In the novel “A Hero of Our Time”, Lermontov focuses his main attention on depicting the “history of the human soul”, on revealing the character and inner world of the hero who lived in the 30s of the 19th century. This is the time of the absence of social ideals, the removal of the noble intelligentsia from social and political life.
The composition of the novel is determined by its intention and is subject to the task of the most complete disclosure of the character and inner world of the protagonist. The peculiarity of the construction of this work is that Lermontov violated the chronological sequence of events described in the novel.
"A Hero of Our Time" consists of five stories. However, V. G. Belinsky argued that “this is not a collection of several stories and novels, but a novel in which there is one main character and one main idea.”
The novel has a “circular composition”: first there are chapters devoted to the last events in the life of Pechorin (“Bela”, “Maxim Maksimych”, a preface to “Pechorin’s Journal”), then it tells about earlier episodes of the hero’s life (“Taman”, “Princess Mary"). In the last story, a peculiar philosophical result of Pechorin's life quests is summed up: “I suggest you try for yourself whether a person can arbitrarily dispose of his life, or each of us is assigned a fateful minute in advance” (“Fatalist”).
The peculiarity of the “ring composition” also lies in the fact that the action of the novel begins in the fortress and ends there. The motive of "prison", "monastery", "prisonment" is one of the main ones in Lermontov's work. Involuntarily, associations arise with the poem “Mtsyri” - the hero fled from the monastery, but by the will of fate he returned and died outside the monastery walls. The passionate desire for freedom, but the fatal impossibility of achieving it, is one of the important thoughts of Lermontov's poetry and the novel A Hero of Our Time.
The composition of the novel allows you to consistently change the "narrators". First, other characters talk about Pechorin, then he himself gives an analysis of his personality.
In the story “Bela”, the reader learns about Pechorin from the story of Maxim Maksimych, a kind and decent man, but poorly versed in the complex and contradictory nature of Pechorin, in the intricacies of his soul. In the chapter "Maxim Maksimych" the narrator changes. The wandering officer, a subtle and observant person, draws a psychological portrait of the hero, notes the main thing in him: he is all woven from contradictions and contrasts. “His frame and broad shoulders proved a strong build,” and there was something childish in his “smile,” “some kind of nervous weakness”; “despite the light color of his hair, his mustache and eyebrows were black”; eyes did not laugh,
Tasks and tests on the topic "The originality of the composition of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time""
- Orthoepy - Important topics for repeating the exam in the Russian language
Lessons: 1 Assignments: 7
- Vowel sounds. The letters e, e, u, i and their function in the word - Sounds and letters grade 1
Lessons: 3 Assignments: 9 Tests: 1
- Changing past tense verbs by gender and number - Verb as part of speech Grade 4
The plot of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" is based on the main themes that unite the entire work: the themes of the homeland, the human soul, love, society, fate, history, war. In each of the stories of the novel, these themes are intertwined in one way or another.
The main component of the plot of the stories and the entire novel is the scene, the social and national environment, and the historical setting. The conflicts of the stories are born in close connection with the reality of the created artistic world. So, a love conflict - the love story of Pechorin and Bela, no matter how highly and abstractly we talk about it, is depicted in all historical and national concreteness, psychologically correct, with attention to the social nuances of the characters' relationship. The story "Taman" presents an accurate artistic picture of the mores of a seaside town, the cruelty and deceit of the underworld, the sleepy stupidity of garrison employees. In the story "Princess Mary", in addition to the subtle depiction of the theme of love and friendship, Lermontov's remarkable find was the choice of the social environment and the place where events unfold. The conflict between Pechorin and the "water society" turned out to be the intersection point of many plot motifs of the story - social, moral, spiritual and moral. The theme of "The Fatalist" and the hero's temporary stay at the forefront of hostilities, in a remote province, where he so sharply and clearly feels his loneliness and restlessness, correlate very accurately.
The composition of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" is particularly complex. First of all, it must be said that the novel consists of autonomous parts - stories, which nevertheless represent an artistic whole. The stories are united by a common hero, however, a well-known difficulty in understanding the integrity of the novel is the question: why does the author choose these, and not some other events in Pechorin's life, and why does he arrange them in that order?
The idea of the novel is presented through the disclosure of the image of Pechorin. The leading constructive technique in this regard is the depiction of the hero from two main angles: in the first two stories and the preface, the story about the hero is conducted from the outside, at first we learn about him from Maxim Maksimych. Then we read Pechorin's notes about his adventures in the Caucasus in Pechorin's Journal, that is, using Belinsky's words, we meet on the pages of the magazine with the "inner man". The story "Taman", the first in Pechorin's Journal, combines two perspectives of the hero's image - "from the outside" and "from himself", it is important that the hero is never named by name in it.
The next feature of the composition is that the chronology of events in the life of the hero does not coincide with the chronology of the story about them. So, Pechorin's path outside the novel sequence is as follows: arrival in the Caucasus ("Taman"), vacation after hostilities ("Princess Mary"), a two-week military mission while serving in the fortress ("Fatalist"), the love story of Pechorin and Bela during service in the fortress ("Bela"), meeting with Pechorin four years later ("Maxim Maksimych"), Pechorin's death (preface to Pechorin's Journal). These events are arranged in the novel in a different order: "Bela", "Maxim Maksimych", the preface to the "Pechorin's Journal", "Taman", "Princess Mary", "Fatalist". This principle of constructing the novel is called "double chronology". There are many explanations for the "double chronology". Two main ones can be distinguished. From the point of view of the plot, such a sequence can be explained by the fact that the wandering writer, publishing a novel about Pechorin, compiled a book in the sequence in which he himself learned about the life of her hero. From the point of view of the meaning of the composition, the fact that before the merger into a novel, the stories were scattered episodes from the life of an individual, after the merger they began to represent the stages of his life destiny and spiritual development.
The principle of “reverse chronology” is becoming important, which manifests itself in the fact that the earlier events of Pechorin’s life are assigned to the second half of the novel - in the “Pechorin Journal”, and they are preceded in the narrative by later events. With this technique, the author seeks to avoid the prejudiced attitude towards the hero, which occurs when we learn about a person "from the outside". The author pursues the same goal by successively changing narrators-narrators who represent the hero from different angles. The wandering writer, later the publisher of a book about Pechorin, acts as an observer, Maxim Maksimych is a direct witness and participant in the events, Pechorin experiences them in his life.
The image of Pechorin becomes clearer, more real and deeper as the story develops. The logic of the sequence of stories is such that in each of them a question arises, the answer to which is expected in the next one. So, in "Bel" we learn about Pechorin from the story of Maxim Maksimych, but we do not see him with our own eyes.
At the end of the story, interest in the personality of the hero awakens in the question: who is he? And in "Maxim Maksimych" we seem to get an answer to it. Pechorin appears in the story physically, it even provides a detailed portrait of the hero with elements of psychologization. However, Pechorin's unusual behavior raises the following question: why is he like that? "Pechorin's Journal" is intended to explain the state of the hero, but the events of "Taman" cause us another bewilderment: what does he need? From the story "Princess Mary" we get a clear explanation: Pechorin needs love and friendship, but at the end of the story a disaster occurs. Pechorin loses everything that binds a person to life, then the problem of choice naturally arises: what should the hero do, should he not give up further struggle in life? The story "The Fatalist" ends with Pechorin's positive choice in favor of life, it ends optimistically: "The officers congratulated me - and for sure, there was something!" It is in this that the ring composition of the novel plays its decisive role: Pechorin returns to the fortress to Maxim Maksimych, and the novel seems to begin again - Pechorin will kidnap Bela, everything will repeat itself, but the meaning of the events will be different, new.
The motive of wandering connects the whole work, its characters are constantly on the road, outside the home. Such is Pechorin, such is the lonely staff captain Maxim Maksimych, who has neither a family nor a permanent home, such is the wandering writer.
Finally, another compositional device of the novel plays the deepest ideological role: the hero dies in the middle of the work and immediately "resurrects" in Pechorin's Journal. This effect makes it possible to show the eternal moral rebirth of man.
Answer left Guru
The novel "The Master and Margarita" is not in vain called the "sunset novel" by M. Bulgakov. For many years he rebuilt, supplemented and polished his final work. Everything that M. Bulgakov experienced in his lifetime - both happy and difficult - he gave all his most important thoughts, all his soul and all his talent to this novel. And a truly extraordinary creation was born.
The work is unusual, first of all, in terms of genre. Researchers still cannot determine it. Many consider "Master and Margarita" a mystical novel, referring to the words of the author: "I am a mystical writer." Other researchers call this work satirical, others consider M. Bulgakov's novel fantastic, and fourth - philosophical. It must be said that there are grounds for all these definitions, as we will see below.
But first, a few words about the composition of the novel, without analyzing which it is impossible to understand its genre identity. The book clearly highlights two plots: the real world of Moscow in the 1930s, where the master and Margarita live, and the world of ancient Yershalaim, where Yeshua and Pontius Pilate operate. It should be noted that the second plot is, in a sense, canonical, since the display of gospel events is one of the deepest traditions of world literature. Suffice it to recall in this connection such works as "Paradise Regained" by J. Milton, "Jesus Christ in Flanders" by O. Balzac, "Christ Visiting the Muzhiks" by N. Leskov and others.
The story about Yeshua is written in the genre of a parable novel. The account of events is coldly objective, tragically tense and impersonal. The author does not declare himself in any way - neither by addressing the reader, nor by expressing his opinion about what is happening. Based on the events described, we could expect in this layer of Bulgakov's novel the expression of the mystical beginning - various miracles, transformations. But there is nothing like this in the master's novel - all events are absolutely real. The author refuses even the scene of the resurrection - as a sign of the presence of a miracle in the human world.
The novel-parable is a kind of starting point from which the events of the contemporary M. Bulgakov layer develop. The truth, unrecognized in ancient Yershalaim, again comes into the world. Paradoxically, all mysticism has been moved into the narrative of this world. She is serious - let us recall at least the appearance of the living dead at Satan's ball or the transformation of Voland and his retinue at the end of the novel. It is also grotesque, turning into the mysticism of the current modernity and manifesting itself in the mysterious movements of Styopa Likhodeev, and in miracles in variety shows, and in the “bad apartment” from which people disappear. It is also ironic: it is enough to recall the beginning of the novel, when the devil asks Berlioz if the devil exists, and, having received a negative answer, he laments: “What is it with you - no matter what you grab - there is nothing.” The combination of satire and mysticism thus determines the genre nature of the novel about the master.
From the collision of two worlds and two novels, a very peculiar philosophy emerges.
The theme of fate emerges from the first pages of the novel. The sudden death of Berlioz immediately raises philosophical questions: who cuts the thread of life? Is it possible to influence human destiny? The answer to these questions will be given, but not immediately, and not even in this time and space. Yeshua denies the possibility of one person to influence the fate of another in earthly life. But in another life, in the other world, this is possible; Margarita frees the master and brings forgiveness to Frida, and the master grants Pontius Pilate the desired meeting with the wandering philosopher. This is how the understanding of the unity of being and non-being, the real fate of a person and the afterlife arises in the novel.
The need to talk about this arises because the writer is deeply convinced that the truth of the historical process has been forgotten, and humanity is going the wrong way. The novel about Yeshua is a return to this mistake, when Pontius Pilate was the first to make a moral choice, for which humanity has been paying for more than two thousand years. The history of the master himself is a repetition of the same mistake. But the repetition of a mistake brings with it a new return - as a reminder of the truth at a new round of history.
So, we are convinced that the genre nature of M. Bulgakov's novel is complex and peculiar. But this should have been a work that survived so many cataclysms of history. Such should be the manuscript that did not burn.
The novel by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov is a socio-psychological novel. Lermontov wanted to reveal in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" all the secrets of the human soul. The novel was written at a time when a person could not speak his mind without getting hurt. The novel is written and consists of many stories collected in one work.
The stories are written in a different chronological order, but this does not lose its meaning. Each of them can exist separately, because they describe different events that happened in the life of Pechorin. A person throughout the novel tries to find himself, but does not know what he really wants to be.
Mikhail Yuryevich took as a basis the disclosure of the character of the main character Pechorin. The sequence of chapters Lermontov changed more than once, he wanted to build the perfect order in his novel. Mikhail Yuryevich wanted to build a philosophical order so that the reader could understand what was at stake.
Lermontov's novel consists of five stories, but they are arranged in a chaotic order. First, the stories that end Pechorin's life are exhibited, and then the events that happened to the main character earlier. The Russian officer in each of the stories wants to find a place for himself in this world, but he just can't decide. He gets bored with girls very quickly and doesn't like anyone.
The novel begins with the fact that Pechorin is fond of the girl Bela and decides to steal her from her lover, but at that moment he does not know that she will quickly get bored with him. He sharpens the girl in the fortress where he himself is, but after a while Pechorin gets bored and he does not understand why he stole her because he could not love her. Pechorin wants freedom so much and does not like it when they try to fetter him in their actions. The officer is trying to escape from the fortress somewhere in the distance in order to find himself and his place. In the last final story, Pechorin nevertheless returns to the fortress from which he escaped.
In the first story "Bela" the reader gets acquainted with Pechorin from the words of his friend Maxim Maksimych. He describes that the officer is romantic and stole the girl because he fell in love with her. In another story, the name of which is "Maxim Maksimych", the image of Pechorin is revealed from the words of the narrator. It is in it that the appearance of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin is described and the myth and its romanticism are destroyed. In the remaining parts of the novel, the kind and bright image of Pechorin is destroyed stage by stage.
In the final part of the novel The Fatalist, Mikhail Yuryevich writes that Pechorin should draw conclusions about his life. Pechorin believes that not everything is so simple and he should think about how he behaved throughout the whole time. He made certain conclusions about his life and would very much like to correct some points. Grigory Alexandrovich is ready to fight fate, but the reader understands that this will lead to the quick death of Pechorin. Lermontov wanted to reveal the whole essence of the human soul, namely Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Mikhail Yuryevich highlighted the realistic characterization of a Russian officer who was looking for himself in life and made many mistakes.
Roman M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" was published in 1840. The work is written in five parts. Five separate stories are united by the main character - Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich. The very construction of the novel (its composition) does not have a clear chronology. The arrangement of the stories in the existing order is intended to solve certain artistic problems.
The first part of the novel consists of two stories: "Bela" and "Maxim Maksimych". The narration comes from the name of Maxim Maksimovich. He tells about Pechorin to a third party, who in the following chapters will himself narrate on behalf of the author. Bela describes the tragedy of a young Circassian girl. The hero of the novel, languishing with boredom, steals the horse first, and then Bela. Disregard for the traditions of the highlanders leads to a terrible ending. The beautiful Bela and her father die at the hands of the robber Kazbich. Pechorin's associate - Azamat - is forced to leave his family forever.
Describing Pechorin in Maxim Maksimych, Lermontov gives a description of Maksimych himself. Showing two types of people, two different characters, the author opposes them to each other. The two heroes meet. But to tell them, in general, there is nothing. Maxim Maksimovich, no matter how hard he tried, failed to comprehend the inner world of Pechorin.
In "Taman" the hero of the novel is shown as bold and resolute. A chance encounter with smugglers could have led to his death. Comparisons with the smugglers of Grigory Pechorin are not in his favor. Reckless courage and cruelty are justified by the lifestyle they are forced to lead. Pechorin has no motivation for such actions.
The apotheosis of the plot of the novel is "Princess Mary". Here the hero finds himself in his usual environment - in the society of aristocrats. For these people, farce and intrigue, meanness and lies, gossip and hypocrisy coexist quite well behind the external gloss. Pechorin is an inseparable part of this little world. The lack of a moral principle does not give him a chance to be happy in love. Going to a duel with Grushnitsky, Grigory Alexandrovich thought about the meaning of his own life. But didn't find it.
Concludes the novel "The Fatalist". Talking about the past, Pechorin believes that “fatum” is to blame for all the misadventures. The idea that a person himself chooses between Good and Evil does not come to his mind.
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Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time" became the first socio-psychological and realistic novel in Russian literature in the first half of the 19th century. The author defined the purpose of his work as "the study of the human soul." The structure of the novel is unique. This is a cycle of stories combined into a novel, with a common protagonist, and sometimes a narrator.
Lermontov wrote and published stories separately. Each of them can exist as an independent work, has a complete plot, a system of images. First, the story "Taman" was written, then - "The Fatalist", later the author decided to create a "long chain of stories" and combine them into a novel. The author considered the main task to be the disclosure of the character and inner world of the hero, an established representative of the generation of the 30s of the XIX century. Lermontov himself was from this unfortunate generation of noble youth, who could not prove themselves by serving for the good of the motherland. The youth and time of maturity of these people took place in the conditions of government reaction after the suppression of the Decembrist uprising. Bright ideals were lost, life goals were absent. As a result of such a social situation, heroes with the character of Pechorin appear.
During the work on the novel, the author edited his work three times, changing the order of the chapters. In the third, final, edition, the stories follow in this order: "Bela", "Maxim Maksimych", "Taman", "Princess Mary", "Fatalist". In the chapter "Taman" Pechorin's notes begin, and in the story "The Fatalist" they end. Such a composition allowed the author to embody the philosophical meaning of the work.
The novel has two prefaces containing comments for readers and critics. One is written for the novel as a whole, the other for Pechorin's diaries. The diary can be attributed to genre components. Travel notes are the basis of the story. The characters move through life and talk about their experiences.
Each story included in the novel has its own title and plot. In the novel, the author used the "ring composition". It begins in the middle of events and reaches the ordinary, non-heroic death of the hero. After that, the events are described from their beginning to the middle. The peculiarity of the composition also lies in the fact that the action of the novel begins in the fortress and ends in it. We know that Pechorin leaves the fortress for St. Petersburg, and then for Persia, but in the plot he returns to the fortress again. Lermontov builds his novel in the form of two parts that oppose each other and at the same time are interconnected. In the first part, the hero is characterized from the outside, and in the second part, his image is revealed from the inside. The composition of the image of the main character is also peculiar. The author introduces his hero to us gradually, revealing all his new features. In "Bel" Maxim Maksimych tells about him, a decent man, but a simple one. For him, Pechorin is a mystery, since he has not yet met representatives of high society with a broken psyche. The content of the next story lifts the veil of mystery over the personality of the protagonist a little more. Only Pechorin's diary, his confession, finally gives an idea of the true thoughts and feelings of this controversial hero.
The writer shows his character not as he grows up, but in different situations with different people. Younger or older hero in this or that story is not of fundamental importance for the overall goal of Lermontov. The main thing for the author is to show the world of Pechorin's feelings, to reveal his moral attitudes. Moreover, Pechorin is an established person, he does not change in the course of the story, since he does not draw conclusions from what is happening to him. He is selfish and will never change, because he cannot be critical of himself. He is also incapable of loving anyone but himself. Lermontov turned out not a biography novel, but a portrait novel, and a portrait of the soul, and not of appearance. The author was interested in the moral changes that occurred with people of the generation of the 1930s, for whom time stopped in the era of total prohibitions and suppression.
Thus, Lermontov's novel is distinguished by a violation of the chronological sequence of events and by the fact that the narrator changes several times in the course of the story. This made the work original, innovative and allowed the author to penetrate deeply into the spiritual world of his hero.
