Lesson topic: “Portrait of a Generation” (Based on the novel “A Hero of Our Time”). The image of the lost generation in the novel “Hero of Our Time” The lost generation in the novel Hero of Our Time

The theme of the fate of a generation in Lermontov's novel "A Hero of Our Time"

The theme of the fate of a generation in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.”

Why deep knowledge, thirst for glory,

Talent and ardent love of freedom,

When can we not use them?

M.Yu. Lermontov. Monologue.

Lermontov’s youth came at a time that is commonly called the “era of timelessness.” This is a very difficult period in the history of Russia; its main feature was the lack of social ideals. The Decembrists were defeated. The best of the best were executed, exiled to Siberia... Russia entered a long period of reaction.

One of the most important issues that concern the poet is the fate of young people of the 30s. This was reflected in his work. Lermontov speaks with merciless realism about the inability of his generation to fulfill its historical mission.

I look sadly at our generation...

This is the first line of the poem "Duma". I was surprised by the “doubleness” in it: Lermontov does not separate himself from what is happening (“our generation”) and still feels own chosenness(“I look” is a view from the outside). This is the answer to his worldview: the poet has the strength to live life brightly, fully, he is trying to understand himself, to find support for his activities. His strict verdict on his peers is the desire to awaken in them a thirst for activity. This gives him the right to speak “with the rigor of a judge and a citizen.”

We find similar discussions about the “failure of the generation” of the 30s of the 19th century in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” The work is socio-psychological and moral-philosophical. “The main idea of Lermontov’s novel lies an important modern question about the inner man,” wrote Belinsky. Main character- Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Throughout the entire work, the author strives to reveal it inner world. This explains the compositional originality of the novel. The product is divided into five independent parts, arranged without chronological order. It would seem that such a construction only complicates the reader’s perception. But the answer lies in the fact that different chapters have different narrators. The novel is written in such a way that we gradually learn all the “oddities” of Pechorin. In the first chapter of “Bela”, staff captain Maxim Maksimovich talks about the hero - old man, who finds it difficult to understand Grigory Alexandrovich, because they are representatives different generations, they have different upbringings and education. Maxim Maksimovich himself admits: “He was a strange guy.” However, already in this chapter we see that Pechorin combines completely contradictory qualities: endurance and pampering, kindness and selfishness, enterprise and inactivity.

The chapter “Maksim Maksimych” in the chronological version should complete the novel, but in the test it is the second one. What is the reason? The veil over the mystery of the character of the hero is lifted by the second narrator - a casual fellow traveler of Maxim Maksimovich, a man in age, beliefs, and worldview close to Pechorin, and to the author himself, and therefore capable of understanding what is happening in the soul of the main character.

For the first time in Russian literature in this work Dan psychological portrait. Having read the description of Pechorin’s appearance, we understand that before us is a man tired of life, unable to realize the opportunities given to him by nature. It was this trait that was leading for young people of Lermontov’s generation. Pechorin cannot openly express his feelings. Rejoicing as much as it was possible for him to meet Maxim Maksimovich, he eventually only extended his hand to him. The old man is upset. But Grigory Alexandrovich also suffers from his coldness, from his inability to experience vivid emotions. Inactivity and lack of demand killed this gift in him.

But Pechorin is an intelligent man, endowed by nature with a subtle worldview. The understanding of beauty is not alien to him. It is no coincidence that through his eyes we see a description of nature in the next three chapters, which are the diary entries of Grigory Alexandrovich. He is prone to introspection, which means he is well aware of what is happening to him. Pechorin does not wish harm to anyone. But everything around him is such that he brings misfortune to those around him: the well-being of the “poor smugglers” is alarmed, Grushnitsky dies in a duel, Princess Mary is unhappy, Vera’s heart is broken. According to Pechorin himself, he plays “the role of an ax in the hands of fate.” Not evil by nature, Pechorin cannot sympathize with anyone. “And why should I care about human experiences and misfortunes,” he declares. To be fair, it must be said that Grigory Alexandrovich is capable of condemning himself for some actions, but general system this does not change his moral values. He always has his own interests in the foreground. This is especially clear from his diary entries. Reflecting on happiness, he writes: “Happiness is intense pride.”

Pechorin's moral criteria in relation to women are very questionable. Following the laws of the noble code, he is able to stand up for the “honor of an innocent girl” and challenge Grushnitsky, who is spreading rumors about Princess Mary, to a duel. But at the same time, he thoughtlessly destroys the destinies of Bela and Mary, reasoning that “inhaling the aroma of a blooming flower” is the greatest pleasure. Unable to love, he cannot be held responsible for his actions. But Pechorin himself, suffering from his own egoism, judges himself strictly. He for a long time suffers from guilt before Bela, trying to soften Mary’s disappointment, achieves last meeting with her, rushes in pursuit of the leaving Vera. “If I am the cause of the misfortune of others, then I myself am no less unhappy,” says Pechorin. He writes about his duality, about the fact that there are, as it were, two people in him, one of whom acts, the other judges.

After reading “A Hero of Our Time,” representatives of the official authorities became alarmed: they were given as an example not an ideal person, but a rather vicious person.

But in the preface to the novel, Lermontov writes: “Enough people were fed sweets; This has spoiled their stomach: they need bitter medicine, caustic truths.” This quote is the answer to the “strangeness” of the choice of the main character. The time has come when it is necessary to talk about the moral shortcomings of people, open up ulcers, and help find a way out of the current situation. The author's goal is to awaken from sleep and inactivity those who can change Russia for the better, to help thinking people find use for their capabilities. so that the time does not come when their generation

...with the rigor of a judge and a citizen,

A descendant will insult with a contemptuous verse,

The bitter mockery of a deceived son

Over the wasted father.

Municipal educational institution secondary school No. 37

Software and methodological support:

Educational system "School 2100": , Chindilova of your literature ( Literary journey along the river of time). Textbook for 9th grade. – M.: “Balass”, 2008.;

“If I were an artist and decided to paint a portrait of my generation, I would paint a slightly open door with light coming out of it.

We need this light because we often search at random for what will bring us happiness. And the world we live in is harsh and cruel, aggressive and merciless!

The light in my picture is those of my peers who illuminate this world. Fortunately, there are many of them. Haven't you had a difficult time? life situation see in the eyes stranger this light that warms and promises to help?

I believe that my generation will definitely find this door and, once meeting the light, will never want to live in darkness.”

(The romance “I go out alone on the road...” sounds: problem life choice; the lyrical hero is in an open, wide-open world, in front of him is a road looking into the distance, above him is open sky; Lermontov's reconciliation with himself, fate, creator.)

The teacher removes sheets of Whatman paper with a half-open door drawn on them from the board, and the students see their photographs.

Teacher: Today we tried to paint a portrait of a generation together. But what the portrait of your generation will be depends only on you – your thoughts and, most importantly, your actions.

VII.Homework

Filling out the table “Pechorin’s character traits”, group task: “I defend Pechorin...”, “I accuse Pechorin...” (5 arguments in defense of Pechorin, 5 arguments in accusation of Pechorin).

Application

Write on the board:

Thirst for activity - the pursuit of pleasure and risky adventures, wasting energy on petty passions and empty affairs; deep analytical mind, the ability for introspection - recognizing oneself as the only judge over oneself; knowledge of people – extreme individualism and selfishness, indifference and callousness; strong will, courage, bravery - recklessness, playing with danger; rejection of reality - lack of life purpose; love of nature, understanding of beauty - suppression of sincere feelings;

Information card

Preface to the novel

The preface to the entire novel was written by Lermontov for the second edition in 1841. This was the writer's response to criticism. Lermontov was offended by an article in which the critic called the main character an immoral and vicious person who has no roots in Russian life. In addition, information reached Lermontov that the novel outraged the sovereign himself. Nicholas I allegedly called it “a pitiful book, showing the great depravity of the author.”

Information card

About the novel “A Hero of Our Time”

: “A living person carries the life of society in his spirit, in his heart, in his blood: he suffers from its ailments, suffers from its suffering, blooms from its health.”

: “...In Lermontov’s works one can see an excess of indestructible fortitude and heroic strength in expression, but there is no longer hope in them, they strike the reader’s soul with joylessness, lack of faith in life and feelings. Nowhere is there Pushkin's revelry in the world of life; but everywhere questions that torment the soul, chill the heart..."

“A Hero of Our Time” is a complex work in concept and theme. It is usually defined as the first Russian realistic psychological novel in prose. And according to V. G. Belinsky’s definition, this novel “represents several frames embedded in one large frame, which consists of the title... and the unity of the hero.”
In the preface to Pechorin's Journal, Lermontov writes: “The history of the human soul, even the smallest soul, is perhaps more interesting and useful than the history of an entire people...”.
The novel "A Hero of Our Time" consists of five parts, five stories, each with its own genre, its own plot and its own title. What unites all these stories into something whole is the main character, Pechorin. If stated storyline novel, maintaining the chronological sequence of Pechorin’s life, then the story of the main character should be told by the author as follows. A former guards officer, Pechorin, who was transferred to the Caucasus for something, is traveling to his destination. On the way he stops in Taman. Here the story that is told in the story “Taman” happens to him. From here he moves to Pyatigorsk (“Princess Mary”). For a duel with Grushnitsky, he was exiled to serve in the fortress. During his service in the fortress, the events told in the stories "Bela" and "Fatalist" take place. Several years pass. Pechorin, who retired, leaves for Persia. On the way there he meets last time with Maxim Maksimovich (“Maksim Maksimych”).
Lermontov breaks this order of stories and arranges them in the following order: “Bela”, “Maksim Maksimych”, “Taman”, “Princess Mary” and “Fatalist”.
This compositional solution helps the author solve one of the most important tasks - to reveal Pechorin’s complex nature more widely and deeply. In addition, in each story the author changes narrators. In "Bela" Pechorin is presented in the perception of Maxim Maksimych - a simple, integral by nature army staff captain, who has little understanding of Pechorin's spiritual complexity. In "Maksim Maksimych" we not only hear the story about Pechorin, we see him. A passing officer, the fictional author of the story, who stands with Pechorin on the same socio-cultural level, tells us about him. He himself draws Pechorin’s appearance; Before our eyes, a meeting between Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych takes place. And the last three stories are included in “Pechorin’s Journal,” which is a diary entry that presents the reader with the hero’s most sincere reflections and story about himself and his life. Pechorin emphasizes that he is his own strict judge and “mercilessly exposes his own weaknesses and vices.”
What is he like, the main character of the novel?
Pechorin is distinguished by his deep intelligence, strong passions and steely will. Pechorin's sharp mind allows him to correctly judge people, about life, and is critical of himself. The characteristics he gives to people are accurate and to the point. Pechorin's heart is capable of feeling deeply and strongly, although outwardly he remains calm.
Pechorin is a strong, strong-willed nature, thirsty for activity. But for all his talent and wealth of spiritual powers, he, by his own definition, is a “moral cripple.” His character and all his behavior are extremely contradictory.
This inconsistency is clearly reflected in his appearance, which, like all people, according to Lermontov, reflects the inner appearance of a person. This inconsistency of Pechorin is revealed in the novel in its entirety through relationships with other characters. According to Lermontov’s definition, this is the “disease” of the generation of that time.
“My whole life,” Pechorin himself points out, “was only a chain of sad and unsuccessful contradictions to my heart or mind.” How do they manifest themselves?
Firstly, in in his regard to life. On the one hand, Pechorin is a skeptic, a disappointed person who lives “out of curiosity,” on the other hand, he has a huge thirst for life and activity.
Secondly, rationality struggles with the demands of feelings, mind and heart. Pechorin says: “For a long time I have been living not with my heart, but with my head. I weigh, analyze my own passions and actions with strict curiosity, but without participation.” But Pechorin has a warm heart, capable of understanding and loving nature. From contact with her, “no matter what grief lies in the heart,” he says, “no matter what anxiety torments the thought, everything will dissipate in a minute, the soul will become light.”
The contradictions in Pechorin’s nature are also reflected in his attitude towards women. He himself explains his attention to women and the desire to achieve their love by the need of his ambition, which, according to his definition, “is nothing more than a thirst for power, and my first pleasure,” he says further, “is to subordinate to my will everything that surrounds: to arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear - isn’t this the first sign and the greatest triumph of power?”
But Pechorin is not such a heartless egoist. He is capable of deep love. This is evidenced by his attitude towards Vera. Having received her last letter, Pechorin, “like crazy, jumped out onto the porch, jumped on his Circassian... and set off at full speed on the road to Pyatigorsk.”
It is these contradictions that do not allow Pechorin to be happy. The whole story of his life is a list of misfortunes that he brings to other people. The Circassian Bela, who has known the happiness of being loved, also knows the bitterness of disappointment, since Pechorin is deprived of the ability to experience any feelings for a long time. "Honest smugglers" after meeting with Pechorin are forced to change their "habitable place." Princess Mary - this girl’s soul had to overcome a difficult path - from hatred to love, and then Pechorin tries to return Mary’s feelings to their original state, that is, by his refusal he again forces himself to hate. And the hero himself suffers no less. In her confession, Mary Pechorin accuses society of becoming a “moral cripple.” Pechorin repeatedly talks about his duality, about the contradiction between his human essence and existence. He confesses to Dr. Werner: “There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges him...”. To live for Pechorin, and this is precisely the function of the first person - “to be always on the alert, catch every glance, the meaning of every word, guess intentions, destroy conspiracies, pretend to be deceived and suddenly with one push overturn the entire huge and laborious edifice of tricks and plans... ". It is more interesting to find out what the second person in Pechorin is like, thinking and condemning himself first of all. In "Pechorin's Journal" the character is revealed as if "from the inside", it reveals the motives of his strange actions, his attitude towards himself, his self-esteem.
The world of the novel's heroes appears as a system of images, in the center of which Pechorin is, and his personality, in all its contradictions, emerges from the picture of the relationships he enters into with those around him. Pechorin strives by any means to break through the external mask of the heroes, to see their true faces, to understand what each of them is capable of.
Grushnitsky - typical representative“of our time”: a poser, loves pompous phrases and dreams of becoming the hero of a novel. Grushnitsky's claims lead him to tragedy: he becomes a traitor, enters into a dirty game, as a result of which he dies. Moral Lesson, which is given by the author, is that betrayal, starting with the smallest and most insignificant concession to one’s conscience, sooner or later leads to mental and then physical death.
The drama of the relationship between Pechorin and Werner lies in the failed friendship. Both heroes are similar: intellectually and in their outlook on life. However, defending themselves from the century, Pechorin and Werner hide their ability to love and compassion, learning indifference and selfishness. Both Pechorin and Werner are terrified of normal human feelings. They bear the cross of their era, which suppresses everything human in people, becoming witnesses to life, but not its participants.
"Heroes of Our Time" - a novel about personal self-realization, ways moral quest, about the responsibility of the individual to people and his own self. The author's attempts to bring his hero closer to people, to find for him some kind of harmonious balance in relations with them, turn out to be untenable. The depth of the gap between the hero and other people turns out to be insurmountable. Pechorin, ahead of his time, is filled with rebellious rejection of the foundations of existing society. And, therefore, main problem The novel can be called the discrepancy between Pechorin’s worldview and the conditions of his life. All other problems follow from this - the hero’s lack of understanding secular society:
- the problem of loneliness and anger;
- searching for an answer to the question: “Why did I live?”
“A Hero of Our Time” is a sad thought about our generation,” wrote V. G. Belinsky. The author himself explained in the preface to the novel: “A Hero of Our Time... is definitely a portrait, but not of one person: it is a portrait composed of the vices of our entire generation." Perhaps it is no longer possible to explain better than Lermontov the meaning of the title and the main problem of the novel. The writer creates the image of the main character not as an object to follow, not as an ideal, but draws a generalized portrait of his contemporary, choosing the most striking and characteristic features. And it can be assumed that, by choosing such a title, the author wanted the reader to think about the fact that it is no coincidence that one becomes a “hero” of his time; the “hero” will be exactly what this time deserves.

The theme of the fate of a generation in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” What is the use of deep knowledge, thirst for glory, talent and ardent love of freedom, when we cannot use them?

M. Yu. Lermontov. Monologue. Lermontov’s youth fell on a time that is commonly called the “era of timelessness.”

This is a very difficult period in the history of Russia; its main feature was the lack of social ideals. The Decembrists were defeated. The best of the best were executed and exiled to Siberia...

Russia has entered a long period of reaction. One of the most important

The questions that concern the poet are the fate of young people of the 30s. This was reflected in his work. Lermontov speaks with merciless realism about the inability of his generation to fulfill its historical mission.

I look sadly at our generation... This is the first line of the poem “Duma”. I was surprised by the “doubleness” in it: Lermontov does not separate himself from what is happening and still feels his own chosenness. This is the answer to his worldview: the poet has the strength to live life brightly, fully, he is trying to understand himself, to find support for his activities.

His strict verdict on his peers is the desire to awaken in them a thirst for activity. This gives him the right to speak “with the rigor of a judge and a citizen.” We find similar discussions about the “failure of the generation” of the 30s of the 19th century in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.”

The work is socio-psychological and moral-philosophical. “The main idea of Lermontov’s novel lies an important modern question about the inner man,” wrote Belinsky. The main character is Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Throughout the entire work, the author strives to reveal his inner world. This explains the compositional originality of the novel.

The work is divided into five independent parts, arranged without chronological order. It would seem that such a construction only complicates the reader’s perception. But the answer lies in the fact that different chapters have different narrators. The novel is written in such a way that we gradually learn all the “oddities” of Pechorin. In the first chapter of “Bela”, staff captain Maxim Maksimovich, an elderly man who finds it difficult to understand Grigory Alexandrovich, talks about the hero, because they are representatives of different generations, they have different upbringings and education.

Maxim Maksimovich himself admits: “He was a strange guy.” However, already in this chapter we see that Pechorin combines completely contradictory qualities: endurance and pampering, kindness and selfishness, enterprise and inactivity. The chapter “Maksim Maksimych” in the chronological version should complete the novel, but in the test it is the second.

What is the reason? The veil over the mystery of the character of the hero is lifted by the second narrator - a casual fellow traveler of Maxim Maksimovich, a man in age, beliefs, and worldview close to Pechorin, and to the author himself, and therefore capable of understanding what is happening in the soul of the protagonist. For the first time in Russian literature, this work provides a psychological portrait.

Having read the description of Pechorin’s appearance, we understand that before us is a man tired of life, unable to realize the opportunities given to him by nature. It was this trait that was leading for young people of Lermontov’s generation. Pechorin cannot openly express his feelings. Rejoicing as much as it was possible for him to meet Maxim Maksimovich, he eventually only extended his hand to him. The old man is upset.

But Grigory Alexandrovich also suffers from his coldness, from his inability to experience vivid emotions. Inactivity and lack of demand killed this gift in him. But Pechorin is an intelligent man, endowed by nature with a subtle worldview. The understanding of beauty is not alien to him. It is no coincidence that through his eyes we see a description of nature in the next three chapters, which are the diary entries of Grigory Alexandrovich.

He is prone to introspection, which means he is well aware of what is happening to him. Pechorin does not wish harm to anyone. But everything around him is such that he brings misfortune to those around him: the well-being of the “poor smugglers” is alarmed, Grushnitsky dies in a duel, Princess Mary is unhappy, Vera’s heart is broken. According to Pechorin himself, he plays “the role of an ax in the hands of fate.”

Not evil by nature, Pechorin cannot sympathize with anyone. “And what do I care about human experiences and misfortunes,” he declares. To be fair, it must be said that Grigory Alexandrovich is capable of condemning himself for some actions, but this does not change the general system of his moral values. He always has his own interests in the foreground. This is especially clear from his diary entries. Reflecting on happiness, he writes: “Happiness is intense pride.”

But Pechorin himself, suffering from his own egoism, judges himself strictly. For a long time he suffers from guilt before Bela, trying to soften Mary’s disappointment, achieves a final meeting with her, and rushes in pursuit of the leaving Vera. “If I am the cause of the misfortune of others, then I myself am no less unhappy,” says Pechorin. He writes about his duality, about the fact that there are, as it were, two people in him, one of whom acts, the other judges.

After reading “A Hero of Our Time,” representatives of the official authorities became alarmed: they were given as an example not an ideal person, but a rather vicious person. But in the preface to the novel, Lermontov writes: “Enough people were fed sweets; This has spoiled their stomach: they need bitter medicine, caustic truths.” This quote is the answer to the “strangeness” of the choice of the main character.

The time has come when it is necessary to talk about the moral shortcomings of people, open up ulcers, and help find a way out of the current situation. The author’s goal is to awaken from sleep and inactivity those who can change Russia for the better, to help thinking people find use for their capabilities. so that the time does not come when their generation... with the severity of a judge and a citizen, a Descendant will insult with a contemptuous verse,

The bitter mockery of a deceived son Over a squandered father.

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The theme of the fate of a generation in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time”

The theme of the fate of a generation in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.”

Why deep knowledge, thirst for glory,

Talent and ardent love of freedom,

When can we not use them?

M.Yu. Lermontov. Monologue.

I look sadly at our generation...

This is the first line of the poem "Duma". I was surprised by the “duality” in it: Lermontov does not separate himself from what is happening (“our generation”) and still feels his own chosenness (“I look” is a view from the outside). This is the answer to his worldview: the poet has the strength to live life brightly, fully, he is trying to understand himself, to find support for his activities. His strict verdict on his peers is the desire to awaken in them a thirst for activity. This gives him the right to speak “with the rigor of a judge and a citizen.”

We find similar discussions about the “failure of the generation” of the 30s of the 19th century in Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” The work is socio-psychological and moral-philosophical. “The main idea of Lermontov’s novel lies an important modern question about the inner man,” wrote Belinsky. The main character is Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin. Throughout the entire work, the author strives to reveal his inner world. This explains the compositional originality of the novel. The work is divided into five independent parts, arranged without chronological order. It would seem that such a construction only complicates the reader’s perception. But the answer lies in the fact that different chapters have different narrators. The novel is written in such a way that we gradually learn all the “oddities” of Pechorin. In the first chapter of “Bela”, staff captain Maxim Maksimovich, an elderly man who finds it difficult to understand Grigory Alexandrovich, talks about the hero, because they are representatives of different generations, they have different upbringings and education. Maxim Maksimovich himself admits: “He was a strange guy.” However, already in this chapter we see that Pechorin combines completely contradictory qualities: endurance and pampering, kindness and selfishness, enterprise and inactivity.

For the first time in Russian literature, this work provides a psychological portrait. Having read the description of Pechorin’s appearance, we understand that before us is a man tired of life, unable to realize the opportunities given to him by nature. It was this trait that was leading for young people of Lermontov’s generation. Pechorin cannot openly express his feelings. Rejoicing as much as it was possible for him to meet Maxim Maksimovich, he eventually only extended his hand to him. The old man is upset. But Grigory Alexandrovich also suffers from his coldness, from his inability to experience vivid emotions. Inactivity and lack of demand killed this gift in him.

But Pechorin is an intelligent man, endowed by nature with a subtle worldview. The understanding of beauty is not alien to him. It is no coincidence that through his eyes we see a description of nature in the next three chapters, which are the diary entries of Grigory Alexandrovich. He is prone to introspection, which means he is well aware of what is happening to him. Pechorin does not wish harm to anyone. But everything around him is such that he brings misfortune to those around him: the well-being of the “poor smugglers” is alarmed, Grushnitsky dies in a duel, Princess Mary is unhappy, Vera’s heart is broken. According to Pechorin himself, he plays “the role of an ax in the hands of fate.” Not evil by nature, Pechorin cannot sympathize with anyone. “And why should I care about human experiences and misfortunes,” he declares. To be fair, it must be said that Grigory Alexandrovich is capable of condemning himself for some actions, but this does not change the general system of his moral values. He always has his own interests in the foreground. This is especially clear from his diary entries. Reflecting on happiness, he writes: “Happiness is intense pride.”

Pechorin's moral criteria in relation to women are very questionable. Following the laws of the noble code, he is able to stand up for the “honor of an innocent girl” and challenge Grushnitsky, who is spreading rumors about Princess Mary, to a duel. But at the same time, he thoughtlessly destroys the destinies of Bela and Mary, reasoning that “inhaling the aroma of a blooming flower” is the greatest pleasure. Unable to love, he cannot be held responsible for his actions. But Pechorin himself, suffering from his own egoism, judges himself strictly. For a long time he suffers from guilt before Bela, trying to soften Mary’s disappointment, achieves a final meeting with her, and rushes in pursuit of the leaving Vera. “If I am the cause of the misfortune of others, then I myself am no less unhappy,” says Pechorin. He writes about his duality, about the fact that there are, as it were, two people in him, one of whom acts, the other judges.

After reading “A Hero of Our Time,” representatives of the official authorities became alarmed: they were given as an example not an ideal person, but a rather vicious person.

But in the preface to the novel, Lermontov writes: “Enough people were fed sweets; This has spoiled their stomach: they need bitter medicine, caustic truths.” This quote is the answer to the “strangeness” of the choice of the main character. The time has come when it is necessary to talk about the moral shortcomings of people, open up ulcers, and help find a way out of the current situation. The author’s goal is to awaken from sleep and inactivity those who can change Russia for the better, to help thinking people find use for their capabilities. so that the time does not come when their generation

...with the rigor of a judge and a citizen,

A descendant will insult with a contemptuous verse,

The bitter mockery of a deceived son

Over the wasted father.