"Hero of our time" M.Yu. Lermontov came out separate edition Petersburg in the spring of 1940. The novel has become one of the extraordinary phenomena in Russian literature. This book has been the object of numerous disputes and studies for a century and a half, and has not lost its vital sharpness in our days. Belinsky wrote about her: “Here is a book that is destined to never grow old, because, at its very birth, it was injected living water poetry."
Main character novel - Pechorin - lived in the thirties of the nineteenth century. This time can be characterized as the years of the gloomy reaction that came after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising of 1825. At this time, a person of advanced thought could not find an application for his strength. Disbelief, doubt, denial have become features of consciousness younger generation. They rejected the ideals of the fathers even "from the cradle", and at the same time they doubted the moral values as such. That is why V.G. Belinsky said that "Pechorin suffers deeply", not finding use for the immense forces of his soul.
Creating the "Hero of Our Time", Lermontov depicted life as it really was. And he found new artistic means, which neither Russian nor Western literature and which delight us to this day with the combination of a free and wide depiction of faces and characters with the ability to show them objectively, “building” them, revealing one hero through the perceptions of another.
Let's take a closer look at the two heroes of the novel - Pechorin and Grushnitsky.
Pechorin was an aristocrat by birth and received a secular upbringing. Coming out from under the care of relatives, he "set off in big light"and" began to enjoy wildly all the pleasures. The frivolous life of an aristocrat soon became disgusting to him, and reading books also bored him. After the "high-profile story in St. Petersburg" Pechorin is exiled to the Caucasus. Drawing the appearance of his hero, the author with a few strokes indicates not his aristocratic background: "pale", "noble forehead", "small aristocratic hand", "dazzling clean linen". Pechorin is a physically strong and hardy person. He is endowed with an extraordinary mind, critically evaluating the world. He reflects on the problems of good and evil, love and friendship, on the meaning human life. In the assessment of his contemporaries, he is self-critical: "We are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of mankind, or even for our own happiness." He is well versed in people, is not satisfied with the sleepy life of the "water society" and gives destructive characteristics to the capital's aristocrats. Most complete and deep inner world Pechorin is revealed in the story "Princess Mary", where he meets Grushnitsky.
Grushnitsky is a cadet, he is the most ordinary young man who dreams of love, "stars" on shoulder straps. Making an impact is his passion. In a new officer's uniform, attired, smelling of perfume, he goes to Mary. He is mediocrity, he has one weakness that is quite excusable at his age - “drape in extraordinary feelings”, “passion to recite”. He seems to be striving to play the role of a disappointed hero, fashionable at that time, "a creature doomed to some kind of secret suffering." Grushnitsky is a completely successful parody of Pechorin. That is why the young Junker is so disagreeable to him.
With his miserable behavior, Grushnitsky, on the one hand, emphasizes the nobility of Pechorin, and on the other, it seems to erase any differences between them. After all, Pechorin himself spied on him and Princess Mary, which, of course, was not a noble act. And he never loved the princess, but simply used her gullibility and love to fight Grushnitsky.
Grushnitsky, as a narrow-minded person, at first does not understand Pechorin's attitude towards him. Grushnitsky seems to himself a self-confident, very insightful and significant person: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says condescendingly. But events are imperceptibly developing according to Pechorin's plan. And now the Junker, overwhelmed by passion, jealousy and indignation, appears before us in a different light. He turns out to be not so harmless, capable of revenge, dishonesty and meanness. The one who quite recently played nobility, today is able to shoot an unarmed person. The duel scene reveals the essence of Grushnitsky, shoot, I despise myself, but I hate you. If you don't kill me, I'll stab you at night from around the corner. There is no place for us on earth together ... Grushnitsky rejects reconciliation Pechorin shoots him in cold blood. The situation becomes irreversible Grushnitsky dies after drinking the cup of shame, repentance and hatred to the end.
On the eve of the duel, recalling his life, Pechorin thinks about the question: why did he live? for what purpose was he born? And then he himself answers: “Ah, it’s true, she existed, and it’s true that I had a high appointment, because I feel immense strength in my soul.” And then Pechorin realizes that he has long been playing "the role of an ax in the hands of fate." “Immense forces of the soul” - and petty, unworthy deeds of Pechorin; he strives to "love the whole world" - and brings people only evil and misfortune; the presence of noble, high aspirations - and petty feelings that own the soul; thirst for the fullness of life - and complete hopelessness, awareness of one's doom. Pechorin is lonely, his situation is tragic, he really " extra person". Lermontov called Pechorin "a hero of his time", thus protesting against the romanticism of the idealized idea of a contemporary, portraying the image of Grushnitsky as a parody of romanticism. The hero for the author is not a role model, but a portrait made up of the vices of the entire generation in their full development.
So, the image of Grushnitsky helps to reveal the main thing in central character novel. Grushnitsky - false mirror Pechorin - sets off the truth and significance of the experiences of this "suffering egoist", the depth and exclusivity of his nature. But in the situation with Grushnitsky, all the danger lurking in the depths of this human type, the destructive force that lies in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism. Lermontov did not seek to pass a moral judgment. He only with great power showed all the abysses human soul devoid of faith, imbued with skepticism and disappointment. Pechorinism was a typical disease of the time. And isn't it about these people that the generation of the 30s of the last century said M.Yu. Lermontov in the famous "Duma":
“... We will pass over the world without noise or trace, throwing down for centuries not a thought of fruitful work begun by non-geniuses.”
In the novel A Hero of Our Time, Lermontov tried to oppose another character to the protagonist. This made it possible to most clearly reveal the character and show how much their views on life do not coincide.
Comparative characteristics Pechorin and Grushnitsky in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" will help the reader understand that, despite the outward similarity of the characters, there is little in common between them and they are completely different personalities, but this makes it even more interesting to watch their actions throughout the work.
Childhood and upbringing
Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin nobleman. In whose veins flowed aristocratic blood. Parents gave him a good upbringing, as befits a circle of people of their level. Wealthy and educated. Petersburg resident.Grushnitsky noble origin. Guy from the people. Provincial. His parents are the most ordinary people. Growing up in the village, he always sought to leave his native places in order to achieve something in life, and not to vegetate in the wilderness out of boredom. Received a good education. Romantic by nature.
Appearance
Gregory a young man, about 25 years old. Breed loomed in all appearance. Blond, whose hair was curly by nature. Black mustache and eyebrows. high forehead. Brown, cold eyes. Medium height. Well built. Pale complexion. Small arms with long thin fingers. The gait is slightly careless. Pechorin dressed well, richly. Clothes are clean and always ironed. He does not give appearance values, does not try to impress.Grushnitsky 20 years old. Black-haired. The skin is swarthy. Well built. Whiskered. Facial features are expressive. Likes to impress. Attaches great importance appearance.
Character
Pechorin:- prudent. Self-assured;
- well versed in people and relationships;
- has analytical warehouse mind;
- cynic. Witty and caustic on the tongue. Manipulates people for his own purposes;
- proud;
- restrained in the manifestation of emotions;
- secretive;
- makes good use of its benefits.
- romantic;
- emotional;
- does not know how to manipulate people;
- likes to pretend to be a sufferer. Inclined to dramatize everything;
- smart;
- selfish by nature;
- malicious and envious;
- seeks to please everyone;
- capable of betrayal.
The role of Pechorin and Grushnitsky in society
Pechorin always behaved as if he were challenging himself and the world around him. He is disappointed with life. Cannot find a place in society and engage in activities to his liking. This eternal search for the meaning of life exhausted him and devastated him. Tired and lonely. He ridicules the capital's aristocrats, seeing through their vices.Grushnitsky enjoying life in modern society. He likes secular evenings, where there is an opportunity to show himself and feel like one of them. For him, this way of life is acceptable. He strove for it with all his heart, dreaming about it from childhood.
They are similar to each other, but at the same time very different. Grushnitsky is a pathetic parody of Pechorin. In an effort to keep up with Pechorin, he is ridiculous and absurd. The character of Grushnitsky revealed in Pechorin the depth of his soul, the main qualities of nature.
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Pechorin and Grushnitsky. Comparative characteristics of heroes.
"Hero of our time" M.Yu. Lermontov was published as a separate edition in St. Petersburg in the spring of 1940. The novel has become one of the extraordinary phenomena in Russian literature. This book has been the object of numerous disputes and studies for a century and a half, and has not lost its vital sharpness in our days. Belinsky wrote about her: “Here is a book that is destined to never grow old, because, at its very birth, it was sprinkled with the living water of poetry.”
The protagonist of the novel - Pechorin - lived in the thirties of the nineteenth century. This time can be characterized as the years of the gloomy reaction that came after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising of 1825. At this time, a person of advanced thought could not find an application for his strength. Disbelief, doubt, denial have become features of the consciousness of the younger generation. They rejected the ideals of their fathers even “from the cradle”, and at the same time they doubted moral values as such. That's why V.G. Belinsky said that "Pechorin suffers deeply", not finding use for the immense forces of his soul.
Creating the "Hero of Our Time", Lermontov portrayed life as it really was. And he found new artistic means, which neither Russian nor Western literature has yet known, and which delight us to this day by combining a free and wide depiction of faces and characters with the ability to show them objectively, “building” them, revealing one hero through the perceptions of another.
Let's take a closer look at the two heroes of the novel - Pechorin and Grushnitsky.
Pechorin was an aristocrat by birth and received a secular upbringing. Leaving the care of his relatives, he "set off into the big world" and "began to enjoy all the pleasures wildly." The frivolous life of an aristocrat soon became disgusting to him, and reading books also bored him. After the "high-profile story in St. Petersburg" Pechorin is exiled to the Caucasus. Drawing the appearance of his hero, the author with a few strokes indicates not his aristocratic origin: “pale”, “noble forehead”, “small aristocratic hand”, “dazzling clean linen”. Pechorin is a physically strong and hardy person. He is endowed with an extraordinary mind, critically evaluating the world around him. He reflects on the problems of good and evil, love and friendship, on the meaning of human life. In the assessment of his contemporaries, he is self-critical: "We are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of mankind, or even for our own happiness." He is well versed in people, is not satisfied with the sleepy life of the "water society" and gives destructive characteristics to the capital's aristocrats. Pechorin's inner world is most fully and deeply revealed in the story "Princess Mary", where he meets Grushnitsky.
Grushnitsky is a cadet, he is the most ordinary young man who dreams of love, "stars" on shoulder straps. Making an impact is his passion. In a new officer's uniform, attired, smelling of perfume, he goes to Mary. He is mediocrity, he has one weakness that is quite excusable at his age - “drape in extraordinary feelings”, “passion to recite”. He seems to be striving to play the role of a disappointed hero, fashionable at that time, "a creature doomed to some kind of secret suffering." Grushnitsky is a completely successful parody of Pechorin. That is why the young Junker is so disagreeable to him.
With his miserable behavior, Grushnitsky, on the one hand, emphasizes the nobility of Pechorin, and on the other, it seems to erase any differences between them. After all, Pechorin himself spied on him and Princess Mary, which, of course, was not a noble act. And he never loved the princess, but simply used her gullibility and love to fight Grushnitsky.
Grushnitsky, as a narrow-minded person, at first does not understand Pechorin's attitude towards him. Grushnitsky seems to himself a self-confident, very insightful and significant person: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says condescendingly. But events are imperceptibly developing according to Pechorin's plan. And now the Junker, overwhelmed by passion, jealousy and indignation, appears before us in a different light. He turns out to be not so harmless, capable of revenge, dishonesty and meanness. The one who quite recently played nobility, today is able to shoot an unarmed person. The duel scene reveals the essence of Grushnitsky, shoot, I despise myself, but I hate you. If you don't kill me, I'll stab you at night from around the corner. There is no place for us on earth together ... Grushnitsky rejects reconciliation Pechorin shoots him in cold blood. The situation becomes irreversible Grushnitsky dies after drinking the cup of shame, repentance and hatred to the end.
On the eve of the duel, recalling his life, Pechorin thinks about the question: why did he live? for what purpose was he born? And then he himself answers: “Ah, it’s true, she existed, and it’s true that I had a high appointment, because I feel immense strength in my soul.” And then Pechorin realizes that he has long been playing "the role of an ax in the hands of fate." “Immense forces of the soul” - and petty, unworthy deeds of Pechorin; he strives to "love the whole world" - and brings people only evil and misfortune; the presence of noble, high aspirations - and petty feelings that own the soul; thirst for the fullness of life - and complete hopelessness, awareness of one's doom. Pechorin is lonely, his situation is tragic, he is really "an extra person." Lermontov called Pechorin "a hero of his time", thus protesting against the romanticism of the idealized idea of a contemporary, portraying the image of Grushnitsky as a parody of romanticism. The hero for the author is not a role model, but a portrait made up of the vices of the entire generation in their full development.
So, the image of Grushnitsky helps to reveal the main thing in the central character of the novel. Grushnitsky - a crooked mirror of Pechorin - sets off the truth and significance of the experiences of this "suffering egoist", the depth and exclusivity of his nature. But in the situation with Grushnitsky, the whole danger lurking in the depths of this human type, the destructive force that lies in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism, is revealed with particular force. Lermontov did not seek to pass a moral judgment. He only with great power showed all the abysses of the human soul, devoid of faith, imbued with skepticism and disappointment. Pechorinism was a typical disease of the time. And isn't it about these people that the generation of the 30s of the last century said M.Yu. Lermontov in the famous "Duma":
“... We will pass over the world without noise or trace, throwing down for centuries not a thought of fruitful work begun by non-geniuses.”
