Guide Mentor

Character Role Analysis

Yevgeny Vassilyich Bazarov

As we discussed when we labeled Bazarov the protagonist, we could just as easily have identified Arkady as the main character of the novel. Arkady is, in a sense, eclipsed by the personality of Bazarov. The initial drama of the narrative comes from the fact that Arkady has fallen under Bazarov's influence, which Nikolai and Petrovich find threatening. When Arkady and Bazarov travel into town, we find that Bazarov has other disciples, namely Victor Sitnikov. There is much wrong with Bazarov's philosophy, but his personality is so strong that he comes to have a powerful influence on the people around him. At the end of the novel, Bazarov's influence on Arkady begins to fade as he becomes closer with Katya. At this point, it seems as if Bazarov himself is the one in need of a mentor, even if he would renounce him.