Distinctive features of Pechorin and Onegin. Comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin (Advanced people of the 19th century)

The similarities between Onegin and Pechorin are difficult not to notice, just as it is impossible to ignore the differences in their characters. Both of them are “superfluous people” of their time. Even V. G. Belinsky, comparing these two images, noted: “Their dissimilarity is much less than the distance between Onega and Pechora... Pechorin is the Onegin of our time.”
Despite the difference in eras in which the images were created - Onegin in the era of Decembrism, freethinking, in the era of dreams and hopes for a quick transformation social order, Pechorin - during the cruel Nikolaev regime that followed the defeat of the Decembrist uprising - both of them are dissatisfied with life, do not find use for their remarkable powers and are therefore forced to waste time. Both of them do not like the social structure, but both of them are passive and do not take any action to change it. Both Pushkin's Onegin and Lermontov's Pechorin personify the spiritual crisis noble intelligentsia, who expressed her dissatisfaction with life by refusing social activities and, not finding use for her powers, she wasted her life fruitlessly.
Both Onegin and Pechorin belong to the same social environment. Both of them are educated. Both at first accepted life as it came, enjoyed it, taking advantage of the privileges high society, to which they belonged, but both of them gradually came to deny the light and deep dissatisfaction with the life of society and their own too. Both began to understand that this life was empty, that behind the “external tinsel” there was nothing worth it, boredom, slander, envy reigned in the world, people spend internal forces souls to gossip and anger. Idleness and lack of high interests trivialize their existence. “But his feelings cooled down early,” says Pushkin about his hero. We read approximately the same thing in Lermontov, where the author reports that his hero very early “was born of despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile.”
The fact that both heroes are smart, educated people, undoubtedly, further aggravates their conflict with society, because these qualities allow them to see everything negative sides, all vices. This understanding seems to elevate Onegin and Pechorin above the young people of their generation; they do not fit into their circle.
What makes the heroes akin is the fact that they both succeeded in the “science of tender passion,” and the fact that neither one nor the other were able to surrender to love with all their hearts and souls. A great, all-consuming passion, for which many were ready to give their lives, could not touch our heroes: in their relationships with women, as with the world, there was coldness and cynicism. Onegin considered love to be “satiated pride” that is unworthy of him. Pechorin's love consisted of achieving power over his beloved. He could only take, but was not able to give. He never allowed himself to fall in love without reciprocating feelings. For him, seeking someone’s love is the height of baseness: “...When meeting a woman, I always unmistakably guessed whether she would love me... I never became a slave to the woman I loved; on the contrary, I have always acquired invincible power over their will and heart... is it because I never value anything very much...” Not knowing how to love, Onegin and Pechorin did not value the love of others - hence Onegin’s coldness towards Tatyana, and unrequited love Bela and Princess Mary to Pechorin.
He who cannot truly love is incapable of true friendship, and vice versa. So, Onegin kills his friend Vladimir Lensky, although, as the eldest in age and wise with experience, he could dissuade the passionately in love poet, blinded by jealousy. But he didn’t do it - disappointed with life, despising own existence, he was not able to value the lives of others enough. Can't find it common language, having met many years later, and Pechorin with Maxim Maksimych. Kind, gentle and simple-minded, Maxim Maksimych could not explain Pechorin’s cruelty, could not understand what was guiding the actions of his former colleague. Yes, it couldn’t be otherwise: the old soldier was like everyone else, he was part of a society that Lermontov’s hero despised, with which he, an extraordinary person, was simply bored. It was not for nothing that he always strove for people who could argue with him.
Personal freedom and independence for both heroes is the best thing that can be in life, to which they are ready to prefer everything else. It is not for nothing that Onegin, remembering the past, writes in a letter to Tatyana:
I didn’t want to lose my hateful freedom.
Pechorin declares on this occasion: “Twenty times I will put my life, even my honor, on the line, but I will not sell my freedom.” Realizing that life is wasted, Lermontov’s hero does not value it at all. Freedom comes first, honor comes second, and life comes last.
We find the meaning of Pechorin’s behavior and actions in the diary of the hero in the story “Princess Mary”. Reading it, you realize that Pechorin is a victim of his time. He lost faith in people, in ideas, and this is the result of the era that came after the defeat of the Decembrist uprising, an era of moral poverty, vulgarity and cowardice. All this can be attributed to Onegin.
V. G. Belinsky said very well when comparing the two heroes: “The roads are different, but the result is the same.” Despite the external dissimilarity, despite the difference in character, both are “superfluous people” who were ahead of their time and therefore did not find a common language with their contemporaries, unable to express and realize themselves.

The theme of Lermontov's novel “A Hero of Our Time” (1840) is a depiction of the social situation of the 30s and 40s of the 19th century. This period in the history of Russia is usually called “inter-time”, because society was experiencing a so-called change of ideals. Decembrist revolt...

Many writers different eras and peoples sought to capture their contemporary, through him conveying to us their time, their ideas, their ideals. What is he like, a young man from different eras? Pushkin in the novel "Eugene Onegin" depicted a young man...

My life, where are you going from and where are you going? Why is my path so unclear and secret to me? Why do I not know the purpose of labor? Why am I not the master of my desires? Pesso Pushkin worked on the novel "Eugene Onegin" for many years, it was his favorite work....

The novel “A Hero of Our Time” was a continuation of the theme of “extra people”. This theme became central to the novel in verse by A. S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”. Herzen named Pechorin younger brother Onegin. In the preface to the novel, the author shows his attitude towards his...

Onegin and Pechorin.

This is probably very rare in the history of literature when two literary geniuses are born almost simultaneously and almost in the same place. Pushkin and Lermontov. This was the time of the birth of Great Russian Literature and at the same time the time of the beginning of the great crisis of Russian society.
The crisis of society is best manifested in its ideals. Both Pushkin and Lermontov understood this perfectly, therefore, in their main works - the novels “Eugene Onegin” and “Hero of Our Time”, they sought to manifest these ideals in their main characters - Onegin and Pechorin.
Lermontov reflected his understanding of the image of Pechorin both in the title of the novel and in the preface. For Lermontov, “A Hero of Our Time” is “a portrait made up of the vices of our time, in their full development.” However, for the title the author chose the term “hero”, and not some other term - “anti-hero”, “villain”, etc. What is this? Mockery, irony or author's whim? It seems to me - neither one nor the other, nor the third... In fact, Lermontov portrays precisely the hero of the society that gave birth to him, shows those of his qualities that are most respected in this society, most valued.
It is in this that lies the deep continuity of the image of Pechorin with his literary predecessor, Evgeny Onegin.
On the one hand, you can find a lot in common in them. Fate led them down similar paths: both of them were the cream of the crop. secular society, both were mortally tired of him, both despised this society.
It was no coincidence that their lives coincided for some time: obviously, this was the lot of any rich and handsome young rake:

“What more: the light has decided,
That he is smart and very nice"

But this life, which in Eugene Onegin was the content of the novel, for Pechorin remained only in memories. We can say that Pechorin was once Onegin, but in the novel he is already different, and this difference is the most interesting point comparative analysis these images, since it allows us to evaluate the trends in the movement of society, the gradual shift of its ideals.
In Onegin we still find, if not compassion and repentance, then at least a cold, mental awareness that they must exist. Onegin is still capable, if not of love, then at least of passion, albeit extremely selfish, but ardent.
Pechorin is not even capable of such manifestations human feelings. He tries to awaken them in himself and cannot:
“No matter how much I searched in my chest for even a spark of love for dear Mary, my efforts were in vain.”
In his soul, even love for life (and therefore for himself) is absent. If Onegin still lived, “languishing in the inaction of leisure,” then Pechorin lives simply “out of curiosity: you expect something new...”
However, Pechorin, unlike Onegin, is able to think in spiritual categories, his indifference is close to despair (it is no coincidence that he seeks death). He suffers from his indifference, he sees it!
Onegin, in this sense, is completely blind, and at the same time he does not notice his blindness. There is no despair in his indifference. His passion for Tatyana is filled with selfishness, but he does not notice this and takes her for love.
As Belinsky put it, “Lermontov’s Pechorin is the Onegin of our time.” But not in the sense that they are similar, but in the sense that one is a logical continuation of the second.
Secular society is rapidly losing its last ideals: neither love, nor compassion, nor honor are anymore valued. There is only one curiosity left: what if there is something “spicy”, “tickling” the nerves, that can amuse and distract at least for a while...

Comparing the images of Onegin and Pechorin, we see what a terrible end to such innocent hobbies as idleness, selfishness, the pursuit of fashion, and how they can degenerate into such a terrible state of soul, which is usually called spiritual death.

All this is not alien, unfortunately, to our society. And it’s scary if we are not able, like Onegin, to discern our own inferiority, and we look down on Onegin: we’re not like that - we go to theaters, discos, surf the Internet, in general, we live a full life cultural life. And we don’t notice how this complacency inevitably leads to the same devastated indifference to everything except oneself that Onegin came to, and to the same unrepentant hardness of heart that Pechorin came to.

Truly, the images of Pechorin and Onegin are images of heroes of our time.

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.
M. Yu. Lermontov
Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” was for the poet, in his words, the fruit of “a mind of cold observations and a heart of sorrowful observations.” Belinsky in his article “Eugene Onegin” called this work “an encyclopedia of Russian life.” And in fact, in this novel, as in magic crystal reflected the picture of all layers of Russian life: the high society, the small nobility, and the people - Pushkin studied the life of all layers of society well early XIX century. In those years when the poet was working on his most beloved work, he had to go through a lot, lose many friends, and experience the bitterness of death the best people Russia. Against the background of paintings of Russian life in the 20s of the 19th century, it is shown dramatic fate the best people, the advanced noble intelligentsia of the Decembrist era.
Without Onegin, Lermontov’s “Hero of Our Time” would have been impossible, because realistic novel, created by Pushkin, opened the first page in the history of the great Russian novel XIX century. Pushkin embodied in the image of Onegin many of those features that were later developed in individual characters Lermontov, Turgenev, Herzen, Goncharov. Evgeny Onegin and Pechorin are very similar in character, both of them are from a secular environment, received good upbringing, they are at a higher stage of development, hence their melancholy, melancholy and dissatisfaction. All this is characteristic of souls that are more subtle and more developed. Pushkin writes about Onegin: “Handra was waiting for him on guard, and she ran after him like a shadow or faithful wife" The secular society in which Onegin and later Pechorin moved spoiled them. It did not require knowledge, superficial education was enough, knowledge was more important French and good manners. Evgeniy, like everyone else, “danced the mazurka easily and bowed at ease.” Their best years he spends, like most people of his circle, on balls, theaters and love interests. Pechorin leads the same lifestyle.
Very soon, both begin to understand that this life is empty, that behind the “external tinsel” there is nothing worth it, boredom, slander, envy reign in the world, people waste the inner strength of the soul on gossip and anger. Petty vanity, empty talk of “necessary fools,” spiritual emptiness make the life of these people monotonous, outwardly dazzling, but devoid of inner content. Idleness and lack of high interests trivialize their existence. The day is similar to the day, there is no need to work, there are few impressions, so the smartest and best fall ill with melancholy. They essentially do not know their homeland and people. Onegin “wanted to write, but he was sick of persistent work...”, he also did not find the answer to his questions in books. Onegin is smart and could be useful to society, but the lack of need for work is the reason that he does not find something to do to his liking.
He suffers from this, realizing that the upper layer of society lives off the slave labor of serfs. Serfdom it was a shame Tsarist Russia. In the village, Onegin tried to alleviate the situation of his serfs (“... he replaced the ancient corvée with a light quitrent with a yoke...”), for which he was condemned by his neighbors, who considered him an eccentric and a dangerous “freethinker.” Many people also do not understand Pechorin. In order to further reveal the character of his hero, Lermontov places him in a variety of social spheres, encounters a wide variety of people. When was it published separate edition“A Hero of Our Time,” it became clear that before Lermontov there was no Russian realistic novel. Belinsky noted that “Princess Mary” is one of the main stories in the novel. In this story, Pechorin talks about himself, reveals his soul. Here the features of “A Hero of Our Time” were most clearly manifested as psychological novel. In Pechorin's diary we find his sincere confession, in which he reveals his thoughts and feelings, mercilessly castigating his inherent weaknesses and vices. Here is a clue to his character and an explanation of his actions. Pechorin is a victim of his difficult times. Pechorin's character is complex and contradictory. He says about himself: “There are two people in me: one lives in in every sense of this word, another thinks and judges it.” The character traits of the author himself are visible in the image of Pechorin, but Lermontov was broader and deeper than his hero. Pechorin is closely connected with the front line social thought, but he counts himself among the pitiful descendants who wander the earth without convictions and pride. “We are not capable of greater sacrifices, either for the good of humanity or for our own happiness,” says Pechorin. He lost faith in people, his disbelief in ideas, skepticism and undoubted egoism - the result of the era that came after December 14, the era of moral decay, cowardice and vulgarity of the secular society in which Pechorin moved. The main task that Lermontov set for himself was to paint an image contemporary to him. young man. Lermontov poses the problem strong personality, so unlike the noble society of the 30s.
Belinsky wrote that “Pechorin is the Onegin of our time.” Novel “Hero. of our time” is a bitter reflection on the “history of the human soul,” a soul destroyed by the “brilliance of the deceptive capital,” seeking and not finding friendship, love, and happiness. Pechorin is a suffering egoist. Belinsky wrote about Onegin: “The power of this rich nature were left without application: life without meaning, and the novel without end.” The same can be said about Pechorin. Comparing the two heroes, the critic wrote: “... There is a difference in the roads, but the result is the same.” For all the difference appearance and the differences in characters, Onegin, Pechorin, and Chatsky belong to the gallery of “superfluous people for whom there was neither place nor business in the surrounding society.”
The desire to find one’s place in life, to understand the “great purpose” is the main meaning of Lermontov’s lyrics. Is it not these reflections that occupy Pechorin, leading him to a painful answer to the question: “Why did I live?” This question can be answered with the words of Lermontov: “Perhaps, convinced by heavenly thoughts and the strength of spirit, I would give the world a wonderful gift, and for that it would give me immortality...” In Lermontov’s lyrics and Pechorin’s thoughts we meet the sad recognition that people are These are skinny fruits, ripened before their time. How Pechorin’s words that he despises life” and Lermontov’s “but fate, I despise the world” echo, so in “Hero of Our Time” we so clearly hear the voice of the poet, the breath of his time. Depicting the fates of their heroes, typical of their generation, Pushkin and Lermontov protest against reality, which forces people to waste their strength.

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In life, things don't always work out the way we would like. This is what we see in real world, this is what great books teach us. I liked the proposed topic because I really love A.S. Pushkin, and by reading the novel “Eugene Onegin”, you can study not only the poem, but also history noble society XIX century.

The main characters of both works are young people. What did the young generation of that time dream of? Eugene Onegin, being a charming, handsome nobleman, received a “French” upbringing, but the author emphasizes not strong abilities to mathematical sciences, foreign languages, but more to the “science of tender passion”, lived an ordinary wild life younger generation: followed fashion, shone at balls, spent time in theaters in the company of rakes. But, in the end, all this “tinsel” of life bothers him, he becomes disappointed in both lives and people. In his soul there is emptiness, coldness, indifference. He is sick. And the name of this disease is “blues”.
Onegin begins to shun society, despises everyone, and is arrogant with everyone. This would have continued if not for the death of his uncle and his subsequent acquaintance with Lensky and the Larin family.

Larinas are wonderful, open, kind and simple people. Lensky – educated person, who studied in Germany, a romantic poet with high ideals and a romantic soul and capable of great love. The Larin family met Evgeniy Onegin with parental care, as loved one. Little by little, his soul began to thaw, but overall he remained the same. But the tragedy of the work is when Tatyana Larina fell in love with Onegin, but was rejected and ridiculed by him.

Tatyana dreamed of finding a husband in Onegin, expects sublime love from him, having read French novels, immediately sees in him her dream of a romantic hero, but she was mistaken and, in the end, was forced to marry an “old man,” a rich man with high rank. Lensky dreamed of a wedding with his beloved Olga, but dies in a stupid and senseless duel from a friend’s bullet.

Larina’s old people dream of a calm old age, of peace, of the happiness of their daughters, but reality contradicts their dreams. Eugene Onegin is forced to wander around different countries after a duel with Lensky, but life again brings a surprise: at the ball he meets a luxurious, secular lady, a trendsetter, who, among other things, is in the center of attention of the entire high society and shines with her beauty, manners, with his mind and recognizes Tatyana in her: “Is it really the same Tatyana?” He was amazed, his heart was pierced by love, he was sick with love!

Onegin dreamed of Tatyana, suffered, realized what big mistake he committed without appreciating her real merits: kindness, purity of soul, inner beauty. But Tatyana Larina is noble and honest, she cannot betray her husband, although she still loves Eugene Onegin. This work has been reviewed by thousands of critics different countries, so, it remains relevant today. Not only as a study of the high society of that time and the customs of Moscow, St. Petersburg, provincial Russia those times, but also as a relationship between a man and a woman.

Thus, Onegin's side appears here, as " extra person", no one needs.

The same motive of the “superfluous person” is described in Lermontov’s work “Hero of Our Time”, where inner world The hero Pechorin, living in a different generation, is similar to the world of Onegin in that he is also disappointed in life, gloomy, cynical, strange.

Pechorin, just like Onegin, personifies an entire generation of his time, however, he includes such aspects of character as anger, envy, at the same time with generosity and kindness. The whole tragedy of Pechorin is that he cannot love, find an application for his strengths and talents, he would like to serve the Motherland, but Russia was in a state of reaction, any free thoughts were punished, and he rushed about in search of an application for himself. This unites him with Onegin, since he, too, could participate in the development of Russia, and not rush around in the bustle of life.

This is a potential hero who could bring a lot of benefit to society, but there was no need for this, and he wasted his energy on stupid, thoughtless, and also discrediting actions: a duel with Grushnitsky, his attitude towards Princess Mary and Bela. The tragedy of Pechorin, like the tragedy of Onegin, is the tragedy of many of their contemporaries, similar to them in their way of thinking and in their position in society. This is the tragedy of all progressive-minded nobles who entered life after the defeat of the Decembrists.

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"Eugene Onegin" and "Hero of Our Time" are the main milestones in the development of Russian literature of the 19th century V. This best works two true geniuses of Russia: A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov. The novels shock readers and literary scholars not only with the grandeur of their concept, but also with their innovation. It manifests itself primarily in the disclosure of the images of the two main characters. For the first time, Pushkin wrote a realistic novel in verse. It was akin to a revolution. The poet was worried about his creation, realizing that not all people would be able to appreciate a work that was ahead of its time. These worries were not unfounded. Even many of Pushkin’s friends could not understand the genius of the concept of the work.

M.Yu. Lermontov went to his creative quests even further. The novel he created was not realistic, like Pushkin’s, but combined the features of two movements. And this brilliant work was not appreciated by critics and contemporaries.

First of all, the innovation of the two novels lies in the characters that were new to the literature of that time. Subsequently, this type was called the “superfluous person.” This concept implies romantic, then realistic image a young man, a nobleman, intelligent, educated and interesting, but far from real life, disappointed, inactive, alien to his contemporaries. The gallery of these characters opens with Onegin, followed by Pechorin.

The time of appearance of such characters is the 1830s, a period of decline. After the Decembrist uprising and the accession of Nicholas I, a cruel, reactionary politician, public life Russia was quiet for a long time. There's something new social phenomenon- young people who had everything except happiness and a sense of significance of their personality. Their sufferings and quests were embodied in novels about Onegin and Pechorin - heroes of their time.

Despite the apparent dissimilarity of the two works, their plot is constructed in the same way: the hero goes through some kind of test, his character is revealed depending on the situation.

Undoubtedly, the main test for both Onegin and Pechorin is the test of love.

Onegin, like Pechorin, at the beginning of the novel appears as a conqueror of other people's hearts, "a fickle admirer of charming actresses." He was not interested in deep feelings, he did not look for love for the rest of his life, to the death, but only cynically sought the adoration of pretty girls, and, having achieved it, quickly abandoned them, without thinking about the suffering caused. It was his cure for boredom.

How early could he be a hypocrite?

To harbor hope, to be jealous,

To dissuade, to make believe,

Seem gloomy, languish,

Be proud and obedient

Attentive or indifferent!

Onegin clearly succeeded in the “science of tender passion.”

So, Onegin is a playmaker. But then he meets Tatyana. He manages to easily win over this provincial young lady. She does not shine with beauty, and her soul is darkness for a carminative. And Evgeniy here simply plays the role of a mentor, teaching the girl how to live. But, having returned from the trip, having experienced a moral revolution and purification, he looks at Tatyana with different eyes. Onegin falls in love with her, completely loses his head, and not because Tatyana has changed (she remained the same in her soul), but because profound changes have affected Eugene himself, he has grown spiritually and has become worthy of Tatyana. But Onegin was late, she is married and will be “faithful to him forever.” And this - visual illustration the tragedy of the “superfluous man”, his “pathetic lot”.

Pechorin repeats the fate of Onegin. He also wanders aimlessly through life, trying to find himself; for some reason he also achieves the love of women, and then leaves them. Onegin sees that Tatyana has become his victim, but it is too late. Pechorin also could have prevented the tragedies of Bela and Mary, but did not want to. He also played with the fate of Vera, but she turned out to be stronger than him - and here he is, crushed and humiliated, crying about his lost happiness.

In the romantic "Hero of Our Time" there is no single female image. We recognize Tatyana's traits in Bel, Mary, and Vera. And thus, the hero’s love is more multifaceted and expressive.

The attitude of the heroes towards friendship is no less expressively described. Lermontov again lacks clarity; Lensky is embodied in Grushnitsky, Werner, and even Maxim Maksimych. However, a comparison between Lensky and Grushnitsky suggests itself. Pechorin and Grushnitsky also “have nothing to do, friends.” Story line duels over a trifle, one’s infatuation with the other’s beloved can also be seen in both works.

It is impossible not to mention moral quest Onegin and Pechorin, because they both are involuntarily alien to the high society, the society to which they should belong. Onegin travels around Russia, Pechorin – around the Caucasus, both try to find the meaning and purpose of their existence in these travels. They trail women, make them suffer, fight in duels, ruin people's lives, without knowing why. As a result, their fate is unenviable.

Both Onegin and Pechorin are real “heroes of the times.” They are very similar to each other, and their tragedies are similar. There is no refuge for them in the whole world; they are destined to suffer and seek peace all their lives. Such is the fate of extra people.

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Probably, when starting his novel, Lermontov thought that he would main character will remind readers of the existence Pushkin's Onegin. The undoubted similarity of the images of Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin was one of the first to be noted by V. G. Belinsky. “Their dissimilarity is much less than the distance between Onega and Pechora... Pechorin is the Onegin of our time,” the critic wrote.

The life span of the heroes is different. Onegin lived in the era of Decembrism, freethinking, and rebellion. Pechorin is a hero of the timeless era. What the great works of Pushkin and Lermontov have in common is the depiction of the spiritual crisis of the noble intelligentsia. The best representatives of this class turned out to be dissatisfied with life and removed from public activities. They had no choice but to waste their strength aimlessly, turning into “superfluous people.”

The formation of characters and the conditions of education of Onegin and Pechorin are, without a doubt, similar. These are people of the same circle. The similarity of the heroes is that both of them went from agreement with society and themselves to denial of light and deep dissatisfaction with life.

“But early the feelings in him cooled down,” Pushkin writes about Onegin, who “sick” with the “Russian blues.” Pechorin also very early “... despair was born, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile.”

These were well-read and educated people, which placed them above other young people in their circle. Onegin's education and natural curiosity are revealed in his disputes with Lensky. One list of topics is worth it:

Tribes of past treaties,

The fruits of science, good and evil,

And age-old prejudices,

And the grave secrets are fatal,

Fate and life...

Evidence of Onegin’s high education is his extensive personal library. Pechorin said this about himself: “I began to read, study - I was tired of science too.” Possessing remarkable abilities and spiritual needs, both failed to realize themselves in life and squandered it on trifles.

In their youth, both heroes were fond of carefree social life, both succeeded in the “science of tender passion”, in the knowledge of “Russian young ladies”. Pechorin says about himself: “... when meeting a woman, I always unmistakably guessed whether she would love me... I never became a slave to the woman I loved, on the contrary, I always acquired invincible power over their will and heart... Is that why I never really did anything I treasure...” Neither the love of the beautiful Bela, nor the serious passion of the young Princess Mary could melt Pechorin’s coldness and rationality. It only brings misfortune to women.

The love of the inexperienced, naive Tatyana Larina also leaves Onegin indifferent at first. But later our hero new meeting with Tatiana, now a society lady and general's wife, he realizes what he has lost in the person of this extraordinary woman. Pechorin, it turns out, is not at all capable of great feeling. In his opinion, “love is satiated pride.”

Both Onegin and Pechorin value their freedom. Evgeniy writes in his letter to Tatyana:

Your hateful freedom

I didn't want to lose.

Pechorin directly states: “... twenty times I will put my life, even my honor, on the line, but I will not sell my freedom.”

The indifference to people inherent in both, disappointment and boredom affect their attitude towards friendship. Onegin is friends with Lensky "there is nothing to do." And Pechorin says: “... I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the slave of the other, although often neither of them admits this to himself; I cannot be a slave, and in this case commanding is tedious work, because it is necessary at the same time, to deceive..." And he demonstrates this in his cold attitude towards Maxim Maksimych. The words of the old staff captain sound helplessly: “I’ve always said that there is no use in those who forget old friends!..”

Both Onegin and Pechorin, disillusioned with the life around them, are critical of the empty and idle “secular mob.” But Onegin is afraid public opinion, accepting Lensky's challenge to a duel. Pechorin, shooting with Grushnitsky, takes revenge on society for unfulfilled hopes. Essentially, the same evil prank led the heroes to a duel. Onegin "swore to enrage Lensky and take revenge" for boring evening at the Larins'. Pechorin says the following: “I lied, but I wanted to defeat him. I have an innate passion to contradict, my whole life was only a tribute to sad and unsuccessful contradictions of the heart or mind...”

The tragedy of the feeling of one’s own uselessness is deepened for both by the understanding of the uselessness of their lives. Pushkin exclaims about this bitterly:

But it's sad to think that it's in vain

We were given youth

That they cheated on her all the time,

That she deceived us

What are our best wishes?

What are our fresh dreams

Decayed in quick succession,

Like rotten leaves in autumn.

Lermontov’s hero seems to echo him: “My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the light, my best qualities, fearing ridicule, I buried in the depths of my heart: they died there... Having learned well the light and springs of life, I became a moral cripple.”

Pushkin's words about Onegin, when

Having killed a friend in a duel,

Having lived without a goal, without work

Until twenty-six years old,

Languishing in idle leisure,

he “began wandering without a goal,” which can also be attributed to Pechorin, who also killed his former “friend,” and his life continued “without a goal, without work.” During the journey, Pechorin reflects: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born?”

Feeling “immense forces in his soul,” but completely wasting them, Pechorin seeks death and finds it “from a random bullet on the roads of Persia.” Onegin, at twenty-six, was also “hopelessly tired of life.” He exclaims:

Why wasn't I pierced by a bullet?

Why am I not a frail old man?..