Of course, one of the most outstanding writers of the nineteenth century is Mikhail Lermontov. which is distinguished by the discrepancy between the plot order of actions and the plot, is considered to be one of his most significant works. And there are reasons for this. The novel expresses the main thoughts that Lermontov feels towards the generation of his contemporaries. “A Hero of Our Time,” the summary of which is compositionally structured in such a way as to most fully reveal to us the character of the main character, gained integrity and completeness precisely thanks to this arrangement of parts of the work.
In the plot, that is, chronological, order, the stories should be arranged as follows: first “Taman”, then “Princess Mary”, followed by “Fatalist”, then “Bela”, followed by “Maksim Maksimych” and, finally, “ Preface to Pechorin's magazine. But the author chose to change the order of the story in order to make it easier for the reader to understand his thoughts. It was no coincidence that such a distorted order was chosen for of this work, because the genre psychological novel designed to show us the soul of the hero. Lermontov chose a suitable form for this. “A Hero of Our Time,” which has been analyzed more than once by many critics, is considered one of the most profound psychological novels even in our century.
So, the narrative begins with the chapter “Bela”, in which the narrator, on the way to Tiflis, meets a fellow traveler, Maxim Maksimych, who told him the story of his joint service with Grigory Pechorin in the Chechen guard fortress. The center of his memories becomes the story of how Pechorin, a young ensign, had his eye on the daughter of a local prince and cunningly abducted her with the help of her younger brother named Azamat. Having “tamed” the beauty and made her fall in love with him, the officer soon becomes tired of his relationship with her. Maxim Maksimych already then foresaw trouble. And in fact, Bela is kidnapped by Kazbich, who was left without a horse by Pechorin during the adventure, after which he kills the girl.
Next comes the chapter "Maxim Maksimych". The narrator witnesses a meeting between Grigory Pechorin and the staff captain, during which he writes psychological portrait young man. Maxim Maksimych, angry with Grigory for his coldness, gives it to the narrator travel notes Pechorin, which make up most of novel.
In the chapter “Taman”, Grigory himself already acts as the narrator, who arrives in the city of the same name and demonstrates his penchant for adventure, tracking down the night routes of a blind boy living “on the Vater”. Because of this, the hero almost dies in a fight with a girl - the smuggler's assistant.
The chapter "Princess Mary" illustrates Pechorin's passion for experimentation and analysis of his actions. Grigory, out of stubbornness, decides to win the heart of an intelligent girl named Mary in order to hurt the pride of his friend Grushnitsky. In the end, a duel took place between them, in which the latter dies. In this chapter we can most clearly observe the hero’s stubbornness and his tendency to think, which Lermontov endowed his character with. “A Hero of Our Time,” a brief summary of which will help us understand the reasons for the character’s actions, gradually reveals to us the world of his soul.
In the last story, “Fatalist,” the author expresses his hope that all is not lost for his generation: Pechorin captures the Cossack killer. This concludes the novel that Lermontov wrote, “A Hero of Our Time.” Summary given psychological work should clarify the thoughts that the author put into it.
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Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov is an outstanding classic of the 19th century, who wrote many famous works. One of his most successful creations is the poem "Hero of Our Time". The entire work is divided into chapters, each of which is designed to…
The image of Bela in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is one of the most memorable and exciting. Proud disposition, devotion to her traditions, sincerity in everything, the ability to love selflessly - these are the main qualities of this heroine, contrasted in...
Characteristics of Pechorin in the chapter "Bela" (based on the novel "Hero of Our Time")
The novel "Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov can be attributed to the first socio-psychological and philosophical work in prose. IN this novel the author tried to display the vices of an entire generation in one person, to create a multifaceted...
In “A Hero of Our Time” the composition organizes and builds the plot, not the plot. Here we need to clarify the concepts of plot and plot.
plot call a set of events and incidents in their mutual intercom, developing in chronological order.
Plot- the same set of events, incidents, as well as motives and stimuli of behavior in their compositional sequence.
If we keep in mind the chronology of events in “A Hero of Our Time,” i.e., the plot, then it should look like this: Pechorin’s adventure with the “undine” in Taman (“Taman”); the story of Mary and Grushnitsky, duel (“Princess Mary”); episode with Vulich (“Fatalist”); the kidnapping of Bela and the journey of the traveling officer-narrator with Maxim Maksimych (“Bela”); meeting with Maxim Maksimych in Vladikavkaz (“Maksim Maksimych”); news of Pechorin’s death (“Preface to Pechorin’s Journal”). The arrangement of parts according to the chronology (plot) of the novel, therefore, is as follows: “Taman”. "Princess Mary" "Fatalist". "Bela." "Maksim Maksimych." "Preface to Pechorin's Journal."
However, in the novel the chronology is broken. There is a different arrangement of stories: “Bela”. "Maksim Maksimych." "Preface to Pechorin's Journal." "Taman". "Princess Mary" "Fatalist".
From a comparison of the chronological sequence with the sequence of stories in the novel, we can conclude that their discrepancy means a discrepancy between the plot and the plot. The plot reflects the order of events in a work of art in their chronological sequence, the plot is the distribution of events in a work of art, built by the author for the purposes he needs.
"Hero of our time." Artist M. Vrubel
Let's assume that the writer intended work of art. He invents events and episodes in which his hero participates. Then he builds these events and episodes into a chain of incidents, but subordinates the order not to chronology, but to some other goals that are important to him. It turns out that events first follow chronologically, as in life, then they are arranged according to the will of the author, i.e. in accordance with a special artistic task.
What goal did Lermontov pursue with the composition of the novel (the order of the parts, events, episodes in the sequence chosen by the author)?
One of these goals was to remove the tension from incidents and adventures, that is, from external events, and switch it to the inner life of the hero, increasing the reader's attention to it. For example, the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, if you follow the chronology, takes place before that how the reader receives the news of Pechorin's death. The reader's interest will then be directed to the duel itself, and the tension will be maintained by the question: what will happen to Pechorin, will Grushnitsky kill him or will the hero remain alive? In this case, the reader's attention is focused on the event itself. In the novel, Lermontov relieves the tension by the fact that before the duel he already reports (in the “Preface to Pechorin’s Journal”) about the death of Pechorin, who was returning from Persia. The reader is informed in advance that Pechorin will live, and the tension for this important episode in the hero’s life is reduced. But on the other hand, there is increased tension in the events of Pechorin’s inner life, in his thoughts, in the analysis of his own experiences.
In the “Preface to Pechorin’s Journal,” the author directly writes about his goal: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is almost more curious and not more useful than history an entire people, especially when it is... the result of observations of a mature mind on itself and when it is written without a vain desire to arouse participation or surprise.”
After reading this confession, the reader has the right to assume that the author’s interest is focused on the hero, who has a mature mind, on his soul, and not on the events and adventures that happened to him. The events and incidents of Pechorin's life are attracted to the extent that they help to comprehend his soul.
The plot and composition serve to identify and reveal Pechorin’s soul. First, the reader learns about the consequences of the events that happened, then about their causes, and each event is subject to analysis by the hero and introspection, that is, Pechorin’s reflection on the motives of his behavior. As the novel continues, the reader moves from one incident to another, and each time a new facet of Pechorin’s soul is revealed. This plot structure, this composition is more reminiscent of the plot and composition of a romantic poem.
Pechorin is a demon who descended from the superstellar worlds and descended to earth. The mental worlds of Pechorin and the demon are very similar.
The romantic poem, as is known, was distinguished by the “summit” of its composition. This meant that it lacked a coherent and coherent narrative from start to finish. For example, history romantic hero was not described from the day of his birth until maturity or old age. The poet singled out individual, most bright episodes from the life of a romantic hero, artistically spectacular moments of the highest dramatic tension, leaving the gaps between events unnoticed. Such episodes were called the “peaks” of the narrative, and the construction itself was called the “peak composition.” “A Hero of Our Time” preserves the “peak composition” of the romantic poem. The reader sees Pechorin in the intensely dramatic moments of his life, the gaps between them are not filled with anything. Vivid, memorable episodes and incidents testify to the gifted personality of the hero, with whom something extraordinary certainly happens, both in the novel and in the poem.
Similarities with romantic poem is also reflected in the fact that the hero - static figure. Pechorin's character does not change from episode to episode. It happened once and for all. Pechorin's inner world is the same from the first to the last story. It doesn't develop. But it is revealed in episodes, like in a romantic poem. Without developing, character has depth, and this depth is limitless. Pechorin gets the opportunity to deepen himself, study and analyze himself. Since the hero’s soul is bottomless due to her great talent and since Pechorin matured spiritually early and is endowed with a significant ability for critical and wise analysis, he is always directed into the depths of his soul. The author of the novel expects the same from readers: instead of the missing development of the hero’s character, the author offers the reader a path to immersion into the depths of Pechorin’s soul. Inner life Pechorin cannot be revealed to the end, and one should not expect exhaustion from her description in the novel.
However, the “top composition” in a novel, in comparison with a romantic poem, also plays another, also very important, but opposite role. The “top composition” in a romantic poem serves to ensure that the hero always appears as the same person, the same character. It is given in one - the author's - light and in a combination of different episodes that reveal one character.
The “top composition” in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” has a different goal and carries a different artistic task. Different characters tell stories about Pechorin. Lermontov needs to connect the historical, social and cultural experience of all persons involved in the plot to portray the hero. The reader sees Pechorin's character from different points point of view, including from the point of view of the hero to whom the word is given. Changing angles of view is needed not in order to observe the development of character, but for the purpose of immersion in inner world hero.
First, the reader looks at Pechorin through the eyes of Maxim Maksimych, a man of a completely different consciousness than Pechorin. At the same time, the staff captain’s point of view was conveyed by another person, a traveling officer. In other words, the hero becomes known from afar and through the assessments of others. The narrator then meets with him and directly conveys his observations. Finally, the reader gets acquainted with Pechorin's Journal, where the hero describes his adventures and analyzes them. The reader looks at Pechorin through his eyes and learns about him from his words. Pechorin's inner world comes closer to the reader, who gets the opportunity to enter and immerse himself in it.
Interest in the inner world presupposes special attention to moral incentives for behavior. Even in this case, the event or incident is relegated to the background. Moral and philosophical questions come to the fore: to accept or not to accept the world if a person cannot achieve happiness in it? What choice should be made: in favor of blind faith in predestination or in favor of a rational, free attitude towards existence?
Due to the fact that moral and philosophical problems became the main ones in the novel, the events rose unusually in their significance: their semantic load increased and from isolated episodes they turned into very important stages life path Pechorina.
The novel “A Hero of Our Time” is also connected with a romantic poem by a compositional ring. Just as in the poem “Mtsyri” the young man leaves the monastery and returns to the monastery, so in the novel the action begins and ends in the fortress. Just as Mtsyri is locked in a circle from which there is no way out, so Pechorin is in complete hopelessness. The ring composition is symbolic - it reinforces the futility of the hero’s quest, each case in whose life goes through the same stages: fascination - disappointment.
"Hero of our time." Duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky. Artist M. Vrubel
However, the ring composition also plays the exact opposite role. The search for happiness ends in failure. Lermontov does not end the novel with the death of the hero, the message about which is attributed to the middle of the story. The ring composition (fortress - fortress) allows Pechorin to “step over” the border of death and life and “come to life”, “resurrect”. Not in the sense that the author denies death as a reality, but in an artistic sense: Pechorin is depicted outside the chronological limits from birth to death.
Of course, one of the most outstanding writers of the nineteenth century is Mikhail Lermontov. "A Hero of Our Time", the summary of which is distinguished by the discrepancy between the plot order of actions and the plot, is considered to be one of his most significant works. And there are reasons for this. The novel expresses the main thoughts that Lermontov feels towards the generation of his contemporaries. “A Hero of Our Time,” the summary of which is compositionally structured in such a way as to most fully reveal to us the character of the main character, gained integrity and completeness precisely thanks to this arrangement of parts of the work.
In the plot, that is, chronological, order, the stories should be arranged as follows: first “Taman”, then “Princess Mary”, followed by “Fatalist”, then “Bela”, followed by “Maksim Maksimych” and, finally, “ Preface to Pechorin's magazine. But the author chose to change the order of the story in order to make it easier for the reader to understand his thoughts. It was no coincidence that such a distorted order was chosen for this work, because the genre of psychological novel is intended to demonstrate to us the soul of the hero. Lermontov chose a suitable form for this. “A Hero of Our Time,” which has been analyzed more than once by many critics, is considered one of the most profound psychological novels even in our century.
In the chapter “Taman”, Grigory himself already acts as the narrator, who arrives in the city of the same name and demonstrates his penchant for adventure, tracking down the night routes of a blind boy living “on the Vater”. Because of this, the hero almost dies in a fight with a girl - the smuggler's assistant.
The chapter "Princess Mary" illustrates Pechorin's passion for experimentation and analysis of his actions. Grigory, out of stubbornness, decides to win the heart of an intelligent girl named Mary in order to hurt the pride of his friend Grushnitsky. In the end, a duel took place between them, in which the latter dies. In this chapter we can most clearly observe the hero’s stubbornness and his tendency to think, which Lermontov endowed his character with. “A Hero of Our Time,” a brief summary of which will help us understand the reasons for the character’s actions, gradually reveals to us the world of his soul.
In the last story, “Fatalist,” the author expresses his hope that all is not lost for his generation: Pechorin captures the Cossack killer. This concludes the novel that Lermontov wrote, “A Hero of Our Time.” A brief summary of this psychological work should clarify the thoughts that the author put into it.
The theme of Lermontov's novel “A Hero of Our Time” (1840) is a depiction of the social situation of the 30s and 40s of the 19th century. This period in the history of Russia is usually called “inter-time”, because society was experiencing a so-called change of ideals. The Decembrist uprising was defeated, which testified to the fallacy of their socio-political beliefs. But, having become disillusioned with the Decembrist ideals, society has not yet formed new social goals. Thus, young people (including Lermontov) living in the 30s and 40s can be classified as “ lost generation": they are, as it were, at a crossroads. Old ideals have already been rejected, and new ones have not yet been found. Lermontov wrote about his generation in the poem “Duma” (1838): And life already torments us, like a smooth path without a goal, Like a feast at someone else’s holiday.
The idea of the novel is expressed in the title itself - “A Hero of Our Time.” That's what Lermontov called Pechorin. The characterization of the main character is quite ironic, because the word "hero" can be understood at least in three meanings. Firstly, a hero is simply a participant in an event; secondly, a hero is a person who has accomplished a feat of valor and honor; thirdly, the word “hero” can be used ironically when this word is used to refer to an unworthy person, that is, the “hero” is perceived as an “anti-hero.” The irony of the writer lies in the fact that the author does not explain in what meaning he uses the word “hero”. In the preface to Pechorin’s Journal, the author writes: “Perhaps some readers will want to know my opinion about Pechorin’s character. My answer is the title of this book. "Yes, this is a cruel irony!" - they will say. - "Don't know"".
“A Hero of Our Time” is a socio-psychological novel: Lermontov describes the state of Russian society during the intertemporal period, and pays main attention to revealing the character of Pechorin, a representative of modern Russian society. Both the plot and the composition serve to solve this artistic problem.
The plot of the novel is unusual. There is no exposition in it: the reader knows nothing about Pechorin’s life before his arrival in the Caucasus, who his parents are, how he was brought up, what kind of education he had, why he ended up in the Caucasus. There is no plot in the plot - for example, Pechorin’s arrival in the Caucasus. In the novel, the action itself is presented as a series of episodes from the life of the main character, described in five stories. Therefore, the novel has five climaxes, which are also the climaxes of individual stories. There is a denouement in the novel: this is the message that “Pechorin, returning from Persia, died” (preface to “Pechorin’s Journal”). Thus, the total storyline The novel is represented only by climaxes and denouement.
Each individual story has its own complete plot. This can be easily proven using the example of Taman. The plot of the story is a night scene when Pechorin accidentally spied a meeting of smugglers. The description of the town of Taman, the house where Pechorin received temporary quarters, and the inhabitants of this house is the exposition of the story. The climax is the scene of a night date, as a result of which the hero almost drowns. The denouement comes immediately after an unsuccessful date: Pechorin sees the smuggler girl sailing away with her sweet Yanko, taking large bundles, which, as it later turned out, contained things stolen from Pechorin. The story ends with a kind of epilogue, where main character talks about his adventure and his unfortunate fate - to destroy everything around him.
The composition of the novel, like the plot, is unusual. As already noted, the general plot of the novel has no exposition and no plot, and the denouement is in the middle of the text. The entire novel is structured according to a circular composition: it begins with “Bela” and ends with “Fatalist”, that is, the time of both stories refers to the period of service of the main character in a distant mountain fortress, at the beginning and at the end there are two heroes - Maxim Maksimovich and Pechorin.
In addition, the five stories that make up the entire work are located in a strange way, with a violation of the time sequence. Based on the hints scattered in the novel, taking into account the logic of the development of the action, it can be argued that the stories should be arranged as follows: “Princess Mary”, “Bela”, at the same time “Fatalist”, then “Maxim Maximovich”. Literary scholars argue about the place of the story “Taman” in this series. According to one version, “Taman” opens Pechorin’s adventures in the Caucasus, according to another, this story can be placed anywhere in the chronological chain, because “Taman” does not contain any information or hints about events in other stories. Of the above points of view, the second one seems more convincing.
The stories in the novel are not arranged in chronological order, namely: “Bela”, “Maxim Maksimovich”, “Taman”, “Princess Mary”, “Fatalist”. Why does Lermontov choose this particular construction? Because what is important for a writer, first of all, is not the temporal sequence, but the most complete disclosure of the character of the main character. The sequence of stories chosen by the writer best serves the task at hand.
Pechorin's character is revealed gradually. In "Bel" the main character is told by Maxim Maksimovich, a kind, honest man, but rather limited, not educated enough to understand Pechorin. As a result, from the story of the staff captain, Pechorin can be imagined as an extreme egoist who, at his whim, without hesitation, destroys Bela. Pechorin is a man who sets the rules of conduct for himself: he helps Azamat steal a wonderful horse from Kazbich, which clearly contradicts the code of honor of a Russian officer. But, despite such unsightly actions, Maxim Maksimovich notices that Pechorin’s character is contradictory: Grigory Alexandrovich quickly lost interest in Bela, but took her death very hard; he was not afraid to go against a boar while hunting, but he turned pale from the creaking of the door, etc. These incomprehensible contradictions leave the reader with the impression that Pechorin is not an ordinary villain and egoist, but a person with an ambiguous, complex (that is, interesting) character.
This impression is strengthened in the second story, where Pechorin is described by an unnamed officer-traveler, closer to the main character in views and development than Maxim Maksimovich. The officer observes in Vladikavkaz the unfriendly behavior of Pechorin, who is in no hurry to meet with the kind staff captain, but at the same time the observer notes that Pechorin turned pale and forced a yawn when Maxim Maksimovich mentioned Bel. In addition, the narrator gives a psychological portrait of Pechorin, which combines the most contradictory features. The hero's hair is light, and his mustache and eyebrows are dark; the gait is careless and lazy, and he does not swing his arms; he has a slender, strong figure, and he sits as if he doesn’t have a single bone in his back; he looks thirty years old, and there is something childish in his smile, etc. This portrait description further emphasizes the contradictory nature of the protagonist.
The last three stories make up a diary (“magazine”, as they said in Lermontov’s time), in which Pechorin himself talks about himself and his thoughts. From “Taman” it turns out that Grigory Alexandrovich has an extremely active nature: out of curiosity, without thinking about the consequences, he completely interferes in life strangers. Of the most dangerous situations he manages to happily get out (not knowing how to swim, he fearlessly goes on a date in a boat and critical moment manages to throw the girl into the water). Finishing his story about the incident in Taman, Pechorin, however, is not very happy happy ending, but sadly notes that here, as usual, after his adventure he left only troubles and destruction, contrary to his own desires.
In “Princess Mary”, to the hero’s previous traits (selfishness, contempt for generally accepted rules of honor, talent to subjugate those around him, to make ladies fall in love with him and to arouse the hatred of gentlemen), a very important trait is added, which becomes clear at a decisive moment in Pechorin’s life - from the night thoughts before the duel . Grigory Aleksandrovich, fully admitting that he could be killed tomorrow, sums up his life in a way. He asks himself why he lived, for what purpose he was born, and finds no answers. The reader is presented with a person suffering from his own uselessness and loneliness, whom no one will regret, no one will cry if he dies.
In the last story, “Fatalist,” the author pushes into the background the episodes in which Pechorin’s egoism, already known to the reader, is manifested (a heartless bet with Vulich), and describes in detail the successful capture of a drunken Cossack, which occurred bloodlessly, thanks to Pechorin’s determination and courage. The author proves that the main character is capable not only of selfish actions, but also of active goodness. Thus, Pechorin’s character turns to the reader in a completely unexpected direction.
To summarize the above, it should be noted that the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is extremely complex both in construction and in ideological content. This complexity is due, in turn, to the psychological ambiguity of the image of Pechorin.
The general plot of the work has practically only two mandatory elements- five climaxes and denouement. The composition is circular and, in addition, unusual because, firstly, the logical sequence of elements of the general plot is disrupted (the denouement is in the middle of the novel), and secondly, the temporal sequence of events. This construction is subject to the gradual revelation of the character of the main character - from a heartless egoist and cynic at the beginning of the novel to a very attractive person capable of noble deeds, at the end. In other words, the sequence of stories in “A Hero of Our Time” is motivated not only by a change of narrators (Maksim Maksimovich, author, Pechorin), but also by the reader’s gradual acquaintance with the main character.
The plot and composition of the novel "A Hero of Our Time"In 1838, Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov began work on “A Hero of Our Time,” relying on his Caucasian impressions. During the process of creation, the works “Bela” and “Taman” were published as separate stories. When “Fatalist” was published in “ Domestic notes“The editors placed a notice that the author intends to publish in the near future “a collection of his stories, both published and unpublished.” The announcement ended with the promising ones being published as separate stories. When “Fatalist” was published in “Otechestvennye zapiski,” the editors placed a notice that the author intended to publish “a collection of his stories, both printed and unpublished,” in the near future. The announcement ended with promising words: “This will be a new, wonderful gift to Russian literature.” So, readers were waiting for a collection of stories and the author initially, apparently, did not conceive his work as a holistic and coherent narrative. In 1840, the novel “A Hero of Our Time” was published. The stories included in it had a continuous compositional structure.
Psychological complexity central image determined the compositional structure of the work. Lermontov gradually introduces the reader to his hero, revealing Pechorin’s soul more and more deeply to us, getting us more and more interested.
In addition to the plot, the composition also incorporates other components of the work. An important point in the disclosure of the composition “Hero of Our Time” is also who tells about what is happening. Changing the narrator allows Lermontov to more deeply and comprehensively reveal the hero's inner world.
We meet Pechorin in “Bel”. Maxim Maksimych, a staff captain who served with him for a year in the Caucasus, talks about the hero. Maxim Maksimych is a kind person, but he is not able to understand Pechorin. The only thing he can say about him is: “nice fellow,” “but with big weirdness" Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin are strangers to each other. There are people in front of us different eras, different worldviews. Maxim Maksimych is an old campaigner who unquestioningly carries out any orders from his superiors, unable and unwilling to reason.
Pechorin is a different matter. In “Bel” he is secretive, and therefore incomprehensible to the staff captain. Pechorin resembles a romantic hero. His story tragic love, disappointment, melancholy amaze the good-natured Maxim Maksimych, but he cannot unravel the soul of his subordinate.
The reader is interested, but it is too early to draw conclusions about the character of the hero. The author transfers the right to tell about Pechorin to a passing officer, on whose behalf the novel is narrated. This is a person who clearly understands Pechorin, they are people of the same generation, people of the same circle. We fully trust his judgment and therefore carefully read his words.
We see a psychological portrait of the hero. Describing his appearance in detail, the narrator tries to understand Pechorin’s character. The narrator pays special attention to the eyes: “They didn’t laugh when he laughed!..” He wants to find out what they are hiding, and therefore he happily takes Pechorin’s notes from Maxim Maksimych.
The aura of mystery does not disappear, although we have already learned a lot about the hero. The author allows Pechorin himself to talk about himself. The novel continues “Pechorin’s Journal”, it is preceded by a foreword by the narrator. Here we read important words: “Maybe some readers will want to know my opinion about Pechorin’s character? My answer is the title of this book.” So, Pechorin is a hero of his time, a typical personality, the face of the era. However, only the confession of the hero himself will help to understand him deeply.
“Pechorin's Journal” is a kind of “novel within a novel.” “Taman”, “Princess Mary”, “Fatalist” - “the history of the human soul, a consequence of the observations of a mature mind on itself.” Confessional character diary entries connects Lermontov's novel with his lyrics. Thirst for life, search true values, meaning human existence sometimes takes on harsh and cruel forms in Pechorin’s personality. Disappointment, boredom, suffering are the companions of his life and the lives of people who have linked their fate with him.
The final chapter, “Fatalist,” at first glance seems superfluous, falling out of the natural development of the novel. But in fact, “The Fatalist” contains the most important idea of the story; the author gradually led us to it. Pechorin moves from self-esteem to thinking about his generation. What are his thoughts? Here Lermontov speaks about what he shouted about in the Duma, which haunted him all his life - about the bitter fate of his generation: “... we... miserable descendants, wandering the earth without convictions and pride, without pleasure and fear... we are no longer capable of making great sacrifices, either for the good of humanity, or even for our own happiness, because we know its impossibility and indifferently move from doubt to doubt...”
“Fatalist” takes us back to the fortress where the tragedy with Bela occurred. The circle is closed. The “ring” composition emphasizes the hero’s doom. Pechorin is trying to solve the most difficult question: how free a person is to control his own destiny. “And if there is definitely predestination, then why were we given will, reason?”
Thus, the novel examines social, moral and philosophical problems. A psychologically accurate picture of the relationship between society and the individual is given.
