Luo Ting The House of the Nobility

Author: Ivan Turgenev
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-06-01
Features: Turgenev was a renowned writer of 19th-century Russia. "Rodya" and "The House of the Nobleman" are among his major works. "Rodya" portrays Rodya, a young nobleman from a declining aristocratic family who initially embraces democratic ideals. With grand ambitions for reform, he tirelessly advocates for change, embarking on unprecedented endeavors only to be repeatedly thwarted. Faced with the pure, passionate, and unwavering love of the noblewoman Natalia, he instead hesitates, vacillates, and fears, fully exposing the weakness of aristocratic intellectuals. However, Rodya ultimately joins the revolutionary cause and dies on the barricades in Paris. This tragic yet heroic ending brings a glimmer of hope to Russia under the cruel rule of the Tsar. "The House of the Nobleman" vividly and powerfully depicts the rise and fall of the Russian aristocracy. Lavretsky, though ambitious, is so timid that he loses all sense of direction, even hoping for guidance and salvation from a noblewoman. Yet his constant cries of "What to do?" in moments of confusion resonate deeply across Russia, striking a chord of awakening.