The author introduces the character of Nikolai Petrovich at the very beginning of the novel. He is a middle-aged man who lives comfortably on his farm of nearly five thousand acres. Nikolai is the father of Arkady and the brother of Pavel Petrovich. As a young man, Nikolai had been expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and pursue a military occupation; however, he broke his leg on the very day that he was supposed to enlist. Due the resulting physical disability and a general chicken-heartedness, Nikolai instead decided to work for the civil service. After graduating from the University of Petersburg in 1835, he fell in love with his landlord’s pretty and intelligent daughter, Masha Prepovolensky. The couple got married soon afterwards, settled in the country, where they began to raise their only son, Arkady. The family lived happily together until Masha died in 1847. Nikolai Petrovich was profoundly affected by this tragedy, and after the few years that it took him to recover, he began to devote himself to the task of improving the management of his property. The doting father accompanied his son to Petersburg during the first three years of his university education; however, he was unable to do so during Arkady’s final year (2—3).
The reader learns immediately that Nikolai cares for his son immensely; he was so excited to meet him that he arrived at the station five hours early (3). At heart, Nikolai is a good-hearted, agreeable man who wishes to accommodate others to the best of his ability. For his generation, he is politically liberal and he employs free laborers on his farm. He is often a silent observer of the arguments that take place between Bazarov and Pavel Petrovich in his home. Compared to the other characters, he speaks relatively little, but listens very intently. Unlike his brother, Nikolai Petrovich does not immediately attack the contentious nihilistic ideas articulated by Bazarov in his home. Rather, he reflects upon them quietly and even begins to reexamine his own belief in certain principles (45-46). Nikolai’s kind and humble disposition generally seem to help secure for him all that he needs to be content. More than any of the other characters in the novel, he has been able to truly know love, first with Masha and later with Fenitchka, his mistress. He is not overly distressed by the challenges he faces in the management of his farm, choosing instead to focus on the pleasure of spending time with those close to him. By the end of the novel, things have worked out very well for Nikolai; he lives happily on his estate with both his beloved son Arkady and his new wife Fenitchka and works eagerly to carry out the emancipation reforms in his district (166).