In his 40s, unlike his general father, he has moved away from military life; he is a mild-mannered landowner who tries to read with timid enthusiasm and manage his estate. After losing his wife, he has lived with a deep devotion to his son, Arkady. He has brought the lower-class Fenichka into his home and fathered a child named 'Mitya' with her; he struggles to conceal the shame of this between his enlightened honesty and his aristocratic identity. He attempts to make changes in his life and tries new ideas to free his fields, but always fails, remaining in the melancholy of feeling old compared to the new nihilist generation.
His military career ended when he broke his leg while preparing for military academy, and he shifted to bureaucracy. However, he spent the first ten years of his marriage living in a poetic dream in the countryside with his wife; after she passed away, he remained alone and secretly provided a home for Fenichka.
44 years old, graying hair, having gained weight, slightly stooped; a landowner with fine, pleasant features, mournful eyes, and small, dark eyes.
Pavel Petroviç Kirsanov
His glorious elder brother, whom he constantly displays respect for and regards as wise and superior.
Yevgeniy Vasilyeviç Bazarov
The harsh idol of the younger generation who makes him feel backward.
Arkadiy Nikolayeviç Kirsanov
The son he loves dotingly but with whom he cannot find ideological agreement.
Feneçka (Fedosya Nikolayevna)
The apple of his eye; the woman he loves, who evolved from a source of simultaneous shame into his rightful spouse.