First, Turgenev portrays modernistic influence in Russia by providing evidence of the transition from a feudalistic society to a society of equals. A first example of this societal change can be seen in an exchange between Nikolai, one of the parents, and his son Arkady. While on the ride home from Arkady's university, father and son discuss changes at Nikolai's home when Nikolai reveals that "the one thing [he has] changed ... [is to not] keep any of the freed serfs who used to be house servants ... [and to not] assign them any duties carrying responsibilities" (9). Significantly, this exchange represents a cultural shift in the value of feudalism. Ahead of the modern age in Russia, Nikolai freed his serfs in 1859 before the national "emancipation
