An artistic retelling of the portrait of Pechorin, preserving the composition of the description. Portrait characteristics of Pechorin
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A person is always driven by the desire to know his purpose. Should you go with the flow or resist it? What position in society would be correct, should all actions comply with moral standards? These and similar questions often become the main ones for young people who are actively comprehending the world and human essence. Youthful maximalism demands to give for these problematic issues clear answers, but it is not always possible to give an answer.
It is precisely this seeker of answers that M.Yu. tells us about. Lermontov in his novel “Hero of Our Time”. It should be noted that Mikhail Yuryevich was always on good terms when writing prose, and his same position remained until the end of his life - all the prose novels he started were never finished. Lermontov had the courage to bring the matter with “Hero” to its logical conclusion. This is probably why the composition, the manner of presentation of the material and the style of narration look, compared to other novels, quite unusual.
“Hero of Our Time” is a work imbued with the spirit of the era. Characteristics of Pechorin - central figure novel by Mikhail Lermontov - allows you to better understand the atmosphere of the 1830s - the time the work was written. It is not for nothing that “A Hero of Our Time” is recognized by critics as the most mature and ambitious in philosophical sense novels by Mikhail Lermontov.
Great value for understanding the novel historical context. In the 1830s Russian history was reactive. In 1825, the Decembrist uprising occurred, and subsequent years contributed to the development of a mood of loss. The Nikolaev reaction unsettled many young people: young people did not know which vector of behavior and life to choose, how to make life meaningful.
This caused the emergence of restless individuals, unnecessary people.
Origin of Pechorin
Basically, the novel singles out one hero, who is centrally in the story. It seems that this principle was rejected by Lermontov - based on the events told to the reader, the main character is Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin - a young man, an officer. However, the style of the narration gives the right to doubt - the position in the text of Maxim Maksimovich is also quite weighty.
In fact, this is a misconception - Mikhail Yuryevich has repeatedly emphasized that in his novel the main character is Pechorin, this corresponds to the main goal of the story - to talk about typical people generations, point out their vices and mistakes.
Lermontov provides rather scant information about childhood, conditions of upbringing and the influence of parents on the process of formation of Pechorin’s positions and preferences. Several fragments of it past life lift this veil - we learn that Grigory Alexandrovich was born in St. Petersburg. His parents, according to existing orders They tried to give their son a proper education, but young Pechorin did not feel the burden of science, he “quickly got bored” with them and he decided to devote himself to military service. Perhaps such an act is connected not with the emerging 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 for what they were. It was difficult to find representatives in society 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 because 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 Pechorin's actions and deeds
The reader gets his first impressions of the main character of Lermontov’s novel after meeting Maxim Maksimych. The man served with Pechorin in the Caucasus, in a fortress. It was the story of a girl named Bela. Pechorin treated Bela badly: out of boredom, while having fun, the young man kidnapped a Circassian girl. Bela is a beauty, at first cold with Pechorin. Gradually, the young man kindles the flame of love for him in Bela’s heart, but as soon as the Circassian woman fell in love with Pechorin, he immediately lost interest in her.
Pechorin destroys the destinies of other people, makes those around him suffer, but remains indifferent to the consequences of his actions. Bela and the girl's father die. Pechorin remembers the girl, feels sorry for Bela, the past resonates with bitterness in the hero’s soul, but does not cause Pechorin to repent. While Bela was alive, Grigory told his comrade 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 and happiness pushes the young man to experiments that the hero performs on living people. Psychological games, meanwhile, turn out to be useless: the same emptiness remains in the hero’s soul. The same motives accompany the revelation " honest smugglers» Pechorin: the act of a hero does not bring good results, only leaving the blind boy and the old woman on the brink of survival.
The love of a wild Caucasian beauty or a noblewoman - it does not matter for Pechorin. Next time, the hero chooses an aristocrat, Princess Mary, for the experiment. Handsome Gregory plays with the girl, arousing Mary’s love for him, but then 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 kept, wanting to understand himself. In the end, even Pechorin gets tired of his diary: any activity ends in boredom. Grigory Alexandrovich does not complete anything, unable to bear the suffering of losing interest in the subject of his former passion. Pechorin's notes accumulate in a suitcase, which falls into the hands of Maxim Maksimych. The man experiences a strange attachment to 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 does not care about fame, fame, Pechorin does not want to publish the entries, so the diaries turn out to be unnecessary waste paper. This secular disinterest of Pechorin is the peculiarity and value of Lermontov’s hero.
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 recognized: Pechorin is open and honest, and the touch of vice comes from weakness of 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 with each other. Both heroes are related similar features character, certain actions. As researchers note, both Pechorin and Onegin were named according to the same principle. The surname of the characters is based on the name of the river - Onega and Pechora, respectively. But the symbolism doesn't end there.
Pechora is a river in the northern part of Russia ( modern republic Komi and Nanetsky autonomous region), by its nature it is a typical mountain river. Onega is located in the modern Arkhangelsk region and is calmer. 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 himself cause him to feel a state of dull melancholy.
Byronism and the “superfluous man”
In order to holistically perceive the image of Pechorin, 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. J. Bynov in his poem “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage” created unique image endowed with the desire to active search their purpose, 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 someone who, based on his knowledge and understanding of everyday truths, is higher in development than the rest 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 man. Dejection, boredom and spleen are the product of this combination.
Mikhail Lermontov considered the history of life individual more interesting than the history of the people. " An extra person“Pechorin is made by circumstances. The hero is talented and smart, but the tragedy of Grigory Alexandrovich lies in the lack of a goal, in the inability to adapt himself, his talents to this world, in the general restlessness of the individual. In this, Pechorin’s personality is an example of a typical decadent.
Powers young man They go not to find a goal, not to realize themselves, but to adventure. Sometimes literary critics compare images Pushkinsky Evgeniy Onegin and Lermontov's Grigory Pechorin: Onegin is characterized by boredom, and Pechorin is characterized by 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 the desire to reform society, finds himself deprived of such an opportunity. Grigory Alexandrovich wastes his wealth of spiritual strength on trifles: he hurts 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 adults did not believe in the boy’s words.
Then Gregory became disillusioned with life and his previous ideals: the place of truth was replaced by lies. As a young man, Pechorin sincerely loved the world. Society laughed at him and this love - Gregory’s kindness turned into anger.
The hero quickly became bored with his secular surroundings and literature. 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 entire evolution of the protagonist’s personality: Pechorin’s characterization is revealed to the reader by all the central episodes in the formation of the hero’s personality.
The character of Grigory Alexandrovich is accompanied by actions, behavior, and decisions that more fully reveal the characteristics of the character’s personality. Pechorin is also appreciated by other heroes of Lermontov’s novel, for example, Maxim Maksimych, who notices the inconsistency of Grigory. Pechorin is a strong young man with a strong body, 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 the hero looks no more than 23 years old. The hero laughs, but at the same time one can see sadness in Pechorin’s eyes. Opinions about Pechorin expressed different characters novel, allow readers to look at the hero, respectively, with different positions.
Pechorin's death expresses the idea of Mikhail Lermontov: a person who has not found a goal remains superfluous, unnecessary for those around him. Such a person cannot serve for the benefit of humanity and is of no value to society and the fatherland.
In “Hero of Our Time,” the writer described the entire generation of 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 susceptible to boredom, which turns into a vice in the context of the development of their society.
Pechorin's appearance and age
At the beginning of the story, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is 25 years old. He looks very good, well-groomed, so in some moments it seems that he is much younger than he actually is. There was nothing unusual about his height and build: average height, strong athletic build. He was a man with pleasant features. As the author notes, he had a “unique face,” one that women are madly attracted to. Blonde, naturally curly hair, a “slightly upturned” nose, snow-white teeth and a sweet, childish smile - all this complements his appearance favorably.
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 have in front of us a person of evil disposition, or someone who is in a state of deep depression. Lermontov does not give a direct answer which explanation (or both at once) is applicable to the hero - the reader will have to analyze these facts themselves.
His facial expression is also incapable of expressing any emotion. Pechorin does not restrain himself - he simply lacks the ability to empathize.
This appearance is finally blurred by a heavy, unpleasant look.
As you can see, Grigory Alexandrovich looks like a porcelain doll - his cute face with childish features seems like a frozen mask, not a face 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 unkempt slob.
While in the Caucasus, Pechorin easily leaves his usual outfit in the closet and dresses in the national men's attire of the Circassians. Many note that these clothes make him look like a true Kabardian - sometimes people who belonged to this nationality do not look so impressive. Pechorin looks more like a Kabardian than the Kabardians themselves. But even in these clothes he is a dandy - the length of the fur, the trim, the color and size of the clothes - everything is chosen with extraordinary care.
Characteristics of character qualities
Pechorin is a classic representative of the aristocracy. He himself comes from 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 begin his journey of searching for his destiny and an activity that would not let him get bored.
At first, the attention shown 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 ladies became boring and predictable for him. The impulses of creation are alien to him own family, and as soon as it comes to hints about the wedding, his ardor for the girl instantly disappears.
Pechorin is not assiduous - science and reading make him even more melancholy than secular society. A rare exception in this regard is provided by the works of Walter Scott.
When social life became too burdensome for him, and travel, literary activity and science did not bring the desired result, Pechorin decides to start military career. He, as is customary among the aristocracy, serves in the St. Petersburg Guard. But he doesn’t stay here for long either - participation in a duel dramatically changes his life - for this offense he is exiled to serve in the Caucasus.
If Pechorin were a hero folk epic, then it permanent epithet the word would be "strange". All the heroes find something unusual in him, different from other people. This fact is not due to habit, mental or psychological development– here the point is precisely in the ability to express one’s emotions, to adhere to the same position – sometimes Grigory Alexandrovich is very contradictory.
He likes to cause pain and suffering to others, he is aware of this and understands that such behavior does not look good not only on him specifically, but on any person. And yet he doesn’t try to restrain himself. Pechorin compares himself to a vampire - the realization that someone will spend the night in mental anguish is incredibly flattering 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 destruction life paths many people. By his mercy, the blind boy and the old woman are left to their fate (the 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 to whom the main character insulted and became a reason for resentment and depression. Does Pechorin know and understand the full gravity of the consequences of his actions? Quite, but this fact does not bother him - he does not value his life, much less the destinies of other people.
Thus, the image of Pechorin is contradictory and ambiguous. On the one hand, it is easy to find positive traits character, but on the other hand, callousness and selfishness confidently reduce all his positive achievements to “no” - Grigory Aleksandrovich destroys with his recklessness both his fate and the fates of the people around him. He is a destructive force that is difficult to resist.
Psychological portrait of Grigory Pechorin
Lermontov helps to imagine the character's character traits by referring to the hero's appearance and habits. 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 marred by wrinkles, and when Grigory Alexandrovich sat, it seemed that the hero was tired. When Pechorin's lips laughed, his eyes remained motionless, sad.
Pechorin's fatigue was manifested in the fact that the hero's passion did not linger for long on 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 trait called fatality. The young man is not afraid to go wild and seeks adventure and risk, as if testing 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 cracking 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 by saving people from the Cossack killer.
Grigory Pechorin from the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”: characteristics, image, description, portrait
4.3 (86.67%) 6 votes– organize the research activities of students in order to identify the individuality inherent in Pechorin.
Objective: To develop students’ ability to analyze a work of art; analysis of the psychological portrait of Pechorin.
Knowledge, abilities, skills: Ability to conduct literary analysis, work in groups.
Equipment: Projector, computer, interactive whiteboard.
Technologies, methods, used in the lesson: Information and communication technologies. The lesson is accompanied by presentation materials in Power Point 97-2003 format.
Lesson progress
I. Updating knowledge
The novel was written in the period 1837–1840. It consists of five independent stories, which are united by common characters and a common title.
In “A Hero of Our Time” we see a whole gallery of heroes, the description of which depends on the genre of the story and the task that the author set for himself in this part of the novel. For example: “Taman” is an action-packed and at the same time lyrical story; “Princess Mary” – diary; “Fatalist” – notes made by the hero some time after the events described.
II. Working on the topic (teacher's word)
Portrait as one of the means artistic expression has always occupied a fairly important place in literary work, since the image of the hero is part of his image. However, a portrait is not only a description of his appearance, but also an introduction to his life, his feelings and actions. It helps reveal the hero's inner world. A portrait is what makes it possible to present the hero to the reader as a person. The pre-Pushkin era is characterized by a picturesque portrait: short, with a small number of details. It was dominated only by details that speak directly only about the personality of the hero. Pushkin in his works along with a picturesque portrait creates psychological portraits that became widespread in the literature of the 19th century. He is the founder of new portrait trends: complex, visible, invisible portraits. One of the followers of the Pushkin tradition is Lermontov, which is most clearly and fully manifested in his novel “A Hero of Our Time.”
The meaning of portraits in works
The portrait, as one of the means of artistic expression, has always occupied a fairly important place in literary works, since the image of the hero is part of his image.
It helps reveal the hero's inner world.
A portrait is what makes it possible to present the hero to the reader as a person.
Lermontov does not describe the heroes in detail, but such portraits are quite colorful and can say a lot about the hero, for example, Bel: “ tall, thin, black eyes, like those of a mountain chamois, and looked into your soul" or Kazbich: " he had the most robber's face: small, dry, broad-shouldered... And he was as clever as a devil! The beshmet is always torn, in patches, and the weapon is in silver. And his horse was famous throughout Kabarda...»
The central place in the story is psychological portrait Pechorin, which emphasizes the inconsistency in the external and internal world of the hero. Very important for understanding the inner world and revealing the image of Pechorin is artistic description nature in the novel. His thoughts, feelings and mood are directly related to the description of the landscape. When Pechorin goes to the place of the duel, in the face of impending danger, he is overcome by a thirst for life and a love of nature. He cannot fully enjoy the beauty at the hour of sunrise. But here he is on his way back. “I had a stone in my heart,” he writes. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me.” This is how nature seems to Pechorin in his difficult state of mind. The landscape in the novel is nowhere presented as an independent picture not connected with the action. It is closely connected with the experiences of the characters, expresses their feelings and moods. This is where passionate emotionality and excitement in the descriptions of nature are born, creating a feeling of musicality in the entire work.
The system of narrators in the novel
(The proposed form of the table is filled out with the participation of students.)
The change of narrators in the novel allows the reader to see the portrait of the hero from three points of view:
| Maxim Maksimych (talks about Pechorin in the story “Bela”) |
Traveling officer | Pechorin |
|
What kind of narrator (brief description) |
||
| This human type characteristic of Russia first half of the 19th century century: this is a man of honor, military duty, discipline. He is simple-minded, kind, sincere | An educated officer who already knows something about such a strange person as Pechorin. He builds his observations and conclusions taking into account what he knows about the oddities and contradictions of the character of the hero. The officer and Pechorin are much closer in level, so he can explain some things that are incomprehensible to Maxim Maksimych | A man reflecting on the meaning of life, on his own purpose, trying to understand the inconsistency of his character, Pechorin judges and executes himself |
|
How is the hero presented? |
||
| From the story of Maxim Maksimych, Pechorin appears before the reader as mysterious, mysterious man who cannot be understood and whose actions cannot be explained
“After all, people, really, are the kind of people who have it written in their nature that various extraordinary things should happen to them.” |
For the first time on the pages of the novel, a psychological portrait of the hero is given. Pechorin is given living features, the author tries to explain some of Pechorin’s actions. The mystery and abstraction of the image give way to concreteness and realism.
“...All these remarks came to my mind, perhaps, only because I knew some details of his life, and, perhaps, to another person he would have made a completely different impression...” |
Tragic confession of a hero. "The history of the human soul... more useful than history an entire people, especially when it is the result of a mature mind’s observation of itself and when it is written without a vain desire to arouse sympathy or surprise.” |
| This distribution of roles between the narrators is not accidental: it all starts with the external, condemning and not very insightful gaze of Maxim Maksimych, then as much as possible objective assessment traveling officer. And finally last word Pechorin himself has his sincere and tragic confession. | ||
Description of the portrait of Pechorin in the chapter “Maksim Maksimych” (student’s answer, based on home preparation)
- “His slender, thin figure and broad shoulders proved a strong constitution, capable of enduring all difficulties nomadic life and climate changes, not defeated by debauchery metropolitan life, nor spiritual storms"
- “His dusty velvet frock coat, buttoned only by the bottom two buttons, made it possible to see his dazzlingly clean linen, revealing the habits of a decent man.”
- “His gait was careless and lazy, but I noticed that he did not wave his arms - a sure sign of some secretiveness of character.”
- “At first glance at his face, I would not have given him more than 23 years, although after that I was ready to give him 30... Despite light color his hair, mustache and eyebrows were black, a sign of the breed in a person, just like the black mane and black tail of a white horse.”
- “There was something childish in his smile... but his eyes didn’t laugh when he laughed.”
These descriptions provide some insight into inner world Pechorina.
Portrait of Maxim Maksimych (student’s answer, based on home preparation) :
The portrait is realistic. The portrait of Maxim Maksimych is the last portrait presented by the narrator, a passing officer; all other descriptions will be given by Pechorin himself in his diary - “Pechorin's Journal”, where he himself will be the narrator.
“He was wearing a frock coat without epaulettes and a Circassian shaggy hat. He seemed to be about fifty years old; his dark complexion showed that he had long been familiar with the Caucasian sun, and his prematurely gray mustache did not match his firm gait and cheerful appearance.”
Question: V.G. Belinsky considers Maxim Maksimych a “purely Russian type” and ends his characterization of this image with the following appeal to the reader: “Isn’t it true, you got so used to him, fell in love with him so much that you will never forget him, and if you meet him under the rough appearance - a warm heart, under the simple, bourgeois speech - the warmth of the soul, then “this is Maxim Maksimych”? And may God grant you to meet Maxim Maksimych on the path of your life!”
Students' answer - Maxim Maksimychi in your life.
Portrait of Grushnitsky (the teacher’s word, description of the water society using the example of Grushnitsky)
Grushnitsky’s portrait is rather a parody of a romantic one, since the hero himself is anti-romantic, and his penchant for romanticism is brought to the point of caricature: “ He is well built, dark and black-haired, and barely 21 years old. He throws his head back when he speaks, and constantly twirls his mustache with his left hand, because with his right he leans on a crutch.”. There are many details in his portrait: a thick soldier’s overcoat, a crutch, a limp. These life details do not fit into the romantic portrait of Grushnitsky. The description of this hero’s appearance is the first in a series of those found in the second part of Pechorin’s diary, in “Princess Mary.”
Women's portraits
The portrait of Princess Mary is romantic, and so is the image of the heroine. The main detail of her portrait is her “velvet eyes.” But her description is not without features of realism: she is dressed " according to strict rules of taste: nothing superfluous". There is another one in the story female image- the image of Vera, whose portrait also gravitates towards the romantic: “ On a stone bench sat a woman in a straw hat, wrapped in a black shawl, with her head bowed on her chest; the hat covered her face". And the black mole adds even more romanticism to the portrait of the heroine.
Question: Pechorin through the eyes of a woman? (Vera, Princess Mary, Bela) – Students' response based on the work they read
Portrait of Werner
The image of Werner is compared with Pechorin, and not opposed, like other characters. “Werner was short and thin, and weak, like a child; one of his legs was shorter than the other, like Byron... His small black eyes, always restless...”
Question: Is Werner a friend of Pechorin or...? Students' response based on the work they read
III. Lesson reflection:
Thus, we can conclude that in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” romantic portraits predominate, which is due to the writer’s creative method. The portrait of the main character Pechorin is psychological, which is determined by the genre of the work. It is he who serves as a means of characterizing the hero along with other means psychological analysis.
The significance of the novel “A Hero of Our Time” in the subsequent development of Russian literature is enormous. In this work, Lermontov for the first time in the “history of the human soul” revealed such deep layers that not only equated it with the “history of the people”, but also showed its involvement in the spiritual history of mankind through its personal and tribal significance. In an individual personality, not only his specific time-specific socio-historical characteristics were highlighted, but also universal ones with the help of vivid artistic details.
IV. Homework: essay-composition “My Pechorin”.
Roman M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" was written in 1840. This is the first psychological novel in Russian literature, exploring the inner world of the main character - a young nobleman, military officer Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin.
Revealing the image
The image of Pechorin is revealed gradually. At first we see him through the eyes of Maxim Maksimych, a fifty-year-old staff captain. The old man tells the author that he had the pleasure of knowing very strange man G.A. Pechorina. He, in his words, is not a simple “guy” who has a number of inexplicable contradictions: he could hunt all day in the drizzling rain, or he could catch a cold because of an open window; capable of going after a wild boar one on one, but at the same time being frightened by the sound of a closing window. Maxim Maksimych was surprised by his ability to remain silent for hours, and sometimes talk in such a way that “you’ll tear your stomach with laughter.”
We also learn about Pechorin’s wealth, about his special purpose: “There are these people who are written in their family that extraordinary things should happen to them!”
Pechorin's problem
Pechorin's main problem is that he quickly gets bored with everything. In his youth he turned to the light, but high society He quickly became bored; Pechorin saw no point in the education he had been receiving for years. The hope of gaining interest in life in the Caucasus also turns out to be false: the whistling of bullets worries him no more than the buzzing of mosquitoes. Bela, a young Circassian, was last chance for Pechorin. But it turned out that “the love of a savage is a little better than love noble lady."
The hero's internal contradictions are also expressed in his appearance, presented to the reader through the eyes of a traveling officer - the author-storyteller, close to the hero by age and social status.
In the chapter “Maksim Maksimych” we see the main character as a slender, stately retired officer, dressed in latest fashion. He is of average height, fair-haired, but with a black mustache and eyebrows. The author sees the secrecy of character in the carelessness of his gait and the absence of waving his arms. At first glance, Pechorin’s face seems youthful, but upon closer examination, the author notices traces of wrinkles, and there is something childish in his smile. It is significant that the hero's eyes did not laugh when he laughed. This speaks of an evil disposition or a great and difficult life experience.
Pechorin's trials
Like many others literary heroes, Pechorin undergoes tests of love and friendship, but does not withstand them: he kills a friend in a duel, causing pain to all those who love him and loved ones. He himself says that he is only capable of causing people suffering, since “he did not sacrifice anything for those he loved.” He is an individualist by nature, he does not need anyone to realize his life goals, he is able to solve all his problems on his own.
Indeed, Pechorin is cruel to many close people. Take even his meeting after a long separation with Maxim Maksimych - he treated the old man, who considered him his son, as a stranger. But it should be noted that he is also cruel to himself. There is not a single requirement for others that he would not fulfill himself. Many of his misfortunes and clashes with society occur due to his maximalism, demanding everything from life at once, but the impossibility of receiving proper satisfaction.
In my opinion, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is a worthy, intelligent, spiritually strong person. But he cannot find application for his immense powers and capabilities in the conditions of his contemporary society, which does not have any spiritual values.
In the novel “Hero of Our Time,” Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov touches on the same problems that are often heard in his lyrics: why smart and energetic people cannot find a place for themselves in life, why do they “grow old in inaction”? The novel consists of five parts: “Bela”, “Maksim Maksimych”, “Taman”, “Princess Mary”, “Fatalist”. Each of them represents independent work and at the same time is part of the novel. Central location In all the stories the image of the young officer Pechorin is occupied. It is no coincidence that the novel takes place in the Caucasus, where at that time people who were critical of autocracy were exiled. As you know, Pushkin and Lermontov were exiled there. Pechorin belongs to this category of people.
Revealing the complex and contradictory character of Pechorin, the author shows us him in different life situations, in clashes with people of different social classes and nationalities: with smugglers, with highlanders, with a young aristocratic girl, with representatives of noble youth and others actors. Before us appears the image of a lonely, disappointed man who is at enmity with secular society, although he himself is part of it.
In Lermontov’s poems, the image of such a person is painted in romantic tones; the poet did not reveal in his lyrics the reasons for the appearance of such a hero. And in the novel “Hero of Our Time” Lermontov portrays Pechorin realistically. The writer is trying to show how a person’s character is influenced by the environment in which he lives. Pechorin has a lot in common with Evgeny Onegin from novel of the same name in Pushkin's poems. However, Pechorin lives in a different time, he is a man of the thirties of the 19th century, and this man’s disappointment in the society around him is stronger than that of Onegin.
Pechorin was born and raised in an aristocratic family. Nature endowed him sharp mind, sympathetic heart and strong will. But best qualities This person turned out to be unnecessary to society. “Fearing ridicule,” says Pechorin, “I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart.” He fell in love and was loved; took up science, but soon realized that it did not give him fame and happiness. And when he realized that in society there was no selfless love, no friendship, no fair humane relations between people, he became bored.
Pechorin is looking for thrills and adventures. His mind and will help him overcome obstacles, but he realizes that his life is empty. And this increases his feeling of melancholy and disappointment. Pechorin is well versed in the psychology of people, so he easily wins the attention of women, but this does not bring him a feeling of happiness. He, like Onegin, “was not created for bliss family life. He cannot and does not want to live like the people of his circle.”
In the story of Princess Mary, whom Pechorin fell in love with himself and subjugated to his will, he appears both as a “cruel tormentor” and as a deeply suffering person. Exhausted Mary evokes a feeling of compassion in him. “It was becoming unbearable,” he recalls, “another minute and I would have fallen at her feet.”
Lermontov created a true image of his young contemporary, which reflected the features of an entire generation. In the preface to the novel, he wrote that Pechorin is “a portrait made up of the vices of our generation, in their full development.”
The title of the novel sounds the writer's irony over his generation and over the time in which it lives. Pechorin, of course, is not a hero in the literal sense of the word. His activities cannot be called heroic. A person who could benefit people wastes his energy on empty activities.
The author does not seek to condemn Pechorin, nor to make him better than he is. It should be noted that M. Yu. Lermontov revealed the psychology of his hero with great skill. The critic N. G. Chernyshevsky noted that “Lermontov was interested in the psychological process itself, its form, its laws, the dialectics of the soul...” L. N. Tolstoy also highly appreciated Lermontov’s role in the development of the socio-psychological novel.
Tasks and tests on the topic “Pechorin - a portrait of his generation (based on the novel “A Hero of Our Time”)”
- Changing past tense verbs by gender and number
Lessons: 1 Assignments: 9 Tests: 1
- Orthoepy - Important Topics to repeat the Unified State Exam in Russian
Lessons: 1 Tasks: 7
- Basics of past tense verbs. Spelling the letter before the suffix -l - Verb as part of speech grade 4
The novel “Hero of Our Time” by M. Yu. Lermontov can be attributed to the first socio-psychological and philosophical work in prose. IN this novel the author tried to display the vices of an entire generation in one person, to create a multifaceted portrait.
Pechorin is a complex and contradictory person. The novel includes several stories, and in each of them the hero reveals himself to the reader from a new side.
The image of Pechorin in the chapter “Bela”
In the chapter “Bela” it opens to the reader from the words of another hero of the novel - Maxim Maksimych. This chapter describes life circumstances Pechorin, his upbringing and education. Here the portrait of the main character is also revealed for the first time.
Reading the first chapter, we can conclude that Grigory Alexandrovich is a young officer, has an attractive appearance, at first glance pleasant in any respect, he has good taste and a brilliant mind, excellent education. He is an aristocrat, an esthete, one might say, a star of secular society.
Pechorin is a hero of our time, according to Maxim Maksimych
The elderly staff captain Maxim Maksimych is a gentle and good-natured man. He describes Pechorin as quite strange, unpredictable, and unlike other people. From the first words of the staff captain, one can notice the internal contradictions of the protagonist. He can be in the rain all day and feel great, and another time he can freeze from a warm breeze, he can be frightened by the slam of window shutters, but he is not afraid to go to the wild boar one on one, he can be silent for a long time, and at some point a lot talk and joke.
The characterization of Pechorin in the chapter “Bela” has practically no psychological analysis. The narrator does not analyze, evaluate or even condemn Gregory, he simply conveys many facts from his life.
The tragic story of Bel
When Maxim Maksimych tells the traveling officer sad story which happened before his eyes, the reader becomes acquainted with the incredible cruel egoism of Grigory Pechorin. Due to his whim, the main character steals the girl Bela from her home, without thinking about her later life, about the time when he will finally get tired of her. Later, Bela suffers because of Gregory’s emerging coldness, but cannot do anything about it. Noticing how Bela is suffering, the staff captain tries to talk to Pechorin, but Grigory’s answer causes only misunderstanding in Maxim Maksimych. He can’t wrap his head around how a young man, for whom everything is going very well, can still complain about life. It all ends with the girl's death. The unfortunate woman is killed by Kazbich, who previously killed her father. Having fallen in love with Bela as his own daughter, Maxim Maksimych is amazed at the coldness and indifference with which Pechorin suffered this death.
Pechorin through the eyes of a traveling officer
The characterization of Pechorin in the chapter “Bela” differs significantly from the same image in other chapters. In the chapter “Maksim Maksimych” Pechorin is described through the eyes of a traveling officer who was able to notice and appreciate the complexity of the protagonist’s character. Behavior and appearance Pechorin is already attracting attention. For example, his gait was lazy and careless, but at the same time he walked without swinging his arms, which is a sign of a certain secrecy in his character.
The fact that Pechorin experienced mental storms is evidenced by his appearance. Gregory looked older than his years. The portrait of the main character contains ambiguity and inconsistency; he has delicate skin, a childish smile, and at the same time deep. He has light blond hair, but a black mustache and eyebrows. But the complexity of the hero’s nature is most emphasized by his eyes, which never laugh and seem to scream about some hidden tragedy of the soul.
Diary
Pechorin appears by itself after the reader encounters the thoughts of the hero himself, which he wrote down in his personal diary. In the chapter “Princess Mary,” Grigory, having a cold calculation, makes the young princess fall in love with him. As events unfold, he destroys Grushnitsky, first morally, and then physically. Pechorin writes all this in his diary, every step, every thought, accurately and truly assessing himself.
Pechorin in the chapter “Princess Mary”
The characterization of Pechorin in the chapter “Bela” and in the chapter “Princess Mary” is striking in its contrast, since in the second mentioned chapter Vera appears, who became the only woman who managed to truly understand Pechorin. It was her that Pechorin fell in love with. His feeling for her was unusually reverent and tender. But in the end, Gregory loses this woman too.
It is at the moment when he realizes the loss of his chosen one that the new Pechorin. The characterization of the hero at this stage is despair, he no longer makes plans, is ready for stupid ones and, having failed to save his lost happiness, Grigory Alexandrovich cries like a child.
Final chapter
In the chapter “Fatalist,” Pechorin reveals one more side. Main character doesn't value his life. Pechorin is not stopped even by the possibility of death; he perceives it as a game that helps to cope with boredom. Grigory risks his life in search of himself. He is brave and courageous, he has strong nerves, and in a difficult situation he is capable of heroism. You might think that this character was capable of great things with such a will and such abilities, but in reality it all came down to " thrills", to the game between life and death. As a result, the strong, restless, rebellious nature of the protagonist brings people only misfortune. This thought gradually arises and develops in the mind of Pechorin himself.
Pechorin is a hero of our time, a hero of his own, and of any time. This is a person who knows habits, weaknesses and, to some extent, he is an egoist, because he thinks only about himself and does not show concern for others. But in any case, this hero is romantic, he is opposed to the world around him. There is no place for him in this world, his life is wasted, and the way out of this situation is death, which overtook our hero on the way to Persia.
