Why Pechorin goes to a duel. Essay on the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, analysis of the scene episode. Essay on the theme of the Duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky

In the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time" there is a conflict between Pechorin, the main character of the work, and Grushnitsky, who plays the role of Pechorin's friend. So why did the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky turn out to be inevitable?

Firstly, Pechorin could not have friends, much less friends. He is incapable of friendship or affection.

Pechorin is an egoist who is indifferent to the feelings of other people.

Secondly, the main reason for a duel is jealousy. Grushnitsky was carried away by Princess Mary, but she paid her attention to Pechorin, who enjoyed this whole game. He was amused by how Grushnitsky was trying to regain the attention of Princess Mary. Going crazy with jealousy and wounded pride, Grushnitsky becomes dangerous.

In fact, disagreements between Pechorin and Grushnitsky began much earlier. They always took place. The heroes are the complete opposite. Lermontov contrasted them with each other in order to once again emphasize Pechorin’s bright personality and extraordinary character.

Despite Pechorin's position, Grushnitsky is also far from a positive hero of the novel. He is self-confident and arrogant. Grushnitsky loves pathos and always strives to play the role of a disappointed hero. Pechorin immediately notices all the weaknesses and vices of Grushnitsky.

Thus, the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky is the outcome of the conflict between two heroes, which was necessary and inevitable. Lermontov pushed the heroes “on the same path, where two cannot separate.”

Updated: 2017-03-02

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.
By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

Duel of Grushnitsky and Pechorin

Goal: to analyze the episode “Pechorin’s Duel with Grushnitsky”, to find out how the characters’ characters are revealed in this episode.

During the classes:

Introduction to the topic

Reading the epigraph

“I don’t like him either: I feel

that we will ever encounter him

on a narrow road, and one of them will be in trouble.”

As you might have guessed, today we will talk about the Duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky.

Viewing a duel scene

Conversation on issues (brief summary)

Why does Pechorin despise Grushnitsky?

Who destroyed the “friendly” relationship between Pechorin and Grushnitsky?

How was the duel provoked? What is Grushnitsky's role in this story?

The reason for the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky is Grushnitsky’s unworthy behavior towards Princess Mary and Pechorin.

What were the conditions of the duel?

What new trick did Pechorin’s opponents perform before the duel? Before the duel, Grushnitsky is plotting meanness: he wants to slip an unloaded pistol to Pechorin and thereby disgrace him. But Pechorin accidentally reveals this vile plan: “... I recognized the intention of these gentlemen to fool me by forcing me to shoot with blank charges. But now the matter went beyond the bounds of a joke: they probably did not expect such a denouement...”

How did Pechorin behave when he found out about this? Finally, Pechorin demands a loaded pistol, and Grushnitsky’s vile plan fails. Opponents shoot equally. Pechorin wounds Grushnitsky. As a result of his injury, he falls off a cliff and dies.

How are the opponents revealed in the duel scene itself?

Comparative characteristics of heroes

Working with illustrations

Illustrated by M.A. Vrubel “Duel of Pechorin with Grushnitsky” we see Pechorin, Werner and the dragoon captain. Pechorin stands half-turned, his right hand, which has just dropped the pistol, is tiredly extended along his body, with his left hand he frantically holds the saber. In his posture one can feel fatigue and relaxation after the stress he has just experienced, and in his facial expression there is an understanding of the irreparability of what happened, some kind of bewilderment and sad consciousness that he again turned out to be an “instrument of execution.” It seems that he sees nothing around him, and, immersed in his thoughts, repeats: “The comedy is over!” And at the same time, some hidden strengths are felt in him, the ability to endure the condemnation of people and remain himself; he will not leave the duel broken, although it is very difficult for him.

Independent task for students:

Describe the image of Pechorin created by the artist.

Appearance

Body position (posture)

Facial expression

Summarizing

What is Pechorin’s condition after the duel? Find the quote in the text (“I had a stone on my heart. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me... The sight of a person would be painful for me: I wanted to be alone.”)

What new character traits did you see in Pechorin? (available to choose from)

Words for reference: vengeful, proud, selfish, vile, merciful, selfish, honest, proud, heartless, cruel, courageous, brave, cowardly, a man of honor.

Article menu:

Duels became the cause of many troubles and misfortunes for more than one family. Sometimes the reasons for such an unpretentious resolution of conflicts were the most trivial things.

Since the harmful influence of duels was obvious, this method of resolving conflicts was soon prohibited, but this did not prevent people from resorting to such a method of sorting things out from time to time.

The development of relations between Grushnitsky and Pechorin soon reached a dead end and, according to Grushnitsky, the only way to resolve the conflict could only be a duel.

Acquaintance of Pechorin and Grushnitsky

For the first time, Grushnitsky and Pechorin meet in the K. regiment in the Caucasus. The first of them is in the rank of ensign, and the second is in the rank of cadet. After some time, Pechorin goes to Pyatigorsk, where he again meets Grushnitsky. As it turned out, the cadet is here for treatment - during his military service he was wounded and was forced to go here for rehabilitation. Their meeting was sincere and sweet: “We met as old friends. I began to ask him about the way of life on the waters and about remarkable persons.”

We invite you to read Mikhail Lermontov’s novel “Hero of Our Time”

Pechorin spends a lot of time in Pyatigorsk with an old acquaintance. Their relationship looks friendly.

Features of the relationship between Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Despite the apparent friendship and friendship, there is no talk of true friendly feelings either on the part of Grushnitsky or on the part of Pechorin.

Pechorin does not believe in the truth of friendship; he believes that the described feeling of selfless and devoted friendship is a utopia. Pechorin has no friends. He calls people with whom he has pleasant communication relationships his friends.

Dear readers! On our website you can get acquainted with which belongs to the pen of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov.

On Grushnitsky’s side the situation is even worse. He, unlike Pechorin, believes that true friendship is possible and real, but does not feel friendship towards Pechorin. Juncker came from poor nobles, so his life path often suffered from a lack of finances. So, for example, he could not receive a high-quality education, live for his own pleasure, indulge in entertainment, and so on. Grushnitsky is jealous of Pechorin. His friendship is ostentatious and does not correspond to reality.

Pechorin has a perceptive character - he is able to see not only the merits of Grushnitsky, but also his negative character traits. Over time, Grushnitsky realizes that Pechorin knows more than he needs, so hostility and enmity gradually develops between them.

The reason and reason for the duel

Pechorin had long guessed that the difficult relationship between him and Grushnitsky would not end well - sooner or later they would collide, and this conflict could not be resolved peacefully. The reason for such a conflict was not long in coming. The cause of the conflict was love. In Pyatigorsk, Pechorin and Grushnitsky meet Princess Mary. Soon Pechorin becomes a frequent guest of the girl, which brings a lot of grief and anger to Grushnitsky, who is in love with the girl and intends to marry her. However, Pechorin, thanks to his charm and attractiveness, gradually begins to occupy the girl’s heart more and more.

Soon Marie had completely forgotten about Grushnitsky and was full of hope for the successful development of their relationship with the young lieutenant.

The distressed Grushnitsky decides to take revenge on the girl and her new lover, Pechorin. Grushnitsky spreads rumors that there is a love affair between Marie and Pechorin. At that time, such gossip could have done a disservice to a young girl - those around her could have seriously thought that Marie was leading a dissolute life and would have stopped considering her as a possible future wife, which means Marie would have remained an old maid.

After Pechorin learns about this gossip, he decides to challenge Grushnitsky to a duel and thus defend both his honor and the honor of Princess Marie. The young cadet still had a chance to prevent the duel - he had to admit that his stories about Marie’s debauchery were fiction and invention, but the proud Grushnitsky did not dare to do this.

Duel

Grushnitsky’s meanness did not end with false gossip; he decides to disgrace Pechorin in a duel and give him an unloaded pistol. Pechorin, who accidentally learns about Grushnitsky’s insidious plans, does not leave events to go with the flow and is considering a plan to prevent such injustice towards himself.

When the next time the former friends meet each other again (this happens at the place of the duel), Pechorin again invites Grushnitsky to abandon the duel and tell the truth in relation to Pechorin and Marie, but this time Grushnitsky refuses.

Realizing that both of them will not come out of the fight alive, he shows his true attitude towards Pechorin. The former friend claims that he hates Pechorin and the tragedy in their relationship cannot be avoided in any way - if they disperse peacefully now, then Grushnitsky will not give up trying to take Pechorin’s life; in extreme cases, he will lie in wait and attack the lieutenant at night in the dark. Realizing that a duel may be the best option for ending their relationship, Pechorin demands that he be given a full-fledged gun - the discouraged Grushnitsky has no choice but to fulfill this demand. Pechorin also changes the place of the duel - now the duelists had to shoot on the edge of a cliff - thus, the death of one of the opponents would be inevitable - even with a minor injury, the person would fall down, thereby provoking his death. After the shot, Grushnitsky is wounded and dies.

Consequences of the duel

Since duels were prohibited, Pechorin should have been punished for participating in an illegal act if this incident became known to the public. Since the duel ended in death for Grushnitsky, publicity was a completely expected action. And so it happened. After the information about the duel is made public, Pechorin receives his punishment - he is transferred from service to a certain fortress N. It is here that Pechorin meets Maxim Maximovich and Bella.

For Pechorin’s new acquaintances, the relationship with the duelist became disastrous - he brought drastic changes into their lives, and not the most positive ones.

Thus, Pechorin, although he looks like an outright scoundrel in relation to many things, still has noble character traits. For example, he several times calls for resolving the conflict peacefully; he does this not out of fear or personal timidity, but because he sees no compelling reason to create a tragedy. In addition, Pechorin is ready to answer for his actions and words - he is a man of his word, while Grushnitsky is used to acting on the sly and is afraid to admit that he is wrong.

SEER OR DREAMER?

P.Zabolotsky Portrait of M.Yu.Lermontov 1837

I wrote about the fact that Lermontov was a duelist and how it all ended in the post “Duels in Painting.” Here I look at the duel of the most famous characters of Mikhail Yuryevich - Pechorin and Grushnitsky. The poet's contemporaries, including V.G. Belinsky, identified Pechorin with Lermontov himself. With his behavior and actions he very much resembled a daring, ironic poet. Although the author of “A Hero of Our Time” himself wrote that “Pechorin is a portrait made up of the vices of an entire generation.” I will not go into an analysis of the work and the characters, but will simply introduce them.

So, let's get acquainted with the duelists:

P. Boklevsky Pechorin illustration for the novel "Hero of Our Time"

GRIGORY ALEXANDROVICH PECHORIN
Young man 25 years old. “Recently in the Caucasus, transferred from Russia.” Having heard at the ball how Grushnitsky was discrediting the name of Princess Mary, he challenged the latter to a duel.
Detailed description of Pechorin’s image:

Mikhail Vrubel Mary and Grushnitsky illustration for the novel "Hero of Our Time"

GRUSHNITSKY
He is 21 years old. He is a cadet, however, he already has the St. George Cross. He is on leave due to injury. According to Pechorin, “he suffers from romantic fanaticism.”
Pechorin met Grushnitsky while in the active detachment. Grushnitsky went to the waters a week earlier than Pechorin, after being wounded in the leg. “He has only been in service for a year, and wears, out of a special kind of dandyishness, a thick soldier’s overcoat. He is well built, dark and black-haired.”
He speaks quickly and pretentiously: he is one of those people who have ready-made pompous phrases for all occasions, who are not touched by simply beautiful things and who are solemnly draped in extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering. To produce an effect is their delight; Romantic provincial women like them crazy. He is quite sharp: his epigrams are often funny, but they are never pointed or evil: he will not kill anyone with one word; he does not know people and their weak strings, because his whole life he has been occupied with himself. His goal is to become the hero of a novel. He tried so often to convince others that he was a being not created for the world, doomed to some kind of secret suffering, that he himself was almost convinced of it. Pechorin writes in his diary: “I understood him, and he doesn’t love me for this, although outwardly we are on the most friendly terms. Grushnitsky is reputed to be an excellent brave man; I saw him in action: he waves a saber, shouts and rushes forward, closing his eyes. This is something not Russian courage!.. I don’t like him either: I feel that we will someday collide with him on a narrow road, and one of us will be in trouble.” Grushnitsky is in love with Princess Mary.

The story “Princess Mary” is written in the form of diary entries. On May 11, Pechorin arrives in Pyatigorsk. On June 17, his duel with Grushnitsky takes place.
The history of the duel itself fits into ten days.

June 5th.
Grushnitsky appears at Pechorin’s and “rather casually” asks: “They say, these days you... have been hanging around after my princess?” He denies this rumor.
At the ball, Pechorin dances with Mary and kisses her hand. Grushnitsky is going to take revenge on him, and he manages to unite several people against Pechorin, including the dragoon captain. Pechorin is pleased with this, as he craves thrills.

June 12th.
Pechorin, through the window of the settlement house, watches a military feast, at which the dragoon captain, getting excited, demands: “Pechorin must be taught a lesson!” Those gathered discuss how they can do this. It was decided that Grushnitsky should challenge Pechorin to a duel. There will be no bullets in the pistols, but Pechorin will not know about this. Grushnitsky supports the conspirators.

June 15th.
Magician Apfelbaum comes to Kislovodsk. Everyone is going to the show. Pechorin passes by Vera's windows and picks up a note in which Vera invites him to her place in the evening. Closer to the appointed time, he gets up and leaves. On the way, he notices that someone is following him. He spends the whole evening with Vera. At about two o'clock in the morning he descends from the upper balcony to the lower one and glances at Princess Mary's window. When Pechorin jumps onto the turf, Grushnitsky and the dragoon captain grab him and try to detain him, but he breaks free.

Everything else will be “told” to you by the source.

Postcard with a view of the outskirts of old Kislovodsk. Place of Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky

I will continue my journal, interrupted by so many strange events.
I re-read the last page: funny! I thought about dying; this was impossible: I have not yet drained the cup of suffering, and now I feel that I still have a long time to live.
How clearly and sharply everything that happened was cast in my memory! Not a single feature, not a single shade has been erased by time!
I remember that during the night preceding the fight, I did not sleep for a minute. I could not write for a long time: a secret anxiety took possession of me. I walked around the room for an hour; then I sat down and opened Walter Scott’s novel, which was lying on my table: it was “The Scottish Puritans” I read at first with effort, then I forgot, carried away by the magical fiction... Is it really that the Scottish bard in the other world is not paid for every joyful minute that he gives His book?..
Finally it was dawn. My nerves calmed down. I looked in the mirror; dull pallor covered my face, which bore traces of painful insomnia; but the eyes, although surrounded by a brown shadow, shone proudly and inexorably. I was pleased with myself.
Having ordered the horses to be saddled, I got dressed and ran to the bathhouse. Plunging into the cold boiling water of Narzan, I felt my physical and mental strength returning. I came out of the bath fresh and alert, as if I was going to a ball. After this, say that the soul does not depend on the body!..
When I returned, I found a doctor at my place. He was wearing gray leggings, an arkhaluk and a Circassian hat. I burst out laughing when I saw this small figure under a huge shaggy hat: his face was not at all warlike, and this time it was even longer than usual.
- Why are you so sad, doctor? - I told him. “Didn’t you see people off to the next world a hundred times with the greatest indifference?” Imagine that I have bilious fever; I can recover, I can die; both are in order; try to look at me as at a patient obsessed with a disease still unknown to you, and then your curiosity will be aroused to the highest degree; You can now make several important physiological observations on me... Isn’t the expectation of violent death already a real illness?
This thought struck the doctor, and he became amused.
We mounted; Werner grabbed the reins with both hands, and we set off - instantly galloped past the fortress through the settlement and drove into a gorge along which a road wound, half-overgrown with tall grass and every minute crossed by a noisy stream, through which it was necessary to ford, to the great despair of the doctor, because that his horse stopped in the water every time.

................

Mikhail Vrubel Duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky 1890-91

There the path became narrower, the cliffs became bluer and more terrible, and, finally, they seemed to converge like an impenetrable wall. We drove in silence.
-Have you written your will? - Werner suddenly asked.
- No.
- What if you are killed?..
- The heirs will find themselves.
- Don’t you have friends to whom you would like to send your last farewell?..
I shook my head.
- Is there really no woman in the world to whom you would like to leave something as a keepsake?..
“Do you want, doctor,” I answered him, “for me to reveal my soul to you?.. You see, I survived those years when people die by pronouncing the name of their beloved and bequeathing to a friend a piece of pomaded or unpomaded hair.” Thinking about imminent and possible death, I think about one thing: others don’t even do this. Friends who will forget me tomorrow or, worse, construct God knows what kind of lies about me; women who, hugging another, will laugh at me, so as not to arouse in him jealousy for the deceased - God bless them! From the storm of life I brought only a few ideas - and not a single feeling. For a long time now I have been living not with my heart, but with my head. I weigh and examine my own passions and actions with strict curiosity, but without participation. There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges it; the first, perhaps, in an hour will say goodbye to you and the world forever, and the second... the second? Look, doctor: do you see three black figures on the rock to the right? These seem to be our opponents?..
We set off at a trot.
Three horses were tied in the bushes at the base of the rock; We tied ours right there, and along a narrow path we climbed to the platform where Grushnitsky was waiting for us with the dragoon captain and his other second, whose name was Ivan Ignatievich; I have never heard his name.
“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time,” said the dragoon captain with an ironic smile.
I took out my watch and showed it to him.
He apologized, saying his watch was running out.
An awkward silence continued for several minutes; Finally the doctor interrupted him, turning to Grushnitsky.
“It seems to me,” he said, “that if you both showed a willingness to fight and paid off the debt to the conditions of honor, you, gentlemen, could explain yourself and end this matter amicably.”
“I’m ready,” I said.
The captain blinked at Grushnitsky, and this one, thinking that I was a coward, assumed a proud look, although until that moment a dull pallor had covered his cheeks. It was the first time since we arrived that he looked up at me; but there was some kind of anxiety in his gaze, revealing an internal struggle.
“Explain your conditions,” he said, “and whatever I can do for you, rest assured...
“Here are my conditions: you will now publicly renounce your slander and ask me for an apology...
- Dear sir, I am surprised, how dare you offer me such things?..
- What could I offer you besides this?..
- We will shoot...
I shrugged.
- Perhaps; just think that one of us will certainly be killed.
- I wish it were you...
- And I’m so sure otherwise...
He was embarrassed, blushed, and then laughed forcedly.
The captain took him by the arm and led him aside; they whispered for a long time. I arrived in a rather peaceful mood, but all this was starting to infuriate me.
The doctor came up to me.
“Listen,” he said with obvious concern, “you probably forgot about their plot?.. I don’t know how to load a pistol, but in this case... You are a strange person!” Tell them that you know their intention, and they will not dare... What a hunt! They'll shoot you down like a bird...
- Please don’t worry, doctor, and wait... I’ll arrange everything in such a way that there will be no benefit on their side. Let them whisper...
- Gentlemen, this is getting boring! - I told them loudly, - fight like that; fight; you had time to talk yesterday...
“We are ready,” answered the captain. - Stand up, gentlemen!.. Doctor, if you please measure six steps...

M. Zichy Duel of Pechorin with Grushnitsky

Stand up! - Ivan Ignatich repeated in a squeaky voice.
- Allow me! - I said, - one more condition; since we will fight to the death, we are obliged to do everything possible so that this remains a secret and so that our seconds are not held accountable. Do you agree?..
- We completely agree.
- So, here's what I came up with. Do you see a narrow platform at the top of this steep cliff, to the right? from there to the bottom there will be thirty fathoms, if not more; there are sharp rocks below. Each of us will stand at the very edge of the site; thus, even a slight wound will be fatal: this must be in accordance with your desire, because you yourself have prescribed the six steps. Anyone who is wounded will certainly fly down and be broken into pieces; The doctor will remove the bullet. And then it will be very easy to explain this sudden death as an unsuccessful jump. We'll draw lots to see who should shoot first. In conclusion, I announce to you that otherwise I will not fight.
- Perhaps! - said the dragoon captain, looking expressively at Grushnitsky, who nodded his head in agreement. His face changed every minute. I put him in a difficult position. Shooting under ordinary conditions, he could aim at my leg, easily wound me and thus satisfy his revenge without burdening his conscience too much; but now he had to shoot into the air, or become a murderer, or, finally, abandon his vile plan and expose himself to the same danger as me. At this moment I would not want to be in his place. He took the captain aside and began to say something to him with great fervor; I saw how his blue lips trembled; but the captain turned away from him with a contemptuous smile. "You're a fool! - he said to Grushnitsky quite loudly, - you don’t understand anything! Let's go, gentlemen!
A narrow path led between the bushes to a steep slope; fragments of rocks formed the shaky steps of this natural staircase; clinging to the bushes, we began to climb. Grushnitsky walked in front, followed by his seconds, and then the doctor and I.
“I’m surprised at you,” said the doctor, shaking my hand firmly. - Let me feel the pulse!.. Oh-ho! feverish!.. but nothing is noticeable on your face... only your eyes shine brighter than usual.

Still from the 1928 film.

Suddenly small stones rolled noisily at our feet. What is this? Grushnitsky stumbled, the branch he clung to broke, and he would have rolled down on his back if his seconds had not supported him.
- Be careful! - I shouted to him, - don’t fall in advance; this is a bad omen. Remember Julius Caesar!
So we climbed to the top of a protruding rock: the area was covered with fine sand, as if purposely for a duel. All around, lost in the golden fog of the morning, the peaks of the mountains crowded together like a countless herd, and Elborus in the south stood up as a white mass, closing the chain of icy peaks, between which the stringy clouds that had rushed in from the east were already wandering. I walked to the edge of the platform and looked down, my head almost started spinning, it seemed dark and cold down there, like in a coffin; Mossy teeth of rocks, thrown down by thunder and time, awaited their prey.
The area where we had to fight depicted an almost perfect triangle. They measured six steps from the prominent corner and decided that the one who would be the first to meet enemy fire would stand at the very corner, with his back to the abyss; if he is not killed, the opponents will switch places.
I decided to provide all the benefits to Grushnitsky; I wanted to experience it; a spark of generosity could awaken in his soul, and then everything would work out for the better; but pride and weakness of character should have triumphed... I wanted to give myself every right not to spare him, if fate had mercy on me. Who has not made such conditions with his conscience?
- Cast lots, doctor! - said the captain.
The doctor took a silver coin from his pocket and held it up.
- Grate! - Grushnitsky shouted hastily, like a man who has suddenly been awakened by a friendly push.
- Eagle! - I said.
The coin rose and fell jingling; everyone rushed to her.
“You’re happy,” I said to Grushnitsky, “you should shoot first!” But remember that if you don’t kill me, then I won’t miss - I give you my word of honor.
He blushed; he was ashamed to kill an unarmed man; I looked at him intently; for a minute it seemed to me that he would throw himself at my feet, begging for forgiveness; but how can he admit to such a vile intention?.. He had only one remedy left - to shoot into the air; I was sure that he would shoot into the air! One thing could prevent this: the thought that I would demand a second fight.
- It's time! - the doctor whispered to me, tugging at my sleeve, - if you don’t say now that we know their intentions, then everything is lost. Look, he's already loading... if you don't say anything, then I myself...
- No way in the world, doctor! - I answered, holding his hand, - you will ruin everything; you gave me your word not to interfere... What do you care? Maybe I want to be killed...
He looked at me in surprise.
- Oh, this is different!.. just don’t complain about me in the next world...
Meanwhile, the captain loaded his pistols, handed one to Grushnitsky, whispering something to him with a smile; another one for me.
I stood on the corner of the platform, firmly resting my left foot on the stone and leaning forward a little so that in case of a slight wound I would not tip back.
Grushnitsky stood against me and, at this sign, began to raise his pistol. His knees were shaking. He aimed right at my forehead...
An inexplicable rage began to boil in my chest.
Suddenly he lowered the muzzle of the pistol and, turning white as a sheet, turned to his second.
“I can’t,” he said in a dull voice.
- Coward! - answered the captain.
The shot rang out. The bullet grazed my knee. I involuntarily took a few steps forward in order to quickly move away from the edge.

Duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Well, brother Grushnitsky, it’s a pity that I missed! - said the captain, - now it’s your turn, stand up! Hug me first: we won't see each other again! - They hugged; the captain could hardly restrain himself from laughing. “Don’t be afraid,” he added, looking slyly at Grushnitsky, “everything is nonsense in the world!.. Nature is a fool, fate is a turkey, and life is a penny!”
After this tragic phrase, spoken with decent importance, he retreated to his place; Ivan Ignatich also hugged Grushnitsky with tears, and now he was left alone against me. I am still trying to explain to myself what kind of feeling was seething in my chest then: it was the annoyance of offended pride, and contempt, and anger, born at the thought that this man, now with such confidence, with such calm insolence, was looking at me , two minutes ago, without exposing himself to any danger, he wanted to kill me like a dog, because if I had been wounded in the leg a little more, I would certainly have fallen off the cliff.
I looked closely at his face for several minutes, trying to notice at least the slightest trace of repentance. But it seemed to me that he was holding back a smile.
“I advise you to pray to God before you die,” I told him then.
- Don't care about my soul more than your own. I ask you one thing: shoot quickly.
- And you do not renounce your slander? don’t ask me for forgiveness?.. Think carefully: isn’t your conscience telling you something?
- Mister Pechorin! - shouted the dragoon captain, - you are not here to confess, let me tell you... Finish quickly; No matter if someone drives through the gorge, they will see us.
- Okay, doctor, come to me.
The doctor came up. Poor doctor! he was paler than Grushnitsky ten minutes ago.
I deliberately pronounced the following words with emphasis, loudly and clearly, like pronouncing a death sentence:
- Doctor, these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my pistol: I ask you to load it again - and well!
- Can't be! - shouted the captain, - it can’t be! I loaded both pistols; unless a bullet rolled out of you... it's not my fault! - And you have no right to reload... no right... this is completely against the rules; I will not let...
- Fine! - I said to the captain, - if so, then we will shoot with you on the same conditions... He hesitated.
Grushnitsky stood with his head bowed to his chest, embarrassed and gloomy.
- Leave them! - he finally said to the captain, who wanted to snatch my pistol from the doctor’s hands... - After all, you yourself know that they are right.
In vain the captain made various signs to him - Grushnitsky did not even want to look.
Meanwhile, the doctor loaded the pistol and handed it to me. Seeing this, the captain spat and stamped his foot.
“You’re a fool, brother,” he said, “a vulgar fool!.. You’ve already relied on me, so obey in everything... Serves you right!” kill yourself like a fly... - He turned away and, walking away, muttered: - Still, this is completely against the rules.
- Grushnitsky! - I said, - there is still time; renounce your slander, and I will forgive you everything. You failed to fool me, and my pride is satisfied; - remember - we were once friends...
His face flushed, his eyes sparkled.
- Shoot! - he answered, “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 the two of us on earth...
I shot...
When the smoke cleared, Grushnitsky was not on the site. Only the dust still curled in a light column on the edge of the cliff.
Everyone screamed in one voice.
- Finita la comedy! - I told the doctor.
He did not answer and turned away in horror.
I shrugged my shoulders and bowed to Grushnitsky’s seconds.
Going down the path, I noticed the bloody corpse of Grushnitsky between the crevices of the rocks. I involuntarily closed my eyes... Having untied the horse, I walked home. I had a stone on my heart. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me.
Before reaching the settlement, I turned right along the gorge. The sight of a person would be painful for me: I wanted to be alone. Throwing away the reins and lowering my head to my chest, I rode for a long time, finally finding myself in a place completely unfamiliar to me; I turned my horse back and began to look for the road; The sun was already setting when I rode up to Kislovodsk, exhausted, on an exhausted horse.
My lackey told me that Werner had come in and gave me two notes: one from him, the other... from Vera.
I printed out the first one, it was as follows:
“Everything was arranged as best as possible: the body was brought in disfigured, the bullet was taken out of the chest. Everyone is sure that the cause of his death was an accident; only the commandant, who probably knew about your quarrel, shook his head, but said nothing. There is no evidence against you, and you can sleep peacefully... if you can... Goodbye..."

The text of the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov was used.
materials from the site.

One of the main characters in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov is Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin. The work is structured in such a way as to most fully reveal the character of this hero. After all, the image of Pechorin is collective; in it the author wanted to show the hero of the time. That is why all the episodes are significant and in turn reveal one or the other facet of the hero’s personality.

Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky is a very indicative moment of Pechorin's character, and also shows how different he is from the same Grushnitsky and other heroes. Pechorin is forced to ask for a challenge to a duel due to the fact that Grushnitsky began to weave intrigues and spread unscrupulous rumors.

Before the duel, Grigory Alexandrovich is occupied with important questions; he thinks about what he lived for. In the course of reflection, he comes to the conclusion that he could not guess his purpose. It is here that an important character trait of Pechorin is revealed, this is his honesty with himself. His concentrated state allows him to see the beauty of the morning on the way to the duel site. Despite the great risk, Pechorin controls himself and is an example of self-control.

Grushnitsky was unable to carry out his cunning plan and not shoot at Pechorin. But his pride does not allow him to admit everything. He becomes a victim of his unsuccessful enterprise against Pechorin, who behaves very nobly. Even knowing about the enemy’s plan, he still gives Grushnitsky a chance.

After the duel, Pechorin feels depressed; the sun, which before this event seemed bright, now seems dim to him. The duel made the hero feel a lot and change his mind, and this is very important for the development of his personality.

In this episode, the author put the heroes in the face of death. Pechorin's contradictory character is fully revealed here, as is the pettiness of Grushnitsky's nature. Pechorin does not kill him out of anger; rather, he is not yet ready to step over public opinion. This scene shows the hero of time as the author saw him

Essay on the theme of the Duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Using the description of the duel, Lermontov wanted to more accurately convey the characters’ characters. From the very beginning of the work, the reader is presented with two completely opposite heroes. Grushnitsky is more of a romantic who follows fashion rather than his soul. It follows from this that Grushnitsky plays his life and his feelings, adapting to his environment. It is filled with unreal feelings.

The duel played an important role for Pechorin. He is quite determined to die and is ready to die. Pechorin decides to change the rules of the duel and chooses a dangerous place where there is not the slightest chance of survival. The top of the mountain was chosen as such a place.

Initially, Grushnitsky’s hatred of Pechorin was noticeable; it is impossible to name the exact reason, but the enemy was clearly wiser and stronger.

Grushnitsky goes into a duel knowing that he will lose, and it turns out that he cannot even shoot. Pechorin tried in every possible way to achieve reconciliation, gave the enemy the opportunity to leave, but he, in turn, continued to play his game, not realizing that he was going too far.

The description of the duel can be divided into several parts, the first covers the day before the duel, and the second the incident itself. Pechorin always knew what he was doing and was aware of his actions, so he never doubted or regretted anything. Lermontov did not fully reveal the image of Pechorin, so the reader cannot fully answer the question of what exactly the hero was like.

But the main thing is that the author constructed the work in such a way that every reader will find something for himself. Also, the duel scene does not give us a clear idea of ​​the person. The author added a lot of internal monologues that add atmosphere to the duel.

The main thing that can be taken away from the work is that the author, by conveying the image of Pechorin, encourages a person to look at himself from the outside and look into his soul in order to understand whether there are traces of Pechorin’s traits in himself.

Several interesting essays

• Heroes of the work Snow Maiden by Ostrovsky

  The great Russian writer Ostrovsky borrowed the plot for his “Snow Maiden” from a Russian folk tale

  The main character of the work is a boy of unusually small size. His height was no more than his little finger. However, despite this, he was very smart, resourceful and brave. People around him didn't take him seriously