Lermontov in "The Hero of Our Time" reflected the fate of a whole generation of interesting, educated and talented people, great geniuses, whom the 30s of the 19th century were oversaturated with. It is unfortunate, but they often ended their lives foolishly, as they aimlessly drove themselves into a complete moral and emotional impasse. What is the tragedy of Pechorin? Perhaps, to begin with, the author put a number of different human vices into the portrait of our hero, which he often noticed from his contemporaries. These vices, like soul-eaters, acted destructively on a person, led into complete despair, led to shameful and reckless actions, led to insanity and even suicide.
We are writing an essay on the theme "What is the tragedy of Pechorin"
In this amazing hero, Lermontov showed a very delicate and vulnerable soul tormented by constant anxious thoughts about something global and incomprehensible to the average person.
What is the tragedy of Pechorin? In his young years, he tried to understand the meaning of life and to figure out for himself what it was given for, why it was so boring and meaningless, and why the feeling of happiness is just a moment. Why can a person endowed with outstanding qualities not find a place in a busy life, different from the general crowd of people, is he doomed to misunderstanding and loneliness?
Portrait of a hero
Now we’ll take a closer look at exactly what the tragedy of Pechorin is in. For a complete disclosure of the complexity of the nature of this far from the most positive character, it is worth paying attention to such insignificant features of his appearance as a dark mustache and eyebrows with different blond hair, which indicate his extraordinary, contradictory nature and natural aristocracy. And here is another characteristic detail of the portrait: his eyes never laughed and shone with a steel cold glow. Oh, that says a lot! Lermontov shows his hero in a variety of and unexpected circumstances.
Let us consider the reasons for the tragedy of Pechorin when he, by his nature, would seem to be a minion of fate: smart, handsome, not poor, ladies adore him, but he has nowhere to rest, and therefore his meaningless life ends at the peak of maturity.
Grigory Aleksandrovich is not a noble warrior or a hero-lover at all, he is a fatal man who, wherever he appears, brings only troubles, therefore Mikhail Yuryevich literally puts him specially in the most diverse sections of society: to the highlanders, smugglers, and the “water society”. At the same time, Pechorin himself suffered no less than the people around him. But only he did not suffer from remorse, but most of all he worried from the dissatisfaction of his ambitions and the complete absurdity of all the enterprises he started for the sake of fun, which was conceived for the sake of entertainment, in order to experience the severity of feelings.
Seducer
So why did everything connected with him end so tragically? And everything seemed to be happening not on purpose, but as if by accident, even quite by accident, sometimes under the guise of nobility, so to speak, from pure motives. Many of his close circle wanted to see him as a reliable patron and friend, but they simply poisoned themselves by talking to him. Partly on this the story "The Hero of Our Time" is built. The tragedy of Pechorin lies in the fact that he understood this, but did not want to do anything, he didn’t feel sorry for anyone, he never really loved anyone and was not seriously attached.
Let us plunge into his biography, which testifies in detail to his noble origin and that he received absolutely typical education and upbringing for his circle. As soon as he felt freedom from the guardianship of his relatives, he immediately set off in pursuit of the pleasures of secular society, which could not have done without adventures. Having immediately taken the path of seducing female hearts, he began to start novels to the right and left. But when he achieved his goal, he was instantly bored, he quickly became disillusioned with the fact that he was so attracted yesterday, haunted and excited by his imagination, and today he no longer needed anything, he sharply became cold and indifferent, prudent and cruel selfish.
Science for salvation
Pursuing discussions about the tragedy of Pechorin, we must briefly say that, tired of love joys and flirting, he decides to devote himself to science and reading, perhaps in this, as he then thought, he would find at least some satisfaction, but no, he is also sad and lonely. Then he decides to take a desperate step and sets off for the Caucasus, mistakenly thinking that boredom does not live under Chechen bullets.
The essay on the theme “What is the tragedy of Pechorin” can be continued with the fact that Pechorin became “an ax in the hands of fate”. In the story “Taman” he was carried away by very dangerous adventures in which he himself nearly died and which ultimately led to the disruption of an established life and the doomless death of “peaceful smugglers”. In the story of Bel, one death pulled a few more along with it, in Fatalist Pechorin acts as a soothsayer, predicting the death of Vulich, which immediately happened.
The experiments
Pechorin with each new incident becomes more insensitive and selfish. In his diary, the only friend to whom he trusted his innermost thoughts, he suddenly writes that human suffering and joy have become the real spiritual food that supports his vitality. There may even be such an unremarkable opinion that he seems to be experimenting, but they are very unsuccessful. Pechorin admits to Maxim Maksimych that he is not capable of serious feelings, whether Bela or another socialite, they will bore him equally, one from ignorance and kindness, the other from habitual and constant coquetry.
Of all the storms of life, he takes out his ideas and himself admits that he has long lived not with his heart, but with his head. Parsing his own actions and passions that motivate them, he analyzes them, but somehow completely indifferently, as if it were of little concern to him, he always behaved in such a way in relations with other people.
Worthlessness and lack of demand
What could lead this man? And nothing but absolute indifference and inhumanity. He justified his actions by the fact that since childhood, adults, educating a highly noble nature in him, focused their attention on his supposedly bad qualities, which were not there, but after a while they showed up at his own request. He became vindictive, envious, ready to deceive, and eventually turned into a "moral cripple." His supposedly good intentions and desires often turned people away from him.
Pechorin with all his talents and thirst for activity remained unclaimed. His personality provokes different points of view, on the one hand - dislike, on the other - sympathy, but the tragedy of his image cannot be denied, torn by contradictions, he is similar to Onegin and Chatsky in the image, because they also set themselves apart from society and did not see any sense in its existence. And all because they did not find a lofty goal for themselves. Yes, it’s high, because such a plan of people is absolutely not interested in low-lying worldly goals. In this life they acquired only the ability to see people through, they wanted to change the whole world and the whole society. They see the path to excellence through "sharing in suffering." That's all who meet them are subjected to their uncompromising test. In general, on this you can finish the essay on the theme "What is the tragedy of Pechorin."