Hero Of Our Time Lermontov

In the novel “Hero Of Our Time” Lermontov explores the inner soul of a human being. Rather than focusing on different personages, their actions and events, he centers the plot around Pechorin’s personality and his spiritual life. “The story of a man’s soul, even the pettiest, can be more interesting and instructive than the story of a whole nation…” writes Lermontov in the foreword (55). Thus, as you read through the short stories in the novel, the contradictive nature of Pechorin’s character slowly emerges. The pattern that becomes clear in all of the Pechorin’s actions and deeds is that after accomplishing something he does not get satisfied and always wants more, which in turn makes him an unhappy person. The problem with Pechorin that Lermontov

demonstrates is that there is no purpose or a final goal in all of his actions. Pechorin does not have a greater belief in anything, he cannot find his destiny, which is why his affairs lead only to the waste of time and other people’s suffering. Pechorin does not benefit the society in any way. Realizing that, he once says that he would be a “small loss to this world.” However, as his character develops through the story, he finally does something for good, which we can see in the last story “The Fatalist.”
The character of Pechorin has a very contradictive nature and is difficult to understand.

He talks about himself: “There are two men within me – one lives in the full sense of the world, the other reflects and judges him.” (134). Why is there so much duplicity within one person? “Fearing ridicule, I hid my best feelings deep within me, and there they died. I spoke the truth, but no one believed me, so I took to deceit…” confesses Pechorin to princess Mary. The time and society in which Pechorin lives developed qualities in him such as secretiveness, vindictiveness, irritability and arrogance making him a moral invalid. Moreover, he is extremely selfish and does not have any sense of compassion to other people. By creating such profile of Pechorin Lermontov also implies the problem of morality in the entire society of that

time.
On the other hand, Pechorin is a very remarkable and talented person.

He has an analytical mind, and his judgments of other people and other people’s deeds are very accurate. Furthermore, not only does he criticize others, but also himself. He does it by writing a diary where he exposes the inner side of self. “Like an engine of execution, I’ve descended on the heads of the destined victims, often without malice, but always without pity,” reflects Pechorin on himself. (131). Also, reading his diary we can see that while Pechorin hides his emotions under the mask of indifference, he does actually have some deep feelings to Vera and is capable of caring about others. His nonchalance and rigidity are his means of self-defense in the society. Nevertheless, Pechorin is a sturdy, extremely intelligent and active man who has a strong will inside of him. Yet, his actions do not benefit anyone and only have negative and destructive effect on people he encounters throughout his

life.
Why does that happen? The answer to this question can be found in the last chapter of the novel “The Fatalist.” In the previous chapters the author portraits Pechorin as a man who gave up on his life and whose fait is full of tragedy. Pechorin fails to find his destiny and does not have any goal in life, which is why his actions always come in vain. In “The Fatalist” Pechorin appears in a Cossack village on the left flank. There he spends time gambling with officers and meets lieutenant Vulich. One night they start to debate about a man’s destiny and whether or not it is written in heaven. Vulich supports the idea of predestination and bets on it against Pechorin. Then the lieutenant takes a random gun and shoots himself, but the gun misfires. However, the next shot aimed at the wall fires perfectly. It seems that Pechorin is convinced; yet, he still doubts because the same evening he notices the “mark of death” on Vulich’s face and tells him that he is going to die tonight, which does actually happen later when a drunk Cossack accidentally kills the lieutenant.
The theme of predestination bothers Pechorin since then. Given his contradictive nature he has conflicting beliefs on this matter. On one hand, he is persuaded by Vulich’s death that night and that the gun misfired, which implies that he believes in predestination. On the other hand, he ridicules people who believe that the fait of a human is written on the stars and argues that people always tend to believe in some higher powers that take part in their lives. Pechorin tries to sort out his feeling and come up with the final conclusion, - “The event of the evening had made a considerable impression on me and set me on edge. I’m not sure now if I believe in predestination or not, but that evening I had no doubts of it at all. We’d had striking proof of it, and though I’d ridiculed our ancestors and their obliging astrology, I now found myself taking the same line” (153). This suggests that Pechorin is at last convinced with the idea of pre-scripted destiny even though before he has never “put blind faith in anything.”
Yet, the main episode in “The Fatalist,” comes when the entire village gathers in front of the cottage where the Cossack (Yefimich) who killed lieutenant Vulich hides from the officers. He does not want to give himself up and thus, someone suggests shooting him through the crack in the shutter having his mother witness everything. Analyzing the situation Pechorin finally decides to put his fait to the test. For the first time in his life Pechorin refutes his logic and acts in a completely foolish and reckless mode; yet out of noble motives. Risking being shot he sneaks in the house and captures Yefimich alive saving him from the inevitable death and preventing his mother see that. Pechorin does it knowing that if he is destined to die at that moment then nothing can save him. “How can one not be a fatalist after this?” – wonders Pechorin.
As it says at the beginning of the diary, Pechorin dies on his way back from Persia. Nevertheless, as the end of the novel approaches, our perception of Pechorin drastically changes. He becomes a hero in our eyes. Not the type of hero taken from that generation as a paradigm of its vices, but a type of an exceptional individual with inherent advantages and disadvantages. The new image of Pechorin emerges as a self-contradictory, tired man, who despite all the difficulties and troubles, which he encountered a lot during his short lifespan, continues to believe that his life will finally acquire a meaning and that he will find a goal to approach.
Perhaps, disarming the murderer is the first meaningful deed that Pechorin does. He is the fatalist in the context of the novel, but he does not entirely believe that you cannot alter your fait, given that people have the power of reason and freedom of choice. At the beginning, he immorally risks other people’s lives, then jeopardizes his own. And this is another contradiction. This is the Pechorin, the hero of our time.
In conclusion, it was the era of reaction that came in Russia after the revolt of Decembrists that gave birth to people like Pechorin. The hero of the novel is an extremely intelligent noble man, a poet, a romantic, an officer; he is talented in any way and has an immense power hidden inside. However, he cannot find any worthwhile opportunity to realize himself or to commit himself for some greater purpose. Thus, he uses his energy and unlimited abilities on some useless things, quenching the thirst of life in a pointless risk and constant self-analysis, which demolishes him from the inside. Reflecting on self-identity or shifting from the active lifestyle to focusing more on the inner soul within a person was one of the most significant characteristics of that generation according to M. Y. Lerontov.