Fathers and Sons Symbols
Fathers and Sons is a classic Russian novel by Ivan Turgenev. Set in the backdrop of 1862 the story tells us about the relationship between a modern man and his friend, namely Arkady and Bazarov. The story revolves around the other relationships that the boys have, effectively about the relationship between the boys and their parents or among the love interest of each man. It is a beautiful story of changing time and changing mentality of the people that developed the overall outlook of the events. We are able to see the love, hatred, and indifference that each gradually develops and what are the outcomes of it. The story is associated with many symbolisms and there are three prevalent characteristics that are brought to the forefront.
Servants
The servants are the most important symbol that has developed from the novel. Let us consider Piotr for example. He is an obedient and dutiful servant who shows restrictions in performing his duty. He does this diligently and faithfully. But mentally he is a man who is no longer bound the age-old customs of the aristocracy. This can be seen from the fact that he bows to Arkady but not to Bazarov as they come home. He doesn’t kiss his master Arkady’s hand that he is supposed to and do not show any extravagant show of obedience. On the other hand, Prakofitch is guided by the old customs and laws of the servants that make him do everything with utter diligence and without much fuss. The characteristics difference between the two servants shows the extent of the modern thinking that is already evolving in the novel. Prakofitch is bound by the old customs and laws; he knows what is expected of him and performs this without any hitch. But for Piotr, it is a question of his own morality. He is no longer bound by the customs and law. Showing respect is his wish and so he performs it with moderation and to specific people. These two characters are the biggest example of the effect that the time period was going through.
Modern man
The modern man