Abstract
The article considers the question of the influence of I.S. Turgenev's novel "Fathers and Children" on A.P. Chekhov's story "The Bishop". The relevance of the work lies in the perspective of the study, which assumes not just a comparison of the images of mothers in the works, but also allows us to talk about child-parent relations as an important problematic core of texts. Despite the fact that Chekhov's interest in this novel is known to everyone, the "Bishop" did not become an object of interest to the scientist in the proposed way. Common features in the "mother-son" collision are revealed. Mothers are similar in relation to their sons – they love children very much and are shy to show this love at the same time. Their affection is manifested in facial expressions, gestures, and eye expressions. The problem of tragic loneliness of heroes is touched upon. If in Turgenev's novel Bazarov opposes himself to the world, then in Chekhov's story the world seems to repel the hero, who has no one to talk to sincerely. Even the strong and sincere love of the mother does not save the hero from loneliness. The finales of the texts turn out to be fundamentally important. They find themselves converging on one thing – private death does not disrupt the general course of life. Both Turgenev and Chekhov avoid didactics. However, in the finale of the novel "Fathers and Children", the parents' funeral prayer for their son sounds. The idea of the saving power of parental love is affirmed. It will be the key to the hope of eternal life for their son. The finale of Chekhov's story is tragic. Despite his sincere faith in God, the hero is experiencing an existential catastrophe, and maternal love is not able to prevent it. There is no triumph of life over death.
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