Grigory Pechorin is the central character of M. Yu. Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time", which appeared in the late 30s and early 40s of the 19th century and caused an ambiguous and very diverse reaction among readers. This is the first socio-psychological novel in Russian classical literature, and all the plot twists and turns, events and minor characters are shown in order to fully reveal Pechorin's character and personal characteristics.

The novel includes five novellas, representing some stages in the development of Pechorin's personality and the disclosure of all the depths of his difficult and ambiguous character to the reader.

Characteristics of the hero

Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is an attractive young aristocrat and officer from St. Petersburg, a typical representative of the youth of the 30s of the nineteenth century. He has received a proper education and upbringing, is rich and independent, has an attractive appearance and is popular with people of the opposite sex. However, he is dissatisfied with his life and is spoiled by luxury. He quickly gets bored with everything and he does not see an opportunity for himself to become happy. Pechorin is in perpetual motion and in search of himself: he is in a Caucasian fortress, then on vacation in Pyatigorsk, then together with smugglers in Taman. Even his death lies in wait when he travels from Persia to his homeland.

With the help of a detailed description of the hero's appearance, the author tries to reveal his character to us. Pechorin is not deprived of male attractiveness, is strong, slender and fit, the military uniform suits him very much. He has curly blond hair, expressive brown eyes, cold and haughty, they never laugh and it is impossible to read thoughts from their expression. Blond hair combined with dark mustache and eyebrows give his appearance individuality and originality.

(Pechorin on horseback, drawing)

Pechorin's soul is burning with a thirst for activity, but he does not know where to apply himself, and therefore wherever he appears he sows evil and sorrow around. Because of a stupid duel, his friend Grushnitsky dies, through his fault the daughter of the Caucasian prince Circassian Bela dies, for the sake of entertainment he falls in love with himself, and then without regret abandons Princess Mary. Because of him, the only woman he loved, Vera, also suffers, but he also cannot make her happy and she is doomed to suffer.

The image of the main character

Pechorin reaches out to people, longs for communication, but does not see a response in their souls, because he is not like them, their thoughts, desires and feelings do not coincide at all, which makes him strange and unlike others. Pechorin, like Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, is burdened by his calm and measured life, but unlike the Pushkin hero, he is constantly looking for ways to add spice to his life, and not finding it, he suffers greatly from this. His own whims have always been and will be in the first place for him, and to satisfy his desires, he is ready for anything. He likes to manipulate people and subjugate them, he enjoys power over them.

At the same time, Pechorin also has positive qualities and, in addition to reproaches and censure, deserves sympathy and sympathy. He is distinguished by a sharp mind and judging others, he is rather self-critical and demanding of himself. Pechorin is not alien to poetry and lyrical moods, he subtly feels nature and admires its beauty. During the duel, he shows enviable courage and courage, he does not coward and does not retreat back, his cold-bloodedness is at its best. Despite his own egoism, Pechorin is capable of real feelings, for example, towards Vera, it turns out that he can also be sincere and know how to love.

(M.A. Vrubel "Duel of Pechorin with Grushnitsky" 1890-1891)

Pechorin's personality is so complex and ambiguous that it is impossible to say with certainty what feelings he evokes in readers: sharp condemnation and hostility, or all the same sympathy and understanding. The main features of his character are the contradiction between his thoughts and actions, opposition to the surrounding circumstances and twists of fate. The hero is seething with desires to act, but most often his actions result either in empty and unnecessary actions, or, on the contrary, bring pain and misfortune to his loved ones. Having created the image of Pechorin, a kind of hero of his time, whose prototypes Lermontov met at every step, the author wanted to focus on the moral responsibility of each person for his thoughts and actions, for life choices and how it can affect the people around him.

Describes only some episodes from the adult life of the hero, when his character was already formed. The first impression is that Gregory is a strong personality. He is an officer, a physically healthy man of attractive appearance, active, purposeful, has a sense of humor. What is not a hero? Nevertheless, Lermontov himself calls the main character of the novel such a bad person that it is even difficult to believe in his existence.

Pechorin grew up in a wealthy aristocratic family. He did not need anything since childhood. But material abundance also has a downside - the meaning of a person's life is lost. The desire to strive for something, to grow spiritually disappears. This happened with the hero of the novel. Pechorin finds no use for his abilities.

He quickly got tired of metropolitan life with empty entertainment. The love of the beauties of the world, though pleasing to vanity, did not touch the strings of the heart. The thirst for knowledge also did not bring satisfaction: all sciences quickly got bored. Even at a young age, Pechorin realized that neither happiness nor fame depend on the sciences. "The happiest people are ignorant, and fame is good luck, and in order to achieve it, you just have to be clever".

Our hero tried to compose and travel, which was done by many young aristocrats of that time. But these studies did not give meaning to Gregory's life. Therefore, boredom constantly pursued the officer and did not allow him to escape from him. Although Gregory tried his best to do it. Pechorin all the time in search of adventure, daily tests his fate: in war, in pursuit of smugglers, in a duel, breaking into the house of the killer. He tries in vain to find a place in the world where his sharp mind, energy and strength of character could be useful. At the same time, Pechorin does not consider it necessary to listen to his heart. He lives with his mind, guided by a cold reason. And it constantly fails.

But the saddest thing is that people close to him suffer from the hero's actions: Vulich, Bela and her father are tragically killed, Grushnitsky is killed in a duel, Azamat becomes a criminal, Mary and Vera suffer, Maxim Maksimych is offended and offended, the smugglers run in fright, leaving them to their own devices. the fate of the blind boy and the old woman.

It seems that, in search of new adventures, Pechorin cannot stop at nothing. He breaks hearts and destroys people's lives. He knows about the suffering of others, but he does not give up the pleasure of deliberately torturing them. The hero calls "Sweet food for pride" the ability to be the cause of happiness or suffering for someone without having the right to do so.

Pechorin is disappointed in life, in social activities, in people. A sense of despondency and despair, uselessness and uselessness lives in him. In his diary, Gregory constantly analyzes his actions, thoughts and experiences. He tries to understand himself, revealing the true reasons for his actions. But at the same time, he blames society for everything, and not himself.

True, episodes of remorse and a desire to adequately look at things are not alien to the hero. Pechorin was able to self-critically identify himself "A moral cripple" and, in fact, he was right. And what a passionate impulse to see and explain with Vera. But these minutes are short-lived, and the hero, once again absorbed by boredom and introspection, shows mental callousness, indifference, individualism.

In the preface to the novel, Lermontov called the main character a sick person. At the same time, he had in mind the soul of Gregory. The tragedy lies in the fact that Pechorin suffers not only because of his vices, but also because of his positive qualities, feeling how much strength and talents are dying in him in vain. Not finding the meaning of life in the end, Gregory decides that his only purpose is to destroy the hopes of people.

Pechorin is one of the most controversial characters in Russian literature. In his image, originality, giftedness, energy, honesty and courage in a strange way coexist with skepticism, disbelief and contempt for people. According to Maksim Maksimovich, Pechorin's soul consists of some contradictions. He has a strong physique, but an unusual weakness appears in him. He is thirty years old, but there is something childish in the hero's face. When Gregory laughs, his eyes remain sad.

According to Russian tradition, the author experiences Pechorin with two main feelings: love and friendship. However, the hero does not stand a single test. Psychological experiments with Mary and Bela show Pechorin a subtle connoisseur of human souls and a cruel cynic. The desire to win the love of women, Gregory explains exclusively by ambition. Gregory is not capable of friendship either.

The death of Pechorin is indicative. He dies on the way, on the way to distant Persia. Probably, Lermontov believed that a person who brings only suffering to loved ones is always doomed to loneliness.

• "A Hero of Our Time", a summary of the chapters of the novel by Lermontov
• Bela's image in Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time"

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Man is always driven by the desire to know his destiny. Should you go with the flow or resist it? What position in society will be correct, should all actions comply with moral norms? These and similar questions often become the main ones for young people who actively comprehend the world and the human essence. Youthful maximalism requires clear answers to these problematic questions, but it is not always possible to give an answer.

It is about such a seeker of answers that M.Yu. Lermontov in his novel A Hero of Our Time. It should be noted that with writing prose, Mikhail Yuryevich was always on the "you" and his same position remained until the end of his life - all the novels in prose he started were never completed. Lermontov had the courage to bring the case with "Hero" to a logical conclusion. Perhaps that is why the composition, manner of presentation of the material and style of narration look, against the background of other novels, rather unusual.

A Hero of Our Time is a work imbued with the spirit of the era. The characterization of Pechorin, the central figure of Mikhail Lermontov's novel, makes it possible to better understand the atmosphere of the 1830s, the time when the work was written. It is not for nothing that the “Hero of Our Time” is recognized by critics as the most mature and large-scale in the philosophical sense of Mikhail Lermontov's novels.

The historical context is of great importance for understanding the novel. In the 1830s, Russian history was reactive. In 1825, the Decembrist uprising took place, and the following years contributed to the development of a mood of loss. The Nikolaev reaction knocked many young people off the track: young people did not know which vector of behavior and life to choose, how to make life meaningful.

This was the reason for the emergence of restless personalities, unnecessary people.

The origin of Pechorin

Basically in the novel, one character is highlighted, which is the central character in the narrative. One gets the impression that this principle was rejected by Lermontov - based on the events told to the reader, the main character is Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin - a young man, an officer. However, the style of the narration gives rise to doubt - the position in the text of Maxim Maksimovich is also quite weighty.

In fact, this is a delusion - Mikhail Yuryevich has repeatedly emphasized that in his novel the main character is Pechorin, this corresponds to the main goal of the narrative - to tell about typical people of the generation, to point out their vices and mistakes.

Lermontov provides rather scant information about childhood, the conditions of upbringing and the influence of parents on the process of forming Pechorin's positions and preferences. Several fragments of his past life slightly open this veil - we learn that Grigory Alexandrovich was born in St. Petersburg. His parents, according to the existing order, tried to give their son a proper education, but the young Pechorin did not feel a burden to the sciences, they "quickly bored him" and he decided to devote himself to military service. Perhaps such an act is connected not with the arisen interest in military affairs, but with the special disposition of society towards military people. The uniform made it possible to brighten up even the most unattractive actions and character traits, because the military was loved already for what they are. In society it was difficult to find representatives who did not have a military rank - military service was considered honorable and everyone wanted to "try on" honor and glory along with the uniform.

As it turned out, military affairs did not bring proper satisfaction and Pechorin quickly became disillusioned with it. Grigory Alexandrovich was sent to the Caucasus, as he was involved in a duel. The events that happened to the young man in this area form the basis of Lermontov's novel.

Characteristics of the actions and deeds of Pechorin

The reader gets the first impressions of the main character of Lermontov's novel by meeting Maxim Maksimych. The man served with Pechorin in the Caucasus, in a fortress. It was the story of a girl named Bela. Pechorin did bad things to Bela: out of boredom, while having fun, the young man stole a Circassian girl. Bela is a beauty, at first cold with Pechorin. Gradually, the young man kindles in Bela's heart the flame of love for him, but as soon as the Circassian woman fell in love with Pechorin, he immediately lost interest in her.

Pechorin destroys the fate of other people, makes others suffer, but remains indifferent to the consequences of his actions. Bela and the girl's father are killed. Pechorin remembers the girl, regrets Bela, the past echoes in the hero's soul with bitterness, but does not cause remorse in Pechorin. While Bela was alive, Grigory told his friend that he still loved the girl, felt gratitude to her, but boredom remained the same, and it was boredom that decided everything.

An attempt to find satisfaction, happiness pushes the young man to experiments, which the hero puts on living people. Psychological games, meanwhile, turn out to be useless: the same emptiness remains in the hero's soul. The same motives accompany Pechorin's exposure of the "honest smugglers": the hero's act does not bring good results, only leaving the blind boy and old woman on the brink of survival.

The love of a wild Caucasian beauty or a noblewoman - it doesn't matter for Pechorin. The next time for the experiment, the hero chooses an aristocrat - Princess Mary. The handsome Gregory plays with the girl, causing Mary to love him in her soul, but after that he leaves the princess, breaking her heart.

The reader learns about the situation with Princess Mary and the smugglers from the diary that the main character started, wishing to understand himself. In the end, even the diary bothers Pechorin: any activity ends in boredom. Grigory Alexandrovich does not bring anything to the end, unable to endure the suffering from the loss of interest in the subject of his former passion. Pechorin's records accumulate in a suitcase, which falls into the hands of Maxim Maksimych. The man experiences a strange affection for Pechorin, perceiving the young man as a friend. Maxim Maksimych keeps Grigory's notebooks and diaries, hoping to give the suitcase to a friend. But the young man is indifferent to fame, fame, Pechorin does not want to publish records, so diaries turn out to be unnecessary waste paper. This secular disinterest of Pechorin is the peculiarity and value of the hero of Lermontov.

Pechorin has one important feature - sincerity towards himself. The hero's actions evoke antipathy and even condemnation in the reader, but one thing must be admitted: Pechorin is open and honest, and a touch of vice comes from weak will and the inability to resist the influence of society.

Pechorin and Onegin

After the first publications of Lermontov's novel, both readers and literary critics began to compare Pechorin from Lermontov's novel and Onegin from Pushkin's work. Both heroes share similar character traits, certain actions. As the researchers note, both Pechorin and Onegin were named according to the same principle. The names of the heroes are based on the name of the river - Onega and Pechora, respectively. But the symbolism does not end there.

Pechora is a river in the northern part of Russia (modern Komi Republic and Nanets Autonomous Okrug), by its nature it is a typical mountain river. Onega is located in the modern Arkhangelsk region and is quieter. The nature of the flow has a relationship with the characters of the heroes named after them. Pechorin's life is full of doubts and active searches for his place in society, he, like a seething stream, sweeps away everything without a trace in his path. Onegin is deprived of such a scale of destructive power, complexity and inability to realize oneself cause in him a state of dull melancholy.

Byronism and the "extra man"

In order to fully perceive the image of Pechorin, to understand his character, motives and actions, it is necessary to have knowledge about the Byronic and superfluous hero.

The first concept came to Russian literature from England. Dzh.Bynov in his poem "Childe-Harold's Pilgrimage" created a unique image endowed with a desire to actively search for their destiny, the characteristics of egocentrism, dissatisfaction and desire for change.

The second is a phenomenon that arose in Russian literature itself and denotes a person who was ahead of his time and therefore alien and incomprehensible to those around him. Or one who, based on his knowledge and understanding of everyday truths, is higher in the development of others and, as a result, he is not accepted by society. Such characters become the cause of suffering for female representatives who love them.

Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is a classic representative of romanticism, who combined the concepts of Byronism and the superfluous person. Despondency, boredom and spleen are the product of this combination.

Mikhail Lermontov considered the history of the life of an individual more interesting than the history of the people. Circumstances make Pechorin a "superfluous person". The hero is talented and intelligent, but the tragedy of Grigory Alexandrovich consists in the absence of a goal, in the inability to adapt himself, his talents to this world, in the general restlessness of the personality. In this, Pechorin's personality is an example of a typical decadent.

The strength of a young man is spent not on finding a goal, not on self-realization, but on adventure. Sometimes, literary critics compare the images of Pushkin's Eugene Onegin and Lermontov's Grigory Pechorin: Onegin is bored, and Pechorin is suffering.

After the Decembrists were exiled, progressive trends and tendencies also succumbed to persecution. For Pechorin, a progressive-minded person, this meant the onset of a period of stagnation. Onegin has every opportunity to take the side of the people's cause, but refrains from doing so. Pechorin, having a desire to reform society, is deprived of such an opportunity. The wealth of spiritual forces Grigory Alexandrovich ruins on trifles: he hurts the girls, Vera and Princess Mary suffer because of the hero, Bela dies ...

Pechorin was ruined by society and circumstances. The hero keeps a diary, where he notes that, as a child, he spoke only the truth, but the adults did not believe in the boy's words.

Then Gregory became disillusioned with life and former ideals: a lie took the place of truth. As a young man, Pechorin sincerely loved the world. Society laughed at him and this love - Gregory's kindness turned into malice.

The secular environment, literature quickly bored the hero. Hobbies were replaced by other passions. Only travel can save you from boredom and disappointment. Mikhail Lermontov unfolds on the pages of the novel the whole evolution of the personality of the protagonist: the characteristic of Pechorin is revealed to the reader by all the central episodes of the formation of the hero's personality.

The character of Grigory Alexandrovich is accompanied by actions, behavior, decisions that more fully reveal the personality traits of the character. Pechorin is also evaluated by other heroes of Lermontov's novel, for example, Maxim Maksimych, who notices the contradictory nature of Grigory. Pechorin is a strong, strong-bodied young man, but sometimes the hero is overcome by a strange physical weakness. Grigory Alexandrovich turned 30 years old, but the hero's face is full of childish features, and in appearance the hero is no more than 23 years old. The hero laughs, but at the same time sadness can be seen in Pechorin's eyes. The opinions about Pechorin, expressed by different characters in the novel, allow readers to look at the hero, respectively, from different positions.

The death of Pechorin expresses the idea of \u200b\u200bMikhail Lermontov: a person who has not found a goal remains superfluous, unnecessary for the environment. Such a person cannot serve for the good of mankind, does not represent value for society and the fatherland.

In The Hero of Our Time, the writer described the entire generation of his contemporaries - young people who have lost the purpose and meaning of life. Just as Hemingway's generation is considered lost, so Lermontov's generation is considered lost, superfluous, restless. These young people are prone to boredom, which turns into a vice in the context of the development of the local society.

Pechorin's appearance and age

At the time of the beginning of the narrative, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin is 25 years old. He looks very good, well-groomed, so in some moments it seems that he is much younger than he really is. There was nothing unusual about his height and build: medium height, strong athletic build. He was a man with pleasant features. As the author notes, he had a "unique face", one that women love madly. Light, naturally curly hair, a "slightly upturned" nose, snow-white teeth and a cute childish smile - all this complements his appearance.

His eyes, brown in color, seemed to live a separate life - they never laughed when their owner laughed. Lermontov names two reasons for this phenomenon - either we are facing a man of evil disposition, or in a state of deep depression. What kind of explanation (or both at once) are applicable to the hero Lermontov does not give a direct answer - the reader will have to analyze these facts themselves.

The expression on his face is also incapable of expressing any emotion. Pechorin does not restrain himself - he simply lacks the ability to empathize.

The heavy, unpleasant look finally smears this look.

As you can see, Grigory Alexandrovich looks like a porcelain doll - his cute face with childish features seems to be a frozen mask, and not the face of a real person.

Pechorin's clothes are always neat and clean - this is one of those principles that Grigory Alexandrovich follows impeccably - an aristocrat cannot be an untidy slob.

While in the Caucasus, Pechorin easily leaves his usual outfit in the closet and puts on the national male Circassian dress. Many people say that these clothes make him look like a true Kabardian - sometimes people belonging to this nationality do not look so impressive. Pechorin looks more like a Kabardian than the Kabardians themselves. But in these clothes he is a dandy - the length of the fur, the decoration, the color and size of the clothes - everything is chosen with extraordinary care.

Characteristics of character traits

Pechorin is a classic representative of the aristocracy. He himself comes from a noble family, who received a decent upbringing and education (knows French, dances well). All his life he lived in abundance, this fact allowed him to start his journey of searching for his destiny and such an occupation that would not let him get bored.

At first, the attention given to him by women pleasantly flattered Grigory Alexandrovich, but soon he was able to study the types of behavior of all women and therefore communication with the ladies became boring and predictable for him. The impulses to create his own family are alien to him, and as soon as it comes to hints about a wedding, his ardor for the girl instantly disappears.

Pechorin is not assiduous - sciences and reading catch up with him even more than secular society, blues. A rare exception in this regard is provided by the works of Walter Scott.

When secular life became too painful for him, and travel, literary activity and science did not bring the desired result, Pechorin decides to start a military career. He, as is customary among the aristocracy, serves in the Petersburg Guard. But even here he does not stay long - participation in a duel dramatically changes his life - for this offense he is exiled to serve in the Caucasus.

If Pechorin were a hero of the folk epic, then the word "strange" would be his constant epithet. All heroes find in him something unusual, different from other people. This fact is not related to habits, mental or psychological development - here it is just about the ability to express your emotions, adhere to the same position - sometimes Grigory Alexandrovich is very contradictory.

He likes to deliver pain and suffering to others, he realizes this and understands that such behavior does not paint not only him specifically, but also any person. And yet he does not try to restrain himself. Pechorin, compares himself to a vampire - the realization that someone will spend the night in mental anguish is incredibly flattered to him.

Pechorin is persistent and stubborn, this creates many problems for him, because of this, he often finds himself in not the most pleasant situations, but here courage and determination come to his rescue.

Grigory Alexandrovich becomes the cause of the destruction of the life paths of many people. By his grace, the blind boy and the old woman remain abandoned to their fate (an episode with the smugglers), Vulich, Bella and her father die, Pechorin's friend dies in a duel at the hands of Pechorin himself, Azamat becomes a criminal. This list can still be replenished with many names of people whom the main character insulted, became a reason for resentment and depression. Does Pechorin know and understand the full severity of the consequences of his actions? Quite, but this fact does not bother him - he does not value his life either, not that the fate of other people.

Thus, the image of Pechorin is contradictory and ambiguous. On the one hand, you can easily find positive character traits in him, but on the other hand, callousness and selfishness confidently reduce all his positive achievements to nothing - Grigory Aleksandrovich destroys his own fate and the fate of the people around him with his recklessness. He is a destructive force that is difficult to resist.

Psychological portrait of Grigory Pechorin

To represent the character traits of the character Lermontov helps the appeal to the appearance and habits of the hero. For example, Pechorin is distinguished by a lazy and careless gait, but at the same time, the hero's gestures do not indicate that Pechorin is a secretive person. The young man's forehead was spoiled with wrinkles, and when Grigory Alexandrovich was sitting, the impression was created that the hero was tired. When Pechorin's lips laughed, his eyes remained motionless, sad.

Pechorin's fatigue manifested itself in the fact that the hero's passion did not linger for a long time in any object or person. Grigory Alexandrovich said that in life he is guided not by the dictates of the heart, but by the orders of the head. This is coldness, rationality, periodically interrupted by a short-term riot of feelings. Pechorin is characterized by a feature called fatality. The young man is not afraid to go to the wild boar, looking for adventure and risk, as if tempting fate.

The contradictions in Pechorin's characterization are manifested in the fact that with the courage described above, the hero is frightened by the slightest crackle of window shutters or the sound of rain. Pechorin is a fatalist, but at the same time convinced of the importance of human willpower. There is a certain predestination in life, expressed at least in the fact that a person will not escape death, so why then are they afraid to die? In the end, Pechorin wants to help society, to be useful, saving people from a Cossack killer.

"A Hero of Our Time" is the most famous prose work of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. In many respects, it owes its popularity to the originality of the composition and plot and the contradictory nature of the image of the protagonist. We will try to figure out what is so unique about Pechorin's characteristic.

History of creation

The novel was not the first prose of the writer. Back in 1836, Lermontov began a novel about the life of St. Petersburg high society - "Princess Ligovskaya", where the image of Pechorin first appeared. But due to the poet's exile, the work was not completed. Already in the Caucasus, Lermontov again took up prose, leaving the former hero, but changing the place of the novel and the name. This work was named "A Hero of Our Time".

The publication of the novel begins in 1839 in separate chapters. Bela, Fatalist, Taman were the first to be published. The work drew many negative reviews from critics. They were primarily associated with the image of Pechorin, which was perceived as slander "against a whole generation." In response, Lermontov puts forward his own characteristic of Pechorin, in which he calls the hero a collection of all the vices of the modern author of society.

Genre originality

The genre of the work is a novel that reveals the psychological, philosophical and social problems of the Nikolaev times. This period, which began immediately after the defeat of the Decembrists, is characterized by the absence of significant social or philosophical ideas that could inspire and unite the advanced society of Russia. Hence the feeling of uselessness and impossibility to find their place in life, from which the younger generation suffered.

The social side of the novel already sounds in the title, which is saturated with Lermontov's irony. Pechorin, despite his originality, does not correspond to the role of a hero, it is not for nothing that he is often called an antihero in criticism.

The psychological component of the novel is in the great attention that the author pays to the inner feelings of the character. With the help of various artistic techniques, the author's characteristic of Pechorin turns into a complex psychological portrait, which reflects all the ambiguity of the character's personality.

And the philosophical in the novel is represented by a number of eternal human questions: why does a person exist, what he is, what is the meaning of his life, etc.

What is a romantic hero?

Romanticism as a literary movement emerged in the 18th century. His hero is, first of all, an extraordinary and unique personality who is always opposed to society. A romantic character is always alone and cannot be understood by others. He has no place in the ordinary world. Romanticism is active, it strives for accomplishment, adventure and unusual decorations. That is why the description of Pechorin is replete with descriptions of unusual stories and no less unusual actions of the hero.

Portrait of Pechorin

Initially, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is an attempt to typify young people of Lermontov's generation. How did this character turn out?

A brief description of Pechorin begins with a description of his social status. So, this is an officer who was demoted and exiled to the Caucasus because of some unpleasant story. He is from an aristocratic family, educated, cold and calculating, ironic, endowed with an extraordinary mind, prone to philosophical reasoning. But where to apply his abilities, he does not know and is often exchanged for trifles. Pechorin is indifferent to those around him and to himself, even if something captures him, he quickly cools down, as it was with Bela.

But the fault is that such an extraordinary person cannot find a place for himself in the world, lies not with Pechorin, but with the whole society, since he is a typical “hero of his time”. The social environment gave birth to people like him.

Quote characteristics of Pechorin

Two characters speak out about Pechorin in the novel: Maxim Maksimovich and the author himself. Also here you can mention the hero himself, who writes about his thoughts and experiences in a diary.

Maksim Maksimych, a simple-minded and kind person, describes Pechorin as follows: "Nice guy ... just a little strange." All Pechorin is in this strangeness. He does illogical things: he hunts in bad weather and sits at home on clear days; goes to the boar alone, not valuing his life; can be silent and gloomy, or can become the soul of the company and tell funny and very interesting stories. Maksim Maksimovich compares his behavior with that of a spoiled child who is used to always getting what he wants. This characteristic reflected mental throwings, experiences, inability to cope with their feelings and emotions.

The author's quotation characteristic of Pechorin is very critical and even ironic: “When he sank onto the bench, his camp bent ... the position of his whole body depicted some kind of nervous weakness: he sat like a thirty-year-old coquette of Balzakov sits on her downy armchairs ... There was something childish in his smile ... ”Lermontov does not in the least idealize his hero, seeing his shortcomings and vices.

Attitude to love

Bela, Princess Mary, Vera, "undine" made Pechorin his beloved. The characterization of the hero would be incomplete without a description of his love stories.

Seeing Bela, Pechorin believes that he has finally fallen in love, and this is what will help to brighten up his loneliness and get rid of suffering. However, time passes, and the hero realizes that he was mistaken - the girl entertained him only for a short time. In Pechorin's indifference to the princess, all the egoism of this hero, his inability to think about others and to sacrifice something for them, manifested itself.

The next victim of the character's restless soul is Princess Mary. This proud girl decides to step over social inequality and is the first to confess her love. However, Pechorin is afraid of family life, which will bring peace. The hero does not need this, he longs for new experiences.

A brief description of Pechorin in connection with his attitude to love can be reduced to the fact that the hero appears to be a cruel person, incapable of constant and deep feelings. He causes only pain and suffering to both girls and himself.

Duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky

The main character appears as a contradictory, ambiguous and unpredictable person. The characterization of Pechorin and Grushnitsky indicates another striking feature of the character - the desire to have fun, to play with the fate of other people.

The duel in the novel was Pechorin's attempt not only to laugh at Grushnitsky, but also to conduct a kind of psychological experiment. The protagonist gives his opponent the opportunity to do the right thing, to show his best qualities.

The comparative characteristics of Pechorin and Grushnitsky in this scene are not on the latter's side. Since it was his meanness and the desire to humiliate the main character that led to the tragedy. Pechorin, knowing about the conspiracy, tries to give Grushnitsky an opportunity to justify himself and retreat from his plan.

What is the tragedy of Lermontov's hero

Historical reality dooms to failure all Pechorin's attempts to find at least some useful use for himself. Even in love, he could not find a place for himself. This hero is completely lonely, it is difficult for him to get close to people, to open up to them, to let them into his life. Sucking melancholy, loneliness and the desire to find a place in the world - these are the characteristics of Pechorin. "A Hero of Our Time" became a novel, the embodiment of the greatest human tragedy - the inability to find oneself.

Pechorin is endowed with nobility and honor, which manifested itself in a duel with Grushnitsky, but at the same time, selfishness and indifference dominate in him. Throughout the entire story, the hero remains static - he does not evolve, nothing can change him. Lermontov seems to be trying to show that Pechorin is practically half-corpses. His fate is predetermined, he is no longer alive, although he is not yet completely dead. That is why the main character does not care about his safety, he fearlessly rushes forward, because he has nothing to lose.

Pechorin's tragedy is not only in the social situation, which did not allow him to find use for himself, but also in the inability to simply live. Introspection and constant attempts to comprehend what is happening around have led to throwing, constant doubt and uncertainty.

Conclusion

An interesting, ambiguous and very contradictory characterization of Pechorin. "A Hero of Our Time" became Lermontov's iconic work precisely because of such a complex hero. Having absorbed the features of romanticism, social changes of the Nikolaev era and philosophical problems, Pechorin's personality turned out to be out of time. His throwing and problems are close to today's youth.

Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, a poet and prose writer, is often compared to Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Is this comparison a coincidence? Not at all, these two lights marked the golden age of Russian poetry with their creativity. Both of them were worried about the question: "Who are they: the heroes of our time?" A brief analysis, you must admit, will not be able to answer this conceptual question, which the classics tried to thoroughly understand.

Unfortunately, the life of these talented people was cut short by a bullet early. Fate? Both of them were representatives of their time, divided into two parts: before and after. Besides, as you know, critics compare Pushkin's Onegin and Lermontov's Pechorin, presenting readers with a comparative analysis of the characters. "A Hero of Our Time", however, was written after

The image of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin

Analysis of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" clearly defines its main character, which forms the entire composition of the book. Mikhail Yurievich portrayed in him an educated young nobleman of the post-Decembrist era - a person stricken by unbelief - who does not carry good in himself, does not believe in anything, his eyes do not burn with happiness. Fate carries Pechorin, like water an autumn leaf, along a disastrous trajectory. He stubbornly "chases ... after life", looks for it "everywhere." However, his noble notion of honor is more likely associated with selfishness, but not with decency.

Pechorin would be glad to gain faith by going to the Caucasus - to fight. He has a natural spiritual strength. Belinsky, characterizing this hero, writes that he is no longer young, but he has not yet acquired a mature attitude towards life. He rushes from one adventure to another, painfully wanting to find an "inner core", but he fails. There are always dramas going on around him, people are dying. And he rushes on like the Eternal Jew, Ahasfer. If for Pushkin's the key word is "boredom", then for understanding the image of Lermontov's Pechorin the key word is "suffering".

Composition of the novel

At the beginning, the plot of the novel brings the author, an officer sent to serve in the Caucasus, with a veteran who has passed and now a quartermaster Maksim Maksimovich. Wise with life, scorched in battles, this man, worthy of all respect, is the first, according to Lermontov's plan, to start analyzing the heroes. The hero of our time is his friend. The author of the novel (on whose behalf the narration is being conducted), Maxim Maksimovich, tells the story of the "glorious fellow" 25-year-old ensign Grigory Alekseevich Pechorin, a former colleague of the narrator. Bela's narrative follows first.

Pechorin, having resorted to the help of the brother of the highland princess Azamat, steals this girl from her father. Then she bored him, tempted in women. With Azamat he pays off with the hot horse of the horseman Kazbich, who, angry, kills the poor girl. The scam develops into a tragedy.

Maksim Maksimovich, remembering the past, became agitated and handed over to the interlocutor the travel diary left by Pechorin. The following chapters of the novel represent individual episodes of Pechorin's life.

The novel "Taman" brings Pechorin together with smugglers: a flexible, like a cat, a girl, a pseudo-blind boy and a "smuggler" sailor Yanko. Lermontov presented here a romantic and artistically complete analysis of the heroes. "A Hero of Our Time" introduces us to a simple smuggling trade: Yanko crosses the sea with a load, and a girl sells beads, brocade, ribbons. Fearing that Gregory will reveal them to the police, the girl first tries to drown him, throwing him off the boat. But when she fails, she and Yanko swim away. The boy, however, remains beggarly without a livelihood.

The next fragment of the diary is the story "Princess Mary". Bored Pechorin is being treated after being wounded in Pyatigorsk. Here he is friends with the cadet Grushnitsky, Dr. Werner. Bored, Gregory finds the object of sympathy - Princess Mary. She rests here with her mother - Princess Ligovskaya. But the unexpected happens - Pechorin's long-standing sympathy comes to Pyatigorsk, the married lady Vera, together with her aging husband. Vera and Gregory decide to meet on a date. They succeed in doing this, because, fortunately, the whole city is on the show of a visiting magician.

But the cadet Grushnitsky, wishing to compromise both Pechorin and Princess Mary, believing that it was she who would be on a date, is following the main character of the novel, enlisting the company of a dragoon officer. Without catching anyone, the cadets and dragoons spread gossip. Pechorin "according to noble concepts" calls Grushnitsky to a duel, where he kills him by shooting the second.

Lermontov's analysis introduces us to pseudo-decency in the officer environment and frustrates Grushnitsky's dastardly plan. Initially, the pistol handed to Pechorin was unloaded. In addition, having chosen the condition - to shoot from six steps, the cadet was sure that he would shoot Grigory Alexandrovich. But excitement prevented him. By the way, Pechorin offered his opponent to save his life, but he began to demand a shot.

Verin's husband guesses what the matter is, and leaves Pyatigorsk with his wife. And Princess Ligovskaya blesses him to marry Mary, but Pechorin does not even think about marriage.

The action-packed novel Fatalist brings Pechorin together with Lieutenant Vulich in the company of other officers. He is confident in his luck and on a bet, fueled by philosophical dispute and wine, plays "hussar roulette". Moreover, the pistol does not fire. However, Pechorin claims that he had already noticed the "sign of death" on the lieutenant's face. He really dies senselessly, returning to his post.

Conclusion

Where did Pechorins come from in 19th century Russia? Where has the idealism of youth gone?

The answer is simple. The 30s marked the era of fear, the era of suppression of all progressive III (political) gendarme police department. Born by the fear of Nicholas I of the possibility of a remake of the Decembrist uprising, it “reported on all matters”, was engaged in censorship, perlustration, and had the broadest powers.

Hopes for the development of the political system of society have become seditious. Dreamers were called “troublemakers”. Active people aroused suspicion, meetings - repression. The time has come for denunciations and arrests. People began to be afraid to have friends, to trust them with their thoughts and dreams. They became individualists and, in the Pechorin style, painfully tried to gain faith in themselves.