What is the author's assessment of their behavior. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. "Eugene Onegin. Problematic questions of the lesson

Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
"Eugene Onegin"

LESSON 13. “I’m not writing a novel, but a novel in verse...” “Eugene Onegin”: the creative history of the novel. Features of genre and composition. Onegin stanza

You can spend 7-8 lessons studying the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” in the 10th grade. The novel should be read by students independently, since the method of working with it is designed for problem-based learning.

In the first lesson, devoted to the creative history of the novel, the features of its concept, plot, composition and system of images, it is necessary to go through the path with students from identifying the first reading impressions to understanding the complex compositional structure of the novel. Work in subsequent lessons will help children get closer to understanding the novel as a dynamic artistic system.

Main objectives of the lesson:

Identifying the primary reading perception of students, draw their attention to the ambiguous assessment of the novel by contemporaries, for example, N. A. Polev and E. A. Baratynsky, to the points of view of A. Herzen, N. Gogol, I. Goncharov, F. Dostoevsky, talk about The fact that the novel was published in chapters indicates the innovative nature of the realistic novel, which was published during the period of priorities of the romantic artistic tradition. Introduce students to the draft plan of the novel “Eugene Onegin”, which according to the plan consists of 9 chapters, and, comparing the plan with the final version, determine why the author changed the original plan, what events important for the history of Russia and the biography of Pushkin occurred during the period of work on novel and how they could change its compositional structure. Find out why, in his dedication to P. A. Pletnev, the author calls the novel “a collection of motley chapters,” why at the end of the first chapter, when the author “was already thinking about the form of the plan,” he writes about contradictions that he does not want to correct, why, finally, in chapter 8 we read:

And the distance of a free romance
Me through a magic crystal
I couldn't discern it clearly yet.

What does "free romance" mean? Free from what? - First of all, from those norms and rules that regulated the creation of works of art during the time of Pushkin.

Identify the main plot and compositional features of the novel. Students will write down the main points of the lecture in a notebook. The plot of the novel includes two lines: Onegin - Tatyana and Lensky - Olga. They are parallel, since the novels of the heroes in both cases did not take place. But the Lensky-Olga line does not develop, since Lensky’s fate does not depend on his relationship with Olga. Lensky's love for Olga in compositional terms helps Tatiana better understand Onegin. Lensky is not only an opponent of Onegin, but also an image associated with the author-narrator. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in chapter 6 the author gives us two different life paths of Lensky, if he had remained alive. One of the main characters in the novel is the author-narrator. The author of the novel in the system of characters and Pushkin are not the same thing. The hero on whose behalf the story is told is Onegin's companion, Lensky's antipode, Tatyana's protector. He is also the protagonist of the lyrical digressions, which are an integral part of the plot and mark the boundaries of the novel’s artistic time. The novel pushes the boundaries of personal conflict, and the work includes Russian life in all its manifestations. The plot of the novel can be placed within the framework of the relationships between the four main characters, and the plot, thanks to the presence of the author-narrator, goes beyond this framework. Why did Pushkin emphasize: “I’m not writing a novel, but a novel in verse - a devilish difference...”?
Individual task. Compare the poem “Gypsies” with the novel “Eugene Onegin”, trace the common and special features of the main characters, the specifics of the romantic and realistic style. Identify the features of the Onegin stanza, its compositional and stylistic role in the novel.

LESSON 14. “Was my Eugene happy?” Evgeny Onegin: tragic results of life's journey. Onegin and Lensky

The lesson focuses on the problematic characterization of the image of Onegin. To do this, students need to reread chapters 1, 2 and 6 of the novel and think about the questions: why did Onegin lose interest in life? What facts in the novel indicate his spiritual crisis? What is common and different between Onegin and Lensky, Onegin and the author-narrator?

Main stages of the lesson:

Students' stories about the lifestyle of young Onegin, the capital's dandy, his passions and quirks, education and upbringing, activities during the day. In a conversation with students, you can find out what Onegin’s attitude to the theater is (pp. XVII-XXII), how the decoration of his office characterizes the hero (pp. XXIII-XXVIII), how the appearance of working St. Petersburg is depicted (p. XXXV). The main question of the first part of the lesson is - what are the reasons for Onegin’s disappointment in life, why was he unable to create his own spiritual world based on his attachment to reading and poetic work? What important question does the author ask on page XXXVI? (“Was my Eugene happy?”) Identification of what is common and different in the images of the author-narrator and Onegin and in their attitude to work, nature, creativity (pp. ХLIII-ХLVI). Comparison of Onegin and Lensky (chapter 2, pp. VI-XIX). How to understand the author’s words “there is nothing to do, friends”? Analysis of the duel scene. What prompted Onegin to accept Lensky’s challenge (chapter 6, pp. IX-XII, XXVIII, XXX-XXXI)? What is the author’s assessment of the behavior of Onegin and Lensky in the duel (pp. XXXIII-XXXIV)? Why does the author not lead Lensky along any of the supposed paths, but depicts his death? Students report on individual homework received in the previous lesson.

Lesson conclusions. Onegin is a representative of the advanced noble intelligentsia, who are not satisfied with the conservatism and ignorant views of the nobility, but he does not see a way out of this situation; he never found a civil ideal for himself. Lensky leaves everyday life, reality, into an atmosphere of illusions that collapse when confronted with life, and one of the reasons for the collapse is Onegin.

LESSON 15. “Tatyana, dear Tatiana!” Tatyana Larina is Pushkin's ideal woman. Tatiana and Olga

The lesson focuses on the problematic characteristics of Tatyana’s image. To do this, students need to reread chapters 2, 3, 5, 7 and think about the questions: what is Tatyana’s inner world and why is it in conflict with the outer world? What is the compositional role of Tatiana's dream? What does Tatyana understand in Onegin in Chapter 7 and how does this characterize her?

Main stages of the lesson:

Identification of the characteristic features of Tatyana’s appearance at the end of Chapter 2 - beginning of Chapter 3 (Chapter 2, pp. XXIV-XXIX). Discussion of questions: in what environment did Tatyana grow up? What everyday and spiritual needs did her parents have (pp. XXX-XXXIV)? Why did she “seem like a stranger at home”? Comparison of the images of Tatiana and Olga (ch. 2, pp. XXI-XXIX, ch. 3, p. V). Problematic conversation on the questions: how did Tatiana’s inner world change in Chapter 3 (pp. VII-X, XII)? What is the author’s attitude towards Tatiana’s love (p. XV)? Analysis of the dialogue between Tatiana and the nanny (pp. XVI-XXI, XXXII-XXXV). Analysis of the scene of Tatiana waiting for Onegin’s arrival (pp. XXXVIII-XXXIX, ХL-ХLI). What are the ways of depicting Tatiana's state of mind in these scenes? Problematic analysis of the image of Tatiana in chapter 5. What is Tatyana’s attitude towards nature and folk customs? What meaning does this reveal? Analysis of Tatyana's sleep. How does the dream characterize the heroine? What is the role of image-symbols in a dream? Analysis of the name day scene. How does Tatyana feel in the name day scene? Justify your opinion with text. Why is Onegin also uncomfortable at his name day? Analysis of the scene of Tatyana’s visit to Onegin’s house in Chapter 7. How does Tatyana appear in Onegin's house? What qualities of her character does the author emphasize in this scene? How does Tatyana feel surrounded by the Moscow nobility? What is his appearance? What are the techniques for depicting Tatyana’s inner world?

Lesson conclusions. Tatyana is the embodiment of Pushkin's ideas about the ideal woman. She is educated, subtle, dreamy, close to nature, her inner world is complex and significant. Raised on French novels, she does not lose Russian national and everyday traditions. Her tragedy is in conflict with the environment of her family, her insignificant spiritual needs, she suffers from loneliness, from the inability to be happy from high love. She is a victim of social conditions of life, but does not betray her inner world, while Onegin suffers primarily from her own position of moral negation.

LESSON 16. “And happiness was so possible...” The evolution of the relationship between Tatiana and Onegin

For the lesson, students need to re-read chapters 4 and 8 of the novel and think about the questions: what is the evolution of the relationship between Tatiana and Onegin? Compare the characters' letters. How does their behavior characterize them in Chapter 8? Is it typical for each of them? What is the compositional role of the love story of Tatiana for Onegin and Onegin for Tatiana? The lesson can be taught by studying and comparing chapters 4 and 8 of the novel.

Main stages of the lesson:

Observations on developments in Chapter 4. Why do you think the first six stanzas of chapter 4 were replaced by punctuations by the author? Determine the condition of the main characters. Think about why events develop in this particular sequence. (Author's assessment of Onegin - rebuke - author's assessment of rebuke - the narrator's reasoning about friends, relatives, love - Tatiana's suffering - pictures of the happy love of Olga and Lensky - Onegin's life in the village - the onset of winter - Onegin's conversation with Lensky about Olga, the upcoming wedding, Tatiana's name day - this sequence of events emphasizes the development of Tatyana’s feelings for Onegin.) Explanation scene analysis. What character traits of Onegin appear in the explanation scene? Why does he still reject Tatyana’s love? Why does the author include pictures of the happy love of Olga and Lensky in the composition of the chapter? (Onegin does not intend to limit his life to the “home circle,” and the romance of Lensky and Olga involuntarily cools his interest in Tatyana. Onegin does not want such love.) Analysis of the evolution of Tatiana’s image in Chapter 8. Follow the plot chain of chapter 8. How are the principles of compositional parallelism manifested in it? Why does the development of the images of Onegin and Tatyana in chapters 4 and 8 seem to be in a mirror image? (The author’s reflections on his youth and the beginning of his poetic creativity - the author’s reflections on Onegin, who after a duel set off on a journey - a description of Tatiana’s appearance at the St. Petersburg ball and her meeting with Onegin - Onegin fell in love with Tatiana - Onegin suffers - letter - the blues again - the onset of spring - scene explanations - the author's farewell to the reader - this sequence of events emphasizes the development of Onegin's feelings for Tatyana, they seem to have switched roles. But Onegin again changed himself (“How wrong I was, how punished ...”), and Tatyana remained the same, changing only her appearance .)
What are the author’s techniques for depicting the internal state of the characters in Chapter 8? Why is Tatyana depicted through the eyes of Onegin in Chapter 8? What is the author's assessment of Onegin's actions? What struck him most about Tatyana and why? What qualities of Tatyana’s character are manifested in the explanation scene? How did Tatyana and Onegin change in Chapter 8? Introduction to Onegin's Journey. Read "Onegin's Travels" and the surviving fragments of chapter 10. What changed in Onegin during the period of wanderings? Why did Pushkin consider chapter 10 superfluous in his novel? Could Onegin become a Decembrist? Practical work. Compare the letters of Onegin and Tatiana. Find similar places in them, fragments built according to the same compositional plan, similar syntactic structures, the same vocabulary. What meaning is revealed by this comparison? What character traits of the characters appear in the letters? Is Onegin sincere in his letter? Comparison of two love lines of the novel. What is the nature of Pushkin’s depiction of the love of Lensky and Olga, Onegin and Tatyana? What is the compositional role of the love story between Lensky and Olga? What meaning emerges when comparing two love stories? Are Tatiana and Onegin similar? Is there any basis for comparing them?

The result of the lesson can be the compilation of a table “Similarities and differences in the characters of Tatiana and Onegin”:

General	Various
Tatiana's originality, Onegin's “inimitable strangeness.” Her dreaminess, his “involuntary devotion to dreams.” She is bored in society, he is unsociable. He “was sick of the persistent work,” and “her pampered fingers knew no needles.” Both he and she love to read and find solace in books.	Tatiana's closeness to the “folk foundations of life” and Onegin’s isolation from folk roots. Simplicity, gullibility, inability to deceive in Tatiana and life experience in Onegin. Tatyana was never disappointed, Onegin was chilled, fed up with life, and disappointed. Tatyana finds her place in life, but Onegin was unable to do this.

LESSON 17. “I once walked there too...” The image of the author and his compositional role in the novel

For the lesson, schoolchildren need to reread the lyrical digressions of the novel and stanzas that depict the appearance of the author-narrator, and think about the questions: what meaning is revealed when comparing the author and Onegin? the author and Tatiana? the author and Lensky? dialogues between the author and the reader? How does the image of the author contribute to expanding the boundaries of the novel, creating an “encyclopedia of Russian life”?

Indeed, already in Chapter 1 we see two faces of the author: the author-narrator and the author-character.

Main stages of the lesson:

Prove that the author is a friend and good acquaintance of Onegin. How does he feel about Onegin? What views of the author and Onegin coincide (chapter 1, pp. ХLV-ХLVI, LVI)? Prove that the author is Tatyana's patron and defender. How does this manifest itself in the style of the story about Tatyana? What is the author’s attitude to Lensky’s romantic poetry? What is Olga’s author’s assessment? Are there any contradictions in it? What is the author’s assessment of the conflicts manifested in the relationships between the characters? What new principles does the author use in depicting the life around him? What events in Pushkin’s biography were reflected in the lyrical digressions? What is their compositional role? What does the author-narrator think about in lyrical digressions? How does this characterize him?
On poetry and the design of the novel (chapter 1, pp. LVII-LX);
about death and immortality (chapter 2, pp. XXXVIII-ХL);
about the eternal movement of time and the transience of human life (chapter 6, pp. XLIII-XLVI);
about the Motherland and Moscow (chapter 7, pp. XXXIII-XXXVIII);
about the muse and the fate of the poet (chapter 8, pp. I-VI);
about the meaning of life (chapter 8, pp. IX-XI);
about readers and the ending of the novel (chapter 8, pp. ХLIХ-LI).

Lesson conclusions. The author appears in the novel in two ways: both as the hero of the novel and as the narrator. In lyrical digressions, Pushkin defines the criteria for the value of the human personality. This is a philosophical attitude towards life, death and immortality, towards the eternal movement of time and the transience of human life; this is an attitude towards creativity, talent, abilities; this is an attitude towards the Motherland. In the novel, the author is also the core that unites the pictures of Russian life, the connecting link in the pictures of the “encyclopedia of Russian life.”

LESSON 18. “Here are his feelings, concepts, ideals...” Belinsky about the novel “Eugene Onegin”

1) “Heroes of the novel “Eugene Onegin” in Belinsky’s assessment”;

2) ““Encyclopedia of Russian life” in Pushkin’s novel.”

Individual task: prepare a message “Assessment of the novel by Belinsky as Pushkin’s “most sincere” work.”

The focus of the lesson is a discussion of the main provisions of Belinsky’s articles about the novel “Eugene Onegin”.

Main stages of the lesson:

Individual message from a student about Belinsky’s assessment of the novel as Pushkin’s most sincere work. The main meaning of the message: in the novel “Eugene Onegin” “the personality of Pushkin was reflected with such completeness, light and clarity; here is his whole life, his whole soul, all his love; here are his feelings, concepts, ideals.” Discussion of the assessments given by Belinsky to the main characters of the novel.

	Onegin in Belinsky's assessment. How does Belinsky explain the reasons for Onegin’s disappointment? What is the complexity of his character? “Secular life did not kill Onegin’s feelings, but only cooled him to fruitless passions and petty entertainments... He is not fit to be a genius, does not climb into great people, but the inactivity and vulgarity of life choke him...” “We have proven that Onegin is not cold, not a dry, not soulless person... Onegin is a suffering egoist... At twenty-six years old, to experience so much without tasting life, to become so exhausted, tired, without having done anything, to reach such an unconditional denial, without going through any convictions: this is death!.. » “Onegin’s letter to Tatyana burns with passion... Has his passion resurrected him for a new, more consistent with human dignity, suffering?..”
	Tatyana in Belinsky's assessment. What, according to Belinsky, is the depth and strength of Tatyana’s character? What is the relationship between reason and feeling in her character? How does the critic explain her changes in Chapter 8? “Tatiana does not have these painful contradictions that complex natures suffer from... Tatyana’s entire inner world consisted of a thirst for love; nothing else spoke to her soul; her mind was asleep..." “Tatiana created her own life for herself, in the emptiness of which the inner fire that consumed her burned all the more rebelliously because her mind was not occupied with anything...” “Visiting Onegin’s house and reading his books prepared Tatyana for the rebirth of a village girl into a society lady...”
	Lensky in Belinsky's assessment. Why does Belinsky consider Lensky’s character “alien to reality”? What is the reason for the death of the hero? What meaning did Belinsky put into the concept of “romantic”? “Lensky was a romantic both by nature and by the spirit of the times... He was a creature accessible to everything beautiful, lofty, a pure and noble soul...” “Forever talking about life, he never knew it... His joys and sorrows were the creation of his imagination.” “There were many good things about him, but the best thing is that he was young and died at the right time for his reputation. This - we repeat - was a romantic, and nothing more.” Was Belinsky right in believing that for Lensky the future would most likely develop along the second path indicated by the author?
	Olga in Belinsky's assessment. Do Pushkin’s and Belinsky’s assessments of Olga coincide? What does it mean to be “dependent on habit”? Why does Belinsky write about her with irony? “A kind, sweet, cheerful creature, Olga was charming, like all the “young ladies” before they became “ladies” ...” “Olga is a simple, spontaneous creature who never reasoned about anything, never asked about anything and... who everything depended on habit. She cried a lot about Lensky’s death, but was soon consoled, married a lancer, and from a graceful and sweet girl she became a lady of the dozen, repeating herself as her mother, with the minor changes that time required...”

Conclusion of the lesson. Belinsky's assessments of the main characters show that these are heroes of a realistic work.

LESSONS 19-20. "Encyclopedia of Russian life". Pushkin's era in the novel "Eugene Onegin"

Lessons can be conducted in the form of a seminar session of a repeating-generalizing type, which will help systematize the knowledge acquired in previous lessons and prepare for an essay on the novel “Eugene Onegin.”

Seminar plan

Typical features of Pushkin's time in the characters of the main characters. Characteristic features of a Russian person in the image of the author. Signs of life and everyday life of the Pushkin era and their role in the novel. (Three layers of the Russian nobility, the life of provincial cities and the serf peasantry; balls, dinners, theatrical performances, a reading circle for heroes, etc.) Pictures of Russian nature and their compositional role in the novel. Real historical figures as characters in Pushkin's novel: historical and cultural commentary. The role of lyrical digressions in creating the multifaceted appearance of Pushkin’s era.

LESSON 21. “Genius and villainy are two incompatible things...” Extracurricular reading lesson. Problems of A. S. Pushkin’s tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”

An extracurricular reading lesson at the end of studying Pushkin’s works can be devoted to getting to know “Little Tragedies.” A detailed study of the poetics of “Little Tragedies” is not a task for schoolchildren, so the teacher should dwell on the general characteristics of the ideological and artistic originality of this dramatic cycle, and in an extracurricular reading lesson, textually study one of the tragedies, for example, “Mozart and Salieri.”

Problematic questions of the lesson

	Why does Pushkin call small dramatic works “Little tragedies”? What are the features of this genre? (Small - because these are tragedies of people, not nations. Tragedies - because the characters of the heroes are not given in dynamics, they are unique symbols, and the human world is ruled by passions, they are the basis of the dramatic conflict.)
	What universal human problems are raised in tragedies? (Money - art - love - death.) From what position does the author address these issues?
	How to connect the specific historical realities of the time depicted in the tragedies with the era of Pushkin and with the problems of our days?

Questions and tasks for discussing the tragedy “Mozart and Salieri”

To scene I:

Read Salieri's first monologue. Is he right in believing that genius is a reward for long and hard work? Appealing to higher justice, Salieri forgets that Mozart’s genius is also a “gift of God.” Confirm or refute this point of view. How are Mozart and Salieri characterized by their attitude to the simple playing of a blind violinist? What is the attitude of Mozart and Salieri to the sublime world of music and manifestations of earthly life? How does each of them represent the harmony of life? Why does Salieri separate Mozart the musician and Mozart the man in his mind? How does this characterize him? Read Salieri's second monologue at the end of scene I. What arguments does he give to justify the decision to poison Mozart? Is it possible to disagree with them? Justify your opinion.

To scene II:

What is Mozart's mood in the inn scene? What image-symbols are associated with his internal state? (The man dressed in black is my black man - like a shadow - he himself sits with us.) What is tragic about Mozart’s statement that “genius and villainy are two incompatible things”? Comment on the remark of Mozart drinking poison: “To your health, friend...” - and Salieri’s remark: “You drank!.. without me?..” Read Mozart’s last monologue. Why does he believe that if everyone felt the “power of harmony”, like Salieri, then “the world would cease to exist”? What, according to Mozart, is the balance and harmony of the world? How can his thought about geniuses, the chosen ones, “disregarding despicable benefits,” be connected with the aesthetic position of Pushkin’s work? Why does the tragedy end with Salieri asking about Michelangelo's alleged villainy?

Lesson conclusions. Salieri's painful contradictions are associated with resolving questions about the relationship between craftsmanship and genius, idleness and labor, life's lightness and mortal heaviness. For Mozart, the harmony of the world is in the inextricable interpenetration of high and low, funny and sad, everyday and existential, art and life. He is the bearer of Pushkin's idea that genius is a gift from above, genius is a companion of good. The humanistic meaning of the tragedy is that no atrocity can be justified even by lofty goals. No mortal person can punish and pardon at his own discretion, even in the name of art, that is, inhumanely dare to take on the functions of a higher mind, try to remake what the Almighty created, because the world was originally structured harmoniously and rationally. The ending of the tragedy affirms Mozart's truth and closes its content into a logical and compositional ring. The tragedy begins with the statement that “there is no truth on earth, but there is none above,” and ends with the word “untruth.” Salieri's main argument in his favor, that the creator of the Vatican was a murderer, is no longer a statement, but a question. Salieri is no longer a stronghold of orthodoxy and steadfastness in his judgments. For the first time he doubted and therefore ceased to be a symbol. He has changed, which for him is tantamount to death. Therefore, in the finale, not only Mozart dies, but also Salieri, who lived only in the awareness of his indisputable rightness. This further enhances the tragic nature of the ending and brings the play closer in intensity to ancient tragedies.

LESSONS 22-23. Cool essay on the works of A. S. Pushkin

Preview:

Mikhail Yurjevich Lermontov.
"Hero of our time"

Before studying the novel “A Hero of Our Time,” you should repeat with your students the facts of Lermontov’s biography related to the era of the 30s of the 19th century, the history of his two exiles to the Caucasus, and clarify how the facts of the writer’s life influenced the creation of the image of Pechorin. The study of the novel will be based on the following arguments:

The main period of Lermontov's creativity is associated with the era of the 30s of the 19th century - the time of reaction and social stagnation after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising. Lermontov gives an emotional characterization of this era in the poem “Duma”. Therefore, the “hero of our time” is the hero of the 30s.

The confrontation between Pechorin and the social environment is revealed not in the plot of the novel, but in the form of a “projection” onto the hero’s inner world, although the events of the novel are based on a real-historical context. Therefore, “A Hero of Our Time” is considered the first socio-psychological novel in Russian literature.

Contradiction is the main character trait of Pechorin, in whose image the extraordinary personality, standing above the society around him, the strength and talent of his thinking and energetic nature, realized in active introspection, the courage and honesty of his character are combined with unbelief, skepticism and individualism, leading to contempt and hostility towards people. The hero is dissatisfied with modern morality and does not believe in friendship and love. But at the same time, he strives to decide his own destiny and be responsible for his behavior.

The main features of Pechorin’s image are helped to reveal the system of images in the novel, each of which in its own way highlights different facets of the hero’s character.

The composition of the novel is specific and complex, combining the features of romanticism and realism: the discrepancy between plot and plot, the introduction of various sources of information about Pechorin, the presence of several narrators, the special role of landscape and subject details.

In a weak class, you can analyze the novel chapter by chapter, following the author.

1st lesson. Pages from Lermontov’s biography and their connection with the plot of the novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Reading and discussion of key episodes of the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych”.

2nd lesson. Mysteries of Pechorin’s character in the chapter “Taman”.

3rd lesson. "Princess Mary". Pechorin in the system of images of the chapter.

4th lesson. The philosophical nature of the chapter “Fatalist”.

Lesson 5 The composition of the novel as the key to understanding the image of Pechorin. The contradictory character of the hero.

6th lesson. Belinsky about the novel. Preparing for an essay.

In a strong class, the study of the novel should be subordinated to problem analysis, when the novel has been read by schoolchildren in advance and an initial impression of it has already been formed. The following analysis method can be proposed:

1st lesson. Features of Lermontov’s biography that influenced the features of Pechorin’s image. Mysteries and contradictions of the character of the hero in the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych”. Composition, change of narrators, portrait, landscape and their role in revealing the image of Pechorin.

Lessons 2-3. “Pechorin’s Journal” (“Taman”, “Princess Mary”, “Fatalist”). His role is in revealing the character of the main character. Analysis of key episodes.

4th lesson. Friendship in the life of Pechorin. Pechorin in the system of images of the novel. Social and psychological parallels of the image of Pechorin with Maxim Maksimych, Grushnitsky, Werner, Vulich.

Lesson 5 Love in Pechorin's life. Female images in the novel and their role in revealing the image of Pechorin.

6th lesson. Literary criticism about the image of Pechorin. Preparing for an essay.

We offer a methodology for teaching lessons on the novel according to the second option. During the lessons, the teacher does not have to use all the tasks we offer. He can differentiate them and select from them those that correspond to the level of literary development of his students, and also offer some of the tasks for independent homework.

LESSON. “Are all the youth there really like that?” Mysteries of the image of Pechorin in the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych”

In the first lesson, you should recall with your students the features of the era in which Lermontov lived, characterize his attitude towards the Caucasus, analyze the key episodes of the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych”, and draw conclusions about the mysteries of Pechorin’s character.

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Bela”

1. How many narrators are there in the story? What is the artistic significance of changing narrators?
2. How can the inconsistency of his character be discerned in the first portrait of Pechorin, given by Maxim Maksimych?
3. Why is Bela’s story, which happened in the past, constantly interrupted by evaluative remarks from Maxim Maksimych and the author, taking place in the present?
4. Analyze the dialogue between Maxim Maksimych and Bela from the words “Where is Pechorin?” to the words “fell on the bed and covered her face with her hands.” What artistic means does the author use to reveal the psychological state of the characters? How is Pechorin indirectly characterized in the subtext of the dialogue?
5. Why didn’t Pechorin consider himself to blame in the story with Bela?
6. How does the inconsistency of Pechorin’s character manifest itself after Bela’s death? What artistic details highlight this?
7. Read Pechorin’s monologue from the words “Maksim Maksimych,” he answered, “I have an unhappy character” to the words “Are all the youth there really like that?” Compare Pechorin's reasoning about his past with the life story of Onegin. Compare the text of Pechorin’s monologue with Lermontov’s poem “Duma”.
8. What role do landscape sketches play in the chapter?
9. How does the character of Maxim Maksimych appear in the chapter? Trace the details of his psychological portrait.

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Maksim Maksimych”

1. Find in the text details that characterize the psychological state of Maxim Maksimych, waiting for Pechorin.
2. Read the description of Pechorin's appearance. Prove that this is a psychological portrait. Why do we see the second portrait of Pechorin through the eyes of the author?
3. Read the episode of Pechorin’s meeting with Maxim Maksimych from the words “I turned to the square and saw Maksim Maksimych running as fast as he could” to the words “his eyes were constantly filling with tears.” By what means does the author depict the psychological state of Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych? Try to comment on the subtext of their dialogue.
4. Why didn’t Pechorin strive to see Maxim Maksimych? What is the author's assessment of their behavior?
5. What impression does Pechorin make on the reader? What traits of his character seem negative to you? What details of the text of chapters 1-2 emphasize its positive qualities?

Lesson summary. Pechorin is shown in the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych” as a contradictory personality, a person who does not know how to sympathize, who is accustomed to fulfilling only his own desires. Mental callousness, indifference, and inability to value friendship and love make this image unattractive. However, such an assessment of the image would be shallow and unambiguous if one did not notice touches of sadness and notes of hopelessness in his image. In order to understand the image of Pechorin, you need to understand his soul, his inner world, the motives of his behavior and actions. Pechorin's Journal will help you solve this riddle.

LESSONS. “Why did I live?” “Pechorin’s Journal” as a means of self-disclosure of his character

During the lessons, you can observe how the author reveals the soul of his hero through his introspection. To do this, the lesson will focus on the interpretation of key episodes from chapters from Pechorin's Journal, explaining the mysteries of his character.

Questions and tasks for discussion of the chapter “Taman”

1. What is the artistic meaning in the fact that in the chapter “Taman” the hero himself is the narrator?
2. What surprised Pechorin in the heroes of the chapter “Taman”? Read the dialogue between the blind man and the undine girl at night on the seashore from the words “So about an hour passed” to the words “I could hardly wait for the morning.” How does Pechorin’s character manifest itself in this episode? Why did he need to “get the key” to the smugglers’ riddle?
3. Read the portrait of an undine girl. What assessments does Pechorin give her and how does this characterize him?
4. Analyze the episode of Pechorin’s fight with the girl in the boat. Assess Pechorin's behavior in this scene.
5. Why does Pechorin call smugglers “honest”? Why is he sad at the end of their story? What does this reveal about his character?
6. What position of Pechorin in relation to the people around him does the author emphasize?

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Princess Mary”

1. Why did Pechorin seek Mary's love? How to understand his statement: “What is happiness? Intense pride"? Is Pechorin consistent in observing this life position?
2. What are Pechorin's views on friendship? How does this manifest itself in his relationships with people around him? How is Pechorin characterized by his relationship with Werner and Grushnitsky?
3. Why did Pechorin single out Vera out of all the women? Find an explanation for this in the diary entries for May 16 and 23.
4. Note the features of sincerity and pretense in Pechorin’s confession to Mary (from the words “Yes, such has been my fate since childhood” to the words “This will not upset me at all”).
5. Read the episode of Pechorin and Mary crossing a mountain river (entry dated June 12). How does Mary’s explanation with Pechorin reveal the intelligence and originality of her character?
6. Read the post from June 14th. How does Pechorin explain the changes in himself and how does this characterize him?
7. Read Pechorin's internal monologue before the duel (entry dated June 16). Is Pechorin sincere in this confession or is he being disingenuous even to himself?
8. Why is the story about the duel given by the author in the memoirs of Pechorin (a month and a half later in fortress N)? What is Pechorin's behavior during the duel? What positive and negative does the author emphasize in his image? Is it possible to sympathize with the hero or is he worthy of condemnation? How does Lermontov's skill manifest in depicting the life and psychology of people in this episode?

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Fatalist”

1. What is Vulich’s attitude towards predetermination in fate? at Pechorin? from the author? Which of them has it ambiguous and why?
2. Why does Lermontov introduce into the narrative the idea that Pechorin felt Vulich’s imminent death? Is Vulich looking for death? Is Pechorin looking for death? Why?
3. How does Pechorina characterize his desire to try his luck? What traits of his personality are revealed in the scene of the capture of a drunken Cossack?
4. Which character does the title of the chapter refer to? What artistic meaning is revealed in this?
5. Prove that the chapter “Fatalist” is a philosophical work.

Lesson summary. Pechorin appears in the “Journal” as a man who feels deeply and suffers. His soul is “spoiled by the light,” and his whole life is a retribution for his own actions. Pechorin's personality is complex and contradictory. Without wanting it, he becomes the culprit of the misfortunes of others. The author's skill in creating a psychological portrait of Pechorin is manifested in the depiction of his inner life, his introspection, and the plot and compositional features of the novel.

LESSON. “In friendship one is the slave of another.” Friendship in the life of Pechorin. Pechorin in the system of male images of the novel

The focus of the lesson is to reveal the need for images of minor characters to understand Pechorin’s personality. Lesson work can be subordinated to a group teaching method and the class can be divided into four groups to analyze key episodes.

1st group. Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych

1. Re-read Pechorin’s monologue from the chapter “Bela” with the words “I have an unhappy character.” Why did Pechorin’s confession surprise Maxim Maksimych? What in the monologue makes the reader suffer and sympathize?
2. Re-read the scene of Pechorin’s meeting with Maxim Maksimych from the chapter “Maksim Maksimych”. How does it convey the excitement of Maxim Maksimych and the indifference of Pechorin?
3. How do Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych relate to each other in the first two chapters? How does the image of Maxim Maksimych set off the image of Pechorin?

2nd group. Pechorin and Grushnitsky

1. Re-read the entry in Pechorin’s journal dated June 5th. What caused the conflict between Pechorin and Grushnitsky? Why was Grushnitsky’s character unpleasant to Pechorin and why didn’t those around him notice?
2. Assess the behavior of Pechorin and Grushnitsky during the duel. What can be said about the nobility and baseness of their characters?
3. What is the compositional role of Grushnitsky’s image?

3rd group. Pechorin and Werner

1. Re-read the dialogue between Pechorin and Werner in the entry dated May 13. What is common in their intellectual development and attitude to life?
2. Re-read Werner's note to Pechorin after the duel and the description of their last meeting. In what ways was Pechorin morally superior to Werner?
3. What is the role of the image of Werner in understanding the character of Pechorin?

4th group. Pechorin and Vulich

1. Reread the scene of the bet between Pechorin and Vulich. Why did Pechorin decide that Vulich did not value his life? Does Pechorin value his life? What meaning is revealed when comparing these images?
2. How can you evaluate Pechorin’s behavior in the scene of the capture of a drunken Cossack? Why does Vulich still die, but Pechorin remains alive? What is the artistic meaning of such an author's position?
3. What is the role of the novel's ring composition? Why does it start and end at Fortress N?

The male characters of the novel are Pechorin’s doubles and antipodes, but all of them are undoubtedly lower in intelligence, their souls are less deep, their character is weaker, they lack the ability for introspection.

LESSON “I have never become a slave to the woman I love.” Love in Pechorin's life. Female images of the novel and their role in revealing Pechorin’s character

Lermontov takes his hero through the test of love, since this is the highest human value. Each female image highlights a certain facet in Pechorin’s character and performs its own compositional function.

Educational research in the classroom is also organized in groups, and in the process of analyzing key episodes, the essential features of Pechorin’s image in his relationships with women are revealed.

1st group. Pechorin and Bela

1. Re-read the compliment song to Pechorin, sung by Bela at her sister’s wedding. How does it indicate Bela’s attitude towards Pechorin? What is unique about her feelings? Why does she initially reject Pechorin’s love?
2. In what ways did Pechorin achieve Bela’s love? Why did he lose interest in Bela? Did he really love her?
3. What is the role of the image of Bela in understanding the character of Pechorin?

2nd group. Pechorin and the undine girl

1. How does Pechorin talk about the appearance of the undine girl and how does this characterize him?
2. Reread the scene of Pechorin's fight with the girl in the boat. In what ways was the undine girl superior to Pechorin and in what ways was she inferior to him?
3. What is the compositional role of her image?

3rd group. Pechorin and Mary

1. Re-read the scene of Pechorin and Mary crossing the mountain river. What is Mary's moral superiority over Pechorin? Re-read the entry in the Journal dated June 3. How does Pechorin explain his relationship with Mary?
2. Analyze the scene of Pechorin and Mary’s explanation at the end of the chapter. How does Pechorin’s character manifest itself in this scene? Why did he still decide to duel over Mary?
3. What is the compositional meaning of Mary's image?

4th group. Pechorin and Vera

1. Analyze the scene of the meeting between Pechorin and Vera in the entry dated May 16 and Vera’s monologue in the entry dated May 23. How can you characterize their feelings for each other?
2. Re-read Vera's letter to Pechorin, which he received after the duel, and the episode of the pursuit of Vera. How do we see Pechorin in Vera’s assessment? in the author's assessment? in self-esteem?
3. How does the image of Vera help to understand the character of Pechorin?

The female images in Lermontov's novel are undoubtedly higher, purer than Pechorin. They are more integral, sincere natures, able to love and feel deeply.

The general results of the lesson can be presented in the form of a supporting diagram made up of quotes.

LESSON 34. “Pechorin’s soul is not rocky soil...”Literary criticism about the image of Pechorin

At the final lesson, students will become familiar with the main provisions of Belinsky’s article on the novel “A Hero of Our Time” and an assessment of the image of Pechorin in modern Lermontov studies, compare the points of view of critics, identify the meaning-forming role of the plot in its discrepancy with the plot of the novel, and formulate the main personality traits of Pechorin.

The main personality traits of Pechorin. Ideological and compositional features of the novel that contribute to understanding the image of Pechorin:

1. Pechorin analyzes every event of his life and subjects himself to self-analysis of the motives of his behavior. An analytical mindset is both its strength and its weakness, leading to mental trauma. The author nowhere judges Pechorin, does not pass judgment on him, Pechorin judges himself.
2. Pechorin’s life is a series of incidents, each of which reveals a new facet of his soul, the talent and depth of his personality, but his character has already been formed and does not change, does not develop (“Am I really not the same?” - chapter “Maksim Maksimych”, scene farewells). The main principle of Pechorin’s life is freedom, turning into individualism.
3. The novel is similar in plot and compositional features to a romantic poem, and the main character is depicted in accordance with the principles of creating heroes of romantic poems (lack of information about the past, depiction of it at moments of highest tension, static image of the hero, the inner life of the hero is deep and cannot be revealed until end).
4. Pechorin's character does not change, but the change of narrators creates the appearance of Pechorin's personality from different points of view. The ring composition of the novel is symbolic. It shows the futility of the protagonist’s quest (compare with the ring composition of the poem “Mtsyri”).
5. “A Hero of Our Time” is a social, philosophical and psychological novel that reveals the vices of the lost generation of the 30s of the 19th century.

LESSONS 35-36. Cool essay based on the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”

Preview:

Pechorin
Character traits	Resolving the situation	Situation
			Maxim Maksimych
			Bela
			Grushnitsky
			Princess Mary
			Werner
			Faith
			Vulich

Preview:

Option 2.

1. First name and patronymic Pechorin:

a) year; b) month; c) week.

a) 25; b) 21; c) 18.

1. Grushnitsky's life goal:

a) Faith; b) Mary; c) Bela.

a) 32; b) 18; at 6.

1. What was the name of Vulich's killer?

1. Pechorin's title.

1. Smuggler's name:

a) Ivan; b) Yanko; c) Dmitro.

1. Grushnitsky's age.

Crazy cold observations

And hearts of sorrowful notes.

a) shot himself with a revolver; b) disarmed the distraught Cossack; c) jumped into the sea.

1. Werner's nationality:

a) German; b) Russian; c) Englishman.

Test for knowledge of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”

Option 2.

1. First name and patronymic Pechorin:

a) Grigory Alexandrovich; b) Sergey Ivanovich; c) Alexander Grigorievich.

1. How many days after the bet between Maxim Maksimych and Pechorin did Bela fall in love with Pechorin?

a) year; b) month; c) week.

1. How did Pechorin react to Bela's death?

a) cried; b) got angry; c) burst out laughing.

1. How old is the smuggler girl?

a) 25; b) 21; c) 18.

1. At the beginning of the story “Princess Mary” Grushnitsky - ...

a) cadet; b) ensign; c) lieutenant.

1. Grushnitsky's life goal:

a) become the hero of a novel; b) show heroism in battle; c) rise to the rank of general.

1. The name of a woman whose memory will remain with Pechorin for the rest of his life, according to his own statement.

a) Faith; b) Mary; c) Bela.

1. Who suggested playing a joke on Pechorin during the duel?

a) Grushnitsky; b) dragoon captain; c) Werner.

1. At how many steps did Pechorin and Grushnitsky shoot?

a) 32; b) 18; at 6.

1. What was the name of Vulich's killer?

a) Efimych; b) Ivanovich; c) Grigoryich.

1. Pechorin's title.

a) lieutenant; b) ensign; c) captain.

1. Smuggler's name:

a) Ivan; b) Yanko; c) Dmitro.

1. Grushnitsky's age.

a) 25 years old; b) 18 years old; c) 21 years old.

1. Which poet does Pechorin quote:

Crazy cold observations

And hearts of sorrowful notes.

a) A.S. Griboyedov; b) A.S. Pushkin; c) M.Yu. Lermontov.

1. What book did Pechorin read before the duel?

a) N.M. Karamzin “Poor Liza”; b) W. Scott “Scottish Puritans”; c) W. Scott “Ivanhoe”.

1. From whom did Pechorin receive notes after the duel?

a) from Vera; b) from Werner; c) from Mary.

1. The only passion of Lieutenant Vulich...

a) women; b) game; c) tobacco.

1. How did Pechorin check his destiny?

1. Taman is...

a) A.S. Griboyedov; b) A.S. Pushkin; c) M.Yu. Lermontov.

1. Bela's nationality.

1. How old is Pechorin?

a) 18; b) 25; c) 40.

1. How did Bela die?

1. How did Vulich die?

1. Who is Werner?

a) horse; b) checker; c) saddle.

Test for knowledge of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”

Option 1.

1. The title of Maxim Maksimych.

a) Staff captain; b) lieutenant; c) private.

1. How old was Azamat?

a) 15; b) 20; at 10 o'clock.

1. How did Kazbich take revenge for Karagyoz?

a) Killed Bela; b) killed Azamat; c) killed Bela's father.

1. Taman is...

a) small town; b) village; c) region.

1. Which poet does Pechorin quote?

But mixing these two crafts

There are a lot of hunters - I'm not one of them.

a) A.S. Griboyedov; b) A.S. Pushkin; c) M.Yu. Lermontov.

1. Who does Pechorin compare himself to?

a) with a sailor who grew up on the deck of a robber brig; b) with a bird soaring above; c) with the hero of the novel.

1. Why did Pechorin bet with Vulich?

a) there is destiny; b) there is no fate; c) no one knows if there is a destiny.

1. The reason for the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky.

a) Grushnitsky slandered Mary; b) Pechorin’s date with Vera; c) Grushnitsky found out that Mary loves Pechorin.

1. Bela's nationality.

a) Circassian; b) Georgian; c) Ossetian.

1. How old is Pechorin?

a) 18; b) 25; c) 40.

1. How did Bela die?

a) Kazbich shot; b) Pechorin shot; c) Kazbich stabbed to death with a dagger.

1. The action in the story “Princess Mary” takes place...

a) in Pyatigorsk; b) in Tiflis; c) in Kislovodsk.

1. What dances did Pechorin dance with Mary?

a) waltz; b) mazurka; c) square dance; d) cotillion.

1. How did Vulich die?

a) shot himself; b) hacked to death by a drunken Cossack; c) in a duel.

1. Who is Werner?

a) Vera’s husband; b) friend of Pechorin; c) friend of Grushnitsky.

1. What did Pechorin do with the carpet that the Princess bought in advance?

a) hung it in the office; b) covered the horse with it; c) gave it to Vera.

1. Where was Pechorin going when he last met Maxim Maksimych?

a) to the Caucasus; b) to Persia; c) to Turkey.

1. What did Azamat ask Kazbich in exchange for his sister?

a) horse; b) checker; c) saddle.

19. Who, according to the traveling officer, “introduced the fashion of being bored”?

a) English; b) Germans; c) Italians.

1.What is the essence of the incident in the store? Was there a reason to be offended? What do the saleswoman Rosa, the department manager, and the customers look like? Which of them addresses others on a personal level?

This work is about an ordinary everyday incident, which each of us can be a witness or participant in at any moment: in transport, in a store, in any institution. We are talking about... rudeness, ordinary rudeness. Sashka Ermolaev comes to the store, where the saleswoman, who has revealed herself, accuses him of causing a “scandal” to the entire store yesterday. The weirdo is outraged by this, he tries to prove that the saleswoman was mistaken, but finds no excuse, but is faced with sycophants and offended goes home.

We think this is a sufficient reason to be offended. The saleswoman Rosa looks like a boor and a rude person, the head of the department does not want to understand the essence of the situation, the buyers are fawning. It is Rose who “pokes” the man. Perhaps she knows that she is wrong, but she does not intend to retreat, because she is a pathetic, boorish person.

2. Why did Sashka want to talk to the man in the raincoat? What is the goal, what are Sashka’s intentions? Do you share his position? Why? Follow the development of Sashka’s thoughts. Is it only an offended sense of self-esteem that speaks to him? What else?

Sashka Ermolaev is an amazing person. He was insulted, accused “by the whole store” of something he had not done, but he stubbornly argued that he was not guilty of anything, tried to find out why some people were fawning, and explain to them that there was no need to do that. He didn’t think about any revenge, but on the contrary, thinking about why people behave meanly and flatter someone, he suggested: “It’s in vain that he didn’t figure it out and started to intervene... I’ll actually talk. Maybe he’s lonely.” But after all the humiliation, Sashka is concerned about what is happening in the life of a complete stranger who has unfairly accused him. This characterizes the hero of the story as a trusting, good-natured, generous, honest person, incapable of sycophancy, fair, persistent, seeking and striving for the truth.

3.What is Sashka’s nature, what kind of person is he? What is behind such an Aurish remark: “... Lately I’ve been able to live well, peacefully, I even forgot when I drank... And also because I was holding my daughter’s little hand in my hand...” ? Behind the wife’s words: “Who are you starting a fight with again?.. Again you don’t have a face...”?

Sashka Ermolaev is a vulnerable, sensitive, emotional person. He is very worried about mistakes, he even worries too much, he is constantly “shaking”, “something is boiling in his chest”, he can cry: “Tears welled up in Sashka’s eyes.” And sometimes “tears come” from love, from love for his own daughter, from love for the most precious thing he has.

Sashka is a conscientious, fair person. He fights for the truth, he fights the abnormal.

Perhaps he once drank, fought for his principles, fought, but he gave up for the sake of his family and now his life has improved, he loves his family, he is a kind, sensitive person.

4.Why is the image of a child introduced into the story? What aspects of Sashka’s nature are revealed by his attitude towards his daughter? What role does the girl’s remarks that her aunts and uncles “fuck off” play in the text?

Sashka’s little daughter gives her characterization to all these people in the store: “what a lousy aunt...”, “what lousy uncles.” And it is no coincidence that the writer turns to a child’s vision of the situation. As you know, the truth speaks through the mouth of a baby. Sashka, whose side is the baby on, is sincere, simple, real, open and receptive, vulnerable. The story is dominated by psychological time. The hero’s resentment here is felt to be equated to a childish, but serious resentment, which also emerges as a separate image in the story. The dynamics of the hero’s psychological sensations are acutely felt, the feeling of resentment becomes stronger and is equated to physiological pain, that is, this resentment is so palpable!: “resentment pushed into the chest as if with a fist" - this metaphor brings the Resentment to life, the writer uses the technique of anthropomorphization. “His jaw was cramped from resentment,” “his face was burning,” “His jaw was cramped again, his lips were shaking,” “and he was shaking all morning, he was shaking, shook again”, “he was shaking again”, “as much as a tear welled up” - resentment grows in the hero’s soul, and at the end of the story we observe catharsis, the culmination of this resentment. The hero’s speech corresponds to his state at that moment, it is emotional, abrupt, not always clear: “he stands... and begins, for no reason, no reason... for what?” The ellipses, repetitions “I wasn’t in the store yesterday, I wasn’t” indicate Sashka’s strong confusion. Childish naivety, sensitivity, some kind of... then sincere faith, the desire to prove to yourself and others that you are right.

Sashka Ermolaev. The author calls his weirdo hero Sashka (“Sashka Ermolaev was offended...”, “On Saturday morning Sashka...”, “Sashka, dear...”), and not Alexander Ermolaev. With this, Vasily Shukshin defines a crank as a simple person; thanks to the use of such a name, a certain kinship arises, a closeness between the reader and the character. In this story there is no description, neither the appearance of the eccentric, nor his life. Shukshin tells the reader only about one incident that happened to the main character, because the main thing for Vasily Makarovich is to identify the reason why his hero was misunderstood in society, to show his peculiarity.

6. What artistic details of the story reveal the moral atmosphere of society: habitual rudeness, disrespect for the human person, suspicion, bitterness, desire to stigmatize?

The image of a “wall of people”. Appearing as a final one at the end of the episode in the store, it is reinforced by the image of a hammer that appears several times in the last episodes, with which Sashka is going to “break through” to Igor. The hammer here turns out to be the only weapon capable of breaking this human wall. Such echoes allow us to talk about the image of a human wall as the leitmotif of the story under consideration.

7. What is the meaning of the introductory part of the story about grievances, prudence, theatrical swords, and despair? Did you sense the author's irony in it? Doesn't it reveal the writer's attitude towards the type of behavior depicted in Sashka's story? What is it like?

The author voices the position of people who prefer not to fight manifestations of rudeness towards themselves and other people. Many people prefer to silently swallow insults so as not to get involved in this useless business. There is obvious irony in the author's words. The author shows Sashka - a little man - a weirdo, who is trying to find out the reason for his insult, trying to protect his dignity, but he cannot break through the “wall”. The author loves and respects people who have not yet sunk morally, who resist human rudeness and rudeness, and do not limply hide and swallow grievances.

An important thought runs through the entire narrative: you don’t have to fight an insult, you don’t have to fight, you can wisely step aside, not sort things out, not be indignant, not get worked up. Prudence,” Shukshin sneers, “is not a thing from a knight’s chest.” The author seems to invite the reader to dialogue on an everyday topic (everyone has had at least one similar case in their life), but at the same time touches on issues that go beyond the ordinary: about internal culture, conscience, decency.

In this story, Shukshin puts the hero in a situation from which there is almost no way out without compromising his human dignity, and does not give any recipes for what to do. Maybe that’s why his stories are still perceived freshly, with interest; they force you to try on the described situations, weigh, sympathize, and reflect.

*** Additional questions ***

In Vasily Makarovich Shukshin's story "The Resentment" we are talking about an ordinary everyday incident, which each of us can be a witness or participant in at any moment: in transport, in a store, in any institution. This, unfortunately, has become an everyday reality. We are talking about rudeness. Sashka Ermolaev is contrasted with others.

Sashka has a great need for justice and a great faith in it. That's why he's waiting for the man in the cloak. And this character is a narrow-minded, aggressive, cowardly, suspicious person. For him, Sashka is “a damn gateway.” He “stared unkindly at Sashka” and insulted him. There is no visible person in it. This is probably why the author calls it “the cloak” in this episode: “the cloak stopped,” “the cloak rustled.” Why is he like this? Now Sashka is no longer worried about his own resentment, but about a larger question: “What is going on with people?” Apparently, that’s why he didn’t tell his wife anything. He thought about the man in the cloak. What made him like this? Why doesn’t he understand such simple things: you can’t be a coward, you can’t be a toady? I can’t believe that Sashka will be able to explain this to the “cloak” - Chukalov. This episode shows the hero's personality in a new way. His generosity, his willingness to forgive the offender, his ability to root for other people, for all of humanity, inspires respect.

Sashka fails to punish the offender and prove that he is right. The author sympathizes with his hero, but is also proud of him. So Sashka saw his wife running towards him - and the resentment and anger were obscured by anxiety: what happened? Isn't it the case with the children? And the eternal woman’s prayer: “Think about us. Don't you feel sorry for us? – stops Sashka.

And Vera’s words: “Did you want it again? Are you itching again?” - evidence that Sashka has not come to terms with injustice, but has only temporarily given up his position, that again and again he will rebel against lies and slander... Sashka’s moral strength, not weakness, is manifested in the fact that he will not spare himself, but his wife and children he will regret it, stop at the last line... And he will despise himself: “Eh-h... We are shakers, shakers!”

We live among angry, aggressive, rude people. And rudeness, unfortunately, becomes the norm of behavior and communication. If they answered you calmly and kindly, then you perceive this not as the norm, but as a rare and pleasant exception.

And in this world of evil it is becoming more and more difficult to live for each of us and all of us together. Involuntarily, you ask the same question as Vasily Makarovich Shukshin: “People, what is happening to us?”

Yes, what is happening to us? Where are we going? In this fast pace of life, you probably need to find a moment and remember the truth: “You have to be a human being.” Being human...

In order to understand the image of Pechorin, you need to understand his soul, his inner world, the motives of his behavior and actions. Pechorin's Journal will help you solve this riddle.

We study the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Bela”

1) How many narrators are there in the story? What is the artistic significance of changing narrators?

2) How can the inconsistency of his character be discerned in the first portrait of Pechorin, given by Maxim Maksimych?

3) Why is Bela’s story, which happened in the past, constantly interrupted by evaluative remarks from Maxim Maksimych and the author?

4) Analyze the dialogue between Maxim Maksimych and Bela from the words “Where is Pechorin?” to the words “fell on the bed and covered her face with runes.” What artistic means does the author use to reveal the psychological state of the characters? How is Pechorin indirectly characterized in the subtext of the dialogue?

5) Why didn’t Pechorin consider himself to blame in the story with Bela?

How does the inconsistency of Pechorin’s character manifest itself after Bela’s death? What artistic details highlight this?

6) Read Pechorin’s monologue from the words “Maksim Maksimych,” he answered, “I have an unhappy character” to the words “Are all the youth there really like that?” Compare Pechorin's reasoning about his past with the life story of Onegin.

7) Compare the text of Pechorin’s monologue with Lermontov’s poem “Duma”.

8) What role do landscape sketches play in the chapter?

9) How does the character of Maxim Maksimych appear in the chapter? Trace the details of his psychological portrait.

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Maksim Maksimych”

1) Find in the text details that characterize the psychological state of Maxim Maksimych, waiting for Pechorin.

2) Read the description of Pechorin’s appearance. Prove that this is a psychological portrait. Why do we see the second portrait of Pechorin through the eyes of the author?

3) Read the episode of Pechorin’s meeting with Maxim Maksimych from the words “I turned to the square and saw Maksim Maksimych running as fast as he could” to the words “his eyes were constantly filling with tears.” By what means does the author depict the psychological state of Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych? Try to comment on the subtext of their dialogue.

4) Why didn’t Pechorin strive to see Maxim Maksimych?

6) What impression does Pechorin make on the reader? What traits of his character seem negative to you? What details of the text of chapters 1-2 emphasize its positive qualities?

"Pechorin's Journal".

Questions and tasks for discussion of the chapter “Taman”

1) What is the artistic meaning in the fact that in the chapter “Taman” the hero himself is the narrator?

2) What surprised Pechorin in the heroes of the chapter “Taman”?

3) Read the dialogue between the blind man and the undine girl at night on the seashore from the words “So about an hour passed” to the words “I could hardly wait for the morning.” How does Pechorin’s character manifest itself in this episode? Why did he need to “get the key” to the smugglers’ riddle?

4) Read the portrait of an undine girl. What assessments does Pechorin give her and how does this characterize him?

5) Analyze the episode of Pechorin’s fight with the girl in the boat. Assess Pechorin's behavior in this scene.

6) Why does Pechorin call smugglers “honest”?

7) Why is he sad at the end of their story? What does this reveal about his character?

8) What position of Pechorin in relation to the people around him does the author emphasize?

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Princess Mary”

1) Why did Pechorin seek Mary’s love?

2) How to understand his statement: “What is happiness? Intense pride"? Is Pechorin consistent in observing this life position?

3) What are Pechorin’s views on friendship? How does this manifest itself in his relationships with people around him?

4) How is Pechorin characterized by his relationship with Werner and Grushnitsky?

5) Why did Pechorin single out Vera out of all the women? Find an explanation for this in the diary entries for May 16 and 23.

6) Note the features of sincerity and pretense in Pechorin’s confession to Mary (from the words “Yes, this has been my fate since childhood” to the words “This will not upset me at all”).

7) Read the episode of Pechorin and Mary crossing a mountain river (entry dated June 12). How does Mary’s explanation with Pechorin reveal the intelligence and originality of her character?

8) Read the entry dated June 14. How does Pechorin explain the changes in himself and how does this characterize him?

9) Read Pechorin’s internal monologue before the duel (entry dated June 16). Is Pechorin sincere in this confession or is he being disingenuous even to himself?

11) What is Pechorin’s behavior during the duel? What positive and negative does the author emphasize in his image?

12) Is it possible to sympathize with the hero or is he worthy of condemnation?

13) How is Lermontov’s skill demonstrated in depicting the life and psychology of people in this episode?

Questions and tasks for discussing the chapter “Fatalist”

1) What is Vulich’s attitude towards predetermination in fate? At Pechorin's? From the author? Which of them has it ambiguous and why?

2) Why does Lermontov introduce into the narrative the idea that Pechorin felt Vulich’s imminent death?

3) Is Vulich looking for death?

4) Is Pechorin looking for death? Why?

5) How does Pechorin characterize his desire to try his luck?

7) What traits of his personality are manifested in the scene of the capture of a drunken Cossack?

8) Which character does the title of the chapter refer to? What artistic meaning is revealed in this?

9) Prove that the chapter “Fatalist” is a philosophical work.

1.What personality traits of Pechorin are revealed in his portrait? 2. What is the basis of Pechorin’s character “evil disposition” or “deep, constant sadness”? 2. What is the basis of Pechorin’s character “evil disposition” or “deep, constant sadness”?

The significance of the “details” in the portrait First of all, they didn’t laugh when he laughed! Have you ever noticed such strangeness in some people?.. This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness. Because of the half-lowered eyelashes, they shone with some kind of phosphorescent shine, so to speak. It was not a reflection of the heat of the soul or the playing imagination: it was a shine, like the shine of smooth steel, dazzling, but cold; his gaze was short, but penetrating and heavy, leaving an unpleasant impression of an indiscreet question and could have seemed impudent if he had not been so indifferently calm. First of all, they didn't laugh when he laughed! Have you ever noticed such strangeness in some people?.. This is a sign of either an evil disposition or deep, constant sadness. Because of the half-lowered eyelashes, they shone with some kind of phosphorescent shine, so to speak. It was not a reflection of the heat of the soul or the playing imagination: it was a shine, like the shine of smooth steel, dazzling, but cold; his gaze was short, but penetrating and heavy, leaving an unpleasant impression of an indiscreet question and could have seemed impudent if he had not been so indifferently calm.

How do you explain Pechorin’s coldness during his last meeting with the staff captain? Did he want to offend him or is he indifferent to him? What was required from Pechorin to bring joy to Maxim Maksimych? How do you understand the phrase: “What to do?... To each his own way”? Episode "Meeting of Pechorin with Maxim Maksimych"

1. Why didn’t Pechorin strive to see Maxim Maksimych? 2. What is the author’s assessment of their behavior? 3. Why did the writer call this chapter “Maksim Maksimych”? 4. What impression does Pechorin make on the reader? What traits of his character seem negative to you? What details of the text of chapter 12 highlight its positive qualities?

Why does the story "Maksim Maksimych" follow the story "Bela", and not complete the novel? Pechorin is shown in the chapters “Bela” and “Maksim Maksimych” as a contradictory personality, a person who does not know how to sympathize, who is accustomed to fulfilling only his own desires. Mental callousness, indifference, and inability to value friendship and love make this image unattractive. However, such an assessment of the image would be unambiguous if one did not notice touches of sadness and notes of hopelessness in its image. In order to understand the image of Pechorin, you need to understand his soul, his inner world, the motives of his behavior and actions.