MOU average secondary school №40

Pechorin as a hero of his time

Completed by: 9th grade student D Ksenia

Checked: Literature teacher

Tomsk - 2006

Plan:

1) Why did I choose the topic “Pechorin as a hero of our time”?

2) The history of the creation of the "Hero of Our Time".

3) The attraction of evil.

i) "Bela".

ii) "Maxim Maksimych".

iii) "Taman".

iv)"Princess Mary".

v) "Fatalist".

4) Conclusion:

i)

ii) Why is Pechorin a hero of that time?

5) List of used literature.

Here is a book that is destined to never grow old, because, at its very birth, it was sprinkled with the living water of poetry! This old book will always be new...

Re-reading “A Hero of Our Time” again, you involuntarily wonder how everything in it is simple, easy, ordinary and at the same time so imbued with life, thought, so broad, deep, sublime ...

V. G. Belinsky

Why did I choose the topic "Pechorin How Hero his time"?

Reading the novel "A Hero of Our Time", for the first time I did something that I had never done before. I underlined and highlighted smart ideas in the text. By the end of reading, almost the entire book turned out to be streaked with horizontal stripes. When Lermontov wrote this novel, Pechorin reflected the “stain” of society, he reflected a strong, smart person, which opposes society, but, unfortunately, as a result of this opposition, becomes "such an attractive evil." If earlier such people, capable of resisting the rest of humanity, were rare, and they were not loved, now there are practically no such people at all, but they have become especially valuable.

“Pechorin is the hero of our time” - it seems to me that this phrase can be uttered in thirty or fifty years, but it will remain relevant. Pechorin was constantly in search of himself, constantly asking himself the question: “Who am I?”, But he died without finding an answer. Is it good or bad? I think it is good. If he got an answer to his question, he would grow old and die in boredom. Despite the fact that in order to solve his question, Pechorin plays with other people's destinies, intervenes in other people's lives, he can be forgiven for this. But how, how can a person be forgiven for the decision of someone's fate in his own salvation? Pechorin did not save himself, he saved society. Saved from rotting and destruction, saved from uniformity, saved from melancholy, in the end. I really liked this novel. In it, on the example of several main characters, one can trace the destinies of the majority of mankind. After all, we still meet vile, deceitful Grushnitskys, and generous, open heart Maksim Maksimychi, wise Dr. Werners, and seemingly impregnable Princess Mary...

How was the "Hero of Our Time" created?

In 1836, Lermontov conceived the idea of ​​writing a novel from St. Petersburg high society life. The year 1837 came and for the poem "The Death of a Poet" dedicated to Pushkin, Lermontov was exiled to the Caucasus. Work on the novel was interrupted, and Mikhail Yuryevich had a new idea for the novel. Lermontov visited Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, Cossack villages on the Terek, traveled along the line of hostilities, and almost died in the town of Taman, on the Black Sea coast. All this enriched Lermontov with many vivid impressions. But some observations and assumptions regarding the design and writing of the "Hero of Our Time" can be made by analyzing their appearance. Even before the release of the novel as a separate edition, the three stories included in it were published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski. "Bela" -1839, magazine No. 3, "Fatalist" -1839, magazine No. 11, "Taman" -1840, magazine No. 2. Moreover, the head of "Bel" appeared under the heading "From the notes of an officer about the Caucasus." The possibility of continuing was confirmed by the ending of the story, where the author parted ways with Maxim Maksimych in Kobe: “We did not hope to meet again, however, we met, and if you want, I will tell you someday: this is a whole story.” After a long break, The Fatalist was published, to which the editors made a note: “With particular pleasure, we take this opportunity to inform you that M.Yu. Lermontov will soon publish a collection of his stories, both printed and unprinted. It will be a new, wonderful gift to literature.” As for "Taman", she appeared in the magazine with an editorial note: "Another excerpt from the notes of Pechorin, the main person in the story "Bela", published in the third book of "Notes of the Fatherland" in 1839." From all this it follows

that the order of appearance of these three things in print and was the order in which they were written. In the earliest edition of the novel itself, the first of its constituent stories was "Bela"; "Maxim Maksimych" and "Princess Mary" followed her. "Bela" and "Maxim Maksimych", subtitled "From an Officer's Notes", constituted the first part of the novel, "Princess Mary" - its second, main part, containing the confessional self-disclosure of the hero. Most likely, in August-September 1839, Lermontov rewrote all the "chapters" of the novel (with the exception of "Bela", which by that time had been published) from drafts into a special notebook, making some corrections in the process of rewriting. At this stage of work, the chapter "The Fatalist" entered the novel. According to biographer Lermontov P.A. Viskovatova, the “fatalist” is “decommissioned from the incident that took place in the village of Chervlenaya with A.A. Khastatov", Lermontov's uncle: "at least the episode where Pechorin throws himself into the hut of a drunken, furious Cossack happened to Khastatov"

In this edition, the novel was called "1 of the heroes of the beginning of the century"; now it consisted of "Bela", "Maxim Maksimych", "Fatalist", "Princess Mary". As before, the novel was divided into two parts: the first was the notes of the officer-narrator, the second - the notes of the hero. With the inclusion of The Fatalist, the second part and the novel as a whole became deeper, more philosophical, complete. By the middle of 1840, Lermontov created the final edition of the novel, including "Taman" in it and finally determining its composition. Having put "Taman" first in Pechorin's notes, Lermontov moved the chapter "Fatalist" to the end, which most corresponded to its final philosophical sense. In this edition, the name of the hero's notes appeared - "Pechorin's Journal". Having crossed out the ending of "Maxim Maksimych", which prepared the transition to "notes", Lermontov wrote a special preface to Pechorin's Journal. Thus, the novel has grown to six chapters, including here and the "Preface" to the "Journal". The final name appeared - "Hero of Our Time". When Lermontov wrote his novel, he came close to the most difficult task: to show in a real setting the characteristic hero of that time - a gifted and thinking person, but crippled by secular education and cut off from the life of his country and his people. Talking about the fate of Pechorin, Lermontov came close to the question: “who is to blame?”. Who is to blame for the fact that in the conditions of autocratic-feudal Russia, intelligent and thirsty for activity people are doomed to forced inactivity, crippled by upbringing, cut off from the people?

The attraction of evil.

Everyone sees in Pechorin what he wants to see. Someone sees in it a reflection of strength, courage and will, the ability to resist the crowd, society. Someone, on the contrary, sees in him a reflection of a broken and lost person who takes revenge on humanity, and revenge is a trait of weakness. I lean towards the first opinion. Pechorin resisted the crowd, and this is the main thing. It doesn't matter if he can defeat her. Any person, even with the strongest nervous system, and with the strongest willpower can not resist everything without changing himself. Many interpretations of the image of Pechorin are possible due to the fact that the narration is conducted from several persons: Maxim Maksimych, the narrator, Pechorin himself and the author of the first preface. The ambiguity of his character, the inconsistency of this image was revealed not only in the study of his spiritual world itself, but also in the correlation of the hero with other characters. The arrangement of the stories is also due to the need to introduce minor characters that are needed to solve the main task facing the author - for an objective, multifaceted image of the hero. First, Pechorin encounters simple, natural people in his feelings - with Bela, Maxim Maksimych, smugglers, then - with people of his own circle. The clashes between Pechorin and other characters make it possible to show with particular clarity the difference between Pechorin and them, his inferiority in comparison with them and at the same time his undeniable superiority, and the main function of all the characters in the novel is to reveal the central character. This once again emphasizes his egocentrism. Of the features of the composition is the increase in the disclosure of secrets. Lermontov leads the reader from Pechorin's actions to their motives, that is, from riddle to riddle. At the same time, we understand that the secret is not the actions of Pechorin, but his inner world, psychology. Pechorin is busy only with himself. He shows power over someone else's soul, controls the feelings of other people and tests his own will.

Lermontov places Pechorin in various life situations, testing him in love and friendship, in relationships with representatives of various strata of society, forcing him to argue with himself and others, to experiment on people. Not wishing harm to anyone, but not doing good, he destroys the established, quiet life surrounding. Pechorin is opposed to other characters, as movement is opposed to rest. He interferes in other people's lives. No matter how we evaluate the novel, one cannot fail to note the skill with which Lermontov described his main character. Throughout the work, the author strives to reveal his inner world as fully as possible. According to Dobrolyubov, Pechorin “really despises people, well understanding their weaknesses; he really knows how to capture the heart of a woman not for a short moment, but for a long time, often forever. Everything that meets him on the road, he knows how to remove or destroy. There is only one misfortune: he does not know where to go.

"Bela"

The head of "Bel" is distinguished by its special simplicity, which was noted by V.G. Belinsky. In his article on “The Hero of Our Time”, Belinsky noted the peculiarity of the construction of “Bela” in that “the simplicity and artlessness of this story are inexpressible, and every word in it is so in its place, so rich in meaning. These are the stories about the Caucasus, about the wild highlanders and the attitude of our troops towards them, we are ready to read, because such stories introduce the subject, and do not slander it.

In the chapter "Bela" we learn about Pechorin from the lips of Maxim Maksimych. This person is sincerely attached to Pechorin, but spiritually deeply alien to him. They are separated not only by the difference social position and age. They are fundamentally people. various types consciousness and children of different eras. For the staff captain, an old Caucasian, his young friend is an alien, strange and inexplicable phenomenon. Therefore, in the story of Maxim Maksimych, Pechorin appears as a mysterious, mysterious person. Later we learn that the events told in the story will be the last episodes in the life of Pechorin, but Lermontov deliberately begins the novel this way.

The compositional complexity of the novel is inextricably linked with the psychological complexity of the image of the protagonist. After all, the ambiguity of Pechorin's character, the inconsistency of this image, was revealed not only in the study of his spiritual world itself, but also in the correlation of the hero with other characters. The content of the chapter "Bela" becomes a traditional romantic story about the love of a Russian officer for a beautiful mountain woman, and its bloody denouement - the death of Bela. Pechorin himself said: “How many times have I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate! As an instrument of execution, I fell on the heads of the doomed victims... My love did not bring happiness to anyone, because I did not sacrifice anything for those whom I loved...”. Wherever Pechorin appeared, everywhere he brought destruction and annihilation with him. He destroyed the chains of destinies of peaceful people. He doesn't show up Caucasus mountains If Bela had not met there, she would have lived for a long time, and would not have ended her life under the dagger of a jealous man. Pechorin liked not to celebrate the victories of the next achievement of the goal, he liked the process itself, the actions themselves on the way to victory. Having received Bela, having won her location, Pechorin almost immediately lost interest in her. His feeling for her is primitive, it is enhanced by the presence of obstacles. Pechorin saved and comforted Bela only out of a sense of duty. Maxim Maksimych spoke about Pechorin: “He listened to her in silence, with his head in his hands; but all the time I did not notice a single tear on his eyelashes; whether he really could not weep, or was in control of himself, I do not know; As for me, I have never seen anything more pitiful. And then again: “No, she did well that she died: well, what would have become of her if Grigory Alexandrovich had left her? And it would have happened sooner or later…” Here Pechorin appears to us as an egoist, as a completely immoral person. Maxim Maksimych and Grigory Alexandrovich are in many ways complete opposites. If Pechorin is an outstanding, exceptional person, then Maxim Maksimych is an ordinary officer, of whom there are many in the army. On the other hand, Maxim Maksimych is a heart of gold, he admires Bela, loves her like a dear daughter. The question arises: for what? Ask him, and he will answer you: “It’s not that he loved, but it’s stupidity,” and Pechorin is a secular person who plays with other people's destinies. Thus, comparing Maxim Maksimych, who thinks more about others than about himself, and the selfish Pechorin, Lermontov leads the reader to a thought brilliantly formulated by Belinsky: “A person outside the people is a ghost, but the people outside the person are also a ghost.” The inability to get close to people from other circles of society led Pechorin first to loneliness, and then gave rise to individualism and selfishness in him, and this is what conveys the state of Russian society: the abyss between the intelligentsia and the people. Pechorin seems cruel to us when he fell out of love with Bela. However, the final part of the story, when Pechorin “became as pale as a sheet”, when he laughed so that Maxim Maksimych “ran cold from this laughter”, and then “was unwell for a long time”, speaks of deep feelings and feelings of guilt before the Circassian.

"Maxim Maksimych"

The next chapter, which tells about Pechorin "from the outside", is the chapter "Maxim Maksimych". The place of the narrator is taken by a traveling officer, a student of staff captain Maxim Maksimych. And the mysterious hero Pechorin is given some living features, his airy and mysterious image begins to take on flesh and blood. The wandering officer does not just describe Pechorin, he gives a psychological portrait. He is a man of the same generation and probably close circle. If Maxim Maksimych was horrified when he heard from Pechorin about the boredom that tormented him: “... my life becomes emptier day by day ...”, then his listener officer took these words without horror as quite natural: “I answered that there are many people saying the same thing; that there are probably those who tell the truth ... ”And therefore, for the officer-narrator, Pechorin is much closer and more understandable; he can explain a lot in that: both “the depravity of metropolitan life”, and “storms of the soul”, and “some secrecy”, and “nervous weakness”. So, the mysterious, unlike anyone else, Pechorin becomes a more or less typical person of his time, in his appearance and behavior general patterns. And yet the riddle does not disappear, the "oddities" remain. The narrator notes Pechorin's eyes "they did not laugh when he laughed!" In them, the narrator will try to guess “a sign - either of an evil temper, or of deep ridiculed sadness”; and is amazed at their brilliance: “it was a brilliance, like the brilliance of smooth steel, dazzling, but cold.” Lermontov shows Pechorin as an extraordinary, intelligent person, strong will, brave. In addition, he is distinguished by a constant desire for action, Pechorin cannot stay in one place, surrounded by the same people.

Pechorin creates adventures for himself, actively interfering in the fate and lives of those around him, changing the course of things in such a way that he leads to an explosion, to a collision. He brings into people's lives his alienation, his craving for destruction. He acts without considering the feelings of other people, not paying attention to them. But already in the second chapter we see how frail Pechorin became in the end. Even despite the fact that Maxim Maksimych himself presents Grigory Alexandrovich to us as a closed and incomprehensible person, I think hardly anyone expected Pechorin to be so cold with someone who had experienced so much. In this episode, Lermontov is on the side of Maxim Maksimych and against Pechorin. What is Pechorin's fault? If Maxim Maksimych is all turned towards another person, all open to meet him, then Pechorin is completely closed in himself and does not sacrifice anything for another, even the smallest. Lermontov exposes Pechorin's egocentrism, which correlates everything with "I", subordinates everything to this "I", remaining indifferent to how his behavior will affect another person. He did not even feel the full height and purity of the human charm of the old staff captain, did not feel the humanly great content of his feelings to the extent that he could freely respond to these feelings. Pechorin is so self-contained that he loses the ability, forgetting about himself, to be imbued with excitement, anxieties, and requests from the soul of another person, at least for a while.

"Ta man"

"Taman" is the first of the stories written on behalf of Pechorin. Knowing from the preface to "Taman" that he died on the way from Persia, the reader is especially attentive to his confessions. The history of the disappointed and dying Pechorin soul is set forth in the confessional notes of the hero - with all the ruthlessness of introspection; being both the author and the hero of the "magazine", Pechorin fearlessly speaks of both his ideal impulses and dark sides of his soul, and about the contradictions of consciousness. Pechorin makes people who come into contact with him unhappy. So he interferes in the life of "honest smugglers", as he plays with the fate of Bela. Finding himself in a hut on a steep sea ​​shore, Pechorin instantly notices the moonlight, and the steep coast, the restless sea element and the blind boy. Looking at the house, he notices that there is not a single “image” on the wall, which is not at all typical for ordinary people that time. Everything seems to indicate that this place is unclean. And indeed, the promised impure begins to come true - Pechorin discovers that the inhabitants are nocturnal. How does he behave? Pechorin has a deep and tragic character. "A sharp chilled mind" is combined with him, with a thirst for activity and struggle with courage, courage, willpower. Realizing that there are smugglers in front of him, Pechorin instinctively reaches out to them, romanticizing their attitude to freedom. The warnings of the batman and the sergeant only inflame his excitement. Pechorin starts the game with a beautiful smuggler girl. He responds to the call of the disturbing, dangerous, alluring freedom of the life of smugglers. The heroine of the story has no name. This is not accidental - the author wants to show only the feminine seductive nature. This "feminine nature" is described with the help of contrasts, variability, sensuality. But later this innocent femininity will be shaved off by a completely different side - the girl will almost drown Pechorin in the sea. This will be Pechorin's payment, the payment for Bela's death, the payment for unlimited passion. “Honest smugglers seem free, romantic, mysterious and attractive, but their world disappoints Pechorin. Having escaped with Yanko, the girl dooms the old woman with the blind boy to starvation, however, what does he, Pechorin, care about this? He feels like a stranger everywhere: the smugglers sea ​​element, but he does not know how to swim, they are free to choose their place of residence, and he is ordered to go to the Caucasus.

"Princess Mary"

Pechorin is an egoist. The inner world of the hero is most fully and deeply revealed in the chapter “Princess Mary”. The plot here is Pechorin's meeting with Grushnitsky, a familiar cadet. And then Pechorin's next "experiment" begins. The whole life of the hero is a chain of experiments on himself and other people. Its purpose is the comprehension of truth, human nature, evil, goodness, love. This is exactly what happens in the case of Grushnitsky. Why is the young cadet so unpleasant to Pechorin? As we can see, Grushnitsky is by no means a villain worth fighting against. This is the most ordinary young man who dreams of love and stars on uniform. He is mediocrity, but he has one quite excusable weakness at his age - “to drape in extraordinary feelings”. Of course, we understand that this is a parody of Pechorin! That is why he is so hated by Pechorin. Grushnitsky, as a narrow-minded person, does not understand Pechorin's attitude towards him, does not suspect that he has already begun a kind of game, and he also does not know that he is not the hero of the novel. Pechorin also felt this pathetic feeling in Grushnitsky, but too late - after the duel. At first, Grigory Alexandrovich even arouses in Grushnitsky a certain condescending feeling, since this young man is self-confident and seems to himself a very insightful and significant person. “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says at the beginning of the novel. But events are developing as Pechorin wants. Mary falls in love with him, forgetting about Grushnitsky. Pechorin himself told Mary: “Everyone read signs of bad properties on my face that were not there; but they were supposed - and they were born. I was modest - I was accused of slyness: I became secretive. ... I was gloomy - other children were cheerful and talkative; I felt myself superior to them - I was placed below. I became envious. I was ready to love the whole world - no one understood me: and I learned to hate ... ". In this monologue, Pechorin is fully revealed. He explains his world and character. It becomes clear that Pechorin is still worried about such feelings as love, understanding. At least they were worried before. And although this story is true, he only uses it to move Mary. Alas, even the tears of the young lady did not soften his morals. Alas, one half of Pechorin's soul has already died. Alas, it is impossible to restore it already. Pechorin plays. He studied life too well. He is above other people and, knowing this, he does not hesitate to use it. Princess Mary, like Bela, is another step towards answering the question that torments him, “Who is he in this life? ". Day after day, hour after hour, Pechorin poisons the consciousness of poor Grushnitsky with the most contradictory statements and fabrications; he neglects Mary's feelings, deliberately instilling in her the hope of reciprocity and at the same time knowing that this is the most shameless deception; he breaks the heart of the old woman Ligovskaya, unambiguously renouncing the honor of becoming the owner of her daughter's hand. Pechorin's romance with Mary is a kind of manifestation of the war against society on the part of a person who is cramped and bored within the existing relationship.

Overwhelmed by jealousy, indignation, and then hatred, the Junker suddenly opens up to us from a completely different side. He turns out to be not so harmless at all. He is capable of being vindictive, and then - dishonorable, vile. Anyone who recently dressed up as nobility is now able to shoot an unarmed person. Pechorin's experiment was a success! Here, with full force, the “demonic” properties of his nature were manifested: “to sow evil” with the greatest art. During the duel, Pechorin again tempts fate, calmly standing face to face with death. Then he offers Grushnitsky reconciliation. But the situation is already irreversible, and Grushnitsky dies, having drunk the cup of shame, repentance and hatred to the end. The duel with Grushnitsky is an indicator of how Pechorin wastes his strength in vain. He defeats Grushnitsky and becomes the hero of the society that he despises. He is higher environment, smart, educated. But internally devastated, disappointed. Pechorin lives "out of curiosity". But this is - on the one hand, because on the other - he has an indestructible thirst for life. So, the image of Grushnitsky is very important in the novel, it reveals, perhaps, the most important thing in the central character. Grushnitsky - false mirror Pechorin - sets off the truth and significance of the suffering of this "suffering egoist", the depth and exclusivity of his nature, brings Pechorin's qualities to the point of absurdity. But in the situation with Grushnitsky, the whole danger is revealed with particular force, which is always inherent in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism. Why is it so easy for Grigory Alexandrovich to go to dkLermontov did not seek to pass a moral sentence. He only with great power showed all the abysses human soul devoid of faith, imbued with skepticism and disappointment.

The character of Pechorin is very contradictory. He says: "For a long time I have been living not with my heart, but with my head." At the same time, having received Vera's letter, Pechorin, like a madman, rushes to Pyatigorsk, hoping to see her at least once more. Where does all this come from? Pechorin himself gives the answer, writing in his diary: "My colorless youth flowed in the struggle with myself and the world, better feelings, fearing ridicule, I buried in the depths of my heart: there they died! "Extreme egoism and individualism are inherent in Pechorin. He is a" moral cripple. He does not find emptiness. His character is marked by contradictions, his ideas are also contradictory. Pechorin himself admits that there are two people in him: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him. Pechorin considers this discord a moral "disease". Emphasizing the duality of the hero, Lermontov, as it were, says once again that Pechorin is a victim not only of his immediate environment, but also of that social order in which people of extraordinary talent are morally suffocated. However, despite the author's condemnation of Pechorin's egoism, nevertheless, the central idea of ​​the image of Pechorin is to distinguish him from the environment as a strong, bright, effective and at the same time tragic personality.

Faith is playing special role in this chapter. In her love there is that sacrifice that Princess Mary only imagined. Vera has a deep tenderness for Pechorin, not dependent on any conditions, her love has grown together with her soul. The sensitivity of her heart helps to understand Vera to the end of Pechorin with all his vices and sorrow. All cares of the Faith are superseded by the life of the heart. She knows Pechorin on a par with him. If Grushnitsky dies from the bullet of Grigory Alexandrovich with the words: "... I despise myself, but I hate you"; when parting with Mary, she whispers to him: "I hate you ...", then Vera forgives him and his weaknesses and his cruelty. A secular woman free from coquetry, Vera caused Pechorin the most strong feeling. But in relation to her, Pechorin is not free from the manifestation of egocentrism. "Since we've known each other, you haven't given me anything but suffering," Vera says to Pechorin. Pechorin could not decide to connect his life even with his beloved woman. He confesses: “No matter how passionately I love a woman, if she only makes me feel that I should marry her, my heart turns to stone and nothing will warm it up again. I am ready for all sacrifices except this: twenty times life I will put my own honor on the line... But I will not sell my freedom.” And in the scene of the chase on a horse for Vera Pechorin, who left after the murder of Grushnitsky in a duel, having driven the horse to death, "fell on the wet grass and cried like a child." But then he writes: “When the night dew and the mountain wind refreshed my burning head and my thoughts returned to their usual order, I realized that it was useless and reckless to chase lost happiness. What else do I need? - to see her? - why? not all Is it over between us? One bitter farewell kiss will not enrich my memories, and after it it will only be more difficult for us to part.

I am, however, pleased that I can cry! However, perhaps this is caused by upset nerves, a night spent without sleep, two minutes against the muzzle of a gun and an empty stomach. Everything is for the best!.." Everything is very logical and sober from the point of view of selfish logic and reason. Tears are just the reason nervous breakdown and hunger, and feelings can be saved for later. That was all love was. The very first gust of fresh wind dispelled Pechorin's sadness about the eternal separation from the woman who, according to him, was so dear to him. Let's return to the topic of the duel between Alexander Grigorievich and Grushnitsky. Why does Pechorin so easily agree to a duel? Pechorin is an atheist. He has no faith in either God or the Devil. As it follows, he has no faith in either life or death. He does not feel the difference between this, so he goes on an adventure so easily. He does not know what lies behind the word death, and he is not interested. Therefore, without any hesitation, he turns such antonyms as "life" and "death" into synonyms.

"Fatalist"

The adventurous and philosophical nature of the story makes it the most mysterious among the rest of the novel. In The Fatalist, questions about fate and predestination, free will and spiritual imprisonment become central. In The Fatalist, the exceptional hero Vulich appears, his passion for the game and decency are described, then an absurd bet, an accidental misfire of a weapon that saved the hero’s life, and the same accidental death. Vulich became a prisoner of passions and a gambling card game: "constant failures only irritated his stubbornness." He teases and tests fate, although he does not doubt her power over a person. He dreams of luck, luck, fortune. But if fate is predetermined, then you can not count on a special card case. In this story, the prejudices of the heroes are tested: Vulich, who certainly believes in the fate of fate, and Pechorin, who insists on the power of reason and will. Here problems are already being solved not so much psychological as philosophical and moral. Vulich is a supporter of fatalism. Pechorin, on the other hand, asks the question: "If there are definitely predestinations, then why are we given the will, reason?" This dispute is tested by three examples, three deadly fights with fate. First, Vulich's attempt to kill himself with a shot to the temple, which ended in failure; secondly, the accidental murder of Vulich in the street by a drunken Cossack; thirdly, Pechorin's courageous throw at the Cossack killer. Without denying the very idea of ​​fatalism, Lermontov leads to the idea that it is impossible to humble yourself, to be submissive to fate. Such a turn philosophical theme The author saved the novel from a gloomy ending. Pechorin, whose death is unexpectedly announced in the middle of the story, in this last story not only escapes from seemingly certain death, but also for the first time commits an act that benefits people. And instead of a mourning march at the end of the novel, congratulations are heard on the victory over death: "the officers congratulated me - and there was definitely something for it. In this chapter, Pechorin decides an important philosophical question about whether a person has the power to control his own destiny, or is everything the will of God? The hero is ambivalent about the fatalism of the ancestors: on the one hand, he is ironic about their naive faith in the heavenly bodies, on the other hand, he is openly jealous of their faith, because he understands that any faith is good. But, rejecting the former naive faith, he realizes that there is nothing to replace the lost ideals. Pechorin's misfortune is that he doubts not only the necessity of the good in general; for him, not only there are no shrines, he laughs "at everything in the world" ... And unbelief gives rise to either inaction or empty activity, and they, in turn, are torture for an intelligent and energetic person. It seems to me, after all, Pechorin is not a self-satisfied cynic: performing "the role of an executioner or an ax in the hands of fate", he himself suffers from this no less than his victims. And still, Princess Mary calls him evil, although Grigory Alexandrovich attracts her.

Conclusion

Who looks at himself - sees his face,

Who sees his face - knows his own worth,

Who knows the price - is strict with himself,

He who is strict with himself is truly great!

Pierre Grengorg.

Having cited this epigraph here, I wanted to say that Pechorin was precisely a great man. He was extremely strict with himself: he understood that he was the cause of many tragic fates, analyzed his actions, and, most importantly, directly told himself the truth, no matter how cruel it was. I am very delighted with the work itself, and the fate of the protagonist. I think that Pechorin is a man who has all best qualities, but reflected from the other side. Such qualities are extremely distorted in him and are displayed only on himself. Thus, Pechorin unconsciously becomes an egoist, an egoist with a big soul.

Is evil so attractive?

To answer this question, we must first understand what evil means, and whether this concept can carry something positive in itself at all.

S. I. Ozhegov in his explanatory dictionary gives the following definitions of the word "evil":

1. Something bad, harmful, opposite to good.

2. Trouble, misfortune, trouble.

3. Annoyance, anger.

It is difficult to find anything attractive in these definitions. But does this mean that the answer to the question has been found? In fact, it is very difficult to challenge these definitions. But good and evil are very controversial concepts. And many philosophers, both ancient and modern, have tried to solve the riddle of good and evil. But the solution has not been found, so it is impossible to adhere to only one point of view. For understanding Pechorin, the episode is important when he returns “home by the empty alleys of the village” and reflects on “wise people” who are convinced of the participation of heavenly bodies in “insignificant disputes” for a piece of land. But "what strength of will gave them the confidence that the whole sky was looking at them with participation ...". Pechorin calls himself and his generation “miserable descendants” who have no convictions and pride, pleasure and fear, incapable of “great sacrifices either for the good of mankind, or even for their own happiness.” Of all the disputes with other heroes, feelings, fate, Pechorin comes out devastated, but not surrendered. His atheism is a drama of personality. IN complex way Pechorin mapped historical process development public consciousness with all its breakdowns and discoveries, ups and downs, intellectual energy and inability to direct public influence. There is something more in Pechorin that makes him a hero not only of the era when the book was written, but of the human race in general. He is aware of himself, knows how to analyze actions and admit mistakes, ask questions about his destiny. The duality of character is clearly emphasized by the act when, after reading Vera's letter, he rushes after her like crazy. Maybe the reason is awakened love? It would be too easy. The hero is not used to losing those who are subject to his will. Perhaps the conquest of Mary takes place not in order to annoy Grushnitsky, but in order to "possess a young, barely blossoming soul." It is the "insatiable greed" that consumes everything. The diary of Grigory Alexandrovich is the maximum self-expression and constant introspection of the hero, even if he puts on masks in front of those around him, he admits this to himself. This technique, applied by the author, enables the reader to understand Pechorin's soul as best as possible. Someone can understand him as a person with a black soul, someone, on the contrary, can understand him as a person with high feelings and a great mind. But it is impossible to say with perfect accuracy who Pechorin is. However, he is definitely a hero. But why?

Why is Pechorin a hero of that time?

In general, in order to decide why Grigory Alexandrovich is a hero of his time, one must get to know the society in the most detail, with the environment in which he had to live and exist. It was Lermontov who first revealed the problem lost generation. The writer revealed the tragic duality of a man of the post-Decembrist dead time, his strength and weakness. Proud and passive rejection of the transformations of society gave rise to bitter loneliness, and as a result - spiritual hardness. There is one moral law that is true at all times: respect for people, for the world begins with self-respect. Pechorin himself says: “Evil breeds evil; the first suffering gives the concept of the pleasure of torturing another ... ”The world around Pechorin is built on the law of spiritual slavery - they torture in order to enjoy the suffering of another. And the unfortunate, suffering, dreams of one thing - to take revenge, to humiliate not only the offender, but the whole world. Pechorin compares favorably with other heroes in that he is concerned about issues of awareness human being- questions about the purpose and meaning of life, about the purpose of a person. He not only comprehends the nature and capabilities of a person, but is also passionate about the formation of himself as a person. Pechorin is a hero of that time. After all, if a person thinks that there is nothing in the world higher than his desires, he thereby does not gain will, but loses himself. But if a person has a goal in life, then he will definitely believe in himself. Pechorin, on the other hand, lived in a generation that had lost faith in goodness, in justice, had lost faith in itself, but madly believed in the beliefs of previous generations: “And we, their pitiful descendants, wandering the earth without conviction and pride, without pleasure and fear, except for that involuntary fear, squeezing the heart at the thought of an inevitable end, we are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of mankind, or even for our own happiness ... ". Showing in the novel the importance of the environment and circumstances for the formation of character, Lermontov, in the image of his hero, focuses not on this process, but on the final result of development. human personality. There were few people like Pechorin in a noble society, but nevertheless, in this peculiar, exceptional person, Lermontov showed a typical noble hero of the thirties, that tragic period of Russian public life, which came after the suppression of the Decembrist uprising. "A Hero of Our Time" is a novel consisting of five novellas and short stories, united by the main actor- Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Lermontov moved from external to internal motivation and united all the stories with the personality of the hero. Thus, the cycle of stories turned into a psychological novel. The compositional complexity of the novel is inextricably linked with the psychological complexity of the image of the protagonist. The ambiguity of Pechorin's character, the inconsistency of his image was revealed not only in the study of his spiritual world, but also in the correlation of the hero with other characters. If you arrange the stories in the correct chronological order, then their location should look like this:

1. Following the Caucasus to his destination, Pechorin stopped in Taman. "Taman"

2. After participating in a military expedition, Pechorin goes to the waters, lives in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, kills Grushnitsky in a duel. "Princess Mary"

3. For participating in a duel, Pechorin is sent to a fortress under the command of Maxim Maksimych. "Bela"

4. From the fortress, Pechorin goes to the Cossack village, where he makes a bet with Vulich. "Fatalist"

5. Five years later, retired Pechorin, on the way to Persia, meets in Vladikavkaz with Maxim Maksimych. "Maxim Maksimych"

On way back Pechorin dies from Persia. Mikhail Yurievich conducted an in-depth psychological analysis, revealing a contemporary person from the inside. His hero is looking for ways to solve problems, he peeps every movement of his heart, considers his every thought. Thus he has made of himself a curious subject for his observations, and, trying to be as candid as possible in his confession, frankly confesses his shortcomings. Literary critic Khodasevich, in his article “Fragments about Lermontov,” wrote that “he (Lermontov) not only placed the viewer in the center of events, but also forced him to experience all the vices and malice of the characters ... the reader’s peace is as unbearable to him as peace own". Another literary critic Chernyshevsky wrote that “... Pechorin is a person of a completely different character and a different degree of development. His soul is really very strong, thirsty for passion; his will is really strong, capable of energetic activity, but he cared only about himself personally. None general issues he is not occupied." (From the article "Notes on Journals") Despite this, Pechorin makes some attempts to improve society. He makes attempts to get closer to people, to find some kind of harmonious balance with them, but all these attempts are fruitless. Pechorin, contrary to society, is full of rebellious rejection of the foundations of the existing society.

I think that Pechorin is a true hero. He did not break under the influence of society, did not become part of the crowd. Pechorin remained himself, and although he could not change his generation, he pointed out the mistakes to his descendants so that in the future humanity would become cleaner and freer.

List of used literature:

1. « M.Yu. Lermontov"A Hero of Our Time": text analysis, main content, compositions» . Publishing house "Drofa" 2002.

2. “A classic for school. M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time" to prepare for literature lessons". Publishing house "Strekoza" 2001.

3. "The novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time" Comment". Publishing house "Enlightenment" 1975.

4. "Russian literature. Artworks school curriculum. M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"Publishing house "Iris Press" 2006.

The novel by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time", in my opinion, unusual phenomenon literature in general and, in particular, literature XIX century. This work, like no other, makes the reader think, reason, delve into the thoughts and feelings of the characters, try to understand and explain their actions for themselves. The story told by Lermontov captures how interesting game because almost all people love riddles...

And the main mystery in the work, of course, remains the image of Pechorin. This is undoubtedly a multifaceted, voluminous, ambiguous character, and the author's goal is to reveal it as fully as possible in all possible manifestations. It is remarkable how the writer implements his idea: he seems to analyze Pechorin, puts his actions, thoughts, feelings on the scales. The reader gets acquainted both with the impression of the people around the hero, with the events that actually occurred, and with his state of mind, the course of reasoning, inside, the wrong side of his life. This helps to understand who the hero of our time is.

Even in the preface, Lermontov says that the hero of our time is "... a portrait made up of the vices of the whole ... generation, in their full development." Therefore, from the very beginning, the image of Pechorin is perceived as entirely negative, which is subsequently confirmed by his actions and views. But, in my opinion, one should not unambiguously have a negative attitude towards this hero, because it is no accident that the author ends the preface as follows: “It will also be that the disease is indicated, but God knows how to cure it!”. I think that is why it is impossible to categorically condemn Pechorin: for people suffering from some kind of illness, one should feel more sympathy than hostility. And in this case the hero was really struck by the disease, but not bodily, but spiritual, common in modern writer society, a disease whose echoes have not disappeared even today.

So what is this amazing, incomprehensible disease? And why society so easily succumbed to its influence: Obviously, this is disappointment in ideals, boredom, aimlessness of existence, inability to find the meaning of one's life, coldness of feelings, selfishness, indifference. Yes, perhaps, these are the causes, and the symptoms, and the results of the disease, which consists entirely of vices.

Pechorin seems to be an extraordinary, albeit negative, personality, although he is only a typical representative, a collective image of society. And he causes me personally sympathy, compassion and even some sympathy. At first, incomprehensible and intriguing, the image of Pechorin is revealed, exposed, all of his many shortcomings and undoubted advantages become apparent, such as: a sharp analytical mind, determination, insight, deep knowledge of the human soul. Thanks to a detailed acquaintance with the character of the hero, we get the opportunity not only to evaluate more objectively, but also to understand his actions, once to understand, sometimes justify, even forgive. And sometimes - just agree.

Mine is more positive than negative evaluation This image is most likely due to the fact that Pechorin was written out by the author not as a cold-blooded, prudent villain who deliberately destroys people's destinies, but as a person endowed with many talents and virtues by fate, but due to the illness that struck him, unable to realize them, develop aside, called good. It is quite obvious that his soul is corrupted, that he is often the voluntary or involuntary cause of other people's suffering, but it cannot be said with certainty that the hero himself does not experience torment: Pechorin often talks about himself, about his life, his internal dialogues- these are conversations between a judge and a criminal, he strictly analyzes his feelings and passions, indifferently pronouncing sentences. However, this person also knows how to suffer.

But I cannot but agree that Pechorin is the personification of cruelty: he feeds on the feelings that others have for him, but he himself does not know how to truly disinterestedly love or wish good. This, apparently, is also a consequence of selfishness and indifference. In some situations, Pechorin's behavior causes condemnation, misunderstanding, fear, in others - admiration and empathy. You involuntarily think about what would happen if the hero used his abilities for good, if he found a real goal ... Most likely, he would not have broken spiritually, which is especially clearly reflected by the author in the chapter "Maxim Maksimych", he would not have died like that early, could become an unconditionally positive character, a person of action, capable of achieving happiness ...

Thus, my attitude towards Pechorin is ambiguous. This image is very interesting, multifaceted, you can evaluate it, you can argue about it ad infinitum. Pechorin is curious to unravel, to weigh his actions, he fascinates with his complexity, behind which is emptiness. On the one hand, he makes a repulsive impression, he is poisonous, evil, on the other hand, even this evil is attractive in its own way, especially if you understand that it will not happen to meet just such a person in reality. And it pleases.

So, "A Hero of Our Time" is a psychological novel, that is, a new word in Russian literature of the nineteenth century. This is a really special work for its time - it has a truly interesting structure: a Caucasian short story, travel notes, diary…. But anyway the main objective works - revealing the image of an unusual, at first glance, strange human - Gregory Pechorin. This is truly extraordinary special person. And the reader traces this throughout the novel.

Who is Pechorin, and what is his main tragedy? We see the hero from the most different people, and can thus make up his psychological portrait. In the first chapters of the novel, one can see Grigory Pechorin through the eyes of Maxim Maksimych, a retired officer, a friend of the hero. “The man was strange,” he says. But an elderly officer lives in a different time, in a different world, and cannot give a complete and objective description. But already at the beginning of the novel, from the words of Maxim Maksimych, we understand that this is a special person. The next stage of disclosure image - description Pechorin as a wandering officer. He is closer to him both in age, and in views, and in terms of social circle, therefore, he can better reveal his inner world.

And the officer notices some features of appearance that are directly related to character. great attention is given to the description of gait, eyes, hands, figure. But the look is key. "His Eyes did not laugh when he laughed - this is a sign of either an evil disposition or an all-consuming sadness." And it is here that we are approaching the answer to the question: what is the tragedy of the hero? The most complete answer is presented in the part of the novel that illustrates the psychology of secular society - "Princess Mary". It is written in the form of a diary. And that is why we can talk about the real sincerity and genuineness of the story, because in the diary a person expresses feelings only for himself, and, as you know, it is pointless to lie to himself. And here Pechorin himself tells the reader about his tragedy. The text contains a large number of monologues in which the hero himself analyzes his actions, philosophizes about his destiny and inner world. AND the main problem it turns out that Pechorin constantly turns inward, evaluates his actions, words, which contributes to the discovery of his own vices and imperfections. And Pechorin says: “I have an innate passion to contradict ...” He fights with the outside world. It may seem that this is an angry and indifferent person, but this is by no means the case. His inner world is deep and vulnerable. He is tormented by the bitterness of misunderstanding by society. “Everyone read the signs of bad qualities on my face ...” Perhaps this is the main tragedy. He deeply felt good and evil, could love, but those around him did not understand, and his best qualities were strangled. All feelings were hidden in the most distant corners of the soul. He became a "moral cripple". And he himself writes that half of his soul is dead, and the other is barely alive. But she's alive! True feelings still live in Pechorin. But they are suffocated. In addition, the hero is tormented by boredom and loneliness. However, feelings break through in this man, when he runs after Vera, he falls and cries - it means he is still really a man! But suffering is an unbearable test for him. And you can see that the tragedy of Pechorin echoes the tragedy of Pushkin's Onegin - Pechorin cannot find recognition in life, he is not interested in science, the service is boring ...

Thus, there are several main problems: misunderstanding of society, lack of self-realization. And society did not understand Grigory Pechorin. He thought that he was destined for higher goals, but misunderstanding turned out to be a tragedy for him - he broke his life and divided his soul into two halves - dark and light.

• “How often surrounded by a motley crowd ...” is one of the most significant poems by Lermontov, in its accusatory pathos close to “The Death of a Poet”. creative history poems until now has been the subject of unceasing disputes by researchers. The poem has the epigraph "January 1st", indicating its connection with the New Year's ball. According to the traditional version of P. Viskovaty, it was a masquerade in the Nobility Assembly, where Lermontov, violating etiquette, insulted two sisters. Pay attention to the behavior of Lermontov in this […]
• Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time" became the first socio-psychological and realistic novel in Russian literature of the first half of XIX century. The author defined the purpose of his work as "the study of the human soul." The structure of the novel is unique. This is a cycle of stories combined into a novel, with a common protagonist, and sometimes a narrator. Lermontov wrote and published stories separately. Each of them can exist as an independent work, has a complete plot, a system of images. At first […]
• My life, where are you going and where? Why is my path so obscure and mysterious to me? Why do I not know the purpose of labor? Why am I not the master of my desires? Pesso The theme of fate, predestination and the freedom of the human will is one of key parties the central problem of personality in A Hero of Our Time. It is set most directly in The Fatalist, which does not accidentally end the novel, serving as a kind of result of the moral and philosophical quest of the hero, and with him the author. Unlike romantics […]
• "Taman" is a kind of culmination in the collision of two elements of the novel: realism and romanticism. Here you don’t know what to be more surprised at: the extraordinary charm and charm of the subtle all-penetrating color that lies on the images and paintings of the novel, or the extremely convincing realism and impeccable life-like plausibility. A. A. Titov sees, for example, the whole meaning of "Taman" with its poetry in the deliberate reduction and debunking of the image of Pechorin. Convinced that this was the author's intention, he writes […]
• One of last poems Lermontov, the lyrical result of numerous searches, themes and motives. Belinsky considered this poem to be one of the most chosen things in which "everything is Lermontov's." Not being symbolic, capturing the mood and feeling in their “lyrical present” with instant immediacy, it nevertheless consists entirely of emblematic words highly significant in Lermontov’s world, each of which has a long and changeable poetic history. In the sing-along - the theme of a lonely fate. "Silicious […]
• Lermontov's novel is, as it were, woven from opposites, which merge into a single harmonious whole. It is classically simple, accessible to everyone, even the most inexperienced reader, at the same time it is unusually complex and ambiguous, and at the same time deep and incomprehensibly mysterious. At the same time, the novel has the properties of high poetry: its accuracy, capacity, brilliance of descriptions, comparisons, metaphors; phrases, brought to the brevity and sharpness of aphorisms - what was previously called the "syllable" of the writer and constitutes the unique features […]
• Properly embellished prophet I boldly betray shame - I am relentless and cruel. M. Yu. Lermontov Grushnitsky - a representative of a whole category of people - in the words of Belinsky - a common noun. He is one of those who, according to Lermontov, wear a fashionable mask of disillusioned people. Pechorin gives a good description of Grushnitsky. He is, according to him, a poser posing as romantic hero. “His goal is to become the hero of a novel,” he says, “in pompous phrases, draping importantly in extraordinary […]
• Sadly, I look at our generation! His future is either empty or dark, Meanwhile, under the burden of knowledge or doubt, It will grow old in inaction. M. Yu. Lermontov V. G. Belinsky wrote: “It is obvious that Lermontov is a poet of a completely different era and that his poetry is a completely new link in the chain historical development our society." I think that main theme in the work of Lermontov there was a theme of loneliness. She went through all his work and sounds in almost all of his works. Novel […]
• Arise, prophet, and see, and listen Be filled with my will, And, bypassing the seas and lands, With the verb, burn the hearts of people. AS Pushkin "The Prophet" Beginning in 1836, the theme of poetry received a new sound in Lermontov's work. He creates a whole cycle of poems in which he expresses his poetic creed, his detailed ideological and artistic program. These are "Dagger" (1838), "Poet" (1838), "Do not trust yourself" (1839), "Journalist, Reader and Writer" (1840) and, finally, "Prophet" - one of the latest and […]
• The novel by M. Yu. Lermontov was created in the era of government reaction, which brought to life a whole gallery " extra people". Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, with whom Russian society met in 1839-1840, belonged to this type. This is a man who did not even know why he lived and for what purpose he was born. "The Fatalist" is one of the most plot-intensive and at the same time ideologically rich chapters of the novel. It consists of three episodes, peculiar experiments that either confirm or deny […]
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• Pechorin Grushnitsky Origin An aristocrat by birth, Pechorin remains an aristocrat throughout the novel. Grushnitsky from a simple family. An ordinary cadet, he is very ambitious, and by hook or by crook he strives to break into people. Appearance More than once Lermontov focuses on external manifestations Pechorin's aristocracy, such as pallor, a small brush, "dazzlingly clean linen." At the same time, Pechorin is not obsessed with his own appearance, it is enough for him to look […]
• Curiosity, fearlessness, an unjustified craving for adventure are the characteristics of the protagonist of the novel. Throughout the book, the author shows it to us from the very different sides. First, this is the view of Maxim Maksimych, and then the notes of Pechorin himself. I cannot call the “fate” of the hero tragic, since neither the death of Bela, nor Grushnitsky, nor the sadness of Maxim Maksimych make his life more tragic. Perhaps even your own death is not much worse than all of the above. The hero is very detached from people, plays […]
• Grigory Pechorin Maxim Maksimych Age Young, at the time of his arrival in the Caucasus he was about 25 years old Almost retired Military rank Officer of the Russian Imperial Army. Staff Captain Character traits Everything new quickly gets boring. Suffering from boredom. In general, a tired, jaded young man, looking for distractions in the war, but in just a month he gets used to the whistle of bullets and the roar of explosions, starts to get bored again. I am sure that brings only misfortune to those around him, which strengthens his […]
• "Besides, what do I care about the joys and misfortunes of men?" M.Yu. Lermontov In Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time" a topical problem is solved: why do people, smart and energetic, not find application for their remarkable abilities and wither without a struggle at the very beginning of their career? Lermontov answers this question with the life story of Pechorin, a young man belonging to the generation of the 1930s. […]
• And it's boring and sad, and there is no one to give a hand to In a moment of spiritual hardship ... Desire! What is the use of wanting in vain and forever?.. And the years pass - all the best years! M.Yu. Lermontov In the novel A Hero of Our Time, Lermontov poses an exciting question to the reader: why the most worthy, intelligent and energetic people of his time do not find application for their remarkable abilities and wither at the very beginning of life's impulse without a struggle? The writer answers this question with the life story of the main character Pechorin. Lermontov […]
• Youth and the time of the formation of Lermontov's personality fell on the years of government reaction after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising. A heavy atmosphere of denunciations reigned in Russia, total surveillance, links to Siberia on charges of unreliability. The progressive people of that time could not freely express their thoughts on political issues. Lermontov was acutely worried about the lack of freedom, the state of stopped time. He reflected the main tragedy of the era in his novel, which he pointedly called “The Hero of our […]
• The life story of Pechorin is told to the reader by Maxim Maksimych. The psychological portrait sketched by the traveler adds several characteristic touches to the story of Pechorin's life. The memory of Maxim Maksimych captured individual confessions of the hero, thanks to which the biography of the “hero of time” acquired extraordinary persuasiveness. Pechorin belonged to the highest Petersburg society. His youth was spent in the pleasures that can be obtained for money, and they soon became disgusting to him. Social life, with its temptations, also […]
• In any high-quality work, the fate of the heroes is associated with the image of their generation. How else? After all, people reflect the nature of their time, they are its "product". We clearly see this in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time". Writer on the example of life typical person this era shows the image of a whole generation. Of course, Pechorin is a representative of his time, the tragedy of this generation was reflected in his fate. M.Yu. Lermontov was the first to create in Russian literature the image of the "lost" […]
• And tell me, what is the mystery of the alternation of periods of history? In one and the same people, in some ten years, all social energy subsides, the impulses of valor, changing sign, become impulses of cowardice. A. Solzhenitsyn This is a poem by the mature Lermontov, exposing the social and spiritual crisis after the December generation. It closes the previous moral, social and philosophical searches of the poet, sums up the past spiritual experience, reflecting the aimlessness of personal and social efforts […]

Russian literature of the 1st half of the 19th century

Why does the author call Pechorin "the hero of the time"? (Based on the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time")

M. Yu. Lermontov wrote the novel "A Hero of Our Time" from 1837 to 1840. It was " Time of Troubles» for the Russian society. More recently, explosive passions have subsided December uprising 1825, there was a change of power, the "Nikolaev era" of spiritual stagnation began in the country. Russia lived by inertia. It was dominated by an atmosphere of surveillance and fear. Certainly, we are talking not about all people, but about units that managed to preserve, defend the right to think, feel and suffer, the right to have their say. The life of these people in such socio-historical conditions, when there was a substitution of values ​​and philistine calm came to the fore, petty-bourgeois interest dominated, and the spirit replaced the flesh, was tragic. And paradoxically, in this environment a “hero” of his time was supposed to appear. But initially his "heroism" was doomed.
The hero of the generation... A. I. Herzen wrote: “Awakened on the afternoon of December 14, we saw only executions and expulsions. Forced to be silent, holding back tears, we have learned, closing in on ourselves, to bear our thoughts - and what thoughts! These were no longer the ideas of enlightened liberalism, the ideas of progress - they were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage. That was the state thinking person"Nikolaev" era: doubt, denial and rage, the basis of which is the absence of a righteous faith.
Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, his image, as is commonly believed, is a portrait of the hero of the era. In the preface to the novel, Lermontov spoke of the typicality of his hero (here this word takes on double meaning- the hero of a literary work and the "hero of the time"): "This is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation in their full development." In the preface to Pechorin's Journal, the author hopes that readers "will find justifications for the actions that people have been accused of up to now." Such remarks, it seems to me, speak of the author's irony, the right to which must be earned, and suffering gives this right. After all, “the vices of our entire generation” are moral and moral values of the past, which in "our time" are considered a crime (one can trace the author's game with the concept of "our time"), in which "until now a person has been accused."
What is the tragedy of Pechorin and why is he a "hero of time"?
In the first story - "Bela" - a strange, mysterious character of a person appears before us, apparently unusual and selfish. Maxim Maksimych does not understand Pechorin, expects from him human relations and is very upset when he finds nothing in Pechorin. Maxim Maksimych is unable to feel his tragedy. Pechorin considers himself the cause of the misfortunes of others (the events of this story take place after the events described in the chapters "Taman", "Princess Mary"). He was tired of the pleasures of high society, tired of society, science; the love of secular beauties irritated the imagination and pride, and the heart remained empty. In Mary's confession, Pechorin accuses society of becoming a "moral cripple." He repeatedly speaks of his duality, of the contradiction between his essence and the existence of the world. He confesses to Dr. Werner: “There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him.” The main thing for the first person Pechorin is “to be always on the alert, to catch every glance, the meaning of every word, to guess intentions, to destroy conspiracies, to pretend to be deceived, and suddenly, with one push, overturn the whole huge and laborious building of cunning and plans.” This speaks of a good deed, in a sense, Pechorin takes on the duties of a liberator, savior of the world. But there is a second person, Pechorin, who questions the goodness of this matter, and, perhaps, in this sense, he turns out to be a hero.
He is attracted by the unknown, he has a desire for thrills, new acquaintances. In Taman, Pechorin is trying to get close to the "peaceful" smugglers, but they do not recognize him as their person, they are afraid. Obviously, for these people, Pechorin did not become a hero. The interest of life is replaced by alienation, the romantic feeling of the world as a mystery - by indifference to the surrounding reality, a painful perception of the insignificance of the people around him. This person is immensely lonely, despite the fact that he is loved (Bela, Princess Mary, Vera, Maxim Maksimych). He is the only one who is concerned about the questions of human existence - about the purpose and meaning of human life, about his purpose, while his purpose is the destruction of other people's hopes. He is indifferent to his life. As a result, the hero comes to the conclusion about the meaninglessness of life in general.
Pechorin appears as such a person on the pages of the novel, but still much remains unclear, inexplicable, and one can only guess. The tragedy of this man, it seems to me, does not lie in him, that is, he suffers not because of the deep contradictions of human nature between good and evil, God and the devil ( internal conflict). His suffering gives rise to an external conflict, a violation of world harmony, a different correlation of the forces of good and evil in the world, outside the human soul, breaking under such pressure. And in this situation, a person is helpless.
If a person is insignificant, disgusted with himself and other people, destroys lives, then why is he a “hero” and what kind of “feat” should he accomplish? As already mentioned, we can, of course, talk about the irony of the author. The existence of a hero in such an inverted time, when each person only cares about himself, is unthinkable. But Lermontov calls the work "A Hero of Our Time", and it turns out that people suffer from such heroism. A hero in a “non-heroic” time is a product of this time. Such a thought has the right to be, but it does not fully explain the meaning of the name.
Pechorin can rightly be called a hero. But you need to look at the other side of heroism. After all, the heroes historical events(real), heroes literary works(fictitious) always performed their feats alone. They were alone, and therefore the crowd exalted them or overthrew them. And Pechorin is a hero because of his loneliness, it is no coincidence that he feels it sharply, painfully. And the feat of such a hero, perhaps, is in his immediate existence. Life itself is a feat that people try not to remember for a long time.
And this thought will also not be enough, it will surely pull others along with it. Other thoughts will turn our gaze to the other side of the problem. This process will continue indefinitely, but not every work will succeed. A Hero of Our Time is a brilliant novel, so it has many meanings.