Name of Princess Mary. Characteristics of the hero Princess Mary, Hero of our time, Lermontov. The character image of Princess Mary. Several interesting compositions

The largest novel in size, included in the novel, published in 1840, which was written by Lermontov - "Princess Mary". The writer uses the form of a journal, a diary, in order to reveal to the reader the character of the protagonist, all its contradictions and complexity. The main participant who is in the thick of things tells about what is happening. He does not justify himself and does not blame anyone, he simply reveals his soul.

Pyatigorsk

In Pyatigorsk, at the source, Pechorin meets a peculiar composition of the capital's nobility during the treatment on the waters. Here he unexpectedly meets a familiar cadet, a former colleague, wounded in the leg. Grushnitsky did not like Pechorin because of empty posturing, he tried to impress the young ladies, importantly speaking nonsense in French.

About the ladies passing by, Grushnitsky said that they were the Ligovskys, the princess and her daughter Mary. As soon as the princess came closer, Grushnitsky uttered one of his empty phrases with pathos. Turning around, the girl fixed her serious long look on him. Later, the hero witnessed how the princess secretly gave Grushnitsky a glass, which he tried to lift from the ground, leaning on a crutch. Juncker was delighted. Pechorin envied the young man, but admitted this only to himself, as he loved to annoy the enthusiasts. All his life Pechorin passionately contradicted not only others, but even his own heart or reason.

Dr. Werner, an old friend, shared the secular news, saying that he had seen a relative who had just arrived at the Ligovskys' - a pretty young, sickly-looking blonde, this lady was familiar with Pechorin.

Pechorin provoked Grushnitsky out of boredom and angered the princess. In a grotto by the well, he accidentally met the blonde Vera mentioned by the doctor, with whom he had once had a passionate affair. She reproached him for having never received anything from a relationship with him, except for suffering and asked him to start courting Princess Ligovskaya in order to divert the attention of her second old and jealous husband from their renewed romance. Pechorin writes in the magazine that he never became a slave to his beloved woman, but on the contrary subordinated her to his will.

Grushnitsky brags about what happens to the Ligovskys and says that the princess hates Pechorin, to which he replies that if he wants, he will win her favor tomorrow.

"Princess Mary" summary of the magazine (for22, May 23, 29)

Pyatigorsk

At a ball in a restaurant, Pechorin witnessed how one of the ladies, who envied the princess's beauty and grace, asked her beau, a dragoon officer, to teach a lesson to "this bearable girl." Pechorin invited the princess to a waltz tour and during the dance he apologized for his behavior. After the waltz, at the instigation of the dragoon captain, the not quite sober gentleman in a rude and humiliating tone intended to invite her to the mazurka. Pechorin defended the young lady, pushed back the offender, saying that she had already been invited.

Princess Ligovskaya thanked the young man and invited him to visit their house. Pechorin began to visit the Ligovskys - on the one hand, for the sake of relations with Vera, and on the other, out of sports interest, to test his irresistibility on a young, inexperienced girl. Vera is passionately jealous of Pechorin for Princess Mary and asks to swear that he will never marry her, and even invites him to a long-awaited date at night.

"Princess Mary" summary of the magazine (for 3,4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15 June)

Kislovodsk

Grushnitsky is also jealous of a former friend of the princess, the newly-made officer joined the party of Pechorin's ill-wishers, led by the dragoon captain, who planned to teach him a lesson by challenging him to a duel and not loading his pistols.

Coming down from Vera's balcony, he was seized by Grushnitsky and the captain, had to fight back and fled. Later Grushnitsky was summoned by him to a duel for gossip about the princess, since the rejected gentleman thought that Pechorin was with Mary.

Kislovodsk

The duel ended in favor of Pechorin. Grushnitsky died, and Vera was taken away by a jealous husband. After reading the note of his beloved woman, Pechorin, in an attempt to catch up with her, drives the horse and remains alone, fruitlessly tormented by love. Princess Ligovskaya makes an attempt to help her only daughter, to save her from the suffering of unrequited love. She tells Pechorin that she is ready to give her daughter in marriage to him, because she cares not about wealth, but the happiness of her only child. In a conversation with the princess, Pechorin explained that he could not marry her and would submit to any of her worst opinions about him. After the princess said that she hated him, he thanked him and left. Soon he left Kislovodsk forever.

It is very difficult, after reading the summary ("Princess Mary"), to understand why Lermontov's contemporaries called this novel strange. Each generation of new readers tries to solve its riddles, but for this you need to read the whole novel.

Arriving in Pyatigorsk, Pechorin rented an apartment on the edge of the city. “This morning at five o'clock in the morning, when I opened the window, my room was filled with the smell of flowers growing in a modest front garden. I have a wonderful view from three sides. To the west, the five-headed Beshtu turns blue like "the last cloud of a scattered storm"; to the north rises Mashuk, like a shaggy Persian hat ... Below in front of me a clean, brand new town is dazzling ... further, the mountains are piling up like an amphitheater, all blue and foggy, and on the edge of the horizon stretches a silver chain of snow peaks, starting with Kazbek and ending with two-headed Elborus. .. It's fun to live in such a land! Some kind of gratifying feeling is spread in all my veins. The air is clean and fresh, like the kiss of a child; the sun is bright, the sky is blue - what would seem to be more? - why are there passions, desires, regrets? .. "

Mary and Grushnitsky. Illustration by M.A. Vrubel. Black watercolor. 1890-91

Pechorin decides to go to the Elizabethan spring: in the morning the whole "water society" gathers there. Suddenly, he meets the cadet Grushnitsky at the well, once they fought together. Grushkitsky "for a special kind of smartness" wears a thick soldier's greatcoat. Has a military award - St. George's cross. He is well built, dark and dark-haired. He looks twenty-five years old, although in reality he is hardly twenty-one. According to Pechorin, Grushnitsky is one of those who "have ready-made pompous phrases for all occasions." It's just that the beauty does not touch such people, and they "draped importantly into extraordinary feelings, lofty passions and exceptional suffering." Pechorin and Grushnitsky dislike each other, although from the outside it seems that they are friends.

Having met old friends, they start a conversation about the local way of life, about the local society. Two ladies walk past them, an elderly and a young, dressed "according to the strict rules of the best taste." Grushnitsky says that this is Princess of Lithuania with her daughter Mary. After waiting for Mary to come closer, he utters one of his magnificent phrases in French: "I hate people so as not to despise them, otherwise life would be too boring."... The girl turns around and looks at Grushnitsky with a long, curious look.

Pechorin decides to continue his walk. After some time, he saw a scene at the source that interested him. Grushnitsky, dropping the glass, tries to raise it, but in vain - his sore leg is in the way. Mary gives him a glass, but after a minute, walking by with her mother, she pretends not to notice the junker's passionate gaze.

Completing the description of the events of the day, Pechorin speaks of himself as follows: “I have an innate passion to contradict; my whole life was only a chain of sad and unsuccessful contradictions to my heart or reason. The presence of an enthusiast casts a baptismal chill on me, and, I think, frequent intercourse with a sluggish phlegmatic would make me a passionate dreamer, endowed with a fair amount of skepticism, sarcastic about the manifestations of enthusiasm in others, enjoying the opportunity to piss people off. ".

In the morning, Pechorin is paid a visit by his friend, Dr. Werner. They could be friends, but Pechorin claims that he is incapable of friendship. The doctor tells Pechorin that Princess Ligovskaya became interested in him, and her daughter Mary - the sufferer Grushnitsky. The girl assumes that the young man wearing a soldier's overcoat was demoted to the rank and file for a duel. Pechorin says that the outset of the comedy is already there: fate took care that he was not bored. "I have a presentiment," said the doctor, "that poor Grushnitsky will be your victim ..."... Then Werner begins to describe the princess and her daughter. He says that the princess loves the company of young people, is not used to commanding, she has respect for the mind and knowledge of her daughter, who reads English and knows algebra. Mary, on the other hand, looks at young people with contempt and loves to talk about feelings, passions and other things. Then Werner talks about a very pretty lady with a mole on her cheek, "one of the newcomers." In his opinion, the lady is very ill. Pechorin understands that we are talking about a woman he knows, and admits to the doctor that he once loved her very much.

After dinner, walking along the boulevard, Pechorin meets the princess and her daughter there. They are surrounded by many young people who are nice to them. Pechorin stops two familiar officers and begins to tell them various funny stories. He does it very well, the officers constantly laugh. Little by little, the fans surrounding the princess join Pechorin's listeners. The princess and Mary remain in the company of the lame old man. Mary is angry. Pechorin pleases, he intends to continue in the same spirit.

Pechorin constantly provokes the princess, trying to disturb her peace of mind. In an effort to distract fans from her, he invites them every day to his house for lunches and dinners. At the same time, Pechorin, using Grushnitsky's narrow-mindedness and vanity, convinces him that Mary is in love with him.

One morning, walking among the vineyards, Pechorin remembers a young woman with a mole on her cheek, about whom the doctor spoke. Suddenly he sees her on the bench and involuntarily cries out: "Faith!" They have loved each other for a long time, but this passion did not bring Vera happiness. She is now married for the second time. Her husband is that lame old man whom Pechorin saw in the company of the princess. According to Vera, the old man is rich, and she married him for the sake of her son. Vera visits the Ligovskys, her husband's relatives. “I gave her my word to get to know the Ligovskys and to follow the princess in order to divert attention from her. Thus, my plans were not in the least upset, and I will have fun ... ".

After the meeting, unable to contain his emotions, Pechorin gallops into the steppe. Deciding to water the horse, he descends into one of the ravines. Noise is heard from the road. Ahead of the brilliant cavalcade, he sees Grushnitsky and Princess Mary. This meeting caused Pechorin a feeling of annoyance.

In the evening, Pechorin summons Grushnitsky to a dispute about what if he only wants to, tomorrow evening, being with the princess, he will be able to win over the princess.

About a week passed, but no opportunity was presented to meet the princess and her daughter. Grushnitsky does not part with Mary. Vera tells Pechorin that she can only see him at the Ligovskys'.

The restaurant gives a ball by subscription. Pechorin waltzes with Mary, taking advantage of the fact that local customs allow to invite unfamiliar ladies to dance. During the dance, he asks the princess for forgiveness for his impudent behavior. Mary answers him with irony. A drunken gentleman approaches them and tries to invite the princess to a mazurka. The girl is frightened and outraged by such impudence. Pechorin makes the drunk go away. The Princess of Lithuania thanks him for this act and invites him to visit them at home. Pechorin tells Mary that Grushnitsky is actually a cadet, and not at all an officer demoted for a duel. The princess is disappointed.

Grushnitsky, having met Pechorin on the boulevard, thanks the princess for yesterday's salvation and confesses that he loves her to madness. It was decided to go together to the Lithuanians. Vera also appears there. Pechorin constantly jokes, trying to please the princess, and he succeeds. Mary sits down at the piano and begins to sing. At this time, Pechorin is trying to talk to Vera. Mary is annoyed that Pechorin is indifferent to her singing, and therefore the whole evening he talks only with Grushnitsky.

Pechorin tries to captivate Mary. He tells her stories from his life, and the girl begins to see him as an extraordinary person. At the same time, Pechorin tries to leave Mary and Grushnitsky alone as often as possible. Pechorin assures the princess that he sacrifices the pleasure of communicating with her for the sake of his friend's happiness. Soon Grushnitsky finally annoys Mary.

Pechorin makes an entry in the journal: “I often ask myself why I so persistently seek the love of a young girl whom I do not want to seduce and whom I will never marry? But there is immense pleasure in the possession of a young, barely blossoming soul! She is like a flower whose best fragrance evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; it must be ripped off at this moment and, having breathed its fill, throw it on the road: maybe someone will pick it up! "... His reflections are interrupted by the appearance of a happy Grushnitsky, who has been promoted to officer.

On a country walk, Pechorin, talking with the princess, endlessly makes evil jokes about his acquaintances. Mary is scared, she says that she would rather get under the knife of the killer than on the tongue of Pechorin. To this, he, assuming a frustrated look, replies: “Yes, this has been my fate since childhood. Everyone read on my face the signs of bad feelings that were not there; but they were supposed - and they were born. I was modest - I was accused of cunning: I became secretive. I deeply felt good and evil; no one caressed me, everyone insulted me: I became vindictive; I was ready to love the whole world - no one understood me: and I learned to hate. My colorless youth passed in the struggle with myself and the light; I buried my best feelings, fearing ridicule, in the depths of my heart: they died there ... I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and left it, while the other moved and lived at the service of everyone "... The princess has tears in her eyes, she feels sorry for Pechorin. When he asked if she had ever loved, the princess shakes her head in response and falls into thoughtfulness. Pechorin is pleased - he knows that tomorrow Mary will reproach herself for being cold and wish to reward him.

Princess Mary confides her heartfelt secrets to Vera, and she torments Pechorin with jealousy. She asks why Pechorin pursues the princess, worries, excites her imagination? Vera moves to Kislovodsk. Pechorin promises to follow her.

Half an hour before the ball, Grushnitsky visits Pechorin "in the full radiance of an army infantry uniform." He smiles in front of the mirror and hints that he will dance the mazurka with Mary. "Be careful not to get ahead of you", - Pechorin answers. At the ball Grushnitsky reproaches the princess for having changed in relation to him, continuously pursues her with entreaties and reproaches. Then he learns that Mary promised the mazurka Pechorin. Pechorin, following the decision made at the ball, puts Mary in the carriage and quickly kisses her hand, after which, satisfied, he returns to the hall. Everyone falls silent when he appears. Pechorin concludes that a "hostile gang" is being formed against him under the command of Grushnitsky.

Morning is coming. Vera and her husband leave for Kislovodsk. Pechorin, wanting to see Mary, comes to the Lithuanians and learns that the princess is ill. At home, he realizes that he is missing something: “I haven't seen her! She is ill! Have I really fallen in love? .. What nonsense! ".

In the morning Pechorin walks past the Lithuanian house. Seeing Mary, he enters the living room and apologizes to the offended princess for kissing her hand: “Forgive me, princess! I acted like a madman ... this will not happen another time ... Why do you need to know what has happened so far in my soul? "... Leaving, Pechorin hears the princess crying.

In the evening, Werner visits him, who has heard a rumor that Pechorin is going to marry the Princess of Lithuania. Considering that this is Grushnitsky's tricks, Pechorin is going to take revenge on him.

Pechorin has been in Kislovodsk for the third day. Every day he and Vera meet, as if by accident, in the garden. Grushnitsky rages with friends in the tavern and hardly greets Pechorin.

The Lithuanians are finally arriving in Kislovodsk. At dinner, the princess does not take her tender gaze from Pechorin, which makes Vera jealous. “What a woman won't do to upset her rival! I remember one fell in love with me because I loved the other. There is nothing more paradoxical than the female mind; it is difficult to convince women of anything, it is necessary to bring them to the point that they convince themselves ... Women should wish that all men knew them as well as I did, because I love them a hundred times more since those since I am not afraid of them and have comprehended their minor weaknesses ... "

"This evening was full of incidents."... Not far from Kislovodsk, in the gorge, there is a rock called the Ring. This is a gate formed by nature, and through them the sun before sunset "casts its last fiery glance at the world." Many went to see this spectacle. During the crossing of the mountain river, the princess felt ill, and she swayed in the saddle. Pechorin hugs the girl around the waist, not letting her fall. Mary is getting better. Pechorin, not letting go of the princess, kisses her. He wants to see her get out of her predicament and doesn't say a word. “Either you despise me, or you love me very much! - says the princess at last in a voice in which there were tears. - Maybe you want to laugh at me, disturb my soul and then leave ... ". "You are silent? ... maybe you want me to be the first to tell you that I love you? .. "... Pechorin does not answer. "Do you want this?"- there was something terrible in the decisiveness of the eyes and voice of the princess ... "Why?" he replies with a shrug.

Hearing this, the princess lets the horse gallop along the mountain road and soon catches up with the rest of society. All the way home, she talks and laughs incessantly. Pechorin realizes that she has a nervous seizure. He goes to the mountains to unwind. Returning through the settlement, Pechorin notices that a light is burning brightly in one of the houses, talk and screams are heard. He concludes that there is some kind of military feast going on there, dismounts from his horse and sneaks up close to the window. Gathered in the house, Grushnitsky, the dragoon captain and other officers say that it is necessary to teach Pechorin a lesson, since he is too arrogant. The dragoon captain offers Grushnitsky to challenge Pechorin to a duel, finding fault with some trifle. They will be placed six steps apart, without putting bullets in the pistols. The captain is sure that Pechorin will get cold feet. Grushnitsky, after some silence, agrees with this plan.

Pechorin feels how anger fills his soul; “Beware, Mr. Grushnitsky! .. You can pay dearly for the approval of your stupid comrades. I'm not your toy! .. "

In the morning he meets Princess Mary at the well. The girl says that she cannot explain to herself the behavior of Pechorin and assumes that he wants to marry her, but is afraid of any obstacle. Pechorin replies that the truth lies elsewhere - he does not love Mary.

“I sometimes despise myself ... isn't that why I despise others too? .. I have become incapable of noble impulses; I am afraid to seem ridiculous to myself ... the word marry over me has some kind of magical power: no matter how passionately I love a woman, if she only lets me feel that I must marry her, forgive love! my heart turns to stone and nothing will warm it up again. I am ready for all sacrifices except this one; twenty times my life, I will even put my honor on the line ... but I will not sell my freedom. Why do I value her so much? What do I have in it? .. where am I preparing myself? what do I expect from the future? .. Indeed, absolutely nothing. This is some kind of innate fear. "

On this day, a performance of a visiting magician is expected, and there is no such person who would refuse the upcoming spectacle. Pechorin learns from a note given to him by Vera that her husband is leaving for Pyatigorsk and will stay there until morning. Taking advantage of his absence and the fact that the servant will go to the show, it will be possible to spend the night with Vera. In the middle of the night, going down from the upper balcony to the lower one, Pechorin looks through the window to Mary. At the same moment, he notices movement behind the bush. Pechorin, who has jumped to the ground, is grabbed by the shoulder. They were Grushnitsky and the dragoon captain. Pechorin managed to escape, he fled. Grushnitsky and the captain raised a noise, but they failed to catch him. The night alarm was explained by the alleged attack of the Circassians.

In the morning at the well, everyone only remembers the night incident. Pechorin is having breakfast at a restaurant. There he meets Vera's husband, who has returned in the morning, who is very excited about what happened. They are sitting not far from the door where Grushnitsky and his friends are located. Pechorin gets a chance to witness a conversation in which his fate is being decided. Grushnitsky says that he has a witness to how someone broke into the Litovskys' house at ten o'clock yesterday evening. The princess was not at home, and Mary, without going to the show, was left alone. Pechorin is confused: will it occur to Vera's husband that the matter is not in the princess? But the old man doesn't notice anything.

Grushnitsky assures everyone that the alarm was not raised because of the Circassians: in fact, he managed to lie in wait for the princess's night visitor, who managed to escape. Everyone asks; who it was, and Grushnitsky calls Pechorin. Here he meets Pechorin's gaze. He demands from Grutshnitsky that he renounce his words: hardly a woman's indifference to his supposedly brilliant merits deserves such revenge. Grushnitsky is overcome by doubts, his conscience struggles with pride. But it doesn't last long. The intervening captain offers his services as a second. Pechorin leaves, promising to send his second today. Having made Dr. Werner his attorney, Pechorin receives his consent. Having discussed the necessary conditions, Werner informs him of the place of the proposed duel. This will happen in a remote gorge, they will shoot from six steps. Werner suspects that the dragoon captain will load only Grushnitsky's pistol with a bullet.

On a sleepless night, Pechorin talks about his lived life: “Why did I live? for what purpose was I born? .. And, it is true, it existed, and, probably, there was a high purpose for me, because I feel immense strength in my souls ... But I did not guess this purpose, I was carried away by the lures of empty and ungrateful passions; from their furnace I came out hard and cold like iron, but I have lost forever the ardor of noble aspirations - the best light of life ... My love did not bring happiness to anyone, because I sacrificed nothing for those whom I loved: I loved for myself, for your own pleasure ... "... He thinks that tomorrow, perhaps, there will not be a single being who would understand him.

In the morning Pechorin and Werner gallop into the mountains to the place of the duel. Since it was decided to shoot to death, Pechorin sets a condition: to do everything in secret so that the seconds do not have to be carried.

Duel Pechorin with Grushnitsky. Illustration by M.A. Vrubel. Black watercolor, whitewash. 1890-91

They decided to shoot at the top of a steep cliff, on a narrow platform. Below was an abyss dotted with sharp stones. If you stand against each other at the edges of the site, then even a slight wound will be fatal. The wounded will certainly be smashed to death, flying down. And if the doctor removes the bullet, then the death of the person can be explained by an accidental fall.

Grushnitsky, forced to accept these conditions, is in doubt. Under the circumstances, he could no longer just wound Pechorin, but certainly had to become a killer or shoot into the air.

The doctor offers Pechorin to reveal the conspiracy, saying that now is the time, but Pechorin does not agree. The duelists face each other. Grushnitsky targets his opponent in the forehead, but then lower the pistol and, as it were, accidentally hits Pechorin in the knee. The captain, being sure that no one knows about the conspiracy, pretends to say goodbye to Grushnitsky. Pechorin announces that there are no bullets in his pistol and asks Werner to reload the weapon. He also invites Grushnitsky to abandon slander and make peace. Flushing, he replies that he hates Pechorin and despises himself. The two of them no longer have a place on earth. Then Pechorin shoots and kills Grushnitsky.

Returning home, Pechorin finds two notes. One of them is from Werner: “Everything is arranged as best as possible: the body was brought in disfigured, the bullet removed from the chest. Everyone is sure that the cause of his death was an accident ... There is no evidence against you, and you can sleep peacefully ... if you can ... Farewell ... "... Second note from Vera: “This letter will be parting and confession together ... You loved me as property, as a source of joys, anxieties and sorrows, mutually replacing, without which life is boring and monotonous ... We are parting forever; however, you can be sure that I will never love another: my soul has drained all its treasures, its tears and hopes on you "... Vera also writes that she confessed to her husband her love for Pechorin, and now he is taking her away.

Pechorin gallops to Pyatigorsk, hoping to find Vera there, but on the way his driven horse falls and dies. “And for a long time I lay motionless and wept bitterly, not trying to hold back tears and sobs; I thought my chest would burst; all my firmness, all my composure - disappeared like smoke. When the night dew and the mountain breeze refreshed my hot head and my thoughts returned to their usual order, then I realized that chasing lost happiness is useless and reckless ... One bitter farewell kiss will not enrich my memories, and after it it will only be more difficult for us to part. .. "- Pechorin later makes an entry in his journal.

Werner arrives. He reports that Princess Mary is ill - she has a nervous breakdown. Her mother knows about the duel. She thinks that Pechorin shot himself because of her daughter.

The next day, by order of the authorities, who guessed about the true cause of Grushnitsky's death, Pechorin was assigned to the fortress N. Before leaving, he comes to the Lithuanians to say goodbye. The princess says that her daughter is very sick, and the reason for this is Pechorin. She invites him to marry Mary, because she wishes her happiness. Having received permission from the princess to talk to her daughter in private, Pechorin explains to Mary. “Princess ... do you know that I laughed at you? .. You must despise me ... Consequently, you cannot love me ... You see, I am low in front of you. Isn't it true, even if you loved me, you despise me from this minute? .. ". "I hate you," she said.

HERO OF OUR TIME

(Roman, 1839-1840; published in a separate edition without a foreword - 1840; 2nd edition with a foreword - 1841)

Mary, princess - the heroine of the story of the same name. The name Mary is formed, as it is said in the novel, in the English manner. The character of Princess M. in the novel is outlined in detail and carefully written out. M. in the novel is a suffering face: it is over her that Pechorin sets up his cruel experiment in exposing Grushnitsky. This experiment was not carried out for M.'s sake, but M. was drawn into it by Pechorin's play, since she had the misfortune to turn an interested eye on a pseudo-romanticist and a pseudo-hero. Simultaneously with the image of M. in the novel is connected with the problem of love - genuine and imaginary.
The plot of the story is based on a love triangle (Grushnitsky - M. - Pechorin). Getting rid of falling in love with Grushnitsky, M. falls in love with Pechorin, but both feelings turn out to be illusory. Grushnitsky's love is nothing more than red tape, although he is sincerely convinced that he loves M. Besides, Grushnitsky is not a groom. Pechorin's love is imaginary from the very beginning. Feeling M., left without reciprocity, grows into its opposite - hatred, offended love. Her "double" love defeat is predetermined, for she lives in an artificial, conditional, fragile world; it is threatened not only by Pechorin, but also by the "water society". So, a certain fat lady feels offended by M. (“She really needs to be taught a lesson ...”), and her gentleman, the dragoon captain, undertakes to fulfill this. Pechorin destroys plans and saves M. from the slander of the dragoon captain and his gang. In the same way, a small episode at the dance (an invitation from a drunken gentleman in a tailcoat) betrays all the instability of Princess M.'s seemingly strong social and social position in society and in the world in general. The trouble with M. is that, sensing the difference between an immediate emotional impulse and secular etiquette, she does not distinguish a mask from a face.

Observing Princess M., Pechorin guesses in her this confrontation of two principles - naturalness and secularity, but he is convinced that "secularism" has already won in her. The daring lorgnette Pechorina makes the princess angry, but M. herself also looks through the glass at the fat lady; in the cadet Grushnitsky M. sees a demoted officer, suffering and unhappy, and is imbued with sympathy for him; the empty banality of his speeches strikes her as interesting and worthy of attention. The hero decides to show M. how wrong she is, mistaking red tape for love, how shallowly she judges people, applying deceptive and depersonalizing secular standards to them. However, M. does not fit into the framework in which Pechorin concluded her. She shows both responsiveness and nobility. She is capable of a great and deep feeling; in the end she realizes that she was mistaken in Grushnitsky, and cannot assume intrigue and deceit on the part of Pechorin. She is deceived again, but unexpectedly for himself, Pechorin was also deceived: he took M. for an ordinary society girl, and his deep nature opened up and answered him with love. As the hero captivates M. and puts his cruel experience on her, the irony disappears from his story. Pechorin's experience is crowned with "formal" success: M. is in love with him, Grushnitsky is debunked, M.'s honor is protected from slander launched by Grushnitsky and the gang of the dragoon captain. However, the result of "funny" entertainment ("I was laughing at you") is dramatic and not at all cheerful. M.'s first deep feeling has been trampled; the joke turned into meanness; M., having comprehended the relativity of secular laws, at the same time must learn again to love humanity. Here it is not far to misanthropy, to a skeptical attitude to love, to everything beautiful and sublime. The author leaves M. at a crossroads, and the reader does not know whether she is broken or will find the strength to overcome Pechorin's "lesson".

The chapter "Princess Mary" by Lermontov is included in the second part of the cycle "A Hero of Our Time", written in 1840. The story described in the story is presented in the form of the diary of the protagonist - the scandalous heartthrob, officer Pechorin.

main characters

Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin- Russian officer, smart, tired of life, bored young man.

Princess Mary- a beautiful, well-educated girl.

faith- a young woman with whom Pechorin was previously in love.

Grushnitsky- Junker, handsome, slender, narcissistic young man.

Other characters

Princess Ligovskaya- a noble lady from Moscow, forty-five years old, mother of Mary.

Werner- a doctor, a good friend of Pechorin.

May 11

Arriving in Pyatigorsk and renting an apartment, Pechorin went for a walk, where he met a fellow cadet Grushnitsky. He said that only Princess Ligovskaya and her young daughter Mary are of the greatest interest in the city. It was clear that Grushnitsky was not indifferent to the girl.

may 13

From Doctor Werner, who entered the Ligovskys' house, Pechorin learned that among those present there was some kind of relative of noble ladies - "a blonde with regular features" and a mole on her cheek. Hearing this, Pechorin shuddered - in this portrait he recognized "one woman whom he loved in the old days."

16th of May

Pechorin met that very blonde with a mole. She turned out to be a young noble lady named Vera, with whom Pechorin had an affair in the past. Vera said that for the sake of her son's well-being, she married a rich, sick old man for the second time. Passion flared up between the former lovers, and Pechorin promised Vera "to drag after the princess in order to divert attention from her."

May 21st

Pechorin was waiting for a suitable opportunity to get closer to the Ligovskys. Having learned that a ball would take place, he decided to "dance a mazurka with the princess" all evening.

22nd of May

Pechorin kept his promise, and at the ball did not leave Mary a single step. In addition, he protected her from the harassment of a drunken officer, which caused a wave of gratitude from the princess and the princess.

May, 23rd

Grushnitsky worried that the princess had lost her former interest in him. At a reception with the Ligovskys, Vera confessed to Pechorin that she was very ill, but all her thoughts were occupied only by him.

May 29

All these days Pechorin "never once deviated from his system." He carefully watched Mary's reaction, and noticed that Grushnitsky was finally tired of her.

June 3

Pechorin wondered why he persistently sought "the love of a young girl", whom he was not even going to seduce. His reflections were interrupted by Grushnitsky, who shared the good news - he was promoted to an officer. The young man hoped that now it would be easier for him to win the heart of the princess.

June 4th

Vera tortured Pechorin with her jealousy for the princess. She asked him to follow her to Kislovodsk and rent an apartment nearby. Over time, the Ligovskys were also supposed to arrive there.

June 5th

At the ball Grushnitsky planned to defeat Mary with his new infantry uniform. However, the girl was frankly bored in his company. Pechorin began to entertain the princess, which caused a wave of indignation in Grushnitsky.

June 6th

The next morning "Vera left with her husband for Kislovodsk." Pechorin strove to meet her alone, because "love is like fire - it goes out without food."

June 7

From his friend Werner Pechorin learned that rumors began to spread in the city about his imminent wedding with the princess. He realized that this was the work of the jealous Grushnitsky. The next morning Pechorin set off for Kislovodsk.

June 10th

In Kislovodsk, Pechorin often met Vera at the source. A cheerful company headed by Grushnitsky appeared in the city and regularly arranged fights in the tavern.

June 11

The Ligovskys arrived in Kislovodsk, and Pechorin immediately noticed that the princess was especially tender with him. It seemed to him a bad sign.

12 June

This evening "was rife with incidents." During a horse ride, Mary confessed her love to Pechorin, but he did not react to the confession in any way, which brought the girl out of peace of mind.

Returning home, the hero became an unwitting witness to the heinous conspiracy that Grushnitsky's friends were organizing against him. They knocked out the young officer to challenge Pechorin to a duel, but not load the pistols.

Pechorin "did not sleep all night," and in the morning confessed to the princess that he did not love her at all.

June 14

Pechorin explained that his "irresistible aversion to marriage" is explained by the words of a fortune-teller who predicted the death of his son from an evil wife to his mother.

June 15th

Pechorin managed to organize a secret meeting with Vera. I had to get out of her bedroom with the help of tied shawls. As soon as he touched the ground, Pechorin found himself in a trap set up by Grushnitsky's cronies. Only by a miracle he managed to fight back and run home.

June 16

The next day, Grushnitsky publicly accused Pechorin of visiting the princess's chambers at night. The hero challenged the young man to a duel, and asked Dr. Werner to be his second. After negotiations with Grushnitsky, Werner suggested that his friends were planning to "load one Grushnitsky's pistol with a bullet," turning the duel into a real murder.

In the duel, the first shot went to Grushnitsky, who deliberately only slightly scratched the opponent's knee. Pechorin exposed their conspiracy and demanded to reload his pistol. He shot Grushnitsky and killed him.

Arriving home, Pechorin found Vera's letter. She wrote that she confessed everything to her husband, and he hurried to take her away from Kislovodsk. Pechorin "jumped out onto the porch like a madman," mounted his horse and drove him after the carriage. But the already tired horse could not stand the frantic race and died in the middle of the steppe. Pechorin fell to the ground and "wept bitterly, not trying to hold back his tears and sobs."

Having come to his senses, the hero returned home, where he had an explanation with Mary. He advised the girl to simply despise him, and then dryly bowed and left.

Rumors of a duel hurt Pechorin, who was ordered to immediately go to the fortress N. Arriving at the place, he tried to analyze his life, but came to the conclusion that "quiet joys and peace of mind" are incompatible with his rebellious nature.

Conclusion

The work of Lermontov reveals the theme of the "superfluous person", by which Pechorin is presented. The constant feeling of boredom makes him a cold, insensitive person, unable to appreciate either someone else's or his own life.

After reading a short retelling of "Princess Mary" we recommend that you read the story in its full version.

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Princess Mary is a lover of romantic stories

The characterization of Mary in the novel "A Hero of Our Time" by Lermontov is inseparable from her relationship with the main character of the work, Pechorin. It was he who involved her in a story that might not have happened if Princess Mary had other character traits and outlooks on life. Or it would have happened (Pechorin always fulfills his plans), but with much less sad consequences for her.
Mary turned out to be a lover of romantic stories. A subtle psychologist, Pechorin immediately noted her interest in Grushnitsky as the owner of a "gray soldier's overcoat". She thought that he was demoted for a duel - and this aroused romantic feelings in her. He himself, as a person, was indifferent to her. After Mary found out that Grushnitsky was just a cadet and not a romantic hero, she began to avoid him. Exactly on the same basis, her interest in Pechorin arose. This follows from the story of Dr. Werner: “The princess began to talk about your adventures ... My daughter listened with curiosity. In her imagination, you became the hero of a novel in a new flavor ... "

Mary's characteristic

Appearance

Princess Mary, of course, had no reason to doubt her feminine attractiveness. “This Princess Mary is very pretty,” Pechorin noted when he saw her for the first time. “She has such velvety eyes ...” But then he saw the inner emptiness of this society lady: “However, it seems that there is only good in her face… And what, her teeth are white? It is very important! It is a pity that she didn’t smile ... ”. “You speak of a pretty woman as an English horse,” Grushnitsky said indignantly. Pechorin, in fact, did not find a soul in her - one outer shell. And beauty alone is not enough to arouse deep feelings for yourself.

Interests

Mary is smart and educated: "she reads Byron in English and knows algebra." Even her own mother has respect for her intelligence and knowledge. But reading and studying sciences, obviously, is not her natural need, but a tribute to fashion: “in Moscow, apparently, the young ladies set off into learning,” notes Dr. Werner.

The princess also plays the piano and sings, like all girls from high society of that time. "Her voice is not bad, but she sings badly ..." - Pechorin writes in his journal. Why bother when it's enough for fans? A "murmur of praise" is already provided for her.

Traits

Pechorin alone is in no hurry with flattering reviews - and this clearly hurts the princess's pride. This feature is inherent in the image of Mary in "A Hero of Our Time" to the greatest extent. Having easily identified her weak point, Pechorin strikes exactly at this point. He is in no hurry to get to know Mary when all the other young people are hovering around her.

Lures almost all of her admirers to her company. Scares her with a daring trick on a walk. Examines the lorgnette. And he is glad that the princess already hates him. Now he should pay attention to her - and she will perceive it as a victory, as a triumph over him. And then she will blame herself for being cold. Pechorin “knows all this by heart” and subtly plays on the strings of her character.

The princess's sentimentality, her love of reasoning "about feelings, passions" will also let her down very much. The insidious tempter Pechorin will not fail to take advantage of this, pitying her with a story about his difficult fate. “At that moment I met her eyes: tears ran in them; her hand, resting on mine, trembled; the cheeks were on fire; she felt sorry for me! Compassion, a feeling that all women submit so easily, has let its claws into her inexperienced heart. " The goal is almost achieved - Mary is already almost in love.

In A Hero of Our Time, Princess Mary is one of the women who fell victim to Pechorin. She is not stupid and vaguely guesses that his intentions are not entirely honest: "Or you despise me, or you love me very much! .. Maybe you want to laugh at me, disturb my soul and then leave?" - says Mary. But she is still too young and naive to believe that such a thing is possible: “It would be so mean, so low that one guess… oh no! isn't it ... there is nothing in me that would exclude respect? " Princess Pechorin also uses the naivety of Princess Pechorin to subdue her to his will: “But there is immense pleasure in the possession of a young, barely blossoming soul! She is like a flower whose best fragrance evaporates towards the first ray of the sun; it must be ripped off at this moment and, having breathed its fill, toss it on the road: maybe someone will pick it up! "

Lesson learned from Pechorin

The heroine of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" Mary finds herself in a very humiliating position. Until recently, she allowed herself to look at other people with contempt, and now she herself has become the object of ridicule. Her lover does not even think of marrying. This is such a painful blow for her that she suffers a mental breakdown, she becomes seriously ill. What lesson will the princess learn from this situation? I would like to think that her heart will not harden, but rather soften and learn to choose those who are really worthy of love.

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