The fate of Pechorin in the novel Hero of Our Time by Lermontov
Pechorin personifies one of the representatives of the era of the early nineteenth century, when cynicism, doubt and fear of the future flourished among the younger generation.
The old views of society had not yet gone away, and new ones had not yet formed, which determined the mood of the youth of that time - uncertainty, the feeling of an “extra” person. From the very beginning, Pechorin is opposed to society, acts in his own way, and does not take anyone into account. He has no friends, love and empathy are alien to him. He looks down on everything and is cynical. The main character explains this by saying that he used to be open to people, but no one understood this. People rejected his friendship and sincerity, which made him callous and harsh.
Pechorin talks a lot about boredom and satiety. The main driver in his life is risk and playing with the destinies of other people. Their lives are ruined because of this, but he shows no sympathy for them. He is no stranger to causing harm even to the most innocent who have not yet known evil. For example, like Mary. He cleverly plays with her feelings, without thinking about the consequences.
However, Pechorin is not a stupid person and gives the impression of a strong personality. His self-confidence and firmness of views are liked by others, so many initially fall under his charm, but ultimately become disappointed in him. Perhaps this is also part of his game: it is as if he is telling them that it was people who made him this way. He often abdicates responsibility for what is happening, blaming something or someone. Therefore, his fate ends tragically. How he dies is not exactly spelled out in the novel, to allow the reader to fantasize. All we know is that he dies early. It’s as if Pechorin himself is always looking for his own death, so he chooses risk and provokes people to drive him out or take his life. Pechorin's talent and intelligence remain unrealized because he decides to oppose himself to society and accuse them of mediocrity and inability to understand others. However, this was not the case for him either.
Pechorin's fate is very tragic. He was unable to adapt to society and decided to blame him for all mortal sins, because this removes responsibility for his choice, for his life. He covered up his shortcomings with the imperfections of other people. He dies without realizing that he is the master of his own destiny and can bring light to life and show how to love and help people. Instead, he chose darkness.
Essay The Fate of Pechorin in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time"
Plan 1. Introduction. “A Hero of Our Time” is a centripetal work. 2. Pechorin is the main character of the novel: 1) the technique of comparison as one of the main ones in revealing the image of Pechorin; 2) the main character is a romantic and tragic figure; 3) Pechorin’s conflict with society; 4) the spiritual richness of Pechorin’s nature, reflection as the main distinguishing feature of this image; 5) the lack of a life goal is the main reason for the hero’s suffering; 3. Conclusion. Pechorin is a romantic hero, a symbol of the “superfluous man.” Some will say: he was a kind fellow, others - a scoundrel. Both will be false. M.Yu. Lermontov. Hero of our time. According to its type, the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's “Hero of Our Time” is a centripetal work. At the center of the system of his artistic images is one character - Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, all the other characters are located around him, helping to reveal this character. Throughout the novel, the author compares Pechorin with other characters in the work, forming pairs from them. This helps Lermontov to show the character of the “hero of the time” more clearly and fully, to highlight all the nuances of his contradictory nature. So, in the novel we meet the following couples: Pechorin - Maxim Maksimovich (“antipode”), Pechorin — Grushnitsky (“parody”), Pechorin — Vulich (“fatalist”), Pechorin-Werner (“friend”), Pechorin — female characters (“love”), Pechorin - highlanders (“natural people”) and others. As a result of the combination of many innovative techniques in the novel (non-chronological composition, the method of confession, “paired comparison” of heroes, etc.), we are faced with a tragic figure, suffering, living a complex spiritual life, passionately thirsting for renewal: “I feel strength in my soul immense..."; “...but you live out of curiosity: you expect something new... It’s funny and annoying!” However, we see that by all the circumstances of life (socio-historical and personal) Pechorin is doomed to inaction: “But I did not guess this purpose, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; I came out of their furnace hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best light of life.” Of course, this character is a hero of his time, a time of doubt and skepticism. Lermontov shows us that in the conditions of the 30-40s of the 19th century, any efforts of the individual on the path to self-realization turned out to be useless, and the relationship between the individual and society was antagonistic. Pechorin's conflict with the aristocratic environment to which he belonged is obvious from the first pages of the novel, as is his deep contempt for society, which turns a person into a moral cripple. “And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile. I have become a moral cripple...” says Grigory Alexandrovich to Princess Mary, writing an epitaph to his half-dead soul. The hero’s spiritual and intellectual superiority over the world in which he is forced to live results in the form of rejection of this world, and the most important character trait of Pechorin becomes individualism and selfishness: “My love did not bring happiness to anyone, because I did not sacrifice anything for those whom loved: I loved for myself, for my own pleasure.” These qualities, as we see throughout the novel, do not bring the hero either happiness or satisfaction. Pechorin honestly recognizes his vices, and his harshest moral judgment is directed at himself: “Well? die like that die! the loss for the world is small...” In general, in “A Hero of Our Time”, for the first time in Russian literature, a character appears who consciously poses the main questions of human existence - about the meaning of human life and about his purpose on earth. So, on the night before the duel with Grushnitsky, Pechorin reasons: “I run through my entire past in my memory and involuntarily ask myself: why did I live? For what purpose was I born?.. And, it’s true, it existed, and, it’s true, I had a high purpose...” But fate’s own verdict leaves no room for self-consolation: “...But I didn’t guess this destination...”. The lack of a goal in life is one of the main sources of Pechorin’s tragedy, therefore his actions are petty, his vigorous activity is empty and fruitless. Longing for the harmony of human relationships, the soul of this hero longs for light and goodness, but does not find shelter in a world of disharmony, social and spiritual slavery. The only possible form of self-realization that is available to Pechorin is rejection of circumstances, opposition to them and self-knowledge. Very rightly noted by V.G. Belinsky that in Lermontov’s hero “there is a secret consciousness that he is not what he seems to himself...”. It is believed that Pechorin is one of the variants of the Russian “superfluous man”, already known from Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin”. But unlike this character, Pechorin reflected a different time and other fundamentally important traits - the development of personal and social self-awareness, reflection, the desire to understand the reasons for his misfortunes in order to leave at least this “sorrowful analysis” for his descendants.
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Pechorin's fate
Pechorin is a character who consciously abandoned feelings. He is cynical and selfish, despite the fact that he is smart and well-mannered. Lermontov brought together the entire generation in this image, showing what people who refuse love and friendship are doomed to. The author himself does not have a negative attitude towards the hero, but Pechorin’s fate speaks for itself.
- Influence of the era
- Social influence
- Loneliness and boredom
- "The Extra Man"
Bonus
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- Work test
Influence of the era
“A Hero of Our Time” is a novel written during a change of eras. The 30-40s of the 19th century were a time when skepticism, doubt, and fear of the future flourished in society. This is what was reflected in the main character and made him callous, cynical and soulless. It seems that time itself has provided Pechorin with an evil fate - he is doomed to inaction. “A Hero of Our Time” talks about how a person at that time has no path to self-realization, that whether you are an officer or a doctor, a cadet or a staff captain, there is nowhere to grow spiritually. All attempts to realize oneself, become an honest person, and fight for morality end in failure. This is precisely what the fate of Pechorin clearly shows the reader.
Social influence
Pechorin calls himself a “moral cripple.” He understands this and accepts himself as such. He himself says that he should be pitied. But society made him that way. When he tried to show good feelings, people did not accept them. Society had only negative expectations from him. No one was kind to him and everyone only insulted him. As a result, he became what he is now. Pechorin reveals all this in a conversation with Mary, whose heart he wanted to win only out of “sporting interest”, in order to get around Grushnitsky. Is there some truth to this, or is this just skillful manipulation of a young girl?
Essay: The fate of Pechorin in the novel “Hero of Our Time” (M.Yu. Lermontov)
A moral cripple, a suffering egoist... What epithets did contemporaries bestow upon Grigory Pechorin! Nobody understood a person who consciously refused to show feelings. But what was the fate of this well-mannered and intelligent, but cynical and callous hero? Who influenced him, and why does he feel restless, and calls his death “a small loss for the world”?
The novel “A Hero of Our Time” was actually written during a turning point. In the 1830s and 40s, society was flooded with doubts and fears, skepticism about the future, and uncertainty about the future. This also influenced Pechorin’s character. He simply had no place to realize himself. A person who wanted to cultivate morality, honesty, and the best qualities in himself would hardly have found a place in the world of unnaturalness, affectation and discussions behind his back. From the hero’s conversation with Princess Mary, we learn: society has made him insensitive and detached. When he, young and full of enthusiasm, offered to help people, tried to show kindness and understanding, everyone rejected him. It is not surprising that the hero soon became bored with such a life. All the actions that he now takes can be explained solely by the desire to unwind, to feel interest. He actually ruins the fates of other people out of curiosity, while remaining lonely and lost. Pechorin does not love either Bela or Princess Mary, is indifferent to the experiences of Maxim Maksimych, and despises Grushnitsky. He admits to his fascination with the lures of ungrateful and empty passions, to the loss of any noble aspiration. Even love for him is a source of pleasure, not a sacrifice.
In my opinion, the hero’s fate is typical of the “superfluous man” of that time. The gallery of portraits of “extra people” begins with Evgeny Onegin, the title character of the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. But Onegin does not reflect, almost does not analyze his behavior. Lermontov’s hero wants to understand what the reasons for his troubles are, so that his descendants will be left with at least this “sorrowful analysis.” Pechorin is a person with great potential. He could realize himself if those around him appreciated his abilities. Now he is doomed to a fruitless vegetation due to the lack of meaning in life. That’s why the hero likes the idea of death on the road. This is a contradictory but strong personality, ready to face death and admit defeat in life.
Alas, there are many such lost people today. They are the antagonists of society. Someone, like Pechorin, plays with the destinies of others, someone simply disappears so as not to disturb anyone. We can say that Lermontov foresaw the coming of a time when feelings would be devalued. The fate of his hero is similar to his own biography and serves as a warning for posterity.
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"The Extra Man"
The theme of the “Superfluous Man” was raised by Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin”. Pechorin is a new round of this problem. A person who could achieve success in many endeavors turns out to be not needed by society; in trying to occupy himself, the hero loses his significance, his personality and the ability to have human feelings. Pechorin is doomed, and this is his fate. It developed in such a way that a worthy person turned into a nonentity, a moral cripple and a lost personality. Pechorin himself wants to die somewhere on the road, because his life has no meaning either for society or for the hero himself.
Pechorin is a character whom Lermontov calls a hero. In the work he is presented as strange and contradictory, but the author mentions that in his life he often met people similar to Pechorin. There are also many such “heroes” in our time. But at any time and in any era, it is important to remain a person capable of sincere feelings, appreciate goodness and try not to lose yourself. Despite the fact that it is now fashionable to be cynical, the best qualities of a person remain kindness and sincerity. It is important to remember that everyone is responsible for their own destiny.
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