The novel was written in the 1960s, when a new hero appeared in Russian society— the democrat from the intelligentsia (raznochinets), who began to take a critical view of liberal noblemen, their morals, and their political and aesthetic principles.
Turgenev depicted this hero in all the complexity and contradictions of his character, putting his intellect and strong will at the forefront, his experimental nature and his skeptical attitude toward outdated authorities.