What is Pechorin in the environment of a water society. Essay on literature. Pechorin and "Water Society" in the novel "Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov. The role of composition in revealing the problem of personality and society

Pyatigorsk, Elisabeth source, where the "water society" gathers. Walking along the boulevard, Pechorin meets "the greater part of the family of steppe landowners" who followed him with glances "with tender curiosity", but, "recognizing the army epaulettes ... turned away indignantly." Local ladies are more benevolent, they "are accustomed in the Caucasus to meet a fervent heart under a numbered button and an educated mind under a white cap. These ladies are very sweet; and they are sweet for a long time!"

Pechorin overtakes a crowd of men, who "make up a special class of people between those who watch the movement of water. They drink - but not water, they walk a little, drag only in passing; they play and complain of boredom. They are dandies: lowering their braided glass into a well of sour water, they take academic positions ... "

Lermontov described these snobs extremely aptly and caustically. And it was no coincidence that he assembled a real "hospital" on the waters: Mary is being treated for something, Grushnitsky and Werner are lame, the smuggling girl behaves like an abnormal, the boy is blind, Vera is mortally ill ... them and Pechorin becomes a "moral cripple", devoid of ordinary human feelings.

Criticism met the new work ambiguously: sharp controversy ensued. Along with the stormy enthusiasm of Belinsky, who called Lermontov's novel a work of "a completely new world of art", who saw in it "a deep knowledge of the human heart and modern society", "richness of content and originality", the press voices of critics who absolutely did not accept the novel. One of the most ardent opponents of Lermontov, a certain A.S. Burachok, argued that the image of the protagonist of the novel is "an aesthetic and psychological absurdity", and in the work itself "there are no traces of philosophy or religiosity of the Russian people." But no matter how we evaluate the novel, one cannot fail to note the skill with which Lermontov wrote out his main character. Throughout the entire work, the author strives to reveal the inner world of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin as fully as possible. The compositional complexity of the novel is inextricably linked with the psychological complexity of the image of the protagonist, and the freak show of the "water society" helps to reveal this image more deeply.

The inner world of the hero is revealed most fully and deeply in the chapter "Princess Mary". The plot here is the meeting between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, a familiar cadet. And then the next "experiment" of Pechorin begins. The whole life of the hero is a chain of experiments on himself and other people. Its purpose is to comprehend the truth,., The nature of man, evil, good, love. This is exactly what happens in the case of Grushnitsky. Why is the young cadet so unpleasant for Pechorin? As we can see, Grushnitsky is by no means a villain with whom it would be worth fighting. This is the most ordinary young man who dreams of love and stars on his shoulder straps. He is a mediocrity, but he has one weakness, quite forgivable at his age - "to drape into extraordinary feelings", "a passion to recite." He strives to play the role of the Byronic disaffected hero, fashionable among young men, "a creature doomed to some kind of secret suffering." Of course, the reader understands that this is a parody of Pechorin! That is why he is so hateful to Pechorin. Grushnitsky, as a narrow-minded person, does not understand Pechorin's attitude towards him, does not suspect that he has already begun a kind of game. At first, Pechorin even evokes a certain condescending feeling in Grushnitsky, since this young man is self-confident and seems to himself a very perceptive and significant person "I feel sorry for you, Pechorin" - that's how he talks at the beginning of the novel. But events develop the way they want Pechorin Mary falls in love with him, forgetting about Grushnitsky Overwhelmed by jealousy, indignation, and then hatred, the cadet suddenly opens up to us from a completely different side He turns out to be not so harmless He becomes vindictive, and then - dishonorable , vile One who recently dressed up in nobility, today is able to shoot at an unarmed person Pechorin's experiment was a success "Here, the" demonic "property of his nature" sow evil "with the greatest skill manifested itself with full force. During a duel, Pechorin again tests his fate, calmly standing face to face death Then he offers Grushnitsky reconciliation But the situation is already irreversible, and Grushnitsky dies, having drunk the cup of shame, repentance and hatred to the end.

Russian literature lesson in grade 9 based on the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"

LESSON 4. Why do they all hate me? (Pechorin and the "water society")

Theme: "Why do they all hate me?" (Pechorin and "water society")

Target: Show and see how quickly Pechorin's views change when he meets Grushnitsky.

Tasks:

to deepen the children’s ideas about the complex spiritual world of Pechorin, the ways of his image;

to form the initial concepts of the genre of the socio-psychological novel.

Concept:

In the classroom, the students watched Pechorin's attempts to get closer to people far from his circle: highlanders, Maxim Maksimych, smugglers. The failure of these attempts, as we have seen, was due to the limitations of those with whom fate brought him. In "Princess Mary" we saw Pechorin in a socially closer circle, but a clash with individuals is shown here as a conflict with society as a whole. Perhaps that is why "Princess Mary" is the largest part of the novel in terms of volume.

You can devote two lessons to the study of the story. On the first of them, we will focus on the duel with the "water society", in which Pechorin enters. “Why is this duel inevitable? Why does Pechorin cause hostility in almost everyone? Who is gaining the upper hand in this fight? " are the central questions of this lesson. Ask a student to write an outline on the chalkboard that identifies the main episodes of the story. Such a task usually causes difficulty, because the plot is dissolved in diary entries, events - in assessments. At the same time, the logic of the plot emphasizes how the tension grows inexorably, how one collision follows another.

So that the students understand what is the reason for the severity of the duel, we invite them to assess each of the events (meetings with Mary at the "well", in a store, a ball in a restaurant, a duel, etc.) from the point of view of Pechorin and other characters in the story, opinions which are recorded in the journal Pechorin. This technique of working on the text helps to see the incompatibility of Pechorin with the "water society" and contempt for him. Why does Pechorin not limit himself to contempt, but enters into the struggle? The search for the motives of his behavior is facilitated by the fact that we have a diary in which he confesses fearlessly, himself trying to understand the contradictions of his character and behavior.

“Does Pechorin appear the same person in society and alone with himself? Why does Pechorin keep a diary? " - we ask the class. For Pechorin, with his loneliness, the magazine is the only worthy interlocutor with whom he can be quite sincere. At the same time, Pechorin's diary is the laboratory of a natural scientist who tirelessly observes other people and himself, I do this, it would seem, even at the most inopportune moments.

The magazine has one more value for Pechorin: it is his spiritual memory. Pechorin's life seems to be exchanged for trifles, and therefore it is especially important for him to see the meaning of events, to keep their trace.

Next, we offer the class the following questions: why does Pechorin have a "gratifying feeling" when he sees the city and the mountains in the morning? How does the intonation of the narrative change when Pechorin moves from the landscape to the description of the crowd? Why does Pechorin manage to attract the attention of Mary admirers? When and why is a "hostile gang" formed against Pechorin? What qualities and actions of Pechorin destroy all the plans of his enemies?

Proudly not forgiving Pechorin for his superiority, the "water society" believes that Pechorin is proud of his belonging to the Petersburg world and living rooms. Pechorin, although he cannot help being ironic in relation to the "water society", not only is not proud of his superiority, but, unlike Onegin, painfully perceives this distance between himself and others, leading to hostility: “I returned home worried by two different feelings. The first was sadness: why do they all hate me? I thought. For what? Have I offended anyone? No. Am I one of those people whom one species already breeds ill will? And I felt that a poisonous anger was filling my soul little by little. The transition from irony to sadness, from non-poisonous anger, prompting to act so as not to be a toy in the hands of insignificant people, is characteristic of Pechorin's attitude to the "water society" in general, and in particular to Grushnitsky. And then we dwell on the relationship between Pechorin and Grushnitsky. Pechorin enters into the diary of satellites of this period of his life with characteristics, the accuracy of which is to be verified in the future course of events.

In order to reveal the students' ideas about Grushnitsky, we show Vrubel's illustration to "A Hero of Our Time", which depicts Princess Mary giving a glass to Grushnitsky. Was this how the students envisioned the hero at this moment? Why does the artist make him more miserable than proud in this scene? Having identified the reader's impressions with the help of illustration, we proceed to the analysis of the text. How does Grushnitsky's characterization compare with what was subsequently revealed in him? The first idea of Grushnitsky is permeated with irony. However, in this first characterization Grushnitsky is more ridiculous than scary, rather pathetic than dangerous. Pechorin, for all his irony, is rather kind.

Why is Pechorin teasing Grushnitsky, destroying his halo in the eyes of the princess, entering into a "competition"? "Inborn passion contradicts" in Pechorin not only a sign of his reflection, a struggle with his soul, with his destiny, but a consequence of constant antagonism in relations with society. Everything around him is so insignificant that Pechorin constantly wants to be different from others, to act in spite of, to do the opposite.

The conversation in the class develops with such questions: why did Pechorin "laugh internally", talking with Grushnitsky in love? Who is more sincere in this conversation (May 16). Why does Pechorin not hide his intentions, promising Grushnitsky "to drag after the princess"? Does Grushnitsky love Mary? Why does Pechorin manage to expose Grushnitsky with one blow, telling Mary that he is a cadet? How is Grushnitsky's “warlike spirit” manifested? Why was "the struggle of conscience with pride was short-lived" in him? Why does Grushnitsky constantly turn out to be petty and funny next to Pechorin? Observing how the true feelings and behavior of Grushnitsky diverge (attitude towards Mary, Pechorin, epaulettes ...), the students are convinced that he is always trying to imitate someone. The features of a parody of Lensky sometimes appear in it. The ball situation in the June 5 recording is reminiscent of Tatyana's name day. (The mention of Pushkin's name in the preceding episode, as it were, directs the flow of associations in the direction of his novel). Pechorin, like Olga Onegin, invites Mary to dance the mazurka. Grushnitsky's annoyance is reminiscent of Lensky's jealousy:

“I didn’t expect this from you,” he said, coming up to me and taking my hand.

What?

Are you dancing a mazurka with her? He asked in a solemn voice. She confessed to me ...

Well, so what? Is this a secret?

Of course, I should have expected this from a girl, from a coquette ... I will have my revenge! "

However, almost repeating the words of Lensky, Grushnitsky is far from his pathetic romanticism. Taking revenge on Pechorin and Mary, he commits meanness. The omnipotence of Pechorin and the helplessness of Grushnitsky cancel the rivalry. For the time being, Grushnitsky seems so funny to Pechorin that he does not arouse anger in him. However, Grushnitsky's baseness will anger Pechorin seriously: "... various bad rumors have already been spread in the city about me and the princess." The betrayal of Grushnitsky Pechorin hurts, but he is ready to forgive the "friend" for his anger, his petty pride for a minute of honesty.

Pechorin's readiness for humanity is destroyed by the baseness of Grushnitsky, willing to cheat in a duel. However, Pechorin, like Shakespeare's Hamlet, must more than once make sure that meanness is ineradicable in a person before committing retribution. And then we turn to the analysis of the duel episode. Why is Pechorin going to a duel? What does it say about his readiness to die? What sides of Pechorin's soul opens up the night before the duel? Why and how does Pechorin continue to experience in a duel after a duel? Answers to these questions help students understand that Pechorin's cruelty is caused by insult not only for himself, for the fact that a person grimaces and lies before death, for the fact that on the border of life and death in Grushnitsky, pride turns out to be stronger than honesty.

At the end of the lesson, we consider Vrubel's illustrations for the episode and ponder why the artist chose the moment when Grushnitsky was no longer on the site, what feelings are noticeable in Pechorin's face and posture, how the figures of Werner and the captain differ from each other, located with their backs to the viewer, why the place duels are drawn as bare rocks.

At home we suggest reading the articles of the textbook "Pechorin and the" water society "," Pechorin and Grushnitsky "; to answer the questions: what is the difference between the duel scenes in "Eugene Onegin" and "A Hero of Our Time"? Why does Pushkin blame his hero for the murder, and Lermontov forgives Pechorin?

Lesson structure:

The main idea of the lesson:

... the conflict between the hero and society as a social whole, as a historical environment, to the understanding of which the hero's thought turns to understand his destinies.

Educational problem situations:

Why is Pechorin's duel with the "water society" inevitable?

Was it possible to avoid a duel between yesterday's friends?

Are there winners and losers in the conflict between hero and society?

Exposition.

Until now, we have followed Pechorin's attempts to get closer to people far from his circle: highlanders, Maksim Maksimych, smugglers. The failure of these attempts, as we have seen, was explained not by the narrowness of the hero, but by the limitations of those with whom fate brought him.

Conversation.

Identify the main conflict in the story. Why do you think Pechorin's magazine begins with a description of the landscape? How does intonation change when the author moves from describing nature to describing a "water society"? Why is a "hostile gang" being formed against Pechorin?

I educational situation.

Why is a duel with the "water society" inevitable?

Conversation.

Why does Pechorin cause hostility in almost everyone? Who is winning this fight?

Description of events.

What is the reason for the severity of the fight, we will give an assessment of each of these events that we saw in this story: Mary's meeting at the "well", in a store, in a restaurant, a duel, which are recorded in Pechorin's journal. Why does Pechorin not limit himself to contempt, but enters into the struggle? Will Pechorin be the same person in society and alone with himself?

May 07 2015

Pechorin and the "water society" in the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time". M. Yu. Lermontova "Hero of Our Time" is one of the best works of Russian literature. This novel is on a par with such masterpieces as "Woe from Wit", "Eugene Onegin", "The Inspector General". The novel was written in the era following the December uprising.

In the center of the novel is one who, in terms of his development, is higher than the society that surrounds him, but who does not know how to find an application for his abilities. accurately brought out the young man, whose personification in the work he became. He is an intelligent, well-educated young officer who serves in the Caucasus. He was tired of the social life that spoiled him. The hero suffers from his restlessness, in despair asks himself the question: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born? Pechorin is a typical hero of the time, the best representative of his era, but the price for this is his loneliness.

In the first chapter of the novel, we see Pechorin through the eyes of Maksim Maksimych, an old officer: "He was a nice fellow, only a little strange." Maxim Maksimych himself is not able to understand the complex character, which he loves and considers his friend. In "White" the contradictory character of the hero is manifested.

His character is complex. The hero himself says about himself: “There are two people in me: one lives in the literal sense of the word, and the other thinks and judges him ...” In his words, he hides the essence of his character: his soul is “spoiled by the light”. By nature, Pechorin is an egoist, we learn about this from the first story of the novel. This quality manifests itself in love for Bela, as well as in relation to Mary. In the story “Maxim Maksimych” the author gives a portrait of Pechorin.

Describing the hero's appearance, the author emphasizes his aristocratic origin. Pechorin is a representative of a secular society and lives by its laws. If in the first story Pechorina is described by Maxim Maksimych, here the narrator changes. “A wandering officer: a delicate and observant person, draws a psychological portrait of the hero, notes the main thing in him: he is all woven of contradictions and contrasts.

“His waist and broad shoulders proved a strong build,” but there was something childish in his smile, a kind of nervous weakness ”; "Despite the white color of his hair, his mustache and eyebrows were black." Particular attention is paid to the description of the hero's eyes: ... they did not laugh when he laughed! Because of their half-down eyelashes, they shone with a kind of phosphoric sheen: it was a sheen like the shine of smooth steel, dazzling but cold. ” In "Princess Mary" we meet a person capable of introspection.

Here Pechorin characterizes himself, he explains how his bad qualities were formed: ... such was my fate since childhood! Everybody read on my face the signs of bad qualities that were not there; but they were supposed - and they were born ... I became secretive ...

I became vindictive ... I became envious, I learned to hate, I began to deceive, I became a moral cripple. He realizes that he has lived empty and aimless: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?

“The hero does not see the meaning of life. This understanding of one's destiny in life a few hours before a possible death is the culmination of not only the story "Princess Mary", but the entire novel. Pechorin is a brave man, which manifested itself in a duel.

The hero's positive traits include his ability to understand and feel people. Pechorin is an honest, decent person. Despite the unpleasant story of Princess Mary, Pechorin decides to tell the truth, although it was not easy. And this episode showed his willpower. VG Belinsky compared the soul of Pechorin with the earth dried up by the heat, which after the blessed rains "could give birth to beautiful flowers.

M. Yu. Lermontov's novel poses one of the problems - the inability of people of this time to act, generated by their own environment. Pechorin is a hero of his time. I think this is an honorable "title", because the very word "hero" implies unusualness, exclusivity. In his novel he managed to show not only the image of the hero, but also to reveal the history of the human soul ”. The novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “The hero of our time is integral, all parts of which are united by one hero, and his character is revealed from part to part gradually, is revealed from external to internal, from effect to cause, from epic - through psychological - to philosophical.

The novel was immediately ranked among the masterpieces of Russian literature.

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Collection of works: Pechorin and the "water society" in the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"

"A Hero of Our Time" is a socio-psychological novel in which the author set himself the task of revealing the hero's inner world, "investigating the human soul."

Lermontov is a romantic, therefore the problem of personality is the central problem of romanticism in the poet's work. However, the innovation of "A Hero of Our Time" lies in the fact that the conflict between the personality and the surrounding world is resolved using a variety of means, both romantic and realistic.

Pechorin, the protagonist of the novel, is a social type. Traditionally, after Onegin, he is placed in the gallery of "superfluous people".

The images of Pechorin and Onegin have a lot in common, ranging from details, character traits, to the situations in which they find themselves. However, the conflict between personality and society in A Hero of Our Time is sharper than in Eugene Onegin, since Pechorin “is frantically chasing life,” but does not get anything from it, and Onegin simply “goes with the flow”.

Subordinated to the main task set by the author - solving the problem of personality. In Pechorin's magazine, the central story is "Princess Mary", in which the character of the hero is revealed from the inside, that is, Lermontov uses such an artistic technique as confession. All artistic means - portrait, landscape, dialogues, details - are psychological in nature. The story reveals the secret of the hero's character with the help of an expanded figurative system.

Lermontov, like many romantics, opposes personality and society, and he places his hero in different environments, confronts him with different people. We can see this in the stories "Bela", "Taman" and "Princess Mary".

In the psychological story "Princess Mary" the personality of Pechorin is contrasted with the "water society", the attitude of the hero to this society and society in general is shown. The "Water Society" is a collective image of representatives of the local and metropolitan nobility, in whose behavior and life traits of the described era can be traced. The conflict between personality and society was embodied not only in revealing the character of the protagonist, but also in the image of the "water society", their life, interests, entertainment.

Pechorin, with slight contempt, notices the carefully hidden envy of each other, the love of gossip and intrigue. Visitors to the Caucasian mineral waters, over which both the author and the main character mock, are conditioned by history and traditions. The image of a "water society" is also given in parallel with the image of a secular society, which Pechorin mentions and which has more than once been the object of research in the works of Griboyedov and Pushkin.

In general, the entire "water society" is opposed to Pechorin. However, it is still possible to single out heroes who are not only opposed to Pechorin, but also compared with him.

Grushnitsky is a kind of parody of Pechorin. The fact that Pechorin is the essence of character, then Grushnitsky's is a pose designed to make an effect, an impression on others. Grushnitsky is an anti-romantic hero. His penchant for romanticization is brought to the point of caricature. He draws, often behaves inappropriately for the situation. In everyday life, he looks for romantic circumstances, but in truly romantic situations he gets lost. Grushnitsky's participation in the duel is ignoble, vile, but he cannot refuse it, as he is very proud. There are many external details in his image (an overcoat, a crutch, a limp, a ring with the date of his acquaintance with Mary). Obviously, the image of Grushnitsky was not created without the influence of Lensky: both are romantics, both were killed in a duel, both are younger than a friend-enemy.

Werner is the only male image that is compared with Pechorin, and not opposed. Their similarity is manifested in relations with society, skepticism, wit. But along with the similarities, there are many differences in their characters. Pechorin “is frantically chasing life,” while Werner is passive. Werner is a less deep and complex nature than Pechorin. Before the duel, Pechorin admires nature, and Werner asks if he wrote his will. In the external appearance of Werner, romantic features can be traced, but he is a contradictory nature.

All female images presented in the novel are also subordinated to the main task - to reveal the image of Pechorin and show his relationship to love. Princess Mary of all female images is the most fully depicted. Like Grushnitsky, she is passionate about romanticism, she is young, smart, witty. The purity and naivety of the princess makes Pechorin's selfishness even more obvious. The story of Mary's seduction is the reason for deep introspection and detailed internal monologues in Pechorin's diary. In a conversation with Mary Pechorin, he talks about his fate (relations with society, inclinations, oddities of character).

Faith is the most obscure image, it is not completely delineated, but is given only in hints. This is the only female image that can be compared with Pechorin. It is in relations with Vera that the tragedy of Pechorin's position is most fully felt, his inability to deeply and truly love: he does not even need Vera. This emphasizes the loneliness of the hero, his inability to truly feel, reveals the inner conflict of the hero. Romantic irony illuminates the relationship between Pechorin and Vera: Pechorin drives the horse, trying to catch up with Vera, and then falls asleep to Napoleon at Waterloo.

In addition, Lermontov pays attention to a large number of other, less noticeable, but also very important for creating a more complete picture of society, heroes, who, without exception, are subject to the principle of typification, which speaks of the realism of the novel. At the same time, the author proceeds from traditional types, relying on the creative experience of his predecessors, Griboyedov and Pushkin.

As soon as Pechorin arrives in Pyatigorsk, he gets to know the customs of the families of the steppe landowners: "... the Petersburg cut of the frock coat misled them, but, soon recognizing the army epaulettes, they turned away indignantly."

Immediately we learn about the wives of local chiefs, “mistresses of the waters”: “... they pay less attention to the uniform, they are accustomed in the Caucasus to meet an ardent heart under a numbered button and an educated mind under a white cap”.

A special class in the "water society" is made up of men, civil servants and military men (Captain Dragunsky, who by his participation in a duel resembles Zaretsky). The "water youth" stands out separately. In general, it is difficult to imagine something new that has not yet been depicted in the works of Griboyedov and Pushkin. The same passion for ranks, servility, the same balls, gossip, idle pastime, emptiness, which dominate not as vices of society, but as elements of social life. Everything is the same, only with the difference that there we saw a secular society, and here a provincial one, which is trying with all its might to resemble a metropolitan one. Against the background of all this, it should be noted with what irony not only specific images are drawn, but the whole atmosphere.

Thus, "water society" is not a random theme in the novel. The problem of personality, its relationship with others is the main task of all Lermontov's work. At the same time, he continues the traditions of Russian literature of the 19th century.

"A Hero of Our Time" is a socio-psychological novel in which the author set himself the task of revealing the hero's inner world, "investigating the human soul."

Pechorin, the protagonist of the novel, is a social type. Traditionally, after Onegin, he is placed in the gallery of "superfluous people".

The images of Pechorin and Onegin have a lot in common, ranging from details, character traits, to the situations in which they find themselves. However, the conflict between personality and society in "A Hero of Our Time" is sharper than in "Eugene Onegin", since Pechorin "is frantically chasing life", but does not get anything from it, and Onegin simply "goes with the flow."

The composition of the novel is subordinated to the main task set by the author - the solution of the problem of personality. In Pechorin's magazine, the central story is "Princess Mary", in which the character of the hero is revealed from the inside, that is, Lermontov uses such an artistic technique as confession. All artistic means - portrait, landscape, dialogues, details - are psychological in nature. The story reveals the secret of the hero's character with the help of an expanded figurative system.

In the psychological story "Princess Mary" the personality of Pechorin is opposed to the "water society", the attitude of the hero to this society and society in general is shown. The "Water Society" is a collective image of representatives of the local and metropolitan nobility, in whose behavior and life traits of the described era can be traced. The conflict between personality and society was embodied not only in revealing the character of the protagonist, but also in the image of the "water society", their life, interests, entertainment.

Pechorin, with slight contempt, notices the carefully hidden envy of each other, the love of gossip and intrigue. The life and customs of visitors to the Caucasian mineral waters, over which both the author and the main character mock, are conditioned by history and traditions. The image of a "water society" is also given in parallel with the image of a secular society, which Pechorin mentions and which has more than once been the object of research in the works of Griboyedov and Pushkin.

On the whole, the entire "water society" is opposed to Pechorin. However, it is still possible to single out heroes who are not only opposed to Pechorin, but also compared with him.

Werner is the only male image that is compared with Pechorin, and not opposed. Their similarity is manifested in relations with society, skepticism, wit. But along with the similarities, there are many differences in their characters. Pechorin "is frantically chasing life," Werner is passive. Werner is a less deep and complex nature than Pechorin. Before the duel, Pechorin admires nature, and Werner asks if he wrote his will. In the external appearance of Werner, romantic features can be traced, but he is a contradictory nature.

As soon as Pechorin arrives in Pyatigorsk, he gets acquainted with the customs of the families of the steppe landowners: "... the Petersburg cut of the coat misled them, but, soon recognizing the army epaulettes, they turned away indignantly."

Immediately we learn about the wives of local chiefs, "mistresses of the waters": "... they pay less attention to the uniform, they are accustomed in the Caucasus to meet an ardent heart under a numbered button and an educated mind under a white cap".

Thus, "water society" is not an accidental theme in the novel. The problem of personality, its relationship with others is the main task of all Lermontov's work. At the same time, he continues the traditions of Russian literature of the 19th century.