Appearance, speech characteristics
Princess Mary Ligovskaya is a pretty girl, Pechorin called her eyes velvet, since the rays of the sun are not reflected in her pupils due to her long eyelashes. According to him, her eyes are “so soft, as if they were stroking you.”
She is slender, graceful, her gait is light but noble. Mary's outfit complies with "the strict rules of the best taste: nothing superfluous."
Mary is smart, educated, and her speech is literate. The girl is not talkative, she can carry on a conversation, she especially likes to talk about passions and romantic feelings.
Princess Mary's attitude towards Pechorin and Grushnitsky
The main character of the novel, Pechorin, meets Princess Mary in Pyatigorsk, where she arrived with her mother, Princess Ligovskaya. This young, naive girl does not really understand people, she has little life experience. Therefore, she mistook Grushnitsky, who cast passionate glances at her and assumed a mysterious air, for an officer demoted to soldier status for a duel. In her eyes, he was a sufferer and a romantic hero. Grushnitsky began to accompany her everywhere, they talked for a long time, but she soon became bored with him, especially since she was disappointed when she learned from Pechorin that Grushnitsky was a cadet, and not an officer demoted for a duel.
Having heard her mother talk about the adventures of Pechorin, which were gossiped about in Moscow high society, Princess Mary imagined him as a romantic hero. When he began to lure her fans with his jokes, Mary became angry with him. She was surprised that he did not try to get to know her, although he was well acquainted with her St. Petersburg relatives. The princess became interested in this strange and mysterious man for her. She told Grushnitsky about Pechorin that he had a heavy, insolent look.
Pechorin met the princess and princess Ligovsky after he saved Mary from fainting at a ball when a drunken gentleman pestered her, inviting her to dance. The girl began to see him as an extraordinary person. It frightened her that he laughed at everything in the world, that he spoke especially mockingly about feelings. When Pechorin began to mock his acquaintances, Mary called him a dangerous person. In response, he made a whole confession, explaining that he became a “moral cripple” due to the fact that from childhood he was treated poorly, suspecting bad inclinations in him. This eloquent description of the vicissitudes of his life had such an effect on the impressionable, trusting girl that tears appeared in her eyes. Compassion for Pechorin arose in Mary’s heart, and she fell in love with this man.
Pechorin began to look after Mary, but the girl did not understand his behavior. She thinks that he does not confess his love to her because he believes that her family will be against marriage, or his own situation does not allow him to do this. The princess says that she can sacrifice everything for the one she loves. To this Pechorin replies that he does not love her and is not going to explain his actions. The pale Mary asked him to leave. Her acquaintance with this man ended tragically for her - she became seriously ill.
Before leaving on the orders of his superiors for fortress N, Pechorin openly told Mary that he was laughing at her and that she should despise him. “I hate you...” the girl said.
Essay about Princess Mary
“A Hero of Our Time” is the first psychological novel written by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. This must be why it was so important to take as a basis not only the main character, but also the female image to which Pechorin is attached. This is exactly what Princess Mary became, in the main female image.
M.Yu. It is no coincidence that Lermontov enthusiastically devotes a lot of time to describing the princess. The girl belonged to high society, as she was the daughter of a princess. Not much is said about appearance, but the reader still notices that Mary has beautiful eyes, lush, thick hair, she dresses tastefully, and behaves confidently and modestly in public. She had a strong character. This can be seen in the way she treated all the rich suitors her mother introduced to her. It is worth noting the interesting name that the princess gives her daughter, although in fact her name is Maria. Probably the author says “Mary” to emphasize her position in high society.
Although, at the first meeting of the reader with the princess, she appears as an innocent, weak-willed girl who is used by the protagonist to achieve his goals. We see how confused the princess is, getting bogged down in the story with Pechorin and Grushnitsky. It was at this moment, trying to get Grushnitsky out of her head, that she turns her attention to Pechorin, not realizing that both of these feelings are false. And as often happens, love develops into disgust and hatred.
Pechorin notices how Mary is playing too much and no longer understands where is sincerity and where is social life. Deciding that she is a victim of secularism, he decides to use her in his plan. The plan was crowned with success: Princess Mary was recaptured from Grushnitsky, Grushnitsky received what he deserved. But here and there he still miscalculated. It turns out that the princess does not fit into these small framework of social life. Yes, she knows French, sings delightfully, reads Byron, but her soul is much broader and kinder than that of other society young ladies.
In fact, the entire novel is not Pechorin’s wanderings, but the great tragedy of Princess Mary’s first love, which turns out to be trampled and humiliated. There is some irony in this. Indeed, at the beginning of the novel it is clearly visible with what condescension and indifference Mary treats her fans. At the end of the work, she takes the place of all those whom she despised. Perhaps this is a lesson not only for the princess, but for all young readers of this novel.
We are not told what happened to Princess Mary: whether she remained unhappy and broken, or whether she found the strength to overcome the blow of fate and move on with her head held high.
Other works: ← The image and characterization of Vera in the novel A Hero of Our Time↑ LermontovThe image and characterization of Maxim Maksimych in the novel A Hero of Our Time →
Pechorin's attitude towards Mary
Pechorin knows people well, especially women, so he immediately saw that this young girl liked everything romantic, mysterious, mysterious. He began to play on her feelings and get her to love him. In Pechorin’s diary there is an entry dated June 3, where he discusses why he did this. The main reason is his desire to possess a “young, barely blossoming soul.” He admits that he looks at the joys and sufferings of others as food that supports his mental strength. He likes to subjugate people to his will, dominate them, “arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear.”
Pechorin, seeking Mary's favor, in a kind of confession tells her about his soul, but at the same time he is not sincere and wants the girl to take him for the romantic hero she dreams of. He began this confession, looking deeply moved. Having achieved the girl’s compassion, Pechorin observes the manifestations of pity reflected on her face. He rejoiced when he realized that Mary repented of her coldness towards him. But everything that would come after this, that is, her desire to make amends for her coldness, to reward him - all this was already known to him and was uninteresting.
In relation to Mary, Pechorin’s selfish essence was fully revealed: he pursued, worried, excited her imagination, without thinking about what would happen to this sensitive girl in the future. He dashed her hopes for happiness and sowed distrust of people in the girl’s heart. Communication with such a person was not in vain for her - Mary becomes seriously ill.
“Hero of Our Time”: history and significance of the novel
“A Hero of Our Time” is “among the most remarkable and most fascinating books” of Russian literature, said prominent Soviet Lermontov scholar Irakli Andronikov. He saw the reason for this in the main character: Pechorin seems to be negative, but at the same time a very attractive character. His ruthlessness and selfishness are combined with great intelligence, courage, and sincerity with himself.
History of creation
The surname Pechorin first appeared in the unfinished novel “Princess Ligovskaya”. Lermontov began creating this work about the life of St. Petersburg society in 1836. The novel was supposed to be a kind of response to Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin.” It is not for nothing that Lermontov named the main character Pechorin (from the name of the Pechora River, as “Onegin” is from the Onega River).
However, the character and even appearance of Pechorin from “Princess Ligovskaya” and Pechorin from “A Hero of Our Time” are very different; these are different works and different characters. According to the plot of “Princess Ligovskaya,” Pechorin is in love with a woman named Vera, who married someone else.
The author never finished finishing his first novel. After Pushkin’s death in a duel, Lermontov created the poem “The Death of a Poet” and was exiled to the Caucasus for his daring poetry. After spending a year in exile, the writer abandoned his previous plan and created a new novel, in which the names of Pechorin and Vera were transferred.
In “Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov described the Caucasus with an accuracy that amazed his contemporaries. In the work they discovered both a real blind boy from Taman and that same hut on the edge of the city; vacationers in the summer of 1837 in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk recognized the prototypes of Doctor Werner, Grushnitsky, and Princess Mary.
“A Hero of Our Time” was written quite quickly. In the summer of 1838, Lermontov claimed that he was not writing anything, and nine months later the first of the stories, “Bela,” was published. After another ten months, the novel was ready in its entirety and approved by the censor.
Considering that at this time Lermontov served in a regiment in Tsarskoe Selo, constantly traveled to St. Petersburg and created a number of other works, one can only wonder when he had time to sleep and work on a novel, states Irakli Andronikov.
The composition of the novel and the image of Pechorin
The author chose an unusual composition for the novel. The chapters of the story are arranged in a free order, the chronology of events is deliberately broken. There are no usual descriptions of the protagonist’s childhood and youth. The key events of his biography are hushed up: it is unclear, for example, why exactly Pechorin was exiled to the Caucasus (the draft mentioned a duel in St. Petersburg, but then Lermontov removed these words).
The unusual structure of “A Hero of Our Time” is usually explained by the fact that this is not the story of Pechorin’s life, but “the story of the soul.” Lermontov shows the hero gradually and from different sides. At first, it was not even clear to the first readers who the main character was: Pechorin or Maxim Maksimych?
In the first two stories, Pechorin is described from hearsay, and the impression is not in his favor. In "Bela" he is a mysterious and insidious man who destroyed Bela and her family with his forbidden love. In "Maxim Maksimych" - an arrogant egoist who offended an old friend.
However, the rest of the novel consists of Pechorin's notes, and they make you look at the hero completely differently. This is no longer a bored officer who knows how to subjugate others, but also an intelligent, charming, sensitive person. In Taman he demonstrates courage and a penchant for romance; in “Princess Mary” - the ability to deep feelings and introspection; in “Fatalist” - his philosophical side and composure.
The reader is left perplexed: why does such a talented person waste his strength? Is this really the hero of a generation “no longer capable of great deeds for the good of humanity”?
The meaning of the novel
Soviet researchers sometimes called “A Hero of Our Time” a socio-political novel: they explained that Pechorin in Nicholas Russia lacked the opportunity to express himself in the struggle for people’s freedom, to break with aristocratic society, and so on. Lermontov’s “Lost Generation” was contrasted with the generation of the Decembrists.
However, these explanations seem far-fetched to many: is it worth looking for revolutionary overtones in the works of the aristocrat Lermontov?
In “A Hero of Our Time” there are reflections on society, but discussions about the human soul, the meaning of life, goodness and happiness play an equally important role. This is the first psychological Russian novel, which became the grain of Russian psychological prose, and at the same time - the first philosophical Russian novel, where the actions of the main character are interpreted in the categories of good and evil, necessity and freedom.
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Character traits of Princess Mary and examples of their manifestation (behavior and actions)
Mary is an educated girl , she “read Byron in English and knows algebra.” The princess is pure and naive, gravitates towards everything romantic , loves to talk about passions and feelings. V. G. Belinsky noted that she is not a stupid girl, but “it is not enough for her to love a person to whom her feelings would attract her; it is imperative that he be unhappy and wear a thick, gray soldier’s overcoat.” Indeed, she sympathized with Grushnitsky when she thought that he had been demoted to a soldier for a duel. Having learned that this was not so, that he only possessed the external attributes of a romantic hero, Mary lost interest in him and tried to avoid conversations with him.
Her attraction to romanticism helped Pechorin seduce her. He pretended to be mysterious, incomprehensible, enigmatic, behaved boldly, and the girl fell in love with him.
Mary is distinguished by pride and self-esteem. The princess does not humiliate herself before Pechorin during her last conversation with him, she is offended and tells him that she does not despise him, but hates him.
