The comedy "A Month in the Country" was written in Paris in 1848-1850, and was printed only in 1855 in the number 1 "Contemporary". It was given twice to the press under the titles "Student" and "Two Women", but was forbidden by censorship. The play was first staged at the Small Theater in Moscow in 1872.
In the character of Rakitin Turgenev depicted his own features. At that time he had a difficult period with Pauline Viardot. Relations between Turgenev and her husband are somewhat reminiscent of the relationship between Islaev and Rakitin. "A Month in the Country" refers to the literary direction of realism. Turgenev depicts the realities of the modern era and certain social types (nobleman, liberal, intellectual Rakitin, landowner, business and positive person, Islaev, student Belyaev). They, as well as the psychology of the heroes, determine the conflict and the plot lines of the play.
Turgenev in the subtitle called the play "A Comedy in 5 Acts." According to the signs of the genre it is rather a drama. Turgenev himself called it a dramatic narrative. One of the reviews notes with irony: humor, poetry and depth are so subtly spilled over the text that are elusive. The problem of superfluous man, his social nature and philosophy is revealed in the image of Rakitin. The problem of the fate of a Russian woman is reflected in the images of Natalia, Vera and Katya. The female image in the play is central and defining. The problem of love as a natural disaster, the problem of the collision of the natural principle of man and social conventions, rises in the play.
The external conflict in the play is represented by the rivalry between the eldest and the youngest woman, each striking another blow: Natalia elicits a declaration of Beliaev's love from Vera and tells him about it, and Vera in reply tells Belyaev about Natalya's love. Internal conflict occurs in the soul of Natalia, trying to keep her identity and her dignity in love. In a woman, the subconscious collide with moral principles, the nature of passion with the demands of culture.
The plot is traditional for comedy. This is a love collision, in which the character of each hero is checked. Only 10-year-old Kolya and Islayev’s mother do not fall in love. There are 3 love triangles and several duet pairs in the comedy. At the end, the couple Natalia-Islaev remains, and two new marriages are calculated: Verochka-Bolshintsov and Shpigelsky-Lizaveta Bogdanovna. The action takes place in the village for 4 days, but Natalia's love matured all that month, while the teacher Kolya Belyaev lived there.
