« History of the human soul »
(based on the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”)
Educational and research work
Knowing well and deeply understanding the historical essence of the reality surrounding him, twenty-five-year-old Lermontov created the image of a hero of his time, in which he summarized a large amount of life material, the features of an entire generation living in the era of the Nicholas reaction.
Belinsky was the first to reveal the typical features of Pechorin - “a man with a strong will, courageous, inviting storms and anxiety.” The great critic explained the reasons for Pechorin’s duality and confidently stated that in this novel Lermontov is “the decider of important modern issues.”
Following the first preliminary review of Lermontov’s novel, Belinsky in the second half of May 1840 made a detailed analysis of “A Hero of Our Time,” which revealed to a wide circle of Russian readers the ideological and artistic significance of Lermontov’s novel in the history of Russian public life and in the history of Russian literature. Ardently defending Pechorin from preachers of hypocritical official morality, Belinsky saw in the image of Pechorin the embodiment of the critical spirit of his time.
At the same time as Belinsky, shortly after Lermontov’s death, Gogol rated “A Hero of Our Time” even higher than his poetry: “No one has ever written such correct, beautiful and fragrant prose among us. Here you can see more depth into the reality of life - the future great painter of Russian life was preparing ... "
Recreational-protective criticism, on the contrary, condemned Pechorin’s “immorality”. She condemned him and contrasted him with the image of Maxim Maksimych, which corresponded to her ideals. However, progressive youth, in solidarity with Belinsky, perfectly understood the meaning of the images of Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych, and Lermontov’s attitude towards them.
The creative history of Lermontov's novel “A Hero of Our Time” can only be restored in the most general terms. Such meager materials have been preserved that it is not possible to trace in detail how this most significant work of our poet was created. The novel was created at a time when one of the most important tasks in both Western European and Russian literature was the task of creating a hero of his time, an advanced young man, and telling about the attitude of this hero to the society that gave birth to him. Thus, from the ahistorical, abstract hero of early poems and poems, expressing the anxieties and impulses of the young poet, Lermontov moves on to the creation of living, concrete historical images, to the creation of “typical characters in typical circumstances” in his most significant creation, in the novel “Hero of Our Time” "
Psychological portraits in the novel
Women's images
It is surprising that Lermontov was able to so accurately and completely show in the novel all the diversity of characters and characteristics of people so different from each other. Not only male but also female characters in the novel are very realistic. Among the female ones, the following bright images can be distinguished: Vera, Princess Mary and Bela.
The image of Bela is especially poetic in the novel. You can tell a lot about her even by her appearance. Bela’s grace and agility are often demonstrated in dancing: “She grabbed her tambourine, began to sing, dance and jump...” “How she dances!” - Azamat praises her. Beautiful, tall, slender, Bela was attractive to many young people. But it was not only her exquisite beauty that attracted Pechorin’s attention. A proud and strong-willed nature, rebellious and strong - this is how Bela differed from all the girls Pechorin met. Even when Pechorin kidnapped her, she does not consider herself a captive, she did not submit to him, but fell in love with him as a free princely daughter: “And if this continues like this, then I myself will leave: I am not his slave, I am a princely daughter.” Passion, courage and pride merge in her character with touching femininity. Bitterly, passionately and devotedly loves Bela Pechorin. The story of Bela’s short life and tragic death, told by Maxim Maksimych, leaves us with a feeling of sadness and deep regret for a long time.
Of all the women depicted in the novel, the most complex, diverse and interesting character is Vera. Her spiritual richness and complexity of nature distinguish her from the rest. Vera represents an original type of woman who can rightfully be called a martyr of her feelings. It cannot be said, however, that she loves blindly, slavishly, unconsciously. No, she knows how to distinguish Pechorin from other secular, outwardly cultured men; she knows how to understand and appreciate his subtle, artistic nature, the peculiar charm of his strong demonic character, his disappointment and charm... The image of Vera does not have everyday “illumination” or certainty. Her appearance is conveyed by the most general features; in Werner’s impersonal “passport” description of her, nothing clearly individualized can be discerned, except perhaps for the consumptive complexion, and the most characteristic detail is
a black mole on the right cheek does not define anything in Vera’s personality. From her entire external appearance, only one or two features remain, noted by Pechorin himself, but they do not so much show Vera as convey a psychological impression: “sweet voice”, “deep and calm eyes”... There are only three colors in the depiction of her inner world : love, jealousy, suffering, and, in fact, the last two are only shades of the all-consuming first. The situations in which she is shown are only meetings with Pechorin or a silent presence in the Ligovskys’ living room when he is there. We do not know anything about her lifestyle, nor about relationships with people (except for Mary, of whom she is jealous), nor about her mental horizons, we do not hear her conversations with anyone except Pechorin. Indeed, it seems that she exists outside the environment, almost outside of everyday life; everyday life is just a light decoration for her meetings with Pechorin. But all this is not a lack of attention of the author, not a weakness of Lermontov, but strictly justified by the design of artistic expediency. Faith should be like this, for it is the image of love itself, selfless, selfless, knowing no boundaries, crossing the prohibitions of the environment, losing nothing from the awareness of the shortcomings and vices of the beloved. Only such love can reveal the bitter and thirsty heart of Pechorin, who turns away from women “with character.” Lermontov almost completely expels any certainty of secular flavor from the image of Vera, and this is understandable: secularism and sincerity of feeling are hostile, mutually exclusive principles, and Vera is the feeling itself, knowing neither contradictions nor resistance. The line of relations between Pechorin and Vera is relegated to the background of the novel, while big, painful problems are in line - about activity, about goals, about society. She silently appears next to Pechorin, when loneliness, bitterness, and the meaninglessness of life push his thirsty soul towards his “native soul.” However, love for Vera cannot completely fill and subjugate Pechorin’s personality. She will not lead Pechorin to reconciliation with people and goodness: Pechorin does not look for revival in her. The novel of Pechorin and Vera is necessary in depicting the image of the “hero of our time” because here Lermontov allows us to see the depth and strength of Pechorin’s feelings under the guise of a cold egoist.
The image of Princess Mary is important in the novel. Her image is collective, summarizing the poet’s impressions received at different times from different persons. And if, painting Vera, Lermontov leaves in the shadows everything that concerns her psychological and cultural connections with her environment and society, then, painting Mary, on the contrary, Lermontov extremely clearly depicts her as a person of her time, social status and her cultural environment... Young The Moscow princess, whose mother, Princess Ligovskaya, is proud of the intelligence and knowledge of her daughter, “who read Byron in English and knows algebra,” attracts the attention of young people of that same “water society.” The pretty, young, sophisticated princess won the heart of cadet Grushnitsky, thereby attracting the interest of Pechorin, who speaks very cynically about her beauty: “She has velvet eyes - just velvet... the lower and upper eyelashes are so long that the rays of the sun are not reflected in her pupils. I love these eyes without shine: they are so soft, they seem to stroke... However, it seems that there is only good in her face..." Naive, kind and full of imagination, Mary helped Grushnitsky when he could not lift his glass, and, having learned he is better, she is inclined to perceive Grushnitsky in a romantic aura and idealizes him. However, it should be noted that if she knew that Grushnitsky was not demoted or exiled, that he had no dueling history, her interest in him and “his thick soldier’s overcoat” would have sharply decreased. The princess was most interested in Pechorin, although she feels that he is a rather difficult and dark hero: “A gentleman who has such an unpleasant, heavy look.” As for Pechorin, his meeting with Mary and the search for her love were more likely the main method of his struggle with Grushnitsky than a manifestation of the nascent, still unconscious feeling of love for her. Therefore, when Pechorin says to the princess: “I don’t love you,” he is telling the truth. Pechorin’s connection with Mary is not love, but one of those dangerous experiences in mastering a woman’s heart, of which he had so many in his life and which, in the end, became so boring to him. Mary was not prepared for life's trials and suffered deeply from Pechorin's games. “The princess, like a bird, fought in the nets placed by a skillful hand,” writes Belinsky. “She allowed herself to be deceived, but when she saw herself deceived, she, like a woman,
deeply felt her insult... The scene of her last meeting with Pechorin arouses strong sympathy for her and envelops her image with the brilliance of poetry.
Men's images
Among the male images, we will consider the following: Maxim Maksimych, Doctor Werner, Grushnitsky and Pechorin.
The first male character that appears in the novel is Maxim Maksimych. A simple army officer, Captain Maxim Maksimych, an honest and good-natured man, became coarse and heavy, having served his entire life on the front line of the Caucasus. Belinsky highly valued his image, seeing in Maxim Maksimych the type of “an old Caucasian campaigner, seasoned in dangers, labors and battles, whose face is as tanned and stern as his manners are rustic and rude, but who has a wonderful soul, a heart of gold. This guy is purely Russian.” And, indeed, the ability to apply himself to the customs of the peoples among whom he happens to live is clearly visible in the statements of Maxim Maksimych, whose entire story allows Pechorin to draw the following general conclusion: “I was involuntarily struck by the ability of a Russian person to apply himself to the customs of those peoples among whom he happens to live.” to live...” In Maksim Maksimych, thus, a typical trait of the character and behavior of a Russian person, his national peculiarity, finds expression. The same understanding of the psychology and customs of other peoples is also inherent in Pechorin. Maxim Maksimych’s appearance is also interesting: his pipe, his tanned face, his ironic smile, his sympathetic attitude towards the Kabardians, his cold courage, the very tone of his laconic conversations. In the novel we find him already an old servant, about fifty years old. We do not know his past, the story of his life is only guessed from individual hints. However, Maxim Maksimych has something to tell, and he, as his interlocutor managed to notice, is quite talkative, but speaks little and very modestly about himself, about his military life. The manner of Maxim Maksimych’s story is modest and restrained.
Doctor Werner is the only character in the story “Princess Mary” for whom a definite and indisputable prototype can be indicated. Many of Lermontov’s contemporaries claim that “Doctor Werner is based on Nikolai Vasilyevich Mayer,” who served on the staff of General A.A. Velyaminova. N.M. Satin, A.M. Miklashevsky, N.P. Ogarev, F.F. Tornau, A.E. Rosen, N.I. Lorer unanimously note the high portraiture skill with which Lermontov reproduced the features and character of N.V. in “A Hero of Our Time.” Mayer as Dr. Werner.
A skeptic and materialist, Dr. Werner was a man of very unusual appearance: “Werner was short, thin, and weak, like a child; one leg was shorter than the other, like Byron; in comparison with his body, his head seemed huge...” But what Lermontov pays special attention to are his eyes, “His small black eyes, always restless, tried to penetrate your thoughts.” Werner had excellent taste in clothes, but from the color range he chose only black. He was nicknamed Mephistopheles, which actually flattered him. Despite everything, Werner still enjoyed great success with women, “there were examples that women fell madly in love with such people and would not exchange their ugliness for the beauty of the freshest and pinkest endymions.” Thus, Werner was different from others, not only in his appearance, but also in his character and beliefs... Therefore, Pechorin immediately singled him out from the others, and in the end they became friends. You can notice some similarities between Pechorin and Werner; they understood each other perfectly: “Doctor! We absolutely cannot talk: we read each other’s souls.” According to Durylin’s correct definition, “cadet Grushnitsky is the second contrasting figure placed by Lermontov next to Pechorin: just as Maxim Maksimych contrasts with him in “Bel” and “Maksim Maksimych,” so Grushnitsky contrasts Pechorin in “Princess Mary.” Maxim Maksimych’s “contrast” is based on his opposition to Pechorin in age, character, social status, education - and this contrast is well understood by both Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych - but does not prevent them both from having feelings of respect and friendship for each other.
The contrast between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, at first glance, seems much less significant: Grushnitsky is only five years younger than Pechorin, he lives, apparently, in the circle of the same mental and moral interests in which Pechorin lives, he feels like a person of the same generation and the same cultural environment to which Pechorin himself belongs. In fact, the contrast between Grushnitsky and Pechorin, not being as direct and definite as between him and Maxim Maksimych, is sharper: the apparent proximity of their cultural and social positions is an imaginary proximity: a real psychological, cultural, social gap is soon revealed between them , putting them, as obvious opponents, against each other with weapons in their hands.
This contrast between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, revealed by Lermontov with all the fullness of psychological and historical truth, was brought by him to such a generalizing revealingness that it gives the right to see in the contrast between Pechorin and Grushnitsky the contrast between personality and guise, individuality and imitation, free thought and following stencils.”
Among the “Moscow dandies” and fashionable “brilliant adjutants” whom the hero of the novel meets in Pyatigorsk mixed society, Grushnitsky stands out especially. This is the direct antipode of Pechorin, even a parody of him. If Pechorin attracts attention to himself without caring at all about it, then Grushnitsky tries with all his might to “produce an effect.” If Pechorin is truly deeply disappointed in life, then Grushnitsky plays at disappointment. He belongs to people whose passion is to pose and recite, without understanding or feeling the truly beautiful things in life. Such people “importantly drape themselves in extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering.” Belinsky wrote: “Grushnitsky is an ideal young man who flaunts his ideality, as noted dandies flaunt their fashionable dress, and “lions” – donkey stupidity... to produce an effect - his passion. He speaks in fancy phrases." All of Grushnitsky’s actions are driven by petty pride. Belinsky emphasized that pride is the main weakness in Grushnitsky’s character: “Pride assured him of unprecedented love for the princess and the princess’s love for him; pride made him see Pechorin as his rival and enemy; his pride decided to conspire against Pechorin’s honor; pride did not allow him to obey the voice of his conscience and be carried away by a good beginning in order to confess to the conspiracy; pride forced him to shoot at an unarmed man: the same pride concentrated all the strength of his soul at such a decisive moment and forced him to prefer certain death to certain salvation through confession. This man is the apotheosis of petty pride and weakness of character..."
Psychological portrait of Pechorin in the novel
The main character of the novel, a hero about whom there were so many different opinions, so much criticism, a hero who is ambiguous, who touches hearts and minds, is Pechorin. In his diary we find his sincere confession, in which he reveals his thoughts and feelings, mercilessly castigating his inherent vices and weaknesses. Here is given both a clue to his character and an explanation of his actions. Pechorin is a victim of his time. But does Lermontov justify his actions, his mood? On a sleepless night, on the eve of a duel with Grushnitsky, the hero of the novel seems to sum up the results of his life. “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 furnace
hard and cold as iron, but has lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best color of life.” Sad and difficult confessions! But we can’t help but see that Pechorin is head and shoulders above
people around him that he is smart, educated, talented, brave, energetic. We are repulsed by Pechorin's indifference to people, his inability for true love and friendship, his individualism and selfishness. But Pechorin captivates us with his thirst for life, the desire for the best, and the ability to critically evaluate his actions. He is deeply unsympathetic to us because of his “pathetic actions,” the waste of his strength, and the actions by which he brings suffering to other people. But we see that he himself suffers deeply.
Pechorin's character is complex and contradictory. The hero of the novel says about himself: “There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him...” What is the reason for this duality? “My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light; 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 its existence the dead half; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you,” Pechorin admits. He learned to be secretive, became vindictive, bilious, envious, and ambitious. There is a lot of “bitterness and anger” in Lermontov’s novel, as in his poems and poems. The hero of the novel, Pechorin, is characterized by disappointment in life and pessimism, which is aimed at secular society. Think about the caustic and very apt descriptions that Pechorin gives to representatives of the aristocratic secular society who have gathered in Pyatigorsk for the waters. Look into their faces, watch their behavior, listen to their conversations, and you will see and understand that the “water society” is a gathering of arrogant and false gentlemen, rich and titled slackers, all of whose interests boil down to gossip, card games, and intrigue , the pursuit of money, rewards and entertainment. Pechorin calls himself and his generation “pathetic descendants”, wandering the earth without conviction and pride, without pleasure and fear... no longer capable of making great sacrifices, either for the good of humanity, or even for our own happiness...”
No matter how different the images in the novel may be, each of them amazes the reader with the depth of thought, each has its own philosophy of life. And as was said earlier, the ability to think is the first confirmation of a person’s mental development. As an example, let's take the main character of the novel, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. His journal, in which he describes episodes of his life, is his confession; from it we learn a lot about his character, and therefore about his soul. “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...” - argues Pechorin. His thoughts are deeply philosophical, logical, interesting, not to mention the way Pechorin presents them. Every word, every sentence carries meaning, there is nothing superfluous, everything is interconnected. “...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 is imbued with her own life - she cherishes and punishes herself like a beloved child...” writes Pechorin about the soul. Not only his notes, but also the actions he performs are thought out to the smallest detail. This can also be confirmed by the way he stole Bela: how he subtly felt and understood that he would influence Azamat, so that he would then agree to steal his sister; and how he sought the princess’s love by playing with her feelings. He reflects: “Women should wish that all men knew them as well as I do, because I love them a hundred times more since I am not afraid of them and have understood their petty weaknesses.”
Emotions and feelings of heroes
The novel also shows an amazing range of feelings, a whole storm of emotions and passions, diverse and unique. The love of a young princess, so pure and bright: “Either you despise me, or you love me very much! Maybe you want to laugh at me, outrage my soul and then leave me... That would be so mean, so low, that one assumption... Oh no! “Isn’t it true,” she added in a voice of tender confidence, “isn’t it true, there’s nothing in me that would exclude respect?” Vera’s love, so strong and forbidden: “A lot of time has passed since then: I penetrated into all the secrets of your soul... and became convinced that it was a vain hope. I was sad! But my love has grown together with my soul: it has darkened, but has not faded away...” Grushnitsky’s hatred and his pride: “I despise myself, but I hate you. If you don't kill me, I'll stab you at night from around the corner. There is no place for the two of us on earth...” Princess Mary’s compassion: “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, has sunk its claws into her inexperienced heart.” Vera’s jealousy: “Today I saw Vera. She tormented me with her jealousy. The princess decided, it seems, to confide her heartfelt secrets to her: I must admit, a good choice!” Dr. Werner’s friendly feelings, evidence of which can be at least the fact that he was worried about Pechorin before the duel, and Grigory Alexandrovich noticed this: “Why are you so sad, doctor? Haven’t you seen people off to the next world a hundred times with the greatest indifference?” The novel also talks about many feelings: despair, mistrust, suffering, contempt, pride, anger, resentment, joy, pleasure, tenderness. One thing follows another, as quickly and smoothly as in a raging stream.
Reflection of the inner world in the appearance of the heroes.
The reflection of a person’s inner world in his appearance is a very important feature of the novel. Lermontov more than once emphasizes the appearance of a person in order to most clearly show the reader the characteristics of each soul. For example, the image of Vera. As already mentioned, this is an image of love itself, selfless and selfless. There is no certainty of secular flavor in her image. From her entire appearance, only one or two features remain, which do not so much show Vera as convey a psychological impression: “sweet voice,” “deep and calm eyes.” What Vera says, what she does, is directly related to her feeling, to love. Jealousy, passion, emotions - these are what distinguishes Vera. It is these feelings that are the main thing that Lermontov wanted to show in this heroine; they are the ones that reflect her portrait.
Another example is Dr. Werner. A stunning portrait gives a surprisingly clear idea of the peculiarities of his character. His actions, and especially his appearance, are surprising. Lermontov writes: “His appearance was one of those that at first glance strikes unpleasantly, but which you like later, when the eye learns to read in the irregular features the imprint of a proven and lofty soul.” And indeed the doctor’s appearance was extremely unusual: “Werner was short, thin and weak, like a child; one leg was shorter than the other, like Byron; in comparison with his body, his head seemed huge: he cut his hair into a comb, and the irregularities of his skull, exposed in this way, would strike a phrenologist with a strange interweaving of opposing inclinations.” What is even more striking is that even such a detail as the unevenness of the skull, a strange interweaving of opposing inclinations, so resonates with the description of Werner’s character: “He is a skeptic and a materialist, like almost all doctors, and at the same time a poet, and not joke, - the poet is always in deed and often in words, although he never wrote two poems in his life. He studied all the living strings of the human heart, as one studies the veins of a corpse, but he never knew how to use his knowledge... Usually Werner secretly mocked his patients, but I once saw him cry over a dying soldier... He was poor, dreamed of millions, but for money he wouldn’t take an extra step…” Lermontov writes: “His small black eyes, always restless, tried to penetrate your thoughts. In his clothes
both taste and neatness were noticeable; his thin hands were covered in light yellow gloves. His coat, tie and vest were always black. The youth nicknamed him Mephistopheles, he showed that he was angry for this nickname, but in fact it flattered his pride.” So, this amazing description is closely connected with the same amazing soul, and it was important in the novel, since it was Werner who became Pechorin’s friend, it was with him that Pechorin was able to find a common language, since he found an amazing similarity of souls: “Look, here we are two smart people ; we know in advance that everything can be argued about endlessly, and therefore we do not argue; we know almost all of each other’s innermost thoughts; one word is a whole story for us; we see the grain of each of our feelings through a triple shell. Sad things are funny to us, funny things are sad, but in general, to be honest, we are quite indifferent to everything except ourselves.”
The influence of society on a person.
Often, in order to understand a person, it is necessary to find out his area of interests, friends and acquaintances. Each person is influenced by many different factors, but nothing changes a person more than the society in which he lives. This is how Princess Mary appears before us. It is her who Lermontov clearly depicts as a person of his time, social status, and cultural environment. An educated young princess, attracting the attention of young people of that very “water society” with her youth and beauty, a young, sophisticated coquette, breaking the hearts of her admirers and fluttering like a moth from ball to ball. Pechorin easily understood her and was able to win her heart. He had met such girls more than once, he himself grew up in this society, studied it and knew it to the smallest detail, so he was tired of it. Thus, Pechorin speaks about his life to Maxim Maksimych: “...I have an unhappy character: whether my upbringing made me like this, whether God created me like this, 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... In my early youth, from the minute I left the care of my relatives, I began to wildly enjoy all the pleasures that can 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 secular 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... I was soon transferred to the Caucasus... I hoped that boredom did not live under Chechen bullets - in vain; after a month I became so accustomed to their buzzing and the proximity of death that I actually paid more attention to the mosquitoes, and I became more bored than before, because I had lost almost my last hope.” Pechorin was looking for answers to the questions of life, he was looking for meaning, he understood himself, he openly admitted his shortcomings and suffered greatly. Belinsky writes: “...There are two people in it: the first acts, the second looks at the actions of the first and talks about them, or better yet, condemns them, because they are really worthy of condemnation. The reasons for this split, this quarrel with oneself, are very deep, and they contain the contradiction between the depth of nature and the pitifulness of the actions of the same person ... "
Thus, the goal has been achieved. We have proven that M.Yu. Lermontov is a writer-psychologist.
Conclusion
“A Hero of Our Time” is a psychological novel. “The History of the Human Soul”, presented by Lermontov, gives the reader the opportunity to see and feel in himself what
at first glance it seems mysterious and incomprehensible. Pechorin's story is reflected, as in a mirror, in the human heart... And it is very important to remember that the human soul develops along with a person. If you do not strive for its development, if you forget about its existence, it will die, and with it both the hero and the person will die: “My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light; 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 its existence the dead half; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you.”
“Am I a fool or a villain, I don’t know; but it is true that I am also worthy of pity... 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 means left to travel. As soon as I can, I’ll go – but not to Europe, God forbid! “I’ll go to America, to Arabia, to India, and maybe I’ll die somewhere along the way!” - says Pechorin.
List of used literature
Belinsky V.G. Complete works in thirteen volumes. M., Ed. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1953-1959, XI
Dobrolyubov N.A. What is Oblomovism? . Collected works in 9 volumes. T. 4. M. – L., Goslitizdat, 1963, pp. 307 – 343
Lermontov M.Yu. Collected works in four volumes. M., Ed. Pravda, 1969, volume 4, pp. 196 - 336
Manuilov V.A. Novel by M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”. A comment. M. - L., Ed. Enlightenment, 1966
Fogelson I.A. Literature teaches. M., Ed. Enlightenment, 1990
Encyclopedia for children. Human. Volume 18. Part two. M., Ed. Avanta plus, 2002
V.G. Belinsky. Complete works in thirteen volumes. M., Ed. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1953-1959, XI, p.508.
V.G. Belinsky. Complete works in thirteen volumes. M., Ed. USSR Academy of Sciences, 1953-1959, XI, p. 316
Essay plan:
1. What is the book about? (genre, composition).
3. In what order should the chapters go?
"A Hero of Our Time" was the first novel to touch on real events that were examined from a psychological point of view. Lermontov himself said about the book that studying a person’s soul is sometimes more interesting than learning the history of an entire people.
Sequence of events of the novel
The author set out to reveal the depths of the human soul on the pages of his work. First of all, he sought to show how complex Pechorin’s character is, filled with contradictions.
This goal forced Lermontov to take a unique approach to constructing the plot. As a result, the chronology of events was deliberately disrupted in the novel. The book consists of 5 stories, differing from each other in genre features and plot. However, Pechorin serves as a connecting thread for all chapters, as a result of which seemingly disparate parts are combined into a coherent plan. If you study the story of the main character, the events will line up in the following order.
A young officer, sent by the command to the Caucasus for an offense unknown to us, is sent to the place of hostilities, to a new service. Along the way, he ends up in Taman, where he finds himself in the cycle of events told in the chapter of the same name. Then he goes to Pyatigorsk, which we learn about in the chapter “Princess Mary”.
The mortal battle that occurred with Grushnitsky served as the reason for the hero’s exile to the active troops, to the war. The service in the fortress is described in the stories “Bela” and “Fatalist”. A few years later, Pechorin, who became a retiree, while traveling to Persia, meets his old colleague along the way (chapter “Maksim Maksimych”).
Lermontov deliberately broke the usual flow of the narrative. First comes the chapter “Bela”, then “Maksim Maksimych”, then the chapters “Taman” and “Princess Mary” were published, and the book ends with the chapter “Fatalist”.
Change in novel composition to characterize character
The chapter “Bela” reveals the image of Pechorin through the views of Maxim Maksimych, an honest man, but a poorly educated campaigner who failed to understand the hero’s mental turmoil. In the story “Maksim Maksimych” we encounter the main character live, and a passing officer also talks about him.
The final three chapters were written by Grigory Pechorin himself. We either read diary entries or get acquainted with notes created by him much later after the events took place. The intimacy of personal notes shows that the hero here appears before us absolutely sincere, completely frank, judging himself for his weaknesses and vices honestly and very harshly.
Comparison of the hero with other characters
In order to most fully examine Gregory’s spiritual qualities, the author shows him in encounters and relationships with different characters. He places him in different worlds - either in the world of simple, unsophisticated people close to nature (highlanders, Maxim Maksimych, Bela, an undine with a smuggler), then in the world of high society, among aristocrats at a Caucasian resort. The only hero who is compared with Gregory, and not opposed to him, is Dr. Werner.
Various elements of the novel as a frame for the human soul
The pictures of nature created by Lermontov in the novel serve as a background and a manifestation of the spiritual qualities of the protagonist. All natural phenomena are aimed at highlighting Pechorin’s mood more clearly, conveying his experiences more deeply, outlining his actions and clearly highlighting the character’s vices and virtues. We understand him better when we suddenly read in the diary a description of the beautiful morning on which the duel took place.
Lermontov is not interested in the life of his hero, so we practically do not encounter such details. The author does not give a detailed picture of the life of society, does not indicate the political and economic features of the country of that time, as, for example, Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin”. However, in terms of the scale of his depiction of the human soul, Lermontov became very close to Pushkin. No wonder both Belinsky and Herzen compared the novel with Eugene Onegin.
Progress of work: - get acquainted with the history of the creation of the novel, genre features; - get acquainted with the history of the creation of the novel, genre features; - find out the reasons for the discrepancy between the plot and the plot; - identify the place of Pechorin - the main character of the novel - in the system of other characters.
History of the creation of the novel The novel began in 1837 - 1838. Completed in 1839. Initially, the chapters of the future novel were published as independent ones. In 1840 they were combined into a novel. At first the novel had the title “One of the heroes of the beginning of the century” “Hero of our time” title
Genre of the novel “Bela” “Maksim Maksimych” “Taman” “Princess Mary” “Fatalist” romantic short story travel essay psychological short story adventure short story action story diary “secular” story notes romantic short story socio-psychological philosophical novel
Storytelling system THREE POINTS OF VIEW Traveling officer Maxim Maksimych Pechorin Old officer Gives an objective assessment He judges and executes himself HOW THE HERO IS PRESENTED Pechorin is a mysterious and enigmatic person. An attempt to give an explanation for certain actions. Tragic confession of a hero.
ATTITUDE OF THE HEROES TO THE PAST Pechorin Maxim Maksimych Everything that happened is painful Cannot and does not want to remember calmly, especially the story with Bela Pain in the soul - cannot forgive the story with Bela (her death) Everything that happened is sweet Shared memories are the basis for a conversation that is looking forward to Memories of the past add some significance to the story “Maksim Maksimych”
Pechorin’s attitude towards the characters in the story: At the beginning of the story At the end of the story The Blind Boy Ondine “An Unpleasant Impression” The boy’s fate evokes sympathy, despite the fact that he robbed Pechorin. “A strange creature...” Has a strong, decisive, almost masculine character, combined with such qualities as deceit and pretense.
Werner is Pechorin’s “double” according to Pechorin’s definition, a “remarkable man” deep and sharp mind, insight, observation, knows people, kind heart (“cried over a dying soldier”) hides his feelings and moods under the guise of irony and ridicule CAN PECHORIN AND WERNER BE FRIENDS? PECHORIN: “We soon understood each other and became friends, because I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to themselves; I cannot be a slave, and in this case commanding is tedious work, because at the same time I have to deceive..."
Grushnitsky - a caricature of Pechorin in Pyatigorsk Grushnitsky came to “become the hero of a novel” “... spent his whole life focusing on himself,” he says “in pompous phrases,” “producing an effect is his pleasure” “... I feel that we will someday encounter him on a narrow road, and one of us will be in trouble.” Through the eyes of Pechorin Through the eyes of the reader, he is capable of meanness and deception (a duel with Pechorin) all the time trying to imitate someone next to Pechorin, he looks pitiful and funny
Duel with Grushnitsky Excerpt from the teleplay “Pages of Pechorin’s Journal”, dir. A. Efros, 1975 Pechorin - Oleg Dal, Grushnitsky - Andrei Mironov Excerpt from the film “Princess Mary”, dir. I. Annensky, 1955 Pechorin - Anatoly Verbitsky, Grushnitsky - L. Gubanov M.A. Vrubel, 1890 – 1891 YES. Shmarinov, 1941
Scene of the chase for Vera “...I thought my chest would burst; all my firmness, all my composure disappeared like smoke. My soul became weak, my mind fell silent..." "When the night dew and mountain wind refreshed my hot head and my thoughts returned to normal order, I realized that chasing after lost happiness was useless and reckless..." Inconsistency, duality of the hero 33 Data received Lack of purpose in life - the main source of Pechorin’s tragedy, therefore his actions are petty, his ebullient activity is empty and fruitless. V. G. Belinsky very correctly noted that in Lermontov’s hero “there is a secret consciousness that he is what he seems to himself...”
Allery.com Company Logo Courage, thirst for the unknown, and will distinguish Pechorin from the people of his generation and allow the author to sympathetically follow his fate and call him a Hero of the Time...
The history of the human soul in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is examined by Lermontov in great detail. The writer himself, offering his work to readers, indicated that he wanted to show them the modern man as he is.
The story of Pechorin's soul as a moral confession of a hero
The writer creates a new genre of psychologically oriented novel, in which he examines the history of the human soul. And first of all, Lermontov invites readers to consider the life story of the main character of his work.
The image of the main character of his novel, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, is attractive and at the same time deeply contradictory. Pechorin is smart and educated, he is not devoid of noble intentions, however, his soul is selfish and subject to vices. Pechorin is the cause of the misfortunes of the people around him: he kills Grushnitsky in a duel, facilitates the kidnapping of Bela, mocks the feelings of the young princess Mary Ligovskaya, agrees to a fatal bet with Vulich, which partly pushes the latter into the arms of death, refutes all higher human feelings. The hero himself calls himself “an ax in the hands of fate,” justifying his behavior.
Pechorin deprives all the people he meets of peace. He is a mysterious personality that is impossible not to remember. Those around him see him as an extraordinary character, but when they come into contact with Pechorin, they experience either a feeling of regret for him (like Maxim Maksimovich), or a feeling of mourning unrequited love (like Bela), or a feeling of hatred (like Kazbich), or jealousy (like Grushnitsky), or a feeling of deepest humiliation (like Mary Ligovskaya).
In his diary, the hero confesses his secret aspirations and thoughts. Pechorin himself realizes that he has lived an “empty and worthless” life, but this awareness only increases his state of melancholy.
On the other hand, the writer emphasizes that Pechorin also has positive traits: for example, he experiences feelings of passionate love for the secular married lady Vera. The hero is ready to run to the ends of the world for his beloved, but she cannot share his fate with Pechorin because she is afraid of condemnation from the people in her circle. Pechorin has a keen sense of pristine beauty; in rare moments of his life, he admires the beautiful sunset, the grandeur of the Caucasus mountains, etc. Even when he goes to a duel with Grushnitsky, thoughts come to his mind about how beautiful the natural world around him is. Even at the moment of Bela’s death, the hero sincerely grieves over the loss of his proud and beautiful beloved.
The story of how the characters in the novel interact with each other
In the novel “A Hero of Our Time” the history of the human soul is shown from all sides. First of all, the author tells us about the internal experiences of his main character, but we see accurate psychological portraits of other characters in the novel. Like a brilliant artist, Lermontov paints portraits of his heroes for us. Here is the subtle, sensitive soul of the proud Bela, and the kind soul of the experienced officer Maxim Maksimovich, who fell in love with Pechorin as his own son, and the passionate, strong nature of Princess Mera, and the corrosive and disillusioned soul of Doctor Werner.
It should be noted that all the characters in the novel are in different positions in relation to each other, allowing us to see in more detail the features of their inner world and their characters.
The pair “Pechorin and Grushnitsky, who died from his bullet,” helps readers see the selfishness and pride of the first and the intemperance and passion of the second. Grushnitsky is generally a parody of Pechorin. He has the ambitions of the main character of the novel, but lacks his intelligence, will and spiritual depth.
The pair “Pechorin - Doctor Werner” emphasizes both the insight and intelligence of one and the other, as well as disappointment in life. Moreover, Dr. Werner, whose calling is to help people overcome their illnesses, is more tired of people and their society, but he is an example of a tired cynic and self-lover.
The pair “Pechorin - Maxim Maksimovich” helps to see the qualities that Pechorin lacks in order to find peace of mind. Maxim Maksimovich is a simple and kind man, he is a faithful servant who gave his whole life to the Fatherland. He is modest and able to show sincere sympathy for people. He lacks excessive pride and selfishness. It is not without reason that this hero is considered by many literary scholars as perhaps the only positive character in the novel. It is known that Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich really liked the image of Maxim Maksimovich, who, according to the recollections of contemporaries, was sincerely surprised at why Mr. Lermontov portrayed the “neurasthenic Pechorin” as the main character of his novel, and not such a good officer as Maxim Maksimovich. However, Maxim Maksimovich does not have such abilities, such a breadth of perception of the world around him, like Pechorin, so the hero is content with his modest role in the world of people.
The pair “Pechorin - Vulich” shows how each of the heroes is a fatalist, that is, a person who believes in fate. Compared to Pechorin, Vulich is the type of fatalist who is ready to defeat the evil fate that pursues him, even at the cost of his life. Pechorin, on the other hand, represents a more terrible and refined type of fatalistic person: he strives to play with fate in order to win or die. As we know from the plot of the novel, Pechorin still fails to outwit fate.
The pair “Pechorin - Bela” allows you to see the differences that exist between the “artificial man” - Pechorin and the wild beauty of the Circassian Bela - the “natural person”. Despite the lack of education and knowledge of the life of the world, Bela is more honest and moral than Pechorin. Acquaintance with this hero leads the young girl to death, because Bela cannot fully immerse herself in the environment in which her lover lives.
The pair “Pechorin - Mary” makes it possible to discern the spiritual vices of the heroes: as for Pechorin, here we are talking about pride and the desire to possess the soul of the object of one’s attention (it is not without reason that literary scholars compare Pechorin in this love story with the hero of Lermontov’s poem “The Demon”); in Mary, her feeling of superiority over those around her is emphasized, which receives a cruel blow due to the fact that Pechorin, after Mary confesses her love to him, rejects the feeling of a brave girl.
Thus, the theme of the soul in “A Hero of Our Time” occupies a key position. The author's deep attention to this topic allows us to reveal the emotional experiences of the heroes, which contributes to the creation of a new psychologically oriented genre of the Russian classical novel.
The arguments presented in this article will be relevant especially for 9th grade students when preparing an essay on the topic “The history of the human soul in the novel “A Hero of Our Time”.”
Work test
As in the novel “Eugene Onegin” by A. S. Pushkin, in “Hero of Our Time” by M. Yu. Lermontov, approximately the same task is set - to draw a portrait of a man of a new era, a hero of a new time.
Lermontov's novel is arranged in a very interesting way; it consists of five separate stories with independent plots, each of which gradually, step by step, reveals to us the image of the main character who unites all five stories.
Pechorin's name is first mentioned in the first story "Bela". Staff Captain Maxim Maksimych tells his interlocutor, the “wandering officer,” about Pechorin. The ingenuous and simple-minded old man tries his best to be objective and accurate, but there is a lot that remains incomprehensible in his story. He sincerely tries and cannot understand the character and inner experiences of Pechorin, and therefore he does not understand the motives of Pechorin’s actions, committed under the influence of painful reflection and mental contradictions to which the main character of the novel is subject. “Strange man” is all the staff captain can say, defining the character of his former colleague.
The second story slightly lifts the veil of mystery over Pechorin, since here he is shown through the eyes of the author, a man whose intellectual level is closer to Pechorin than Maxim Maksimych. The “wandering officer” is very observant, he is a subtle psychologist, and therefore even his fleeting meeting with the main character gives the reader the opportunity to better examine this “strange man.”
In the following chapters, which are “Pechorin’s Journal”, his diary, the hero himself talks about himself, analyzing his actions and giving them an assessment. From the very first pages of these chapters, it becomes clear that before us is an extraordinary, restless person, constantly searching for the meaning of life.
For some reason, it turns out that Pechorin constantly brings misfortune to others and causes pain to those loved ones with whom fate brings him together. Bela dies, the kindest and simple-minded Maxim Maksimych is offended by Pechorin’s indifference in his best feelings, the romantic idyll of “honest smugglers” is disrupted, Princess Mary is deceived in her love. So who is in front of us? A villain worthy of condemnation alone? But villains are unlikely to suffer, causing misfortune to others, the way Pechorin suffers. Egoist? Yes, of course, but the egoist is “suffering”, worthy not only of condemnation, but also of sympathy. It is not for nothing that Belinsky wrote that “Pechorin’s soul is rocky soil, but the earth has dried up from the heat of a fiery life: let suffering loosen it and water it with blessed rain, and it will grow lush, luxurious flowers.”
Gradually revealing Pechorin’s contradictory character, his complex inner life, full of tossing and searching, Lermontov strives to show “the history of the human soul.” His “Hero of Our Time” is a deeply psychological novel, as if through a prism it examines from all sides an extraordinary figure, a rebel tirelessly searching for his place in life.
The hero’s internal throwings are in complete harmony with his external throwings. It is no coincidence that Pechorin is always on the road. The author throws him either into a mountain village, or into a Caucasian fortress, or into a smugglers’ shack, or into the picturesque environment of a “water society.” It is symbolic that death overtakes him on the way.
Lermontov does not explain how and why his hero ended up in the Caucasus. Was he sent into exile? Perhaps, but another explanation seems more likely. Let’s reread what Pechorin himself recalls about his past: “My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart... 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... Despair was born in my chest... I became a moral cripple...”
In the light of these words, one can rather assume that Pechorin himself fled to the Caucasus, where military operations were constantly taking place in those days, hoping in numerous dangers and risks to find the meaning of life that he sought in vain in a world that had morally crippled him.
Probably, Pechorin can be called a hero of his time precisely because of his restlessness, state of constant search, and originality, which is especially noticeable against the background of other characters in the novel. Take, for example, Maxim Maksimych. He is deeply decent and kind, but very limited; many years of conscientious service taught him not to burden himself with unnecessary thoughts about the meaning of life. Grushnitsky, he’s just a poser without the slightest signs of sincerity, realness; everything in it is a game and falsehood. Dr. Wagner belongs to a completely different type of people, he is smart and well versed in life, he is insightful and knows the value of the people around him. But at the same time, Wagner is a passive observer, contemplating everything from the outside and analyzing the events taking place from a safe distance. The main feature in Pechorin’s nature is his irrepressible activity, a constant desire to do something, to participate in something.
Such a person will not submit to blind fate, will not go with the flow.
It seems quite natural that Lermontov ends his novel with the story “Fatalist”, posing an important philosophical problem in it. If a person’s fate is predetermined, then all his actions, all moral searches, attempts to change anything in this life lose all meaning.
This is what fatalists think. According to Pechorin, on the contrary, he constantly argues with fate, and constantly challenges it. In the person of Pechorin, Lermontov affirms the ideal of an active, active person who does not want to put up with circumstances.
Literary critics, starting with Belinsky, have repeatedly noted the similarities between Pechorin and Onegin. And indeed, they have a lot in common. They are both superfluous people in the society in which they lived, they both did not find use for the inclinations of their extraordinary nature, both experience disappointment in monotonous, strictly regulated social pleasures, both are trying to find their place and their purpose in life. Onegin, to some extent, succeeds in this; at the end of the novel he appears as a renewed man, capable of ardent love; Lermontov acts differently with Pechorin. It is as if he initially deprives Pechorin of his future; we even learn about his death not at the end, but in the middle of the novel. Perhaps the explanation for this is that Onegin is a representative of the Decembrist generation, whose fate had not yet been decided at that time, and Pechorin already belongs to a different generation, the uprising on Senate Square has already been defeated, and a new perspective is not yet visible.
But nevertheless, after reading the novel there is no feeling of hopelessness. So the “hero of his time” stands before our eyes - a rebel and rebel, striving to change his destiny at any cost. This is how Lermontov portrayed Pechorin, this is how he himself was, who died in a duel at the twenty-seventh year of his life and managed to leave the deepest mark not only in the history of Russian literature, but also in the memory of the people who knew him.
