Make a comparative table of Pechorin and Grushnitsky. Comparative analysis of Pechorin and Grushnitsky

“Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov was published as a separate publication 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 subject of numerous debates and studies for over a century and a half, and has not lost any of its vital relevance even today. 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 man of progressive thought could not find an application for his powers. Disbelief, doubt, denial have become features of consciousness younger generation. They rejected the ideals of their fathers 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 ones artistic means, which neither Russian nor Western literature has yet known 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. Having left the care of his relatives, he “went into 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 “notorious story in St. Petersburg,” Pechorin was 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 resilient person. He is endowed with an extraordinary mind, critically assessing 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 humanity, or even for our own happiness.” He has a great understanding of people, is not satisfied with the sleepy life of the “water society” and gives destructive characteristics to the capital’s aristocrats. Most fully and deeply inner world Pechorin is revealed in the story “Princess Mary”, where his meeting with Grushnitsky takes place.

Grushnitsky is a cadet, he is the most ordinary young man, dreaming of love, “stars” on his uniform. Making an impact is his passion. In a new officer's uniform, dressed up, smelling of perfume, he goes to Mary. He is mediocrity, he has one weakness that is quite forgivable at his age - “draping himself into extraordinary feelings”, “passion for declaiming”. 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 cadet is so unpleasant to him.

With his pitiful behavior, Grushnitsky, on the one hand, emphasizes the nobility of Pechorin, and on the other, as if erasing 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 to be a self-confident, very insightful and significant person: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says condescendingly. But events are developing imperceptibly according to Pechorin’s plans. And now the cadet, 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. Someone who just recently played at being noble is today capable of shooting at an unarmed person. The duel scene reveals the essence of Grushnitsky, shoot, I despise myself, and 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... 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, remembering his life, Pechorin thinks about the question: why did he live? for what purpose was he born? And then he himself answers: “Oh, it’s true, she existed, and, it’s true, I had a high purpose, 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.” “The immense powers of the soul” - and small, unworthy actions of Pechorin; he strives to “love the whole world” - and brings people only evil and misfortune; the presence of noble, high aspirations - and small feelings that dominate the soul; a 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,” thereby protesting against the romanticism of the idealized idea of ​​a contemporary, portraying the image of Grushnitsky as a parody of romanticism. For the author, a hero is not a role model, but a portrait made up of the vices of an entire generation in their full development.

So, the image of Grushnitsky helps to reveal the main thing in central hero novel. Grushnitsky - a distorting mirror of Pechorin - highlights 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 is revealed with particular force. human type, destructive force, which is embedded in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism. Lermontov did not seek to pass a moral verdict. He only showed all the abysses with great power human soul devoid of faith, filled with skepticism and disappointment. Pechorinism was a typical disease of the time. And wasn’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 a trace, leaving not a fertile thought for the centuries, not for the geniuses of the work that has begun.”

/ / / Comparative characteristics Pechorin and Grushnitsky

In Lermontov’s work “Hero of Our Time,” the images of Pechorin and Grushnitsky change as events unfold.

The young people met while undergoing treatment together in Pyatigorsk. “Friendship” immediately begins between men, and with it comes some kind of rivalry. Everyone is trying to woo the Moscow Princess Mary using their own methods. To do this, Grushnitsky tries to appear before the girl in the best light. He spends evenings with her, showers her with compliments and tries in every possible way to please the princess.

In turn, it does the opposite. His goal is not even her affection, but Mary’s sincere love. The man is impudent and cold. He is not looking for dates with her, but they are, as it were, random encounters very effective, but very short. All this gives an advantage over the rather annoying Grushnitsky.

Pechorin is very self-confident. He appreciates his strengths, capabilities, appearance, unlike his comrade. Grushnitsky experiences inferiority complexes because of his health and his “soldier’s overcoat.” Yes, he is embarrassed that he is a cadet and not an officer. But as soon as a young man changes his title, changes immediately occur to him. Grushnitsky becomes more confident, bolder, and his former timidity only occasionally manifests itself only when meeting with the princess.

Pechorin also changes. Now at social events he does not bypass Mary, but rather accompanies her everywhere. The man behaves very gallantly, sometimes showing best sides of his character.

He understands that Mary no longer feels sympathy for him. Unfortunately for her, she falls in love with his “opponent” and even expects a marriage proposal from Pechorin. And at this moment the man decides to take revenge. His plan for revenge is low in content, but the resentment is so strong that it pushes Grushnitsky to action.

Pechorin, having achieved what he wanted from the girl, namely feelings, decides that it’s time to stop. He “took it away” from his friend, and he is no longer interested in the continuation. He does not reciprocate the girl’s feelings, and she leaves the “rendezvous” in tears.

Pechorin succumbs to Grushnitsky’s provocation and challenges him to a duel. He learns about the existing conspiracy, and also prepares for a fight.

During the duel, both men know that the second duelist's gun is not loaded. Only Grushnitsky gets very nervous and begins to regret what might happen. Grigory, on the contrary, is calm and confident. When an opponent misfires, Pechorin is not going to kill ex-friend. At one point, the man even lowers a loaded musket. On the eve of the duel, he forced his second to charge the weapon, while convicting the conspirators of lies.

However, Grushnitsky resists the mercy of his former friend. He insists that he shoot. A young man feels shame, disappointment from life and strong anger at Pechorin and Mary. He has already decided everything for himself - he doesn’t want to live. He is weak and gives up, not seeing any further meaning to existence.

The difference between men is obvious. For one person, everything is not easy. He has little luck, but he wants to find a family, happiness, love. The other has everything, and if something is still missing, then the man will “win” it at any cost. He is looking for adventures so as not to “get stale” at all, and love tries to avoid it, comparing it with suffering.

“Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov was published as a separate publication 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 main character 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 man of progressive thought could not find an application for his powers. 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,” finding no use for the immense powers of his soul.

Creating “A Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov depicted life as it really was. And he found new artistic means, which neither Russian nor Western literature had yet known and which delight us to this day by combining a free and broad depiction of faces and characters with the ability to show them objectively, “building” them, revealing one character 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. Having left the care of his relatives, he “entered the big world” and “began to wildly enjoy all the pleasures.” He soon became disgusted with the frivolous life of an aristocrat and became bored with reading books. After the “notorious story in St. Petersburg,” Pechorin was 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”, “dazzlingly clean linen”. Pechorin is a physically strong and resilient person. He is endowed with an extraordinary mind, critically assessing the world around him. He reflects on the problems of good and evil, love and friendship, and 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 humanity, or even for our own happiness.” He has a great understanding of 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 revealed most fully and deeply in the story “Princess Mary”, where his meeting with Grushnitsky takes place.

Grushnitsky is a cadet, he is the most ordinary young man, dreaming of love, “stars” on his uniform. Making an impact is his passion. In a new officer's uniform, dressed up, smelling of perfume, he goes to Mary. He is mediocrity, he has one weakness that is quite forgivable at his age - “draping himself into extraordinary feelings”, “passion for declaiming”. 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 cadet is so unpleasant to him.

With his pitiful behavior, Grushnitsky, on the one hand, emphasizes the nobility of Pechorin, and on the other, as if erasing 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 to be a self-confident, very insightful and significant person: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says condescendingly. But events are developing imperceptibly according to Pechorin’s plans. And now the cadet, 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. Someone who just recently played at being noble is today capable of shooting at an unarmed person. The duel scene reveals the essence of Grushnitsky, shoot, I despise myself, and 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... 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, remembering his life, Pechorin thinks about the question: why did he live? for what purpose was he born? And then he himself answers: “Oh, it’s true, she existed, and, it’s true, I had a high purpose, 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,” thereby protesting against the romanticism of the idealized idea of ​​a contemporary, portraying the image of Grushnitsky as a parody of romanticism. For the author, a hero is not a role model, but a portrait made up of the vices of an 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 distorting mirror of Pechorin - highlights 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 inherent in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism, is revealed with particular force. Lermontov did not seek to pass a moral verdict. He only showed with great power all the abysses of the human soul, devoid of faith, imbued with skepticism and disappointment. Pechorinism was a typical disease of the time. And wasn’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 a trace, leaving not a fertile thought for the centuries, not for the geniuses of the work that has begun.”

In the spring of 1940, a separate edition of the work “Hero of Our Time,” written by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, was published. This novel became one of the most interesting and extraordinary phenomena in domestic literature. This book has been the subject of numerous studies and debates for more than a century and a half. It does not lose any of its sharpness and relevance these days. Belinsky also wrote about this book that it was never destined to grow old. We also decided to contact her and write our own essay. Grushnitsky and Pechorin are very interesting characters.

Generation Feature

Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, the main character of the novel in question, lived during the time of Lermontov, that is, around the thirties of the nineteenth century. This time was a period of gloomy reaction, which followed in 1825 and its defeat. A man of advanced thinking could not find use for his talents and strengths at that time. Doubt, disbelief, and denial were features of the consciousness of the young generation of those years. The ideals of their fathers were rejected by them “from the cradle,” and then these people began to doubt moral norms and values ​​as such. Therefore, V. G. Belinsky wrote that “Pechorin suffers deeply” because he cannot use the mighty forces of his soul.

New artistic media

Lermontov, creating his work, depicted life as it really is. This required new ones and he found them. These means were unknown to either Western or Russian literature, and to this day they evoke our admiration due to the combination of wide and free image characters with the ability to show them objectively, to reveal one character through the prism of the perception of another.

Let's take a closer look at the two main characters of this novel. These are Pechorin and Grushnitsky.

The image of Pechorin

Pechorin was an aristocrat by birth and received a standard secular upbringing. Having left parental care, he went “to the big world” in order to enjoy all the pleasures. However, he soon became tired of such a frivolous life, and the hero also became bored with reading books. Pechorin, after some story that made a sensation in St. Petersburg, is exiled to the Caucasus.

Depicting the hero’s appearance, the author indicates with a few strokes his origin: “noble forehead”, “pale”, “small” hand. This character is hardy and physically strong man. He is endowed with a mind that critically evaluates the world around him.

The character of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin

Pechorin thinks about the problems of good and evil, friendship and love, about the meaning of our lives. He is self-critical in his assessment of his contemporaries, saying that his generation is incapable of making sacrifices not only for the good of humanity, but also for their personal happiness. The hero has a good understanding of people, he is not satisfied with the sluggish life of the “water society”, he evaluates the capital’s aristocrats, giving them destructive characteristics. Pechorin is revealed most deeply and fully in the insert story “Princess Mary”, during a meeting with Grushnitsky. and Grushnitsky in their confrontation is an example of deep psychological analysis Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.

Grushnitsky

The author of the work “Hero of Our Time” did not give a name and patronymic to this character, calling him simply by his last name - Grushnitsky. This is an ordinary young man, a cadet, dreaming of Great love and stars on their shoulder straps. His passion is to make an impact. Grushnitsky goes to Princess Mary in a new uniform, smelling of perfume, dressed up. This hero is a mediocrity, which is characterized by weakness, forgivable, however, at his age - a “passion to recite” and “drape” into some extraordinary feelings. Grushnitsky strives to play the role of a disappointed hero, fashionable at that time, posing as a creature endowed with “secret suffering.” This hero is a parody of Pechorin, and a completely successful one, because it’s not for nothing that the young cadet is so unpleasant to the latter.

Confrontation: Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Grushnitsky, with his behavior, emphasizes the nobility of Grigory Alexandrovich, but, on the other hand, seems to erase all differences between them. After all, Pechorin himself spied on Princess Mary and Grushnitsky, which, of course, is not noble deed. It must be said that he never loved the princess, but only used her love and gullibility to fight his enemy, Grushnitsky.

The latter, as a narrow-minded person, does not at first understand Pechorin’s attitude towards himself. He seems to himself to be a self-confident person, very significant and insightful. Grushnitsky says condescendingly: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin.” However, events are not developing according to Grigory Alexandrovich’s plans. Now, overwhelmed by jealousy, indignation and passion, the cadet appears before the reader in a completely different light, turning out to be far from so harmless. He is capable of meanness, dishonesty and revenge. The hero who recently played the role of nobility is now capable of firing a bullet at an unarmed man. The duel between Grushnitsky and Pechorin reveals the true nature of the former, who rejects reconciliation, and Grigory Alexandrovich shoots and kills him in cold blood. The hero dies, having drunk the cup of hatred and shame and repentance to the end. This is, in brief, the confrontation waged by the two main characters - Pechorin and Grushnitsky. their images form the basis of the entire work.

Reflections of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin

Before going to the duel (Pechorina with Grushnitsky), Grigory Alexandrovich, remembering his life, asks questions about why he lived, why he was born. And he answers it himself that he feels a “high purpose”, immense strength within himself. Then Grigory Alexandrovich understands that he has long been only an “axe” in the hands of fate. A contrast arises mental strength and small actions unworthy of a hero. He wants to “love the whole world,” but only brings misfortune and evil to people. High, noble aspirations degenerate into petty feelings, and the desire to live full life- into hopelessness and consciousness of doom. The situation of this hero is tragic, he is lonely. The duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky clearly showed this.

Lermontov named his novel this way because for him the hero is not a role model, but only a portrait made up of vices contemporary author generations in their full development.

Conclusion

The character of Grushnitsky, thus, helps to reveal in Pechorin the main qualities of his nature. This is a distorting mirror of Grigory Aleksandrovich, highlighting the significance and truth of the experiences of the “suffering egoist”, the exclusivity and depth of his personality. With particular force in the situation with Grushnitsky, all the danger lurking in the depths of this type, the destructive force inherent in the individualistic philosophy that is inherent in romanticism, is revealed. Lermontov showed all the abysses of the human soul, without trying to pass a moral verdict. Pechorin and Grushnitsky, therefore, are not positive and Pechorin’s psychology is by no means unambiguous, just as some positive qualities can be found in Grushnitsky’s character.

“Hero of Our Time” M.Yu. Lermontov was published as a separate publication 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 subject of numerous debates and studies for over a century and a half, and has not lost any of its vital relevance even today. 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 main character 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 man of progressive thought could not find an application for his powers. 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,” finding no use for the immense powers of his soul.

Creating “A Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov depicted life as it really was. And he found new artistic means, which neither Russian nor Western literature had yet known and which delight us to this day by combining a free and broad depiction of faces and characters with the ability to show them objectively, “building” them, revealing one character 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. Having left the care of his relatives, he “entered the big world” and “began to wildly enjoy all the pleasures.” The frivolous life of an aristocrat soon became disgusting to him, and reading books also bored him. After the “notorious story in St. Petersburg,” Pechorin was 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 resilient person. He is endowed with an extraordinary mind, critically assessing the world around him. He reflects on the problems of good and evil, love and friendship, and 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 humanity, or even for our own happiness.” He has a great understanding of 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 revealed most fully and deeply in the story “Princess Mary”, where his meeting with Grushnitsky takes place.

Grushnitsky is a cadet, he is the most ordinary young man, dreaming of love, “stars” on his uniform. Making an impact is his passion. In a new officer's uniform, dressed up, smelling of perfume, he goes to Mary. He is mediocrity, he has one weakness that is quite forgivable at his age - “draping himself into extraordinary feelings”, “passion for declaiming”. 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 cadet is so unpleasant to him.

With his pitiful behavior, Grushnitsky, on the one hand, emphasizes the nobility of Pechorin, and on the other, as if erasing 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 to be a self-confident, very insightful and significant person: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin,” he says condescendingly. But events are developing imperceptibly according to Pechorin’s plans. And now the cadet, 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. Someone who just recently played at being noble is today capable of shooting at an unarmed person. The duel scene reveals the essence of Grushnitsky, shoot, I despise myself, and 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... 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, remembering his life, Pechorin thinks about the question: why did he live? for what purpose was he born? And then he himself answers: “Oh, it’s true, she existed, and, it’s true, I had a high purpose, 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,” thereby protesting against the romanticism of the idealized idea of ​​a contemporary, portraying the image of Grushnitsky as a parody of romanticism. For the author, a hero is not a role model, but a portrait made up of the vices of an 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 distorting mirror of Pechorin - highlights 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 inherent in the individualistic philosophy inherent in romanticism, is revealed with particular force. Lermontov did not seek to pass a moral verdict. He only showed with great power all the abysses of the human soul, devoid of faith, imbued with skepticism and disappointment. Pechorinism was a typical disease of the time. And wasn’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 a trace, leaving not a fertile thought for the centuries, not for the geniuses of the work that has begun.”