Fathers and Sons

by

Ivan Turgenev

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Fathers and Sons: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Bazarov and Arkady spend two weeks at Anna Odintsov’s. She governs her household according to a punctual daily routine, whose “somewhat ostentatious formality” Bazarov resents. He tells Anna this, but she simply replies that in the country “one must lead an orderly life” or else die of ennui. Meanwhile, Bazarov has begun to show “quite unprecedented signs of emotional disturbance,” acting restless and irritable. Arkady, thinking himself in love with Anna, “[abandons] himself to a gentle melancholy.” He spends his time with Katya, not noticing how much they enjoy the same things, such as nature. Bazarov talks to Arkady less than before.
Bazarov and Arkady start to be folded into the daily routine at Nikolskoye. Anna is able to hold her own with Bazarov’s cranky objections. Bazarov, though, seems to be falling for Anna, and the fact disturbs him, given his materialist rejection of romance. A wedge is starting to be driven between the two friends. Arkady’s pining renders him oblivious to Katya’s apparent suitedness to him. Nevertheless, he’s able to be himself around her, much more than he permits himself to be around Bazarov.
Themes
Nature vs. Materialism Theme Icon
Love vs. Nihilism Theme Icon
Bazarov is maddened by his feelings for Madame Odintsov. He thinks romance is foolishness, but he can’t seem to turn away from her. Each time he recognizes romance stirring in him, he stomps around the forest or tries to sleep it off, but he can’t control his feelings. Anna, too, is growing more interested in Bazarov.
Irrepressible romantic feelings are unsettling to Bazarov; they threaten his self-image as rising above such foolishness. He thinks romance is something merely physiological that he can just shake off like an illness, but it’s proving maddeningly persistent.
Themes
Love vs. Nihilism Theme Icon
One day, Bazarov’s father’s old bailiff, Timofeich, stops at Nikolskoye and hints that Bazarov should visit his parents soon. That evening, Anna sits in her private sitting-room with Bazarov, asking him why he must leave. Anna tells him she will miss him, but Bazarov sees no point in missing people. She tries to get him to talk about himself, to little avail. She grows more agitated as the evening wears on, telling Bazarov she is unhappy. She has no longing for life and feels unsatisfied. She wonders if she is incapable of love.
Bazarov seizes on the excuse to visit his parents to get away from Nikolskoye and his disturbing romantic feelings. Anna is trying to get Bazarov to open up to her more, but he’s refusing to take the bait. 
Themes
Love vs. Nihilism Theme Icon
After Anna’s failed attempts to detain him, Bazarov eventually says goodnight, but not before squeezing her hand fiercely. Anna sits in her room, brooding silently, for a long time. Bazarov doesn’t return to his bedroom for another two hours, looking disheveled when he arrives. Arkady is still up, writing. When Bazarov speaks sarcastically to him about his and Katya’s late-night piano-playing, Arkady’s eyes well with tears.
Bazarov can’t resist communicating something of his emotions to Anna, although even this gesture appears to unsettle him even more. He takes it out on Arkady, who is much more attuned to his emotions—which he still imagines to be fixed on Anna— and feels hurt by his friend’s cutting sarcasm.
Themes
Love vs. Nihilism Theme Icon
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