Fathers and Sons. In chapter eight of Fathers and Sons, Turgenev provides the reader with the foundation of the story and lays the ground work for one of the dominant conflicts.

The plot and setting work hand in hand in order to provide the reader with valuable information about the actions of the characters. One of the dilemmas in the book is the one Nikolai has in relation to his child with Fenicka. This dilemma arose because of the background that she comes from, and his fear of his son’s disapproval of this type of marriage (Turgenev 44-6). This idea that he had was because of the setting of the novel and the ideals that came in the time period in which it was written. The extent of shame that Nikolai had about his actions is understood through the exchange that he had with Fenicka. While he spoke with her, she mentioned how it may be better for her to move back into the wing. This was met with Nikolai saying that it would have been better to do that earlier, as if it would have been better to hid Fenicka from his son. Then, the final conflict between Bazarov and Pevel can trace its origin back to the information revealed in this chapter. As the reader is slowly introduced to the idea of Pevel’s secret love for Fenicka, it becomes more understandable why Pevel would really do what he does in what could be considered the climax of the novel. The setting of the novel is also revealed when the situation about the modernization of the estate system is mentioned by the steward (Turgenev 39). This brief description provided us with enough information about the current political situation.

The omniscient narrator allows us to understand the thoughts and lives of the characters. If it weren’t for the narrative technique used in this chapter, the reader would not know the type of people that the characters truly are. The narrator provides us with the background information about Fenicka, which allows us to remotely understand why it is Nikolai seems to be ashamed of his actions.  The narrator also provided us with valuable details about the actions of the characters as well as the thoughts that they had. Much of the information obtained about the characterization and plot and setting, was thanks to the narrative technique used by Turgenev. The all knowing narrator gave us information about the way Nikolai and Fenicka met, which has an important role in the novel. Then with the description of the characters thoughts allows the reader to understand the subtle meaning behind their actions as well as the opinions that they have about situations and of each other.

In conclusion, chapter eight provides many insights into the novel. Through the use of characterization, the reader is allowed to examine the relationships between the characters as well as understand the actual characters a little better. Next, with the use of the plot and setting Turgenev provides us with a deeper understanding about the issues happening in the real world and how they relate to the conflicts occurring throughout the novel. Finally, due to the narrative technique used the reader is able to obtain further information about the characters along with important information