The meaning of the title of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time". When we pronounce the name of Lermontov, deep reflection and endless admiration, which always excite his works, is mixed with a feeling of regret and bitterness. It is unlikely that in all world literature one can recall another equally great poet, whose life was cut short so early. Lermontov died four years after Pushkin's death. And in these four years his best poems, poems and a brilliant novel "A Hero of Our Time".
The novel solves the problem of why smart and energetic people do not find use for their remarkable abilities and “wither without a fight” at the very beginning. life path? Lermontov answers this question with the life story of Grigory Pechorin - young man belonging to the generation of the 30s of the XIX century. main topic novel - the image of a typical personality of the noble circle and her life after the defeat of the Decembrists. The leading thought is the condemnation of this person, and also the sharp rejection of the social environment that gave birth to him. Why is the novel so named? Why is Pechorin a "hero of his time"?
This is a romantic in character and behavior, a man of exceptional abilities, an outstanding mind, and a strong will. He is characterized by the highest aspirations for social activity and ardent desires. He rises above the people of his environment with a versatile education, wide awareness in literature, sciences, and philosophy. He is familiar with the socio-philosophical theories of utopians, objective and subjective idealists. He himself is a materialist and an atheist. He sees the main drawback in the inability of his generation "to make great sacrifices for the good of mankind." Hating and despising aristocrats, Pechorin converges closer with people of democratic views.
Pechorin is not devoid of good impulses and does not hide his sympathy for the oppressed, but his good aspirations have not been developed. The spiritual emptiness of the upper world distorted and drowned out the possibilities of Pechorin, disfigured his moral character, and reduced his vital activity (like many other young people of that time). According to N. G. Chernyshevsky, Pechorin is “an example of what the best, strongest, noblest people become under the influence of the social situation of their circle.” Pechorin fully felt and understood that under the conditions of autocracy, meaningful activity for the sake of the common good is impossible for him and his generation. Doubts devastated Pechorin to the point that he had only two convictions left: birth is a misfortune, and death is inevitable. Divorced from secular society, to which he belongs by birth and upbringing, denouncing him, he creates a cruel judgment on himself, in this, according to V. G. Belinsky, "strength of spirit and power of will."
Morally crippled, Pechorin lost his good goals, turned into a cold, cruel egoist, frozen in proud solitude, hated even by himself. "Intense pride" - this is how he defined human happiness. He perceives the sufferings and joys of others “only in relation to himself” as food that supports his spiritual strength. For the sake of a capricious whim, without much thought, he tore Bela out of his native soil and destroyed her. They are unfairly and completely undeservedly offended by the good old staff captain Maxim Maksimych. For the sake of empty red tape and curiosity, he ruined the nest of "honest smugglers." They violated Vera's family peace, grossly offended the love and dignity of Princess Mary.
Pechorin, according to N. A. Dobrolyubov, not knowing where to go and where to put his strength, exhausts the heat of the soul into petty passions and insignificant deeds. The position and fate of Pechorin are tragic. The tragedy of Pechorin is that neither the surrounding reality nor his characteristic individualism and skepticism satisfies him. Having lost faith in everything, corroded by the darkest doubts, he, like many young people of his time, greedily reaches for meaningful, socially oriented activity, but in those circumstances he does not find it. Pechorin is a suffering egoist, an egoist involuntarily, due to circumstances that determine his character and actions.
Lermontov shows that a person's character is influenced by social conditions, the environment in which he lives. Pechorin was not born a "moral cripple." Nature gave him a deep, sharp mind, and a sympathetic heart, and a strong will. The society is to blame for the fact that Pechorin’s wonderful inclinations died, society is to blame, social conditions in which the hero was brought up and lived. The author created a truthful, typical image, which reflected the essential features of a whole generation: "... this is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development." In the image of Pechorin, Lermontov passes judgment on the younger generation of the 1930s. "Admire what the heroes of our time are!" - he tells the whole content of the book. They "are no longer capable of great sacrifices, either for the good of mankind, or even for their own ... happiness." This is a rebuke the best people era, and a call for civic exploits. Lermontov deeply and comprehensively revealed the inner world of his hero, his psychology, conditioned by time and environment, told "the history of the human soul." V. G. Belinsky said that the novel is a true work, which reflected social problems that worried progressive, thinking contemporaries: “... whatever it is, this reality, it will tell us more, teach us more than all fiction and moralist teachings...
There are several reasons why M. Yu. Lermontov chose such a title for the novel. Firstly, the central character is a bright representative of his time, his views are a reflection of the aspirations and hopes of the era. The author reveals an extremely controversial personality, who is in constant search for the truth. But is Grigory Pechorin able to find her?
Why does Pechorin, as a hero of his time, express the era?
The main character, like Eugene Onegin, does not feel happy, but it was not the inner emptiness that made him a selfish person, this is to blame for completely different reasons. Mikhail Lermontov explains personality traits representatives of their generation by the influence of external circumstances and, above all, by the influence of the entire social structure. Grigory Pechorin is endowed with freedom of choice, but his actions reflect not so much his own desires as the power of external forces over his life.
The main character can hardly be called a representative of the majority. In Russia during the time of Nicholas I, there were not so many of them. But it was in the image of Pechorin that the typical features of a nobleman of the 30s were reflected.
His views on the world are far from philistine, almost petty-bourgeois views. nobility. Pechorin has a lively, extraordinary mind that distinguishes him from the majority. A critical approach to reality is often similar to the opinion of the writer himself.
Characteristics of the time described by M.Yu. Lermontov in the novel
During the period when the “Hero of Our Time” was being created, there were important events. The works of Hegel, Fourier, Rousseau and other philosophers of the European Enlightenment began to penetrate into Russia.
At the same time, our country began to revive its own socio-philosophical thought, which was expressed in the formation of the ideology of Slavophilism. This is the time when ideas and trends began to emerge, not yet fully realized, but already loudly declaring their existence. Therefore, the work of M. Yu. Lermontov reflects the "incompleteness" of the era.
The word "hero" in the title of the novel and its meaning
This is a multi-valued word, so let's try to figure out what meaning it carries in the title. Hero is the main actor works, a bright representative of his time, who received such a title for special merits. But does Pechorin really deserve the right to be called a hero, because not all of his actions can be called heroic. He certainly stands out from the crowd, and as a result, the events in which the character is involved are extraordinary.
Pechorin is a complete character, now and then getting into unusual situations. The author presents him as a person whose appearance in this era is quite natural. Probably other heroes could not have arisen at this time.
Yes, he is different from others, but still he is a typical representative of his segment of history. The spleen, inner split and selfishness are characteristic not only of him, but of the whole society.
As a result, it turns out that when choosing the name, Mikhail Lermontov was guided by the desire to present Pechorin as " business card"of his time. The image of the protagonist combines typicality and uniqueness. At the same time, we clearly understand that in another era, Pechorin's fate would have been different.
According to Lermontov's original plan, The Hero of Our Time was to be published not as a whole novel, but as a collection of individual stories about Pechorin. In 1839-40, they were published in the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine, but at the end of 1840 a whole book was published, and then everyone realized that a single coherent work had turned out. The assessment of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" by critics was deeply positive, even Belinsky admired artistic talent Lermontov.
The meaning of the title of the novel "A Hero of Our Time"
In the image of the main character, Lermontov very clearly shows what he is - the hero of their time, and how he differs from the heroes of previous eras, Chatsky and Onegin. This is a talented young man who, through the fault of a cruel regime and a society that does not understand him, cannot fully realize his abilities. He has no choice, he is forced to obey orders. Thus, Lermontov concludes: the hero of our time is lost generation who is tormented by an uninteresting life, who cannot be needed in this world.
Features of romanticism in the novel
It immediately became clear to the public that this work belongs to the current of romanticism. The hero of our time contains many typically romantic traits:
1) For example, Pechorin's autobiography; many of his thoughts are the thoughts of Lermontov, many of the events described in the novel actually happened. Only the appearance of the hero is different - Lermontov copied her from Stolypin, since he himself was ugly, and he was very jealous of Stolypin.
2) Much attention is paid hero's inner world: Pechorin keeps a diary, where all his feelings are displayed.
3) Pechorin's personality itself contains many riddles. It is not clear where Pechorin came from from the very beginning and because of what he later died.
4) The hero is very bright, he is in constant conflict with others and strives for freedom. Lermontov reveals the image of Pechorin through the secondary characters of the novel.
Lermontov tries to describe her era and her generation by means of a romantic understanding of her hero. This is exactly what the title of the novel says. It is shown that initially Pechorin is a very bright and rich nature, he has a lot of good things in him. But it is difficult for such a person to survive in the real world, and the superman gradually turns into an extra person who cannot realize his inclinations when he finds himself in a difficult situation.
Images of the novel "A Hero of Our Time"
The image of Pechorin is a dispute with the image of Onegin: these are two different heroes from different eras. AT Pushkin era When Onegin lived, the hero had much more opportunities for self-improvement and realization, and only he himself is to blame for the fact that Onegin feels superfluous and bored. With Pechorin, the author removes the blame for his unsuccessful life, society, the generation and the whole world are to blame for it: Pechorin has little choice - either service or resignation.
Although in the case of Pechorin, resignation is also impossible - he is a penal, an ensign demoted due to a duel for 28 years. It is this fact that aggravates Junker Grushnitsky. In conversations with girls, he does not want to admit that he is still too young, that he is a cadet, so he tells everyone that he has been demoted. Thus, it turns out that Grushnitsky boasts of the fact that for Pechorin is shameful and insulting.
Grushnitsky is a parody double of Pechorin, therefore, it must be destroyed. This is what happens in their duel with Pechorin. Here Lermontov again allows himself to refer to Pushin's Eugene Onegin, but the parallel is inaccurate: Grushnitsky was never a friend of Pechorin, and his death is not at all an accident, as was the case with Lensky, but a pattern. Thus, Pechorin himself creates his own destiny, destroying interference.
