Fathers and Sons by Brian Friel

This story revolves predominantly around the character Bazarov, and for good reason. Bazarov is the epitome of nihilism. He is the symbol of the nihilistic forces sweeping the new generation which counter the beliefs of the old liberal way.

Bazarov is highly intellectual. He questions every views presented. He rejects customary beliefs. Being a nihilist, he does not take anybody’s word for it. He does not establish connections and suppresses emotions. He does not care for anything and only accepts what is proven scientifically.

The nihilist wants to destroy existing school of thought and beliefs. Their main purpose is to “clear the site” of customs and traditions without replacing these beliefs with new ones. The ultimate goal of nihilism is bent on self-destruction because he cannot accept what others have established and when he destroys everything, he turns inward.

He was a staunch supporter of nihilism right from the start. This is evident when he rejected arts, music and even his country because he believes all these things are pointless and meaningless.

He does not believe in romantic love. He thinks a man who falls for a woman is an idiot. That a man should have his way with the woman or leave her. His views, however, particularly on romantic love were put to test when he met Madame Odintsova.

Madame Odintsova challenged Bazarov’s nihilistic views. She believes there is “order” in life which is in direct contrast to a nihilist’s accepted philosophy. Bazarov’s beliefs wavered in the face of this woman.

He fell in love with her. He knew that he would never have his way with her but found it hard to abandon her. He did not believe in romantic love but found himself feeling and declaring his undying love to Madame Odintsova.

After she rejected his love, Bazarov could not go back to his way of thinking. His nihilstic views proved inadequate to help him cope with heartbreak. He may never abandoned his strange and unorthodox views but he changed his way of thinking to a certain degree.

This is evident when he became attached to Fenichka. Even on his deathbed, his change of heart became apparent. His last wish was to see Madame Odintsova which showed how he evolved from being purely nihilistic to becoming less serious about it.

Friel’s adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s novel “Fathers and Sons” included much of the debate between the old generation and the new ones. Friel though was careful not to turn these debates into mere instructions or becoming too preachy. There were seven scenes which covered six months. The flow was easy. The play moved swiftly despite the difficulties in adapting the Russian novel. The music brings the story back to its 19th century setting including its costumes.

Brian Friel’s adaptation is able to capture the essence of Turgenev’s novel. It showcases a world on the threshold of change, subtle psychological conflict among independent and powerful fictional characters, and the natural elegance of Turgenev’s poetic imagination. This new version of Fathers and Sons will be welcomed by general audience and scholars alike.