In the second passage, the first paragraph appears to explain the predicament that Mr Bennett is in; being ‘fatigued with the raptures of his wife’ (Austen, 9), he could only seek to comfort himself by indulging in books and the beauty of the countryside when no other suitable pleasures are available to him.
The second paragraph clearly describes Elizabeth’s dissatisfaction, if not resentment, at her father who has not provided his daughters with a good education so that they could be respectable and suitable for good suitors. With a very humble annual income, it would have been difficult for Mr Bennett to engage a governess to nurture his daughters to become ‘accomplished’ ladies (Austen, 35). No doubt, he could have tutored them, but the constant and discontented pickings from Mrs Bennett could have prevented him. Despite her disappointment at her father, Elizabeth is forgiving towards her father because he has treated her well and favoured her the most among his daughters.
Gender-stereotyping is still prevalent but more so during the nineteenth century – a good education is always saved for the males in the family while the females could afford to have a good education if the family is well-to-do or they could rely on concerned and talented parents to nurture them.
Although Arkady has just graduated from a university education and is learning to be nihilistic, yet his warmth and concern at the homecoming encounter with Nikolai has demonstrated that Arkady still upholds his personal traditional beliefs - respect and appreciation for the beauty of art, nature, love and marriage. This is clearly demonstrated when he appears to be very open-minded, non-judgmental, and receptive towards his father dating a young girl. This could be the result of his upbringing -his closeness and love for his father finally surpasses the supposedly nihilist he wishes to be. In a way, this seems to confirm that the parent-child emotional bond can withstand the negative aspects of a changing society
On the other hand, Elizabeth who has no formal education is considered very independent thinking, and less influenced by the societal values affecting the mentality of the young ladies of those times - that woman ought to have thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and modern language (Austen, 35) would stand them in good chance to select their suitor. Initially, as indicated in the passage, she does not care very much that she has no education, but later, she realises that having a good education would help gain respect for themselves instead of being scorned at by the more ‘accomplished’ ladies such as Miss Bingley or Miss Catherine de Bourgh. By detesting the incompatibility in her mismatched parents, she appears decisive she would never succumb herself to the universal gossips in the town – that young, marriageable ladies ought to find wealthy husbands so that they could be taken care of, otherwise, they would be left on the shelves as old maids.
Arkady still truly embraces and adheres to the values of “classical disciplines and honest relationships among men and women” (Mirolovich) despite Bazarov’s nihilistic influence. In fact, he and Bazarov get into many arguments throughout the novel about their conflicting beliefs.
Similarly, Elizabeth shares this same sentiment; she believes that a marital relationship between man and woman should be based on ‘respect, esteem, and confidence’ (Austen, 194). This is why she is disagreeable to her best friend, Charlotte, marrying Mr Collins out of economic reasons.
Perhaps, being a man, Arkady could be very forthright with his father. As much as he is open to reforms, he appears to be sensitive to the views of the people around him, like Katya. Hence, he believes his father is responsible and has a right to the life he so chooses to live just as the freedom that his father has so granted him.
Elizabeth may not display the similar intimate affection that Arkady has for Nikolai, yet she respects Mr Bennett for his abilities. Her judgment on her father is not as forgiving as Arkady, but it is not outrightly displayed to Mr Bennett. Perhaps, being a woman of that century, it is not appropriate for her to correct her father as outrightly as Arkady, for example, she merely hints that it would be inappropriate for Lydia to go to Brighton.
Throughout this passage of Fathers and Sons, Ivan Turgenev allows her narrator to use mostly the dialogic form of ‘showing’ intercepted briefly with the third person omniscient technique of ‘telling’, or all-knowing, narrator who has the power to go within any character’s mind and display their thoughts.
The passage actually begins with a third person omniscient: “He checked himself a moment and then continued in French” (Turgenev, 12). This technique aptly helps the reader to become less judgmental on Nikolai - he appears to change his choice of word or even his tone as he begins to break the news Arkady. Previously he appears to sound threatening when he says, “I consider it my duty to warn you”.
The dialogic technique of ‘showing’ that follows between father and son effectively show the ‘critical interplay of character’ (Walder, 170) between Nikolai and Arkady especially they have been separated for years since Arkady went away for his university education. It helps the reader to empathise with Nikolai his need for a companion as well as the awkwardness of having one at his age. The way Nikolai explains the bad conditions of the rooms and as he echoes Arkady’s remark, “I ought to be ashamed’ seems to inform the reader of an amiable relationship and respect between father and son.
Arkady’s firm and repeated response of pacifying Nikolai appears that he is reassuring him that he has not done anything wrong. This shows the reader Arkady’s sensitivity towards his father’s uneasiness and feelings. This casts doubt on the reader whether Arkady could become a nihilist.
Towards the end of the passage, Turgenev uses another technique of ‘telling’ – free indirect speech. Initially, the reader may sense a generation gap, but now becomes aware that Arkady is actually very fond of him. Things might just work out between the two of them because they respect and love one another.
For the second passage, I think Jane Austen has arranged two ‘telling’ techniques very cleverly. It begins with a third person omniscient that aims to tell the reader all about Mr Bennett. In a way, it seems to prepare the reader for the critical judgments Elizabeth has made about her father in the following paragraph. It also influences the reader to feel rather sorry for him. It would be impossible for him to divorce his wife; he has to live with his own folly.
Now, in the second paragraph of the passage, Elizabeth’s point-of-view of her father is presented through the use of focalization. The reader gains insight to the inner criticism she has against her parents. As a reader, I could recognise that her parents’ marriage has an effect on her personal belief of choosing a husband based only on love and compatibility. It also allows us to decide whether Elizabeth is making rightful judgments about Mr Bennett.
In conclusion, the two passages have effectively helped me understand how both Elizabeth and Arkady have found their truths eventually. Arkady has found that love, marriage, and art are still important values while Elizabeth has found that a woman’s marriage can be founded on true love and mutual understanding. Therefore, both Ivan Turgenev and Jane Austen have employed the ‘showing’ and ‘telling’ techniques to effectively portray the characters and help the reader to understand them.
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Bibliography
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. England: Penguin Group. 1996.
Mirolovich, Matushka Nancy. “Fathers and Sons”. [online].
. (3 March 2005).
Turgenev, Ivan. Fathers and Sons. Great Britain: Oxford University Press. 1998.
Walder, Dennis. The Realist Novel. Routledge: The Open University. 1995.