Much of the tension in Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons arises from the conflict between the two main characters, Bazarov and Arkady. Bazarov is a nihilist and the catalyst for much of the novel's action. He does not share the romantic views of Pavel and Nikolai Petrovitch, Arkady's uncle and father, and this position significantly distances him from the other main characters. Arkady, Bazarov's best friend, admires Bazarov's courage at the beginning of the novel and follows him closely, thinking that he believes in nihilism. However, upon arriving at his father's estate, he begins to see that he is not of the same mold as Bazarov. The two key passages chosen for exploration in this essay reveal this changing attitude of Arkady and also Bazarov's progression into a romantic character. The first key passage (pp. 33-34; cited below) indicates Arkady's initial movement toward romance. Turgenev describes Arkady's growing fascination with nature and romance through his prose and also presents Bazarov's bold declarations regarding nihilism through dialogue, generating the first tension between the two opposing ideological visions. The second key passage, near the end of the novel (pp. 150–151; quoted below), describes Bazarov's farewell to Arkady as he leaves Madame Odintsov's estate. Turgenev once again presents the ideological tension between the two friends, although the attitude of the characters to each other is significantly improved compared to the first passage. In the second key passage, Arkady has fallen in love with Madame Odintsov's sister Katya and fully embraced romance, while Bazarov, having been spurred on by Madame Odintsov, uses nihilism as a shield for the wounds created by his unrequited love for Madame Odintsov. . Turgenev resolves the tension between the two friends in the passage through a display of emotions, the first and last of its kind in the novel between Arkady and Bazarov. While both characters remain steadfast in their ideological beliefs, Turgenev suggests in the second key passage that Arkady and Bazarov part as friends and that Bazarov's hidden romantic tendencies reveal a prevalence of romanticism over nihilism. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay At the outset, the first key passage is intended to reinforce Bazarov's beliefs in nihilism. The transition occurs after Bazarov's arrival at Mariyno, Nikolai Petrovitch's estate in the Russian countryside. Bazarov's nihilistic ideas had already been manifested to Arkady's relatives, but Arkady remained faithful to his friend despite the clear opposition between Bazarov and the Petrovitch family. As Bazarov and Arkady walk through Mariyno's gardens, Turgenev makes Bazarov's views evident in his dialogue. Bazarov explains that nature is “nonsense in the sense in which you [Arkady] understand it. Nature is not a temple, but a laboratory, and in it man is the worker” (lines 19-20). Bazarov suggests with the word “temple” that nature should not be worshiped as an authority, but simply used for utilitarian purposes. He tells Arkady that "what matters is that two and two equal four, and everything else is nonsense" (lines 14-15), and this "nonsense" clearly includes Nikolai's playing of the cello. Upon hearing the music, Bazarov bursts out laughing and exclaims: "My word, a forty-four-year-old man, a paterfamilias in this remote neighborhood, plays the cello!" (lines 33-34). This comment not only boldly ridicules romance, but also offends Arkady personally and gives him reason to defend his family, leading him to turn to romance. The first key step isparticularly significant as it indicates Arkady's change of attitude towards Bazarov and nihilism. . Turgenev's prose makes this change evident. While Bazarov disdains those who worship nature, Arkady looks “thoughtfully at the brightly colored fields in the distance, in the beautiful soft light of the sun” (lines 16-17). The visual imagery in Arkady's vision of nature shows his idea of ​​beauty in nature and also his newfound interest in romanticism, which Turgenev presents as the opposite ideological vision in the first passage. Through further description, Turgenev suggests that he shares Arkady's views, and his prose foreshadows the final triumph of romanticism – for example, Turgenev describes Schubert's music, "Expectance", as flowing "with honey-sweetness through the 'air" (line 24) . Arkady also begins to defend his family and compatriots from Bazarov's attacks. When Bazarov insults the Russian people, Arkady observes, "I am beginning to agree with my uncle...you certainly have a bad opinion of the Russians" (34). When Bazarov belittles Arkady's family after hearing the cello's music, Arkady, "much as he revered his master...did not even smile" (lines 35-36), revealing a significant change from the beginning of the novel. While Bazarov is still Arkady's "master", Turgenev, in the first key passage, presents the beginning of Arkady's movement towards romance and begins to create tension between the main characters. The second key passage occurs immediately after Arkady's marriage proposal to Katya, to which she agrees. Bazarov had a lot of time to reflect on his situation with Madame Odintsov and the differences between him and Arkady while at Nikolshoe, on the Odintsov estate. Arkady's engagement makes Bazarov realize the extent of the ideological gap between the two friends, although he is secretly angry that Arkady is able to express himself to Katya while still having difficulty showing love towards Odintsov. So, stubbornly and bitterly, he says goodbye to Arkady in the second key passage. Turgenev once again makes Bazarov's nihilistic statements known through his dialogue, although in this passage Bazarov instead compares himself to Arkady. Bazarov tells his friend that he is "not made for our bitter, harsh, lonely existence" and calls Arkady "a sugary, liberal snob" (150-151). Bazarov also emphasizes Arkady's frailty, telling him, "You will not fight... Our dust would get into your eyes, our mud would splatter you" (150). He exclaims that his goal is "to destroy other people," a clearly nihilistic view, and resents Arkady's "refined indignation" (150) as another point of weakness. When Arkady asks him if he has anything else to say, Bazarov cannot answer for fear of expressing “sentimentality” (151). However, he supports Arkady's lifestyle in the sense that he doesn't believe Arkady could do any better. Immediately before leaving, Bazarov compares Arkady to a jackdaw – "a respectable family bird" – and tells Arkady to "follow that example", because Bazarov wants nothing to do with a respectable life. His nihilism is still alive and persistent at the final separation of the two friends, even though he understands Arkady's point of view, and this awareness eases some tension between the two friends. From Arkady's point of view, the second key step means a complete removal of any previous nihilistic outlook and an embrace of romanticism. First of all, Arkady's situation at this point is drastically different from Bazarov's; Arkady is about to marry his mistress and start a family, while Bazarov is leaving his mistress behind. Although this discrepancy is a pointof contention for Bazarov, lightens Arkady's attitude towards Bazarov because Arkady no longer needs to believe in nihilism to have company. Turgenev describes Bazarov as Arkady's “former leader,” suggesting that by letting Bazarov leave and remaining with Katya, he can express his romantic views without the need for censorship. Despite this, Bazarov's parting comments hurt Arkady, but even he understands that the two have their fundamental differences. The decisive moment of emotion comes when Arkady embraces Bazarov and "tears [flow] from his eyes" (151).Throughout the novel, Bazarov described crying as an act of contempt, showing unnecessary emotion. In this final passage between the two friends, however, Arkady fully reveals through his tears not only his romance but also his love for Bazarov, and this expression of emotion resolves the final tension between the two contrasting ideologies. Through these two key passages, Turgenev develops a relationship between the two main characters that is fundamentally based on discrepancies. From the beginning of the novel, Bazarov shows himself to be a nihilistic character who does not surrender to any authority, and Arkady declares himself of the same opinion. However, Arkady's return to his home revives his romantic instincts and distinguishes him from Bazarov, as introduced in the first passage. During the conversation in Mariyno's garden, Turgenev introduces Arkady's romantic visions and creates tension between the two friends. As the novel continues, Arkady's ties to nature and his family become too strong for Bazarov to destroy, and his relationship with Katya only solidifies those views. Bazarov, on the other hand, also moves towards romance in the novel when he meets Madame Odintsov, although he is disgusted by his own emotions. When Arkady declares his love for Katya, Bazarov finally realizes that he and Arkady are fundamentally different and that Arkady has changed. Bazarov has not lost his nihilism, and Arkady has not abandoned his romanticism; but in the second key passage, through mutual understanding, the tension eases when the two manage to peacefully say goodbye. Turgenev does not impose an ideological position at the top, but instead recognizes that Bazarov and Arkady are not similar people and therefore cannot follow the same path. In Bazarov's final instructions to Arkady, to follow the jackdaws' example, Bazarov shows tolerance for Arkady's beliefs, the strongest emotion he allows himself to show, and even encourages him to follow Katya's example. The tension is further resolved when Arkady, through the tears of his embrace, openly shows his love for Bazarov for the first time, and with Bazarov's departure, the two are brothers again. Works Cited Turgenev, Ivan. Fathers and sons. Mineola, New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1998. First key passage (pp. 33-34): The friends took a few steps in silence. “I looked at all your father's houses,” Bazarov began again. “The cattle are inferior, the horses are exhausted; the buildings are not up to par, and the workers seem like inveterate slackers; while the superintendent is either a fool or a scoundrel, I haven't quite figured out which of the two yet." "You're a little harsh with everything today, Yevgeny Vasilyevich." "And the dear good peasants lead your father into a dead certainty . You know the Russian proverb: "The Russian peasant deceives God himself." "I am beginning to agree with my uncle," Arkady observed; “You certainly have a very low opinion of the Russians.” “As if that matters! The only good thing about a Russian is that he has the lowest possible opinion of himself. What matters is that two and two equal four, and the rest is all nonsense." "And is nature nonsense?" said Arkady, looking thoughtfully at the fields..