Problems in the work of the hero of our time. Composition "Hero of Our Time"


Youth and the time of the formation of Lermontov's personality fell on the years of government reaction after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising. A heavy atmosphere of denunciations, total surveillance, exiles to Siberia on charges of unreliability reigned in Russia. The progressive people of that time could not freely express their thoughts on political issues. Lermontov was acutely worried about the lack of freedom, the state of stopped time. the main tragedy era he reflected in his novel, which he meaningfully called "The Hero of Our Time." Forced inaction, general uselessness, the inability to express oneself creatively became the reason for the appearance of a new “hero” in literature. The writer created a socio-psychological novel in which he showed his contemporary. In the preface to the novel, Lermontov gave such a description of the hero. It is "a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation in their full development."

A "hero" cannot be a hero, society does not need his actions. Pechorin is an officer of the Russian army, but even in the Caucasus, being on the territory of the highlanders, he is bored in the fortress, having fun hunting for wild boars, kidnaps Bela, causes trouble to others. Lermontov conducts a study of the state of his soul, paying attention to the moral principles of Pechorin. The hero is evaluated from three sides. The author, Maxim Maksimych, and Pechorin himself write about him in his diary.

Pechorin concentrates the features of the entire generation. The author severely condemns him and makes it clear that he does not at all share the moral convictions of the hero. Lermontov reveals the cause of the "disease of the century" and proposes to fight selfishness, arrogant contempt for people, unbelief and cynicism. The writer also takes into account the conditions in which the character of Pechorin was formed, the corrupting influence of the environment and society on him, but at the same time he does not remove responsibility from the youngest person, whose actions bring trouble to others.

Poisoned by selfishness, Pechorin does not know how to love, but suffers without the love of others. Confident in his wonderful qualities, Pechorin is surprised to see that he brings only evil and disappointment to people. "Why did I live? For what purpose I was born ... But, it’s true, I had a high appointment, since I feel immense forces in my soul. But I didn't guess it." Pechorin is indifferent to the feelings of others. He says: "Yes, and what do I care about human misfortunes and troubles." The hero is aware that he breaks the fate of people, and thinks that "he has always played the role of an ax in the hands of fate." He suffers, but his system of moral attitudes does not change.

The positive inclinations of Pechorin's nature were not developed. He sometimes “feels sorry for Vera”, while explaining to Mary, he almost “fell at her feet”, but good impulses for him are momentary weaknesses. He did not catch up and did not return Vera, left Mary with broken hearted, out of pure selfishness, killed Grushnitsky. More than anything else, Pechorin values ​​​​his freedom, but understands it as permissiveness. Without love, out of an empty whim, he dishonors the decent girl Mary in front of the whole society, knowing what kind of gossip her honor will be subjected to. Without hesitation, Pechorin destroys Bela. Calmly and cruelly, he says to Maxim Maksimych: “The love of a savage is few better than love noble lady ... I'm bored with her. Either he talks about noble honor in relation to women, or he argues that it’s good to “breathe the scent of a barely blossoming flower”, and then throw it on the road, maybe someone will pick it up. The fate of people for him is only a temporary entertainment. After rash acts, boredom again seizes him and he needs a new victim.

In the chapter "Taman" the narration passes to the hero himself. In it, the author creates a clear psychological picture his unfortunate hero. Pechorin rushes around the world in search of real life. Out of curiosity, he intervenes in the life of the smugglers, forcing them to flee and leave the blind boy without help. The hero can't find a home anywhere. He is deaf and blind to the world.

Pechorin's moral convictions come through especially brightly in his discussion of happiness. He thinks that "happiness is saturated pride" and continues: "... I look at the suffering and joy of others only in relation to myself." Pechorin admits to himself: “Evil breeds evil; the first suffering gives the idea of ​​the pleasure of torturing another. I sometimes despise myself… Isn’t that why I despise others too?” material from the site

Even Pushkin called many of his contemporaries people with an "immoral soul", selfish and dry. habits and morals high society mutilated the moral character of Pechorin. He is unable to live and work happily. He is sure that "life is boring and disgusting", constantly immersed in pessimism and skepticism. Pechorin treats his native noble environment with contempt, broke away from it, but did not find anything positive for himself. The spiritual emptiness of the hero creates a vacuum around him, from which he unsuccessfully tries to get out.

Pechorin does not believe in good, cannot change. He turns into a cold, cruel egoist, hated even by himself. Belinsky wrote that Pechorin, "hungry for worries and storms," ​​was chasing life, "looking for it everywhere." According to Dobrolyubov, Pechorin does not know where to put his strength, "he drains the heat of his soul into petty passions and insignificant deeds."

In Pechorin's Diary, the author presents the confession of his hero. Pechorin sadly realizes the duality of his character. In his opinion, two people live in it, and one of them does things, and the other looks and judges him. The tragedy of the hero is that he does not admit his spiritual inferiority, but accuses society and people, therefore he turns out to be superfluous everywhere.

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On this page, material on the topics:

  • moral character of Pechorin
  • all the problems in the novel the hero of our time
  • what kind moral questions raises the author in the novel a hero of our time
  • an essay about moral issues in the novel a hero of our time

based on the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"

Indifference and responsiveness.

Why is indifference dangerous?

Indifference is a feeling that can manifest itself not only in relation to other people, but also to life in general. Pechorin, the central character of The Hero of Our Time, is shown by M.Yu. Lermontov as a person who does not see the joys of life. He is bored all the time, he quickly loses interest in people and places, so the main objective his life is a search for "adventure". His life is an endless attempt to feel at least something. According to the famous literary critic Belinsky, Pechorin "furiously pursues life, looking for it everywhere." His indifference reaches the point of absurdity, turning into indifference to himself. According to Pechorin himself, his life "is becoming emptier day by day." He sacrifices his life in vain, embarks on adventures that do no good to anyone. On the example of this hero, one can see that indifference spreads in the soul of a person, like a dangerous disease. It leads to sad consequences and broken destinies of both those around and the most indifferent person. indifferent person cannot be happy because his heart is not capable of loving people.

Purpose and means.

What means can not be used to achieve the goal?

Sometimes, in order to achieve their goals, people forget about the means that they choose on the way to what they want. So, one of the characters in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" Azamat wanted to get a horse that belonged to Kazbich. He was ready to offer everything that he had and what he did not own. The desire to get Karagoz won over all the feelings that were in him. Azamat, in order to achieve his goal, betrayed his family: he sold his sister to get what he wanted, fled from home, fearing punishment. His betrayal resulted in the death of his father and sister. Azamat, despite the consequences, destroyed everything that was dear to him in order to get what he so passionately desired. On his example, you can see that not all means are good for achieving the goal.

The relationship between ends and means.

The ratio of goals and means can be found on the pages of M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time". Trying to achieve the goal, people sometimes do not understand that not all means will help them in this. One of the characters in the novel A Hero of Our Time, Grushnitsky, longed to be recognized. He sincerely believed that the position and money would help him in this. In the service, he was looking for a promotion, believing that this would solve his problems, attract the girl he was in love with. His dreams were not destined to come true, because true respect and recognition are not connected with money. The girl he wanted preferred someone else, because love has nothing to do with public recognition and status.

What do they lead to decoys?

When a person sets false goals for himself, their achievement does not bring satisfaction. Central character In the novel A Hero of Our Time, Pechorin set various goals for himself all his life, hoping that their achievement would bring him joy. He falls in love with the women he likes. Using all means, he wins their hearts, but later loses interest. So, becoming interested in Bela, he decides to steal her, and then achieve the location of a wild Circassian. However, having reached the goal, Pechorin begins to get bored, her love does not bring him happiness. In the chapter "Taman" he meets a strange girl and a blind boy who are involved in smuggling. In an effort to find out their secret, he does not sleep for days and watches them. His excitement is fueled by a sense of danger, but on the way to achieving the goal, he changes people's lives. Being exposed, the girl is forced to flee and leave the blind boy and the elderly woman to fend for themselves. Pechorin does not set himself true goals, he only strives to dispel boredom, which not only leads him to disappointment, but also breaks the fate of people who are on his way.

The main questions posed by the author in the novel

Any piece of art always a lot of trouble. The novel by M. Yu. Lermontov is no exception. The poet tries to answer timeless questions that concern people from era to era: what is the meaning of life for a person, happiness, good and evil, dignity and honor, what place does love and friendship take. The themes dictated by the time in which the author and his hero live are very important: the destiny of man, freedom of choice, individualism. All this defines the problematics of the "Hero of Our Time".

How can we, readers, determine the range of basic questions of a brilliant work, who from actors surely help us to identify them? Main character. In A Hero of Our Time, the problems of the novel are “highlighted” precisely in the character of Pechorin, simultaneously reflecting both the personality of Lermontov himself and his worldview.

Philosophical problems in the novel "A Hero of Our Time"

"Why did I live? for what purpose was I born? - Pechorin asks this question and cannot find an answer. The vainness of existence burdens the hero, vegetation is not suitable young man who feels "in the soul of immense strength."

Trying to plunge into the fullness of life, Pechorin involuntarily becomes the culprit of the destruction of destinies different people. Bela dies, whose fate is broken for the sake of selfishness, the whim of Pechorin. Maksim Maksimych is offended mental callousness your friend. " Honest smugglers forced to hide, the fate of the old woman and the blind man is unknown. “Yes, and what do I care about human joys and misfortunes! ..” - and in this exclamation Pechorin's individualism becomes especially understandable. We, the readers, follow how inventively tempts Grigory Mary, having no serious intentions, how he acts in relation to Grushnitsky, how he enjoys undivided power over Vera ...

“I weigh, analyze my own passions and actions with strict curiosity, but without participation. There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him ... ”, - reading the lines of the magazine, we understand that individualism is a life program, the main driving force Pechorin's character, he is aware of what is happening. Yearning for the “high purpose”, which I could not “guess”, main character novel analyzes his actions, deeds, moods. “I look at the sufferings and joys of others only in relation to myself, as food that supports my spiritual strength.”

The problematics of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" includes the problem of predestination human destiny, and the question of the origins of the individualism of the Lermontov generation. Where does Pechorin's individualism originate?

In the bet proposed by Lieutenant Vulich, the question was decided, "can a person arbitrarily dispose of his life." Pechorin, who claims that "there is no predestination," involuntarily changes his mind after the shot - too "the evidence was striking."

But he immediately stops himself in this faith, remembering that he has "the rule not to reject anything decisively and not to trust anything blindly." And later, tempting fate and endangering life, he sneers at human beliefs. And, as if challenging blind beliefs that deprive a person of freedom, true, inner freedom, he clearly indicates his true worldview: I know what awaits me…”

The meaning of life, the purpose of man, freedom of choice, individualism - these philosophical problems in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" were for the first time so clearly and accurately formulated by the poet, it is for this reason that Lermontov's work became the first philosophical novel Russian literature of the 19th century.

The problem of happiness in "A Hero of Our Time"

Pechorin's whole life is in search of a clue to human happiness. With interest, he conducts a conversation with an undine singing his wonderful song, but the ease of relating to happiness is not for Pechorin. “Where it is sung, there one is happy”, “where it will not be better, it will be worse there, and again it is not far from bad to good”, - Gregory does not accept such a philosophy.

“What is happiness? Saturated pride,” he writes in the magazine. It would seem that the hero has everything to satiate his pride: they obey his will and love the people with whom fate brings. Faith loves faithfully, Mary is captivated by his charm and perseverance, is happy to be friends with Grigory Werner, Maxim Maksimych is attached to Pechorin, like a son.

Faced with completely different characters, Pechorin continuously tries to satiate his pride, but there is no happiness, instead of him time after time comes boredom and fatigue from life.

Among philosophical problems, the problem of happiness in A Hero of Our Time occupies an important place.

Moral problems in the novel "A Hero of Our Time"

Not only philosophical, but also moral problems in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" are very significant. “The History of the Human Soul” is written by Lermontov, therefore on the pages of the work we observe how Pechorin decides for himself the issues of good and evil, freedom of choice, responsibility, how he reflects on the possibility and place in own life love and friendship.

The love that Gregory longs for and strives for is incomprehensible to him. His love “brought happiness to no one”, because he loved “for his own pleasure”, simply absorbing the feelings and sufferings of people, not being saturated with them and giving nothing in return. Stories with Bela and Mary are a vivid confirmation of this.

Analyzing the ability for friendship, Pechorin concludes that he is “incapable of it either: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other,” he does not know how to be a slave, and considers managing others to be tedious work that requires deception. Having become a friend with Dr. Werner, Pechorin will never be able or will not want to let him into his inner world- doesn't trust anyone.

In the soul of the protagonist, only fatigue, in his opinion, exhausted and "the heat of the soul, and the constancy of will necessary for real life; I entered this life, having already experienced it mentally, and I became bored and disgusted.

The modernity of the problems of the novel

We, the readers, do not accept much in the character of Pechorin, we simply cannot understand even more. It makes no sense to accuse the hero of selfishness and individualism, that he wasted his life on empty passions and whims. Yes, the main character is like that, but is it an accident or the author's intention?

It is worth re-reading the preface of Lermontov himself to the novel, and finding the lines: “Enough people were fed with sweets ... bitter medicines, caustic truths are needed.” Pechorin is sincere in his skepticism, he does not put himself above everyone else, but genuinely suffers from the fact that he sees no way out, cannot find the ideal. He looked so deeply and explored his own soul that he does not feed on illusions, but courageously sees himself as he is. But without this, development and progress are impossible. Being a man of his time, he reflects the path that his generation had to take - to discard romantic illusions, insincere ideals, to learn a sober look at reality and himself, so that future generations can go further, seeing ideals and goals.

“You will tell me again that a person cannot be so bad, but I will tell you that if you believed the possibility of the existence of all tragic and romantic villains, why do you not believe in the reality of Pechorin? more truth than you would like?" Here it is, bitter medicine - Pechorin, whose worldview turns out to be a cleansing step into the future. The poet is right, morality wins from "caustic truths".

Philosophical and moral - these are the main problems raised in the "Hero of Our Time". They make us, readers, think about our own purpose in life, about the complex relationship between the world and man, they make this work alive, modern at any time and era.

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What philosophical problems are posed in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"

In the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time" raises various philosophical questions.

First, the problem of interaction between man and nature. As always, Lermontov's nature here is a good, fertile beginning, it is healing for the hero's tormented soul. Pechorin in the novel is able to subtly feel and understand nature. Let's remember how he admires the summer morning before the duel. In his diary, he lovingly describes the landscape that opens from the windows of his apartment in Pyatigorsk.

At the same time, the hero is a man of "culture", "civilization", and in this sense he is opposed to "natural" people - mountaineers, Bela, Azamat; smugglers and undines. Thus, the author covers this conflict in the traditional literary way.

Another problem that is acute in the novel is the problem of the meaning of life. Pechorin in Lermontov painfully tries to guess his own destiny. A man of strong will and great opportunities, he tends to active life. Dissatisfied with his aimless existence, passionately longing for an ideal, but not finding it, he asks: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born? ... And, it is true, it existed, and, it is true, I had a high purpose, because I feel immense powers in my soul; but I did not guess the destination, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; from their furnace I came out hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations, best color life." "Born for high purpose”, he is forced to live in languid inactivity or waste his strength on deeds unworthy of a real person. Instead of active, meaningful activity, Pechorin is busy with secular intrigues.

Great importance is attached in the novel to the concepts of "happiness", "friendship", "love". The author reveals to us the view of his hero on these categories. However, Pechorin understands these concepts distortedly. Happiness, according to him, is "saturated pride." He perceives the sufferings and joys of others “only in relation to himself” as food that supports his spiritual strength. Pechorin's life is "boring and disgusting." Doubts devastated him to the point that he had only two convictions left: birth is a misfortune, and death is inevitable. The feeling of love and the need for friendship in the representation of Pechorin have long lost their value. “Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other,” he says. Love for the hero is satisfied ambition, "sweet food ... pride." “To arouse in oneself a feeling of love, devotion and fear - is this not the first sign and triumph of power?” Pechorin writes in his diary. Yes, simple human feelings and relationships - love, friendship - are inaccessible to the hero.

Many philosophical problems are covered by the author in Pechorin's diary. Here Lermontov uses epithets (“immense pleasure”, “sweet food”, “frantic impulses”), metaphors (“the soul, suffering and enjoying, gives a strict account of itself”, “my heart turns to stone”), rhetorical questions ( “Sometimes I despise myself… isn’t that why I despise others too?”).

The most important philosophical problem novel is the problem of fate, fate and free will of man. This topic is devoted to the story that ends the novel - "The Fatalist". On the example of the history of Vulich, we see the significance of fate, fate, dominating a person. But Pechorin, having disarmed Vulich's killer, is here on own example affirms the importance of a person's personal will.

This philosophical tale has great ideological and compositional significance. Finishing the novel on this note, M.Yu. Lermontov gives it a life-affirming, optimistic sound (the hero, who died on the way from Persia, here defeats fate itself). At the same time, there is an underlying authorial motive here - a call for a person to an active, active life. And in this - author's position M.Yu. Lermontov.

The novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time" is the final work of the writer's work. It reflected the problems that deeply worried the author, as well as his contemporaries. Their range is extremely wide, this circumstance determined the deep and serious problems, the complex genre nature of the novel, as well as the features of its composition.

Central problem The novel, according to the definition of V. G. Belinsky, is “an important question about the inner man, a question to which the age has responded.” However, despite the fact that the problem inner man"is the main one in the work, it is closely connected with the historical situation, which is typical for the time of action in the novel and for the time of its writing, since Lermontov's hero is a contemporary of the writer.

Lermontov's novel is deep and complex in its subject matter. The questions posed in it are of a social, or public, moral, as well as philosophical nature. The main problems that the author of the novel “A Hero of Our Time” raises are: the problem of the meaning of life, the problem of predetermining human fate and freedom of choice, the problem contemporary author generation "wandering the earth without conviction and pride", the problem of public and personal duty, the problem of friendship and love, and many others.

With all the diversity of the themes of the novel, the central problem of the work is the question of the “inner man”, and the main author’s task is to learn and understand the “history of the human soul”, which is “almost more curious and more useful than the history of an entire people”.

The original composition of the novel attracts special attention; it was chosen by M. Yu. Lermontov in accordance with the author's task: to learn and understand the "history of the human soul."

The peculiarity of the composition of Lermontov's novel is as follows: consisting of separate chapters, the novel, nevertheless, is surprisingly integral, since its parts are united by one hero and a single author's thought. In the novel, the chapters are not arranged in the order in which the events described in it in the life of the hero could take place. So, the reader learns about Pechorin's death on the way from Persia in the preface to Pechorin's Journal, and after it follows chapters telling about the hero's life in the Caucasus: "Taman", "Princess Mary" and "Fatalist". Besides, latest short story returns the reader to fortress N. in which the action of the first story "Bela" takes place. Thus, the composition of Lermontov's novel can be defined as circular, which is very symbolic.

Such an unusual composition was chosen by M. Yu. Lermontov not by chance, it is aimed at revealing the image of the main character, his character, helps the author first to interest the reader in the personality of Pechorin, and then gradually reveal to him the riddle of this personality. In the first story of the novel "Bela" we learn about Pechorin thanks to Maxim Maksimych, a man who is far from the hero in his social origin, temperament and age, therefore the staff captain only points out the features of the "hero of his time", but cannot explain them. Thanks to this, Pechorin appears in the story before the reader in the form of a mysterious romantic hero, which fearlessly goes to the boar, but at the same time flinches at the knock of the window shutter.

The veil of the mystery of Pechorin's personality in the travel essay "Maxim Maksimych" is slightly opened before us by a wandering officer who is a representative of the same generation and social environment with Lermontov's hero. The narrator gives a psychological portrait of Pechorin, trying to explain the features of his character with physiological features.
However, it is not possible to find out the “history of the human soul”, to find and understand the “inner man”, making only assumptions about him from the outside. Therefore, in the subsequent chapters of the novel, which make up the Pechorin Journal, M. Yu. Lermontov transfers authorship to the main character. The story in "Taman", "Princess Mary" and "Fatalist" is conducted in the first person, the story "Princess Mary" is especially noteworthy in this regard, which has the form personal diary. In it, Pechorin explores the features of his nature, his own vices, as well as the vices of others and the mechanism of human relationships. The hero sets himself and tries to find answers to questions of a social, moral, and also philosophical nature.

Among the predecessors of M. Yu. Lermontov in world literature are the French novelists Chateaubriand, Constant and Musset (“Confession of the son of the century”), who created shortly before the appearance of Lermontov’s work on canvas psychological novel the story of a hero of his time.

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