Summary of "Maxim Maksimych". What is the chapter of the poem "A Hero of Our Time" about?

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

Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov is an outstanding classic of the 19th century, who wrote many famous works. One of his most successful creations is the poem "A Hero of Our Time". The whole work is divided into chapters, each of which is designed to reveal the character of the protagonist in as much detail as possible. This article provides a brief retelling of the chapter "Maxim Maksimych".

The story is told from the perspective of a wandering officer. The assessment of what is happening is given from the outside, and not from a direct participant in the events, which is a hallmark of the chapter "Maxim Maksimych". "A Hero of Our Time" is a work that combines several completely dissimilar points of view.

Hotel

The narrator, after a short trip through the Caucasus Mountains, stops at a hotel run by three disabled people. Circumstances are such that he is forced to spend several days here. The officer is waiting for the so-called "opportunity" (a cover consisting of a cannon and half of the infantry company that guards the carts), and she, unfortunately, is delayed.

On the second day of his dreary stay at the hotel, a wagon appears on the horizon, from which a friend of the narrator, Maxim Maksimych, gets out. "A Hero of Our Time" is a work in which there was a place for a truly positive hero. This is a retired staff captain, a simple and kind person. On his behalf, the narration was conducted in the first chapter of the poem ("Bela").

The officer invites Maxim Maksimych to stay in his room, but he does not hesitate to agree.

The narrator notes that he was very lucky, as the staff captain knew how to cook well, and after the meager food that was served in the hotel, Maxim Maksimych's pheasant seemed especially tasty. The rest of the time after dinner, the men spent in complete silence, as they had absolutely nothing to talk about.

The full work gives a detailed description of each character, but the summary does not include such details.

Maksim Maksimych is distinguished from other characters by such qualities as friendliness and sociability. It is they who will be trampled by the main character of the poem.

Good old friend Pechorin

A prolonged silence is interrupted by the sound of bells. A wagon full of people appears in the yard, followed by an empty carriage that looks liketo overseas. Behind her is a well-dressed footman, with the manners of a spoiled servant. The officer and Maxim Maksimych question him. From the conversation it becomes clear that the opportunity has finally come, and this stroller belongs to Mr. Pechorin.

The staff captain with surprise and joy recognizes in the visitor his friend, with whom they had to go through a lot. Maxim Maksimych can't wait to see him as soon as possible, but the servant says that Pechorin stayed overnight with a familiar colonel. The old captain is unable to hide his frustration and displeasure. He asks the footman to tell the owner that the staff captain is waiting for him at the hotel.

Waiting (summary)

Maxim Maksimych is overwhelmed by an unbearable desire to see his friend. Throughout the evening, the old captain does not find a place for himself. Every minute he waits for a cart to appear on the horizon, from which Pechorin will emerge. However, his expectations were not destined to be fulfilled so soon. The narrator hardly manages to persuade Maxim Maksimych to go into the room and go to bed. He spends the whole night in undisguised anxiety.

Long-awaited guest

In the morning, the staff captain is forced to go to the commandant on business, but urges the narrator to call him at the first appearance of Pechorin. After a while, he finally appears and immediately gives the order to prepare for departure.

Portrait of Pechorin

The narrator describes the appearance of the protagonist to the readers. It turns out that this is a man of strong build and medium height. Very neat, with aristocratic manners. Officernotes some features of Pechorin's gait: he does not swing his arms when walking, which indicates the secrecy of his character. Sitting down, Pechorin stoops very strongly, it seems that he does not have a single vertebra in his back. The skin of the hero is white and delicate, like that of a woman, which speaks of a noble origin. In addition, the narrator notes the blond hair and jet-black eyebrows and mustache, which is indicative of the breed. In a word, Pechorin has an attractive appearance and, undoubtedly, women like it. He has a high forehead with traces of wrinkles, which do not spoil his attractiveness in the least. In conclusion, the narrator notes snow-white teeth, deep brown eyes that never smile even when their owner laughs, and curly hair. Pechorin's look may seem sad to some, and angry to others.

The narrator presents just such a portrait to the reader's attention. You will find in the article only its summary. The officer does not describe Maxim Maksimych in such detail.

Meeting

Everything is ready for departure, when suddenly a breathless staff captain comes running. Pechorin meets him rather coldly, which causes some bewilderment of the old man. It turns out that he is on his way to Persia and does not intend to stay here. Maxim Maksimych tries to bring his old friend into conversation, but he does not make contact and gets off with only general phrases. When asked what to do with the records that the staff captain carefully kept all this time, Pechorin casually waves his hand and leaves.

Farewell

The narrator asks Maxim Maksimych to give him Pechorin's notes. The frustrated staff captain angrily throws the papers on the ground, and the officer quickly collects everything and takes it to himself, without waiting for the old man to change his mind.

No summary can convey all the bitterness and sadness that the old captain experienced. Maxim Maksimych is stifled by anger and a feeling of uselessness.

After a while, it's time to leave, but the staff captain does not go with the officer. When asked why he stays, he replies that some things need to be settled with the commandant. It can be seen that the old captain is angry, and the officer sympathizes with him to some extent. He understands that the dropped veil that obscured the eyes of the staff captain cannot be replaced by anything at his age.

The officer leaves alone. In conclusion, I would like to note that the chapter "Maxim Maksimych" is very interesting in its entirety, you can learn more about many of the events taking place in the poem.