Grigory Pechorin is the main character of the novel. A unique personality that no one has been able to fully understand. Such heroes are found in every time. Any reader will be able to recognize himself in him with all the vices characteristic of people and the desire to change the world.
The image and characterization of Pechorin in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” will help you understand what kind of person he really is. How the long-term influence of the surrounding world was able to leave its mark on the depth of character, turning the complex inner world of the main character upside down.
Pechorin's appearance
Looking at a young, handsome man, it is difficult to determine how old he really is. According to the author, no more than 25, but sometimes it seemed that Gregory was already over 30. Women liked him.
“...he was generally very handsome and had one of those original physiognomies that are especially popular with secular women...”
Slim. Superbly built. Athletic build.
“...of medium height, his slender, thin figure and broad shoulders proved his strong build...”
Blond. The hair was slightly curled. Dark mustache and eyebrows. When meeting him, everyone paid attention to his eyes. When Pechorin smiled, the gaze of his brown eyes remained cold.
"...they didn't laugh when he laughed..."
It was rare that anyone could bear his gaze; he was too heavy and unpleasant for his interlocutor.
The nose is slightly turned up. Snow-white teeth.
“...a slightly upturned nose, dazzling white teeth...”
The first wrinkles have already appeared on the forehead. Pechorin's gait is imposing, slightly lazy, careless. The hands, despite the strong figure, seemed small. The fingers are long, thin, characteristic of aristocrats.
Gregory dressed immaculately. The clothes are expensive, clean, well ironed. Pleasant aroma of perfume. The boots are cleaned to a shine.
Gregory's character
Gregory's appearance completely reflects the inner state of his soul. Everything he does is imbued with a precise sequence of steps, cold prudence, through which emotions and feelings sometimes try to break through. Fearless and reckless, somewhere weak and defenseless, like a child. It is entirely created from continuous contradictions.
Grigory promised himself that he would never show his real face, forbidding him to show any feelings for anyone. He was disappointed in people. When he was real, without guile and pretense, they could not understand the depth of his soul, accusing him of non-existent vices and making claims.
“...everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; 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...”
Pechorin is constantly searching for himself. He rushes about, looking for the meaning of life, and does not find it. Rich and educated. A nobleman by birth, he is used to hanging out in high society, but he doesn’t like that kind of life. Gregory considered her empty and worthless. A good expert on female psychology. I could figure out each one and understand from the first minutes of the conversation what it was. Exhausted and devastated by social life, he tried to delve into science, but soon realized that power does not lie in knowledge, but in dexterity and luck.
Boredom was eating away at the man. Pechorin hoped that the melancholy would go away during the war, but he was wrong. The Caucasian War brought another disappointment. Lack of demand in life led Pechorin to actions that defied explanation and logic.
Pechorin and love
The only woman he loved was Vera. He was ready for anything for her, but they were not destined to be together. Vera is a married woman.
Those rare meetings that they could afford compromised them too much in the eyes of others. The woman was forced to leave the city. It was not possible to catch up with my beloved. He only drove the horse to death in an attempt to stop and bring her back.
Pechorin did not take other women seriously. They are a cure for boredom, nothing more. Pawns in a game where he set the rules. Boring and uninteresting creatures made him even more despondent.
Attitude towards death
Pechorin is firmly convinced that everything in life is predetermined. But this does not mean that you need to sit and wait for death. We must move forward, and she herself will find the one she needs.
“...I like to doubt everything. I always go forward when I don't know what awaits me. Since there is nothing worse than death, and it can happen - and death cannot be avoided!..”
“A Hero of Our Time” is read in one sitting. The life of an officer in the tsarist army, Grigory Pechorin, is captivating with events seasoned with the character’s mental torment. The author created the image of a “superfluous person” in society, who does not know in what direction to direct his energy and vitality.
History of creation
The unusualness of the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is that it opened the list of psychological works in Russian literature. Mikhail Lermontov spent three years on the work - the story about a representative of a new generation was born from 1838 to 1940.
The idea arose from the writer in Caucasian exile. The time of Nikolaev reaction reigned when, after the suppressed Decembrist uprising, intelligent youth were lost in search of the meaning of life, purpose, and ways to use their abilities for the benefit of the Fatherland. Hence the title of the novel. Plus, Lermontov was an officer in the Russian army, walked the military paths of the Caucasus and managed to become closely acquainted with the life and customs of the local population. The restless character of Grigory Pechorin was revealed far from his homeland, surrounded by Chechens, Ossetians and Circassians.
The work was sent to the reader in the form of separate chapters in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski. Seeing the popularity of his literary work, Mikhail Yuryevich decided to combine the parts into a whole novel, which was published in two volumes in 1840.
Five stories with their own titles make up a composition where the chronological order is disrupted. First, Pechorin is introduced to the readers by an officer of the tsarist army, close friend and boss Maxim Maksimych, and only then does the opportunity arise to “personally” get to know the emotional experiences of the protagonist through his diaries.
According to writers, when creating the image of the character, Lermontov relied on the famous hero of his idol -. The great poet borrowed his surname from the calm Onega River, and Mikhail Yuryevich named the hero in honor of the stormy mountain Pechora. And in general, it is believed that Pechorin is an “extended” version of Onegin. In their search for prototypes, the writers also came across a typo in Lermontov’s manuscript - in one place the author mistakenly named his character Evgeniy.
Biography and plot
Grigory Pechorin was born and raised in St. Petersburg. In his youth, he quickly abandoned the tedious study of science and plunged into social life with carousing and women. However, this quickly became boring. Then the hero decided to repay his debt to the Fatherland by going to serve in the army. For participating in a duel, the young man was punished with real service, sent to the Caucasus to join the active troops - this is the starting point of the story of the work.
In the first chapter, entitled “Bela,” Maxim Maksimych tells an unknown listener a story that happened to Pechorin and revealed the nature of an egoist in him. The young officer managed to get bored even during the war - he got used to the whistling of bullets, and the remote village in the mountains made him sad. With the help of the Circassian prince, the selfish and unbalanced Azamat, he stole first a horse, and then the daughter of the local prince Bela. Feelings for the young lady quickly cooled, giving way to indifference. The thoughtless actions of the Russian officer led to a series of dramatic events, including the murder of a girl and her father.
The chapter “Taman” takes the reader to pre-army events, when Pechorin meets with a group of smugglers, falsely mistaking its members for people acting in the name of something great and valuable. But the hero was disappointed. In addition, Grigory comes to the conclusion that he brings nothing but misfortune to those around him, and goes to Pyatigorsk to the healing waters.
Here Pechorin intersects with his past lover Vera, who still has tender feelings for him, his friend Junker Grushnitsky and Princess Mary Ligovskaya. The quiet life again did not work out: Grigory won the princess’s heart, but refused the girl, and then, because of a quarrel, fought a duel with Grushnitsky. For the murder of a cadet, the young man again found himself in exile, but now he was assigned to serve in the fortress, where he met Maxim Maksimych.
In the last chapter of the novel “Fatalist,” Lermontov placed the hero in a Cossack village, where a conversation about fate and predestination begins between the participants while playing cards. Men are divided into two camps - some believe in the predestination of life events, others deny this theory. In a dispute with Lieutenant Vulich, Pechorin stated that he saw the imprint of imminent death on his opponent’s face. He tried to prove his invulnerability using Russian roulette, and indeed, the gun misfired. However, that same evening Vulich died at the hands of an over-drinking Cossack.
Image
The hero of his time is unable to find a sphere of application for his boundless young energy. Energy is wasted on insignificant trifles and heart dramas; society does not benefit from either one. The tragedy of an individual who is doomed to inertia and loneliness is the ideological core of Lermontov’s novel. The author explains:
“... exactly a portrait, but not of one person: it is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development.”
Since his youth, Grigory has existed “for the sake of curiosity” and admits: “I have long lived not with my heart, but with my head.” “Cold mind” pushes the character to actions that only make everyone feel bad. He interferes in the affairs of smugglers, plays with the feelings of Bela and Vera, and takes revenge. All this brings complete disappointment and spiritual devastation. He despises the high society in which he was born and raised, but it is his idol that he becomes after winning a duel over Grushevsky. And this turn of events depresses Gregory even more.
The characteristics of Pechorin's appearance convey his inner qualities. Mikhail Yurievich painted an aristocrat with pale skin and thin fingers. When walking, the hero does not swing his arms, which speaks of a withdrawn nature, and when laughing, his eyes lack a cheerful sparkle - with this the author tried to convey a character prone to analysis and drama. Moreover, even Grigory Alexandrovich’s age is not clear: he looks 26, but in fact the hero celebrated his 30th birthday.
Film adaptations
The star of “A Hero of Our Time” lit up in cinema in 1927 - director Vladimir Barsky shot a trilogy of black-and-white silent films, where actor Nikolai Prozorovsky played the role of Pechorin.
Once again we remembered Lermontov’s work in 1955: Isidor Annensky presented the audience with the film “Princess Mary”, in which Anatoly Verbitsky got used to the image of a restless young man.
10 years later he appeared in the image of Pechorin. All these films did not receive recognition from critics, who felt that the directors did not sufficiently reveal the character of Lermontov’s character.
And the following film adaptations turned out to be successful. This is the 1975 teleplay “Pechorin’s Magazine Page” (starring) and the 2006 TV series “Hero of Our Time” ().
Grigory Pechorin also appears in Lermontov’s unfinished novel “Princess Ligovskaya,” but here the hero is not a St. Petersburger, but a Muscovite.
The script for the series, released on television in 2006, was written by Irakli Kvirikadze. The work is close to the textbook source, but the main difference is that the chronology of actions is observed. That is, the chapters have been rearranged. The picture begins with the events described by the classic of literature in the part “Taman”, followed by the chapter “Princess Mary”.
Quotes
“Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits it to himself. I was created stupidly: I don’t forget anything - nothing!”
“Women only love those they don’t know.”
“What began in an extraordinary way must end in the same way.”
“We must give justice to women: they have an instinct for spiritual beauty.”
“To be the cause of suffering and joy for someone, without having any positive right to do so - isn’t this the sweetest food of our pride? What is happiness? Intense pride."
“This has been my lot since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; 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. My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light.”
“My love did not bring happiness to anyone, because I did not sacrifice anything for those I loved.”
“Tomorrow she will want to reward me. I already know all this by heart - that’s what’s boring!”
5.What was Bela most sad about before her death?
Option 7.
You are a dangerous person! - she told me, - I would rather fall under the knife of a murderer in the forest than on your tongue... I ask you not jokingly: when you decide to speak ill of me, you better take a knife and stab me - I think this It won't be very difficult for you. - Do I look like a murderer?.. - You are worse... I thought for a minute and then said, taking on a deeply touched look: - Yes, such has been my fate since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; 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. My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the world; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart: they died there. I told the truth - they didn’t believe me: I began to deceive; Having learned well the light and springs of society, I became skilled in the science of life and saw how others were happy without art, freely enjoying the benefits that I so tirelessly sought. And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile. I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and threw it away - while the other moved and lived at the service of everyone, and no one noticed this, because no one knew about the existence of the deceased its halves; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you. To many, all epitaphs seem funny, but not to me, especially when I remember what lies underneath them. However, I do not ask you to share my opinion: if my trick seems funny to you, please laugh: I warn you that this will not upset me in the least. At that moment I met her eyes: tears were running in them; her hand, leaning on mine, trembled; cheeks were burning; she felt sorry for me! Compassion, a feeling that all women so easily submit to, let its claws into her inexperienced heart. During the entire walk she was absent-minded and did not flirt with anyone - and this is a great sign! We came to a halt; the ladies left their gentlemen, but she did not leave my hand. The witticisms of the local dandies did not amuse her; the steepness of the cliff at which she stood did not frighten her, while the other young ladies squealed and closed their eyes.
1. Who is this:
7) “blonde, with regular features, consumptive complexion, and a black mole on her right cheek; her face struck me with its expressiveness.
2. 7) Who speaks FRENCH;
My dear, I hate people so as not to despise them, because otherwise life would be too disgusting a farce (French). -My dear, I despise women so as not to love them, because otherwise life would be too absurd a melodrama (French).
3 . Find out in which part of the novel this is written,
fill in the missing word
7) “I don’t know a more voluptuous and flexible waist! Her fresh breath touched my face; sometimes a curl, separated in a whirlwind …………….. from its comrades, slid along my burning cheek...”
4. Which name is missing?“ At this time, the old captain came to the door and called him by name; he responded. “I’ve sinned, brother…………………,” said the captain, “there’s nothing to do, submit!”
Pechorin is the main character of the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time". One of the most famous characters in Russian classics, whose name has become a household name. The article provides information about the character from the work, a quotation description.
Full name
Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin.
His name was... Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. He was a nice guy
Age
Once, in the fall, a transport with provisions arrived; there was an officer in the transport, a young man of about twenty-five
Relation to other characters
Pechorin treated almost everyone around him with disdain. The only exceptions are , whom Pechorin considered his equal, and female characters who aroused some feelings in him.
Pechorin's appearance
A young man of about twenty-five. A striking feature is the eyes that never laugh.
He was of average height; his slender, thin figure and broad shoulders proved a strong build, capable of enduring all the difficulties of a nomad; his dusty velvet frock coat, fastened only by the bottom two buttons, made it possible to see his dazzlingly clean linen, revealing the habits of a decent man; his stained gloves seemed deliberately tailored to his small aristocratic hand, and when he took off one glove, I was surprised at the thinness of his pale fingers. His gait was careless and lazy, but I noticed that he did not wave his arms - a sure sign of some secretiveness of character. When he sat down on the bench, his straight waist bent, as if he didn’t have a single bone in his back; the position of his entire body depicted some kind of nervous weakness: he sat like Balzac’s thirty-year-old coquette sits. 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. There was something childish in his smile. His skin had a certain feminine tenderness; his blond hair, naturally curly, so picturesquely outlined his pale, noble forehead, on which, only after long observation, one could notice traces of wrinkles. Despite the light color of his hair, his mustache and eyebrows were black - a sign of the breed in a person, just like the black mane and black tail of a white horse. He had a slightly upturned nose, dazzling white teeth and brown eyes; I must say a few more words about the eyes.
First of all, they didn't laugh when he laughed! This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness. Because of the half-lowered eyelashes, they shone with some kind of phosphorescent shine. It was the shine of steel, dazzling, but cold; his gaze - short, but penetrating and heavy, left the unpleasant impression of an indiscreet question and could have seemed impudent if he had not been so indifferently calm. In general, he was very handsome and had one of those original faces that are especially popular with secular women.
Social status
An officer exiled to the Caucasus for some bad story, possibly a duel.
Once, in the fall, a transport with provisions arrived; there was an officer in the transport
I explained to them that I was an officer, I was going to an active detachment for official business.
And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a traveling officer?
I said your name... She knew it. It seems your story has caused a lot of noise there...
At the same time, a wealthy aristocrat from St. Petersburg.
strong build... not defeated by the debauchery of metropolitan life
and besides, I have lackeys and money!
they looked at me with tender curiosity: the St. Petersburg cut of the frock coat misled them
I noticed to her that she must have met you in St. Petersburg, somewhere in the world...
empty travel stroller; its easy movement, convenient design and smart appearance had some kind of foreign imprint.
Further fate
Died while returning from Persia.
I recently learned that Pechorin died while returning from Persia.
Pechorin's personality
To say that Pechorin is an unusual person is to say nothing. It combines intelligence, knowledge of people, extreme honesty towards oneself and the inability to find a purpose in life and low morality. Because of these qualities, he constantly finds himself in tragic situations. His diary amazes with the sincerity of his assessment of his actions and desires.
Pechorin about himself
He speaks of himself as an unhappy person who cannot escape boredom.
I have an unhappy character; Whether my upbringing made me this way, whether God created me this way, I don’t know; I only know that if I am the cause of the misfortune of others, then I myself am no less unhappy; Of course, this is little consolation for them - only the fact is that it is so. In my early youth, from the moment I left the care of my relatives, I began to madly enjoy all the pleasures that could be obtained for money, and of course, these pleasures disgusted me. Then I set out into the big world, and soon I also got tired of society; I fell in love with society beauties and was loved - but their love only irritated my imagination and pride, and my heart remained empty... I began to read, study - I was also tired of science; I saw that neither fame nor happiness depended on them at all, because the happiest people are ignorant, and fame is luck, and to achieve it, you just need to be clever. Then I became bored... Soon they transferred me to the Caucasus: this is the happiest time of my life. I hoped that boredom did not live under Chechen bullets - in vain: 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, because I had lost almost my last hope . When I saw Bela in my house, when for the first time, holding her on my knees, I kissed her black curls, I, a fool, thought that she was an angel sent to me by compassionate fate... I was wrong again: the love of a savage is little better than the love of a noble lady; the ignorance and simple-heartedness of one are just as annoying as the coquetry of the other. 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... Am I a fool or a villain, I don’t know; but it is true that I am also very worthy of pity, perhaps more than she: my soul is spoiled by light, my imagination is restless, my heart is insatiable; Everything is not enough for me: I get used to sadness just as easily as to pleasure, and my life becomes emptier day by day; I have only one remedy left: travel. As soon as possible, I will go - just not to Europe, God forbid! - I’ll go to America, to Arabia, to India - maybe I’ll die somewhere on the road! At least I am sure that this last consolation will not soon be exhausted by storms and bad roads.”
About my upbringing
Pechorin blames his behavior on improper upbringing in childhood, non-recognition of his true virtuous principles.
Yes, this has been my lot since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; 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. My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the world; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart: they died there. I told the truth - they didn’t believe me: I began to deceive; Having learned well the light and springs of society, I became skilled in the science of life and saw how others were happy without art, freely enjoying the benefits that I so tirelessly sought. And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile. I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and threw it away - while the other moved and lived at the service of everyone, and no one noticed this, because no one knew about the existence of the deceased its halves; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you. To many, all epitaphs seem funny, but not to me, especially when I remember what lies underneath them. However, I do not ask you to share my opinion: if my prank seems funny to you, please laugh: I warn you that this will not upset me in the least.
About passion and pleasure
Pechorin often philosophizes, in particular, about the motives of actions, passions and true values.
But there is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul! She is like a flower whose best fragrance evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; you need to pick it up at this moment and, after breathing it to your heart’s content, throw it on the road: maybe someone will pick it up! I feel this insatiable greed within me, devouring everything that comes my way; I look at the sufferings and joys of others only in relation to myself, as food that supports my spiritual strength. I myself am no longer capable of going mad under the influence of passion; My ambition was suppressed by circumstances, but it manifested itself in a different form, for ambition is nothing more than a thirst for power, and my first pleasure is to subordinate to my will everything that surrounds me; to arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear - isn’t this the first sign and the greatest triumph of power? To be the cause of suffering and joy for someone, without having any positive right to do so - isn’t this the sweetest food of our pride? What is happiness? Intense pride. If I considered myself better, more powerful than everyone else in the world, I would be happy; if everyone loved me, I would find endless sources of love in myself. Evil begets evil; the first suffering gives the concept of pleasure in tormenting another; the idea of evil cannot enter a person’s head without him wanting to apply it to reality: ideas are organic creatures, someone said: their birth already gives them a form, and this form is an action; the one in whose head more ideas were born acts more than others; because of this, a genius, chained to an official desk, must die or go crazy, just as a man with a powerful physique, with a sedentary life and modest behavior, dies of an apoplexy. Passions are nothing more than ideas in their first development: they belong to the youth of the heart, and he is a fool who thinks to worry about them all his life: many calm rivers begin with noisy waterfalls, but not one jumps and foams all the way to the sea. But this calmness is often a sign of great, although hidden strength; the fullness and depth of feelings and thoughts does not allow frantic impulses; the soul, suffering and enjoying, gives itself a strict account of everything and is convinced that it should be so; she knows that without thunderstorms the constant heat of the sun will dry her out; she is imbued with her own life - she cherishes and punishes herself like a beloved child. Only in this highest state of self-knowledge can a person appreciate God's justice.
About fatal destiny
Pechorin knows that he brings misfortune to people. He even considers himself an executioner:
I run through my entire past in my memory and involuntarily ask myself: why did I live? For what purpose was I born?.. And, it’s true, it existed, and, it’s true, I had a high purpose, because I feel immense powers in my soul... But I didn’t guess this purpose, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; I came out of their crucible hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best light of life. And since then, how many times have I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate! Like an instrument of execution, I fell on the heads of the doomed victims, often without malice, always without regret... My love did not bring happiness to anyone, because I did not sacrifice anything for those I loved: I loved for myself, for my own pleasure: I only satisfied a strange need of the heart, greedily absorbing their feelings, their joys and sufferings - and could never get enough. Thus, a person tormented by hunger falls asleep exhausted and sees before him luxurious dishes and sparkling wines; he devours with delight the aerial gifts of the imagination, and it seems easier to him; but as soon as I woke up, the dream disappeared... what remained was double hunger and despair!
I felt sad. And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers? Like a stone thrown into a smooth spring, I disturbed their calm and, like a stone, I almost sank to the bottom myself!
About women
Pechorin does not pass over women, their logic and feelings, with an unflattering side. It becomes clear that he avoids women with a strong character to please his weaknesses, because such women are not able to forgive him for his indifference and spiritual stinginess, to understand and love him.
What should I do? I have a presentiment... When meeting a woman, I always unmistakably guessed whether she would love me or not....
What a woman won’t do to upset her rival! I remember one fell in love with me because I loved the other. There is nothing more paradoxical than the female mind; It is difficult to convince women of anything; they must be brought to the point where they convince themselves; the order of evidence with which they destroy their warnings is very original; in order to learn their dialectics, you need to overturn in your mind all the school rules of logic.
I must admit that I definitely don’t like women with character: is it any of their business! , maybe if I had met her five years later, we would have parted differently...
About the fear of getting married
At the same time, Pechorin honestly admits to himself that he is afraid to get married. He even finds the reason for this - as a child, a fortune teller predicted his death from his evil wife
I sometimes despise myself... is that not why I despise others?.. I have become incapable of noble impulses; I'm afraid to seem funny to myself. If someone else were in my place, he would have offered the princess son coeur et sa fortune; but the word marry has some kind of magical power over me: no matter how passionately I love a woman, if she only makes me feel that I should marry her, forgive love! my heart turns to stone, and nothing will warm it up again. I am ready for all sacrifices except this one; Twenty times I will put my life, even my honor, on the line... but I will not sell my freedom. Why do I value her so much? What’s in it for me?.. where am I preparing myself? What do I expect from the future?.. Really, absolutely nothing. This is some kind of innate fear, an inexplicable premonition... After all, there are people who are unconsciously afraid of spiders, cockroaches, mice... Should I admit it?.. When I was still a child, one old woman wondered about me to my mother; she predicted my death from an evil wife; this struck me deeply then; An insurmountable aversion to marriage was born in my soul... Meanwhile, something tells me that her prediction will come true; at least I will try to make it come true as late as possible.
About enemies
Pechorin is not afraid of enemies and even rejoices when they exist.
I am glad; I love enemies, although not in a Christian way. They amuse me, they stir my blood. 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 to overturn the entire huge and laborious edifice of their cunning and plans - this is what I call life.
about friendship
According to Pechorin himself, he cannot be friends:
I am incapable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to himself; I cannot be a slave, and in this case commanding is tedious work, because at the same time I must deceive; and besides, I have lackeys and money!
About inferior people
Pechorin speaks poorly of disabled people, seeing in them an inferiority of soul.
But what to do? I am often prone to prejudice... I admit, I have a strong prejudice against all the blind, crooked, deaf, dumb, legless, armless, hunchbacked, etc. I noticed that there is always some strange relationship between a person’s appearance and his soul: as if with the loss of a member the soul loses some kind of feeling.
About fatalism
It is difficult to say for sure whether Pechorin believes in fate. Most likely he doesn’t believe it and even argued about it with. However, that same evening he decided to try his luck and almost died. Pechorin is passionate and ready to say goodbye to life, he tests himself for strength. His determination and steadfastness even in the face of mortal danger is amazing.
I like to doubt everything: this disposition of mind does not interfere with the decisiveness of my character - on the contrary, as for me, I always move forward more boldly when I do not know what awaits me. After all, nothing worse can happen than death—and you can’t escape death!
After all this, how can one not become a fatalist? But who knows for sure whether he is convinced of something or not?.. and how often do we mistake for a belief a deception of feelings or a blunder of reason!..
At that moment a strange thought flashed through my head: like Vulich, I decided to tempt fate.
The shot rang out right next to my ear, the bullet tore off my epaulette
About death
Pechorin is not afraid of death. According to the hero, he has already seen and experienced everything possible in this life in dreams and daydreams, and now he wanders aimlessly, having wasted the best qualities of his soul on fantasies.
Well? die like that die! the loss to the world is small; and I’m pretty bored myself. I am like a man yawning at a ball who does not go to bed only because his carriage is not yet there. But the carriage is ready... goodbye!..
And maybe I will die tomorrow!.. and there will not be a single creature left on earth who would understand me completely. Some consider me worse, others better than I really am... Some will say: he was a kind fellow, others - a scoundrel. Both will be false. After this, is life worth the trouble? but you live out of curiosity: you expect something new... It’s funny and annoying!
Pechorin has a passion for driving fast
Despite all the internal contradictions and oddities of character, Pechorin is able to truly enjoy nature and the power of the elements; he, like M.Yu. Lermontov is in love with mountain landscapes and seeks salvation from his restless mind in them
Returning home, I sat on horseback and galloped off into the steppe; I love to ride a hot horse through the tall grass, against the desert wind; I greedily swallow the fragrant air and direct my gaze into the blue distance, trying to catch the foggy outlines of objects that are becoming clearer and clearer every minute. Whatever grief lies on the heart, whatever anxiety torments the thought, everything will dissipate in a minute; the soul will become light, the fatigue of the body will overcome the anxiety of the mind. There is no female gaze that I would not forget at the sight of curly mountains illuminated by the southern sun, at the sight of the blue sky or listening to the sound of a stream falling from cliff to cliff.
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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 must 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 “extra 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. Bynov 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 his wealth of spiritual strength 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 selected 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 a wedding, 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, one got the impression 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 predestination 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.