The fate of a generation in the hero of our time. Lesson topic: “Portrait of a Generation” (Based on the novel “A Hero of Our Time”). A. Blok is one of the key names of Russian literature, who completed the poetic quest of the entire 19th century and discovered the poetry of the 20th century, connecting Russian to

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

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

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

Why deep knowledge, thirst for glory,

Talent and ardent love of freedom,

When can we not use them?

M.Yu. Lermontov. Monologue.

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

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

I look sadly at our generation...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A descendant will insult with a contemptuous verse,

The bitter mockery of a deceived son

Over the wasted father.

Lermontov “completely belongs to our generation,” wrote A. I. Herzen. - Awakened by the great day of December 14th, we saw only executions and expulsions. Forced to remain silent, holding back tears, we learned, withdrawing into ourselves, to nurture our thoughts - and what thoughts! These were no longer the ideas of enlightened liberalism, the ideas of progress - they were doubts, denials, thoughts full of rage.”

The problem of the lost generation was deeply comprehended by Lermontov for the first time in Russian literature. The writer revealed the tragic duality of man in the post-Decembrist dead era, his strength and weakness. Proud and passive rejection of the “transformations” of society gave rise to bitter loneliness, and as a result, spiritual bitterness. The image of Pechorin turns out to be strikingly lifelike, his mystery attractive. V. G. Belinsky noticed that in Pechorin’s very vices something great glimmers. The hero does not bow to the cruel meanness of time; in the name of hatred of this life, he sacrifices everything - his feelings, his need for love. A senseless protest is the downfall of a person, but the author did this deliberately.

Herzen said that a special temper was needed to endure the air of the gloomy Nicholas era; one had to be able to hate out of love, to despise out of humanity, to be able to hold one’s head high while having chains on one’s hands and feet. The fear introduced into Russian society by Nicholas I was based on post-Decembrist repressions. From the fathers who betrayed the ideals of loyalty to friendship, “holy freedom,” Lermontov’s generation took only fear of power, obedient slavery. And therefore the poet says with sadness:

I look sadly at our generation!

His future is either empty or dark,

Meanwhile, under the burden of knowledge and doubt,

It will grow old in inactivity.

According to Herzen, on the surface “only losses were visible,” but inside “great work was being accomplished... deaf and silent, but active and continuous.”

Showing in the novel the importance of environment and circumstances for the formation of character, Lermontov, in the image of his hero, focuses not on this process, but on the ultimate development of the human personality.

Pechorin was formed as a personality in those circles of the noble intelligentsia, where it was fashionable to ridicule all sincere manifestations of selfless humanity as romantic. And this left an imprint on his development, crippled him morally, killed all noble impulses in him: “My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart; they died there... I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and threw it away...”

Before us is not just a portrait of a hero of the era, before us is “the history of the human soul.” In the preface to the novel, Lermontov spoke about the typicality of his hero: “this is a portrait made up of the vices of our entire generation, in their full development.” And in the preface to Pechorin’s Journal, the author hopes that readers will “find justifications for actions for which a person has been accused until now...”.

Not trying to justify himself, but wanting to explain the contradictions in his character, Pechorin opens up to Maxim Maksimych: he considers himself the cause of the misfortunes of others, he is tired of the pleasures of high society, society, tired of science, the love of secular beauties irritated his imagination and pride, and his heart remained empty. Pechorin believes that his soul is corrupted by light. Confessing to Princess Mary, our hero admits that his “colorless youth passed in the struggle with himself and the light,” but, “having learned well the light and the springs of society,” he “became skilled in the science of life and saw how others are happy without art.” , taking advantage of the benefits” that he sought.

And as a result:

And it’s boring and sad, and there’s no one to give a hand to

In a moment of spiritual adversity...

Pechorin is deeply unhappy, withdrawn into himself, and suffers from loneliness. He has an “insatiable heart”, a “restless imagination”, he misses new impressions, his energy is looking for a way out. Pechorin expected a lot from being transferred to the Caucasus, from participating in hostilities, but soon danger became familiar to him. The love of the Circassian Bela did not bring spiritual renewal either. His restless, spiritually rich nature would not have come to terms with the quiet family life he had with Mary Ligovskaya.

But Pechorin is unlikely to be able to remain alone: ​​it is difficult for him to experience loneliness, he is attracted by communication with people. In Taman, Pechorin wants to get closer to the “peaceful smugglers”, not yet knowing what they are doing. He is attracted by mystery, night noises. But the attempt at rapprochement turns out to be in vain: the smugglers cannot recognize Pechorin as their man, trust him, and the solution to their secret disappoints the hero. Hopes for love turned into hostility, a date into a fight. From all these transformations Pechorin becomes furious.

The feeling of the world as a mystery, a passionate interest in life in Pechorin are replaced by alienation and indifference:

Shamefully indifferent to good and evil,

At the beginning of the race we wither without a fight;

In the face of danger they are shamefully cowardly

And before the authorities - despicable slaves.

But our hero is attracted by danger and everything that excites the blood gives food to the mind. Representatives of the “water society” do not accept Pechorin into their circle. They think that Pechorin is proud of his belonging to the St. Petersburg society and living rooms, where they are not allowed. Pechorin does not contradict them. He likes to be the center of attention, teach and advise, dispel hopes and open people's eyes to reality.

Wanting to get away from the conventions of the world (“I’m terribly tired of this alien society”), Pechorin hopes to meet extraordinary people, dreams of meeting an intelligent person. But Pechorin does not experience anything other than a painful perception of the insignificance of these people. Representatives of the “water society” are frankly primitive.

There is one most important moral law, true at all times: respect for the world and for people begins with self-respect. Pechorin understands this law without realizing its importance, without seeing in it the origins of his tragedy. He states: “Evil begets evil; the first suffering gives the concept of pleasure in torturing another...” The world surrounding Pechorin is built on the law of spiritual slavery - one tortures in order to gain pleasure from the suffering of another. And the unfortunate man, suffering, dreams of one thing - to take revenge, to humiliate

Not only the offender, but the whole world. Evil begets evil in a world without God, in a society where moral laws are violated.

Pechorin has the courage to admit: “I sometimes despise myself... Isn’t that why I despise others too?..” But does it become easier after such a confession?

And we hate and we love by chance,

Without sacrificing anything, neither anger nor love,

And some secret cold reigns in the soul,

When fire boils in the blood.

Left alone with himself, Pechorin is merciless not only towards his opponents, but also towards himself. For all failures, he blames himself first of all. Pechorin constantly feels his moral inferiority: he talks about two halves of the soul, that the best part of the soul “dried up, evaporated, died.” And blaming the world, people and time for his spiritual slavery, Pechorin becomes disillusioned with everything that once pleased and inspired him.

Starting from the second half of the 19th century, Pechorin’s definition of “superfluous person” became stronger. It captures the tragedy of an already established personality, doomed to live in “the country of slaves, the country of masters.”

The portrayal of Pechorin’s character, strong, firm and at the same time contradictory, unpredictable in his behavior and final fate until death puts a final end to it, was something new that Lermontov introduced into the artistic comprehension of man:

And he will say: why didn’t the world understand?

The Great One, and how he didn’t find it

Hello friends and love

Didn't bring him hope again? He was worthy of her.

Lermontov sincerely regrets the bitter fate of his contemporaries, many of whom turned out to be superfluous people in their country. The author calls not to go with the flow of life, but to resist, performing a moral feat.

In every literary work, the fate of the characters is connected with the image of their generation, because the heroes reflect the time in which they live. A striking example is Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Using the example of Pechorin’s life, the author clearly showed the image of the generation of that era, calling it “lost.”

Why did Lermontov become interested in the theme of the lost generation in “A Hero of Our Time”?

Lermontov answered this question at the beginning of his work. The writer himself lived in the 30s of the 19th century. His generation felt the brutal reaction of the tsarist government to the Decembrist uprising in 1825. Tsar Nicholas I suppressed all revolutionary ideas. The best Decembrists were exiled to Siberia or executed. It was difficult for young people to fight for their ideas, and the fate of gifted and intelligent youth was doomed.

People passively accepted social changes. Young people who opposed this were doomed to loneliness. In their souls they felt fear of authority, disbelief and doubt. The generation of that time lived in an era of rejection of bright ideals. People did not strive for anything, but simply went with the flow, wasting their lives at social balls and spending it on various dubious entertainments. Therefore, Lermontov called the generation of those days “lost.”

Pechorin is a vivid image of the lost generation in “Hero of Our Time”

In his novel, Lermontov showed the life of the main character Pechorin through many events that revealed all the traits of his character. This strong nature was doomed to inaction. Pechorin confesses his love for the world, but he brings nothing but misfortune to others and cannot change anything for the better, either in his life or in society. He admits that his soul has been corrupted by the world. In secular society, the main character hid all his feelings and thoughts, because he was afraid of ridicule. Contemporaries simply would not have understood Pechorin’s vulnerable and subtle soul.

Pechorin did not bow his head to the current time, did not want to go with the flow. But everything lies only in his thoughts and suffering. No concrete actions are visible. The hero suffers and asks himself the question: why was I born and why am I living now? He admires people of the past generation, but he himself has nothing to offer his contemporaries. The main character says about his contemporaries that they are indifferent to everything. He failed in his absurd protest, but his thoughts are the painful thoughts of the best people of that time.

Pechorin’s tragic fate is also revealed by his diary. It is clear that the guy is capable of worrying, loving passionately and feeling deeply. But he covers up all his good character traits with indifference and cynicism. This is a kind of self-defense mask. Therefore, it becomes clear to the reader that Pechorin’s fate was distorted by time and life in a society with destroyed ideals.

Using the example of the main character, Lermontov showed all the vices of that time, when the duality of human nature, weakness and petty passions are intertwined with strength and a clear mind. This lost generation did not find a worthy place in life, and the image of Pechorin is a clear confirmation of this. On the pages of the novel, the author urged his contemporaries not to go passively with the flow, but to act and actively resist any evil and meanness.

In any high-quality work, the fate of the heroes is associated with the image of their generation. How else? After all, people reflect the character of their time, they are its “product”. We clearly see this in the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov "Hero of Our Time". Using the example of the life of a typical person of this era, the writer shows the image of an entire generation. Of course, Pechorin is a representative of his time; his fate reflected the tragedy of this generation. M.Yu. Lermontov was the first to create the image of the “lost” generation in Russian literature, showing the duality of man, his weakness and strength. It was with Pechorin that a whole galaxy of “extra people” began.

Why was this topic so close to Lermontov? The writer himself answers this question in the preface to the novel, saying that it contains a portrait of his entire generation, because he himself is a representative of the generation of the 30s of the 19th century, a generation that felt the brutal reaction of the tsarist government after the Decembrist uprising of 1825. Nicholas I tried to uproot the ideas of the Decembrists. It was difficult for the younger generation to fight for their ideas in such conditions. The fate of people gifted by nature with will and intelligence was doomed. The thoughts of the protagonist of Pechorin’s novel about people of previous generations who lived with great ideas and were capable of heroic deeds are indicative. Then the nobles went to great deeds and were not afraid of exile to Siberia. And Pechorin says about his generation that it is indifferent to everything. Disbelief and selfishness reigned in society. It is no coincidence that many historians consider this time an era of moral decay. And confirmation of this is the image of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin.

Pechorin's life is shown through a series of incidents that in their own way reveal the facets of his soul, the depth and talent of his personality and its tragedy. This is the fate of a person of strong will, which is doomed to inaction. This is the image of a “lost” generation, which lies not in weakness, but in the absence of the possibility of heroic deeds.

Pechorin is entirely woven from contradictions: “immense powers of the soul” - and unworthy, petty actions. He wants to love the whole world, but only brings misfortune to people. He has noble and high aspirations, but petty feelings prevail. There is a seething thirst for life and outright hopelessness, some kind of conscious doom. He himself admits to Maxim Maksimych that his soul is “spoiled by the light.” This is a secular society where he had to live. Pechorin says that he hid his best feelings, fearing ridicule, until they died there.

His diary reveals the tragedy of this man's fate. We see that Pechorin has a warm heart, is capable of deeply feeling and experiencing (a date with Vera, the death of Bela), although he tries in every possible way to hide this with indifference. Callousness and indifference are a mask of self-defense. It becomes clear that Pechorin is a fate distorted by time, the image of a generation when the ideals of the old are destroyed, but there are no new ones yet. The hero himself suffers, asking himself the question for what purpose he was born and why he lived. This is a generation that has not found its place in life.

M.Yu. Lermontov, during the years of brutal suppression of personality, showed us the fate and image of the “lost” generation, as if calling for action, reflecting on the human personality.