Essay “Onegin and Pechorin.” “Hero of Time” of the first third of the 19th century (Onegin and Pechorin)

We managed to capture it in life and translate it into literary images most significant features young man of his time, to give a typical character with all its negative and positive features. In the preface to the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov himself speaks about the typicality of his hero: “... This is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development.” Pushkin also mentions his typicality, saying: “Onegin is a kind fellow, like you and me, like the whole world.” Both authors write images of their heroes in development.

Social background heroes are the same. Both of them were brought up in secular society and received appropriate education. Pushkin shows that Onegin’s intelligence and erudition are broad, although superficial: he strives to make up for the shortcomings of his education by independent reading.

Onegin reads books famous writers and almanacs contemporary to Pushkin. But over time, he left the books, “covered them with mourning taffeta,” because he did not find in them the answers to the questions that worried him. Pechorin's memory is also full of information from literature and history.

In his diary we find quotes from Griboyedov and Pushkin. Onegin's mind is manifested in his understanding of human psychology. So, in a conversation with Lensky about the Larins, Onegin says that if he were a poet, he would choose his older sister: “Olga has no life in her features,” her face is “Like this stupid moon in this stupid sky.” He was also a subtle psychologist.

This is proven by his statement about Werner: “His appearance was one of those that strikes you unpleasantly at first glance, but which you later like when the eye learns to read in the irregular features the imprint of a tried and high soul.” The ability to understand people certainly contributed to the accurate portrayal of the heroes, the conveyance of their deceit and hypocrisy. Dissatisfied with life in " high society", the heroes are looking for a use for their powers and knowledge. Onegin is trying to find himself by doing housekeeping and managing the estate.

Even “he replaced the ancient corvée with a light quitrent for the yoke” under the influence of the ideas of the Decembrists. But, not accustomed to systematic WORK, he quickly abandons this activity. Pechorin, in turn, is trying to find himself in a new environment. He is glad to be transferred to the Caucasus.

Pechorin communicates with people of different social status and views on . But everywhere, when the first impressions pass, he feels the same boredom and dissatisfaction with life. Pushkin shows his hero on the eve Decembrist uprising, as if thereby giving Onegin the opportunity to use his powers in a noble cause.

Despite the progressiveness of Onegin’s views, he is a skeptic who does not believe “in the world’s perfection,” his mind is sharp and chilled. He is unlikely to become a Decembrist, since he does not know how to sacrifice his peace for the sake of a higher goal. Such people, according to Herzen, “never take the side of the government” and “never know how to take the side of the people.”

The novel “A Hero of Our Time” takes place after the Decembrist uprising, during the period of reaction. And the hero of this time does not have the opportunity to find a worthy use for his powers. Therefore, Belinsky says: “Onegin is bored, but Pechorin suffers deeply.”

Both poets, trying to portray the characters’ characters as clearly as possible, put them in extreme situations. During Onegin's duel with Lensky, the hero's cold egoism is revealed. He does not care about Lensky's fate, but is only concerned about the opinion of the world about his person. Lermontov, depicting Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky, also shows his indifference to Grushnitsky's suffering.

Pechorin acts as a cold egoist in relation to the fates of Bela, Maxim Maksimovich, Vera. Pechorin himself admits his selfishness: “In truth, we are quite indifferent to everything except ourselves”; “I look at the sufferings and joys of others only in relation to myself.” However, the main accusation is the lack life goal, the futility of existence. The hero himself thinks about the purpose of his life. He wrote in the “journal”: “It’s true, she existed, and it’s true that I had a high purpose, because I feel immense strength in my soul...

"Thinking about the meaning of life was typical to the younger generation copyright

Onegin and Pechorin as heroes of their time

Pechorin – “ younger brother Onegin".

A. I. Herzen

Pechorin - “this is our Onegin

Of time, hero of our time.

The dissimilarity between them is much greater

less than the distance between Onega and

Pechora".

V. G. Belinsky

Plan

IThe theme of the “superfluous man” in the works of A. S. Pushkin and

M. Yu. Lermontov.

IISuperfluous people - Onegin and Pechorin - heroes of their time.

Origin of heroes.

Different eras that gave birth to them:

a) Onegin is a contemporary of Pushkin and the Decembrists;

b) Pechorin - the hero of the era of the 30sXIXcentury.

3. Their souls are “corrupted by the light.”

4. Traits that bring together “extra people”:

a) lack of careerism and passion for inheritance;

b) extreme individualism;

c) “involuntarily selfish.”

5. Qualities that distinguish these two heroes:

a) the first is a person free from official duties; second officer;

b) Onegin, who has lost interest in everything, and the active personality of Pechorin;

c) hope for Onegin’s revival to life and Pechorin’s lack of it.

6. Duels are a step towards understanding these personalities.

IIIThe novels of A. Pushkin and M. Lermontov and their heroes are the best artistic documents of their era.

Quotes for essays.

“Nothing can more clearly testify to the change that has occurred in the minds since 1825 than the comparison of Pushkin with Lermontov. Pushkin, often dissatisfied and sad, offended and full of indignation, is still ready to make peace. He desires it, he does not lose hope for it: the string of memories of the times of Emperor Alexander never ceased to sound in his heart. Lermontov became so accustomed to despair and hostility that he not only did not look for a way out, but also did not see the possibility of struggle or agreement. Lermontov never knew hope: he did not sacrifice himself, because nothing required this self-sacrifice. He did not walk proudly carrying his head towards the executioner, like Pestel and Ryleev, because he could not believe in the effectiveness of the sacrifice: he darted to the side and died for nothing.”

A. I. Herzen

2. “He (Lermontov) completely belongs to our generation. We were all too young to take part on December 14th. Awakened by this great day, we saw only executions and expulsions. Forced to remain silent, holding back tears, we learned, withdrawing into ourselves, to nurture our thoughts - and what thoughts! These were no longer the ideas of enlightened liberalism, the ideas of progress - they were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage. Having become accustomed to these feelings, Lermontov... dragged a heavy burden of skepticism through all his dreams and pleasures.”

A. I. Herzen

3. “Not to covet anything, to take care of your independence, not to seek a position - all this under a despotic regime is called being in opposition.”

A. I. Herzen

“... Onegin is Russian, he is possible only in Russia, in Russia he is needed and he is greeted at every step... Lermontov’s “Hero of Our Time” is his younger brother.”

(A.I. Herzen)

Introduction

In the nineteenth century, Russia was dominated by the autocratic-serf system. Under this system, the situation of the people was unbearable; the fate of the advanced ones turned out to be tragic thinking people. People richly gifted by nature perished in its stuffy atmosphere or were doomed to inaction. These people with progressive views appeared on the scene too early public life, there were no favorable conditions for their appearance; they were “superfluous” in life, and therefore died. This was reflected in the works of advanced writers of the nineteenth century. “Eugene Onegin” and “Hero of Our Time” are the best works of art of his era. At the center of events are people from high society who cannot find use for their abilities and skills.

“In his poem, he was able to touch on so much, hint at so many things that belong exclusively to the world of Russian nature, to the world of Russian society. “Onegin can be called an encyclopedia of Russian life and a highly popular work.”

(V.G. Belinsky)

"Eugene Onegin"

Onegin is a typical representative of the noble youth of the 20s of the 19th century. The poet created an image that reflects “that premature old age of the soul that has become the main feature of the younger generation.” Onegin is a contemporary of both the author and the Decembrists. The main character is not interested in social life, the career of an official, he is bored with everything. According to V.G. Belinsky, Onegin “was not one of the ordinary people“, but Pushkin says that Onegin’s boredom occurs due to the fact that he has no useful work to do. Onegin is a “suffering egoist,” but still extraordinary personality. Russian nobility of that time was the class of landowners and landowners. Ownership of estates and serfs was a kind of measuring tape of wealth and prestige, as well as high social status. Evgeniy’s father “gave three balls every year and finally squandered it,” and he himself main character after receiving an inheritance from “all his relatives” he became a wealthy landowner and...

Factories, waters, forests, lands

The owner is complete...

But wealth is also associated with ruin and debt. By mortgaging already mortgaged estates, debts were not only the work of poor landowners, but also of many “ powerful of the world this." One of these reasons in this situation was the idea that developed during the reign of Catherine II: “true noble behavior consists not only in large expenses, but also in spending beyond one’s means.” Thanks to the appearance of various educational literature from abroad, people, namely the younger generation, began to understand the harmfulness of serfdom, including Evgeniy. He “read Adam Smith and was a deep economist.” Unfortunately, there were few such people, therefore, when Onegin, under the influence of the ideas of the Decembrists, “he replaced the ancient corvée with a light quitrent for the yoke,”

...In his corner he sulked.

Seeing this as terrible harm,

His calculating neighbor.

In this case, the heir can accept the inheritance and take on the debts with it or refuse it, leaving the creditors to settle the accounts among themselves. Youth is a time of hope for inheritance. In the second half of life, one should free oneself from debts by becoming the heir of “all one’s relatives” or by marrying favorably.

Who was a smart guy at twenty years old?

And at thirty he is profitably married;

Who was freed at fifty

From private and other debts.

For the nobles of that time military service was natural, and the absence of this trait had to have a special explanation. Onegin, as is clear from the novel, never served at all, which made Eugene a black sheep among his contemporaries. In this case it is shown new tradition. Previously, refusal to serve was called selfishness, but now refusal began to take the form of a struggle for personal independence and upholding the right to live independently of state requirements. So Onegin leads a life free from official duties. Not everyone could afford such a life at that time. Let us take as an example the order of early to bed and early to rise, which not only the official, but also the emperor had to obey. This was a kind of sign of aristocracy, separating the non-serving nobleman from the common people and village landowners. But the fashion of getting up, as late as possible, originated from the French aristocracy and was brought to Russia by emigrants. Favorite places for walks were Nevsky Prospekt and the English Embankment, it was there that Onegin walked “putting on a wide bolivar, Onegin goes to the boulevard.” An opportunity in the afternoon to fill the gap between the restaurant and the ball was the theater. The theater was not only a place of entertainment, but also a kind of club where small talk was held.

The theater is already full; the boxes shine;

The stalls and the chairs - everything is in full swing;

Everything is clapping. Onegin enters

Walks between the chairs along the legs.

The double lorgnette points sideways

To the boxes of unknown ladies.

Tired of city life, Onegin settles in the village. There the friendship of Onegin and Lensky begins, who, as Pushkin says, came together “with nothing to do.” This ultimately led to a duel.

The novel “Eugene Onegin” is an inexhaustible source telling about the morals and life of that time. Onegin himself is a true hero of his time, and in order to understand him we study the time in which he lived.

“There is a lot of falsehood in Pechorin’s ideas, there are distortions in his feelings; but all this is redeemed by his rich nature"

(V.G. Belinsky)

"Hero of our time"

Pechorin is a hero of a completely different transitional time, a representative of the noble youth, who entered life after the defeat of the Decembrists. G.A. Pechorin is one of the main artistic discoveries of M.Yu. Lermontov. In it the fundamental features of the post-Decembrist era received their artistic expression. The image and type of Pechorin captures a striking discrepancy between the external and internal world. He repeatedly speaks in his diary about his inconsistency and duality. This duality was considered as a result of secular upbringing and the influence on him of the noble sphere, the transitional nature of his era.

Explaining the purpose of creating the novel, M.Yu. Lermontov, even in the preface, makes it clear what the image of Pechorin is for him: “The hero of our time, my dear sirs, is like a portrait, but not of one person: this is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development.” The author set himself the task of wanting to portray on the pages of the novel a hero of his time. And here before us is Pechorin - a tragic personality, a young man suffering from his restlessness, in despair asking himself the question “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born? In Lermontov's portrayal, Pechorin is a man of a very specific time. This is a nobleman-intellectual of the Nicholas era, its victim and hero in one person, whose soul is corrupted by the light. Pechorin's personality is presented in the novel as a unique individual manifestation of the universal human species and clan. Pechorin differs from his predecessor Onegin not only in temperament, depth of thought and feeling, willpower, but also in the degree of awareness of himself and his attitude to the world. Pechorin is more of a thinker and ideologist than Onegin. He is organically philosophical. In this respect, he is a characteristic representative of his time, in Belinsky’s words, “the century of the philosophizing spirit.” Pechorin embodies such qualities as developed consciousness and self-awareness, the perception of oneself as a representative not only of the current society, but of the entire history of mankind as a whole. But being a son of his time and society, he also bears their indelible mark. In Gregory’s personality, there is a contradiction between his human essence and existence, which is especially characteristic of a socially unsettled society, according to V.G. Belinsky “between the depth of nature and the pitifulness of the same person.” However, Pechorin’s activities make more sense than it seems at first glance. He dies in no way, without yielding to his principles and convictions, although without having accomplished what he could have done under other conditions. Deprived of the possibility of direct social action, Pechorin strives to resist circumstances, to assert his will, his “own need.” For the first time in Russian literature, Lermontov brought to the pages of a novel a hero who directly posed the most important questions of human existence - about the purpose and meaning of life. On the night of the duel with Grushnitsky, he reflects: “My entire past runs through my memory, and I involuntarily ask myself: why did I live? For what purpose was I born? And it’s true that I had a high purpose, because I feel immense strength in my soul; but I did not guess this purpose. I was carried away by the lure of empty and ungrateful passions; I emerged from their furnace, hard and cold as iron, but I lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations, the best color of life.” Bela becomes a victim of Pechorin’s willfulness, forcibly torn from her environment, from the natural course of her life. During the Renaissance, individualism was a historically progressive phenomenon. With the development of bourgeois relations, their humanistic basis. In Russia, the crisis of the feudal-serf system is deepening, and new bourgeois relations are emerging in it. In 1842 V.G. Belinsky said: “Our century... is a century... of separation, individuality, a century of personal passions and interests...”.

Pechorin, with his total individualism and denial of the morality of his contemporary society, as well as its other foundations, was not only his personal dignity. Discontent had long been ripening in the public atmosphere; Pechorin was simply its early and bright spokesman. It is significant that Gregory is far from pragmatic egoism adapting to life. The hero is full of truly rebellious rejection of all the foundations of the society in which he is forced to live. He is least concerned about his position in society; he rejects all this as purely external tinsel, unworthy of the aspiration that lives in him for the true fullness of life, in acquiring a significant life goal. He views his conscious individualism as something forced, since he has not yet found an acceptable alternative for himself. Another important feature of the hero is a constant curiosity about life, about the world, and most importantly about people. He has a pronounced desire to communicate with people. Grigory Alexandrovich, as they say in the preface, type “ modern man”, how the author “understands” him and how he often met him.

Evgeny Onegin and Pechorin - heroes different works two famous classics of Russian literature - Pushkin and Lermontov. The first worked on the novel for more than seven years. Pushkin himself called his work a “feat” - of all his works, only “Boris Godunov” was awarded such an epithet. Lermontov's famous novel "A Hero of Our Time" was written over two years and first published in St. Petersburg. Further in the article a comparison of Onegin and Pechorin will be made, the features that connect and distinguish them will be shown.

Pushkin's work. Short description

Alexander Sergeevich began work on the novel in Chisinau, in 1823. Pushkin was in exile at that time. As the narrative progresses, one can notice that the author abandoned the use of romanticism as the main creative method.

"Eugene Onegin" is a realistic novel in verse. It was assumed that the work would initially include 9 chapters. However, Pushkin subsequently reworked the structure of the novel somewhat, leaving only eight in it. The chapter about the protagonist's journey was excluded - it became an appendix to the main narrative. In addition, the description of Onegin’s vision near the Odessa pier and rather sharply expressed judgments and remarks were removed from the structure of the novel. Leaving this chapter for Pushkin was quite dangerous - he could have been arrested for these revolutionary views.

"Hero of our time". Short description

Lermontov began work on the work in 1838. His novel includes several parts. While reading, you can see that the chronology in the story is broken. This artistic technique The author used it for several reasons. Mainly, this structure of the work shows the main character - Pechorin - first through the eyes of Maxim Maksimych. Then the character is introduced to the reader through the entries in his diary.

Brief Onegin and Pechorina

Both characters are representatives of the capital's aristocracy. The heroes received excellent levels of intelligence higher than average level the people around them. The characters are separated by ten years, but each of them is a representative of their era. Onegin's life takes place in the twenties, the action of Lermontov's novel takes place in the 30s of the 19th century. The first is influenced by freedom-loving ideas in the context of the flourishing of an advanced social movement. Pechorin lives in a period of brutal political reactions to the activities of the Decembrists. And if the first one could still join the rebels and find a goal, thus giving meaning to his own existence, then the second hero no longer had such an opportunity. This already speaks of the greater tragedy of Lermontov’s character.

The main features of the character in the novel "A Hero of Our Time"

The image of Grigory Pechorin was one of Lermontov’s artistic discoveries. This hero is epoch-making mainly because his depiction expressed the features of that post-Decembrist era. Outwardly, this period is characterized only by losses and violent reactions. Inside, active, continuous, muffled and silent work was taking place.

It must be said that Pechorin is a rather extraordinary person; everything about him is debatable. For example, a hero can complain about a draft, and after a while jump at the enemy with a saber drawn. Maxim Maksimych speaks of him as a person capable of enduring the difficulties of nomadic life and climate change. Gregory was slender, his height was average, his physique was strong with a thin waist and broad shoulders. According to Maxim Maksimych, the essence of Pechorin was not defeated either by the debauchery of the life of the capital, or by mental torment.

What do the characters have in common?

A comparison of Onegin and Pechorin should begin with an analysis of the character traits of the heroes. Both characters are very critical of people and life. Realizing the emptiness and monotony of their existence, they show dissatisfaction with themselves. They are oppressed by the surrounding situation and people mired in slander, malice, and envy.

Disillusioned with society, the heroes fall into melancholy and begin to get bored. Onegin tries to start writing to satisfy his spiritual needs. But he quickly gets tired of "hard work." Reading also fascinates him for a short time.

Pechorin also quickly gets tired of any business he starts. However, once in the Caucasus, Grigory still hopes that there will be no room for boredom under the bullets. But he also gets used to military action very quickly. We got bored with Lermontov's character and love adventures. This can be seen in Bel. Having achieved love, Gregory quickly loses interest in the ladies.

What other similarities do Pechorin and Onegin have? Both heroes are selfish by nature. They do not consider the feelings or opinions of other people.

Relationships between characters and others

Not wanting to be deprived of his freedom, Onegin rejects Tatyana’s feelings. Feeling superior to people in general, he accepts Lensky's challenge and kills his friend in a duel. Pechorin brings misfortune to almost everyone who surrounds or meets him. So, he kills Grushnitsky, saddens Maxim Maksimych to the depths of his soul, destroys the lives of Vera, Mary, Bela. Gregory achieves the affection and love of women, following solely the desire to entertain himself. Having dispelled boredom, he quickly loses interest in them. Pechorin is quite cruel. This quality of his is manifested even in relation to the sick Mary: he tells her that he never loved her, but only laughed at her.

The most striking features of the characters

A comparative description of Onegin and Pechorin would be incomplete without mentioning the self-criticism of the heroes. The first is tormented by remorse after the duel with Lensky. Onegin is unable to stay in the places where the tragedy occurred, he gives up everything and begins to wander around the world.

The hero of Lermontov's novel admits that he has caused quite a lot of grief to people throughout his life. But, despite this understanding, Pechorin is not going to change himself and his behavior. And Gregory’s self-criticism does not bring relief to anyone - neither himself nor those around him. This attitude towards life, himself, and people portrays him as a “moral cripple.”

Despite the differences between Pechorin and Onegin, they both have a lot common features. Each of them has a particularly pronounced ability to understand people well. Both heroes are good psychologists. So, Onegin singled out Tatyana immediately, at the first meeting. Of all the representatives landed nobility Evgeny became friends only with Lensky.

Lermontov's hero also correctly judges the people who meet him on the way. Pechorin gives quite accurate and accurate characteristics to those around him. In addition, Gregory knows perfectly well female psychology, can easily predict the actions of ladies and, taking advantage of this, wins their love.

A comparative description of Onegin and Pechorin allows us to see the true state of the characters’ inner worlds. In particular, despite all the misfortunes that each of them caused to people, both of them are capable of bright feelings.

Love in the lives of heroes

Realizing his love for Tatyana, Onegin is ready to do anything just to see her. Lermontov's hero immediately rushes after the departed Vera. Pechorin, not having caught up with his beloved, falls in the middle of the path and cries like a child. Pushkin's hero is noble. Onegin is honest with Tatyana and does not think of taking advantage of her inexperience. In this, Lermontov's hero is the direct opposite. Pechorin appears as an immoral person, a man for whom the people around him are just toys.

Ideals and values

The comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin are mainly a comparison inner world each character. Analysis of their behavior allows us to understand the motivation of certain actions. For example, the heroes have different attitudes towards a duel. Onegin is fast asleep the night before. He doesn't take the duel seriously. However, after Lensky's death, Evgeniy is overcome by horror and remorse.

Lermontov's hero, on the contrary, does not sleep the whole night before the duel with Grushnitsky. Gregory is deep in thought, he thinks about the purpose of his existence. At the same time, Pechorin will kill Grushnitsky quite cold-bloodedly. He will calmly leave the dueling area, bowing politely.

Why are Pechorin and Onegin “superfluous people”?

Society had a rather negative attitude towards heroes. People around could not understand the behavior of the characters. The point of view, views and opinions of Pechorin and Onegin did not coincide with the generally accepted ones, and therefore were perceived with hostility. Both characters feel their loneliness in the world, among the crowd, which feels the superiority of these young people. In the images of Pechorin and Onegin, the authors protested against the vileness and mustiness of that time, depriving people of purpose, forcing them to waste their strength, not finding use for either their abilities or skills.

Essay text:

Pushkin and Lermontov were able to capture in life and embody in literary images the most significant features of a young man of their time, to give a typical character with all its negative and positive features. In the preface to the novel A Hero of Our Time, Lermontov himself speaks about the typical nature of his hero: ... This is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development. Pushkin also mentions the typical nature of his hero, saying: Onegin is a kind fellow, like you and me, like the whole world. Both authors write images of their heroes in development. The social origins of the heroes are the same. Both of them were brought up in a secular society and received appropriate education. Pushkin shows that Onegin’s intelligence and erudition are broad, although superficial: he strives to make up for the shortcomings of his education by independent reading. Onegin reads books by famous writers and almanacs contemporary to Pushkin. But over time, he left the books and covered them with mourning taffeta, since he did not find in them the answers to the questions that worried him. Pechorin's memory is also full of information from literature and history. In his diary we find quotes from Griboyedov and Pushkin. Onegin's mind is manifested in his understanding of human psychology. So, in a conversation with Lensky about the Larins, Onegin says that if he were a lyricist, he would choose his older sister: Olga has no life in her features, her face is like this stupid moon on this stupid horizon. Pechorin was also a subtle psychologist. This is proven by his statement about Werner: His appearance was one of those that at first glance strikes you unpleasantly, but which you like later, when the eye learns to read in the irregular features the imprint of a tried and high soul.
The ability to understand people certainly contributed to the accurate portrayal of the heroes, the conveyance of their deceit and hypocrisy. Dissatisfied with life in high society, the heroes are looking for a use for their powers and knowledge. Onegin is trying to find himself by doing housekeeping and managing the estate. Even under the influence of the ideas of the Decembrists, he replaced the ancient corvée with the light quitrent. But, not accustomed to systematic WORK, he quickly abandons this activity. Pechorin, in turn, is trying to find himself in a new environment. He is glad to be transferred to the Caucasus. Pechorin communicates with people of different social status and outlook on life. But everywhere, when the first impressions pass, he feels boredom and dissatisfaction with life. Pushkin shows his hero on the eve of the Decembrist uprising, as if thereby giving Onegin the opportunity to use his strength in a noble cause. Despite the progressive views of Onegin, he is a skeptic, a person who does not believe in the world's perfection, his mind is sharp and chilled. He is unlikely to become a Decembrist, since he does not know how to sacrifice his peace for the sake of a higher goal. Such people, according to Herzen, never take the side of the government and never know how to take the side of the people.
The novel A Hero of Our Time takes place after the Decembrist uprising, during the period of reaction. And the hero of this time does not have the opportunity to find a worthy use for his powers. Therefore, Belinsky says: Onegin is bored, but Pechorin suffers deeply. Both poets, trying to portray the characters’ characters as clearly as possible, put them in extreme situations. During Onegin's duel with Lensky, the hero's cold egoism is revealed. He doesn’t care about Lensky’s fate, but only cares about the opinion of the world about his person. Lermontov, depicting Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky, also shows his indifference to Grushnitsky's suffering. Pechorin acts as a cold egoist in relation to the fates of Bela, Maxim Maksimovich, Vera. Pechorin himself admits his selfishness:
In truth, we are quite indifferent to everything except ourselves; I look at the suffering and joy of others only in relation to myself. However, the main accusation against Pechorin is the lack of a life goal, the futility of existence. The hero himself thinks about the purpose of his life. He wrote in his journal: It’s true, she existed, and it’s true that I had a high purpose, because I feel immense strength in my soul...
Thinking about the meaning of life was typical of the young generation of the 30s of the 19th century. It was characteristic of all Lermontov’s contemporaries, who did not find use for their immense powers. For Onegin, this problem is not so relevant. He can act and participate in the Decembrist movement. But Onegin is not able to use this opportunity, and, like Pechorin, he becomes an extra person. Pechorin and Onegin are superfluous not in the fate of Russia, but in their society, since they are alien to it. Condemning his hero for inaction, Pushkin, to some extent, condemns the socio-political conditions in which a man, far from the people and far from the noble revolutionaries, arose and developed. The title of Lermontov's novel also conceals deep irony, since even in the 30s the names of the true heroes of their time were known: Belinsky, Herzen, Ogarev, and Lermontov himself. And yet Pechorinism turned out to be a typical disease of the time. In both the twenties and thirties there were extra people who stood above society, but could not and did not know how to find a use for their powers.

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