The undoubted similarity of the images of Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin was noted by one of the first V.G. Belinsky. “Their dissimilarity among themselves is much less than the distance between Onega and Pechora ... Pechorin is the Onegin of our time,” the critic wrote.
The lifetime of the characters is different. Onegin lived in the era of Decembrism, free-thinking, rebellions. Pechorin is the hero of the era of timelessness. Common to the great works of Pushkin and Lermontov is the image spiritual crisis noble intelligentsia. Best Representatives of this class turned out to be dissatisfied with life, removed from social activities. They had no choice but to waste their strength aimlessly, turning into "superfluous people."
The formation of characters, the conditions for the education of Onegin and Pechorin, no doubt, are similar. These are people of the same circle. The similarity of the heroes lies in the fact that both of them have gone from agreement with society and themselves to the denial of light and deep dissatisfaction with life.
“But sooner the feelings in him cooled down,” Pushkin writes about Onegin, who “fell ill” with the “Russian melancholy.” Pechorin is also very early "... despair was born, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile."
They were well-read and educated people which put them above the rest of the young people of their circle. Education and natural curiosity of Onegin is found in his disputes with Lensky. One list of topics worth it:
... Tribes of past treaties,
The fruits of science, good and evil,
And age-old prejudices
And fatal secrets of the coffin,
Fate and life...
Evidence of Onegin's high education is his extensive personal library. Pechorin, on the other hand, said this about himself: “I began to read, to study - science was also tired.” Possessing remarkable abilities, spiritual needs, both failed to realize themselves in life and squandered it for nothing.
In their youth, both heroes were fond of carefree social life, both succeeded in the "science of tender passion", in the knowledge of "Russian young ladies". Pechorin says about himself: “... when I met a woman, I always accurately guessed whether she would love me ... I never became a slave to my beloved woman, on the contrary, I always acquired invincible power over their will and heart ... Is that why I never really do not I value ... "Neither the love of the beautiful Bela, nor the serious enthusiasm of the young Princess Mary could melt the coldness and rationality of Pechorin. It only brings misfortune to women.
The love of the inexperienced, naive Tatyana Larina also leaves Onegin indifferent at first. But later our hero new meeting with Tatyana, now a secular lady and a general's wife, he realizes what he has lost in the face of this extraordinary woman. Pechorin is not at all capable of a great feeling. In his opinion, "love is satiated pride."
Both Onegin and Pechorin value their freedom. Eugene writes in his letter to Tatyana:
Your hateful freedom
I didn't want to lose.
Pechorin bluntly declares: "... twenty times my life, I will even put my honor at stake, but I will not sell my freedom."
The indifference to people inherent in both, disappointment and boredom affect their attitude towards friendship. Onegin is friends with Lensky "there is nothing to do." And Pechorin says: “... I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to himself; I can’t be a slave, but in this case, commanding is tedious work, because at the same time you have to deceive ... ”And he demonstrates this in his cold attitude towards Maxim Maksimych. The words of the old staff captain sound helplessly: “I have always said that there is no use in someone who forgets old friends!”
Both Onegin and Pechorin, disappointed in the life around them, are critical of the empty and idle "secular mob". But Onegin is afraid public opinion accepting Lensky's challenge to a duel. Pechorin, shooting with Grushnitsky, takes revenge on society for unfulfilled hopes. In essence, the same evil trick led the heroes to the duel. Onegin "swore Lensky to infuriate and take revenge in order" for a boring evening at the Larins'. Pechorin says the following: “I lied, but I wanted to defeat him. I have an innate passion to contradict; my whole life has been only a tribute to sad and unfortunate contradictions of heart or mind.
The tragedy of feeling one's own uselessness is deepened in both by an understanding of the uselessness of one's life. Pushkin bitterly exclaims about this:
But it's sad to think that in vain
We were given youth
What cheated on her all the time,
That she deceived us;
That our best wishes
That our fresh dreams
Decayed in rapid succession,
Like leaves in autumn rotten.
The hero of Lermontov seems to echo him: “My colorless youth passed in the struggle with myself and the world; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best qualities in the depths of my heart: they died there... Knowing well the light and springs of life, I became a moral cripple.
Pushkin's words about Onegin, when
Killing a friend in a duel
Having lived without a goal, without labor
Until the age of twenty-six
Languishing in the idleness of leisure.,
he "began wandering without a goal", can also be attributed to Pechorin, who also killed the former "friend", and his life continued "without a goal, without labor." Pechorin during the trip reflects: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?
Feeling "immense forces in his soul", but completely wasting them in vain, Pechorin is looking for death and finds it "from a random bullet on the roads of Persia." Onegin, at the age of twenty-six, was also "hopelessly tired of life." He exclaims:
Why am I not pierced by a bullet,
Why am I not a sickly old man?
Comparing the description of the life of the heroes, one can be convinced that Pechorin is a more active person with demonic features. “To be the cause of suffering and joy for someone, without having any positive right to do so - is this not the sweetest food of our pride?” - says the hero of Lermontov. As a person, Onegin remains a mystery to us. No wonder Pushkin characterizes him like this:
A sad and dangerous eccentric,
Creation of hell or heaven
This angel, this arrogant demon,
What is he? Is it an imitation
An insignificant ghost?
onegin image pechorin intelligentsia
Both Onegin and Pechorin are selfish, but thinking and suffering heroes. Despising the idle secular existence, they do not find ways and opportunities to freely, creatively resist it. In the tragic outcomes of the individual fates of Onegin and Pechorin, the tragedy of "superfluous people" shines through. The tragedy is extra person”, in whatever era it appears, it is at the same time a tragedy of the society that gave birth to it.
/ / / Comparative characteristics Onegin and Pechorin
AND - outstanding images representing their time. They were created different authors but they are very similar. The simplest explanation for this is that Mikhail Lermontov looked up to Alexander Pushkin in many ways. However, Lermontov's Pechorin is not an imitation of Pushkin's Onegin, but an image similar in worldview.
What brings these images together? Onegin and Pechorin are people of noble birth. Both are still young and full of energy. By nature they are endowed sharp mind. The intelligence of the heroes is generally much higher than that of the people of their environment, so they feel lonely.
Onegin was taught by a foreign tutor who tried not to overburden his pupil with science. But Eugene, nevertheless, received a good education due to his quick wit and love of reading. Pechorin is also well educated.
The attitude to love also brings the characters closer. They early learned the "art" of love, knew how to easily conquer female hearts. However, they themselves hardly knew how to truly love, although they strove for the ideal. Onegin was tired of relationships with stupid and deceitful young ladies in the capital, but he also did not accept the love of a pure village girl. With his strict refusal, he hurt the feelings of a sincere girl. Pechorin's love affairs are even more difficult. The greatest crime was his passion for the young Bella. Inflamed with a desire to possess a girl, he takes her prisoner, falls in love with him, and then, having played enough of feelings, forgets about her.
Both heroes in their own way rejected the society in which they lived. Onegin did this passively, with his cynical and indifferent attitude to everything. Pechorin is a more active person. Perhaps the reason is that Onegin is a lazy person, a minion of fate. He did not serve anywhere, but simply lived for his own pleasure. Pechorin is an officer who, through a fault, went to serve in the Caucasus.
Onegin and Pechorin are romantic heroes, disappointed in their time. But, despite this, they are a product of their time. No matter how far Onegin was from generally accepted rules, he depended on public opinion. That is why he goes to a duel with a friend, so as not to "fall" in the eyes of other people. Pechorin also shoots himself in a duel, thinking that he will take revenge on the hated society. However, such an action only becomes part of it.
Heroes don't believe in true friendship. Onegin is friends with Lensky out of boredom. Pechorin does not let Maxim Maksimovich, who is friendly towards him, get close to him. When meeting with a senior comrade, Pechorin keeps defiantly cold. Although Maxim Maksimovich still sympathizes with the hero, perhaps feeling his real soul.
Onegin and Pechorin are brave, determined young people. Yet Onegin is more cautious. He got used to his life, even though he was tired of it in many ways. Pechorin is a fatalist who plays with life. What is his participation in the game "Russian roulette" worth. Pechorin takes risks with ease own life, and just as easily relates to the lives of other people.
Both heroes yearn in anticipation of some great deed. Their inner strength, a thirst for adventure might come in handy if they were born in a more "heroic" time. And if Onegin could still realize himself in the ranks of the Decembrists, then Pechorin caught the time of the cruel reactions of the authorities to the Decembrist uprising. Therefore, Pechorin is a more tragic image.
Eugene Onegin of Alexander Pushkin and Grigory Pechorin of Mikhail Lermontov have much in common, and at the same time they are original literary images.
Comparative characteristics of the main characters of M. Lermontov's novels "A Hero of Our Time" and A. Pushkin's "Eugene Onegin".
Evgeny Onegin, so to speak, is older than Grigory Pechorin: a novel by A.S. Pushkin in the final version saw the light in 1831, published his offspring in 1840.
Unlike the younger "brother", Pushkin's hero not endowed with a patronymic (I believe, for a completely prosaic reason for the inconvenience of putting it into poetic size stanzas - however, Alexander Sergeevich could have had other motives). Noted Critic of that time, V. Belinsky in his article called Pechorin "The Onegin of our time." There are definitely reasons for this.
Only the lazy, probably, did not note the "geographical" similarity of the heroes, or rather, their names. That's just unlike the Onega, flowing to the sea, the Pechora is a stormy mountain river. This immediately evokes associations with the Caucasus - the scene of the events of the novel "A Hero of Our Time".
Curious moment: most The reader sees the "Hero of Our Time" with the help of Pechorin's diary, through the prism of his worldview, since the narration is in the first person. As for Onegin, we basically look at the hero through the eyes of the author - with the exception of direct dialogues and a letter to Tatyana. It is also impossible not to note the fact that, unlike, who is the true protagonist of his novel, invisibly present in every phrase and commenting on everything that happens, Lermontov comments on Pechorin only in the preface - and quite briefly.
Both characters were brought up in noble families, formed according to the spirit of the times. They are in the same social environment, so to speak. However, the matured Eugene remained to belong to secular society. Gregory was waiting for a military career.
Both Onegin and Pechorin have some success in social life, taking part in it quite rapidly, but soon both get tired of external fuss. Eugene looks like this:
No: early feelings in him cooled down;
He was bored with the noise of light ...
We also know (I quote inaccurately) that he was seized by the Russian melancholy and he completely lost interest in life, although he did not want to part with it.
Pechorin experiences similar feelings: “I entered this life, having already experienced it mentally, and I became bored and disgusting, like reading a bad imitation of a long-known book.”
So, the attitude towards society in the broadest sense of the word for both heroes is rather intolerant, condescending with elements of some compulsion.
Their attitude to self-education is also approximately the same: Onegin, having read many books, was consistently disappointed in them, after which he tried to write himself, but also did not succeed. Pechorin says the same thing: reading caused annoyance due to the fact that the path to happiness is not indicated there ...
Both Onegin and Pechorin at some point fall out of the usual secular circle: Eugene goes to the village to his uncle, entering into inheritance rights, Grigory does military career.
Both characters are insightful, caustic and understand human nature well. There is a certain opposition to their surrounding society, they stand out, not wanting to fully play by the generally accepted rules. Onegin, having arrived in the countryside, shocks his neighbors with his unexpected habits: he replaces heavy corvée with light dues and ignores the neighbors' regular visits. He converges only with Lensky, a man of the same origin, upbringing and education. So Pechorin does not fit entirely into any of his social circles, more or less singling out Dr. Werner due to some identity of their views on life.
Both Onegin and Pechorin have a subtle mind and are prone to all sorts of games. psychological nature, considering the surrounding people as a kind of chess pieces on the board.
A.S. Pushkin speaks of his hero as follows:
How early could he be hypocritical,
Hold hope, be jealous
disbelieve, make believe
Seem gloomy, languish ...
And so on. True, to the greatest extent, Evgeny’s “games” are still related to female gender which, to a certain extent, is due to age. Grigory Alexandrovich plays more prudently and cruelly, his actions do not have a gender orientation.
Both characters are definitely selfish. But egoists are thinking, feeling and suffering a lot from the manifestations of their own nature. Onegin is noticeably simpler than Pechorin, so to speak, in relation to character traits; he is less prone to self-criticism and self-flagellation, but, unlike Lermontov's character, he is capable of repentance. Grigory Alexandrovich was discharged sharper and more cynically. He causes people more harm, and the pay for it is higher - but who cares about his inner experiences and torments, since they have no external expression? Who is relieved from his self-torture, since his behavior does not tend to change?
In the life of both heroes, an event occurs that goes beyond the range of everyday and ordinary. This is a duel. And not just an abstract duel with a random person on the basis of a serious difference in outlook on life, but a duel with a fairly close (at least not a stranger - definitely) friend.
Yes, Onegin's friendship with Lensky was, in the words of Pushkin the commentator, "there is nothing to do." There were few similarities between them, but most likely, they were interesting to each other in their own way. The reason for the duel was another "game of boredom" performed by Evgeny, who decided to give entertainment for the sake of increased attention fiancee of Lensky. For the same reason, Pechorin fought with Grushnitsky: he did not forgive him for the story of Princess Ligovskaya (who, again, was provoked by Grigory Alexandrovich out of boredom), came up with a rather vile insinuation and, as a result, was killed.
We must pay tribute: neither Onegin nor Pechorin aspired to a duel. Onegin blamed himself for what was happening, realizing that he should not have teased the feelings of the young boy and played on his ardent jealousy; Lensky's challenge could and should have been rejected by curbing his pride and condescending to the seriousness of the situation, excusing a person who was not a stranger to him. But nevertheless, the internal caustic duelist won, and Eugene rejected the voice of generosity. Pechorin also did not want to shoot himself, realizing that, by virtue of his character, Grushnitsky valued life more than himself, and death could be too much to pay for the stupidity done. Public apologies were enough for him, which he (unlike Onegin!) asked his rival to think about until the last minute. There is no thirst for murder in him, despite other bad traits of his nature: in this game with Grushnitsky, Pechorin is initially the winner, and there is absolutely no reason to draw a bloody line under this, and without that everything is clear.
Yevgeny sleeps peacefully the night before the duel, but afterwards he is terribly struck by the death of Lensky and his bleak role in it. He wanders aimlessly around the world, trying, in essence, to escape from himself and his hopeless longing. Pechorin does not sleep before the duel, understanding himself. But in general, not only does he not run away from himself in principle - on the contrary, he keeps a diary, designed to capture individual moments past - he is not particularly killed about Grushnitsky. At that moment, the most acute experience for him was the parting with his loving Vera, who, leaving Farewell letter, leaves the Caucasus. He rushes to catch up with her, but cannot, and here the reader sees the hero's excruciating despair for the only time, his powerless tears.
If we consider the relationship of the heroes of A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov with women, it differs significantly. Yes, Onegin, as the first chapter of the novel tells in detail, was that heartthrob, and many secular ladies fell into the network of his intrigues. But, apparently, it was about mutual games, and not about the shameless seduction of an inexperienced soul. In any case, Tatyana Eugene singled out immediately, appreciating her unconditional merits. Upon receiving the letter, he arranged poor girl a whole rebuke (here it is, the mask of a condescendingly indifferent cynic!), but nevertheless did not take advantage of the moment to seduce the young lady in love. Regretted.
... But he did not want to deceive
The trust of an innocent soul.
From the very beginning, in fact, he did not flirt with her and did not inspire false hopes. And, of course, it was possible to somehow talk more delicately with Tatyana after receiving the letter, show more sympathy, but on the whole there is nothing particularly cruel in this episode.
Pechorin is generally not particularly embarrassed by his merciless exercises. He perfectly understands what's what, admits his own guilt and involvement in someone else's misfortune, but as if from the outside: in his will to state a sad situation - and nothing more. "I weigh, analyze my own passions and actions with strict curiosity, but without participation." Also in Pechorin's diary, at some point, the thought of the duality of his nature slips through: as if one part of it lives here and now, and the second one watches the first one, sometimes commenting and condemning it.
Onegin at first did not dare to connect his life with Tatyana for fear of losing his usual freedom. However, their next meeting brought the hero awareness of the bitterness of the irretrievable loss of a girl in love with him. But if you fantasize a little? If Tatyana decided to part with her husband? Or, for example (we all walk under God ...) widowed? It is quite possible to imagine that after the time allotted by decency, he and Onegin could be happy together, making a couple. It is absolutely impossible to imagine Pechorin married! Again, let's let the imagination run wild: suppose the hero managed to find Vera and take her away from her husband. What's next? And then - about the same as in "Bel". A short flash of a sharp semblance of happiness - and that's all ... Judging by the magnetism this character is endowed with in the eyes of women, a charming young lady would certainly have been found who would become his new target. Or another Grushnitsky who hit a nerve. And it started, actually...
Onegin is more capable of happiness. Not having such a strong passion for self-study as Pechorin's, it seems to me that, under favorable circumstances for himself (if Tatyana had gone to him), he could well feel happy, organically entering the society that would surround him at the moment.
And there's another point that's hard to ignore when we are talking about the comparison of Pushkin's and Lermontov's heroes. A sad analogy can be drawn. The denouement of the novel "Eugene Onegin", drawing a line under milestone the life of the hero, takes place in St. Petersburg. In this story, a duel took place, which left a bloody trail in Onegin's soul. The author of these lines died as a result of a duel on the Black River - in St. Petersburg.
A colossal segment of the life of Grigory Alexandrovich is associated with events in the Caucasus, there was also a duel. And, no matter how sad, but the fact remains: Lermontov was the victim of a well-aimed shot by the enemy in Pyatigorsk, where, according to his pen, there was a drama involving Pechorin ...
The main characters of the early 19th century are Onegin and Pechorin. They are the creations of the great writers of their time and in some ways even reflect the fate of their creators. Lermontov with Pushkin and Onegin with Pechorin have a very dramatic fate.
The writers sought to capture in their heroes the appearance of time, and in many ways the authors succeeded in this task. In fact, both Onegin and Pechorin are emblematic for their time, but at the same time, each of these heroes is outside of time, as they voice the problems that are characteristic of all eras.
In short, we have before us the images of two educated people, in many ways the best representatives of their time. Each received an excellent education, has a sharp mind that allows you to understand people and yourself. In addition, they are sincere seekers of truth and want to understand the meaning of not only their own era, but also their personal existence.
Given the significant similarities, it is necessary to point out the differences that determine the essence of these heroes. Let's start with Onegin.
Pushkin's hero has a cynical view of the world, he is spoiled and treats people with a certain amount of arrogance. At the same time, Onegin does not have a penchant for idealizing reality; for the most part, he is a pragmatist. Even Onegin goes to a duel, largely not of his own free will, but due to public rumor, he does not want to look ridiculous and therefore agrees to a duel.
In fact, such a detail is decisive, since the reason for Pechorin's duel is completely different, he goes to shoot, as he is looking for the highest truth and follows his ideals, he wants to get even with the world and uses Grushnitsky for this. Of course, Pechorin is also deeply selfish, but his egoism (as well as Onegin, too) is the position of a person at the top. Yes, Pechorin looks at everyone from above, but he cannot look differently, since he has really reached certain heights of the spirit and is at a height that is simply inaccessible to many.
Onegin (continuing the theme of selfishness) is also arrogant towards others, but this hero was for the most part brought up in a society where he was praised and gratified in every possible way. Therefore, such a "golden boy" is completely alone in the adult world. For the most part, the determining factor for this hero is boredom, which can only be characteristic of such Moscow aristocrats who do not feel the need.
Another significant difference between the two characters is their behavior in the world. Onegin, for the most part, agrees with the world and simply allows events to happen, just as he allows Larina to love himself and belatedly reciprocates the feeling.
Pechorin, in turn, is a more active character. He does not accept the world, but completely creates it, seeking adventure as well as trying to find the truth. Distinctive feature Pechorin is the consistency of his philosophy with life views and behavior.
Composition Onegin and Pechorin
Perhaps in every era there are certain ideals in popular culture, on which the rest are equal. If we talk about the first half of the 19th century, then such ideals, of course, were Pechorin and Onegin.
These heroes are like modern-day celebrities that they look up to, that they want to be to some extent. Moreover, they largely reflect the biography of their creators. This is quite easy to verify.
For example, Pushkin in his novel introduces the figure of the author, who in turn partially resembles Pushkin himself (although he is not), and this author is Onegin's friend and is in many ways similar to him. In the same way, Pechorin is a young officer, a thinker. Some details from the Hero of Our Time (for example, episodes of duels) generally almost completely repeat episodes from Lermontov's biography.
Thus, these people (Pushkin and Lermontov) wrote what they knew about, as if following Hemingway’s maxim “you need to write truthfully” and what you know about, they really describe practically own biographies and outlook. Therefore, comparing Onegin and Pechorin, we can to some extent compare Pushkin and Lermontov.
So, Pushkin noble man from a fairly noble family that leads a secular existence. Lermontov, in turn, is an officer who, although he was going to end his military career and fully engage in creativity, before completing his earthly path remained in service. Similarly, Onegin is more of a bored person, he does a lot out of boredom and cynicism, Pechorin is also a bored person, but he is more consciously looking for some trials and adventures, in general, more harsh as befits a military officer.
In many ways, they are similar, since both have rather pleasant living conditions. They can, so to speak, not care about their daily bread and are more inclined to mental activity. They are both a little disillusioned with this world and are looking for opportunities to somehow entertain themselves.
However, neither Onegin nor Pechorin are spoiled or vile people. For example, when Pechorin meets with Princess Mary to annoy Grushnitsky, he understands the essence of his own act and does not build illusions for himself, he simply acts as a kind of naturalist who studies human psychology. Probably, deep psychologism and sincerity with themselves distinguishes these heroes, they feel the spirit of their time and accept it as it is.
3 option
Before us are two novels, Lermontov and Pushkin. In Lermontov's work "A Hero of Our Time" the main character is Pechorin, and in A.S. Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin" main character Onegin. Two perfect various works, two completely different times, but how many similarities of characters. There are differences because time has left an imprint on the behavior and character of each person. The authors conveyed through these two characters the full power of those generations.
Pechorin is a nobleman. His social status allows him to abandon labor efforts and live in his own pleasure. But despite this, he serves in the Caucasus. Pechorin has a lot positive qualities. He is smart, has extraordinary willpower. Onegin is an aristocrat. This allows him to live for his own pleasure, like Pechorin, and not think about anything. Both characters were well-read and educated, which in turn also put them above other people. But unfortunately, with such a list of virtues, none of the heroes managed to realize themselves in life.
The youth of the two characters proceeded approximately the same, both led wild image life and rest, not knowing any worries. Pechorin, talking about himself, says that he could say at the first meeting with a girl whether she would love him or not. But, unfortunately, he brought only misfortune to women. Onegin in this area is not much different from Pechorin and does not set an example of a gentleman. At one time, Onegin rejects Tatiana and breaks her heart, Tatiana suffers unrequited love, but eventually finds the strength to overcome this feeling.
Both Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin are not very friendly, this is clearly visible in the works. Evgeny says that he is friends with Lensky only out of boredom and just like that, and Pechorin demonstrates an indifferent attitude towards his comrade Maxim Maksimych.
Yet there are differences between them. Onegin is an egoist. This can be explained by remembering the childhood of Eugene. His father did not deal with him, there were always tutors surrounded by Onegin, who only praised him. From this, an egoistic view has developed. Unlike Pechorin, Evgeny never served, this feature distinguishes him from his contemporaries.
Pechorin is a suffering egoist. He realizes that I am losing a generation, it is insignificant. He considers himself a pitiful descendant who lacks pride and conviction. He does not believe in love, in exploits and in friendship. It robs him of all the charm of life. Unlike Onegin, Pechorin is not just smart, he is a thinker and philosopher.
Both heroes go to duel, but with different purposes. Onegin under the influence of public opinion, and Pechorin to take revenge on society.
Pechorin goes to meet life and accepts all its trials, while Onegin simply goes with the flow. After comparison, you can make sure that these two are very different personalities similar friend on a friend.
Some interesting essays
- Composition Mathematics in my life (grade 5, 6)
Each of us has a passion or hobby. My favorite hobby- mathematics. At first glance, it may seem that mathematics is a dry and uninteresting science. But it is one of the most ancient and entertaining sciences.
The main character is about sixty years old, she is friendly and happy to see everyone, lives in countryside, so from childhood I got used to work.
(1 option)
"Eugene Onegin" and "A Hero of Our Time" are the main milestones in the development of Russian literature XIX V. This the best works two true geniuses Russia: A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov. The novels amaze readers and literary critics not only with the grandiosity of the idea, but also with their innovation. It manifests itself primarily in the disclosure of the images of the two main characters. Pushkin first wrote realistic novel in verse. It was like a revolution. The poet was worried about his creation, realizing that not all people will be able to appreciate a work that was ahead of its time. These experiences were not unfounded. Even many of Pushkin's friends could not understand the genius of the concept of the work.
M.Yu. Lermontov went to his creative pursuits even further. The novel he created was not realistic, like Pushkin's, but combined the features of two currents. And this brilliant work was not appreciated by critics and contemporaries.
First of all, the innovation of the two novels lies in the new characters for the literature of that time. Subsequently, this type was called "an extra person." This concept implies a romantic, then a realistic image young man, a nobleman, smart, educated and interesting, but far from real life, disappointed, inactive, alien to his contemporaries. The gallery of these characters opens with Onegin, followed by Pechorin.
The time of the appearance of such characters is the 1830s, a period of decline. After the Decembrist uprising and the accession of Nicholas I, a cruel, reactionary politician, public life Russia was silent for a long time. New social phenomenon- young people who had everything except happiness and a sense of the significance of their personality. Their suffering and quest were embodied in novels about Onegin and Pechorin, the heroes of their time.
Despite the seeming dissimilarity of the two works, their plot is built in the same way: the hero goes through some kind of test, his character is revealed depending on the situation.
Undoubtedly, the main test for both Onegin and Pechorin is the test of love.
Onegin, like Pechorin, at the beginning of the novel appears as a conqueror of other people's hearts, "a fickle admirer of charming actresses." He was not interested in deep feelings, he did not seek love for life, to the grave, but only cynically sought the adoration of pretty girls, and, having achieved it, quickly abandoned them, not thinking about the suffering caused. It was his cure for boredom.
How early could he be hypocritical,
Hold hope, be jealous
disbelieve, make believe
To seem gloomy, to languish,
Be proud and obedient
Attentive or indifferent!
In the "science of tender passion" Onegin clearly succeeded.
So, Onegin is a life-burner. But then he meets Tatyana. He manages to easily conquer this provincial young lady. She does not shine with beauty, and her soul is darkness for a windmill. And Eugene here simply plays the role of a mentor, teaches the girl how to live. But, having returned from the journey, having experienced a moral upheaval and purification, he looks at Tatyana with different eyes. Onegin falls in love with her, completely loses his head, and not because Tatyana has changed (she remained the same in her soul), but because Evgeny himself has undergone profound changes, he has grown spiritually, has become worthy of Tatyana. But Onegin was late, she is married and will be "faithful to him for a century." And this is a clear illustration of the tragedy of the "superfluous person", his "miserable lot".
Pechorin repeats the fate of Onegin. He also wanders aimlessly through life, trying to find himself, also for some reason seeks the love of women, and then leaves them. Onegin sees that Tatyana has become his victim, but it's too late. Pechorin could also prevent the tragedy of Bela and Mary, but did not want to. He also played with the fate of Vera, but she turned out to be stronger than him - and here he is, crushed and humiliated, crying about lost happiness.
In the romantic "Hero of Our Time" there is no single female image. We recognize Tatyana's traits in Bela, and in Mary, and in Vera. And thus, the love of the hero is more multifaceted and expressive.
The attitude of the characters towards friendship is no less expressively described. Lermontov again lacks unambiguity, Lensky is embodied in Grushnitsky, and in Werner, and even in Maxim Maksimych. However, a comparison of Lensky and Grushnitsky suggests itself. Pechorin and Grushnitsky are also "nothing to do friends." Story line duels over trifles, passion for one beloved of another can also be traced in both works.
It is impossible not to mention moral quest Onegin and Pechorin, because they are both involuntarily alien high society, the society to which they should belong. Onegin travels in Russia, Pechorin in the Caucasus, both of them are trying to find the meaning and purpose of their existence in these travels. They drag women, make them suffer, shoot duels, break people's lives, without knowing why. In the end, their fate is unenviable.
Both Onegin and Pechorin are real "heroes of time". They are very similar to each other, and their tragedies are similar. In the whole world there is no shelter for them, they are destined to suffer all their lives and seek peace. Such is the fate of superfluous people.
(Option 2)
Probably, starting his novel, Lermontov thought that his main character will remind readers of the existence Pushkin's Onegin. The undoubted similarity of the images of Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin was noted by one of the first V. G. Belinsky. "Their dissimilarity among themselves is much less than the distance between Onega and Pechora ... Pechorin is the Onegin of our time," the critic wrote.
The lifetime of the characters is different. Onegin lived in the era of Decembrism, free-thinking, rebellions. Pechorin is the hero of the era of timelessness. Common to the great works of Pushkin and Lermontov is the depiction of the spiritual crisis of the noble intelligentsia. The best representatives of this class turned out to be dissatisfied with life, removed from social activities. They had no choice but to waste their strength aimlessly, turning into "superfluous people."
The formation of characters, the conditions for the education of Onegin and Pechorin, no doubt, are similar. These are people of the same circle. The similarity of the heroes lies in the fact that both of them have gone from agreement with society and themselves to the denial of light and deep dissatisfaction with life.
“But early on, his feelings cooled down,” Pushkin writes about Onegin, who “fell ill” with “Russian melancholy. Pechorin also very early “... despair was born, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile.”
They were well-read and educated people, which put them above the rest of the young people of their circle. Education and natural curiosity of Onegin is found in his disputes with Lensky. One list of topics worth it:
Tribes of past treaties,
The fruits of science, good and evil,
And age-old prejudices
And fatal secrets of the coffin,
Fate and life...
Evidence of Onegin's high education is his extensive personal library. Pechorin, on the other hand, said this about himself: "I began to read, study - science was also tired." Possessing remarkable abilities, spiritual needs, both failed to realize themselves in life and squandered it for nothing.
In their youth, both heroes were fond of carefree secular life, both succeeded in the "science of tender passion", in the knowledge of "Russian young ladies". Pechorin says about himself: "... when I got to know a woman, I always unmistakably guessed whether she would love me ... I never became a slave to my beloved woman, on the contrary, I always acquired invincible power over their will and heart ... Is that why I never really I value ... "Neither the love of the beautiful Bela, nor the serious enthusiasm of the young Princess Mary could melt the coldness and rationality of Pechorin. It only brings misfortune to women.
The love of the inexperienced, naive Tatyana Larina also leaves Onegin indifferent at first. But later, our hero, at a new meeting with Tatyana, now a secular lady and a general, realizes that he has lost in the face of this extraordinary woman. Pechorin, it turns out, is not at all capable of a great feeling. In his opinion, "love is satiated pride."
Both Onegin and Pechorin value their freedom. Eugene writes in his letter to Tatyana:
Your hateful freedom
I didn't want to lose.
Pechorin bluntly declares: "... twenty times my life, I will even put my honor at stake, but I will not sell my freedom."
The indifference to people inherent in both, disappointment and boredom affect their attitude towards friendship. Onegin is friends with Lensky "there is nothing to do." And Pechorin says: “... I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to himself; I cannot be a slave, and commanding in this case is tedious work, because it is necessary along with this, to deceive ... "And he demonstrates this in his cold attitude towards Maxim Maksimych. The words of the old staff captain sound helplessly: "I have always said that there is no use in someone who forgets old friends! .."
Both Onegin and Pechorin, disappointed in the life around them, are critical of the empty and idle "secular mob". But Onegin is afraid of public opinion, accepting Lensky's challenge to a duel. Pechorin, shooting with Grushnitsky, takes revenge on society for unfulfilled hopes. In essence, the same evil trick led the heroes to the duel. Onegin "swore Lensky to infuriate and even take revenge" for a boring evening at the Larins. Pechorin says the following: "I lied, but I wanted to defeat him. I have an innate passion to contradict, my whole life was only a tribute to sad and unsuccessful contradictions to the heart or mind ..."
The tragedy of feeling one's own uselessness is deepened in both by an understanding of the uselessness of one's life. Pushkin bitterly exclaims about this:
But it's sad to think that in vain
We were given youth
What cheated on her all the time,
That she deceived us
That our best wishes
That our fresh dreams
Decayed in rapid succession,
Like leaves in autumn rotten.
The hero of Lermontov seems to echo him: "My colorless youth passed in the struggle with myself and the light, my best qualities, fearing ridicule, I buried in the depths of my heart: they died there ... Having learned well the light and the springs of life, I became a moral cripple."
Pushkin's words about Onegin, when
Killing a friend in a duel
Having lived without a goal, without labor
Until the age of twenty-six
Languishing in the idleness of leisure,
He "began wandering without a goal," can also be attributed to Pechorin, who also killed a former "friend", and his life continued "without a goal, without labor." Pechorin, during the trip, reflects: "Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?"
Feeling "immense forces in his soul", but completely wasting them, Pechorin seeks death and finds it "from a random bullet on the roads of Persia." Onegin, at the age of twenty-six, was also "hopelessly tired of life." He exclaims:
Why am I not pierced by a bullet,
Why am I not a sickly old man? ..
Comparing the description of the life of the heroes, one can be convinced that Pechorin is a more active person with demonic features. "To be the cause of suffering and joy for someone, without having any positive right to do so - is this not the sweetest food of our pride?" - says the hero of Lermontov. As a person, Onegin remains a mystery to us. No wonder Pushkin characterizes him like this:
A sad and dangerous eccentric,
Creation of hell or heaven
This angel, this arrogant demon,
What is he? Is it an imitation
An insignificant ghost?
Both Onegin and Pechorin are selfish, but thinking and suffering heroes. Despising the idle secular existence, they do not find ways and opportunities to freely, creatively resist it. In the tragic outcomes of the individual fates of Onegin and Pechorin, the tragedy of "superfluous people" shines through. The tragedy of the "superfluous man", in whatever era he appears, is at the same time the tragedy of the society that gave birth to him.
