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Madame Anna Sergeyevna Odintsov
Katya is Anna Odintsov’s younger sister, age 18. Dominated by her sister and guardian, Katya is very shy and reserved. She spends most of her time playing the piano or playing with her dog, Fifi. She and Arkady develop a friendship over their shared fondness for music and nature. Arkady is able to see that Katya is proud and independent in her own way, and Katya recognizes that Arkady doesn’t fit into Bazarov’s world before Arkady even realizes this. Arkady slowly transforms under Katya’s influence from a would-be nihilist radical to the more conventional, tender-hearted gentleman underneath. Katya and Arkady marry and have a son, Nikolai, settling on the Kirsanov estate of Maryino. She and Fenichka become good friends.
Katya Odintsov Quotes in Fathers and Sons
The Fathers and Sons quotes below are all either spoken by Katya Odintsov or refer to Katya Odintsov. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 26 Quotes
“I am now no longer the conceited boy I was when I first arrived here,” Arkady continued. “I have not reached the age of twenty-two for nothing; I still have every wish to lead a useful life, I still want to devote all my energies to the pursuit of truth; but I can no longer seek my ideal where I did before; I perceive it now . . . much closer to hand. Up till now I did not understand myself, I set myself tasks beyond my capacity… My eyes have recently been opened, thanks to a certain emotion … I am not expressing myself very clearly but I hope you will understand me . . .”
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“You see what I’m doing: there happened to be an empty space in my trunk, and I’m stuffing it with hay; it’s the same with the trunk which is our life: we fill it with anything that comes to hand rather than leave a void […] And now, in parting, let me repeat . . . because there is no point in deceiving ourselves—we are parting for good, and you know that yourself . . . you have acted sensibly: you were not made for our bitter, harsh, lonely existence. There’s no audacity in you, no venom: you’ve the fire and energy of youth but that’s not enough for our business. Your sort, the gentry, can never go farther than well-bred resignation or well-bred indignation, and that’s futile.”
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Katya Odintsov Character Timeline in Fathers and Sons
The timeline below shows where the character Katya Odintsov appears in Fathers and Sons. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 15
...who ruined himself by gambling, leaving a tiny income to Anna and her younger sister, Katya. Anna’s education hadn’t prepared her for the management of an estate, and she had no...
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Chapter 16
...Anna’s mother had been a friend and confidant of Arkady’s mother. Soon Anna’s 18-year-old sister, Katya, joins them with her dog, a large white borzoi named Fifi. Katya is innocent-looking and...
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...tea, Bazarov and Anna play cards with a neighbor who’s dropped by, and Anna encourages Katya to play the piano for Arkady. Feeling dismissed and already experiencing “the foretaste of love”...
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That night, in private, the friends both rave about Anna Sergeyevna. But Bazarov says that Katya is really the more “wonderful” of the two—“one could make something of her.”
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...Anna and Bazarov set off on a botany expedition. Arkady enjoys spending an hour with Katya, but feels a pang when Anna returns and he sees the tender expression on Bazarov’s...
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Chapter 17
...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...
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...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.
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Chapter 19
...of them is leaving. He sheds a tear, thinking of Anna and knowing he’ll miss Katya, too.
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Chapter 22
...They hastily assure her that they will be on their way within four hours. When Katya doesn’t emerge from her room, Arkady realizes that he had been just as eager to...
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As soon as his horses reach Nikolskoye, Arkady spots Katya and jumps out to greet her. She blushes with surprise and delight at the sight...
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Chapter 25
Arkady, Katya, and Fifi the borzoi sit in the Nikolskoye garden. There is a “trustful intimacy” between...
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The friends continue to talk about Anna and Katya’s life together; Katya has always been a little afraid of her imposing sister. But Arkady...
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...him that she has become fond of Arkady but doesn’t see him much, as he’s Katya’s friend, not hers. Bazarov doesn’t believe her—“women can’t help dissembling,” he thinks—and responds icily. Their...
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Chapter 26
The next day Arkady asks Katya to join him in her favorite spot in the portico. Katya had been hesitant, as...
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Arkady turns back to Katya; her head is bent low. He tells her, “I love you for ever, irrevocably, and...
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...morning, Bazarov can’t help feeling “a malicious pleasure” when Anna shows him Arkady’s letter requesting Katya’s hand. Anna laughs at her failure to notice what was unfolding between the two. She...
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By that evening, Arkady has indeed forgotten about Bazarov; he is “surrendering to [Katya’s] influence.” Even Anna is won over by their love for one another. She concludes from...
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Chapter 28
...The week before, two quiet weddings had taken place in the parish church: Arkady’s and Katya’s and Nikolai’s and Fenichka’s. Today Nikolai is giving a farewell dinner for Pavel, who is...
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...apologetic—feeling “a little awkward, a little sad, and, at bottom, very happy.” After the toasts, Katya quietly proposes a toast “to Bazarov’s memory” in Arkady’s ear. He squeezes her hand.
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...the peasants, yet his efforts fail to entirely please either the gentry or the peasants. Katya has had a baby son named Nikolai, and Mitya continues to thrive. Katya and Fenichka...
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