally uttered “other words” that he had been afraid of before: “... I loved you!.. Goodbye... Listen... I didn’t kiss you then...” “And caress your mother. After all, people like them cannot be found in your big world during the day…” Love for a woman, filial love for his father and mother merge in the consciousness of the dying Bazarov with love for his homeland, for mysterious Russia, which remains an incompletely solved mystery for Bazarov: “There is a forest here.”
Before his death, Bazarov became better, more humane, softer.
Question
In life, Bazarov dies from an accidental cut on his finger, but is the death of the hero in the composition of the novel accidental?
Why does Turgenev end his novel with the death scene of the main character, despite his superiority over other characters?
Answer
About his departure, Bazarov says: “Russia needs me... No, apparently I’m not needed. And who is needed?
Every plot and compositional device reveals the writer’s ideological intent. Bazarov's death, from the author's point of view, is natural in the novel. Turgenev defined Bazarov as a tragic figure, “doomed to destruction.”
There are two reasons for the hero’s death - his loneliness and internal conflict. Both of these interrelated reasons were part of the author's intention.
Question
How does Turgenev show the hero's loneliness?
Answer
Consistently, in all of Bazarov’s meetings with people, Turgenev shows the impossibility of relying on them. The first to fall away are the Kirsanovs, then Odintsova, then the parents, then Fenechka, he has no true students, Arkady also leaves him, and finally, the last and most important clash occurs with Bazarov before his death - a clash with the people.
“Sometimes Bazarov went to the village and, teasing as usual, entered into a conversation with some peasant.
-What were you talking about?
- It is known, master; does he really understand?
- Where to understand! - answered the other man, and, shaking their hats and pulling down their sashes, they both began to talk about their affairs and needs. Alas! shrugging his shoulder contemptuously, knowing how to talk to the peasants, Bazarov (as he boasted in a dispute with Pavel Petrovich), this self-confident Bazarov did not even suspect that in their eyes he was still something of a fool...
The new people look lonely compared to the vast majority of the rest of society. Of course, there are few of them, especially since these are the first new people. Turgenev is right in showing their loneliness in the local and urban nobility; he is right in showing that here they will not find helpers.
The main reason for the death of Turgenev’s hero can be called socio-historical. The circumstances of Russian life in the 60s did not yet provide an opportunity for fundamental democratic changes, for the implementation of the plans of Bazarov and others like him.
“Fathers and Sons” caused fierce controversy throughout the history of Russian literature of the 19th century. And the author himself, with bewilderment and bitterness, stops before the chaos of contradictory judgments: greetings from enemies and slaps in the face from friends.
Turgenev believed that his novel would serve to unite the social forces of Russia, that Russian society would heed his warnings. But his dreams did not come true.
“I dreamed of a gloomy, wild, large figure, half grown out of the soil, strong, evil, exhausted, but still doomed to death, because it still stands on the threshold of the future.” I.S. Turgenev.
Exercise
1. Share your feelings about the novel.
2. Did the hero evoke your sympathy or antipathy?
3. Do the following assessments and definitions of him coexist in your idea of him: smart, cynic, revolutionary, nihilist, victim of circumstances, “genius”?
4. Why does Turgenev lead Bazarov to death?
5. Read your miniature essays.
The question of why Turgenev killed his hero of the novel “Fathers and Sons” - Evgeniy 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 finished him off 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. The social conditions of Russia in those years did not provide opportunities for realizing the aspirations of commoners for democratic changes. In addition, they remained isolated from the people to whom they were drawn and for whom they fought. 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 marked with doom. It turns out that Evgeniy was doomed to death and defeat, to the fact that his deeds would not come true. Turgenev was sure that the Bazarovs had arrived, but their time had not yet arrived.
Death of the main character "Fathers and Sons"
Answering the question of why Bazarov died, we can say that the cause was blood poisoning. He injured his finger while dissecting the corpse of a typhus patient whom he was treating. But most likely, the reasons lie much deeper. How did the hero accept his death, how did he feel about 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 stops clinging to life and surrenders himself into the hands of death rather passively. It is clear to him that consoling himself and others with the hope of healing is in vain. Now the main thing is to die with dignity. And this means - don’t relax, don’t whine, don’t give in to despair, don’t give in to panic and do everything to ease the suffering of your elderly parents. Such care 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 still won’t wag his tail. But his resentment does not leave him that his heroic forces are dying in vain. He demonstrates his power. Lifting the chair by the leg, weakened and fading, he says, “The strength, the strength is still here, but we must die!” He overcomes his semi-oblivion and at the same time speaks of his titanism.
The way Bazarov died looks random and ridiculous. He is young, himself a doctor and anatomist. Therefore, his death looks symbolic. Medicine and natural sciences, which Bazarov so hoped for, turn out to be insufficient for life. His love for the people turned out to be misunderstood, because he died precisely because of an ordinary man. His nihilism is also inexplicable, because now life denies him.
We chose Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Sons", and in it the scene of Bazarov's death.
In order to do this work, you need to define what an episode is. According to the explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by S.I. Ozhegov and N.Yu. Shvedova, an episode is “a part of a literary work that has relative independence and completeness.” The scene of Bazarov's death fully meets this criterion. Let us also refer to the corresponding article in the literary encyclopedic dictionary, which interprets the term “episode” as “a relatively independent unit of action” of a work, “recording what happened within the easily visible boundaries of space and time.”
Since this article divides actions in a work of art into “external” and “internal,” the proposed episode can be considered as an independent unit of internal action, when “the hero’s state of mind is more subject to change” than his behavior. In the selected episode, the last stage of the storyline associated with the main character - the illness and death of Bazarov - is developed and completed. The time frame of the selected episode is three days (the last stage of Bazarov’s illness), the scene of action is Bazarov’s room in his father’s house. Thus, the passage we have chosen about the death of Bazarov is quite suitable for the work of analyzing the episode.
This episode begins with the words: “The doctor, the same district doctor who did not have the hellish stone, came and, having examined the patient, advised to stick to the expectant method and immediately said a few words about the possibility of recovery,” and ends with the words: “And that’s enough! - he said and sank onto the pillow. - Now... darkness...". We defined the boundaries of the episode in this way, because the text limited to these phrases is entirely devoted to Bazarov’s extinction: from the moment when unconsciousness began to take hold of him until the last word spoken in consciousness.
We have chosen several phrases that, in our opinion, reflect the deep experiences of the hero and his state of mind.
Bazarov “suddenly grabbed the heavy table that stood near the sofa by the leg, shook it and moved it from its place.” Bazarov realizes his powerlessness before death, is indignant that in the prime of life and full of physical strength, he is forced to resign himself to the inevitable and recognize a more powerful force that “denies” him - death.
“I don’t want to be delusional,” he whispered, clenching his fists, “what nonsense!” Bazarov is still struggling, trying to resist the disease.
“He asked Arina Vlasyevna to comb his hair, kissed her hand.....” It is no coincidence that Bazarov shows unusual tenderness for his mother: internally he has already realized the inevitability of death and in the face of eternal separation does not want to hide his true feelings for his mother - love, respect.
When his father invites him to take communion, “... something strange crawled across his son’s face, although he continued to lie with his eyes closed.” This is “strange,” as can be seen from the following phrases, consent to the sacrament. He, who denied religion, has changed so internally that he is ready to accept a religious ritual.
“Farewell,” he said with sudden force, and his eyes flashed with a final sparkle.
The last flash of consciousness revealed the power of his love.
Thus, we see what deep emotional experiences and changes occur with the hero in the last moments of his life.
In the episode, the central figure is the main character himself, Evgeny Bazarov, and although there are other characters from the novel (Bazarov’s parents, Odintsov’s), they are only a background for the full disclosure of Bazarov’s character. In the selected episode, the main character is revealed from a new, unexpected side. In it, he appears as a tragic figure, as Turgenev himself wrote: “The death of Bazarov (...) should, in my opinion, put the last line on his tragic figure.”
In order to understand the meaning of this scene, it is important to remember what the image of Bazarov is in the novel. This is a strong, active, purposeful nature, and at first glance, a solid nature. He sees the meaning of his life in the destruction of the old foundations of society, in serving the new society. He denies all the basic foundations of the previous society, both social and moral-philosophical, believing that denial is his main task, believing that he has enough strength to implement it. But in the episode of death, the hero realizes that he is powerless, denial is impossible and meaningless: “Yes, go and try to deny death. It denies you, and that’s it!” He believed that he was the master of his own life and destiny, that he could make grandiose plans and strive for their implementation. But now he finds himself in a situation that immediately erases all his confidence with a simple and indisputable fact: he is sick and will inevitably die. “And I also thought: I’ll screw up a lot of things, I won’t die, no matter what! There is a task, because I’m a giant! And now the whole task of a giant is to die decently, although no one cares about this...” Not only that, but his plans not destined to come true, the main principle of life is nonsense, and he also understands how lonely he is and, perhaps, not needed by the new society for which he wanted to work. “Russia needs me... No, apparently I don’t. And who is needed? A shoemaker is needed, a tailor is needed, a butcher... sells meat... butcher... wait, I’m confused...”. The internal split he feels is exposed: somewhere in the depths of his soul, Bazarov lurks doubt about the usefulness and expediency of his activities for the benefit of society. And immediately Bazarov’s revelations come to mind, which he shares with Arkady: “I hated this last guy. Well, he will live in a white hut, and a mug will grow out of me (...).” It was to this inner tragedy of his hero, revealed in his dying insights, that Turgenev led the reader throughout the entire novel. The suffering of the nihilist and destroyer is exposed in the scene of his death. It is no coincidence that this character trait of Bazarov was noticed by F.M. Dostoevsky, calling Turgenev's hero "yearning Bazarov."
According to the literary encyclopedia, the climax is “the moment of the highest tension of action in a work, when the plot conflict, the goals of the characters, and their internal qualities are especially clearly revealed. In a work of large form, where several plot lines are intertwined, two or more climaxes are possible.” Of course, in I. S. Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” several climaxes can be distinguished. One of them is the duel scene (the storyline of Bazarov’s relationship with Pavel Petrovich). The other is the scene of Bazarov’s explanation with Odintsova (the storyline of Bazarov’s love for Odintsova).
However, in our opinion, in the novel all these events, one after another, serve another purpose - to reveal the character of the main character Bazarov more vividly and diversified. And we believe that it is the episode of the death of the main character that fully reveals his contradictory nature, thus being the culmination of the development of the image of the main character.
The work was completed by 10-1st grade students Mikhail Ignatiev and Igor Khmelev.
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 as a person different from what he was before. He begins to avoid loneliness, which used to be an integral part of his life and helped him work.
He is always looking for company: drinking tea in the living room, walking in the forest with his father, because being alone becomes unbearable for him. Alone, his thoughts are dominated by Odintsova, the woman he loves, who has destroyed his unshakable belief 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, understands perfectly well that he has little time left to live. The understanding of his imminent inevitable death tears off his mask of insensibility. He worries about his parents and tries to protect them from his worries, hiding the illness from them until the last moment. When Bazarov’s condition completely deteriorates and he stops getting out of bed, it doesn’t even occur to him to even think about complaining about the pain. He reflects on life, sometimes inserting his characteristic ironic jokes.
Realizing that he has very little time left, Bazarov asks to send Odintsova to see her one last time before his death. She arrives dressed completely in black, as if for a funeral. Seeing the dying Bazarov, A.S. 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.B. asks Odintsova to give him a glass of water, she does not even take off her gloves and fearfully breathes in fear of getting infected. This once again proves her lack of romantic feelings towards Bazarov. The dying Bazarov still begins to have a small spark of hope for reciprocity of love, and he asks for her kiss. A.S. fulfills his request, but kisses him only on the forehead, that is, in the way they usually kiss the dead. For her, Bazarov's death is not an important event, and she has already mentally said goodbye to him.
Analyzing this episode, we see that illness and the understanding of imminent death finally transforms Bazarov from an independent nihilist into an ordinary person with his own weaknesses. In his last days, he no longer conceals any feelings within himself 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 a 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 guided only by reason.
Trial by death. Bazarov will also have to go through this last test in parallel with his antagonist. Despite the successful outcome of the duel, Pavel Petrovich died spiritually long ago. Parting with Fenechka severed 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.
There are surprisingly persistent references in the novel 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 after Arkady and Bazarov arrived at the Kirsanov estate, “the best days of the year arrived,” “the weather was beautiful.” “True, cholera threatened again from afar,” the author says meaningfully, “but the residents of the ***…province managed to get used to its visits.” This time cholera “pulled out” two peasants from Maryino. The landowner himself was in danger - “Pavel Petrovich suffered a rather severe seizure.” And again the news does not amaze, does not frighten, does not alarm 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 poses no danger to him alone. Meanwhile, epidemics have always been considered not only the greatest of earthly misfortunes, but also an expression of God's will. The favorite fable of Turgenev’s favorite fabulist Krylov begins with the words: “The fiercest scourge of heaven, nature’s horror - pestilence rages in the forests.” But Bazarov is convinced that he is building his own destiny.
“Every person has his own destiny! - the writer thought. - Just as clouds are first composed of the vapors of the earth, rise from its depths, then separate, become alienated from it and finally bring grace or death to it, so a cloud is formed around each of us.<…>a type of element that then has a destructive or salutary 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, bogly” life of a public figure, perhaps a revolutionary agitator. He accepted this as his calling: “I want to tinker with people, even scold them, and tinker with them,” “Give us others!” We need to break others!” But what to do now, when previous ideas have been rightly questioned, and science has not answered all the questions? What to teach, where to call?
In “Rudin”, the insightful Lezhnev noticed which idol most likely “acts on young people”: “Give them 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 have it yourself.<…>, young people won’t even listen to you...>. It is necessary that you yourself<…>believed that you had the truth...” And Bazarov no longer believes. He tried to find the truth in a conversation with the man, but nothing happened. Too condescendingly, lordly and arrogantly, the nihilist turns to the people with a request to “explain their views on life.” And the man plays along with the master, appearing to be a stupid, submissive idiot. It turns out that it’s not worth sacrificing your life for this. Only in a conversation with a friend does the peasant relieve his soul, discussing the “clown of a pea”: “It is known, master; does he really understand?
What remains is work. Helping my father with a tiny estate consisting of several peasant souls. One can imagine how small and insignificant all this must seem to him. Bazarov makes a mistake, also small and insignificant - he forgets to cauterize the cut on his finger. A wound received from dissecting the decomposing corpse of a man. “A democrat to the core,” Bazarov intervened in the lives of the people boldly and self-confidently<…>, which turned against the “healer” himself. So can we say that Bazarov’s death was accidental?
“To die the way Bazarov died is the same as having accomplished a great feat,” noted D.I. Pisarev. One cannot but agree with this observation. The death of Evgeny Bazarov, in his bed, surrounded by relatives, is no less majestic and symbolic than the death of Rudin on the barricade. With complete human composure, briefly as a doctor, the hero states: “...My case is crappy. I’m infected, and in a few days you’ll be burying me...” I had to become convinced of my human vulnerability: “Yes, go and try to deny death. She denies you, and that’s it!” “It’s all the same: I won’t wag my tail,” declares Bazarov. Although “no one cares about this,” the hero cannot afford to sink - while “he has not yet lost his memory<…>; he was still struggling.”
The proximity of death for him does not mean abandoning his cherished ideas. Such as the atheistic rejection of God's existence. When the religious Vasily Ivanovich, “down on his knees,” begs his son to make confession and be cleansed of sins, he outwardly carefree replies: “There’s no need to rush yet...” He is afraid of offending his father with a direct refusal and only asks to postpone the ceremony: “After all, even the unconscious are given communion … 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 similar to a shudder of horror was instantly reflected on the dead face.”
It seems like a paradox, but death in many ways frees Bazarov and encourages him to no longer hide his real feelings. Now he can simply and calmly express his love for his parents: “Who is crying there? …Mother? Will she feed anyone now with her amazing borscht?..” Affectionately teasing, he asks the grief-stricken Vasily Ivanovich to be a philosopher even 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 “fall apart”, but become spiritually stronger.
The dying Bazarov utters romantic words with which he expresses 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 came to Rudin’s lips 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...” In Turgenev, a tragically cut short life is likened to a lamp, like in the old poem:
Burned like a midnight lamp before the shrine of goodness.
Bazarov, who is leaving his life, is hurt by the thought of his uselessness, uselessness: “I thought: I won’t die, no matter what! There is a task, because I am a giant!”, “Russia needs me... no, apparently I don’t!.. 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 traits” of Don Quixote: “Don Quixote is an enthusiast, a servant of the idea, and therefore is surrounded by its radiance,” “He lives entirely outside himself, for his brothers, to exterminate evil, to counteract forces hostile to humanity.” It is easy to see that these qualities form the basis of Bazarov’s character. According to the largest, “quixotic” account, his life was not lived in vain. Let Don Quixotes seem funny. It is precisely 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.”
