Fathers And Sons

"University graduate Arkady Kirsanov returns to his father's modest estate, called Marino. Arkady brings his friend, Eugene Bazarov. His father, Nikolay, gladly receives the two young men at his estate, but Nikolay's brother, Pavel, soon becomes upset by the strange new philosophy called "nihilism" that the young men advocate. Nikolay, initially delighted to have his son return home, slowly begins to feel uneasy. A certain awkwardness develops in his regard toward his son, as Arkady's radical views, much influenced by Bazarov, make Nikolay's own beliefs feel dated. Nikolay has always tried to stay as current as possible, by doing things such as visiting his son at school so the two can stay as close as they can, but this in Nikolay's eyes has failed. To complicate this, the father has taken a servant, Fenechka, into his house to live with him and has already had a son by her, named Mitya. Arkady, however, is not troubled by the relationship; on the contrary, he is delighted by the addition of a younger brother."