Fathers and Sons: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

At the governor’s ball, Bazarov shows up in a shabby dress-coat and does not dance. He, Arkady, and Sitnikov linger in a corner until Madame Odintsov arrives. Arkady sees a tall, dignified woman with a “tranquil and intelligent expression.” He asks Sitnikov to introduce him. Madame Odintsov brightens when she hears Arkady’s name and says that she is acquainted with his father. She promises to dance a mazurka with Arkady later, giving him a sisterly look. She is 29, not that much older than Arkady, but he feels like a “schoolboy” in her presence. He can’t take his eyes off her.

During the mazurka, Arkady is shy at first, but he opens up in response to Madame Odintsov’s calm courtesy. They talk for an hour, and, curious about Bazarov, she invites the two of them to visit her soon. When Arkady returns to his friend, he’s jarred by Bazarov’s cynical comments. Bazarov says that he thinks “free-thinking women are monstrosities.”