In the spring of 1940 a separate edition of the work “Hero of Our Time”, written by Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov, was published. This novel has become one of the most interesting and extraordinary phenomena in Russian literature. This book has been the subject of much research and debate for more than a century and a half. It does not lose its sharpness and relevance these days. Belinsky also wrote about this book that she was never destined to grow old. We also decided to turn to her and write our essay. Grushnitsky and Pechorin are very interesting characters.
Generation feature
Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, the protagonist of the novel under consideration, lived during the time of Lermontov, that is, around the thirties of the nineteenth century. This time was a period of gloomy reaction that came after the Decembrist uprising in 1825 and its defeat. At that time, a man of advanced thinking could not find application for his talents and powers. Doubt, disbelief, denial were the characteristics of the consciousness of the young generation of those years. The ideals of the fathers were rejected by them “from the cradle”, and then these people doubted moral standards and values ​​as such. Therefore, V. G. Belinsky wrote that "Pechorin suffers deeply," because he cannot use the powerful forces of his soul.
New Art Tools
Lermontov, creating his work, depicted life as it is in reality. This required new artistic means, and he found them. Neither Western nor Russian literature knew these means, and to this day they cause our admiration due to the combination of a wide and free image of characters with the ability to objectively show them, to reveal one hero through the prism of perception of another.
Let us consider in more detail the two main characters of this novel. This is Pechorin and Grushnitsky.
The image of Pechorin
Pechorin was an aristocrat by birth, received a standard secular education. Coming out of parental care, he went "into the great light" in order to enjoy all the pleasures. However, soon such a frivolous life bothered him, bored the hero and reading books. Pechorin, after some story, sensational in St. Petersburg, is referred to the Caucasus.
Representing the appearance of the hero, the author points out with a few strokes to his origin: "noble forehead", "pale", "small" hand. This character is a hardy and physically strong person. He is endowed with a mind that values ​​critically the world around him.
The character of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin
Pechorin thinks about the problems of good and evil, friendship and love, about the meaning of our life. He is self-critical in assessing his contemporaries, saying that his generation is incapable of sacrificing not only for the good of mankind, but also for his personal happiness. The hero is well versed in people, he is not satisfied with the sluggish life of the "water society", he appreciates the aristocrats of the capital, giving them annihilating characteristics. The deepest and most complete inner world of Pechorin is revealed in the false story "Princess Mary" during a meeting with Grushnitsky. The characterization of Pechorin and Grushnitsky in their confrontation is an example of a profound psychological analysis of Mikhail Yurievich Lermontov.
Grushnitsky
The author of the work “Hero of Our Time” did not give the name and patronymic to this character, calling him simply by his surname - Grushnitsky. This is an ordinary young man, a junker, dreaming of great love and stars on his uniform. His passion is to produce an effect. Grushnitsky goes to Princess Mary in a new uniform, smelling of perfume, deflated. This hero - mediocrity, which is characterized by weakness, excusable, though at his age - is a "passion to recite" and "drape" into some unusual feelings. Grushnitsky seeks to play the role of a disappointed hero, fashionable at that time, posing as a creature endowed with "secret suffering". This hero is a parody of Pechorin, and quite successful, because it is not for nothing that the young cunker is so unpleasant to the latter.
Confrontation: Pechorin and Grushnitsky
Grushnitsky with his behavior emphasizes the nobility of Grigory Alexandrovich, but, on the other hand, as if erases any differences between them. Pechorin himself was spying on Princess Mary and Grushnitsky, which, of course, is not a noble act. I must say that he never loved Princess, but only used her love and gullibility to fight his enemy - Grushnitsky.
The latter, as a dim-witted person, does not at first understand Pechorin's attitude to himself. He seems to himself a self-confident person, very significant and insightful. Grushnitsky says condescendingly: "I feel sorry for you, Pechorin." However, events do not develop according to the plan of Grigory Alexandrovich. Already overwhelmed by jealousy, indignation and passion, the junker appears before the reader in a completely different light, turning out to be far from so harmless. He is capable of meanness, dishonesty and revenge. The hero who played recently in nobility is capable of launching a bullet at an unarmed person today. The duel of Grushnitsky and Pechorin reveals the true essence of the first, who rejects reconciliation, and Grigory Alexandrovich calmly shoots and kills him. The hero dies, having drunk the cup of hatred and shame of remorse to the end. In short, this is the confrontation waged by the two main characters - Pechorin and Grushnitsky. The comparative characteristics of their images form the basis of the entire work.
Reflections of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin
Before going on a duel (Pechorin with Grushnitsky), Grigory Alexandrovich, recalling his life, asks questions about why he lived, why he was born. And he answers to himself that he feels the "high purpose", immense forces in himself. Then Grigory Alexandrovich realizes that for a long time he has only been an “ax” in the hands of fate. There is a contrast of mental strength and unworthy hero of petty deeds. He wants to "love the whole world", but brings only misfortune and evil to people. High, noble aspirations degenerate into petty feelings, and the desire to live a full life - into hopelessness and a consciousness of doom. The position of this hero is tragic, he is lonely. The duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky clearly showed this.
Lermontov called his novel so because the hero for him is not a role model, but only a portrait, which make up the vices of the modern generation’s author in their full development.
Conclusion
The character of Grushnitsky, therefore, helps to reveal the main qualities of his nature in Pechorin. This is a crooked mirror of Grigory Alexandrovich, shading the significance and truth of the experiences of the “suffering egoist”, the exceptionalism and depth of his personality. With particular strength in the situation with Grushnitsky, all the danger lurking in the depths of this type is revealed, the destructive force inherent in individualistic philosophy, which is inherent in romanticism. Lermontov showed all the abysses of the human soul, not trying to make a moral sentence. Pechorin and Grushnitsky, therefore, is not a positive and negative hero. The psychology of Pechorin is far from unambiguous, as in the character of Grushnitsky one can find some positive qualities.