Fathers and Sons Characters

The Mover and the ShakerIt's easy to bash Bazarov. He thinks he's better than everyone else. He's rude. He doesn't believe in any of the things that make life worth living (love, for example). Abov...

The Malleable Young ManArkady often speaks of how much Bazarov means to him, how much he has learned from Bazarov. Rarely do we hear Bazarov say anything complimentary about Arkady. He should. From...

A Coy Man-Charmer and One Impressive LadyAfter sharing the ins and outs of Anna Sergeyevna's personal story, the narrator notes that people often gossiped about her around town, but she always turn...

The novel opens with Nikolai's back-story as he waits for Arkady to return home from Petersburg. We learn that Nikolai was the sensitive child in the family. Though his father, General Kirsanov, ex...

The Proud Military ManFrom the first moment that we see Pavel Petrovich, we learn that he is a proud man. His very dress reflects it. When he appears, the narrator notes that he wears long tapering...

The interesting thing about Katya is that for much of the novel she is a blank face. She's more or less a two-dimensional character, confined to the background, until Arkady returns to Nikolskoye....

There is perhaps no better description of Vassily Ivanych Bazarov than when he is presenting a peasant's tooth that young Bazarov pulled to Father Alexei. Convinced that his son is the best doctor...

Arina Vlassyevna is passionate about her love for her son. When she first sees him, she is so moved that she begins weeping convulsively. Vassily Ivanych is embarrassed, but as time goes on, we fin...

Perhaps the most important question to ask about Fenichka is whether or not she is a major or minor character. Fenichka has a fairly large role in the novel because of her relationship with Nikolai...

Arkady and Bazarov run into Sitnikov in town when they are visiting Matvei Ilyich Kolyazin. Sitnikov is an acquaintance of Bazarov's and announces to Arkady that he is not only a friend, but a "dis...

Madame Kukshin is a woman in town that Bazarov and Arkady meet through Bazarov's acquaintance, Victor Sitnikov. She is separated from her husband and has made a reputation for herself amongst the y...

Matvei Ilyich Kolyazin is a successful relative of Arkady's, descended from his grandmother's side, and for a time he took care of Nikolai and Pavel Petrovich. He is a progressive statesman who has...

Princess R. was Pavel Petrovich's enigmatic love interest, the woman for whom he ruined his career. She was a well-respected society woman with a husband and children, but she was also known for be...

After Anna Sergeyevna and Katya were orphaned, Anna Sergeyevna had to find someone to look after them. She called on her aunt, "a spiteful, arrogant old lady who came and installed herself in her n...

General Kirsanov and Agafokleya Kuzminishna are the father and mother of Nikolai and Pavel Petrovich. General Kirsanov was a well-respected man who served in the military for 23 years (1812 –...

While Bazarov is visiting with Arkady, Vassily Ivanych invites Father Alexei to dinner. He is very concerned about whether or not his son will approve of eating with a religious man, and he pretend...

Piotr is one of the Kirsanov's main servants. He is essentially free, as Nikolai Petrovich tells Arkady early on, and he is identified as one of the "modern 'up-to-date' servants" (2.14). In genera...

Mitya is Fenichka and Nikolai Petrovich's son. At first, Nikolai tries to keep him a secret from Arkady, but Arkady discovers little Mitya when he goes to introduce himself to Fenichka. Later, ther...

Dunyasha is a servant at the Kirsanov's house who functions as something of a maid to Fenichka. She is clearly less mature than Fenichka, and, after seeing Bazarov treat Mitya, she develops a crush...

Prokofyich is one of the oldest servants at the Kirsanov's house. When everyone else gradually gets used to Bazarov, Prokofyich is one of the few to persist in his dislike. The narrator notes that...

Porfiry Platonych is one of the Odintsov's neighbors. He comes over to play whist, and Bazarov is frustrated when Porfiry beats him. Later, when things become tense between Bazarov and Anna Sergeye...

Anfisushka is a servant at the Bazarov's estate with whom Arina Vlassyevna seems to have a close relationship. After Bazarov comes home and his mother doesn't want to bother him, she talks Anfisush...

These are four of the servants on the Bazarov's estate. They function as little more than names in the story (which might say something about how people related to their servants in Russia circa 18...