TRAVEL

After Pavel and Bazarov have their fight, Bazarov presumably feels uncomfortable, unwelcome, and sick of the company he is with. He proposes to Arkady to travel to a ball that is being held by a family friend of Arkady's, Matvey Ilyich Kolyazin. Ilyich is a noblemen who tries to publicly appear as a liberal and sympathetic to the needs of the people of inferior classes. In reality, he is condescending and makes all inferiors in close contact feel on edge.

When Arkady and Bazarov reach the city that the ball is taking place in, they stop in to say hello to Ilyich and then decide to walk around the town for a bit. While walking, a man named Sitnikov runs up and heartily greets Bazarov. It is apparent that he somehow knows Bazarov from the past, but is a relation that Bazarov is annoyed by. 

Sitnikov is described by the narrator as a Slavophile, a Russian who believes that Russia should reject all Western ideas and go back to its own cultural roots. He dresses in "native" Russian clothes, and the distinction of the old clothes is sure to make people turn up their noses at him. He is a social pariah I am sure, but it appears that he likes the effect he has on people and the movement he is working toward. He clearly considers himself a disciple of Bazarov and was heavily influenced by him, but Bazarov is annoyed by him, and each time Bazarov tries to push him away, Sitnikov clings all the more.

Sitnikov reels the two in though, when he offers them free champagne. He says that he knows a very progressive and rich woman, Avdotya Nikitishna Kukshin, who would love to have a discussion with them and would gladly offer them food and drink. The three walk to Kukshins house and are indeed offered food and champagne, but Kukshin is eccentric to a point that annoys Bazarov, and Bazarov at one points stands up and walks out without any thank-you or good-bye. 

Bazarov and Arkady go to the ball, where they see Sitnikov and Kukshin, though they don't feel embarrassed or averted from them. After the experience with Kukshin, it is apparent that Bazarov does not think very highly of women's intellect. That all changes when Arkady and Bazarov meet the young widow, Odinstov. Odinstov is a great female thinker who is highly regarded by Kukshin, which doesn't say much seeing as how Bazarov does not think highly of Kukshin, and neither do I. But upon talking to her, both Bazarov and Arkady both hold great conversations with her and both become attracted to her, and by attracted, I mean love!

Odinstov looks at the two and sees Bazarov as an interesting intellectual and Arkady as a younger, adorable brother (poor Arkady), and she invites them both to her home, which is a few towns away. 

The two accept and travel there after the ball.