Critique of Masculinity in Ivan Turgenev’s Home of the Gentry

Abstract

Turgenev’s Home of Gentry fore grounds the failures of the protagonist, Lavretsky, in his interpersonal relationship with several women. Born and brought up in the higher social class, Lavtetsky is, by nature, arrogant and intolerant of anything which harms his ego and pride. Seeing a beautiful ballet dancer, Pavlovna, Lavretsky falls in love with her and marries her. On the charge of Pavlovna’s alleged affair, Lavretsky abandons her. Unconsciously, he hankers after Pavlovna but harbors hatred against her. Leaving Pavlovna in Paris, he returns to Moscow. In Moscow he falls in love withLisa. His romance with Lisa develops smoothly. But disaster occurs in his relation. When he knows that Lisa has a friend named Panshin, he discontinues his courtship. Arrogant, intolerant and disdainful of femininity, Lavretksy is trained and taught to treat women as objects of possession. His masculinity is an outcome and effect of patriarchal society. Russian society at the end of the late 19th century was strongly hierarchical. Tsarist political structures, religious and social values, rules governing land ownership and Russia’s legal code all reinforced the nation’s social hierarchy, defining position and status and restricting social mobility. Russia’s social structure was often depicted and lampooned in visual propaganda. In these depictions, Russian society is shown as a feudal pyramid, the upper classes propped up by the labour of the working masses that are usually kept in check with work, religion and the threat of violence.The poor peasantry and the industrial working-class made up more than four-fifths of the population; while Russia’s educated and professional middle classes were tiny. The use of the theory of masculinity yields plenty of shortcomings and limitations of Lavretsky in Turgenev’s Home of Gentry.