The novel “A Hero of Our Time,” authored by M.Yu. Lermontov, in 1840 became the first psychological novel in Russian literature. Throughout the novel, the personality of the main character, Grigory Pechorin, is revealed. Lermontov describes in detail the psychological portrait of the main character and reveals his complex character, placing him in different life circumstances. But can Pechorin be called a tragic hero?

Grigory Pechorin strives to know other people and himself.

He conducts experiments on people and on himself, he participates in them, analyzes people’s actions, but this prevents him from surrendering to sincere feelings, since the mind keeps these feelings under control (“I have long lived not with my heart, but with my head”). For example, Pechorin, when he chased Vera and could not catch up with her because of the horse, he fell and cried, because the shocks of the duel that happened before, the frenzied galloping brought him to such a state when his mind stopped controlling his feelings (“Soul” I became weak and my mind became silent." But very quickly his habit of analyzing everything returned (“I’m pleased, however, that I can cry!”).

Pechorin is lonely. His nature is so deep that he cannot find his equal. He is unhappy in friendship. He did not perceive Maxim Maksimych as a friend, because he was a simple person and could never fully understand him. When he met Werner, he enjoyed spending time with him and even offered him to be a second in a duel with Grushnitsky, but Werner accused him of murder and shifted all the blame onto Gregory. Pechorin exclaims bitterly: “They are all like that, even the kindest, the smartest!..”).

Pechorin is also unhappy in love. Although he was attached to Vera, this was not the woman for whom he would agree to lose his freedom. He didn't love Mary. Seeing Bela, he sincerely thought that he would finally gain the meaning of life, but very soon he became bored with her, because she was uneducated (“I was wrong again: the love of a savage is little better than the love of a noble lady”).

Pechorin cannot find his purpose.

He is also unhappy because he perceives himself as the ax of fate, which falls on the “head of the doomed victims.” He himself suffers from this.

Thus, Pechorin is a tragic hero because he is lonely, unhappy in friendship and love, lives by reason and not by feelings, has not found his purpose, the meaning of life. The feeling that he is not only above other people, but also above fate and chance still does not make him happy. The reader learns midway through the novel that he died somewhere along the way from Persia. We understand that Pechorin never found happiness in this life.

Updated: 2019-07-22

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School essay

The main theme of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" is the depiction of the socially typical personality of the noble circle after the defeat of the Decembrists. The main idea is the condemnation of this individual and the social environment that gave birth to him. Pechorin is the central figure of the novel, its driving force. He is Onegin's successor - "an extra man." He is a romantic in character and behavior, by nature a person of exceptional abilities, outstanding intelligence and strong will.

Lermontov paints a portrait of Pechorin with psychological depth. Phosphorically dazzling, but cold shine of the eyes, a penetrating and heavy gaze, a noble forehead with traces of intersecting wrinkles, pale, thin fingers, nervous relaxation of the body - all these external features of the portrait testify to the psychological complexity, intellectual talent and strong-willed, evil power of Pechorin. In his “indifferently calm” look “there was no reflection of the heat of the soul,” Pechorin was indifferent “to himself and others,” disappointed and internally devastated.

He was characterized by the highest aspirations for social activities and a passionate desire for freedom: “I am ready for all sacrifices... but I will not sell my freedom.” Pechorin rises above the people of his environment with his versatile education, wide awareness of literature, science, and philosophy. He sees the inability of his generation “to make great sacrifices for the good of humanity” as a sad shortcoming. Pechorin hates and despises the aristocracy, therefore he becomes close to Werner and Maxim Maksimych, and does not hide his sympathy for the oppressed.

But Pechorin’s good aspirations did not develop. The unrestrained socio-political reaction, which stifled all living things, and the spiritual emptiness of high society changed and stifled its capabilities, disfigured its moral image, and reduced its vital activity. Therefore, V. G. Belinsky called the novel a “cry of suffering” and a “sad thought” about that time. Chernyshevsky said that “Lermontov - a deep thinker for his time, a serious thinker - understands and presents his Pechorin as an example of what the best, strongest, noblest people become under the influence of the social situation of their circle.”

Pechorin fully felt and understood that under conditions of autocratic despotism, meaningful activity in the name of the common good was impossible for him and his generation. This was the reason for his boundless skepticism and pessimism, the conviction that life was “boring and disgusting.” Doubts devastated Pechorin to such an extent that he had only two convictions left: the birth of a person is a misfortune, and death is inevitable. He diverged from the environment to which he belonged by birth and upbringing. Pechorin denounces this environment and cruelly judges himself; this, according to V. G. Belinsky, is the “strength of spirit and power of will” of the hero. He is dissatisfied with his aimless life, passionately searches and cannot find his ideal: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?..” Internally, Pechorin moved away from the class to which he rightfully belonged by birth and social status, but the new system He did not find a social relationship that would suit him. Therefore, Pechorin does not pass any laws other than his own.

Pechorin is morally crippled by life, he has lost his good goals and turned into a cold, cruel and despotic egoist who is frozen in splendid isolation and hates himself.

According to Belinsky, “hungry for anxiety and storms”, tirelessly chasing life, Pechorin manifests himself as an evil, egocentric force that brings people only suffering and misfortune. Human happiness for Pechorin is “saturated pride.” He perceives the suffering and joy of other people “only in relation to himself” as food that supports his spiritual strength. Without much thought, for the sake of a capricious whim, Pechorin tore Bela from her home and destroyed her, greatly offended Maxim Maksimych, ruined the nest of “honest smugglers” due to empty red tape, disturbed Vera’s family peace, and grossly insulted Mary’s love and dignity.

Pechorin does not know where to go and what to do, and wastes the strength and heat of his soul on petty passions and insignificant matters. Pechorin found himself in a tragic situation, with a tragic fate: neither the surrounding reality nor the individualism and skepticism characteristic of him satisfied him. The hero has lost faith in everything, he is corroded by dark doubts, he longs for meaningful, socially purposeful activity, but does not find it in the circumstances around him. Pechorin, like Onegin, is a suffering egoist, an involuntary egoist. He became this way because of the circumstances that determine his character and actions, and therefore evokes sympathy for himself.

In the novel “Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov introduces the reader to the image of a man who absorbed the most characteristic qualities of the generation of the 30s of the 19th century. The novel examines the problem of the “superfluous person” using the example of the main character, Pechorin.
Pechorin is a very difficult and contradictory person. His life bears the imprint of tragedy. This is both a tragedy of a person rejected by society and a tragedy of a crippled soul. What is this tragedy and what are its origins and causes?
Pechorin is placed in conditions in which his extraordinary personality cannot fully open up and express himself, and therefore is forced to waste his energy on unnecessary petty intrigues that only bring misfortune to people. Pechorin is forced to play the role of an egoist, that is, to be a “reluctant egoist,” and he himself suffers because of this.
This is the tragedy of the hero.
Pechorin stands out from the crowd of people around him. He is smart, straightforward and insightful. Lies and pretense, hypocrisy and cowardice are alien to him. He is not satisfied with an empty and monotonous existence in pursuit of petty, insignificant interests. Pechorin does not want to go with the flow with everyone else. With his intelligence and strength of character, he is capable of the most decisive and courageous actions. If he had directed his activities towards good, lofty goals, he could have achieved a lot. But fate and life decreed differently. As a result, Pechorin appears before us as an egoist who lives in the world to dispel his boredom at the expense of the misfortunes of others. He lives not with his heart, but with his mind. His soul is half dead. “I have become a moral cripple,” Pechorin admits to Princess Mary. Pechorin is full of contempt and hatred for people. He loves to study the psychology of people in various situations, without empathy or sympathy, but completely indifferently. Pechorin brings nothing but misfortune to those around him. Through his fault, the smugglers suffer, Bela dies, the lives of Vera and Princess Mary are destroyed, and Grushnitsky dies. “I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate,” Pechorin writes in his diary. What prompted the hero to cruel, selfish actions? Most likely the desire to relieve boredom. Pechorin did not think that behind each of his unbridled actions there was a living person with a soul and heart, with his own feelings and desires. Pechorin did everything for himself and nothing for others. “I look at the suffering and joy of others only in relation to myself,” Pechorin admits. This is how he explains his actions in relation to Princess Mary: “... There is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul... I feel this insatiable greed in myself.” No wonder Princess Mary considers Pechorin worse than a murderer.
What made the hero this way? Possessing extraordinary qualities, Pechorin stood out from the crowd of peers, friends and other people from childhood. He put himself above others, and society put him below. Society does not tolerate those who are not like everyone else; it cannot come to terms with the existence of an extraordinary person who stands out in some way. And yet people failed to bring Pechorin to their average level, but they managed to cripple his soul. Pechorin became secretive, envious, and vindictive. “And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile.”
Using the example of Pechorin, Lermontov shows the inevitable conflict between a thinking person and society, the confrontation between a strong personality and a gray, faceless crowd, the problem of the “superfluous person.”
But can the hero be definitely called a cruel egoist?
“... If I am the cause of the misfortune of others, then I myself am no less unhappy!.. I... am very worthy of regret,” says Pechorin. Indeed, by torturing others, Pechorin himself suffers no less. If he is an egoist, then he is a suffering egoist. Genuine human feelings did not completely die in him. An example is the attitude towards Faith. Indeed, his feelings for this woman are genuine. Pechorin at his core is a deeply unhappy person. He is lonely and incomprehensible.
People avoid him, feeling some kind of evil force in him. Pechorin lives without a goal, without aspirations, wasting himself on empty intrigues and unnecessary passions. But despite this, his heart is still capable of love, his soul is still capable of feeling, and his eyes are still capable of crying. At the end of the chapter “Princess Mary” we see Pechorin crying like a child. We see an unhappy, lonely person who has never found his place in life, who repents of his actions, a person who evokes pity and compassion.
The image of Pechorin is a tragic image of a thinking, strong man. Pechorin is a child of his time, in him Lermontov concentrated the main typical vices of his generation, namely: boredom, individualism, contempt. Lermontov portrayed a man in a struggle with society and with himself and the tragedy of this man.

What is the tragedy of Pechorin’s existence? (Based on the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”)

In the novel “Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov created the image of his contemporary, a man of the era of the 30s, a complex, contradictory, deeply tragic image.

And the portrait of the hero itself is unusual. “At first glance at his face, I would not have given him more than twenty-three, although after that I was ready to give him thirty,” the narrator notes. He describes Pechorin’s strong physique and at the same time immediately notes the “nervous weakness” of his body. A strange contrast is presented by the hero’s childish smile and his cold, hard gaze. Pechorin's eyes "did not laugh when he laughed." “This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness,” the narrator notes.

Pechorin is a romantic hero, a man of exceptional abilities, an extraordinary nature, a strong, strong-willed character. He surpasses those around him with his intellect, versatile education, knowledge in the field of literature and philosophy. He is endowed with a deep analytical mind and critically evaluates all social phenomena. Thus, about his generation, he notes: “We are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of humanity, or even for our own happiness.” He is not satisfied with the life that modern society offers. Mary Ligovskaya notes that it is better to get caught “in the forest under a killer’s knife” than to become the object of Pechorin’s evil jokes. The hero is bored in the company of empty, petty envious people, gossips, intriguers, devoid of decency, nobility, and honor. A disgust for these people appears in his soul, he feels like a stranger in this world. But at the same time, Pechorin is just as far from the world of “ordinary people.”

Revealing the inconsistency of Pechorin’s inner appearance, the writer shows that he is deprived of the spontaneity and integrity of feelings characteristic of ordinary people, “children of nature.” Invading the world of the mountaineers, he destroys Bela and destroys the nest of “honest smugglers.” He offends Maxim Maksimych. At the same time, Pechorin is not without good impulses. At an evening at the Ligovskys’, he “felt sorry for Vera.” On his last meeting with Mary, compassion gripped him with such force that “another minute” - and he would have “fell at her feet.” Risking his life, he was the first to rush into the house of the killer Vulich. The hero sympathizes with the Decembrists exiled to the Caucasus.

However, his good impulses remain impulses. Grigory Aleksandrovich always brings his “atrocities” to their logical conclusion. He disturbs Vera’s family peace and insults Mary’s dignity. In a duel, he kills Grushnitsky, specially choosing a place for the duel so that one of them would not return. Pechorin manifests himself primarily as an evil, egocentric force, bringing people only suffering and misfortune. “Born for a high purpose,” he wastes his strength on actions unworthy of a real person. Instead of active, meaningful activity, Pechorin fights with individuals who meet on his way. This struggle is fundamentally petty and aimless. When the hero evaluates his actions, he himself comes to a sad conclusion; “In this futile struggle, I exhausted both the heat of my soul and the constancy of will necessary for real life.” Passionately thirsting for an ideal, but not having found it, he asks: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?... And, it’s true, it existed and, it’s true, I had a high purpose, because I feel immense strength in my soul; but I did not guess the purpose, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; I came out of their furnace hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations, the best color of life.”

The hero reveals his views in his diary. Happiness for him is “saturated pride.” He perceives the suffering and joy of others “only in relation to himself” as food that supports his spiritual strength. Pechorin’s life is “boring and disgusting.” Doubts devastated him to the point that he was left with only two beliefs: birth is a misfortune, and death is inevitable. The feeling of love and the need for friendship, in Pechorin’s view, have long lost their value. “Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other,” he believes. For the hero, love is satisfied ambition, “sweet food... pride.” “To arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear—isn’t this the first sign and triumph of power?” - writes Pechorin.

The position and fate of the hero is tragic. He does not believe in anything, cannot find a life goal, unity with people. Selfishness, self-will, lack of creativity in life - this is Pechorin’s true tragedy. But the moral image of the hero is shaped by his contemporary society. Like Onegin, he is a “superfluous person,” a “reluctant egoist.” This is exactly what Lermontov's novel talks about. “Pechorin’s soul is not rocky soil, but earth dried up from the heat of a fiery life: let suffering loosen it and water it with blessed rain, and it will grow from itself lush, luxurious flowers of heavenly love...” wrote V.G. Belinsky. However, Pechorin’s “suffering” itself is precisely impossible for him. And this is not only the paradox of this image, but also its tragedy.

Revealing the inner appearance of the hero, the author uses various artistic means. We see a detailed portrait of the hero and read his diary. Pechorin is depicted against the background of other characters (highlanders, smugglers, “water society”). Pechorin’s speech is replete with aphorisms: “Evil begets evil,” “Of two friends, one is the slave of the other,” “Women love only those they do not know.” The author emphasizes the poetry of the hero and his love for nature with the help of landscapes (description of an early morning in Pyatigorsk, description of the morning before a duel). Revealing the originality of Pechorin’s nature, Lermontov uses characteristic epithets: “immense forces”, “restless imagination”, “insatiable” heart, “high” purpose.

Creating the image of Pechorin, Lermontov wrote “a portrait made up of the vices of an entire generation.” It was both a reproach to the best people of his era, and at the same time a call to activism. This is the author's position in the novel.

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