The image of Pechorin in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov: a drama of one personality

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The image of Pechorin, depicted by Mikhail Lermontov, is, first of all, the personality of a young man who suffers from his restlessness and is constantly captivated by questions: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?”

What is he like, a hero of the 19th century?

Pechorin is not at all like his peers, he has not a drop of desire to move along the beaten path of the secular youth of that time. The young officer serves, but does not seek to curry favor. He is not fond of music, philosophy, does not want to go into the intricacies of studying the military craft. But it immediately becomes clear to the reader that the image of Pechorin is the image of a person who is head and shoulders above the people around him. He is smart enough, educated and talented, distinguished by energy and courage. Nevertheless, Pechorin's indifference to other people, the selfishness of his nature, the inability to empathize, friendship and love are repulsive. The controversial image of Pechorin is complemented by his other qualities: the thirst to live to the fullest, the ability to critically evaluate his actions, the desire for the best. "Pity of actions" of the character,senseless waste of energy, his actions that hurt others - all this exposes the hero not in the best light. However, at the same time, the officer himself is experiencing deep suffering.

The complexity and inconsistency of the protagonist of the famous novel is especially vividly represented by his words that two people live in it at the same time: one of them lives in the full sense of the word, and the second one thinks and judges the actions of the first. It also tells about the reasons that laid the foundation for this “splitness”: “I told the truth - they didn’t believe me: I began to deceive …” A young and hopeful young man in just a couple of years turned into a callous, vindictive, bilious and ambitious person; as he himself put it - "a moral cripple." The image of Pechorin in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" echoes the image of Onegin created by A. S. Pushkin: he is an "egoist involuntarily", disappointed in life, prone to pessimism, experiencing constant internal conflict.

The socio-political situation of the 30s. XIX century did not allow Pechorin to find and reveal himself. He repeatedly makes attempts to forget himself in petty adventures, love, exposes himself to the bullets of Chechens … However, all this does not bring him the desired relief and remains only an attempt to distract himself.

Nevertheless, the image of Pechorin is the image of a richly gifted nature. After all, he has a sharp analytical mind, he extraordinarily accurately evaluates people and the actions that they perform. He developed a critical attitude not only towardsothers, but also in relation to oneself. In his diary, the officer exposes himself: a warm heart is beating in his chest, able to deeply feel (the death of Bela, a meeting with Vera) and experience extremely strongly, although it is hidden under the mask of indifference. However, this indifference is nothing more than self-defense.

“The Hero of Our Time”, the image of Pechorin in which is the basis of the story, allows you to see the same person from completely different sides, look into different corners of her soul. Simultaneously with all of the above in the guise of an officer, we see a strong-willed, strong and active person in whom "life forces" are dormant. He is ready to act. Unfortunately, almost all of his actions end up hurting both Pechorin himself and those around him, his activities are not constructive, but destructive.

The image of Pechorin strongly resonates with Lermontov's "Demon", especially at the beginning of the novel, when something demonic, unsolved remains in the hero. The young man, by the will of fate, becomes the destroyer of other people's lives: it is he who is guilty of the death of Bela, that Maxim Maksimovich was completely disappointed in friendship, of how much Vera and Mary suffered. Grushnitsky, in turn, dies at the hands of Pechorin. Pechorin played a role in how another young officer, Vulich, died, and also in how "honest smugglers" were forced to leave their homes.

Conclusion

Pechorin is a person who no longer has a past and there is only hope for something better inthe future. In the present, he remains a perfect ghost - this is how Belinsky described this contradictory image.