Pechorin and Grushnitsky: characteristics of the heroes. Quoted characterization of a hero using the example of Grushnitsky (“Hero of Our Time”) Portrait and speech characteristics of Grushnitsky

One of the distinctive properties of the cadet Grushnitsky is the absence of a name. This would not be striking if he were an episodic figure, but his role in the story of Princess Mary is difficult to exaggerate. However, we will return to this point a little later, for now we will simply note that it is unlikely that M.Yu. Lermontov accidentally left Grushnitsky nameless.

The reader looks at everything that happens through the eyes of Pechorin and, accordingly, the image of the young cadet, who was later promoted to officer, is also presented to us through the prism of the perception of the protagonist. The characteristics given are quite comprehensive, but it is difficult to say how objective: Grigory Aleksandrovich has a very unique way of thinking and a non-trivial view of the world. In general terms, Grushnitsky is very young, he is only twenty-one years old, but he is filled with the desire to appear older, more experienced and, in a certain sense, more dramatic - which, however, is fully explained by his age.

“He doesn’t know people and their weak strings, because all his life he was focused on himself...”, “his arrival in the Caucasus is also a consequence of his romantic fanaticism...”

In fact, Pechorin is so skeptical for one simple reason: there is more in common between him and Grushnitsky than he would like. However, unlike Pechorin, Grushnitsky is completely dependent on his environment and, not having his own sharp mind, cannot, as a result, cope with his role in the situation that he has built for himself. He is, to a certain extent, a distorting mirror of Grigory Alexandrovich, a parody of him, or something... He also does not love Princess Mary, but his pride is different from Pechorin’s pride: he lives in himself human traits and vices, Grushnitsky, on the contrary, tries to fit into the not always compatible between events and bring into them a certain tragic-romantic note. The ending is well known.

Both heroes are players, but Pechorin does not stand on this chessboard; rather, he leads this game outwardly dispassionately. And Grushnitsky, full of a sense of self-importance, is an ordinary bargaining chip.

“However, in those moments when he casts off his tragic mantle, Grushnitsky is quite sweet and funny.”

Yay!.. I despise myself - that is, when he becomes himself, without embellishing or posing. It’s easier when he doesn’t annoy Pechorin with his inept attempts to play the game.

He is unable to listen or hear; he can also be caustic in his judgments and assessments, but this is pretentious, superficial: in reality, the cadet is quite helpless and “will never kill anyone with one word.” At the same time, he is vindictive and petty: stung by Mary’s indifference, he loudly announces that he saw Pechorin at night when he came down from her balcony. This is frankly below the belt! Starting, in fact, with the fact that this is a lie, Pechorin did not spend any nights in the princess’s bedroom. And then: the princess is on the water with her mother, there is no father - who will defend the girl’s honor, who will stand up for her, refute the slander? But this statement could have the most unpleasant consequences: the public on the waters is diverse, the world is full of rumors, and... what would be the further fate of the poor young lady, who, in fact, is not guilty of anything at all?!

This is meanness number one. Meanness number two - agreeing to participate in a duel on obviously dishonest terms. It would be better if Grushnitsky actually stabbed Pechorin to death from around the corner at night, or something. Somehow simpler and more accessible. It turns out that he again fell victim to his romantic narcissism.

In Pechorin's opinion, Grushnitsky is a pitiful and disgusting sight at the same time. At the moment of the duel, when the masks are dropped, it becomes clear why Grushnitsky is not bad after all, when the poseur husk falls off: at the moment of genuine danger, before the direct choice of “death or dishonor,” he still chooses the first. He says the famous phrase:

“Shoot!.. I despise myself, but I hate you.”

He hates because he is very clearly aware that he lost - and lost on his own initiative.

He lost to his own painful pride. He despises for the same reason - because there is nowhere to retreat, and there is no winning move. He feels sorry for him, like any person who falls into a trap. Initially, he did not want to harm anyone. In the story with the princess, he did not have the goal of making her unhappy; he took part in this game out of boredom (like Pechorin!) and inactivity on the waters. But fiery pride did its owner a disservice, dragging him into a chain of events fatal to him.

Again, unlike Pechorin, he cannot bring the game to the end, again allowing others (in this case, the dragoon captain) to control the situation. His instinct of self-preservation is weaker than common sense, he is at the mercy of emotions.

“If you don’t kill me, I’ll stab you at night from around the corner. There is no place for the two of us on earth...”

These words become the last. It began with them and ends with them. After all, this is exactly what Pechorin says at the beginning of the story:

“I feel that someday we will collide with him on a narrow road, and one of us will be in trouble.”

With this final phrase, Grushnitsky directly “mirrors” Pechorin. And fragments rain down - echoing in the mountains...

To the question about the name raised earlier. Grushnitsky doesn’t have it, and Werner doesn’t have it either. But the latter has the nickname Mephistopheles. Which, I suppose, is also not without reason, but this is not about that now: Werner is also a kind of distorted reflection of Pechorin. Only for the better - positive traits are concentrated in him. Grushnitsky, on the contrary, personifies the “dark side” of Pechorin. Who knows, perhaps by reluctance to give the characters names, the author emphasized that they are nothing more than properties of the main character’s nature? Seeing Grushnitsky’s body, Pechorin does not experience any triumph... indifferently parting with yet another of his own illusions.

Throughout the entire story, only the image of Pechorin lasts until the very end. The supporting characters were given by the author specifically to highlight various facets of the character of the main character. This is their main compositional role. Despite this, they are interesting to the reader in themselves, since they reflect the social life of people, the foundations, and morals of society.

Grushnitsky appears as such a character in the work.

Belinsky assures that this image denotes a whole category of people of this type. According to Lermontov, they wear on their faces a fashionable mask of a person disappointed in life. Pechorin himself accurately characterizes Grushnitsky, saying that he is simply a poser trying to pass himself off as a romantic hero. He expresses himself in pathetic phrases, surrounds himself with sublime feelings, exceptional passions and even suffering. Grushnitsky’s main goal is to produce a certain effect on society. In fact, his soul is devoid of any poetry; this hero emanates self-confidence, selfishness, and complacency a mile away. He never listens to his interlocutor, does not enter into dialogue with him, because he is intoxicated only with his speech, he is only interested in himself, and not other people.

However, Grushnitsky is not just a person in love with himself, he is capable of baseness and meanness. It is he who becomes the source of gossip about Pechorin and Mary. He agrees to a duel with a completely unarmed opponent. In a duel, all the lowest character traits of this character are revealed.

Pechorin’s personality stands out especially clearly against the background of young people, to whom Grushnitsky belongs.

In the story “Princess Mary” Grushnitsky is shown as a mediocrity, a person who loves pathos and loud words. This character has prepared pompous phrases for any situation, which he drapes and decorates with some special feelings, romantic suffering, passions. Thus, Grushnitsky plays a fashionable youthful role - a hero disappointed in himself and in life. Producing the desired effect is his main goal, his main pleasure. He deliberately wears a shabby soldier’s overcoat and tries to convincingly play the role of a sufferer who has been demoted for some bold but daring act. But this is only a parody of Pechorin, which is why Grushnitsky hates him so much. He himself is not very smart, and therefore cannot understand, see how much Pechorin is taller than him. Grushnitsky is in a state of love, he likes Princess Mary. She, too, initially pays special attention to him, but soon falls in love with Pechorin. The forgotten Grushnitsky is angry, jealous, his injured pride makes him dangerous. He gathers a group to mock Mary. These same people deliberately do not load Pechorin’s pistol when he challenges Grushnitsky to a duel, accusing him of slander. This outright meanness amazes the main character. Pechorin cannot forgive this, and, having reloaded the pistol, kills Grushnitsky.

Grushnitsky is the main character of the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov, written by the author in 1838-1840. This is a young man, a cadet, who at twenty-one has already been awarded the St. George Cross. Grushnitsky is a funny guy, sometimes too trusting, he is easily confused by false ideas about honor and dignity. But in death he achieves true exclusivity. It’s not for nothing that I. Annensky, in his article “Lermontov’s Humor,” calls his death beautiful. Grushnitsky shouted heated phrases at his opponent, standing at gunpoint, sincerely believing at that moment that Pyatigorsk was the whole world in which the two of them were cramped and had no place. Undoubtedly, with age, this hero would get mad, become more flexible, wiser, but his time is limited by being on leave due to injury.

Pechorin shows us that Grushnitsky is overly fanatical in terms of romance. And yet, this fanaticism becomes even more obvious in the presence of Pechorin. This happens because the young man is flattered by the attention of a socialite from St. Petersburg, wants to become like him, imitate him, but, in fact, he only copies the mask. Grushnitsky is like a participant in a masquerade organized by Pechorin. It was in this masquerade that the young man had the opportunity to play a certain role in society for the first and last time.

Grushnitsky is one of the main characters of the novel "". Interestingly, this hero was not very sympathetic to the author himself. M.Yu. Lermontov constantly ridiculed Grushnitsky in various scenes of his novel, making him foolishly dependent on other characters. Ultimately, Grushnitsky ends his life with death. How did this happen? Let's start all over again.

The hero was a fairly young cadet whose leg was wounded. He underwent treatment on the waters, where he met his friend Pechorin. A feigned friendship began between the young people. They did not treat each other very well, but at the same time they spent a lot of time together.

The whole conflict between these two characters began after the arrival of the young and Princess of Lithuania. Grushnitsky fell in love with a young girl, and she reciprocated his feelings. For Pechorin, this turn of events caused extraordinary envy. Therefore, he decided to win the heart of the young princess and destroy the relationship between Grushnitsky and Mary. And Pechorin did it quite easily. Mary completely calmly switched over to the new gentleman, forgetting about Grushnitsky.

The hero is in complete disappointment and has an epiphany. He became angry with a couple of lovers and began to invent dirty gossip about them. Other offended gentlemen of the princess also became his companions. Spending a lot of time drinking, a group of envious people comes up with a plan to mock Pechorin. It fails and the main character dies.

Grushnitsky appears before us as a narcissistic and complacent character. He doesn't notice the people around him. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t even notice how Princess Mary switched her attention to. He often portrays emotions of joy and happiness, although inside he does not experience them at all. He leads a wild lifestyle. His leg wound stopped bothering Grushnitsky immediately after he became interested in the princess. This once again confirms the pretense of his actions and actions. He is very trusting, therefore, more than once he falls under the influence of both Pechorin and the dragoon captain.

The mocking plan was carried out by the hero only on the instructions and plans of other persons. And only while in the duel did Grushnitsky understand the seriousness of the situation. He did not apologize for his ridicule, he did not ask for forgiveness. It all ended with a shot and a fatal wound.

This is such a pitiful and stupid fate for the main character of the novel “A Hero of Our Time.” Perhaps if Grushnitsky had not succumbed to the influence of others, he would have continued his life. Perhaps if he had not been so selfish and narcissistic, he would have been able to build relationships with other characters in the novel. One thing I can say for sure, M.Yu. Lermontov disliked his character from the very beginning of the novel, which is why he created such a tragic fate for him.

In the spring of 1940, a separate edition of the work “Hero of Our Time,” written by Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, was published. This novel has become one of the most interesting and extraordinary phenomena in Russian literature. This book has been the subject of numerous studies and debates for more than a century and a half. It does not lose any of its sharpness and relevance these days. Belinsky also wrote about this book that it was never destined to grow old. We also decided to contact her and write our own essay. Grushnitsky and Pechorin are very interesting characters.

Generation Feature

Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, the main character of the novel in question, lived during the time of Lermontov, that is, around the thirties of the nineteenth century. This time was a period of gloomy reaction, which followed in 1825 and its defeat. A man of advanced thinking could not find use for his talents and strengths at that time. Doubt, disbelief, and denial were features of the consciousness of the young generation of those years. The ideals of their fathers were rejected by them “from the cradle,” and then these people began to doubt moral norms and values as such. Therefore, V. G. Belinsky wrote that “Pechorin suffers deeply” because he cannot use the mighty forces of his soul.

New artistic media

Lermontov, creating his work, depicted life as it really is. This required new ones and he found them. Neither Western nor Russian literature knew these means, and to this day they evoke our admiration due to the combination of a broad and free depiction of characters with the ability to objectively show them, to reveal one character through the prism of the perception of another.

Let's take a closer look at the two main characters of this novel. These are Pechorin and Grushnitsky.

Image of Pechorin

Pechorin was an aristocrat by birth and received a standard secular upbringing. Having left parental care, he went “to the big world” in order to enjoy all the pleasures. However, he soon became tired of such a frivolous life, and the hero also became bored with reading books. Pechorin, after some story that made a splash in St. Petersburg, is exiled to the Caucasus.

Depicting the hero’s appearance, the author indicates with a few strokes his origin: “noble forehead”, “pale”, “small” hand. This character is a resilient and physically strong person. He is endowed with a mind that critically evaluates the world around him.

The character of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin

Pechorin thinks about the problems of good and evil, friendship and love, about the meaning of our lives. He is self-critical in his assessment of his contemporaries, saying that his generation is incapable of making sacrifices not only for the good of humanity, but also for their personal happiness. The hero has a good understanding of people, he is not satisfied with the sluggish life of the “water society”, he evaluates the capital’s aristocrats, giving them destructive characteristics. Pechorin is revealed most deeply and fully in the insert story “Princess Mary”, during a meeting with Grushnitsky. and Grushnitsky in their confrontation - an example of a deep psychological analysis of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov.

Grushnitsky

The author of the work “Hero of Our Time” did not give a name and patronymic to this character, calling him simply by his last name - Grushnitsky. This is an ordinary young man, a cadet, dreaming of great love and stars on his shoulder straps. His passion is to make an impact. Grushnitsky goes to Princess Mary in a new uniform, smelling of perfume, dressed up. This hero is a mediocrity, which is characterized by weakness, forgivable, however, at his age - a “passion to recite” and “drape” into some extraordinary feelings. Grushnitsky strives to play the role of a disappointed hero, fashionable at that time, posing as a creature endowed with “secret suffering.” This hero is a parody of Pechorin, and a completely successful one, because it’s not for nothing that the young cadet is so unpleasant to the latter.

Confrontation: Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Grushnitsky, with his behavior, emphasizes the nobility of Grigory Alexandrovich, but, on the other hand, seems to erase all differences between them. After all, Pechorin himself spied on Princess Mary and Grushnitsky, which, of course, is not a noble act. It must be said that he never loved the princess, but only used her love and gullibility to fight his enemy, Grushnitsky.

The latter, as a narrow-minded person, does not at first understand Pechorin’s attitude towards himself. He seems to himself to be a self-confident person, very significant and insightful. Grushnitsky says condescendingly: “I feel sorry for you, Pechorin.” However, events are not developing according to Grigory Alexandrovich’s plans. Now, overwhelmed by jealousy, indignation and passion, the cadet appears before the reader in a completely different light, turning out to be far from so harmless. He is capable of meanness, dishonesty and revenge. The hero who recently played the role of nobility is now capable of firing a bullet at an unarmed person. The duel between Grushnitsky and Pechorin reveals the true nature of the former, who rejects reconciliation, and Grigory Alexandrovich shoots and kills him in cold blood. The hero dies, having drunk the cup of hatred and shame and repentance to the end. This is, in brief, the confrontation waged by the two main characters - Pechorin and Grushnitsky. their images form the basis of the entire work.

Reflections of Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin

Before going to the duel (Pechorina with Grushnitsky), Grigory Alexandrovich, remembering his life, asks questions about why he lived, why he was born. And he answers it himself that he feels a “high purpose”, immense strength within himself. Then Grigory Alexandrovich understands that he has long been only an “axe” in the hands of fate. A contrast arises between spiritual strength and small actions unworthy of a hero. He wants to “love the whole world,” but only brings misfortune and evil to people. High, noble aspirations degenerate into petty feelings, and the desire to live a full life - into hopelessness and a consciousness of doom. The situation of this hero is tragic, he is lonely. The duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky clearly showed this.

Lermontov named his novel this way because for him the hero is not a role model, but only a portrait that represents the vices of the generation contemporary to the author in their full development.

Conclusion

The character of Grushnitsky, thus, helps to reveal in Pechorin the main qualities of his nature. This is a distorting mirror of Grigory Aleksandrovich, highlighting the significance and truth of the experiences of the “suffering egoist”, the exclusivity and depth of his personality. With particular force in the situation with Grushnitsky, all the danger lurking in the depths of this type, the destructive force inherent in the individualistic philosophy that is inherent in romanticism, is revealed. Lermontov showed all the abysses of the human soul, without trying to pass a moral verdict. Pechorin and Grushnitsky, therefore, are not positive and Pechorin’s psychology is by no means unambiguous, just as some positive qualities can be found in Grushnitsky’s character.

Who is Grushnitsky? Grushnitsky’s character traits “Good qualities” Posturing Narcissism Meanness Grushnitsky is a reflection of Pechorin

Who is Grushnitsky?

In the novel “Hero of Our Time,” Grushnitsky appears before us in the chapter “Princess Mary.” This is a cadet who served with Pechorin and, like him, ended up undergoing treatment on the waters. We immediately learn that Grushnitsky “wears, out of a special kind of dapperness, a thick soldier’s overcoat.” This overcoat is his mask, the “tragic mantle”, which

helps him appear in the eyes of women as a romantic hero, demoted to soldier for a duel. Pechorin, who himself more than once played one role or another in order to capture the lady’s heart, “understood him,” and Grushnitsky does not love him for this. And Pechorin doesn’t like him either. He feels that this young man is to some extent his competitor and that “someday they will collide on a narrow road.” The characterization of Grushnitsky in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is mainly given by Pechorin. From his journal we learn what this character has under his mask.

Grushnitsky's character traits

“Good properties”

We must pay tribute to Pechorin,

he evaluates Grushnitsky objectively, seeing not only his negative traits, but also his “good qualities.”
When Grushnitsky stops playing his role, “he is quite sweet and funny” in his interactions with women, “quite sharp” in his tongue and is known as a brave man (although he rushes into battle with his eyes closed). And in seeking the love of Princess Mary, he does not play with her feelings, as it will look in the performance of Pechorin, but just wants to rise in the eyes of others.

Posturing

However, in general, the image of Grushnitsky in the novel “A Hero of Our Time” is negative. His main negative quality can be called posturing. His main pleasure is to “produce an effect.” He says and does almost nothing sincerely, from the heart. He has pompous phrases ready for all occasions. He does not strive to find beauty in life, but invents and depicts “extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering.” So Grushnitsky didn’t really fall in love with Princess Mary - he was flattered by her attention, and when it disappeared, he simply got angry and began spreading dirty rumors about the girl.

Narcissism

Grushnitsky is so in love with himself that he does not see the danger posed by Pechorin. In contrast, “he doesn’t know people and their subtle strings,” because all his life he was concerned only with himself. Grushnitsky does not know how to listen to others, does not respond to objections in a dispute, instead uttering long tirades. He is confident in his irresistibility and does not consider Pechorin a rival. It is not surprising that Pechorin manages to recapture the princess from him quite easily.

meanness

By the end of the chapter, we learn that Grushnitsky, who at first seemed so sweet and harmless, is capable of meanness. This will be shown by the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky. Together with his company, he leaves his opponent's pistol unloaded. Only thanks to chance does Pechorin manage to uncover this insidious plan. Injured pride does not allow Grushnitsky to apologize for slandering Princess Mary even in the face of death.

Grushnitsky is a reflection of Pechorin

In the image of Grushnitsky one can discern all the features that are inherent in Pechorin, and this is precisely the meaning of this character. Pechorin looks at himself as if from the outside, and he does not like his own reflection. After all, he, like Grushnitsky, initially has no evil intentions, plays with people, but out of boredom, and not from a desire to make them unhappy. Nevertheless, his selfishness, like Grushnitsky’s narcissism, leads to tragic consequences. Is this why he does not feel triumph when he sees the bloody body of a colleague between the rocks? It's as if he himself is lying there.