Bring on the tough stuff - there’s not just one right answer.
- What causes the disconnect between the old generation and the young in Fathers and Sons?
- How would you describe the philosophy of nihilism? Is it compelling? Is it coherent?
- What is the role of romance and love in the novel? How do characters' successes or failures with love shape their destinies?
- How does the historical setting come to influence the most central events of the novel? In what ways is Bazarov very much a character of his time?
- How are women portrayed in the novel? Does the portrayal seem sexist? Do they seem to have more or less power than men? Does the perspective change as the novel goes on?
- Does the narrator seem to favor the old generation or the young? Romanticism or nihilism? Tradition or revolt?
- Do you find Bazarov to be a compelling character? If so, what makes him so compelling?