The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is perhaps more curious than the history of a whole nation. M.Yu. Lermontov
Shot from the film "Pechorin's Journal Pages", directed by Anatoly Efros; in the role of Pechorin - Oleg Dal. Photo source - TV channel "Culture"
The novel "A Hero of Our Time" was created in the period from 1838 to 1840. It became a continuation of the novel "Princess Ligovskaya" written but not completed by Lermontov in 1837. The sources of the "Hero of Our Time" were in Russian literature - the "Caucasian" works of A.A. Bestuzhev-Marlinsky (" Ammalat-bek", "Mulla-Nur", "Letters from Dagestan") and A.S. Pushkin's poem "Prisoner of the Caucasus", in foreign literature - Alfred de Musset's novel "Confession of the son of the century" (in this case, even the ideological similarity is obvious names).
"Hero of our time" - the first psychological novel in Russian literature and, of course, the most profound work of Lermontov. Genre the work sparked discussion among critics in the 19th and 20th centuries:
A) Version V.G. Belinsky: this is a socio-psychological novel, an example of psychological prose; the image and behavior of the hero are motivated by social causes.
B) A.I. version Herzen: this is a "novel of thought", a philosophical novel, an example of intellectual prose: in the center of the novel is the hero's confession, an attempt to self-knowledge, an attempt to answer the most important questions of the meaning of being and the existence of predestined fate.
IN) Version B.M. Eichenbaum: this is not a novel, but a cycle of stories: each chapter is a plot-completed work with an independent genre nature; stories are united only by the image of the protagonist.
G) B.T. version Udodova: "Hero of Our Time" contains signs polyphonic novel *. The protagonist of the novel, Pechorin, is shown from several equal points of view - from the point of view of the narrator, from the point of view of Maxim Maksimych, from the position of the hero's introspection, and also from the position of Vera: in her farewell letter (chapter "Princess Mary") she gives an exhaustive description of Pechorin; besides, Pechorin has twin heroes , parodic reflecting some aspects of his character - these are Grushnitsky, Dr. Werner, Vulich. It is thanks to these characteristics that the image of the protagonist acquires an unprecedented volume for Russian literature.
Composition of the novel and violation of chronology
The whole trick of such a composition is to bring Pechorin closer to us over and over again, until finally he himself speaks to us, but by that time he will no longer be alive.
V.V. Nabokov
The novel is structured in such a way that the reader gradually comprehends the character of Pechorin. The chapters in the novel are not in chronological order, but in "telling order". Lermontov's task is not to trace the life path of the hero, but to draw his psychological portrait. Therefore, Pechorin is shown in five extreme situations in which his human qualities are revealed with maximum force. The novel has a chronology of events (in their logical sequence) and a chronology of storytelling (see table). Each subsequent chapter of the novel is more difficult than the previous one.: if the first chapter of "Bel" is of an adventurous nature, then in the last chapter of "The Fatalist" "the last questions of human existence" are raised and resolved, and the image of Pechorin is already given in the context of not a love adventure, but the most complex philosophical problems.
The narrative is defined not by external events, but by the logic of deepening into the character of the hero. Each of the chapters tells about some tense, critical moment in the life of the hero, when he overcomes mortal dangers and each time reveals new qualities of his personality.
"The hero of our time ... is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation," writes Lermontov. Pechorin, on the one hand, continues the theme of the "superfluous person" begun by Pushkin in the novel "Eugene Onegin"; on the other hand, Pechorin is an individualist hero with a heightened self-awareness, with a huge penchant for introspection, for reflection (Onegin did not have this). At the heart of his personality are selfishness and doubt, and the ethical principles of the hero follow from them. For example, Pechorin does not believe in friendship, believing that "in friendship there is always one slave of another"; does not believe in happiness, believing that it is nothing but "saturated pride"; considers himself the creator of his own destiny and therefore the only judge of his actions. If Pushkin's Onegin was bored and moping, then Pechorin strives to act without really thinking about the consequences of his actions for other people. Being always ready to expose his life to mortal risk, he does not spare others either, be it Bel's beloved or friend Grushnitsky. Being changeable in feelings, he does not think about what he means to others: for Mary, Vera, Maxim Maksimych.
Violation of the chronology allows you to weaken the plot intrigue and be more attentive to the internal state of the hero. Already in the middle of the novel, we learn that Pechorin died on his way back from Persia. Therefore, the events associated with an attempt to kill Pechorin in the chapter "Taman", with a duel in the chapter "Princess Mary" or the capture of a drunken Cossack killer, predictably cannot end with the death of Pechorin: the reader already knows exactly how and when the hero of the novel will die, therefore more the motives of his actions and their introspection become important.
in the novel is false open final: the novel breaks off, as it were, in the middle, leaving the hero and the reader with the question of whether the fate of a person is predetermined or whether he himself manages his life.
Following Pechorin, the gallery of "superfluous people" was continued by Beltov (A.I. Herzen's novel "Who is to blame?"), Rudin (I.S. Turgenev's novel "Rudin"), Lavretsky (I.S. Turgenev's novel "The Nest of Nobles") , Oblomov (I.A. Goncharov's novel "Oblomov").
* WHAT IS A POLYPHONIC NOVEL?
The term "polyphonic novel" was introduced in the 1920s. the great Russian literary critic Mikhail Mikhailovich Bakhtin. The basis of the polyphonic novel is dialogue of ideas and consciousnesses. Dialogue is the main form of ancient philosophical works, and therefore dialogue is the foundation of the polyphonic novel.
The word "polyphonic" means "polyphonic". Polyphonic novel, first, combines features of various genres. Second, in a polyphonic novel the author does not rise above the characters: the author's point of view is either hidden or sounds like one of the equal. Third, the polyphonic novel features dialogue. Each idea put forward by the characters is tested in dialogue against other ideas. This is how the writer brings the reader closer to the knowledge of the truth. Fourth, any there are no final conclusions in the polyphonic novel, its ending is fundamentally open. Fifthly, Bakhtin highlights another feature of the polyphonic novel as carnival. Carnival is life in reverse. The heroes of novels (like carnival kings, who are first crowned and then beaten) try on roles that are unusual for them, and in the finale they fail.
One of the distinguishing features of the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's "A Hero of Our Time" is a violation of the chronological order of the narrative.
Indeed, if we trace the plot and plot order, the difference becomes noticeable: according to the plot, the reader already learns about the death of Pechorin in the preface, while the plot logically and gradually leads to the death of the protagonist.
There are several reasons for this structural approach. Firstly, according to the author's intention, the narrative line gradually brings the reader closer to a deeper understanding of Pechorin's personality. The story is thus told by three narrators. First, Pechorin is watched by Maxim Maksimych. He fixes his actions, but does not give them motivations. This is not surprising: there is no deep understanding between the heroes, they come from different strata, separated, moreover, by military subordination (Pechorin is higher in rank). Thus, Maxim Maksimych, being close to Pechorin only due to life circumstances, can tell the reader very little about him.
A large emotional component is inherent in the second plan of the narrative: here the officer acts as the narrator. Unlike Maxim Maksimych, he is of the same class as Pechorin, and therefore, on an equal footing, he can look at Pechorin and analyze his type and actions. Here, for the first time, a description of the appearance of the hero appears, as well as a characteristic: "cold, tall, lonely." Noticing such a cardinal difference between Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin, the officer even pities the former, realizing how hard it must be to exist side by side with coldness like Pechorin's.
Finally, Pechorin himself becomes the third narrator, his introspection is the maximum disclosure of the hero's personality. Lermontov uses a form of direct psychologism, reveals the deep and intimate, shows what is really behind the coldness of the hero, and exposes his pain and inner tragedy. The reader feels more involved in the events described in the chapter "Pechorin's Journal", since it is written in the first person.
There is one more reason for Lermontov's violation of the chronological sequence in the presentation of the events of the novel - this is the intention to "prescribe" the character of Pechorin as mysterious, adventurous, looking for bright turns in his life path. A bright image requires a bright environment, the reticence that occurs with chronological shifts enhances interest in the hero. Thus, the author resorts to the violation of chronology for the sake of entertainment, to draw attention to the image of Pechorin.
Finally, the violation of chronology is the surest way to show the evolution of Pechorin as a complex novel character. Pechorin's inconsistency is not presented axiomatically, as if it were possible with a linear narrative. Connecting the pieces of the mosaic of Pechorin's life, traveling from one pole of his personality (demonstrative strength and cultivation of will) to another (secret weakness), the reader independently discovers and explores this inconsistency for himself.
Nikitina Valeria, 11th grade, 2013
M. Yu. Lermontov worked on the novel "A Hero of Our Time" in 1838-1840. The idea to write a novel was born during the writer's exile in the Caucasus in 1838. The first parts of the novel were published within one year in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski. They aroused the interest of readers. Lermontov, seeing the popularity of these works, combined them into one big novel.
In the title, the author sought to justify the relevance of his creation for his contemporaries. The 1841 edition also included a foreword by the writer in connection with the questions that arose from readers. We bring to your attention a summary of the “Hero of Our Time” chapter by chapter.
Main characters
Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich- the central character of the whole story, an officer of the tsarist army, a sensitive and sublime nature, but selfish. Handsome, superbly built, charming and smart. He is burdened by his arrogance and individualism, but does not want to overcome either one or the other.
Bela- the daughter of a Circassian prince. Treacherously kidnapped by her brother Azamat, she becomes Pechorin's lover. Bela is beautiful and smart, pure and straightforward. Dies from the dagger of the Circassian Kazbich, who is in love with her.
Mary(Princess Ligovskaya) is a noble girl whom Pechorin met by chance and did his best to make her fall in love with him. Educated and smart, proud and generous. The break with Pechorin becomes for her the deepest tragedy.
Maksim Maksimych- officer of the tsarist army (with the rank of staff captain). A kind and honest man, Pechorin's boss and close friend, an unwitting witness to his love affairs and life collisions.
Narrator- a passing officer who became a casual acquaintance of Maxim Maksimovich and listened to and wrote down his story about Pechorin.
Other characters
Azamat- Circassian prince, unbalanced and greedy young man, Bela's brother.
Kazbich- a young Circassian who is in love with Bela and becomes her killer.
Grushnitsky- a young cadet, a man proud and unrestrained. Rival Pechorin, killed by him in a duel.
Faith- Pechorin's former lover, appears in the novel as a reminder of his past in St. Petersburg.
Undine- a nameless smuggler who struck Pechorin with her appearance (“undine” is one of the names of mermaids, the reader will never know the real name of the girl).
Janko- smuggler, friend of Ondine.
Werner- a doctor, an intelligent and educated person, an acquaintance of Pechorin.
Vulich- an officer, a Serb by nationality, a young and gambling man, an acquaintance of Pechorin.
Foreword
In the preface, the author addresses the readers. He says that the readers were amazed at the negative features of the protagonist of his work and reproach the author for this. However, Lermontov points out that his hero is the embodiment of the vices of his time, so he is modern. The author also believes that it is impossible to feed readers with sweet stories and fairy tales all the time, they must see and understand life as it is.
The action of the work takes place in the Caucasus at the beginning of the 19th century. Partly in this territory of the Russian Empire, military operations are being conducted against the highlanders.
Part one
I. Bela
This part begins with the fact that the narrator-officer meets, on the way to the Caucasus, an elderly staff captain Maxim Maksimych, who makes a positive impression on him. The narrator and the staff captain become friends. Once in a snowstorm, the heroes begin to remember the events of their lives, and the staff captain talks about a young officer whom he knew about four and a half years ago.
This officer's name was Grigory Pechorin. He was handsome, handsome and smart. However, he had a strange character: either he complained about nothing, like a girl, or he fearlessly rode a horse over the rocks. Maxim Maksimych at that time was the commandant of a military fortress, in which this mysterious young officer served under his command.
Soon, the sensitive captain noticed that his new subordinate began to yearn in the wilderness. Being a kind person, he decided to help his officer unwind. At that time, he was just invited to the wedding of the eldest daughter of the Circassian prince, who lived not far from the fortress and sought to establish good relations with the royal officers.
At the wedding, Pechorin liked the youngest daughter of the prince - the beautiful and graceful Bela.
Fleeing from the stuffiness in the room, Maxim Maksimych went out into the street and became an involuntary witness to the conversation that took place between Kazbich - a Circassian with the appearance of a robber - and Bela's brother Azamat. The latter offered Kazbich any price for his magnificent horse, proving that for the horse he was even ready to steal his sister for him. Azamat knew that Kazbich was not indifferent to Bela, but the proud Circassian Kazbich only brushed off the annoying young man.
Maxim Maksimych, after listening to this conversation, inadvertently retold it to Pechorin, not knowing what his young colleague was up to.
It turned out that Pechorin later offered Azamat to steal Bela for him, promising in return that Kazbich's horse would become his.
Azamat complied with the agreement and took the beautiful sister to the fortress to Pechorin. When Kazbich drove the sheep to the fortress, Pechorin distracted him, and Azamat at that time stole his faithful horse Karagez. Kazbich vowed to take revenge on the offender.
Later, news came to the fortress that Kazbich had killed the Circassian prince, the father of Bela and Azamat, suspecting him of complicity in the kidnapping of his horse.
Meanwhile, Bela began to live in a fortress near Pechorin. He treated her with unusual care, not offending her in word or deed. Pechorin hired a Circassian woman, who began to serve Bela. Pechorin himself won the heart of a proud beauty with affection and pleasant manners. The girl fell in love with her kidnapper. However, having achieved the location of the beauty, Pechorin lost interest in her. Bela felt a chill from her lover and became very weary of it.
Maxim Maksimych, having fallen in love with the girl as if he were his own daughter, tried with all his might to console her. Once, when Pechorin left the fortress, the staff captain invited Bela to take a walk with him outside the walls. From afar they saw Kazbich riding Bela's father's horse. The girl was afraid for her life.
Some more time passed. Pechorin communicated with Bela less and less, she began to yearn. One day, Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin were not in the fortress, when they returned, they noticed from afar the horse of the prince and Kazbich in the saddle, who was carrying some kind of bag on it. When the officers chased after Kazbich, the Circassian opened the bag and raised a dagger over it. It became clear that he was holding Bela in the bag. Kazbich abandoned his prey and galloped away swiftly.
The officers drove up to the mortally wounded girl, carefully lifted her and took her to the fortress. Bela was able to live two more days. In delirium, she recalled Pechorin, spoke of her love for him and regretted that she and Grigory Alexandrovich were in different faiths, therefore, in her opinion, they would not be able to meet in paradise.
When Bela was buried, Maxim Maksimych no longer talked about her with Pechorin. Then the elderly staff captain came to the conclusion that Bela's death was the best way out of this situation. After all, Pechorin would eventually leave her, and she would not be able to survive such a betrayal.
After serving in the fortress under the command of Maxim Maksimych, Pechorin left to continue it in Georgia. He did not give any news about himself.
That was the end of the captain's story.
II. Maksim Maksimych
The narrator and Maxim Maksimych parted, each went about his own business, but soon they unexpectedly met again. Maxim Maksimych said with excitement that he had again met Pechorin quite unexpectedly. He learned that he had now retired and decided to go to Persia. The elderly staff captain wanted to talk with an old friend whom he had not seen for about five years, but Pechorin did not at all strive for such communication, which greatly offended the old officer.
Maxim Maksimych could not sleep all night, but in the morning he again decided to talk to Pechorin. But he showed coldness and ostentatious indifference. The captain was very sad.
The narrator, having seen Pechorin in person, decided to convey to the readers his impressions of his appearance and demeanor. He was a man of medium height with a handsome and expressive face, which women always liked. He knew how to stay in society and to speak. Pechorin dressed well and without challenge, his suit emphasized the slenderness of his body. However, in all his appearance, his eyes were striking, which looked at the interlocutor coldly, heavily and penetratingly. Pechorin practically did not use gestures in communication, which was a sign of secrecy and distrust.
He left quickly, leaving only vivid memories of himself.
The narrator informed the readers that Maxim Maksimych, seeing his interest in Pechorin's personality, gave him his journal, that is, the diary. For some time the diary lay idle with the narrator, but after the death of Pechorin (and he died suddenly at the age of twenty-eight: having unexpectedly fallen ill on the way to Persia), the narrator decided to publish some of its parts.
The narrator, addressing the readers, asked them for indulgence to the personality of Pechorin, because he, despite his vices, was at least sincere in describing them in detail.
Pechorin's Journal
I. Taman
In this part, Pechorin talked about a funny, in his opinion, adventure that happened to him on Taman.
Arriving at this little-known place, he, by virtue of his inherent suspicion and insight, realized that the blind boy, with whom he stayed for the night, was hiding something from those around him. Following him, he saw that the blind man was meeting with a beautiful girl, whom Pechorin himself calls Undina ("mermaid"). The girl and the boy were waiting for the man they called Janko. Janko soon appeared with some bags.
The next morning, Pechorin, spurred on by curiosity, tried to find out from the blind man what kind of bundles his strange friend had brought. The blind boy was silent, pretending not to understand his guest. Pechorin met with Ondine, who tried to flirt with him. Pechorin pretended to succumb to her charms.
In the evening, together with a familiar Cossack, he went on a date with a girl to the pier, ordering the Cossack to be on the alert and, if something unforeseen happens, to rush to his aid.
Together with Undina, Pechorin got into the boat. However, their romantic journey was soon cut short by the fact that the girl tried to push her companion into the water, despite the fact that Pechorin could not swim. Ondine's motives are understandable. She guessed that Pechorin understood what Yanko, the blind boy and she were doing, and therefore he could inform the police about the smugglers. However, Pechorin managed to defeat the girl and throw her into the water. Undine knew how to swim well enough, she threw herself into the water and swam towards Yanko. He took her aboard his boat, and soon they disappeared into the darkness.
Returning after such a dangerous voyage, Pechorin realized that the blind boy had stolen his things. The adventures of the past day entertained the bored hero, but he was unpleasantly annoyed that he might have died in the waves.
In the morning the hero left Taman forever.
Part two
(end of Pechorin's journal)
II. Princess Mary
Pechorin spoke in his journal about life in the city of Pyatigorsk. Provincial society bored him. The hero was looking for entertainment and found them.
He met the young cadet Grushnitsky, an ardent and ardent young man in love with the beautiful Princess Mary Ligovskaya. Pechorin was amused by the feeling of the young man. In the presence of Grushnitsky, he began to talk about Mary as if she were not a girl, but a racehorse with its own advantages and disadvantages.
At first, Pechorin irritated Mary. At the same time, the hero liked to anger the young beauty: either he tried to be the first to buy an expensive carpet that the princess wanted to buy, or he expressed malicious hints at her. Pechorin proved to Grushnitsky that Mary belongs to the breed of those women who will flirt with everyone in a row, and marry a worthless person, at the behest of their mother.
Meanwhile, Pechorin met in the city with Werner, a local doctor, an intelligent but bilious man. The most ridiculous rumors circulated around him in the city: someone even considered him a local Mephistopheles. Werner liked such exotic fame, and he supported it with all his might. Being a perceptive person, the doctor foresaw the future drama that could happen between Pechorin, Mary and the young cadet Grushnitsky. However, he did not expand much on this topic.
Events, meanwhile, went on as usual, adding new touches to the portrait of the protagonist. A secular lady and a relative of Princess Mary, Vera, arrived in Pyatigorsk. Readers learned that Pechorin was once passionately in love with this woman. She also kept in her heart a bright feeling for Grigory Alexandrovich. Vera and Gregory met. And here we already saw another Pechorin: not a cold and evil cynic, but a man of great passions, who has not forgotten anything and feels suffering and pain. After meeting with Vera, who, being a married woman, could not connect with the hero in love with her, Pechorin jumped into the saddle. He galloped over mountains and dales, exhausting his horse greatly.
On an exhausted horse, Pechorin accidentally met Mary and frightened her.
Soon Grushnitsky, with an ardent feeling, began to prove to Pechorin that, after all his antics, he would never be received at the princess's house. Pechorin argued with his friend, proving the opposite.
Pechorin went to the ball to Princess Ligovskaya. Here he began to behave unusually courteously towards Mary: he danced with her like a fine gentleman, protected her from a tipsy officer, helped to cope with a swoon. Mary's mother began to look at Pechorin with different eyes and invited him to her house as a close friend.
Pechorin began to visit the Ligovskys. He became interested in Mary as a woman, but the hero was still attracted to Vera. On one of the rare dates, Vera told Pechorin that she was mortally ill with consumption, so she asks him to spare her reputation. Vera also added that she always understood the soul of Grigory Alexandrovich and accepted him with all his vices.
Pechorin, however, became close to Mary. The girl confessed to him that she was bored with all the fans, including Grushnitsky. Pechorin, using his charm, from nothing to do, made the princess fall in love with him. He couldn’t even explain to himself why he needed it: either to have fun, or to annoy Grushnitsky, or maybe show Vera that someone needed him too and, thereby, call her jealousy.
Gregory succeeded in what he wanted: Mary fell in love with him, but at first she hid her feelings.
Meanwhile, Vera began to worry about this novel. On a secret date, she asked Pechorin never to marry Mary and promised him a night meeting in return.
Pechorin, on the other hand, began to get bored in the company of both Mary and Vera. He was also tired of Grushnitsky with his passion and boyishness. Pechorin deliberately began to behave provocatively in public, which caused tears from Mary, who was in love with him. To people, he seemed immoral madman. However, the young princess Ligovskaya understood that by doing so he only bewitched her more.
Grushnitsky began to get seriously jealous. He understood that Mary's heart was given to Pechorin. The same was amused by the fact that Grushnitsky stopped greeting him and began to turn away when he appeared.
The whole city was already talking about the fact that Pechorin would soon propose to Mary. The old princess - the girl's mother - from day to day was waiting for matchmakers from Grigory Alexandrovich. But he did not seek to make proposals to Mary, but wanted to wait until the girl herself confesses her love to him. On one of the walks, Pechorin kissed the princess on the cheek, wanting to see her reaction. The next day, Mary confessed her love to Pechorin, but in response he coldly remarked that he did not feel love for her.
Mary felt deeply humiliated by the words of her beloved. She was waiting for anything but this. The heroine realized that Pechorin laughed at her out of boredom. She compared herself to a flower that an evil passer-by plucked and tossed on a dusty road.
Pechorin, describing in his diary the scene of the explanation with Mary, reasoned about why he acted so low. He wrote that he did not want to marry because a fortuneteller once told his mother that her son would die from an evil wife. In his notes, the hero noticed that he values his own freedom above all else, is afraid to be noble and seem ridiculous to others. And he simply believes that he is not capable of bringing happiness to anyone.
A famous magician has come to town. Everyone rushed to his performance. Only Vera and Mary were absent. Pechorin, driven by a passion for Vera, late in the evening went to the Ligovskys' house, where she lived. In the window, he saw the silhouette of Mary. Grushnitsky tracked down Pechorin, believing that he had an appointment with Mary. Despite the fact that Pechorin managed to return to his house, Grushnitsky is full of resentment and jealousy. He challenged Grigory Alexandrovich to a duel. Werner and a dragoon unfamiliar to Pechorin acted as seconds.
Before the duel, Pechorin could not calm down for a long time, he thought about his life and realized that he brought good to few people. Fate has prepared for him the role of the executioner for many people. He killed someone with his word, and someone with his deed. He loved only himself with an insatiable love. He was looking for a person who could understand him and forgive him everything, but not a single woman, not a single man could do this.
And so he was challenged to a duel. Perhaps his opponent will kill him. What will remain after him in this life? Nothing. Just empty memories.
The next morning, Werther tried to reconcile Pechorin and his opponent. However, Grushnitsky was adamant. Pechorin wanted to show generosity to his opponent, hoping for his reciprocity. But Grushnitsky was angry and offended. As a result of the duel, Pechorin killed Grushnitsky. To hide the fact of the duel, the seconds and Pechorin testified that the young officer was killed by the Circassians.
However, Vera realized that Grushnitsky died in a duel. She confessed to her husband her feelings for Pechorin. He took her out of the city. In an attempt to catch up with Vera, he drove his horse to death.
Returning to the city, he learned that rumors of a duel had leaked into society, so he was assigned a new duty station. He went to say goodbye to Mary and her mother's house. The old princess offered him the hand and heart of her daughter, but Pechorin rejected her proposal.
Left alone with Mary, he humiliated the pride of this girl in such a way that he himself became unpleasant.
III. Fatalist
In the final part of the novel, it is told that Pechorin ended up in the village of Cossacks on business. One evening there was a dispute among the officers as to whether there is a fatal confluence of circumstances in a person's life. Is a person free to choose his own life or is his fate “predetermined from above”?
During a heated argument, the Serbian Vulich took the floor. He stated that, according to his convictions, he is a fatalist, that is, a person who believes in fate. Therefore, he was of the opinion that if it was not given to him to die from above tonight, then death would not take him away, no matter how much he himself strived for it.
To prove his words, Vulich offered a bet: he would shoot himself in the temple, if he was right, he would remain alive, and if he was wrong, he would die.
No one in the audience wanted to agree to such strange and terrible terms of the bet. Only Pechorin agreed.
Looking into the eyes of his interlocutor, Pechorin firmly said that he would die today. Then Vulich took a pistol and shot himself in the temple. The gun misfired. Then he fired a second shot to the side. The shot was combat.
Everyone started talking loudly about what had happened. But Pechorin insisted that Vulich would die today. Nobody understood his persistence. Frustrated, Vulich left the meeting.
Pechorin went home through the lanes. He saw a pig, cut in half with a sword, lying on the ground. Eyewitnesses told him that one of their Cossacks, who loves to take a bottle, is “strange” in this way.
In the morning Pechorin was awakened by the officers and told him that Vulich had been hacked to death at night by this very drunken Cossack. Pechorin felt uneasy, but he also wanted to try his luck. Together with other officers, he went to catch the Cossack.
Meanwhile, the Cossack, having sobered up and realizing what he had done, was not going to surrender to the mercy of the officers. He locked himself in his hut and threatens to kill anyone who gets there. Taking a mortal risk, Pechorin volunteered to punish the brawler. He climbed through the window into his hut, but remained alive. The officers came to the rescue and tied up the Cossack.
After such an incident, Pechorin was to become a fatalist. However, he did not rush to conclusions, believing that everything in life is not as simple as it seems from the outside.
And the kindest Maxim Maksimych, to whom he retold this story, noticed that pistols often misfire, and what is written for someone will be. The elderly staff captain also did not want to become a fatalist.
This is where the novel ends. When reading a brief retelling of A Hero of Our Time, do not forget that the work itself is much more interesting than the story of its main episodes. Therefore, read this famous work by M. Yu. Lermontov and enjoy what you read!
Conclusion
Lermontov's work "A Hero of Our Time" has remained relevant for readers for almost two hundred years. And this is not surprising, because the work touches upon the most important life problems of human existence on earth: love, the destiny of the individual, fate, passion and faith in higher powers. This work will not leave anyone indifferent, which is why it is included in the treasury of classical works of Russian literature.
Novel test
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The chronology of the novel and the path of Pechorin are very clearly built by the remarkable Russian writer of the 20th century V.V. Nabokov.
1. Around 1830, officer Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin was assigned to the Caucasus in an active military unit. On the way from St. Petersburg, he stops in the small Crimean town of Taman. What happened to him became the plot of the chapter "Taman". This is the third chapter of the novel.
2. Pechorin participates in military operations against the highlanders, and "sorties" - as they were then called. After a certain period of service, he is entitled to leave, and on May 10, 1832, he comes to rest "on the water." There, "on the waters", in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk, out of boredom he tries to start an affair, and after an overheard conversation, he participates in the tragically developing events. They ended in a duel, and on June 17, 1832, he killed Grushnitsky in a duel. These events are described in the fourth chapter, "Princess Mary".
3. In the autumn of 1832, Pechorin arrives at a fortress in Chechnya. He was transferred there on 19 June. In the fortress, Pechorin meets staff captain Maxim Maksimych.
4. In December 1832, while serving in the fortress, Pechorin leaves for two weeks in a Cossack village. The story that happened there and which is the key to the theme of fate is described in the fifth and last story - "The Fatalist".
5. In the spring of 1833, Pechorin kidnaps a Circassian girl, hoping that this adventure will awaken in him an interest in life. Four and a half months later, the mountaineer Kazbich kills the girl. In December 1833, Pechorin left for Georgia, and then for St. Petersburg. These events take place in Bel, in the chapter that opens the novel.
6. In the autumn of 1837, the narrator-traveler and Maxim Maksimych, heading north, make a stop in Vladikavkaz. By chance, they meet Pechorin there, who is on his way to Persia. A touching scene takes place, which is described in the second chapter of Maxim Maksimych.
7. A year later, returning from Persia, Pechorin dies. The narrator-traveler publishes posthumously his journal received from Maxim Maksimych. He mentions Pechorin's death in his preface (1841) to Pechorin's Journal, which includes Taman, Princess Mary, and Fatalist.
Violating the chronology of events, the author realizes his creative intention - to reveal the story of Pechorin's soul. He seeks to emphasize the mystery of his hero, as well as to comprehensively describe him. It seems that the novel is finally completed: but note that Pechorin dies only according to rumors, and this remark leaves the ending of the novel somewhat open. Pechorin, even after his confession, even after stories from different points of view, remains a mystery to the reader. Features of the composition and the finale help to create such a performance.
Introduction. The history of the creation of the work, the main idea.
"A Hero of Our Time" can rightfully be called a pearl of Russian literature. Lermontov nurtured the idea of creating a novel for quite a long time and worked on it for a long time. Literary scholars divide the pre-period into three separate periods of time. The initial stage dates back to 1836, it was then that the young poet Lermontov decided to establish himself on the pedestal of modern literature and create something that would absolutely amaze his contemporaries. Even then, he decided that the main character would be a young nobleman, personifying in his image the existing generation of young people. He wanted to reflect all the contradictions raging in the young impulsive soul, to create a rushing personality, which he later did very well. According to Lermontov, he was greatly impressed by reading the novel "Eugene Onegin" by Pushkin. It inspired him and set him up for fruitful fundamental work.
After writing a posthumous epitaph on the death of Pushkin, Lermontov goes into exile in the Caucasus, where he begins to realize his plan to write a novel. Thus began the second stage in the creation of the novel. This trip, in a sense, came in very handy for the writer, because it was by visiting Taman, the Cossack villages and the settlements of the highlanders that Lermontov understood exactly what he wanted to write about. The circle of characters and the storyline were determined.
- 1839 - "Bela" (with the publication of "From the Notes of an Officer in the Caucasus")
- 1839 - "Fatalist"
- 1840 - "Taman"
- 1840 - "Princess Mary"
- 1840 - The release of the full version of the novel with the author's remarks and the added part "Maxim Maksimovich"
The main idea of the author was to show the state of affairs in contemporary post-Decembrist Russia, to create vivid realistic images of heroes. The main problem of the novel is the problem of personality and time, when old ideals were lost, and new ones did not yet exist. Pechorin and his contemporaries can rightly call themselves people of the lost generation, they do not know what they want from life. According to the author, Pechorin's portrait is "a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development." It is curious that Lermontov himself never, during the entire process of narration, shows his attitude and assessment of Pechorin's behavior. He doesn't even say unambiguously about the sense in which he applies the characterization "hero" to him.
Analysis of the work
Storyline, composition features
The main feature of the compositional structure of the novel is chronological inconsistency. The chapters are not in order, the events taking place in them are inconsistent. This is one of the main methods of expressiveness, through which the author tried to express the main idea in a similar way. So, Lermontov makes us understand that the events around us and their sequence can in no way affect our fate. Only what is going on in the soul of a person, his thoughts and deeds, is strong. Thanks to the arrangement of the chapters, the reader gradually begins to plunge into the inner world of Pechorin, understand the motives of his actions and imbue him with sympathy and sympathy.
As for the genre, "A Hero of Our Time" can be described as a psychological and social novel. There is absolutely no plot or exposition in the construction of the plot, that is, the reader knows absolutely nothing about Pechorin's life before his arrival in the Caucasus. The culmination is a separate situation of each of the stories. The denouement is the news of Pechorin's death, reflected in the preface to Pechorin's Journal. In this case, the moment of denouement falls in the middle of the novel.
Thus, we can see that, like the idea, the plot and composition of the novel are very complex and serve as elements of expression, gradually revealing the problematics of the work and the image of the protagonist.
Main characters
Grigory Pechorin is a representative of the nobility, a young rake, originally from St. Petersburg. In the soul, he is an unhappy person who is weighed down by his meaningless existence. He is disappointed in love and women, does not believe in the existence of warm friendships and sincere love. He is an extremely extraordinary and bright personality, who, despite his many shortcomings, does not repel the reader, but, on the contrary, attracts with his experiences, makes him sympathize and empathize with him. Inside, it is torn apart by many contradictions. We get the most complete picture of the personality of the hero from the lips of Maxim Maksimovich. However, due to his narrow-mindedness, the man represents Pechorin in a somewhat one-sided light. He does not understand what drives the hero, cannot find an excuse for his coldness and selfishness.
Grushnitsky
The antipodes of Pechorin are Grushnitsky and Werner. Grushnitsky wants, mainly, to show off and show himself from the best side, despite the fact that in the soul of a young man there is an absolute emptiness. Pechorin, acting not always positively, is actually a deeply noble and desperately courageous person, the last thing he thinks about is pretense and the reputation of an honest person.
Werner, at first, seems to the reader to be a person close in spirit to Pechorin, because they have many similar character traits, skepticism, cynicism, coldness and rigidity. However, Werner, in fact, turns out to be a typical empty talker, not ready to defend a principled position and put himself in opposition to the whole society. Both of these male types help us better understand the character of Pechorin, as if shading and highlighting his character traits and personality traits.
Princess Mary
All female images used by Lermontov on the pages of the novel are completely different. The only thing that unites them is the understanding of Pechorin's innermost desire and main aspiration, which gradually comes to the reader. Namely, this is a desperate desire to love and be loved by a single woman. Alas, this was not destined to happen.
Conclusion
The novel was accepted by Russian readers with a bang. He amazed, delighted, excited and could not leave anyone indifferent. So vivid and realistic was the image of Pechorin, so topical was the problem of lost time raised by Lermontov. There are all the elements of prose here: philosophical reflections, and a novel, and a lyrical story. "A Hero of Our Time" is a deeply revealing novel that hits right on target. After all, Lermontov does not condemn a hero who is prone to make mistakes. Come to think of it, who among us doesn't? The object of his condemnation is precisely the empty and insignificant time that does not carry any ideals and values, the lost generation of people who have not been able to find themselves in life.
Critics recognize the similarity of the heroes of the novel with the novel "Eugene Onegin", this is not accidental, because it was the reading of Pushkin's masterpiece that inspired Lermontov to create an equally monumental novel. In a sense, Pechorin, the same Onegin, only in the interval of 30-40 years of the 19th century. It is worth noting that Pechorin is still a more mature person than Onegin. He is an egoist, but an egoist, suffering from his own actions, deeply condemning himself, but not having the opportunity to change. He is capable of deeper introspection, humbles himself and bears his deeds and sins like a heavy cross.
Analyzing the novel, one can trace the development of the author himself, he gradually moves from the category of youthful prose to something more meaningful and serious. We can note the significant creative growth of the author, the progress of his ideas and the improved quality of figurative and expressive tools.
