“Princess Mary”, the head of Lermontov’s work “A Hero of Our Time”, tells us about vain human passions, heartlessness, irresponsibility, and finally - immorality of the modern author of society.
The protagonist of the work - a man endowed with a sharp mind and inner nobility, used them for insignificant entertainments, which the language does not turn out to be called innocent. He himself sees "the suffering and joys of others ... as food supporting my spiritual strength." Largely due to this "energy vampirism" the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. Analysis of the episode, as well as all previous events, allows us to come to this conclusion.
The nature of Grushnitsky
The dynamics of the development of the relations of these characters is one of the main ones in the story. The author shows the reader a short way from hostility to hatred, from stupidity to meanness, from narcissism to aggression. Before starting the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, it is necessary to understand what made young people pick up weapons.
So, in Pyatigorsk, on the waters, two people meet. They do not like each other, but at the same time maintain friendly relations. Pechorin Grushnitsky despises. In his opinion, he is stupid, pompous, little capable of a sincere feeling. The whole life of a young junker - pretense, even the soldier’s greatcoat, which he wears, following the new Caucasian fashion, does not mean anything, because soon the young man will be promoted to officer.
The personality of Pechorin
All that Grushnitsky is trying to demonstrate is possessed by Pechorin. And disappointment in life, and a rich past, and power over the female heart. In principle, the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky should indeed begin with a characterization of opponents.
There is no positive character in this work, although the character on whose behalf the narrative is being conducted still looks preferable. Pechorin, at least indisputably, is smart and able not to lie even to himself. And this quality is generally quite rare in people.
The habit of the protagonist constantly dissect their own feelings, perhaps somewhere played a cruel joke with him. He himself admits that his personality is bifurcated: one Pechorin lives, the other closely watches him. It must be said that he copes with this task perfectly, without sparing his alter ego, not a bit. It is not surprising that those around him become the object of equally unfriendly attention.
In every person, Pechorin sees weaknesses and vices - and cannot find in himself neither the strength nor the desire to forgive them.
Illusory love
But back to the story, the key to which is the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky: a brief summary of their disagreement is quite capable of proving that the reason was not so much a woman as the characteristics of the characters.
The young cadet begins to care for the Moscow princess. The reason is her touching participation in a wounded soldier (after all, Grushnitsky shows off in his greatcoat) - the girl gives him a dropped glass.
An insignificant event is enough for the romantic hero to rush stubbornly to play the role of a madly in love. Watching him amuses Pechorin - Grushnitsky is completely deprived of both a sense of proportion and the ability to self-criticize. It not only seems to the young man that he is at the mercy of a sincere feeling - he immediately convinces himself of his reciprocity and brings his nonexistent rights to an outsider, in essence, a woman.
“You cannot confuse real tenderness ...”
The subsequent analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky clearly shows how little love is in the heart of a young cunker and how much is wounded pride. After all, he did not hesitate to slander his beloved, trying to denigrate her name - and yet Princess Mary did nothing wrong with him. Prone to exaggerate everything in the world, Grushnitsky interpreted her innocent interest and disposition as love. But is the girl to blame?
The reason for the loss of interest in Grushnitsky was, among other things, Pechorin, who was partly out of boredom, partly to spite the so-called buddy, seeking from the young princess great feelings. He is smart, educated, interesting as an interlocutor. It is all the more easy for him because he himself is cold-blooded - which means that the probability of a mistake is small. Using knowledge of female nature, Pechorin becomes the cause of sleepless nights and deep sadness of an innocent creature.
Irresponsibility and vice
In this sense, the main character of the story does not cause sympathy - at least in the female part of the audience. He did not behave in the best way with Princess Mary, and with his old love, Faith, and even with her husband. Such behavior is all the more unforgivable because nobility is not at all alien to the hero: the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky does not contradict this version.
The events of the story begin to rush after the young cunker is finally convinced that the opponent was more successful. He does not shun anything to deprive Princess Mary of Pechorin’s society - and makes a big mistake. Grushnitsky cannot offer anything in return: his conversation is boring and monotonous, he himself is ridiculous. Savvy Mary quickly becomes disillusioned with her gentleman, which infuriates him.
Formally, it was thanks to this unfortunate passion that the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. An analysis of the behavior of both characters compels one to pay tribute to the main character of the story. At least he should not be charged with cowardice and meanness.
His Majesty Chance
Not to be ridiculed by Pechorin by chance: a young officer accidentally becomes a secret witness to the shameful agreement between Grushnitsky and his new friend, a dragoon captain. This personality is very interesting and appears in the story as a kind of incendiary demon, which confirms the analysis of the duel Pechorin and Grushnitsky. According to the villain’s plan (with which, however, the young officer agreed), the conditions of the duel were to make the hated “favorite of fate” show cowardice. To put the opponents at six paces, to give them unloaded pistols and to amuse themselves with the fright of the victim - that was the original plan of the “Grushnitsky gang”.
After the incident in the garden, when the protagonist was spotted near the princess’s balcony (and, in fact, returning from a meeting with married Vera), the plans of the dragoon captain changed. The reason was the blow that Pechorin inflicted on him in the dark. Enraged, the villain set out to destroy the offender, using his young friend for low purposes. Now the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, the reasons for which, in essence, lies in the idleness and unimportant mental qualities of the participants, is gaining even more food for thought: the unlucky contender for Princess Mary’s heart agrees that the fight takes place on other conditions. It was decided to charge only one gun - even if it would be a cold-blooded murder.
Test of endurance
All these secret plans become known to the protagonist: an analysis of the duel Pechorin and Grushnitsky, in short, gives reason to think that the main character of the story is also looking for an excuse to kill yesterday’s friend. Only before that she wants to finally make sure of the baseness of the enemy in order to "give herself the full right not to spare him."
Already in preparation for the duel, Pechorin changes his conditions to even more severe ones. Now each of the duelists must wait for a shot at the very edge of the mountain site - then almost any wound will be fatal, since the enemy hit by a bullet will certainly fall on sharp stones. Pechorin patiently awaits the shot of the wavering Grushnitsky - and only after the bullet has scratched his leg, he orders to load his gun.
Fun price
The young man, who has shown himself not in the best way, does not resist and even gives a fair assessment of his own actions, responding to the enemy’s offer to make peace: “I despise myself, but I hate you ... there is no place for both of us on earth”.
Only now, having achieved the desired, Pechorin shoots. When the smoke dissipates, everyone sees that the edge of the site is empty, and the winner, faithful to the image of the cynic, gives a peculiar assessment of what happened:
finita la comedia, stunning even his own second.
So the duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky ends. An analysis of the feelings of the protagonist tells the reader that what happened did not bring him pleasure at all - it is hard on his heart.
The denouement can hardly be considered happy: Grushnitsky died, the life of Vera was destroyed, which in the frenzy of concern for her lover admitted to her husband in treason, the heart of a young princess was broken. I must admit that Pechorin was entertained by fame ...