What is the tragedy of Pechorin’s fate? (based on the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”). Is Pechorin a tragic hero? Science to the rescue
What is the tragedy of fate? M. Yu. Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” (1840) was created in the era of government reaction, which brought to life a whole gallery of images that for many years were habitually called “superfluous people” by critics. Pechorin is “Onegin of his time,” argued V. G. Belinsky. But were Onegin and Pechorin really that “superfluous”?
Lermontov's hero is a man of tragic fate. He contains “immense powers” in his soul, but there is a lot of evil on his conscience. Pechorin, by his own admission, invariably plays “the role of an ax in the hands of fate,” “a necessary character in every fifth act.” How does Lermontov feel about his hero? The writer is trying to understand the essence and origins of the tragedy of Pechorin’s fate. “It will also be that the disease is indicated, but God knows how to cure it!”
Pechorin greedily seeks applications for his extraordinary abilities, “immense spiritual powers,” but is doomed by historical reality and the peculiarities of his mental makeup to tragic loneliness and reflection. At the same time, he admits: “I like to doubt everything: this disposition does not interfere with the decisiveness of my character, on the contrary... I always boldly move forward when I don’t know what awaits me. After all, nothing worse can happen than death - and you can’t escape death!”
Pechorin is tragically lonely. The hero's attempt to find natural, simple happiness in the love of the mountain woman Bela ends in failure. Pechorin openly admits to Maxim Maksimych: “...The love of a savage is little better than the love of a noble lady; the ignorance and simple-heartedness of one are just as annoying as the coquetry of the other.” The hero is doomed to be misunderstood by those around him (the only exceptions are Werner and Vera); neither the beautiful “savage” Bela nor the kind-hearted Maxim Maksimych can comprehend his inner world. Let us remember that at the first meeting with Grigory Aleksandrovich, the staff captain is able to notice only minor features of Pechorin’s appearance and the fact that the “thin” ensign has recently been in the Caucasus. Unfortunately, Maxim Maksimych does not understand the depth of Pechorin’s suffering after the death of Bela: “...his face did not express anything special, and I felt annoyed: if I were in his place, I would have died of grief...” And only from a casual remark that “Pechorin was unwell for a long time, lost weight,” we guess about the true strength of Grigory Alexandrovich’s experiences.
Pechorin's last meeting with Maxim Maksimych clearly confirms the idea that “evil begets evil.” Pechorin’s indifference to his old “friend” leads to the fact that “kind Maxim Maksimych became a stubborn, grumpy staff captain.” The officer-narrator guesses that Grigory Alexandrovich’s behavior is not a manifestation of spiritual emptiness and selfishness. Particular attention is drawn to Pechorin’s eyes, which “did not laugh when he laughed... This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness.” What is the reason for such sadness? We find the answer to this question in Pechorin's Journal.
Pechorin's notes are preceded by a message that he died on the way from Persia. The stories “Taman”, “Princess Mary”, “Fatalist” show that Pechorin does not find worthy use of his extraordinary abilities. Of course, the hero is head and shoulders above empty adjutants and pompous dandies who “drink, but not water, walk little, dawdle only in passing... play and complain of boredom.” Grigory Aleksandrovich perfectly sees the insignificance of Grushnitsky, who dreams of “becoming the hero of a novel.” In Pechorin’s actions one can sense deep intelligence and sober logical calculation. The entire plan of “seduction” of Mary is based on knowledge of the “living strings of the human heart.” By evoking compassion for himself with a skillful story about his past, Pechorin forces Princess Mary to be the first to confess his love. Maybe we are looking at an empty rake, a seducer of women's hearts? No! The hero’s last meeting with Princess Mary convinces of this. Pechorin's behavior is noble. He is trying to ease the suffering of the girl who loves him.
Pechorin, contrary to his own statements, is capable of sincere, great feelings, but the hero’s love is complex. Thus, the feeling for Vera awakens with renewed vigor when there is a danger of losing the only woman who understood Grigory Alexandrovich completely. “With the possibility of losing her forever, Vera became dearer to me than anything in the world - dearer than life, honor, happiness!” - Pechorin admits. Having driven his horse on the way to Pyatigorsk, the hero “fell on the grass and cried like a child.” This is the power of feelings! Pechorin's love is lofty, but tragic for himself and disastrous for those who love him. The fates of Bela, Princess Mary and Vera prove this.
The story with Grushnitsky is an illustration of the fact that Pechorin’s extraordinary abilities are wasted, on small, insignificant goals. However, in his attitude towards Grushnitsky, Pechorin is noble and honest in his own way. During a duel, he makes every effort to evoke belated repentance in his opponent and awaken his conscience. Useless! Grushnitsky shoots first. “The bullet grazed my knee,” comments Pechorin. The play of good and evil in the soul of the hero is a great artistic discovery of Lermontov the realist. Before the duel, Grigory Alexandrovich makes a kind of deal with his own conscience. Nobility is combined with mercilessness: “I decided to provide all the benefits to Grushnitsky; I wanted to experience it; a spark of generosity could awaken in his soul... I wanted to give myself every right not to spare him if fate had mercy on me.” And Pechorin does not spare the enemy. Grushnitsky’s bloody corpse slides into the abyss... But victory does not bring Pechorin joy, the light fades in his eyes: “The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me.”
Let’s summarize Pechorin’s practical “activities”: because of a trifle, Azamat exposes his life to serious danger; the beautiful Bela and her father die at the hands of Kazbich, and Kazbich himself loses his faithful Karagez; the fragile world of “honest smugglers” is collapsing; Grushnitsky was shot in a duel; Vera and Princess Mary suffer deeply; Vulich's life ends tragically. What made Pechorin “an ax in the hands of fate”?
Lermontov does not introduce us to the chronological biography of his hero. The plot and composition of the novel are subordinated to one goal - to deepen the socio-psychological and philosophical analysis of the image of Pechorin. The hero appears the same in different stories of the cycle, does not change, does not evolve. This is a sign of early “deadness”, the fact that before us is really a half-corpse, in whom “some kind of secret cold reigns in the soul, when fire boils in the blood.” Many of Lermontov's contemporaries tried to limit all the richness of Pechorin's image to one quality - egoism. Belinsky strongly defended Pechorin from accusations of lacking high ideals: “Are you saying that he is an egoist? But doesn't he despise and hate himself for this? Doesn’t his heart long for pure and selfless love? No, this is not selfishness...” But what is it? Pechorin himself gives us the answer to the question: “My colorless youth was spent in a struggle with myself and the light; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart: they died there...” Ambition, the thirst for power, the desire to subjugate those around him to his will take possession of the soul of Pechorin, who “from the storm of life... brought out only a few ideas - and not a single feeling.” The question of the meaning of life remains open in the novel: “...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 powers in my soul... But I didn’t guess this purpose, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; I came out of their crucible hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best color of life.”
It seems to me that the tragedy of Pechorin’s fate is connected not only with the social conditions of the hero’s life (belonging to a secular society, political reaction in Russia after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising), but also with the fact that the sophisticated ability for introspection and brilliant analytical thinking, “the burden of knowledge and Doubts" lead a person to a loss of simplicity and naturalness. Even the healing power of nature is unable to heal the hero’s restless soul.
The image of Pechorin is eternal precisely because it is not limited to the social. There are Pechorins even now, they are next to us... And I would like to end the essay with lines from the wonderful poem by Ya. P. Polonsky:
And the soul breaks out into the open From under the power of the Caucasian communities -
The bell rings and rings...
The young man's horses are rushing to the north...
Off to the side I hear a raven cawing,
I can see the corpse of a horse in the darkness -
Drive, drive! Pechorin's shadow is catching up with me...
The main character of the novel “”, Grigory Alexandrovich, was endowed with an unusually tragic fate. His actions, his actions very often lead to undesirable events not only in his life, but also in the destinies of other people. Using examples from the novel's stories, we can see how cold and selfish Pechorin is.
Or maybe he's just deeply unhappy? Maybe his inner world is in constant turmoil from what is happening around him? There is no definite answer! But, with all this, people who were close to Gregory very often experienced suffering and pain.
Friendly relations with Maxim Maksimych at the last meeting turn the good-natured staff captain into an embittered and offended old man. And all this happens because of the dryness and rudeness of the main character. Maxim Maksimych waits with an open soul to meet Pechorin, but receives only a cold greeting in return. What happens? Evil begets and causes reciprocal evil! And all because of Gregory’s behavior.
The hero's love relationships with women can be called unsuccessful and unhappy. All his beloved ladies, after parting, experienced severe mental anguish. Love seemed to Pechorin the same as the feelings of noble ladies. Only Gregory was trying to find something completely different in a woman! The relationship with the princess was just a game that Pechorin started in order to teach Grushnitsky a lesson. Feelings for Vera were the most real of all love relationships, but the hero only realized this when he lost his beloved forever.
Friendly ties with end with his death in a duel with Pechorin. The main character gives several opportunities to his friend in order to apologize and correct the current situation. But the proud and proud officer does not compromise, so he ultimately dies at the hands of Grigory Alexandrovich.
And the episode with Lieutenant Vulich makes us think that Pechorin also has secret powers of prediction. After a fight with fate, the lieutenant remains alive, but Pechorin anticipates his imminent death. That's what happens!
This means that the main character of the novel really had a tragic fate. From the message before “Pechorin’s Notes” we learn that Gregory dies on the way from Persia. He was never able to find his happiness, he was never able to find true love, to understand what joy and sincerity are. In addition, he crippled the fates of many people who were close to him.
“WHY DID I LIVE? FOR WHAT PURPOSE WAS YOU BORN? The tragedy of the fate of Grigory Pechorin.
Dubakov S., 132 gr.
The entire life of the main character of M. Yu. Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” can truly be called a tragedy. Why and who is to blame for this -
topics to which this essay is devoted.
So, Grigory Pechorin, was expelled from St. Petersburg for a certain “story” (obviously for a duel over a woman) to the Caucasus, several more stories happen to him on the way, he is demoted, goes to the Caucasus again, then travels for some time, and, returning from Persia home, dies. This is fate. But during all this time, he himself experienced a lot and influenced the lives of other people in many ways.
It must be said that this influence was not the best - during his life he destroyed many human destinies - Princess Mary Ligovskaya, Vera, Bela, Grushnitsky... Why, is he really such a villain? Is he doing this on purpose?
Or does it happen to him arbitrarily?
Generally speaking, Pechorin is an extraordinary person, intelligent, educated, strong-willed, brave... In addition, he is distinguished by a constant desire for action; Pechorin cannot stay in one place, in one environment, surrounded by the same people. Isn't that why he
cannot be happy with any woman, even with the one with whom he is in love? After a while, boredom overcomes him and he begins to look for something new. Is this why he ruins their destinies? Pechorin writes in his diary: “... the one in whose head more ideas were born acts more; because of this, a genius, chained to an bureaucratic desk, must die or go crazy...”. Pechorin is not tempted by such a fate, and he acts. Acts without regard for the feelings of other people, practically without paying attention to them. Yes, he is selfish. And this is his tragedy. But is Pechorin alone to blame for this?
No! And Pechorin himself, explaining to Mary, says: “... Such was
my fate since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad qualities that were not there; but they were expected - and they were born...".
So, “everything.” Who does he mean? Naturally, society. Yes, the same society that interfered with Onegin and Lensky, which hated Chatsky, now Pechorin. So, Pechorin learned to hate, to lie, became secretive, he “buried his best feelings in the depths of his heart,
there they died."
So, on the one hand, an extraordinary, intelligent person, on the other hand, an egoist who breaks hearts and destroys lives, he is an “evil genius” and
at the same time a victim of society.
In Pechorin's diary we read: "... my first pleasure is to subordinate to my will everything that surrounds me; to arouse for myself a feeling of love, devotion and fear - isn't this the first sign and the greatest triumph of power." So that’s what love is for him - just the satisfaction of his own ambition! But what about his love for Vera - is it the same? Partly, yes, there was a barrier between Pechorin and Vera. Vera was married, and this attracted Pechorin, who sought
like a true fighter, to overcome all obstacles, it is unknown how Pechorin would have behaved if this obstacle had not existed... But this love, love for Vera, however, is more than just a game, Vera was the only woman whom Pechorin truly loved , at the same time only
Vera knew and loved not the fictional Pechorin, but the real real Pechorin, with all his advantages and disadvantages, with all his vices. “I should hate you... You gave me nothing but suffering,” she says to Pechorin. But she cannot hate him... However, selfishness takes its toll - all the people around Pechorin turn away from him. In a conversation, he somehow confesses to his friend Werner: “When thinking about imminent and possible death, I think about only myself.” Here it is, his tragedy, the tragedy of his fate, his life.
It must be said that in his diaries Pechorin admits this, analyzing his life, he writes: “... I did not sacrifice anything for those I loved: I loved for myself, for my own pleasure...”. And as a result of his loneliness: “... and there will not be a single creature left on earth who would understand me completely.”
To complete the assignment, choose only ONE of the four proposed essay topics (17.1-17.4). Write an essay on this topic in a volume of at least 200 words (if the volume is less than 150 words, the essay is scored 0 points).
Reveal the topic of the essay fully and multifacetedly.
Justify your theses by analyzing the elements of the text of the work (in an essay on lyrics, you need to analyze at least three poems).
Identify the role of artistic means that is important for revealing the topic of the essay.
Think over the composition of your essay.
Avoid factual, logical, and speech errors.
Write your essay clearly and legibly, observing the norms of writing.
Explanation.
To complete the task of part 3, choose only ONE of the proposed essay topics (17.1-17.4).
In the answer form M2, indicate the number of the topic you have chosen, and then write an essay on this topic in a volume of at least 200 words (if the essay is less than 150 words, then it is scored 0 points).
Rely on the author's position and formulate your point of view. Argument your theses based on literary works (in an essay on lyrics, you must analyze at least three poems).
Use literary theoretical concepts to analyze the work.
Think over the composition of your essay.
Write your essay clearly and legibly, observing the norms of speech.
Comments on essay topics
C17.1. What is the tragedy of Pechorin’s fate? (Based on the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time.”)
Lermontov's hero is a man of tragic fate. He is tragically alone. Pechorin contains immense powers in his soul, but there is a lot of evil on his conscience. The hero, by his own admission, invariably plays the role of an ax in the hands of fate, a necessary character in every fifth act. The tragedy of Pechorin’s fate is connected not only with the social conditions of the hero’s life (belonging to a secular society, political reaction in Russia after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising), but also with the fact that a sophisticated ability for introspection and brilliant analytical thinking, the burden of knowledge and doubt lead a person to loss simplicity, naturalness. Even the healing power of nature is unable to heal the hero’s restless soul.
C17.2. Why is the Battle of Borodino shown by L.N. Tolstoy as the main event of the people's war? (Based on the novel by L.N. Tolstoy “War and Peace.”)
The writer, depicting the Battle of Borodino, was convinced that “the reason for our triumph was not accidental, but lay in the essence of the character of the Russian people and troops.” Tolstoy has a clear and moral criterion: “I love popular thought as a result of the War of 1812.” In his depiction of the Battle of Borodino, Tolstoy uses his favorite technique - first he gives a view from above, and then from inside the battle. This is achieved by communicating Pierre's observations. Twice Pierre’s gaze covers the entire Borodin field: before the battle and during the battle. But both times his eye sees not a position, but, in Tolstoy’s words, “living terrain.” Pierre felt especially keenly the power of people's patriotism. Folk and soldier scenes are also presented through Pierre's perception, and this gives the image great power. Pierre's spontaneity, simplicity, and sincerity in this case serve as Tolstoy's witnesses to the greatest truth: the people are the main force of the Battle of Borodino.
C17.3. What is the fate of Russia in the lyrics of A. A. Blok?
The theme of the Motherland is the central theme of creativity. For A. A. Blok, the theme of Russia was fundamental: “I consciously and irrevocably devote my life to this topic,” said the poet. In Blok’s work, the alarm bell rings the thought: “No matter what trials the land dear to the heart is subjected to, no matter what misfortunes, deceptions, sufferings it has to go through, Russia will be able to avoid destruction:
Let him lure and deceive,
You won't be lost, you won't perish,
And only care will cloud Your beautiful features...
"Russia" (1908)
It is faith in the future, despite the premonition of all storms and tragedies, that permeates the cycle “On the Kulikovo Field” (1908), consisting of 5 poems. The history of the Motherland, understanding the symbolic meaning of such an event as the Battle of Kulikovo, helps the lyrical hero find himself, mature and determine his path, where the spiritual essence of the ancient Russian and the contemporary poet merge together.
C17.4. What place do Yuri Zhivago’s poems occupy in B. L. Pasternak’s novel “Doctor Zhivago”?
The poetic cycle in the novel opens with one of the most famous poems - “Hamlet”. The poem has a deep philosophical meaning. It reveals a consciousness of a certain inevitability:
The hum died down. I went on stage.
Leaning against the door frame,
What will happen in my lifetime.
The lyrical hero feels the complexity of his existence and believes that much in his life is inevitable, predetermined:
But the order of actions has been thought out,
And we will not avert the end of the road.
“Hamlet” becomes the key work of the cycle, which reveals the spiritual impulses of the lyrical hero and sets the reader up for a certain wave of mood.
Compositionally, all the poems in the cycle are arranged in a certain order, depending on the content. In general, the cycle resembles a calendar, or rather even a diary, which conveys the events of the hero’s life. Reading them, you become an involuntary witness of events: the picture created by Yuri Zhivago of his own life, experiences and thoughts is too real and vivid.
“A Hero of Our Time,” written by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, shows us one of the newest images in literature, previously discovered by Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin in “Eugene Onegin.” This is the image of a “superfluous man”, shown through the main character, officer Grigory Pechorin. The reader already in the first part of “Bel” sees the tragedy of this character.
Grigory Pechorin is a typical “extra person”. He is young, attractive in appearance, talented and smart, but life itself seems boring to him. The new activity soon begins to bore him, and the hero embarks on a new search for vivid impressions. An example of this could be the same trip to the Caucasus, where Pechorin meets Maxim Maksimych, and then Azamat and his sister Bela, a beautiful Circassian woman.
Hunting in the mountains and communicating with the inhabitants of the Caucasus is not enough for Grigory Pechorin, and he, in love with Bela, kidnaps her with the help of the heroine’s brother, the wayward and proud Azamat. A young and mentally fragile girl falls in love with a Russian officer. It would seem that mutual love – what else does a hero need? But soon he gets bored with this too. Pechorin suffers, Bela suffers, offended by her lover’s inattention and coldness, and Maxim Maksimych, who observes all this, also suffers. The disappearance of Bela brought a lot of troubles to the girl’s family, as well as to Kazbich, who wanted to marry her.
These events end tragically. Bela dies almost in the hands of Pechorin, and all he can do is leave those places. People who have nothing to do with the hero suffered from his eternal boredom and search. And the “extra person” moves on.
This example alone is enough to understand how Pechorin, due to his boredom, is capable of interfering in other people's destinies. He cannot cling to one thing and hold on to it all his life; he needs a change of places, a change of society, a change of activities. And still he will get bored with reality, and still he will move on. If people are looking for something and, having found a goal, calm down on it, then Pechorin cannot decide and find his “finish line”. If he stops, he will still suffer - from monotony and boredom. Even in the case of Bela, where he had mutual love with a young Circassian woman, a faithful friend in the person of Maxim Maksimych (after all, the old man was ready to help Pechorin) and service, Pechorin still returned to his state of boredom and apathy.
But the hero cannot find his place in society and life, not only because he quickly becomes bored with any activity. He is indifferent to all people, which can be observed in the part “Maksim Maksimych”. People who had not seen each other for five years could not even talk, because Pechorin, with absolute indifference to his interlocutor, is trying to quickly end the meeting with Maxim Maksimych, who, by the way, managed to miss Grigory.
It is safe to say that Pechorin, as a true hero of our time, can be found in every modern person. Indifference to people and endless search for oneself will remain eternal features of society of any era and country.
Option 2
G. Pechorin is the central character of the work “Hero of Our Time”. Lermontov was accused of portraying a moral monster, an egoist. However, the figure of Pechorin is extremely ambiguous and requires in-depth analysis.
It was no coincidence that Lermontov called Pechorin a hero of our time. His problem is that from childhood he found himself in the corrupting world of high society. In a sincere impulse, he tells Princess Mary how he tried to act and act in accordance with the truth and conscience. They did not understand him and laughed at him. Gradually this produced a serious change in Pechorin’s soul. He begins to act contrary to moral ideals and achieves favor and favor in noble society. At the same time, he acts strictly in accordance with his own interests and benefits and becomes an egoist.
Pechorin is constantly oppressed by melancholy, he is bored in his surroundings. Moving to the Caucasus only temporarily revives the hero. He soon gets used to the danger and begins to get bored again.
Pechorin needs a constant change of impressions. Three women appear in his life (Bela, Princess Mary, Vera). They all fall victim to the hero's restless nature. He himself does not feel much pity for them. He is confident that he always did the right thing. If love passed or did not even arise, then he is not to blame for this. His character is to blame.
Pechorin, for all his shortcomings, is an exceptionally truthful image. Its tragedy lies in the limitations of the noble society of Lermontov's era. If the majority tries to hide their shortcomings and unseemly actions, then Pechorin’s honesty does not allow him to do this.
The protagonist's individualism could, in other circumstances, help him become an outstanding personality. But he finds no use for his powers and, as a result, appears to others as a soulless and strange person.
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