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Pechorin and Grushnitsky in M. Yu. Lermontov’s novel “Hero of Our Time”

The main character, Pechorin, is a bright personality, but the appearance of Grushnitsky on stage helps to reveal many of his qualities.

The confrontation between Pechorin and Grushnitsky is shown in the chapter “Princess Mary”. The story is told from the perspective of Pechorin. He is prone to analyzing situations, people and himself, so his story can be considered objective to a greater or lesser extent. He knows how to notice characteristic features in people and convey them in two or three words. But at the same time, all shortcomings and flaws are mercilessly ridiculed.

Both heroes meet like old friends.

Pechorin is self-confident, reasonable, selfish, mercilessly sarcastic (sometimes beyond measure). At the same time, he sees right through Grushnitsky and laughs at him. And he, in turn, is too exalted, enthusiastic and verbose. He talks more than he does, and over-romanticizes people (primarily himself). Nevertheless, this dissimilarity and rejection of each other does not prevent them from communicating and spending a lot of time together.

They saw Princess Mary for the first time almost simultaneously. From that moment on, a thin crack lay between them, which eventually turned into an abyss. Grushnitsky, a provincial romantic, is seriously infatuated with the princess. Pechorin's eternal enemy - boredom - forces him to infuriate the princess with various petty antics. All this is done without a shadow of hostility, but solely out of a desire to entertain oneself.

The behavior of both heroes in relation to Princess Mary does not evoke much sympathy. Grushnitsky is an empty talker, he loves beautiful words and gestures. He wants life to resemble a sentimental novel. That is why he attributes to others the feelings that he would like them to experience. He sees life in some kind of foggy haze, in a romantic halo. But there is no falsehood in his feelings for the princess, although perhaps he exaggerates it somewhat.

On the other hand, Pechorin is a sensible man who has studied women, and is also a cynic. He is having fun with Mary. He enjoys this game, just as he enjoys watching the development of the relationship between Grushnitsky and the princess. Pechorin, unlike Grushnitsky, perfectly foresees the further development of events. He is young, but has become disillusioned with people and life in general. It was not difficult for him to seduce Princess Mary; he just had to appear incomprehensible and mysterious and be daring.

Pechorin is playing a double game. He resumed his relationship with Vera. This woman is undoubtedly stronger and tougher than Princess Mary. But love for Pechorin broke her too. She is ready to trample on her pride and reputation. She knows that their relationship brings only pain and disappointment. And still he strives for it, because he cannot do otherwise. Vera is capable of much stronger feelings than Mary. Her love is stronger, and her grief is more hopeless. She self-destructs for the sake of love and does not regret it.

Grushnitsky will never evoke such feelings. He is too soft and does not have bright character traits. He couldn't make Mary love him. He lacks assertiveness and self-irony. His rants can only make an initial impression. But the speeches begin to repeat themselves and eventually become unbearable.

The more the princess becomes interested in Pechorin (after all, she is much more interested in him than with the simple-minded boy), the wider her life becomes. There is a gulf between him and Grushnitsky. The situation is heating up, mutual hostility is growing. Pechorin’s prophecy that they will someday “collide on a narrow road” begins to come true.

A duel is the denouement of the relationship between two heroes. It was approaching inevitably, as the road became too narrow for two.

On the day of the duel, Pechorin experiences cold anger. They tried to deceive him, but he cannot forgive it. Grushnitsky, on the contrary, is very nervous and tries with all his might to avert the inevitable. He has recently behaved unworthily, spreading rumors about Pechorin, and tried in every possible way to cast him in a black light. You can hate a person for this, you can punish him, despise him, but you cannot deprive him of his life. But this does not bother Pechorin. He kills Grushnitsky and leaves without looking back. The death of a former friend does not awaken any emotions in him.

This is how the story of the relationship between Pechorin and Grushnitsky ends. You cannot judge who is right and who is wrong. And it is not known who to feel more sorry for: the deceased Grushnitsky or the departed Pechorin. The first one will never be able to fulfill his romantic dreams, huh. the second one never had them. It is better for Pechorin to die, since he does not see the meaning in his existence. This is his tragedy.

In the novel “Hero of Our Time,” Lermontov set himself the task of comprehensively and multifacetedly revealing the personality of his contemporary, showing a portrait of a “hero of our time,” “composed of our entire generation, in their full development,” as the author said in the preface to the novel. All storylines are reduced to the central image: Pechorin and Grushnitsky, Pechorin and Werner, Pechorin and Vulich, Pechorin and Maxim Maksimych, Pechorin and the mountaineers, Pechorin and the smugglers, Pechorin and the “water society”. At the same time, love plots present in almost every part of the novel represent a special line. After all, one of the main features of a contemporary, according to Lermontov, is “premature old age of the soul,” in which “... some kind of secret cold reigns in the soul, / When fire boils in the blood.” Such is Pechorin: he is not capable of loving selflessly and devotedly, selfishness destroys his best and kindest feelings. This is precisely what is manifested in his relationships with all the heroines of the novel - Bela, Vera and, of course, Princess Mary.

The story of how Pechorin achieves the favor and love of this girl forms the plot basis of the part “Princess Mary”. It is here that, with deep psychologism, Lermontov shows the secret motives of the actions of Pechorin, who always strives to rule in everything, preserving his own freedom. He makes people into toys in his hands, forcing them to play by his own rules. And the result is broken hearts, suffering and death of those who met on his path. He really is like “the executioner in the fifth act of a tragedy.” This is precisely his role in Mary’s fate. A girl who, like Pechorin, belongs to high society, Princess Mary has absorbed much of the morals and customs of her environment since childhood. She is beautiful, proud, unapproachable, but at the same time she loves worship and attention to herself. At times, she seems spoiled and capricious, and therefore the plan developed by Pechorin to “seduce” her does not at first evoke strong condemnation from the reader.

But we also notice other qualities of Mary, hiding behind the appearance of a social beauty. She is attentive to Grushnitsky, whom she considers a poor, suffering young man. She cannot stand the ostentatious bragging and vulgarity of the officers who make up the “water society.” Princess Mary shows a strong character when Pechorin begins to carry out his “plan” to win her heart. But here’s the problem: Pechorin admits that he doesn’t like “women with character.” He does everything to break them, to conquer them. And, unfortunately, Mary fell victim to him, like others. Is she guilty of this? In order to understand this, you need to look at what Pechorin “plays” to win her favor. The key scene is Pechorin’s conversation with Mary on a walk near the sinkhole. “Taking on a deeply moved look,” the hero “confesses” to the inexperienced girl. He tells her about how everyone saw vices in him since childhood, and as a result he became a “moral cripple.” Of course, there is a grain of truth in these words. But Pechorin’s main task is to evoke the girl’s sympathy. And indeed, her kind soul was touched by these stories, and as a result, she fell in love with Pechorin for his “suffering.” And this feeling turned out to be deep and serious, without the edge of coquetry and narcissism. And Pechorin - he achieved his goal: “...After all, there is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul!” - the hero remarks cynically. The last scene of the explanation between Pechorin and Mary evokes keen sympathy for the unfortunate girl. Even Pechorin himself “felt sorry for her.” But the verdict is merciless, the cards are revealed: the hero declares that he only laughed at her. And the princess can only suffer and hate him, and the reader can think about how cruel a person can be, consumed by selfishness and the desire to achieve his goals, no matter what.

Novel "Hero of Our Time" by M.Yu. Lermontov is considered one of the best works of classical Russian literature. We can talk about it for a very long time - there is more than enough for discussion. Today we will focus on one of them - we will try to understand what Pechorin’s attitude towards Mary was.

Pechorin's character

First you need to understand the character of the main character. It is impossible not to admit that this is a person whose development is higher than the society around him. However, he failed to find application for his talents and abilities. The 1830s are a difficult period in Russian history. The future of young people of that time was “either empty or dark.” Lermontov in Pechorin captured the features of the younger generation of those years. The portrait of his hero is made up of the vices of all time. It's like there are two people in it. The first of them acts, and the second observes his actions and talks about them, or rather, condemns them.

Negative character traits of Pechorin

In Pechorin one can notice many negative traits, including selfishness. Although Belinsky could not agree with this. He said that egoism “does not blame itself,” “does not suffer.” Indeed, Pechorin suffers because he is bored among people belonging to the “water society.” The desire to break out of it lies in the fact that the hero wastes himself on various small matters. Pechorin risks his life, seeking oblivion in love, exposing himself to Chechen bullets. He suffers greatly from boredom and realizes that living the way he lives is wrong. The hero is ambitious and vindictive. Wherever he appears, misfortunes happen.

Why did the hero deceive Mary?

This hero inflicted a deep spiritual wound on Princess Mary. He deceived this girl, betrayed her love for him. What goal did he pursue? Purely your own satisfaction. In this, Pechorin and Princess Mary were completely different. The relationship between the characters is characterized by the fact that the princess strives to make her lover happy, and he thinks only of himself. However, Pechorin is well aware of the thankless role he played in the life of this girl.

Development of the relationship between Pechorin and Mary

In order to understand what Pechorin’s true attitude towards Mary was, let us briefly trace the history of the development of their very unusual romance. Mary is the young and beautiful daughter of Princess Ligovskaya. However, she is too naive, and also overly trusting of other people, including Pechorin. At first the girl did not pay attention to the main character, but he did everything to interest her. He lured Mary's fans to him by telling them funny stories. After Pechorin won her attention, he tried to make a good impression on the princess with stories and stories from his life. His goal was for the girl to begin to see him as an extraordinary person, and he achieved his goal. Pechorin gradually conquered the girl. During the ball, he “saved” the princess from a drunken impudent man who pestered her. Pechorin's caring attitude towards Princess Mary did not go unnoticed by the girl. She believed that the hero was sincere in his actions. However, the girl was cruelly mistaken. He just wanted to conquer her, she was just another toy for him. One evening Pechorin and Mary went for a walk. Their relationship by that time had already developed enough for what happened during it. The princess felt bad while crossing the river. Pechorin hugged her, the girl leaned on him, and then he kissed her.

Was Pechorin in love with Mary?

Pechorin argued and tried to convince himself that Mary’s passion did not mean anything to him, that he was seeking the love of this girl only for his own pleasure. However, in fact, Pechorin’s attitude towards Mary was somewhat different. The hero's soul longed for true love. Pechorin begins to doubt: “Have I really fallen in love?” However, he immediately catches himself thinking that attachment to this girl is a “pathetic habit of the heart.” Pechorin's love for Mary died in the bud, because the hero did not allow it to develop. It's a pity - perhaps he would have found happiness by falling in love.

Thus, Pechorin’s attitude towards Mary is contradictory. The hero convinces himself that he does not love her. Before the duel, he tells Werner that he took away only a few ideas from the storm of life, but did not endure a single feeling. He admits that he has long lived with his head, not his heart. He weighs and examines his own actions and passions “with strict curiosity,” but “without participation.” At first glance, the way Pechorin treats Mary confirms this idea of the protagonist about himself, which testifies to the cruelty, merciless coldness of his game. However, the main character is not as impassive as he tries to seem. Several times he feels that he is carried away, even becomes agitated. The main character reproaches himself for his ability to feel: after all, he convinced himself that for him happiness lies not in love, but in “saturated pride.” His nature is distorted by the inability to find a high goal in life and eternal discord with others. However, Pechorin in vain believes that this “rich pride” will bring him happiness. Both Mary and Vera love him, but this does not bring him satisfaction. And relationships with these heroines develop not only at the behest of Pechorin.

While the hero sees in the princess a secular young lady spoiled by worship, he takes pleasure in insulting the girl’s pride. However, after the soul emerges in her, the ability to sincerely suffer is revealed, and not just play at love, the main character changes his mind. However, the author does not end the story with a happy ending - Pechorin and Princess Mary remain alone. The relationship between these two heroes led nowhere. It is fear, not indifference, that makes him reject Mary’s feelings.

How should one treat Pechorin?

Pechorin probably ruined this girl’s life forever. He disappointed her in love. Now Mary won't trust anyone. Pechorin can be treated differently. Of course, he is a scoundrel, unworthy of another person's love and even self-respect. However, he is justified by the fact that he is a product of society. He was brought up in an environment where it was customary to hide true feelings under a mask of indifference.

Did Mary deserve her fate?

And what about Mary? You can also treat it differently. The girl saw the persistence of the protagonist. And from this she concluded that he loved her. Mary heard the strange speeches this hero made, and realized that he was an extraordinary person. And she fell in love with him, disregarding the laws of society. After all, Mary was the first to dare to speak about her love. This means that she believed that the hero would reciprocate her feelings. However, he was silent.

What was Mary's fault?

We can assume that Mary herself is to blame for everything, since she was both naive and arrogant, self-confident and blind. She does not have the reckless devotion characteristic of Vera, there is no sincerity and passionate power of Bela’s love. But the main thing is that she does not understand Pechorin. The girl fell in love not with him at all, but with the fashionable hero. Her feeling for him can be compared with her feeling for Grushnitsky - Mary sees the same thing in such different people: the tragedy of Pechorin’s disappointment is no different for her from the mask of Grushnitsky’s disappointment. If the main character had not come to the waters, most likely the girl would have fallen in love with Grushnitsky, married him, despite her mother’s resistance, and would have been happy with him.

What justifies Mary

However, is it possible to blame the heroine so unconditionally? After all, it’s not her fault that she’s young, that she’s looking for a hero and is ready to find him in the first person she meets. Like any woman, Mary dreams of being loved by a lonely and strong man, for whom she is ready to become the whole world, to warm him and comfort him, to bring him peace and joy. In this sense, Pechorin and Princess Mary were products of their environment and time. The relationship between them is characterized by the fact that each played his role. And if the hero invented her himself, then the heroine played the natural role of a woman whose purpose is love.

Perhaps, if Pechorin had not appeared in her life, she would have found her happiness. The girl would have lived her whole life with the illusion that Grushnitsky was a special creature, that she saved him from loneliness and misfortune with her love.

The complexity of human relationships

The complexity of human relationships lies in the fact that even in love, which is the greatest spiritual intimacy, people are often unable to fully understand each other. In order to maintain calm and confidence, illusions are needed. Mary and Grushnitsky could have retained the illusion of need for their loved one, and the quiet hearth, love and devotion of the princess would have been enough for them. Something similar might have happened if Pechorin and Mary had not separated. The relationship between them, of course, would hardly have lasted long due to the character of the main character, but misunderstandings in this pair would certainly also have occurred.

Below is the story of the relationship between Pechorin and Princess Mary in the novel “A Hero of Our Time”: Mary’s love for Pechorin, the relationship between the heroes, etc.

The relationship between Pechorin and Princess Mary in the novel “Hero of Our Time” by Lermontov

Acquaintance of Pechorin and Princess Mary

Pechorin and Princess Mary first meet in Pyatigorsk, where Pechorin arrives after a military mission. Princess Mary and her mother are treated at the waters in Pyatigorsk.

Pechorin and Princess Mary both move in high society. They have mutual friends in Pyatigorsk. But at the same time, Pechorin is in no hurry to meet Princess Mary. He deliberately teases her to pique her interest:

“...we still don’t know you,” she added, “but admit it, you’re the only one to blame for this: you’re so shy of everyone that it’s unlike anything...” (Princess Mary’s mother, about Pechorin)

In the end, Pechorin meets Princess Mary at a ball, inviting her to dance:

“...I immediately approached the princess, inviting her to waltz, taking advantage of the freedom of local customs, which allow me to dance with unfamiliar ladies...”

Pechorin decides to “drag” after Princess Mary for fun:

"...Women should wish that all men knew them as well as I do..."

“...I’m not afraid of them and I have understood their minor weaknesses...”

Experienced heartthrob Pechorin knows how to make Princess Mary fall in love with him:

"...But I guessed you right, dear princess, beware!..."

Pechorin's "System"

Pechorin achieves the love of Princess Mary according to his “system”, which he knows by heart. He has already tested this system on other women:

"...All these days I have never deviated from my system. The princess is beginning to like my conversation..."

“...Tomorrow she will want to reward me. I already know all this by heart - that’s what’s boring!..”

Finally, Pechorin’s plan works and the inexperienced Princess Mary falls in love with him:

"...do you know, she's madly in love with you, poor thing!.."

At the same time, Pechorin himself does not like Princess Mary:

“...why am I so stubbornly seeking the love of a young girl whom I don’t want to seduce and whom I will never marry?..”

"...no matter how I searched in my chest for even a spark of love for dear Mary, my efforts were in vain..."

Why is Pechorin starting an intrigue with Princess Mary?

Pechorin starts an intrigue with Princess Mary for two reasons. Firstly, for fun, to get new emotions. Pechorin likes to torment Princess Mary. He admits that in this he looks like a vampire:

“...But there is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul!..”

"...she will spend the night without sleep and will cry. This thought gives me immense pleasure: there are moments when I understand the Vampire..."

Secondly, Pechorin is “dragging” after Princess Mary in order to divert the public’s attention from his relationship with the married lady Vera, his longtime lover:

“...Vera often visits the princess; I gave her my word to get acquainted with the Ligovskys and to chase after the princess in order to divert attention from her. Thus, my plans are not upset at all, and I will have fun...”

Love triangle and duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Junker Grushnitsky, a friend of Pechorin, passionately falls in love with Princess Mary. But she does not reciprocate his feelings:

"...She was decidedly tired of Grushnitsky..."

In revenge, the lover Grushnitsky spreads rumors about Princess Mary and Pechorin. For these rumors, Pechorin challenges his friend to a duel, where he kills him:

“...You defended my daughter from slander, you fought for her, and therefore you risked your life...” (words of Princess Ligovskaya about Pechorin)

The relationship between Pechorin and Princess Mary after the duel

After the duel, Princess Mary is tormented by love for Pechorin. She expects reciprocity and declarations of love from him. But Pechorin admits to her that he was simply laughing at her feelings:

“...Princess,” I said, “do you know that I laughed at you?.. You should despise me...”

"...You see, I play the most pitiful and disgusting role in your eyes..."

Pechorin is not going to marry Princess Mary:

“...So you won’t marry Mary? You won’t love her?.. And she thinks...”

Princess Mary hates Pechorin because he played with her feelings. In the end, Pechorin is sent to serve in fortress N for participating in a duel. Mary and Pechorin part forever:

“...I hate you...” she said...”

This ends the story of the relationship between Pechorin and Princess Mary in the novel “A Hero of Our Time”: Princess Mary’s love for Pechorin, the relationship of the heroes, etc.

Bela, Mary and Vera in the fate of Pechorin

The pinnacle of all the creativity of M.Yu. Lermontov, the natural conclusion of his short career is the novel “A Hero of Our Time.” The main task facing the author when creating this work was to draw the image of a contemporary young man. Through the character of the main character of the novel, Grigory Pechorin, Lermontov conveys the thoughts, feelings, and quests of people of the 30s of the 19th century.

The feeling of love is shown with great psychological accuracy in the novel. Many pages of the work are permeated with this feeling. The love theme in the novel is inextricably linked with female characters: Bela, Princess Mary, Vera, the undine girl. The female images of the novel, bright and original, serve, first of all, to “shade” Pechorin’s nature.

Bela, Vera, Princess Mary... At different stages of the hero’s life, they played an important role for him. These are completely different women in character. But they have one thing in common: the fate of all these heroines was tragic.

Of all the female characters in the novel, the greatest sympathy is evoked by the Circassian Bela, whose simplicity, grace and femininity were noted by V.G. Belinsky. Bela touches you with the purity of her nature, sincerity of desires, feminine pride and strength of feelings. In comparison with her ardent, sincere love, Pechorin’s instant infatuation seems shallow and frivolous. But Bela was, according to Belinsky, “a half-wild daughter of free gorges.” Her ingenuous nature could not attract Pechorin’s imagination and passion for long.

In Pechorin's life there was a woman whom he truly loved. This is Vera. By the way, it’s worth thinking about the symbolism of her name. She was his faith in life and in himself. This woman understood Pechorin completely and accepted him entirely. Although her love, deep and serious, brought Vera only suffering: “... I sacrificed myself, hoping that someday you would appreciate my sacrifice... I was convinced that it was a vain hope. I was sad!”

And what about Pechorin? He loves Vera as best he can, as his crippled soul allows him. But Pechorin’s attempt to catch up and stop his beloved woman speaks most eloquently of all the words about Pechorin’s love. Having driven the horse in this pursuit, the hero falls next to its corpse and begins to sob uncontrollably: “... I thought my chest would burst; all my firmness, all my composure, disappeared like smoke.”

Princess Mary is depicted by Lermontov in more detail than Vera. Belinsky notes that this is “not a stupid girl.” Her problem is naive romanticism, which determines Mary’s attitude towards people. She can only like everything mysterious and mysterious.

The heroine's imagination was first seduced by Grushnitsky. He attracted the girl with his catchy phrases and supposed misfortunes. Then Mary fell in love with Pechorin when he appeared before her as a romantic hero. Grigory Alexandrovich seemed to her even more mysterious, incomprehensible and daring. Mary sincerely believed that Pechorin was secretly infatuated with her.

In her love, Princess Mary seemed to realize the aphoristic words of Pechorin: “Women love only those they do not know.” Lermontov, with deep psychologism, showed all the stages of development of a girl’s feelings for Grigory Alexandrovich. At first it was a woman’s resentment that they did not pay attention to her, that she was not noticed. Then Princess Mary was naively convinced that she had “defeated” Pechorin. Even later, the girl began to struggle with her passion, a feeling that she involuntarily began to experience for Pechorin. In the end, she still confessed her love to the hero. It is a pity that Mary’s words led to the bitter last meeting of the heroes, which “arouses strong sympathy for her and bathes her image in the brilliance of poetry.” Mary “fell victim to an unrequited, silently suffering, but without humiliation” feeling.

Pechorin meets the princess in Pyatigorsk, at mineral waters. He begins to follow Mary out of boredom. Having become close to the princess, Pechorin, without meaning to, becomes imbued with tender feelings for her. Confirmation of this is his confession to her that he is a moral cripple: “I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and abandoned it... But now you have awakened in me the memory of it... »

We feel that there is a great deal of truth in these words. Pechorin himself doubts whether he is playing or sincerely feeling. In any case, his soul comes to life for a while. It is no coincidence that, seeing in the princess’s eyes a sincere response to his obvious lie, the hero becomes ashamed. And later, without seeing the princess all day, Pechorin is confused, he does not understand what is happening to him: “When I returned home, I noticed that I was missing something. I haven't seen her! She is ill! Have I really fallen in love?.. What nonsense!”

In the end, the hero decides to leave Mary alone. To make their separation easier, he tells the princess that he was just laughing at her all this time. Another love story in Pechorin's life ended in pain and disappointment.

Each of the female characters in the novel is unique and inimitable in its own way. But they all have something in common - a destructive passion for the mysterious, the unknown - for Pechorin. And only one girl did not succumb to the charm of the hero of the novel. This is the undine from the story “Taman”.

All the women in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” just wanted to be happy. But happiness is a relative concept, today it exists, but tomorrow...

The novel “A Hero of Our Time” was conceived by a young poet in 1836. It was assumed that the action would take place in the author's contemporary Petersburg.

However, the Caucasian exile in 1837 made adjustments to the original plans. Now Lermontov's main character, Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich, finds himself in the Caucasus, where he finds himself in very difficult situations. The reader hears their brief content from different characters in the work. “A Hero of Our Time” (“Princess Mary” included) turns into an exploration of the soul of a young man trying to find his place in life.

The composition of the novel is somewhat unusual: it consists of 5 stories, united by the image of Pechorin. The most voluminous and significant for understanding the character of this character is the chapter “Princess Mary”.

Features of the story

“Princess Mary” in the novel “Hero of Our Time” is essentially Pechorin’s confession. It consists of diary entries made during his stay for treatment in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk.

According to contemporaries, its main characters had real prototypes with whom Lermontov was personally acquainted, which gives credibility to what is depicted. Thus, the main character, after whom the story is named, could have been copied from the sister of N. S. Martynov or the poet’s friend from Pyatigorsk E. Klinberg. The image of Pechorin himself is extremely interesting. “The Tale “Princess Mary” is a summary of his month-long stay at the mineral waters. During this time, he charmed a young, naive girl, turned all the officers against him, killed an old acquaintance in a duel, and forever lost the only woman he loved.

Pechorin's arrival in Pyatigorsk

The first entry in the protagonist's diary is marked the eleventh of May. The day before he arrived in Pyatigorsk and rented an apartment on the outskirts, near Mashuk himself. He was attracted by the wonderful view of the city and somewhat smoothed out the shortcomings of the new housing. In an elated, enthusiastic mood, Pechorin goes to the source the next morning to see the water society here. The caustic remarks that he addresses to the ladies and officers he meets along the way characterize him as a caustic person who certainly sees shortcomings in everything. This is the beginning of the story “Princess Mary”, a brief summary of which will be presented below.

The loneliness of the hero, standing at the well and watching the people passing by, is interrupted by Grushnitsky, with whom he once fought together. The cadet, who had only been in the service for a year, wore a thick overcoat decorated with a heroic cross - with this he tried to attract the attention of the ladies. Grushnitsky looked older than his years, which he also considered an advantage; he was outwardly attractive and a figure skater. His speech often included stilted phrases, giving him the appearance of a passionate and suffering person. At first glance, it would appear that the two were good friends. In fact, their relationship was far from ideal, as the diary author directly states: “We will run into him someday..., and one of us will be in trouble.” Even when they met, Pechorin recognized the falseness in him, which is why he disliked him. This is how an action begins that will unfold over the course of a month, and Pechorin’s diary will help the reader to trace the entire chain of events - this is their summary.

“A Hero of Our Time” (“Princess Mary” is no exception) is interesting because of the unusual nature of the protagonist, who is not accustomed to dissembling even to himself. He openly laughs at Grushnitsky, who throws out a phrase in French precisely at the moment when the Ligovsky mother and daughter pass by, which, of course, attracts their attention. A little later, having gotten rid of his old acquaintance, Pechorin observes another interesting scene. Juncker “accidentally” drops a glass and still cannot pick it up: his crutch and his wounded leg are in the way. The young princess quickly flew up to him, handed him a glass and just as quickly flew away, making sure that her mother had not seen anything. Grushnitsky was delighted, but Pechorin immediately cooled his ardor, noting that he did not see anything unusual in the girl’s behavior.

This is how one can describe the hero’s first day in Pyatigorsk.

Two days later

The morning began with a meeting with Dr. Werner, who came to visit Pechorin. The latter considered him a wonderful person and even assumed that they could become friends if only Grigory Alexandrovich was capable of such a relationship in principle. They loved to talk with each other on abstract topics, which can be seen more than once in the story “Princess Mary.” A summary of their conversations characterizes both as smart, honest and uncompromising people.

This time they gradually moved on to the meeting of former colleagues that had taken place the day before. Pechorin’s words that “there is a connection” and he will not be bored here immediately evoked a response from the doctor: “Grushnitsky will be your victim.” Then Werner reports that the Ligovskys' house has already become interested in the new vacationer. He tells his interlocutor about the princess and her daughter. She is quite educated, treats all young people with contempt, loves to talk about passions and feelings, speaks impartially about Moscow society - this is how Princess Mary appears from the words of the doctor. A brief summary of the conversations in the Ligovskys’ house also makes it possible to understand that Pechorin’s appearance aroused interest among the ladies.

Werner's mention of a visiting relative of the princess, pretty, but really sick, makes the hero worry. In the description of the woman, Grigory Alexandrovich recognizes Vera, whom he once loved. Thoughts about her do not leave the hero even after the doctor leaves.

In the evening, during a walk, Pechorin again encounters the princess and notices how much she has captured Grushnitsky’s attention. This ends another day of Pechorin, described in the diary included in the story “Princess Mary”.

On this day, several events happened to Pechorin. The plan he developed for the princess began to take effect. His indifference caused a response in the girl: when they met, she looked at him with hatred. The epigrams she composed also reached the hero, in which he received a very unflattering assessment.

Pechorin lured almost all of her admirers: free food and champagne turned out to be better than a sweet smile. And at the same time he constantly egged on Grushnitsky, who was already head over heels in love.

The summary of the chapter “Princess Mary” continues with a description of the first chance meeting of Pechorin and Vera at the well. Their feelings, which flared up with renewed vigor, determined the lovers’ further actions. Pechorin needs to meet Vera’s elderly husband, enter the Ligovskys’ house and hit on the princess. This will give them the opportunity to meet more often. The hero appears in this scene somewhat unusual: there is hope that he is truly capable of sincere feelings and will not be able to betray the woman he loves.

After parting, Pechorin, unable to sit at home, goes on horseback to the steppe. Returning from a walk gives him another unexpected meeting.

A group of vacationers moved along the road that wound between the bushes. Among them were Grushnitsky and Princess Mary. The summary of their conversation can be reduced to a description of the cadet’s feelings. Pechorin in Circassian attire, unexpectedly appearing from the bushes, disrupts their peaceful conversation and causes first anger and then embarrassment in the frightened girl.

During an evening walk, friends meet. Grushnitsky reports with sympathy that the princess’s attitude towards Pechorin is completely ruined. In her eyes, he looks impudent, arrogant and narcissistic, and this forever closes the doors of their home to him. It is clear that the hero’s words that he can be part of the family even tomorrow are perceived with sympathy.

Incident at the ball

The next entry - May 21 - is quite insignificant. It only states that in a week Pechorin never met the Ligovskys, for which Vera blamed him. On the 22nd a ball was expected, at which Princess Mary would also be present.

The summary of the story from the novel will continue the incident that made adjustments to the established course of events. At the ball, where Grushnitsky was still not allowed to enter, Pechorin meets the princess and even defends her honor in front of the drunken gentleman. There was clearly a plan here, orchestrated by the dragoon captain, another longtime acquaintance of Grigory Alexandrovich. During the mazurka, Pechorin captivates the princess, and also, as if by the way, reports that Grushnitsky is a cadet.

The very next day, together with a friend who thanked him for his action at the ball, the hero goes to the Ligovskys’ house. The main thing to note here is that he displeases the princess by not listening carefully enough to her singing after tea, and instead enjoys a calm conversation with Vera. And at the end of the evening, he watches the triumph of Grushnitsky, whom Princess Mary chooses as an instrument of revenge.

Lermontov M. Yu.: summary of Pechorin’s notes on May 29 and June 3

For several days, the young man adheres to the chosen tactics, although from time to time he asks himself the question: why is he so stubbornly seeking the love of a young girl if he knows in advance that he will never marry her. Nevertheless, Pechorin does everything to make Mary bored with Grushnitsky.

Finally, the cadet appears in his apartment, happy - he was promoted to officer. In just a few days, a brand new uniform will be sewn, and he will appear before his beloved in all its glory. Now he no longer wants to confuse her look with his overcoat. As a result, it is Pechorin who accompanies the princess during the evening walk of the water society to the failure.

First, slander against all his acquaintances, then malicious statements addressed to them and a long, accusatory monologue of a “moral cripple,” as he calls himself. The reader notices how Princess Mary changes under the influence of what she hears. A summary (Lermontov does not spare his hero at all) of the monologue can be conveyed as follows. Society made Pechorin what he became. He was modest - he was credited with guile. He could feel evil and good - no one loved him. He put himself above others - they began to humiliate him. As a result of misunderstanding, I learned to hate, pretend and lie. And all the best qualities that were originally inherent in him remained buried in his soul. All that remains in him is despair and memories of his lost soul. Thus, the princess’s fate was predetermined: tomorrow she would want to reward her admirer, whom she had treated with coldness for so long.

And again the ball

The next day three meetings took place. With Vera - she reproached Pechorin for his coldness. With Grushnitsky - his uniform is almost ready, and tomorrow he will appear in it at the ball. And with the princess - Pechorin invited her to a mazurka. The evening was spent at the Ligovskys' house, where the changes that had occurred in Mary became noticeable. She did not laugh or flirt, but sat all evening with a sad look and listened carefully to the extraordinary stories of the guest.

The summary of “Princess Mary” will continue with a description of the ball.

Grushnitsky beamed. His new uniform with a very narrow collar was decorated with a bronze chain with a lorgnette, large epaulettes resembling the wings of angels, and kid gloves. The creaking of boots, a cap in his hands and curled curls completed the picture. His whole appearance expressed self-satisfaction and pride, although from the outside the former cadet looked quite funny. He was absolutely sure that he would have to be the princess’s partner in the first mazurka, and soon left impatiently.

Pechorin, entering the hall, found Mary in the company of Grushnitsky. Their conversation did not go well, as her gaze kept wandering around, as if looking for someone. Very soon she looked at her companion almost with hatred. The news that the princess was dancing a mazurka with Pechorin aroused anger in the newly-minted officer, which soon resulted in a conspiracy against his rival.

Before leaving for Kislovodsk

On June 6-7, it becomes clear: Grigory Alexandrovich achieved his goal. The princess is in love with him and suffers. To top it all off is the news brought by Werner. There is talk in the city that Pechorin is getting married. Assurances to the contrary only caused the doctor to grin: there are times when marriage becomes inevitable. It is clear that Grushnitsky spread the rumors. And this means one thing - the denouement is inevitable.

The next day, Pechorin, determined to complete the matter, leaves for Kislovodsk.

Entries June 11-14

For the next three days, the hero enjoys the local beauty and sees Vera, who arrived even earlier. On the evening of the 10th, Grushnitsky appears - he does not bow and leads a riotous lifestyle. Gradually, the entire Pyatigorsk society, including the Ligovskys, moved to Kislovodsk. Princess Mary is still pale and still suffering.

Summary - Lermontov gradually brings the action of the story to a climax - the rapidly developing relationship between the officers and Pechorin can be reduced to the fact that everyone is rebelling against the latter. The dragoon captain, who had personal scores with the hero, takes Grushnitsky’s side. Quite by accident, Grigory Alexandrovich becomes a witness to a conspiracy planned against him. The gist was this: Grushnitsky finds an excuse to challenge Pechorin to a duel. Since the pistols will be unloaded, the first one is in no danger. The second, according to their calculations, should chicken out if he shoots at six steps, and his honor will be tarnished.

Compromising meeting and duel

The events of May 15-16 became the denouement of everything that happened to Pechorin during the month at mineral waters. Here is their summary.

The “hero” of our time... Lermontov (“Princess Mary” plays an important role in this regard) more than once makes us think about the question: what is he really like? Selfish and aimlessly living his life, Pechorin often causes condemnation from both the author and the reader. Werner’s phrase in the note given to Grigory Alexandrovich after the duel sounds condemning: “You can sleep peacefully... if you can...” However, in this situation, sympathies still fall on Pechorin’s side. This is the case when he remains completely honest with himself and with those around him. And he hopes to awaken the conscience of his former friend, who turned out to be dishonest and capable of baseness and meanness in relation not only to Pechorin, but also to the princess.

The evening before the duel, the whole community gathered to watch the visiting magician. The princess and Vera remained at home, with whom the hero went to meet. The whole company, planning his humiliation, tracked down the unlucky lover and made a fuss in the full confidence that he was visiting Mary. Pechorin, who managed to escape and quickly return home, met the dragoon captain and his comrades while lying in bed. So the officers' first attempt failed.

The next morning, Grigory Alexandrovich, who went to the well, heard the story of Grushnitsky, who allegedly witnessed how the night before he got out through the window from the princess. The quarrel ended with a challenge to a duel. Pechorin invited Werner, who knew about the conspiracy, as a second.

An analysis of the content of Lermontov’s story “Princess Mary” shows how contradictory the main character was. So on the eve of the duel, which could be the last in his life, Pechorin cannot sleep for a long time. Death does not frighten him. Another thing is important: what was his purpose on earth? After all, he was born for a reason. And there is still so much unspent strength left in him. How will he be remembered? After all, no one ever fully understood it.

His nerves calmed down only in the morning, and Pechorin even went to the bathhouse. Cheerful and ready for anything, he went to the place of the duel.

The doctor's proposal to end everything peacefully caused the dragoon captain, the enemy's second, to grin - he decided that Pechorin had chickened out. When everyone was ready, Grigory Alexandrovich put forward a condition: to shoot on the edge of a cliff. This meant that even a slight injury could lead to a fall and death. But this did not force Grushnitsky to admit to the conspiracy.

The opponent got to shoot first. For a long time he could not cope with his excitement, but the captain’s contemptuous exclamation: “Coward!” - forced him to pull the trigger. A slight scratch - and Pechorin still managed to avoid falling into the abyss. He still had hope of bringing his opponent to reason. When Grushnitsky refused to admit the slander and apologize, Pechorin made it clear that he knew about the conspiracy. The duel ended in murder - Grushnitsky was only able to show firmness and steadfastness in the face of death.

Parting

In the afternoon, Pechorin was brought a letter from which he learned that Vera had left. A futile attempt to catch up with her ended in failure. He realized that he had lost his beloved woman forever.

This concludes the summary of “Princess Mary.” It only remains to add that Pechorin’s last explanation with the main character was short and straightforward. A few words were enough to put an end to their relationship. At the moment when the girl’s first serious feeling was trampled, she was able to maintain her dignity and not degrade herself to hysterics and sobs. Her secular manners and contemptuous attitude towards others hid a deep nature, which Pechorin was able to discern. Learning to trust people and love again is what Princess Mary will have to do in the future.

The characteristics of a literary hero consist of his actions, thoughts, and relationships with other people. Pechorin appears in the story as an ambiguous person. On the one hand, he perfectly analyzes the situation and assesses its consequences. On the other hand, he values his life little and easily plays with the destinies of others. Achieving a goal is what attracts a person who is bored and has no use for his talents.

. Princess Mary.)

Lermontov. Princess Mary. Feature film, 1955

...Our conversation began with slander: I began to sort through our acquaintances who were present and absent, first showing their funny, and then their bad sides. My bile became agitated. I started jokingly and ended with sincere anger. At first it amused her, and then it scared her.

– You are a dangerous person! - she told me, - I would rather fall under the knife of a murderer in the forest than to get caught on your tongue... I ask you not jokingly: when you decide to speak ill of me, you better take a knife and stab me - I think this is It won't be very difficult for you.

– Do I look like a murderer?..

- You are worse...

I thought for a minute and then said, looking deeply moved:

– Yes, this has been my lot since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; but they were anticipated - and they were born. I was modest - I was accused of guile: I became secretive. I felt good and evil deeply; no one caressed me, everyone insulted me: I became vindictive; I was gloomy, - other children were cheerful and talkative; I felt superior to them - they put me lower. I became envious. I was ready to love the whole world, but no one understood me: and I learned to hate. My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the world; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart: they died there. I told the truth - they didn’t believe me: I began to deceive; Having learned well the light and springs of society, I became skilled in the science of life and saw how others were happy without art, freely enjoying the benefits that I so tirelessly sought. And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile. I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and threw it away - while the other moved and lived at the service of everyone, and no one noticed this, because no one knew about the existence of the deceased its halves; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you. To many, all epitaphs seem funny, but not to me, especially when I remember what lies underneath them. However, I do not ask you to share my opinion: if my prank seems funny to you, please laugh: I warn you that this will not upset me in the least.

At that moment I met her eyes: tears were running in them; her hand, leaning on mine, trembled; cheeks were burning; she felt sorry for me! Compassion, a feeling that all women so easily submit to, let its claws into her inexperienced heart. During the entire walk she was absent-minded and did not flirt with anyone - and this is a great sign!