Fathers and Children · Character
Arina Vlasyevna
Bazarov's devout, superstitious mother, who would hang an amulet on her grown son's neck if he'd let her and feeds him as if three years of hunger needed undoing.
supporting
Also known as Vlasyevna, Arina Vlasyevna, Arina
First appearance: Chapter XX
As a supporting figure in Fathers and Children, Arina Vlasyevna is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
Bazarov's mother; emotional, superstitious, and devout, she dotes on her son and embodies traditional Russian gentility.
Arina Vlasyevna belongs to an older Russia of amulets, samovars, and unquestioning maternal love — a world her son has intellectually rejected but cannot entirely escape. She consults her husband anxiously about which soup Enyusha might prefer, afraid to ask the boy herself lest she bore him. Her wordless adoration and simple piety form the emotional bedrock of the Bazarov household, and her uncomprehending grief becomes one of the novel's most piercing indictments of a philosophy that leaves no room for such love.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
9 connectionsA slice of how Arina Vlasyevna sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Family
- Other
Character groups
- Central characters and families
- Protagonist
- Deceased and background figures
+4 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
Bazarov’s sudden glance at Madame Odintsov, which she reacts to “as though he had struck her a blow,” marks th…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Yevgeny Bazarov
family · ambivalent
A deeply loving, anxious mother who dotes on her son and is heartbroken by his emotional… How this plays out →
- Vassily Ivanovitch
family · positive
- Yevgeny Bazarov
family · ambivalent
A deeply loving, anxious mother who dotes on her son and is heartbroken by his emotional… How this plays out →
- Yevgeny Bazarov
family · ambivalent
A deeply loving, anxious mother who dotes on her son and is heartbroken by his emotional… How this plays out →
- Vassily Ivanovitch
family · positive
- Vassily Ivanovitch
family · positive
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Arina Vlasyevna in Chapter XXIn the story
Arina Vlasyevna appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Arina Vlasyevna unlock in the free preview.
See Arina Vlasyevna in Chapter XX