These early associations with a wider range of social classes, and even from the bottom, caused Herzen to experience an estrangement from his own aristocratic peers. Although, at the time he doubtlessly saw no such result, as an adult, writing his memoirs it was quite apparent. The alienation from his father, whom from Herzen’s perspective writing as an adult also stands for all Russian aristocracy, stemmed from his father's archaic and petty life. Neither fully Russian or European, he failed to run his life successfully relationally or logistically. The only way his father coped was to treat all with equal contempt. However, with the peasants, Herzen experienced ease and relationship. One only need read Herzen's writing to see he was a relational man.
