Why Pechorin is a “hero of our time”
The novel “A Hero of Our Time” was written by Mikhail Lermontov in the 30s of the 19th century. This was the time of the Nikolaev reaction, which came after the dispersal of the Decembrist uprising in 1825. Many young, educated people did not see a goal in life at that time, did not know what to apply their strength to, how to serve for the benefit of people and the Fatherland. That is why such restless characters as Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin arose. The characterization of Pechorin in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is, in fact, a characteristic of the entire generation contemporary to the author. Boredom is his characteristic feature. “The Hero of Our Time, my dear sirs, is definitely a portrait, but not of one person: it is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development,” writes Mikhail Lermontov in the preface. “Are all the young people there really like that?” – asks one of the characters in the novel, Maxim Maksimych, who knew Pechorin closely. And the author, who plays the role of a traveler in the work, answers him that “there are many people who say the same thing” and that “nowadays those who... are bored, try to hide this misfortune as a vice.”
We can say that all of Pechorin’s actions are motivated by boredom. We begin to be convinced of this almost from the first lines of the novel. It should be noted that compositionally it is built in such a way that the reader can see as best as possible all the character traits of the hero, from different sides. The chronology of events here fades into the background, or rather, it is not here at all. Pieces have been snatched from Pechorin’s life that are connected only by the logic of his image.
Characteristics of Pechorin
Actions
We first learn about this man from Maxim Maksimych, who served with him in the Caucasian fortress. He tells the story of Bel. Pechorin, for the sake of entertainment, persuaded her brother to kidnap a girl - a beautiful young Circassian woman. While Bela is cold with him, he is interested in her. But as soon as he achieves her love, he immediately cools off. Pechorin doesn’t care that destinies are tragically ruined because of his whim. Bela's father is killed, and then she herself. Somewhere in the depths of his soul he feels sorry for this girl, any memory of her causes him bitterness, but he does not repent of his action. Even before her death, he confesses to a friend: “If you want, I still love her, I am grateful to her for a few rather sweet minutes, I would give my life for her, but I’m bored with her...”. The love of a savage turned out to be little better for him than the love of a noble lady. This psychological experiment, like all the previous ones, did not bring him happiness and satisfaction with life, but left him with disappointment.
In the same way, for the sake of idle interest, he intervened in the life of “honest smugglers” (chapter “Taman”), as a result of which the unfortunate old woman and the blind boy found themselves without a livelihood.
Another amusement for him was Princess Mary, whose feelings he shamelessly played with, giving her hope, and then admitting that he did not love her (chapter “Princess Mary”).
We learn about the last two cases from Pechorin himself, from a journal that he kept with great enthusiasm at one time, wanting to understand himself and... kill boredom. Then he lost interest in this activity too. And his notes - a suitcase of notebooks - remained with Maksim Maksimych. In vain he carried them around with him, wanting to hand them over to the owner on occasion. When such an opportunity presented itself, Pechorin did not need them. Consequently, he kept his diary not for the sake of fame, not for the sake of publication. This is the special value of his notes. The hero describes himself without worrying at all about how he will look in the eyes of others. He does not need to prevaricate, he is sincere with himself - and thanks to this, we can learn about the true reasons for his actions and understand him.
Appearance
The traveling author turned out to be a witness to Maxim Maksimych’s meeting with Pechorin. And from him we learn what Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin looked like. There was a sense of contradiction in his entire appearance. At first glance, he was no more than 23 years old, but the next minute it seemed that he was 30. His gait was careless and lazy, but he did not swing his arms, which usually indicates a secretive character. When he sat down on the bench, his straight waist bent and went limp, as if there was not a single bone left in his body. There were traces of wrinkles on this young man's forehead. But the author was especially struck by his eyes: they did not laugh when he laughed.
Character traits
The external characteristics of Pechorin in “Hero of Our Time” reflect his internal state. “I have long lived not with my heart, but with my head,” he says about himself. Indeed, all his actions are characterized by cold rationality, but feelings no, no, break through. He fearlessly goes alone to hunt a wild boar, but he shudders from the knocking of the shutters, he can spend the whole day hunting on a rainy day and is terrified of a draft.
Pechorin forbade himself to feel, because his real impulses of the soul did not find a response in those around him: “Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that did not exist; but they were anticipated - and they were born. I was modest - I was accused of guile: I became secretive. I felt good and evil deeply; no one caressed me, everyone insulted me: I became vindictive; I was gloomy, - other children were cheerful and talkative; I felt superior to them - they put me lower. I became envious. I was ready to love the whole world, but no one understood me: and I learned to hate.”
He rushes about, not finding his calling, his purpose in life. “It’s true that I had a high purpose, because I feel immense strength within me.” Secular entertainment, novels are a passed stage. They brought him nothing but inner emptiness. In the study of science, which he took up in a desire to benefit, he also did not find any meaning, since he realized that the key to success is in dexterity, and not in knowledge. Boredom overwhelmed Pechorin, and he hoped that at least the Chechen bullets whistling overhead would save him from it. But during the Caucasian War he was again disappointed: “After a month, I got so used to their buzzing and the proximity of death that, really, I paid more attention to mosquitoes, and I became more bored than before.” What could he do with his unspent energy? The consequence of his lack of demand was, on the one hand, unjustified and illogical actions, and on the other, painful vulnerability and deep inner sadness.
Attitude towards love
The fact that Pechorin has not lost the ability to feel is also evidenced by his love for Vera. This is the only woman who understood him completely and accepted him as he is. He does not need to embellish himself in front of her or, conversely, appear unapproachable. He fulfills all the conditions just to be able to see her, and when she leaves, he drives his horse to death in an effort to catch up with his beloved.
He treats other women who meet on his way completely differently. There is no place for emotions here - only calculation. For him, they are just a way to relieve boredom, while at the same time demonstrating his selfish power over them. He studies their behavior like guinea pigs, coming up with new twists in the game. But this doesn’t save him either - he often knows in advance how his victim will behave, and he becomes even sadder.
Attitude towards death
Another important point in Pechorin’s character in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is his attitude towards death. It is demonstrated in its entirety in the chapter “Fatalist”. Although Pechorin recognizes the predetermination of fate, he believes that this should not deprive a person of his will. We must boldly move forward, “after all, nothing worse than death will happen - and you cannot escape death.” This is where we see what noble actions Pechorin is capable of if his energy is directed in the right direction. He bravely throws himself out the window in an effort to neutralize the Cossack killer. His innate desire to act, to help people, finally finds at least some application.
My attitude towards Pechorin
What kind of attitude does this person deserve? Condemnation or sympathy? The author named his novel this way with some irony. “A hero of our time” is, of course, not a role model. But he is a typical representative of his generation, forced to waste their best years aimlessly. “Am I a fool or a villain, I don’t know; but it is true that I am also very worthy of regret,” Pechorin says about himself and gives the reason: “My soul is spoiled by light.” He sees his last consolation in travel and hopes: “Maybe I’ll die somewhere along the way.” You can treat it differently. One thing is certain: this is an unhappy person who has never found his place in life. If his contemporary society had been structured differently, he would have shown himself completely differently.
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In real life, it is rare to meet a person who has exclusively negative qualities. There may be a majority of them, but no matter what kind of person you are, it is still possible to find at least a few positive qualities. Literature has the ability to draw the most unusual plots, images and events - sometimes surreal, which would be impossible to realize in real life. Oddly enough, there are no absolutely negative or positive characters here either. Each hero is unique in his own way; he can act in the most dishonest way, but at the same time it will not be difficult to find at least one good motive in him. One of the controversial characters is the image of Grigory Pechorin in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time".
Pechorin's inconsistency
Grigory Pechorin in the novel is presented as the engine of trouble, his appearance in the lives of all the characters ends in some kind of tragedy, or becomes the cause of death. Most of these situations are created unintentionally. Pechorin does not plan to kill anyone or bring irreparable consequences into the lives of certain people; tragedy occurs in a random, unplanned way, due to the characters’ contradictory perception of reality, a certain amount of misunderstanding of the essence of what is happening.
Positive qualities of Pechorin
At the beginning, it seems that there should be significantly fewer positions on this matter, since Pechorin does more harm than good, but in reality everything is far from being so.
First of all, the character’s education and intelligence are striking. Pechorin received a good education, but this fact alone does not make him smart - he is inquisitive by nature, so his knowledge was never limited to dry sciences, he always wanted to get to the bottom of the truth, to comprehend the essence.
Grigory knows how to present himself in society - he has the gift of getting his interlocutor interested in even the most mundane topic, and has a good sense of humor, which also contributes to his communicative influence.
Pechorin not only has knowledge about the subject of various sciences, he is also well acquainted with the rules of etiquette and successfully applies this knowledge in practice - he is always polite and courteous.
One cannot help but mention his special attention to his wardrobe and the condition of his suit as a positive quality - he always looks neat and elegant.
Pechorin treats women with a certain amount of trepidation - he carefully looks after Bella, is affectionate and attentive with the princess. His care and attention become an opportunity to demonstrate his love and affection to women.
Gregory is a generous person. His generosity is closely related to his lack of pity or greed. He allows his friends to take his horses for a ride, generously gives Bella gifts - he does not do this for selfish reasons. They are guided by sincere impulses of the soul.
Pechorin's next positive qualities, undoubtedly, are determination and perseverance - if he has determined a goal for himself, he will follow it and do everything to achieve it as quickly as possible.
Pechorin has unprecedented courage. This fact can also be attributed to positive aspects in his image, although his courage must be considered in the context of events, since it often borders on recklessness, which introduces a significant amount of bitterness into this characteristic.
Negative qualities of Grigory Pechorin
At his core, Pechorin is an evil person, but in him this quality looks attractive - it does not become a repulsive factor from his person, but, on the contrary, possessive.
Gregory finds special pleasure in the process of playing with people's feelings. He likes to watch their mental anguish or confusion.
Moreover, he is dishonest and hypocritical. He allows himself to have affairs with married women.
In addition, he is not alien to the feeling of selfishness, which is skillfully combined, in his case, with inflated self-esteem. This becomes the reason for Pechorin’s lack of friends. He says goodbye too easily to all his acquaintances and lovers.
He kills the only person who claimed to be Grigory’s friend, Grushnitsky, in a duel. Moreover, he does it without a shadow of regret. Maxim Maksimovich, who showed interest in his person and friendly sympathy, is repelled.
Despite his reverent attitude towards women, Pechorin treats them rudely when his love fervor fades.
Succumbing to his whim, he steals and keeps Bella, which leads to the girl’s death, but even here he does not feel remorse.
He leaves Princess Mary rudely and cruelly - destroying her love and feeling of tenderness.
How Pechorin evaluates himself
The image of Pechorin is not without a share of self-criticism. Despite the fact that he suffers from inflated self-esteem, his characterization of his personality and analysis of the actions he has committed looks quite believable. He is able to sensibly assess the integrity and consequences of his actions.
Pechorin considers himself an evil, immoral person. He calls himself a “moral cripple,” claiming that he was not always this way.
In the tradition of the Byronic hero and the “superfluous man,” Pechorin is overwhelmed by despondency and spleen - he cannot realize his talents and creative potential and therefore is in deep depression and does not see a way out of it. Pechorin also cannot name the reason that led to this state of his soul, although he realizes that there must be some factor. Gregory does not deny that there may be a completely logical explanation for this, such as, for example, excess education, or the intervention of heavenly forces - God, who endowed him with an unhappy character.
Thus, Grigory Pechorin is a very controversial character who is at the crossroads of two moral eras. He clearly and clearly understands that the old traditions and principles have already become obsolete, they are alien to him and unpleasant, but he does not know what should replace them. His intuitive searches do not bring the desired positive result for the character himself and become destructive and tragic for the lives of other personalities in the story.
In the novel “Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov created the image of his contemporary, “a portrait made up of the vices of the entire... generation.”
The main character of the novel is the nobleman Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, an extremely complex and contradictory character, furthermore paradoxical. The inconsistency and “strangeness” of Pechorin is masterfully noted in the very portrait of the hero. “At first glance at his face, I would not have given him more than twenty-three years, although after that I was ready to give him thirty,” the narrator notes. He describes Pechorin’s strong physique and at the same time immediately notes the “nervous weakness” of his body. A strange contrast is presented by the hero’s childish smile and his cold, metallic gaze. Pechorin’s eyes “didn’t laugh when he laughed... This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness,” the narrator notes. The hero's gaze seems impudent to the passing officer, producing "the unpleasant impression of an immodest question" and at the same time this gaze is "indifferently calm."
Maxim Maksimovich also mentions Pechorin’s “oddities”: “He was a nice guy, I dare to assure you; just a little strange. After all, for example, in the rain, in the cold, hunting all day; everyone will be cold and tired - but nothing to him. And another time he sits in his room, smells the wind, assures him that he has a cold; the shutter knocks, he shudders and turns pale; and with me he went to hunt wild boar one on one; It used to be that you wouldn’t get a word out for hours at a time, but once you started talking, you’d burst your stomach with laughter...”
What is behind this “strangeness” of the hero? What is he really like? Let's try to analyze this character.
Pechorin is a Russian nobleman, one of those whose “youth was spent in the world.” However, he soon became disgusted with secular pleasures. Science, reading books, self-education - all these activities also very quickly revealed their meaninglessness and uselessness in life. Pechorin realized that a person’s position in society, respect and honor are not determined by his true merits - education and virtue, but depend on wealth and connections. Thus, the ideal order of the world was disrupted in his mind at the very beginning of his life’s journey. This led to Pechorin's disappointment, boredom, and contempt for aristocratic society.
Disappointment gave rise to aggression in him towards others. And all his positive qualities - courage, determination, willpower, determination, energy, activity, enterprise, insight and ability to understand people - the hero “turned into his opposite”, using them “on the path of evil.” I would especially like to dwell on one of the features of Grigory Alexandrovich.
Pechorin is very active, energetic, in his soul there are “immense forces.” However, what does he spend his energy on? Kidnaps Bela, kills Grushnitsky, starts a meaningless, cruel affair with Princess Mary.
Moreover, Pechorin is well aware that he brings suffering to other people. He is inclined to explain his behavior by his upbringing, social environment, “the uniqueness of his divine nature,” fate, which invariably led him to “the denouement of other people’s dramas” - by anything, but not by the manifestation of his personal, free will. The hero seems to be abdicating responsibility for his actions.
At the same time, he is always active, active, he consistently brings his plans to life. Critics have repeatedly noted a certain unity of Pechorin's behavior, the unity of introspection and action. And the hero himself refuses blind faith in predestination in the story “Fatalist”.
Let's try to analyze Pechorin's psychology and behavior by turning to his philosophy of life. Happiness for him is only satisfied ambition, “saturated pride,” the main passion is to subjugate the will of others. Life for Grigory Aleksandrovich is “boring and disgusting”; he views the feelings of others “only in relation to himself”, as food that supports his mental strength. These feelings themselves do not bother him. “What do I care about human joys and misfortunes...” - this is the leitmotif of Pechorin’s image.
The basis of the behavior of Lermontov's hero is egocentrism, which, according to D.N. Ovsyaniko-Kulikovsky, gave rise to excessive impressionability in Pechorin, an emotionally painful susceptibility to all phenomena of life and the actions of others. The researcher notices that Grigory Alexandrovich is not able to forget his past feelings, including the most bitter and joyless ones. They control his soul just as much as real feelings. Hence Pechorin’s inability to forgive, the impossibility of an objective assessment of the situation.
However, it seems that the hero’s feelings are very selectively manifested in action. According to the remark of A.I. Revyakin, “Pechorin is not devoid of good impulses.” At an evening at the Ligovskys’, he took pity on Vera. During his last date with Mary, he feels compassion and is ready to throw himself at her feet. During a duel with Grushnitsky, he is ready to forgive his enemy if he admits to his own meanness.
However, Grigory Alexandrovich’s good impulses always remain only “impulses.” And Pechorin always brings his “atrocities” to their logical conclusion: he kills Grushnitsky, destroys Bela, makes Princess Mary suffer. The hero’s impulses for good remain only his personal feelings, which never turn into actions and about which other people know virtually nothing.
The unity of thought and action is preserved in Pechorin’s behavior only in relation to his “villains” - here, apparently, the feelings of the hero are not present (Pechorin is not a villain by nature), here he acts, guided only by reason, reason. And vice versa, we observe in the hero’s mind a tragic gap between feeling and action. Where reason is not present, Pechorin is “powerless” - the sphere of feelings is closed to him. This is what determines the hero’s emotional immobility, his “fossilization.” Hence the impossibility of love for him, his failure in friendship. Hence, I think, the impossibility of repentance for Pechorin.
Belinsky believed that Pechorin’s spiritual appearance was disfigured by secular life, that he himself suffered from his lack of faith, and “Pechorin’s soul is not rocky soil, but earth dried up from the heat of a fiery life: let suffering loosen it and water it with gracious rain, and it will grow from itself.” lush, luxurious flowers of heavenly love..." However, Pechorin’s “suffering” itself is precisely impossible for him. And this is the “mental impotence” of the hero.
Of course, one of the reasons for such a depiction of the image by the writer is Lermontov’s certain loyalty to the traditions of romanticism. Pechorin is a romantic hero, opposed to the world around him. Hence his demonism and loneliness among people. As a romantic hero, Pechorin largely reflects the worldview of the poet himself, his gloomy moods, melancholy thoughts, skepticism and sarcasm, and secretive character. It is characteristic that Pushkin’s Onegin still acquires fullness of feelings and a lively flow of life in his love for Tatyana. Pechorin dies while returning from Persia. And this is all Lermontov.
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A person is always driven by the desire to know his purpose. Should you go with the flow or resist it? What position in society would be correct, should all actions comply with moral standards? These and similar questions often become the main ones for young people who are actively comprehending the world and human essence. Youthful maximalism requires clear answers to these problematic questions, but it is not always possible to give an answer.
It is precisely this seeker of answers that M.Yu. tells us about. Lermontov in his novel “Hero of Our Time”. It should be noted that Mikhail Yuryevich was always on good terms when writing prose, and his same position remained until the end of his life - all the prose novels he started were never finished. Lermontov had the courage to bring the matter with “Hero” to its logical conclusion. This is probably why the composition, the manner of presentation of the material and the style of narration look, compared to other novels, quite unusual.
“Hero of Our Time” is a work imbued with the spirit of the era. The characterization of Pechorin - the central figure of Mikhail Lermontov's novel - allows us to better understand the atmosphere of the 1830s - the time the work was written. It is not for nothing that “A Hero of Our Time” is recognized by critics as the most mature and philosophically ambitious novel by Mikhail Lermontov.
The historical context is of great importance for understanding the novel. In the 1830s, Russian history was characterized by reactivity. In 1825, the Decembrist uprising occurred, and subsequent years contributed to the development of a mood of loss. The Nikolaev reaction unsettled many young people: young people did not know which vector of behavior and life to choose, how to make life meaningful.
This caused the emergence of restless individuals, unnecessary people.
Origin of Pechorin
Basically, the novel singles out one hero, who is the central image in the story. It seems that this principle was rejected by Lermontov - based on the events told to the reader, the main character is Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin - a young man, an officer. However, the style of the narration gives the right to doubt - the position in the text of Maxim Maksimovich is also quite weighty.
In fact, this is a misconception - Mikhail Yuryevich has repeatedly emphasized that in his novel the main character is Pechorin, this corresponds to the main purpose of the story - to talk about typical people of the generation, to point out their vices and mistakes.
Lermontov provides rather scant information about childhood, conditions of upbringing and the influence of parents on the process of formation of Pechorin’s positions and preferences. Several fragments of his past life lift this veil - we learn that Grigory Alexandrovich was born in St. Petersburg. His parents, according to existing orders, tried to give their son a proper education, but young Pechorin did not feel the burden of science, he “quickly got bored” with them and he decided to devote himself to military service. Perhaps such an act is not connected with the emerging interest in military affairs, but with the special disposition of society towards military people. The uniform made it possible to brighten up even the most unattractive actions and character traits, because the military was loved for what they were. In society it was difficult to find representatives who did not have a military rank - military service was considered honorable and everyone wanted to “try on” honor and glory along with the uniform.
As it turned out, military affairs did not bring proper satisfaction and Pechorin quickly became disillusioned with it. Grigory Alexandrovich was sent to the Caucasus because he was involved in a duel. The events that happened to the young man in this area form the basis of Lermontov's novel.
Characteristics of Pechorin's actions and deeds
The reader gets his first impressions of the main character of Lermontov’s novel after meeting Maxim Maksimych. The man served with Pechorin in the Caucasus, in a fortress. It was the story of a girl named Bela. Pechorin treated Bela badly: out of boredom, while having fun, the young man kidnapped a Circassian girl. Bela is a beauty, at first cold with Pechorin. Gradually, the young man kindles the flame of love for him in Bela’s heart, but as soon as the Circassian woman fell in love with Pechorin, he immediately lost interest in her.
Pechorin destroys the destinies of other people, makes those around him suffer, but remains indifferent to the consequences of his actions. Bela and the girl's father die. Pechorin remembers the girl, feels sorry for Bela, the past resonates with bitterness in the hero’s soul, but does not cause Pechorin to repent. While Bela was alive, Grigory told his comrade that he still loved the girl, felt gratitude to her, but boredom remained the same, and it was boredom that decided everything.
An attempt to find satisfaction and happiness pushes the young man to experiments that the hero performs on living people. Psychological games, meanwhile, turn out to be useless: the same emptiness remains in the hero’s soul. The same motives accompany Pechorin’s exposure of the “honest smugglers”: the hero’s act does not bring good results, only leaving the blind boy and the old woman on the brink of survival.
The love of a wild Caucasian beauty or a noblewoman - it does not matter for Pechorin. Next time, the hero chooses an aristocrat, Princess Mary, for the experiment. Handsome Gregory plays with the girl, arousing love for him in Mary’s soul, but then leaves the princess, breaking her heart.
The reader learns about the situation with Princess Mary and the smugglers from the diary that the main character kept, wanting to understand himself. In the end, even Pechorin gets tired of his diary: any activity ends in boredom. Grigory Alexandrovich does not complete anything, unable to bear the suffering of losing interest in the subject of his former passion. Pechorin's notes accumulate in a suitcase, which falls into the hands of Maxim Maksimych. The man experiences a strange attachment to Pechorin, perceiving the young man as a friend. Maxim Maksimych keeps Grigory’s notebooks and diaries, hoping to give the suitcase to a friend. But the young man does not care about fame, fame, Pechorin does not want to publish the entries, so the diaries turn out to be unnecessary waste paper. This secular disinterest of Pechorin is the peculiarity and value of Lermontov’s hero.
Pechorin has one important feature - sincerity towards himself. The hero’s actions evoke antipathy and even condemnation in the reader, but one thing needs to be recognized: Pechorin is open and honest, and the touch of vice comes from weakness of will and the inability to resist the influence of society.
Pechorin and Onegin
After the first publications of Lermontov's novel, both readers and literary critics began to compare Pechorin from Lermontov's novel and Onegin from Pushkin's work with each other. Both heroes share similar character traits and certain actions. As researchers note, both Pechorin and Onegin were named according to the same principle. The surname of the characters is based on the name of the river - Onega and Pechora, respectively. But the symbolism doesn't end there.
Pechora is a river in the northern part of Russia (modern Komi Republic and Nanets Autonomous Okrug), by its nature it is a typical mountain river. Onega is located in the modern Arkhangelsk region and is calmer. The nature of the flow has a relationship with the characters of the heroes named after them. Pechorin's life is full of doubts and active searches for his place in society; he, like a seething stream, sweeps away everything without a trace in his path. Onegin is deprived of such a scale of destructive power; complexity and inability to realize himself cause him to feel a state of dull melancholy.
Byronism and the “superfluous man”
In order to holistically perceive the image of Pechorin, understand his character, motives and actions, it is necessary to have knowledge about the Byronic and superfluous hero.
The first concept came to Russian literature from England. J. Baynov, in his poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage,” created a unique image endowed with the desire to actively search for one’s purpose, the characteristics of egocentrism, dissatisfaction and desire for change.
The second is a phenomenon that arose in Russian literature itself and denotes a person who was ahead of his time and therefore alien and incomprehensible to those around him. Or someone who, based on his knowledge and understanding of everyday truths, is higher in development than the rest and, as a result, he is not accepted by society. Such characters become the cause of suffering for female representatives who love them.
Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is a classic representative of romanticism, who combined the concepts of Byronism and the superfluous man. Dejection, boredom and spleen are the product of this combination.
Mikhail Lermontov considered the life story of an individual more interesting than the history of a people. Circumstances make Pechorin a “superfluous man.” The hero is talented and smart, but the tragedy of Grigory Alexandrovich lies in the lack of a goal, in the inability to adapt himself, his talents to this world, in the general restlessness of the individual. In this, Pechorin’s personality is an example of a typical decadent.
A young man’s strength goes not to finding a goal, not to realizing himself, but to adventure. Sometimes, literary critics compare the images of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin and Lermontov’s Grigory Pechorin: Onegin is characterized by boredom, and Pechorin is characterized by suffering.
After the Decembrists were exiled, progressive trends and tendencies also succumbed to persecution. For Pechorin, a progressive-minded person, this meant the onset of a period of stagnation. Onegin has every opportunity to take the side of the people's cause, but refrains from doing so. Pechorin, having a desire to reform society, finds himself deprived of such an opportunity. Grigory Alexandrovich wastes the wealth of spiritual powers on trifles: he hurts girls, Vera and Princess Mary suffer because of the hero, Bela dies...
Pechorin was ruined by society and circumstances. The hero keeps a diary, where he notes that, as a child, he spoke only the truth, but adults did not believe in the boy’s words.
Then Gregory became disillusioned with life and his previous ideals: the place of truth was replaced by lies. As a young man, Pechorin sincerely loved the world. Society laughed at him and this love - Gregory’s kindness turned into anger.
The hero quickly became bored with his secular surroundings and literature. Hobbies were replaced by other passions. Only travel can save you from boredom and disappointment. Mikhail Lermontov unfolds on the pages of the novel the entire evolution of the protagonist’s personality: Pechorin’s characterization is revealed to the reader by all the central episodes in the formation of the hero’s personality.
The character of Grigory Alexandrovich is accompanied by actions, behavior, and decisions that more fully reveal the characteristics of the character’s personality. Pechorin is also appreciated by other heroes of Lermontov’s novel, for example, Maxim Maksimych, who notices the inconsistency of Grigory. Pechorin is a strong young man with a strong body, but sometimes the hero is overcome by a strange physical weakness. Grigory Alexandrovich turned 30 years old, but the hero’s face is full of childish features, and the hero looks no more than 23 years old. The hero laughs, but at the same time one can see sadness in Pechorin’s eyes. Opinions about Pechorin expressed by different characters in the novel allow readers to look at the hero, respectively, from different positions.
Pechorin's death expresses the idea of Mikhail Lermontov: a person who has not found a goal remains superfluous, unnecessary for those around him. Such a person cannot serve for the benefit of humanity and is of no value to society and the fatherland.
In “Hero of Our Time,” the writer described the entire generation of contemporaries - young people who have lost the purpose and meaning of life. Just as Hemingway’s generation is considered lost, so Lermontov’s generation is considered lost, superfluous, restless. These young people are susceptible to boredom, which turns into a vice in the context of the development of their society.
Pechorin's appearance and age
At the beginning of the story, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is 25 years old. He looks very good, well-groomed, so in some moments it seems that he is much younger than he actually is. There was nothing unusual in his height and build: average height, strong athletic build. He was a man with pleasant features. As the author notes, he had a “unique face,” one that women are madly attracted to. Blonde, naturally curly hair, a “slightly upturned” nose, snow-white teeth and a sweet, childish smile - all this complements his appearance favorably.
His eyes, brown in color, seemed to live a separate life - they never laughed when their owner laughed. Lermontov names two reasons for this phenomenon - either we have a person with an evil disposition, or someone who is in a state of deep depression. Lermontov does not give a direct answer which explanation (or both at once) is applicable to the hero - the reader will have to analyze these facts themselves.
His facial expression is also incapable of expressing any emotion. Pechorin does not restrain himself - he simply lacks the ability to empathize.
This appearance is finally blurred by a heavy, unpleasant look.
As you can see, Grigory Alexandrovich looks like a porcelain doll - his cute face with childish features seems like a frozen mask, and not the face of a real person.
Pechorin's clothes are always neat and clean - this is one of those principles that Grigory Alexandrovich follows impeccably - an aristocrat cannot be an unkempt slob.
While in the Caucasus, Pechorin easily leaves his usual outfit in the closet and dresses in the national men's attire of the Circassians. Many note that these clothes make him look like a true Kabardian - sometimes people who belonged to this nationality do not look so impressive. Pechorin looks more like a Kabardian than the Kabardians themselves. But even in these clothes he is a dandy - the length of the fur, the trim, the color and size of the clothes - everything is chosen with extraordinary care.
Characteristics of character qualities
Pechorin is a classic representative of the aristocracy. He himself comes from a noble family, who received a decent upbringing and education (he knows French and dances well). All his life he lived in abundance, this fact allowed him to begin his journey of searching for his destiny and an activity that would not let him get bored.
At first, the attention shown to him by women pleasantly flattered Grigory Alexandrovich, but soon he was able to study the types of behavior of all women and therefore communication with ladies became boring and predictable for him. The impulse to create his own family is alien to him, and as soon as it comes to hints about marriage, his ardor for the girl instantly disappears.
Pechorin is not assiduous - science and reading make him even more melancholy than secular society. A rare exception in this regard is provided by the works of Walter Scott.
When social life became too burdensome for him, and travel, literary activity and science did not bring the desired result, Pechorin decides to start a military career. He, as is customary among the aristocracy, serves in the St. Petersburg Guard. But he doesn’t stay here for long either - participation in a duel dramatically changes his life - for this offense he is exiled to serve in the Caucasus.
If Pechorin were a hero of a folk epic, then his constant epithet would be the word “strange.” All the heroes find something unusual in him, different from other people. This fact is not related to habits, mental or psychological development - the point here is precisely the ability to express one’s emotions, adhere to the same position - sometimes Grigory Alexandrovich is very contradictory.
He likes to cause pain and suffering to others, he is aware of this and understands that such behavior does not look good not only on him specifically, but on any person. And yet he doesn’t try to restrain himself. Pechorin compares himself to a vampire - the realization that someone will spend the night in mental anguish is incredibly flattering to him.
Pechorin is persistent and stubborn, this creates many problems for him, because of this he often finds himself in not the most pleasant situations, but here courage and determination come to his rescue.
Grigory Alexandrovich becomes the reason for the destruction of the life paths of many people. By his mercy, the blind boy and the old woman are left to their fate (the episode with the smugglers), Vulich, Bella and her father die, Pechorin’s friend dies in a duel at the hands of Pechorin himself, Azamat becomes a criminal. This list can still be replenished with many names of people to whom the main character insulted and became a reason for resentment and depression. Does Pechorin know and understand the full gravity of the consequences of his actions? Quite, but this fact does not bother him - he does not value his life, let alone the destinies of other people.
Thus, the image of Pechorin is contradictory and ambiguous. On the one hand, one can easily find positive character traits in him, but on the other hand, callousness and selfishness confidently reduce all his positive achievements to “no” - Grigory Alexandrovich, with his recklessness, destroys his own destiny and the destinies of the people around him. He is a destructive force that is difficult to resist.
Psychological portrait of Grigory Pechorin
Lermontov helps to imagine the character's character traits by referring to the hero's appearance and habits. For example, Pechorin is distinguished by a lazy and careless gait, but at the same time the hero’s gestures do not indicate that Pechorin is a secretive person. The young man’s forehead was marred by wrinkles, and when Grigory Alexandrovich sat, it seemed that the hero was tired. When Pechorin's lips laughed, his eyes remained motionless, sad.
Pechorin's fatigue was manifested in the fact that the hero's passion did not linger for long on any object or person. Grigory Alexandrovich said that in life he is guided not by the dictates of his heart, but by the orders of his head. This is coldness, rationality, periodically interrupted by a short-term riot of feelings. Pechorin is characterized by a trait called fatality. The young man is not afraid to go wild and seeks adventure and risk, as if testing fate.
The contradictions in Pechorin’s characterization are manifested in the fact that with the courage described above, the hero is frightened by the slightest cracking of window shutters or the sound of rain. Pechorin is a fatalist, but at the same time convinced of the importance of human willpower. There is a certain predetermination in life, expressed at least in the fact that a person will not escape death, so why then are they afraid to die? In the end, Pechorin wants to help society, to be useful by saving people from the Cossack killer.
Grigory Pechorin is the central character of M. Yu. Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time,” which appeared in the late 30s and early 40s of the 19th century and caused ambiguous and very diverse reactions from readers. This is the first socio-psychological novel in Russian classical literature and all plot twists, events and secondary characters are shown in order to fully reveal Pechorin’s character and personal characteristics.
The novel includes five stories, representing some stages in the development of Pechorin's personality and revealing all the depths of his complex and ambiguous character to the reader.
Characteristics of the hero
Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is a young attractive aristocrat and officer from St. Petersburg, a typical representative of the youth of the 30s of the nineteenth century. He has received proper education and upbringing, is rich and independent, has an attractive appearance and is popular with people of the opposite sex. At the same time, he is dissatisfied with his life and is spoiled by luxury. He quickly gets bored with everything and sees no opportunity for himself to become happy. Pechorin is in perpetual motion and in search of himself: now he is in a Caucasian fortress, now on vacation in Pyatigorsk, now with smugglers in Taman. Even death awaits him when he travels from Persia to his homeland.
With the help of a detailed description of the hero's appearance, the author tries to reveal his character to us. Pechorin is not deprived of masculine attractiveness, he is strong, slender and fit, the military uniform suits him very well. He has curly blond hair, expressive brown eyes, cold and arrogant, they never laugh and it is impossible to read thoughts from their expression. Blonde hair combined with a dark mustache and eyebrows give his appearance individuality and originality.
(Pechorin on horseback, drawing)
Pechorin's soul burns with a thirst for activity, but he does not know where to apply himself and therefore, wherever he appears, he sows evil and sadness around him. Because of a stupid duel, his friend Grushnitsky dies, through his fault the daughter of the Caucasian Circassian prince Bela dies, for the sake of entertainment he falls in love with himself, and then leaves Princess Mary without regret. Because of him, the only woman he loved, Vera, suffers, but he also cannot make her happy and she is doomed to suffer.
The image of the main character
Pechorin is drawn to people, longs for communication, but does not see a response in their souls, because he is not like them, their thoughts, desires and feelings do not coincide at all, which makes him strange and unlike others. Pechorin, like Pushkin’s Evgeny Onegin, is burdened by his calm and measured life, but unlike Pushkin’s hero, he is constantly looking for ways to add spice to his life, and not finding it, he suffers greatly from it. His own whims have always been and will be in first place for him, and he is ready to do anything to satisfy his desires. He likes to manipulate people and subjugate them, he enjoys power over them.
At the same time, Pechorin also has positive qualities and, in addition to reproaches and censure, he fully deserves sympathy and sympathy. He is distinguished by a sharp mind and, judging others, is quite self-critical and demanding of himself. Pechorin is no stranger to poetry and lyrical moods; he subtly feels nature and admires its beauty. During a duel, he shows enviable courage and bravery, he is not a coward and does not retreat back, his cold-bloodedness is at its best. Despite his own egoism, Pechorin is capable of real feelings, for example in relation to Vera; it turns out that he can also be sincere and knows how to love.
(M.A. Vrubel "Duel of Pechorin with Grushnitsky" 1890-1891)
Pechorin's personality is so complex and ambiguous that it is impossible to say with certainty what feelings he evokes in readers: sharp condemnation and hostility, or sympathy and understanding. The main features of his character are the inconsistency between his thoughts and actions, opposition to surrounding circumstances and turns of fate. The hero is seething with desires to act, but most often his actions result either in empty and useless actions, or, on the contrary, bring pain and misfortune to his loved ones. Having created the image of Pechorin, a unique hero of his time, whose prototypes Lermontov met at every step, the author wanted to focus on the moral responsibility of each person for his thoughts and actions, for life choices and how they can affect the people around him.
