Fathers and Sons Commentary

This passage, from Ivan Turgenev’s Fathers and Sons important because it introduces many of the emotions felt by both Odintsova and Bazarov, which build up to the climax of the novel in the next chapter.
The passage is written in the third person. This creates an objective point of view of the characters through their behavior and thoughts. For example, Bazarov would ‘go off into the forest.’ (pg 170 ch 17) By not explaining the reasons why the characters act the way they do, Turgenev allows the reader to make up their own minds about the psychology of the characters. The dialogue in the latter part of the section also demonstrates how Turgenev allows the reader to determine a character’s personality. The reader can tell that Timofeich is subservient without Turgenev saying this, as Timofeich’s actions and words demonstrate it, such as when he ‘looked sheepish and said nothing’. (pg171 ch 17) This technique also makes the reader feel more emotionally involved w...