And we hate and we love by chance,
Without sacrificing anything, neither anger nor love,
And some secret cold reigns in the soul,
When fire boils in the blood.
M. Lermontov.
During the classes
1. Statement of the educational task.
How do you understand the meaning of the title of M. Yu. Lermontov’s work “Hero of Our Time”? Whose is “Our Time”?
- “A Hero of Our Time” is the first “personal” (according to the terminology adopted in French literature) or “analytical” novel in Russian prose: its ideological and plot center is not an external biography (life and adventures), but rather the personality of a person - his spiritual and mental life. And the soul in the Christian understanding is immortal, it is timeless.
Pechorin is a personality who embodied the characteristic features of the social consciousness of people of the 30s: the intensity of moral and philosophical searches, exceptional willpower, analytical mind, extraordinary human abilities.
What task did Lermontov set for himself when he wrote “A Hero of Our Time”?
(The novel was conceived as an artistic study of the inner world of man, his soul. Lermontov himself said this in the “Preface” to “Pechorin’s Journal”: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is perhaps more curious and useful than the history of an entire people , especially when it is a consequence of the observation of a mature mind over itself...")
The topic of our lesson: “The history of the human soul” in M. Yu. Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.”
- Did Pechorin pass the test of danger?
- Is the hero capable of true love?
- What is our hero's philosophy of life?
Today in class we will try to answer these and other questions.
We have already noted the unusual composition more than once. What is it?
(All elements of the composition of Lermontov’s novel are strictly subordinated to the main ideological and artistic task that the author set for himself: to write “the history of the human soul”, to write a socio-psychological novel. At the center of the composition is the main character of the novel Pechorin, whom the author calls - not without bitter irony - “a hero of our time.” All other characters, representing artistic and historical-educational value in themselves, at the same time explain in one way or another the personality of the main character. The reader involuntarily compares him with these people and, by comparing, everything in a new way. evaluates it and comprehends it more and more deeply.)
Was it by chance that Lermontov abandoned the chronological principle in the arrangement of the stories included in the novel, and the order of their initial publication?
(Belinsky wrote: “The parts of this novel are arranged in accordance with internal necessity.” And then he explained: “Despite its occasional fragmentation, it cannot be read in a manner other than the order in which the author himself arranged it: otherwise you will read two excellent stories and several excellent stories, but you won’t know the novel.”)
What is the reason for the change of narrators?
(There are three narrators in the novel: Maxim Maksimych, a traveling officer and Pechorin himself. Yu.M. Lotman writes: “Thus, Pechorin’s character is revealed to the reader gradually, as if reflected in many mirrors, and none of the reflections, taken separately, gives comprehensive characteristics of Pechorin. Only the totality of these voices arguing among themselves creates the complex and contradictory character of the hero."
2. Consideration of the image of the narrator from the point of view of Maxim Maksimych. The author subjects the hero to the test of love.
Let's consider the point of view of the first narrator - Maxim Maksimych. What surprises him about the character of the hero?
(“He was a nice guy, I can assure you; just a little strange...”)
How do you explain the meaning of the word "strange"?
(With this meager definition of “strange” in the mouth of Pechorin’s closest comrade, Lermontov shows how difficult the hero’s character was to understand, so the writer refuses to directly characterize him. The hero has a strong individuality, he is endowed with charm, but there is also something alarming about him reader. He is both strong and weak, hardened and pampered. He is able to fight for his love - and he quickly cools down, he does not know how to love for a long time. He quickly becomes cold and feels empty in his heart. When Bela is bored. dies, Pechorin is beside himself, and after burying her, he suddenly laughs and then gets sick for a long time.)
Reading Pechorin’s confession in the story “Bela,” what character traits of this hero can you highlight?
(Decision, deep intelligence, indomitable energy, the search for the use of one’s strengths, courage are the hallmarks of Pechorin.)
Why, having fallen in love with Bela, does he not find peace of mind?
(“I was wrong again: the love of a savage is little better than the love of a noble lady: the ignorance and vernacular of one are as annoying as the coquetry of the other...” In this love, Lermontov first reveals the duality of his hero, expressing it in one remark: “I will give for her ( Bel) life - only I’m bored with it.” A child’s rejection of boredom and a mature readiness to give up life confuses the reader.
Belinsky wrote: “The strong need for love is often mistaken for love itself if an object presents itself to which it can rush; obstacles turn it into passion, and satisfaction destroys it. Bela's love was for Pechorin a full glass of sweet drink, which he drank at once, without leaving a drop in it; and his soul demanded not a glass, but an ocean from which he could draw every minute without diminishing it...".)
What does he see as the reason for his inner emptiness?
(“...my soul is spoiled by light...”)
The reader finishes reading the first chapter and cannot say anything definite about the hero. But many questions arise.
3. Consideration of the character of the hero in the story “Princess Mary”.
We know that the trials of love do not end there. Let's break the sequence of presentation and turn to the story “Princess Mary”. Why do you think the hero so persistently seeks the love of a young girl, Princess Mary, whom he will never marry?
(Pechorin cannot always sort out his feelings. “But there is immense pleasure in the possession of a young, barely blossoming soul! It is like a flower, the best aroma of which evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; it must be picked at this moment and, having breathed enough of it, thrown away on the road: maybe someone will pick me up! I feel this insatiable greed in me, absorbing everything that comes along the way; I look at the suffering and joy of others only in relation to myself, as food that supports my spiritual strength.” the hero's consumer attitude towards a woman, his selfishness, even cruelty. Pechorin does not take into account the simple truths that you need to think about other people, you cannot bring them suffering. After all, if everyone begins to violate moral laws, any cruelty will be possible. give up the pleasure of torturing others.)
But is his soul so callous? Isn't he able to appreciate the beauty of nature?
(“It’s fun to live in such a land! Some kind of joyful feeling is diffused in all my veins. The air is clean and fresh, like a child’s kiss; the sun is bright, the sky is blue - what, it seems, is more? Why are there passions, desires, regrets?. ."
A person who sees the harmony of nature cannot be soulless. Pechorin feels the beauty of nature and knows how to talk about it in the language of an artist. Thus, the hero is revealed to readers as a talented person.)
Do you think Pechorin is capable of love?
(“A long-forgotten thrill ran through my veins...” “His heart sank...” Pechorin’s feeling for Vera is exceptionally strong, sincere. This is the true love of his life. But for Vera, he also does not sacrifice anything, as for other women. On the contrary , inflames jealousy in her, dragging after Mary. The difference we see is that in his love for Vera, he not only satisfies his heart’s passionate need for love, not only takes, but also gives a part of himself. This quality of Pechorin emerges in particular. in an episode of a crazy, desperate chase on a wildly galloping horse for the irrevocably departed Vera. “I galloped, gasping with impatience. The thought of not catching her in Pyatigorsk struck my heart like a hammer - one minute, one more minute to see her, say goodbye, shake her! hand... I prayed, cursed, cried, laughed... no, nothing can express my anxiety, despair!.. With the possibility of losing her forever, Faith became dearer to me than anything in the world - dearer than life, honor, happiness! meaning. Pechorin forever lost not only Vera, his beloved woman, but also hope for the future and love for people, which, as L. Tolstoy showed in his autobiographical trilogy, is given by nature to every child in childhood.)
How does this characterize him?
(Pechorin is full of contradictions. We see that two worlds, two people are united in him. “There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him.” “I have an innate passion to contradict; my whole life has been just a chain of sad and unfortunate contradictions to the heart or mind.”)
Pay attention to the nobility of the hero, despite his consumerist attitude towards a woman, even selfishness, he stands up for her honor, does not allow himself a single low word addressed to them.
4. Psychological portrait of Pechorin. The hero in the assessment of the second narrator - a traveling officer.
Who introduces Pechorin to us in the chapter “Maxim Maksimych”?
(The narration is continued by the conditional author, the “publisher” of Pechorin’s diary.)
What did the traveling officer see in the guise of Pechorin?
(The hero’s appearance is woven from contradictions. His portrait explains Pechorin’s character, testifies to his fatigue and coldness, to his unspent strength. Observations convinced the narrator of the richness and complexity of this man’s character.
“...his slender, thin frame and broad shoulders proved a strong build, capable of enduring all the difficulties of nomadic life...”
“...he did not wave his arms - a sure sign of some secretiveness of character...”
“...he sat as Balzac’s thirty-year-old coquette sits on her downy chairs after a tiring ball...”
“...his skin had some kind of feminine tenderness...”
“...his mustache and eyebrows were black - a sign of the breed in a person...”
“...I must say a few more words about the eyes.
First of all, they didn't laugh when he laughed! Have you ever noticed such strangeness in some people?.. This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness.”
“... had one of those original physiognomies that are especially popular with secular women...”)
Lermontov creates a detailed psychological portrait, the first in Russian literature. A psychological portrait is a characterization of a hero, where the author presents external details in a certain sequence and immediately gives them a psychological and social interpretation. A psychological portrait, in contrast to verbal drawing, gives us an idea of the inner essence of the hero.
What is the role of the portrait of Pechorin?
(The portrait of a hero explains the character of the hero, his contradictions, testifies to Pechorin’s fatigue and coldness, to the unspent strength of the hero. Observations convince the narrator of the richness and complexity of this man’s character. This immersion in the world of his thoughts, the depression of Pechorin’s spirit is the key to understanding his alienation when meeting with Maxim Maksimych.)
Can we talk about Pechorin’s cruel attitude towards Maxim Maksimych?
(“...he wanted to throw himself on Pechorin’s neck, but he rather coldly, although with a friendly smile, extended his hand to him.” But maybe he just didn’t want someone to invade his inner world? “Do you remember our life- being in a fortress? A glorious country for hunting!.. After all, you were a passionate hunter to shoot... And Bela?.. Pechorin turned slightly pale and turned away...” Pechorin is not running from Maxim Maksimych, he is running from his sad thoughts. what changed in the hero after leaving the fortress: his indifference to life increased, he became more withdrawn.)
Do we understand the hero, since we have considered the point of view of both Maxim Maksimych and the traveling officer?
(The hero is, of course, interesting. The more mysterious, the more interesting. Pechorin has a strong individuality, he is endowed with charm, but there is also something in him that alarms the reader. He is both strong and weak, hardened and pampered. He is able to fight for love - and he quickly cools down, he does not know how to love for a long time. After infatuation, he quickly becomes cold and feels empty in his heart.)
5. The character of Pechorin in the assessment of the hero himself. The hero is tested by danger.
Where is the hero’s inner essence most fully revealed?
(If the first two stories by genre are travel notes (the narrator noted: “I am writing not a story, but travel notes”), then the next stories are Pechorin’s diary.
A diary is a personal record in which a person, knowing that they will not become known to others, can describe not only external events, but also internal, hidden from everyone, movements of his soul. Pechorin was sure that he was writing “this magazine... for himself,” which is why he was so open in describing them.)
What parts does Pechorin's Journal consist of?
(Three chapters of the novel - “Taman”, “Princess Mary” and “Fatalist” - are parts of “Pechorin’s Diary”.)
Who represents our hero?
(The hero himself receives the floor, analyzing himself with the utmost degree of penetration and giving the reader the opportunity to look into his soul from the inside.)
What features of the hero’s character are revealed in the story “Taman”?
(Interest in a new circle of people, hope for a romantic adventure, adventurism.)
Why does he feel bitter disappointment?
(“And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a traveling officer, and even traveling for official reasons!..”)
Which story most fully reveals Pechorin's spiritual world?
(Stories “Princess Mary.”)
What kind of society surrounds the hero this time? How is it different from the highlanders, the smugglers?
(The environment surrounding the hero is people equal to him in social origin.)
Then why was there a conflict between this society and Pechorin?
(Among the people of this society there were no people equal to him intellectually.)
What assessment does Pechorin give to Grushnitsky at the beginning of their acquaintance? Why is Pechorin so irreconcilable in his perception of this man?
(Pechorin is unpleasant about Grushnitsky’s manner of pronouncing “ready-made pompous phrases... to produce an effect...” “I don’t like him either, I feel that we will someday collide with him on a narrow road, and one of us will be in trouble.”)
What feature of Pechorin’s character can we highlight?
(The ability to understand the inner essence of a person.)
Why is a clash between Pechorin and Grushnitsky inevitable?
(Grushnitsky is a kind of “double” of Pechorin. Putting on a mask of disappointment and melancholy, he plays the role of an unusual person.
“He speaks quickly and pretentiously: he is one of those people who have ready-made pompous phrases for all occasions...”
“To make an effect is their pleasure.”
“...I could never argue with him. He doesn’t answer your objections, he doesn’t listen to you.”
“His goal is to become the hero of a novel.”
Grushnitsky’s behavior is not only harmless and funny. Under the mask of a hero seemingly disappointed in some cherished aspirations, hides a petty and selfish soul, selfish and evil, filled to the brim with complacency.)
How does Pechorin behave in the duel scene?
(During the duel, Pechorin behaves like a courageous man. Outwardly he is calm. Only after feeling his pulse, Werner noticed signs of excitement in him. The details of the description of nature that Pechorin wrote down in his diary also reveal his experiences: “... it seemed dark and cold down there, like in a coffin; mossy jagged rocks... awaited their prey.")
Does the hero experience the triumph of a winner?
(It’s hard for Pechorin: “I had a stone in my heart. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me... The sight of a man was painful for me: I wanted to be alone...")
(Highlight the true depth and originality of the main character.)
6. Life philosophy of the hero.
We examined the image of Pechorin when meeting with danger. Further, in the hero’s reasoning, his life philosophy emerges.
What does he consider to be perhaps the only pleasure in life?
(“...my first pleasure is to subordinate to my will everything that surrounds me; to arouse for myself a feeling of love, devotion and fear - isn’t this the first sign and the greatest triumph of power...")
What assessment does he give of himself in his diary?
(Pechorin does not spare himself, first of all it is honesty with himself, self-criticism, but at the same time he does not strive to change anything.)
Reflecting on the eternal question, what is happiness, what answer does the hero offer?
(“What is happiness? Saturated pride?”)
What does pride nurtured in a person lead to?
(There will be no real friends nearby who understand people.)
What is friendship in Pechorin’s understanding?
(“... I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other; I cannot be a slave, and in this case, commanding is tedious work...” Pechorin has no real friends.)
What can pride and lack of friends lead to?
(Of course, to loneliness. Pechorin seems to us not just a hero of his time, but a tragic hero.")
A few days before the duel, the hero is occupied with the question of the meaning of life. What does he see as the purpose of his own existence?
(“... why did I live? For what purpose was I born? Oh, 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 passions empty and ungrateful; from their crucible I emerged hard and cold as iron, but I have forever lost the ardor of noble aspirations - the best color of life."
Why can't Pechorin find meaning in life?
(“This man does not bear his suffering indifferently, not apathetically: he madly chases after life, looking for it everywhere; he bitterly accuses himself of his delusions. Internal questions are incessantly heard within him, they disturb him, torment him, and in reflection he seeks their resolution “: he spies every movement of his heart, examines his every thought,” notes V. G. Belinsky, an extraordinary person, endowed with intelligence and willpower, a desire for active activity, cannot manifest himself in the life around him and cannot be happy. can give happiness to anyone. This is his tragedy.)
What are such people called in literature?
(Pechorin can be called a “superfluous” person. He has a lot of vital energy, a need for action, a desire to fight and win. Under favorable conditions, these qualities of his could have been socially useful, but life itself prevented this. Pechorin is a hero of the post-December, tragic era. Reality did not offer him real business; people like Pechorin were “seething in empty action.”)
This is a hero of that time, what would we take in our time? What character traits are necessary for a hero of our time?
7. Lesson summary.
Were we able to consider the history of Pechorin's soul?
Of course, we have touched only on some of the features of the hero’s soul. With the power of his talent, Lermontov created an image that still remains “a secret behind seven seals.”
“The History of the Human Soul” in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time”
The essay is also suitable for the topic “Features of romanticism and realism in the novel.” In his novel “Hero of Our Time,” M. Yu. Lermontov wanted to show “the history of the human soul.” Despite the fact that Pechorin’s vices reflect the vices of an entire generation of youth in the 30s of the 19th century, this image is very individual. This is a very smart, educated, subtle person, not devoid of concepts of honor and dignity. The author builds a narrative scheme in a unique way, violating the chronology of the events of the work. This technique helps the author reveal the image of his hero much more deeply. At first, Pechorin is seen through the eyes of other people. Staff Captain Maxim Maksimych tells the traveling officer about him. This is how we learn about Pechorin, are outraged by his attitude towards the young Circassian Bela, and experience her tragic death together with Maxim Maksimych. But the staff captain only schematically outlines the image of Pechorin; from his words it is impossible to understand the full depth, complexity and inconsistency of this nature.
“he didn’t swing his arms when walking”), passion (wrinkles on his noble forehead, “which appeared much more clearly in moments of anger or mental anxiety”), an evil disposition or, rather, “deep constant sadness” (“his eyes did not laugh when he laughed "). The external portrait of the hero helps to better understand his character. Then Pechorin’s own diary appears on the pages of the novel. In it, the hero very accurately, deeply, truthfully describes his feelings and experiences. The reader is immersed in the complex inner world of the hero. “Taman”, “Princess Mary” and “Fatalist” are a vivid psychological self-portrait of Pechorin.
Despite the fact that Lermontov wrote “the history of the human soul,” neither the novel as a whole nor the “Journal” contains the history of Pechorin’s soul. Everything that would indicate the circumstances in which his character was formed and developed is omitted.
But in the story “Princess Mary” the inner world of the hero appears in especially detail. Lermontov uses all types of psychological introspection: the hero talks about the events of his life in the form of a chronicle diary.
“A Hero of Our Time” has features of both realism and romanticism. Realism mainly lies in the psychological nature of the novel. Pechorin is a typical representative of his time. The author deeply reveals his inner world, describes the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of the hero. Lermontov notes that Pechorin has “immense powers,” but he cannot fully realize them. This is due to the time and society in which the character of the main character was formed. The generation of the 30s saw a dark era of rejection of any ideals or aspirations.
At the same moment, the novel also contains features of romanticism. For example, in “Bel” a popular romantic plot was developed about the love of a European, brought up by civilization, for a “savage” who grew up among the “children of nature” and lives according to the laws of her tribe. But Lermontov does not idealize the highlanders; their morals are described quite realistically. The very image of Bela and her tragic death are romantic.
“Tamani” has a romantic image of “honest smugglers,” especially the girl Ondine.
“The Fatalist” resembles a romantic short story on a philosophical theme. At the center of the heroes’ actions and thoughts was “predestination,” that is, fate, fate.
“A Hero of Our Time” combines realistic and romantic features.
It was M. Yu Lermontov who for the first time in Russian literature raised the problem of the lost generation. The writer expressed in his novel “Hero of Our Time” the deep duality of man, his strength and weakness. Passive rejection of social changes gave rise to loneliness, fears, doubts, and spiritual bitterness.
floats with the flow. In his understanding of the era, in his senseless protest, Pechorin failed, but his thoughts are the painful thoughts of the best people of that time.
“water society”, social events, representatives of the nobility, Grushnitsky, Dr. Werner. The generation of the 30s saw a dark era of rejection of any ideals or aspirations. This is the reason for the author’s condemnation of his generation: it is withering in inaction, passivity, and indifference. Lermontov's generation lived in fear and submission to the authorities. That is why there is such a close connection between the ideological content of the entire novel and the poem “Sadly I look at our generation.”
based on excerpts from his diary. Pechorin was formed as a personality in those circles of the noble intelligentsia, where it was fashionable to ridicule all sincere manifestations of a person. This left an imprint on his character and crippled the hero morally: “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.” Lermontov depicted not just a portrait of a hero of the era, but “the story of the human soul.”
admits that he considers himself the cause of the misfortunes of others, he is tired of the pleasures of high society.
“became skilled in the science of life.” The hero is closed in on himself and suffers from loneliness. Pechorin expected a lot from the transfer to the Caucasus, but soon the danger became familiar to him. Bela's love did not bring spiritual renewal. But Pechorin cannot remain alone. He is constantly attracted to communication with people. He is attracted by danger, everything that excites the blood.
Lermontov compares favorably with his other contemporaries in that he is concerned with questions of awareness of human existence, purpose and meaning of life. He feels immense powers within himself, but does not know how to use them.
The world around Pechorin is built on spiritual slavery - people torture each other in order to gain pleasure from the suffering of others. The offended person, in turn, dreams of only one thing - to take revenge on the offender, to humiliate not only him, but the whole society, the whole world.
Left alone with himself, Pechorin is merciless not only towards his opponents, but also towards himself. For all failures, he blames himself, first of all. Pechorin constantly feels his moral inferiority. He constantly talks about the two halves of the soul, that the best part of the soul has “dried up,” “evaporated, died.” The hero blames the world, people, time for his spiritual slavery, and is disappointed in everything that once pleased him. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, Pechorin’s definition of a “superfluous person” became firmly established. Lermontov sincerely regrets the bitter fate of his contemporaries, many of whom turned out to be superfluous people in their country. Arguing about whether there is predestination in life, Pechorin turns his life into a chain of experiments on himself and others. According to Lermontov, a generation that has lost faith in goodness and justice deprives itself of confidence in the future. Pechorin himself notes that his generation is no longer capable of sacrifice.
“water society” with their petty passions, on the other hand, the traits of the generation find their expression in the image of the main character, his suffering and search. The author calls on his generation not to go with the flow, not to adapt to evil and violence, not to wait, but to act, to resist meanness and passivity.
Essays on literature: “The history of the human soul” in the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time” In the preface to the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov defines his writing task - to paint a “modern man,” “a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation.” Belinsky called the novel “a sad thought about our time.” The peculiarity of the novel is that the portrait of time is drawn as the story of one human soul. Pechorin himself, reflecting on his life, finds in it much in common with the fate of his generation. “We are no longer capable of making great sacrifices, either for the good of humanity, or even for our own happiness, because we know its impossibility and indifferently move from doubt to doubt.” The task of recreating the story of one soul allowed Lermontov to draw the complex and contradictory character of the hero. There is a lot of cruelty and selfishness in Pechorin’s actions and thoughts. He treats Maxim Maksimych pointedly coldly, who enthusiastically greeted him after a long separation; is the cause of Bela's death; plays with the feelings of Princess Mary, which is why she believes that he is “worse than a murderer.” He talks cynically about friendship (“Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other”), about love (“Women love only those they do not know”), about happiness (“What is happiness? Saturated pride”), about suffering and joy others only in relation to oneself.
Pechorin brings suffering to everyone he meets: Bela, “honest smugglers,” Mary, Grushnitsky, Maxim Maksimych. But this does not prevent him from being very strict with himself. He calls himself a “moral cripple,” an “executioner” (“I play the pathetic role of an executioner,” “I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate”). He realizes that he has lived an empty and aimless life: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?” He does not see the meaning and joy in life: “I am like a man yawning at a ball, who does not go to bed only because his carriage is not yet there.” However, Pechorin's soul consists not only of dark sides. This is a hero who longs for love, goodness and beauty, and is capable of good. Sometimes his “cold, powerless despair” breaks through.
Lermontov portrays his shock at Bela’s death (albeit hidden from prying eyes), his passionate tragic love for Vera, his ability to feel nature (in the scene before the duel with Grushnitsky). The charm of Pechorin's personality lies in his sharp mind, in the ability to look at himself from the outside, in the strength of character, in the desire to create his own destiny. “I always move forward more boldly when I don’t know what awaits me.” Even in the pitiful Trutnitsky, he hopes to see the awakening of nobility and conscience. For all the originality and uniqueness of Pechorin’s personality, his life is “a smooth path without a goal.” This is the tragedy of a “hero of his time.” What could Pechorin direct his rich spiritual potential to? The socio-psychological conditions of the era, which require blind obedience to traditions and obedience, do not provide space and true meaning in the life of such a person. Disappointment and skepticism are also a feature of the times.
Characterizing the Pechorin generation, Herzen wrote: “Forced to remain silent, we learned, withdrawing into ourselves, to harbor our thoughts - and what thoughts!.. They were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage.”
"Hero of Our Time" is a very exciting work by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. This novel contains many philosophical thoughts. In addition, it tells the story of the soul of the main character - Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin.
It is important to note the unusual compositional structure of the novel. The chapters in it are not arranged in the correct chronological order, so the reader may initially be confused by Pechorin's behavior.
The very first chapter in chronological order should be the “Taman” chapter. It is with this part that Pechorin’s diary begins. Grigory ended up in this city on official business, but he doesn’t like the city at all: “Taman is the worst little town of all the coastal cities of Russia. I almost died of hunger there, and on top of that they wanted to drown me.” Besides all this , Pechorin finds himself in a rather strange and suspicious environment.
In the chapter "Taman" Lermontov began to reveal the character of Pechorin. He does not think at all about other people, he cares only about his own interests and needs. Pechorin distorted the fates of other people, which he himself discusses: “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!”
What follows is the most voluminous part of the novel - Princess Mary. It can be distinguished as an independent story. This chapter reveals Pechorin's difficult relationship with society, his ability to feel, and the fickleness of his soul. The reader sees a complete disclosure of the essence of Pechorin. The complexity and beauty of the chapter's plot can attract anyone.
The chapter "Bela" is very significant in this novel. It is easy to notice the contrast between Pechorin and Belaya herself. Bela is ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of love, but for Pechorin there is nothing more expensive than himself. This part of life is very instructive for the main character. He realized: “The love of a savage is no better than the love of a noble lady.” Pechorin hoped to find happiness with Bela. But, alas, Bela dies tragically. After this incident, Pechorin despaired of finding the love of his life.
The chapter “Fatalist” completes the novel; in addition, it is the last in Pechorin’s diary itself. The basis of this chapter is a bet between Lieutenant Vulich and Pechorin. Then Vulich invited Gregory to check whether a person can live regardless of the predictions of his fate, or whether everything is destined from above.
Grigory makes a bet and loses it - the gun misfired. Here Pechorin showed himself to be a cynic: “Everyone dispersed, accusing me of selfishness, as if I had made a bet with a man who wanted to shoot himself, and without me it was as if he could not find an opportunity!” Pechorin convinces himself of the existence of a predetermined fate. Another proof of this was the death of Vulich: “After all this, how can one not become a fatalist? How often do we mistake for a belief a deception of feelings or a lapse of reason...”
The chapter "Maksim Maksimych" is the latest in terms of time of action. She takes her rightful place in the novel. The chapter describes the last meeting of Maxim Maksimych with Pechorin. However, Pechorin was quite cold towards the old man. Maxim Maksimych concluded: “Oh, really, it’s a pity that he will end badly... and it can’t be otherwise! I’ve always said that there’s no use in those who forget old friends!” His words became prophetic - Pechorin dies in Persia.
The work of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, and especially “Hero of Our Time,” had a great influence on Russian literature. His narrative of the development of the human soul is a heritage of Russian literature of the 19th century.
In the preface to the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov defines his writing task - to draw “modern man,” “a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation.” Belinsky called the novel “a sad thought about our time.”
The peculiarity of the novel is that the portrait of time is drawn as the story of one human soul. Pechorin himself, reflecting on his life, finds in it much in common with the fate of his generation. “We are no longer capable of making great sacrifices, either for the good of humanity, or even for our own happiness, because we know its impossibility and indifferently move from doubt to doubt.”
The task of recreating the story of one soul allowed Lermontov to draw the complex and contradictory character of the hero. There is a lot of cruelty and selfishness in Pechorin’s actions and thoughts. He treats Maxim Maksimych pointedly coldly, who enthusiastically greeted him after a long separation; is the cause of Bela's death; plays with the feelings of Princess Mary, so she believes that he is “worse than a murderer.” He talks cynically about friendship (“Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other”), about love (“Women love only those they do not know”), about happiness (“What is happiness? Saturated pride”), about suffering and joy others only in relation to oneself. Pechorin brings suffering to everyone he meets: Bela, “honest smugglers,” Mary, Grushnitsky, Maxim Maksimych.
But this does not prevent him from being very strict with himself. He calls himself a “moral cripple”, “executioner” (“I play the pathetic role of the executioner”, “I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate”). He realizes that he has lived an empty and aimless life: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?” He does not see the meaning and joy in life: “I am like a man yawning at a ball, who does not go to bed only because his carriage is not yet there.” However, Pechorin's soul consists not only of dark sides. This is a hero who longs for love, goodness and beauty, and is capable of good. Sometimes his “cold, powerless despair” breaks through. Lermontov portrays his shock at Bela’s death (albeit hidden from prying eyes), his passionate tragic love for Vera, his ability to feel nature (in the scene before the duel with Grushnitsky).
The charm of Pechorin's personality lies in his sharp mind, in the ability to look at himself from the outside, in the strength of character, in the desire to create his own destiny. “I always move forward more boldly when I don’t know what awaits me.” Even in the pitiful Trutnitsky, he hopes to see the awakening of nobility and conscience.
With all the originality and uniqueness of Pechorin’s personality, his life is “a smooth path without a goal.” This is the tragedy of a “hero of his time.” What could Pechorin direct his rich spiritual potential to? The socio-psychological conditions of the era, which require blind obedience to traditions and obedience, do not provide space and true meaning in the life of such a person.
Disappointment and skepticism are also a feature of the times. Characterizing the Pechorin generation, Herzen wrote: “Forced to remain silent, we learned, withdrawing into ourselves, to harbor our thoughts - and what thoughts!.. They were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage.”
The essay is also suitable for the topic “Features of romanticism and realism in the novel.” In his novel “Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov wanted to show “the history of the human soul.” Despite the fact that Pechorin’s vices reflect the vices of an entire generation of youth in the 30s of the 19th century, this image is very individual. This is a very smart, educated, subtle person, not devoid of concepts of honor and dignity. The author builds a narrative scheme in a unique way, violating the chronology of the events of the work. This technique helps the author reveal the image of his hero much more deeply. At first, Pechorin is seen through the eyes of other people. Staff Captain Maxim Maksimych tells the traveling officer about him. This is how we learn about Pechorin, are outraged by his attitude towards the young Circassian Bela, and experience her tragic death together with Maxim Maksimych. But the staff captain only schematically outlines the image of Pechorin; from his words it is impossible to understand the full depth, complexity and inconsistency of this nature.
Then the wandering officer himself sees Pechorin and conveys to the readers his feelings: he guesses the secrecy of character (“he did not swing his arms while walking”), passion (wrinkles on the noble forehead, “indicated much more clearly in moments of anger or mental anxiety”), evil disposition, or rather , “deep constant sadness” (“his eyes did not laugh when he laughed”). The external portrait of the hero helps to better understand his character. Then Pechorin’s own diary appears on the pages of the novel. In it, the hero very accurately, deeply, truthfully describes his feelings and experiences. The reader is immersed in the complex inner world of the hero. “Taman”, “Princess Mary” and “Fatalist” are a vivid psychological self-portrait of Pechorin.
Despite the fact that Lermontov wrote “the history of the human soul,” neither the novel as a whole nor the “Journal” contains the history of Pechorin’s soul. Everything that would indicate the circumstances in which his character was formed and developed is omitted.
But in the story “Princess Mary” the inner world of the hero appears in especially detail. Lermontov uses all types of psychological introspection: the hero talks about the events of his life in the form of a chronicle diary.
“A Hero of Our Time” has features of both realism and romanticism. Realism mainly lies in the psychological nature of the novel. Pechorin is a typical representative of his time. The author deeply reveals his inner world, describes the experiences, thoughts, and feelings of the hero. Lermontov notes that Pechorin has “immense powers,” but he cannot fully realize them. This is due to the time and society in which the character of the main character was formed. The generation of the 30s saw a dark era of rejection of any ideals or aspirations.
At the same moment, the novel also contains features of romanticism. For example, in “Bel” a popular romantic plot was developed about the love of a European, brought up by civilization, for a “savage” who grew up among the “children of nature” and lives according to the laws of her tribe. But Lermontov does not idealize the highlanders; their morals are described quite realistically. The very image of Bela and her tragic death are romantic.
In "Taman" the image of "honest smugglers", especially the girl Ondine, is romantic.
The story “Fatalist” resembles a romantic short story on a philosophical theme. At the center of the heroes’ actions and thoughts was “predestination,” that is, fate, fate.
Thus, the novel “A Hero of Our Time” combines realistic and romantic features.
It was M. Yu Lermontov who for the first time in Russian literature raised the problem of the lost generation. The writer expressed in his novel “Hero of Our Time” the deep duality of man, his strength and weakness. Passive rejection of social changes gave rise to loneliness, fears, doubts, and spiritual bitterness.
The main character of the novel, Pechorin, was an exponent of the vices of the entire generation. Critic V.G. Belinsky noticed that in Pechorin’s very vices there was something great hidden. The hero does not bow his head to time, does not go with the flow. In his understanding of the era, in his senseless protest, Pechorin failed, but his thoughts are the painful thoughts of the best people of that time.
Through his eyes, the reader sees the “water society”, social events, representatives of the noble class, Grushnitsky, Dr. Werner. The generation of the 30s saw a dark era of rejection of any ideals or aspirations. This is the reason for the author’s condemnation of his generation: it is withering in inaction, passivity, and indifference. Lermontov's generation lived in fear and submission to the authorities. That is why there is such a close connection between the ideological content of the entire novel and the poem “Sadly I look at our generation.”
Showing the importance of environment and circumstances, Lermontov in the image of his hero focuses not on the process of his formation, but on the result of his development. The reader learns about the hero’s childhood and youth only from excerpts from his diary. Pechorin was formed as a personality in those circles of the noble intelligentsia, where it was fashionable to ridicule all sincere manifestations of a person. This left an imprint on his character and crippled the hero morally: “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.” Lermontov depicted not just a portrait of a hero of the era, but “the story of the human soul.”
Lermontov speaks in the preface about the typicality of his hero. But the author hopes that readers will find justification for the actions for which a person has been accused until now. Pechorin opens up to Maxim Maksimych, admits that he considers himself the cause of the misfortunes of others, he is tired of the pleasures of high society.
The hero believes that his soul is corrupted by light. He learned well the springs of society and “became skilled in the science of life.” The hero is closed in on himself and suffers from loneliness. Pechorin expected a lot from the transfer to the Caucasus, but soon the danger became familiar to him. Bela's love did not bring spiritual renewal. But Pechorin cannot remain alone. He is constantly attracted to communication with people. He is attracted by danger, everything that excites the blood.
Lermontov compares favorably with his other contemporaries in that he is concerned with questions of awareness of human existence, purpose and meaning of life. He feels immense powers within himself, but does not know how to use them.
The world around Pechorin is built on spiritual slavery - people torture each other in order to gain pleasure from the suffering of others. The offended person, in turn, dreams of only one thing - to take revenge on the offender, to humiliate not only him, but the whole society, the whole world.
Left alone with himself, Pechorin is merciless not only towards his opponents, but also towards himself. For all failures, he blames himself, first of all. Pechorin constantly feels his moral inferiority. He constantly talks about the two halves of the soul, that the best part of the soul has “dried up,” “evaporated, died.” The hero blames the world, people, time for his spiritual slavery, and is disappointed in everything that once pleased him. Starting from the second half of the 19th century, Pechorin’s definition of a “superfluous person” became firmly established. Lermontov sincerely regrets the bitter fate of his contemporaries, many of whom turned out to be superfluous people in their country. Arguing about whether there is predestination in life, Pechorin turns his life into a chain of experiments on himself and others. According to Lermontov, a generation that has lost faith in goodness and justice deprives itself of confidence in the future. Pechorin himself notes that his generation is no longer capable of sacrifice.
