The Legacy of Romanticism in Realism (Goncharov and Turgenev)

Ivan Turgenev’s 'Ottsy i deti' [Fathers and Sons] (1862) and Ivan Gon-charov’s 'Obyknovennaia istoriia' [The Same Old Story] (1847) model socio-cultural turns, especially the transition from the Romantic era to Realism, in the genre of the family novel. It is commonly believed that Goncharov denounces Romanticism whereas Turgenev condemns the “Realist” generation of the 1860s in favor of the “men of the 40s.” However, a closer look at the two novels brings to light a more intricate en-tanglement of Realism and Romanticism. I argue that both novels rather “objectively” (and hence “realistically”) stage a conflict between “Realism” and “Romanticism” than take side for one movement. This point of view highlights the problem of cultural legacy and the persistence of romantic motives in realist texts.