The history of the human soul in Russian literature. The history of the human soul (based on the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time")

And we hate, and we love by chance,
Sacrificing nothing to either malice or love,
And some kind of secret cold reigns in the soul,
When the fire boils in the blood.

M. Lermontov.

During the classes

1. Statement of the educational problem.

How do you understand the meaning of the title of M. Yu. Lermontov’s work “A Hero of Our Time”? "Our time" - whose is it?

- “A Hero of Our Time” is the first “personal” (according to the terminology adopted in French literature) or “analytical” novel in Russian prose: its ideological and plot center is not an external biography (life and adventures), but namely the personality of a person - his spiritual and mental life. And the soul in the Christian sense is immortal, it is timeless.

Pechorin is a person who embodied the characteristic features of the public consciousness of people of the 30s: the intensity of moral and philosophical searches, exceptional willpower, analytical mind, outstanding human abilities.

What task did Lermontov set for himself when he wrote "A Hero of Our Time"?

(The novel was conceived as an artistic study of the inner world of a person, his soul. Lermontov himself said this in the “Preface” to Pechorin’s Journal: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is almost more interesting and not more useful than the history of a whole people , especially when it is a consequence of the observation of a mature mind over itself ...”)

The topic of our lesson: "The History of the Human Soul" in M. Yu. Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time".

1. Did Pechorin pass the test of danger?
2. Is the hero capable of true love?
3. What is the life philosophy of our hero?

We will try to answer these and other questions today in the lesson.

We have repeatedly noted the unusual composition. What is she in?

(All elements of the composition of Lermontov's novel are strictly subordinated to the main ideological and artistic task that the author set himself: to write a "history of the human soul", to write a socio-psychological novel. In the center of the composition is the main character of the novel, Pechorin, whom the author calls - not without a bitter irony - "the hero of our time". All other characters, representing both artistic and historical and cognitive value, at the same time explain the personality of the protagonist in one way or another. The reader involuntarily compares him with these people and, comparing everything in a new way evaluates it and comprehends it more and more deeply.)

Did Lermontov accidentally abandon the chronological principle in the arrangement of the stories included in the novel, from the order of their initial publication?

(Belinsky wrote: “Parts of this novel are arranged in accordance with internal necessity.” And then he explained: “Despite its episodic fragmentation, it cannot be read in the order in which the author himself arranged it: otherwise you will read two excellent stories and several excellent stories, but you won't know the novel.")

What is the reason for the change of narrators?

(There are three narrators in the novel: Maxim Maksimych, a wandering officer and Pechorin himself. Yu.M. Lotman writes: “Thus, Pechorin’s character is revealed to the reader gradually, as if reflected in many mirrors, and not one of the reflections, taken separately, gives exhaustive characterization of Pechorin. Only the totality of these arguing voices creates a complex and contradictory character of the hero.")

2. Consideration of the image of the narrator from the point of view of Maxim Maksimych. The author puts the hero to the test of love.

Consider the point of view of the first narrator - Maxim Maksimych. What surprises him in the character of the hero?

(“He was a nice fellow, I dare to assure you; only a little strange ...”)

How do you explain the meaning of the word "weird"?

(With this stingy definition of “strange” in the mouth of his closest comrade Pechorin, Lermontov shows how difficult the character of the hero was to understand, so the writer refuses to characterize him directly. The hero has a strong personality, he is endowed with charm, but there is something in him that is alarming reader. He is both strong and weak, hardened and pampered. He is able to fight for his love - and he quickly cools down, he does not know how to love for a long time. For a hobby, he quickly comes to cooling and a feeling of heart emptiness. He misses too often. When Bela dies, Pechorin is beside himself, and after burying her, suddenly laughs. And then he falls ill for a long time.)

Reading Pechorin's confession in the story "Bela", what character traits of this hero can you highlight?

(Determination, a deep mind, indomitable energy, the search for the use of one's strength, courage are the hallmarks of Pechorin.)

Why, having fallen in love with Bela, does he not find peace of mind?

(“I was wrong again: the love of a savage is a little better than the love of a noble lady: ignorance and vernacular of one are just as annoying as the coquetry of another ...” In this love, Lermontov for the first time reveals the duality of his hero, expressing it in one remark: “I will give for her ( Bel) life - only I'm bored with it.” Childish rejection of boredom and a mature readiness to part with life confuses the reader.

Belinsky wrote: “A strong need for love is often mistaken for love itself, if an object is presented to which it can aspire; obstacles turn it into passion, and satisfaction destroys it. Bela's love was for Pechorin a full glass of sweet drink, which he drank at once, leaving not a drop in it; and his soul demanded not a glass, but an ocean from which one could draw every minute without diminishing it…”).

What does he see as the cause of his inner emptiness?

(“… my soul is corrupted by the light…”)

The reader finishes reading the first chapter and cannot say anything definite about the hero. But many questions arise.

3. Consideration of the character of the hero in the story "Princess Mary".

We know that love trials don't stop there. Let's break the sequence of presentation, let's turn to the story "Princess Mary". Why do you think the hero so stubbornly seeks the love of a young girl, Princess Mary, whom he will never marry?

(Pechorin cannot always understand his feelings. “But there is immense pleasure in the possession of a young, barely blossoming soul! She is like a flower, whose best aroma evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; it must be plucked at this moment and, after breathing it to its fullest, throw on the road: maybe someone will pick it up! I feel in myself this insatiable greed, absorbing everything that is on the way; I look at the suffering and joy of others only in relation to myself, as food that supports my spiritual strength. " consumer attitude of the hero towards a woman, his selfishness, even cruelty.Pechorin does not take into account the simple truths that you need to think about other people, you can’t bring them suffering.After all, if everyone starts to violate moral laws, any cruelty will be possible.Pechorin loves himself too much to give up the pleasure of torturing others.)

But is his soul so callous? Is he not capable of appreciating the beauty of nature?

(“It’s fun to live in such a land! Some kind of gratifying feeling is poured into all my veins. The air is clean and fresh, like a child’s kiss; the sun is bright, the sky is blue - what would it seem like more? Why are there passions, desires, regrets ?. ."

A person who sees the harmony of nature cannot be soulless. Pechorin feels the beauty of nature, knows how to talk about it in the language of an artist. Thus, the hero is revealed to readers as a talented person.)

Do you think Pechorin is capable of love?

(“A long-forgotten thrill ran through my veins ...” “His heart sank ...” Pechorin’s feeling for Vera is exceptionally strong, sincere. This is the true love of his life. But he also does not sacrifice anything for Vera, as well as for other women. On the contrary , kindles jealousy in her, dragging after Mary. The difference we see is that in his love for Vera, he not only saturates his passionate need of the heart for love, not only takes, but also gives part of himself. In particular, this quality of Pechorin comes through in an episode of a crazy, desperate chase on a wildly galloping horse for the irrevocably gone Vera. "I galloped, choking with impatience. The thought of not finding her already in Pyatigorsk hit my heart with a hammer! - one minute, another minute to see her, say goodbye, shake her hand ... I prayed, cursed, cried, laughed ... no, nothing can express my anxiety, despair! .. With the opportunity to lose her forever, Faith became dearer to me than anything in the world - dearer than life, honor, happiness! ”This episode has a deep symbolic value. Pechorin forever lost not only Vera, his beloved woman, but also hope for the future and love for people, which, as L. Tolstoy showed in his autobiographical trilogy, is given by nature to every child in childhood.)

How does this characterize him?

(Pechorin is full of contradictions. We see that two worlds, two people have merged in him. “There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him.” “I have an innate passion to contradict; my whole life has been only a chain of sad and unfortunate contradictions of heart or reason.")

Pay attention to the nobility of the hero, despite his consumer attitude towards a woman, even selfishness, he stands up for her honor, does not allow himself a single low word addressed to them.

4. Psychological portrait of Pechorin. The hero in the assessment of the second narrator - a wandering officer.

Who introduces Pechorin to us in the chapter "Maxim Maksimych"?

(The narration is continued by the conditional author, the "publisher" of Pechorin's diary.)

What did the wandering officer in the guise of Pechorin see?

(The appearance of the hero is woven from contradictions. His portrait explains the character of Pechorin, testifies to his fatigue and coldness, to unspent forces. Observations convinced the narrator of the richness and complexity of the character of this person.

“... his slender, thin frame and broad shoulders proved a strong constitution, capable of enduring all the difficulties of nomadic life ...”

"... he did not wave his arms - a sure sign of some secrecy of character ..."

“... he was sitting like a thirty-year-old coquette Balzakova sits on her downy armchairs after a tiring ball ...”

“…his skin had some kind of feminine tenderness…”

“... his mustache and eyebrows were black - a sign of breed in a person ...”

“... About the eyes, I have to say a few more words.

First, they didn't laugh when he laughed! Have you ever noticed such strangeness in some people? .. This is a sign - either an evil disposition, or a deep constant sadness.

"... had one of those original physiognomies that are especially liked by secular women ...".)

Lermontov creates a detailed psychological portrait, the first in Russian literature. A psychological portrait is a characterization of a hero, where the author presents external details in a certain sequence and immediately gives them a psychological and social interpretation. A psychological portrait, in contrast to verbal drawing, gives us an idea of ​​the inner essence of the hero.

What is the role of the portrait of Pechorin?

(The portrait of the hero explains the character of the hero, his contradictions, testifies to the fatigue and coldness of Pechorin, the unspent forces of the hero. Observations convince the narrator of the richness and complexity of the character of this person. In this immersion in the world of his thoughts, the suppression of Pechorin’s spirit is the key to understanding his alienation at a meeting with Maxim Maksimych.)

Can we talk about Pechorin's cruel attitude towards Maxim Maksimych?

(“... he wanted to throw himself on Pechorin’s neck, but he rather coldly, although with a friendly smile, extended his hand to him.” But maybe he just didn’t want someone to invade his inner world? “Do you remember our life- being in a fortress? A glorious country for hunting!.. After all, you were a passionate hunter to shoot ... And Bela? what changed in the hero after leaving the fortress: his indifference to life intensified, he became more withdrawn.)

Do we understand the hero, after all, we considered the point of view of both Maxim Maksimych and the wandering officer?

(The hero is certainly interesting. The more mysterious, the more interesting. Pechorin has a strong personality, he is endowed with charm, but there is something in him that worries the reader. He is both strong and weak, hardened and pampered. He is able to fight for love - and he quickly cools down, cannot love for a long time.

5. The character of Pechorin in the assessment of the hero himself. Test of the hero by danger.

Where is the inner essence of the hero most fully revealed?

(If the first two stories by genre are travel notes (the narrator noted: “I am not writing a story, but travel notes”), then the following stories are Pechorin’s diary.

A diary is a record of a personal nature in which a person, knowing that they will not become known to others, can state not only external events, but also internal movements of his soul hidden from everyone. Pechorin was sure that he was writing "this journal ... for himself", which is why he was so open in their description.)

What parts does Pechorin's Journal consist of?

(Three chapters of the novel - "Taman", "Princess Mary" and "Fatalist" - are parts of "Pechorin's Diary".)

Who introduces the hero to us?

(The word is given to the hero himself, who analyzes himself with the utmost penetratingness and gives the reader the opportunity to look into his soul from the inside.)

What features of the character of the hero are revealed in the story "Taman"?

(Interest in a new circle of people, hope for a romantic adventure, adventurism.)

Why does he suffer the bitterness of disappointment?

(“Yes, and what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a wandering officer, and even with a traveler for official needs! ..”)

In which story is the spiritual world of Pechorin most fully revealed?

(The story "Princess Mary".)

What society surrounds the hero this time? How is it different from mountaineers, smugglers?

(The environment surrounding the hero is people equal to him in social origin.)

Then why did a conflict occur between this society and Pechorin?

(Among the people of this society there were no people equal to him intellectually.)

What assessment does Pechorin give to Grushnitsky at the beginning of his acquaintance? Why is Pechorin so implacable in his perception of this person?

(Pechorin is displeased with Grushnitsky’s manner of saying “ready-made pompous phrases ... to produce an effect ...”. “I don’t like him either, I feel that someday we will run into him on a narrow road, and one of us will be unhappy.”)

What feature of Pechorin's character can we single out?

(The ability to understand the inner essence of a person.)

Why is a clash between Pechorin and Grushnitsky inevitable?

(Grushnitsky is a kind of “double” of Pechorin. Putting on a mask of disappointment, longing, he plays the role of an unusual person.

“He speaks quickly and pretentiously: he is one of those people who have ready-made magnificent phrases for all occasions ...”

"Producing an effect is their delight."

“... I could never argue with him. He doesn't answer your objections, he doesn't listen to you."

"His goal is to become the hero of the novel."

Grushnitsky's behavior is not only harmless and funny. Under the mask of the hero, as if disappointed in some cherished aspirations, hides a petty and selfish soul, selfish and malicious, filled to the brim with complacency.)

How does Pechorin behave in the duel scene?

(During the duel, Pechorin behaves like a courageous person. Outwardly, he is calm. Only after feeling his pulse, Werner noticed signs of excitement in him. The details of the description of nature that Pechorin wrote down in his diary also betray his feelings: “... it seemed dark and cold down there, as in a coffin; mossy jagged rocks…waiting for their prey.")

Does the hero experience the triumph of the victor?

(It’s hard for Pechorin: “I had a stone in my heart. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays didn’t warm me ... The sight of a man was painful for me: I wanted to be alone ...”)

(Shade off the true depth and originality of the protagonist.)

6. Life philosophy of the hero.

We examined the image of Pechorin when meeting with danger. Further, in the reasoning of the hero, his life philosophy emerges.

What does he consider for himself almost the only pleasure in life?

(“... my first pleasure is to subordinate everything that surrounds me to my will; to arouse a feeling of love, devotion and fear for myself - is this not the first sign and the greatest triumph of power ...”)

How does he rate himself in his diary?

(Pechorin does not spare himself, first of all it is honesty to himself, self-criticism, but at the same time he does not seek to change anything.)

Reflecting on the age-old question, what is happiness, what answer does the hero offer?

(“What is happiness? Saturated pride?”)

Where does pride cherished in a person lead?

(There will not be real friends who understand people nearby.)

What is friendship in the understanding of Pechorin?

(“... I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other; I cannot be a slave, and commanding in this case is tedious work ...” Pechorin has no real friends.)

What can pride, lack of friends lead to?

(Of course, to loneliness. Pechorin seems to us not just a hero of his time, but a tragic hero.")

A few days before the duel, the hero is occupied with the question of the meaning of life. What does he see as the purpose of his own existence?

(“... 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 strength in my soul ... But I did not guess this purpose, I was carried away by the lures of passions empty and ungrateful; from their furnace I came out hard and cold as iron, but I have lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best color of life. " Noble aspirations, according to the hero, are the most significant in a person's life.)

Why can't Pechorin find meaning in life?

(“This person does not indifferently, does not apathetically bear his suffering: he is madly chasing life, looking for it everywhere; he bitterly accuses himself of his delusions. : he peeps every movement of his heart, considers his every thought, "notes V. G. Belinsky. An outstanding personality, endowed with intelligence and willpower, a desire for vigorous activity, cannot manifest himself in the life around him. Pechorin cannot be happy and not can give happiness to anyone. That is his tragedy.)

What are these people called in literature?

(Pechorin can be called an “extra” person. He has a lot of vital energy, a need for action, a desire to fight and win. Under favorable conditions, these qualities of his could be socially useful, but life itself interfered with this. Pechorin is the hero of the post-December, tragic era. Reality did not offer him a real case, people like Pechorin "seethed in empty action.")

This is the hero of that time, what would we take in our time? What character traits are necessary for the hero of our time?

7. The result of the lesson.

Were we able to consider the history of Pechorin's soul?

Of course, we touched only on some features of the hero's soul. By the power of his talent, Lermontov created an image that still remains "a mystery with seven seals."

Works on literature: "The History of the Human Soul" in the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time" In the preface to the novel "A Hero of Our Time" Lermontov defines his writing task - to draw a "modern man", "a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation." Belinsky called the novel "a sad thought about our time." The peculiarity of the novel is that the portrait of time is drawn as the story of one human soul. Pechorin himself, reflecting on his life, finds in it much in common with the fate of his generation. "We are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of mankind, or even for our own happiness, because we know its impossibility and indifferently pass from doubt to doubt." The task of recreating the story of one soul allowed Lermontov to draw the complex and contradictory nature of the hero. There is a lot of cruel and selfish in the actions and thoughts of Pechorin. He treats Maksim Maksimych with marked coldness, who greeted him enthusiastically after a long separation; is the cause of Bela's death; plays with the feelings of Princess Mary, so she believes that he is "worse than a murderer." He cynically talks about friendship (“Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other”), about love (“Women love only those they don’t know”), about happiness (“What is happiness? Saturated pride”), about suffering and joy others only in relation to themselves.

Pechorin brings suffering to everyone he meets: Bela, "honest smugglers", Mary, Grushnitsky, Maxim Maksimych. But this does not prevent him from treating himself with all severity. He calls himself a "moral cripple", "executioner" ("I play the pitiful role of an executioner", "I played the role of an ax in the hands of fate"). He realizes that he has lived an empty and aimless life: "Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?" He does not see the meaning and joy in life: "I am like a man who yawns at a ball, who does not go to bed just because his carriage is not yet there." However, the soul of Pechorin consists not only of the dark sides. This is a hero who craves love, goodness and beauty, capable of goodness. Sometimes his "cold, powerless despair" breaks out.

Lermontov portrays his shock at the death of Bela (although hidden from prying eyes), his passionate tragic love for Vera, his ability to feel nature (in the scene before the duel with Grushnitsky). The charm of Pechorin's personality is in his sharp mind, in the ability to look at himself from the outside, in the strength of character, in the desire to create his own destiny. "I'm always bolder when I don't know what's in store for me." Even in miserable Trutnitsky, he hopes to see the awakening of nobility and conscience. With all the originality and uniqueness of Pechorin's personality, his life is "a smooth path without a goal." This is the tragedy of the "hero of his time." What could Pechorin direct his rich spiritual abilities to? The socio-psychological conditions of the era, requiring blind obedience to traditions and obedience, do not give scope and true meaning to the life of such a person. Disappointment and skepticism are also a feature of the times.

Describing the Pechorin generation, Herzen wrote: "Forced to remain silent, we learned, locking ourselves in, to bear our thoughts - and what thoughts! .. Those were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage."

As in the novel "Eugene Onegin" by A. S. Pushkin, in "A Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov, approximately the same task is set - to draw a portrait of a man of a new era, a hero of a new time.

Lermontov's novel is arranged very interestingly, it consists of five separate stories with independent plots, each of which gradually, step by step, reveals to us the image of the main character, uniting all five stories.

For the first time the name of Pechorin is mentioned in the first story "Bela". Staff Captain Maxim Maksimych tells about Pechorin to his interlocutor, the “wandering officer”. The unsophisticated and rustic old man tries his best to be objective and accurate, but there is much incomprehensible in his story. He sincerely tries and cannot understand the character and inner feelings of Pechorin, and therefore he does not understand the motives of Pechorin's actions committed under the influence of painful reflection and spiritual contradictions to which the protagonist of the novel is subject. "A strange man" - that's all the staff captain can say, defining the character of his former colleague.

The second story slightly lifts the veil of mystery over Pechorin, since here he is shown through the eyes of the author, a person who, in terms of his intellectual level, is closer to Pechorin than Maxim Maksimych. The "Wandering Officer" is very observant, he is a subtle psychologist, and therefore even his fleeting meeting with the main character gives the reader the opportunity to better consider this "strange man".

In the following chapters, which are Pechorin's Journal, his diary, the hero himself talks about himself, analyzing his actions and giving them an assessment. From the very first pages of these chapters, it becomes clear that before us is an outstanding, restless person, who is in constant search for the meaning of life.

For some reason, it turns out that Pechorin constantly brings misfortune to others and hurts those loves with which his fate brings him. Bela dies, Pechorin's indifference offends the kindest and simplest Maxim Maksimych in his best feelings, the romantic idyll of "honest smugglers" is broken, Princess Mary is deceived in her love. So who is in front of us? A villain worthy of condemnation alone? But the villains are unlikely to suffer, causing misfortune to others, as Pechorin suffers. Egoist? Yes, of course, but the “suffering” egoist, worthy not only of condemnation, but also of sympathy. It was not for nothing that Belinsky wrote that “Pechorin’s soul is rocky soil, but the earth dried up from the heat of a fiery life: let suffering loosen it and irrigate the blessed rain, and it will grow and” itself lush, luxurious flowers.

Gradually revealing the contradictory nature of Pechorin, his complex inner life, full of throwing and searching, Lermontov strives to show " the history of the human soul". His "Hero of Our Time" is a deeply psychological novel, as if through a prism examining from all sides an extraordinary figure, a rebel, tirelessly looking for his place in life.

The hero's inner throwings are in complete harmony with the outer throwings. It is no coincidence that Pechorin is on the road all the time. The author throws him either into a mountain village, or into a Caucasian fortress, or into a smugglers' shack, or into the picturesque environment of the "water society". It is symbolic that death overtakes him along the way.

Lermontov does not explain how and why his hero ended up in the Caucasus. Was he sent into exile? Possibly, but another explanation seems more likely. Let's reread what Pechorin himself recalls about his past: “My colorless youth flowed in the struggle with myself and the world; fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart... I told the truth - they did not believe me: I began to deceive; knowing well the light and springs of society, I became skilled in the science of life... Despair was born in my chest... I became a moral cripple...”

In the light of these words, it is rather possible to assume that Pechorin himself fled to the Caucasus, where military operations were constantly taking place in those days, hoping in numerous dangers and risks to find the meaning of life that he vainly sought in the morally crippled world.

Probably, Pechorin can be called a hero of his time precisely because of his restlessness, his state of constant search, and originality, which is especially noticeable against the background of other characters in the novel. Take, for example, Maxim Maksimych. He is deeply decent and kind, but very limited; many years of conscientious service taught him not to burden himself with unnecessary reflections on the meaning of life. Grushnitsky, that one is just a poseur without the slightest sign of a sincere, real one; everything in it is a game and a falsehood. Dr. Wagner belongs to a completely different type of people, he is smart and well versed in life, he is perceptive and knows the value of the people around him. But at the same time, Wagner is a passive observer, contemplating everything from the outside and analyzing the ongoing events from a safe distance. The main feature in Pechorin's nature is his irrepressible activity, his constant desire to do something, to participate in something.

Such a person will not submit to blind fate, will not go with the flow.

It seems quite natural that Lermontov ends his novel with the story "The Fatalist", posing an important philosophical problem in it. If the fate of a person is predetermined, then all his actions, all moral searches, attempts to change anything in this life lose all meaning.

So do the fatalists. According to Pechorin, on the contrary, he argues with fate all the time, all the time he challenges her. In the person of Pechorin, Lermontov affirms the ideal of an active, active person who does not want to put up with circumstances.

Literary critics, starting with Belinsky, have repeatedly noted the similarity of Pechorin with Onegin. Indeed, they have a lot in common. Both of them are superfluous people in the society in which they lived, they both have not found application for the makings of their extraordinary nature, both are disappointed in monotonous, strictly regulated secular pleasures, both are trying to find their place and their purpose in life. Onegin succeeds to some extent, he appears at the end of the novel as a renewed man, capable of ardent love; Lermontov treats Pechorin differently. It is as if he initially deprives Pechorin of the future, even we learn about his death not at the end, but in the middle of the novel. Perhaps the explanation for this lies in the fact that Onegin, a representative of the Decembrist generation, whose fate has not yet been decided at that time, and Pechorin already belongs to another generation, the uprising on Senate Square has already been defeated, and a new perspective is not yet visible.

Nevertheless, after reading the novel, there is no feeling of hopelessness. And so it stands before the eyes of the "hero of his time" - a rebel and a rebel who strives to change his fate at all costs. This is how Lermontov portrayed Pechorin, this was how he himself was, who died in a duel at the twenty-seventh year of his life and managed to leave a deep mark not only in the history of Russian literature, but also in the memory of people who knew him.

"A Hero of Our Time" is a very exciting work by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. This novel contains many philosophical thoughts. In addition, it tells the story of the soul of the main character - Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin.

It is important to note the unusual compositional structure of the novel. The chapters in it are not arranged in the correct chronological order, so the reader may initially be confused by Pechorin's behavior.

The very first in chronological order should be the chapter "Taman". It is from this part that Pechorin's diary begins. Grigory ended up in this city on official business, while he doesn’t like the city with everything: “Taman is the nastiest town of all the coastal cities of Russia. I almost died of hunger there, and besides, they wanted to drown me” In addition to all this , Pechorin gets a rather strange and suspicious environment.

In the chapter "Taman" Lermontov began to reveal the character of Pechorin. He does not think about other people at all, he only cares about his own interests and needs. Pechorin distorted the fates of other people, about which he himself argues: “And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers?

This is followed by the most voluminous part of the novel - Princess Mary. It can be distinguished as an independent story. This chapter reveals Pechorin's difficult relationship with society, his ability to feel, the changeability of his soul. The reader sees the full disclosure of the essence of Pechorin. The complexity and beauty of the plot of the chapter can attract any person.

The chapter "Bela" is very significant in this novel. It is easy to see the contrast between Pechorin and Belaya herself. Bela is ready to sacrifice herself for the sake of love, and for Pechorin there is nothing more precious than himself. This part of life is very instructive for the main character. He realized: "The love of a savage is no better than the love of a noble lady." Pechorin hoped to find happiness with Bela. But, alas, Bela tragically dies. After this incident, Pechorin despaired in search of the love of his life.

The chapter "The Fatalist" completes the novel, in addition, it is the last one in Pechorin's diary itself. The basis of this chapter is a bet between Lieutenant Vulich and Pechorin. Then Vulich suggested that Grigory check whether a person can live regardless of the predictions of his fate, or whether everything is destined from above.

Gregory makes a bet and loses it - the gun misfired. Here Pechorin showed himself to be a cynic: “Everyone dispersed, accusing me of selfishness, as if I had bet with a man who wanted to shoot himself, but without me he seemed to be unable to find a convenient opportunity!” Pechorin convinces himself of the existence of a predetermined fate. Another proof for this was the death of Vulich: “After all this, how would it seem not to become a fatalist?
The chapter "Maxim Maksimych" is the most recent in terms of time. She takes her rightful place in the novel. The chapter describes the last meeting between Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin. However, Pechorin was rather cold towards the old man. Maxim Maksimych concluded: "Ah, really, it's a pity that he ends badly ... and it cannot be otherwise! I have always said that there is no use in someone who forgets old friends!" His words became prophetic - Pechorin dies in Persia.
The work of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, and especially the "Hero of Our Time", had a great influence on Russian literature. His narrative of the development of the human soul is the property of Russian literature of the 19th century.

The history of the human soul in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" is considered by Lermontov with the greatest detail. The writer himself, offering readers his work, indicated that he wanted to show them a contemporary person as he is.

The story of Pechorin's soul as a moral confession of a hero

The writer creates a new genre of psychologically oriented novel, in which he examines the history of the human soul. And first of all, Lermontov invites readers to consider the life story of the protagonist of his work.

The image of the main character of his novel - Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin - is attractive and at the same time deeply contradictory. Pechorin is smart and educated, he is not devoid of noble intentions, however, his soul is selfish and prone to vices. Pechorin is the cause of the misfortunes of the people around him: he kills Grushnitsky in a duel, contributes to the abduction of Bela, mocks the feelings of the young princess Mary Ligovskaya, agrees to a fatal bet with Vulich, which partly pushes the latter into the arms of death, refutes all higher human feelings. The hero himself calls himself "an ax in the hands of fate", justifying his behavior.

Pechorin deprives all the people with whom he happened to meet. He is a mysterious personality, which is impossible not to remember. People around him see an outstanding character in him, but when they come into contact with Pechorin, they experience either a feeling of regret for him (like Maxim Maksimovich), or a feeling of grieving unrequited love (like Bela), or a feeling of hatred (like Kazbich), or jealousy (like Grushnitsky), or feeling of deepest humiliation (like Mary Ligovskaya).

In his diary, the hero confesses his secret aspirations and thoughts. Pechorin himself realizes that he lived his life "empty and worthless", but this realization only increases his state of longing.
On the other hand, the writer emphasizes that Pechorin also has positive features: for example, he feels passionate love for the secular married lady Vera. The hero is ready to run to the ends of the world for his beloved, but she cannot share his fate with Pechorin, because she is afraid of condemnation from the people of her circle. Pechorin subtly feels the primordial beauty, in rare moments of his life he admires the beautiful sunset, the majesty of the Caucasus mountains, etc. Even when he goes to a duel with Grushnitsky, thoughts come to his mind about how beautiful the world of nature around him is. Even at the moment of Bela's death, the hero sincerely mourns the loss of his proud and beautiful beloved.

The history of interaction between the characters of the novel

In the novel "A Hero of Our Time" the history of the human soul is shown from all sides. First of all, the author tells us about the inner experiences of his protagonist, but we see the exact psychological portraits of other characters in the novel. Like a brilliant artist, Lermontov draws before us portraits of his heroes. Here is the subtle sensitive soul of the proud Bela, and the kind soul of the experienced officer Maxim Maksimovich, who fell in love with Pechorin like his own son, and the passionate strong nature of Princess Mera and the corrosive and disillusioned soul of Dr. Werner.

It should be noted that all the characters of the novel are in relation to each other in different positions, allowing you to see in more detail the features of their inner world, their characters.

The pair "Pechorin and Grushnitsky, who died from his bullet" helps readers to see the selfishness and pride of the first and the intemperance and passion of the second. Grushnitsky is generally a parody of Pechorin. He has the ambitions of the protagonist of the novel, but is deprived of his mind, will and spiritual depth.

The pair "Pechorin - Dr. Werner" emphasizes both the insight and intelligence of one and the other, and disappointment in life. Moreover, more tired of people and their society is Dr. Werner, whose vocation is to help people overcome their illnesses, but he is an example of a tired cynic and selfishness.

The pair "Pechorin - Maxim Maksimovich" helps to see those qualities that Pechorin lacks in order to find peace of mind. Maksim Maksimovich is a simple and kind man, he is a faithful servant who gave his whole life to the Fatherland. He is humble and able to show sincere sympathy for people. It lacks excessive pride and selfishness. It is not for nothing that this hero is considered by many literary critics as perhaps the only positive character in the novel. It is known that the image of Maxim Maksimovich was very liked by Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, who, according to the memoirs of his contemporaries, sincerely wondered why Mr. Lermontov portrayed the "neurasthenic Pechorin" as the protagonist of his novel, and not such a good officer as Maxim Maksimovich. However, Maxim Maksimovich does not have such abilities, such a breadth of perception of the world around him, as Pechorin, so the hero is content with his modest role in the world of people.

The pair "Pechorin - Vulich" shows how each of the characters is a fatalist, that is, a person who believes in fate. Compared to Pechorin, Vulich is the type of fatalist who is ready to defeat the evil fate that haunts him, even at the cost of his life. Pechorin, on the other hand, is a more terrible and refined type of a fatalistic person: he seeks to play with fate in order to win or die. As is known from the plot of the novel, Pechorin still fails to outwit the fate.

The pair "Pechorin - Bela" allows you to see the differences that exist between the "artificial person" - Pechorin and the wild beauty of the Circassian Bela - "natural person". Despite the lack of education and knowledge of the life of the world, Bela is more honest and moral than Pechorin. Acquaintance with this hero leads the young girl to death, because Bela cannot fully immerse herself in the environment in which her lover lives.

The pair "Pechorin - Mary" allows you to discern the spiritual vices of the heroes: as for Pechorin, here we are talking about pride and the desire to possess the soul of the object of their attention (it is not without reason that literary critics compare Pechorin in this love story with the hero of Lermontov's poem "The Demon"); in Mary, her feeling of superiority over others is emphasized, which receives a severe blow due to the fact that Pechorin, after confessing Mary to him in love, rejects the feeling of a brave girl.

Thus, the theme of the soul in A Hero of Our Time occupies a key position. The author's deep attention to this topic makes it possible to reveal the emotional experiences of the characters, which contributes to the creation of a new psychologically oriented genre of the Russian classical novel.

The arguments presented in this article will be relevant especially for grade 9 when preparing an essay on the topic “The History of the Human Soul in the Novel “A Hero of Our Time””.

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