Who was the instigator of Grushnitsky's dishonest duel. The duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky is a desperate and rash step

In the novel by M.Yu Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time,” a conflict unfolds between officer Grushnitsky and the main character, Pechorin, and subsequently their clash turns into an illegal action—a duel. Grushnitsky, deciding to take revenge for the insult to his honor and dignity, entered into an agreement with his comrades, who subsequently pushed him to a terrible adventure. They decided to deceive Pechorin by giving him an unloaded pistol in the fatal duel. As fate would have it, the hero hears a conspiracy against him and begins to play his own game, in which he ultimately emerges victorious.

After the discovery of the vile plan, Pechorin, satisfied with his pride, gives the last chance for salvation to Grushnitsky. If he renounces his words and slander against him, the hero gives him life, to which the enemy refuses: “Shoot, I despise myself, but I hate you. 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.” This is how the fight ends terrible death. Not wanting to give in to each other, and not coming to a common decision, two once good friends become bitter enemies, for whom there is only room for one in this life.

How is Pechorin’s personality revealed in his self-assessment “I never value anything”?

Pechorin is quite smart and well understands that his attitude towards others is not particularly sincere and honest.

He is incapable of understanding the regrets of others. And she takes feelings for him for granted. The hero only uses people around him for entertainment and to satisfy his whims. He does not try to show compassion or mercy, every time he takes care of himself first. The hero knows all this, but at the same time he does not strive to become different, he continues his life, even though in the depths of his soul he understands that such an attitude will not bring happiness to him or anyone around him, he is trying to find a way out, to find himself ..but, alas...he still doesn’t find the answers. All that remains for him to do is to live, taking advantage of the feelings of others, to saturate himself even with a grain human feelings. (p. 508) He is not capable of friendship and he himself admits this, and he talks about love as an ardent feeling of youth, which cannot exist in adulthood. Reason is above any feeling - this is the motto of the Hero of our time.

Why M.Yu. Does Lermontov violate the chronological sequence in the arrangement of chapters of the novel “A Hero of Our Time”?

Updated: 2017-11-12

Attention!
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.
By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

SEER OR DREAMER?

P.Zabolotsky Portrait of M.Yu.Lermontov 1837

I wrote about the fact that Lermontov was a duelist and how it all ended in the post “Duels in Painting.” Here I consider the duel of the most famous characters Mikhail Yuryevich - Pechorin and Grushnitsky. The poet's contemporaries, including V.G. Belinsky, identified Pechorin with Lermontov himself. With his behavior and actions he very much resembled a daring, ironic poet. Although the author of “A Hero of Our Time” himself wrote that “Pechorin is a portrait made up of the vices of an entire generation.” I will not go into an analysis of the work and the characters, but will simply introduce them.

So, let's get acquainted with the duelists:

P. Boklevsky Pechorin illustration for the novel "Hero of Our Time"

GRIGORY ALEXANDROVICH PECHORIN
Young man 25 years old. “Recently in the Caucasus, transferred from Russia.” Hearing at the ball how Grushnitsky discredits the name of Princess Mary, he challenges the latter to a duel.
Detailed description of Pechorin’s image:

Mikhail Vrubel Mary and Grushnitsky illustration for the novel "Hero of Our Time"

GRUSHNITSKY
He is 21 years old. He is a cadet, however, he already has the St. George Cross. He is on leave due to injury. According to Pechorin, “he suffers from romantic fanaticism.”
Pechorin met Grushnitsky while in the active detachment. Grushnitsky went to the waters a week earlier than Pechorin, after being wounded in the leg. “He has only been in service for a year, and wears, out of a special kind of dandyishness, a thick soldier’s overcoat. He is well built, dark and black-haired.”
He speaks quickly and pretentiously: he is one of those people who have ready-made pompous phrases for all occasions, who are not touched by simply beautiful things and who are solemnly draped in extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering. To produce an effect is their delight; Romantic provincial women like them crazy. He is quite sharp: his epigrams are often funny, but they are never pointed or evil: he will not kill anyone with one word; he does not know people and their weak strings, because his whole life he has been focused on himself. His goal is to become the hero of a novel. He tried so often to convince others that he was a being not created for the world, doomed to some kind of secret suffering, that he himself was almost convinced of it. Pechorin writes in his diary: “I understood him, and he doesn’t love me for that, although we are outwardly in the most friendly relations. Grushnitsky is reputed to be an excellent brave man; I saw him in action: he waves his saber, shouts and rushes forward, closing his eyes. This is something not Russian courage!.. I don’t like him either: I feel that we will someday collide with him on a narrow road, and one of us will be in trouble.” Grushnitsky is in love with Princess Mary.

The story "Princess Mary" is written in the form diary entries. On May 11, Pechorin arrives in Pyatigorsk. On June 17, his duel with Grushnitsky takes place.
The history of the duel itself fits into ten days.

June 5th.
Grushnitsky appears at Pechorin’s and “rather casually” asks: “Are you, they say, these days... dragging after my princess?” He denies this rumor.
At the ball, Pechorin dances with Mary and kisses her hand. Grushnitsky is going to take revenge on him, and he manages to unite several people against Pechorin, including the dragoon captain. Pechorin is pleased with this, as he craves thrills.

June 12th.
Pechorin, through the window of the settlement house, watches a military feast, at which the dragoon captain, getting excited, demands: “Pechorin must be taught a lesson!” Those gathered discuss how they can do this. It was decided that Grushnitsky should challenge Pechorin to a duel. There will be no bullets in the pistols, but Pechorin will not know about this. Grushnitsky supports the conspirators.

June 15th.
Magician Apfelbaum comes to Kislovodsk. Everyone is going to the show. Pechorin passes by Vera's windows and picks up a note in which Vera invites him to her place in the evening. Closer to the appointed time, he gets up and leaves. On the way, he notices that someone is following him. He spends the whole evening with Vera. At about two o'clock in the morning he descends from the upper balcony to the lower one and glances at Princess Mary's window. When Pechorin jumps onto the turf, Grushnitsky and the dragoon captain grab him and try to detain him, but he breaks free.

Everything else will be “told” to you by the source.

Postcard with a view of the outskirts of old Kislovodsk. Place of Pechorin's duel with Grushnitsky

I will continue my journal, interrupted by so many strange events.
I'm rereading last page: funny! I thought about dying; this was impossible: I have not yet drained the cup of suffering, and now I feel that I still have a long time to live.
How everything that happened was clear and sharp in my memory! Not a single feature, not a single shade has been erased by time!
I remember that during the night preceding the fight, I did not sleep for a minute. I could not write for a long time: a secret anxiety took possession of me. I walked around the room for an hour; then I sat down and opened Walter Scott’s novel, which was lying on my table: it was “The Scottish Puritans” I read at first with effort, then I forgot, carried away by the magical fiction... Is it really possible that the Scottish bard in the other world is not paid for every joyful minute that he gives His book?..
Finally it was dawn. My nerves calmed down. I looked in the mirror; dull pallor covered my face, which bore traces of painful insomnia; but the eyes, although surrounded by a brown shadow, shone proudly and inexorably. I was pleased with myself.
Having ordered the horses to be saddled, I got dressed and ran to the bathhouse. Plunging into the cold boiling water of Narzan, I felt both bodily and mental strength mine were returning. I came out of the bath fresh and alert, as if I was going to a ball. After this, say that the soul does not depend on the body!..
When I returned, I found a doctor at my place. He was wearing gray leggings, an arkhaluk and a Circassian hat. I burst out laughing when I saw this small figure under a huge shaggy hat: his face was not at all warlike, and this time it was even longer than usual.
- Why are you so sad, doctor? - I told him. “Didn’t you see people off to the next world a hundred times with the greatest indifference?” Imagine that I have bilious fever; I can recover, I can die; both are in order; try to look at me as at a patient obsessed with a disease still unknown to you, and then your curiosity will be aroused to the highest degree; You can now make several important physiological observations on me... Waiting violent death Isn't there already a real disease?
This thought struck the doctor, and he became amused.
We mounted; Werner grabbed the reins with both hands, and we set off - instantly galloped past the fortress through a settlement and drove into a gorge along which a road wound, half-overgrown with tall grass and every minute crossed by a noisy stream, through which it was necessary to ford, to the great despair of the doctor, because that his horse stopped in the water every time.

................

Mikhail Vrubel Duel of Pechorin and Grushnitsky 1890-91

There the path became narrower, the cliffs became bluer and more terrible, and, finally, they seemed to converge like an impenetrable wall. We drove in silence.
-Have you written your will? - Werner suddenly asked.
- No.
- What if you are killed?..
- The heirs will find themselves.
- Don’t you have friends to whom you would like to send your last farewell?..
I shook my head.
- Is there really no woman in the world to whom you would like to leave something as a keepsake?..
“Do you want, doctor,” I answered him, “for me to reveal my soul to you?.. You see, I survived those years when people die by pronouncing the name of their beloved and bequeathing to a friend a piece of pomaded or unpomaded hair.” Thinking about imminent and possible death, I think about one thing: others don’t even do this. Friends who will forget me tomorrow or, worse, construct God knows what kind of lies about me; women who, hugging another, will laugh at me, so as not to arouse in him jealousy for the deceased - God bless them! From the storm of life I brought only a few ideas - and not a single feeling. For a long time now I have been living not with my heart, but with my head. I weigh and examine my own passions and actions with strict curiosity, but without participation. There are two people in me: one lives in the full sense of the word, the other thinks and judges it; the first, perhaps, in an hour will say goodbye to you and the world forever, and the second... the second? Look, doctor: do you see three black figures on the rock to the right? These seem to be our opponents?..
We set off at a trot.
Three horses were tied in the bushes at the base of the rock; We tied ours right there, and along a narrow path we climbed to the platform where Grushnitsky was waiting for us with the dragoon captain and his other second, whose name was Ivan Ignatievich; I have never heard his name.
“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time,” said the dragoon captain with an ironic smile.
I took out my watch and showed it to him.
He apologized, saying his watch was running out.
An awkward silence continued for several minutes; Finally the doctor interrupted him, turning to Grushnitsky.
“It seems to me,” he said, “that if you both showed a willingness to fight and paid this debt to the conditions of honor, you, gentlemen, could explain yourself and end this matter amicably.”
“I’m ready,” I said.
The captain blinked at Grushnitsky, and this one, thinking that I was a coward, assumed a proud look, although until that moment a dull pallor had covered his cheeks. It was the first time since we arrived that he looked up at me; but there was some kind of anxiety in his gaze, revealing an internal struggle.
“Explain your conditions,” he said, “and whatever I can do for you, rest assured...
“Here are my conditions: you will now publicly renounce your slander and ask me for an apology...
- Dear sir, I am surprised, how dare you offer me such things?..
- What could I offer you besides this?..
- We will shoot...
I shrugged.
- Perhaps; just think that one of us will certainly be killed.
- I wish it were you...
- And I’m so sure otherwise...
He was embarrassed, blushed, then laughed forcedly.
The captain took him by the arm and led him aside; they whispered for a long time. I arrived in a rather peaceful mood, but all this was starting to infuriate me.
The doctor came up to me.
“Listen,” he said with obvious concern, “you probably forgot about their plot?.. I don’t know how to load a pistol, but in this case... You a strange man! Tell them that you know their intention, and they will not dare... What a hunt! They'll shoot you down like a bird...
- Please don’t worry, doctor, and wait... I’ll arrange everything in such a way that there will be no benefit on their side. Let them whisper...
- Gentlemen, this is getting boring! - I told them loudly, - fight like that, fight; you had time to talk yesterday...
“We are ready,” answered the captain. - Stand up, gentlemen!.. Doctor, if you please measure six steps...

M. Zichy Duel of Pechorin with Grushnitsky

Stand up! - Ivan Ignatich repeated in a squeaky voice.
- Allow me! - I said, - one more condition; since we will fight to the death, we are obliged to do everything possible so that this remains a secret and so that our seconds are not held accountable. Do you agree?..
- We completely agree.
- So, here's what I came up with. Do you see a narrow platform at the top of this steep cliff, to the right? from there to the bottom there will be thirty fathoms, if not more; there are sharp rocks below. Each of us will stand at the very edge of the site; thus, even a slight wound will be fatal: this must be in accordance with your desire, because you yourself have prescribed the six steps. Anyone who is wounded will certainly fly down and be broken into pieces; The doctor will remove the bullet. And then it will be very easy to explain this sudden death bad jump. We'll draw lots to see who should shoot first. In conclusion, I announce to you that otherwise I will not fight.
- Perhaps! - said the dragoon captain, looking expressively at Grushnitsky, who nodded his head in agreement. His face changed every minute. I put it in predicament. Shooting under ordinary conditions, he could aim at my leg, easily wound me and thus satisfy his revenge without burdening his conscience too much; but now he had to shoot into the air, or become a murderer, or, finally, abandon his vile plan and expose himself to the same danger as me. At this moment I would not want to be in his place. He took the captain aside and began to say something to him with great fervor; I saw how his blue lips trembled; but the captain turned away from him with a contemptuous smile. "You're a fool! - he said to Grushnitsky quite loudly, - you don’t understand anything! Let's go, gentlemen!
A narrow path led between the bushes to a steep slope; fragments of rocks formed the shaky steps of this natural staircase; clinging to the bushes, we began to climb. Grushnitsky walked in front, followed by his seconds, and then the doctor and I.
“I’m surprised at you,” said the doctor, shaking my hand firmly. - Let me feel the pulse!.. Oh-ho! feverish!.. but nothing is noticeable on your face... only your eyes shine brighter than usual.

Still from the 1928 film.

Suddenly small stones rolled noisily at our feet. What is this? Grushnitsky stumbled, the branch he clung to broke, and he would have rolled down on his back if his seconds had not supported him.
- Be careful! - I shouted to him, - don’t fall in advance; this is a bad omen. Remember Julius Caesar!
So we climbed to the top of a protruding rock: the area was covered with fine sand, as if purposely for a duel. All around, lost in the golden fog of the morning, the peaks of the mountains crowded together like a countless herd, and Elborus in the south stood up as a white mass, completing the chain of icy peaks, between which the stringy clouds that had rushed in from the east were already wandering. I walked to the edge of the platform and looked down, my head almost started spinning, it seemed dark and cold down there, like in a coffin; Mossy teeth of rocks, thrown down by thunder and time, awaited their prey.
The area where we had to fight depicted an almost perfect triangle. They measured six steps from the prominent corner and decided that the one who would be the first to meet enemy fire would stand at the very corner, with his back to the abyss; if he is not killed, the opponents will switch places.
I decided to provide all the benefits to Grushnitsky; I wanted to experience it; a spark of generosity could awaken in his soul, and then everything would work out for the better; but pride and weakness of character should have triumphed... I wanted to give myself every right not to spare him, if fate had mercy on me. Who has not made such conditions with his conscience?
- Cast lots, doctor! - said the captain.
The doctor took a silver coin from his pocket and held it up.
- Grate! - Grushnitsky shouted hastily, like a man who has suddenly been awakened by a friendly push.
- Eagle! - I said.
The coin rose and fell jingling; everyone rushed to her.
“You’re happy,” I said to Grushnitsky, “you should shoot first!” But remember that if you don’t kill me, then I won’t miss - I give you my word of honor.
He blushed; he was ashamed to kill an unarmed man; I looked at him intently; for a minute it seemed to me that he would throw himself at my feet, begging for forgiveness; but how can he admit to such a vile intention?.. He had only one remedy left - to shoot into the air; I was sure that he would shoot into the air! One thing could prevent this: the thought that I would demand a second fight.
- It's time! - the doctor whispered to me, tugging at my sleeve, - if you don’t say now that we know their intentions, then everything is lost. Look, he's already loading... if you don't say anything, then I myself...
- No way in the world, doctor! - I answered, holding his hand, - you will ruin everything; you gave me your word not to interfere... What do you care? Maybe I want to be killed...
He looked at me in surprise.
- Oh, this is different!.. just don’t complain about me in the next world...
Meanwhile, the captain loaded his pistols, handed one to Grushnitsky, whispering something to him with a smile; another one for me.
I stood on the corner of the platform, firmly resting my left foot on the stone and leaning forward a little so that in case of a slight wound I would not tip back.
Grushnitsky stood against me and, at this sign, began to raise his pistol. His knees were shaking. He aimed right at my forehead...
An inexplicable rage began to boil in my chest.
Suddenly he lowered the muzzle of the pistol and, turning white as a sheet, turned to his second.
“I can’t,” he said in a dull voice.
- Coward! - answered the captain.
The shot rang out. The bullet grazed my knee. I involuntarily took a few steps forward in order to quickly move away from the edge.

Duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky

Well, brother Grushnitsky, it’s a pity that I missed! - said the captain, - now it’s your turn, stand up! Hug me first: we won't see each other again! - They hugged; the captain could hardly restrain himself from laughing. “Don’t be afraid,” he added, looking slyly at Grushnitsky, “everything is nonsense in the world!.. Nature is a fool, fate is a turkey, and life is a penny!”
After this tragic phrase, spoken with decent importance, he retreated to his place; Ivan Ignatich also hugged Grushnitsky with tears, and now he was left alone against me. I am still trying to explain to myself what kind of feeling was seething in my chest then: it was the annoyance of offended pride, and contempt, and anger, born at the thought that this man, now with such confidence, with such calm insolence, was looking at me , two minutes ago, without exposing himself to any danger, he wanted to kill me like a dog, because if I had been wounded in the leg a little more, I would certainly have fallen off the cliff.
I looked closely at his face for several minutes, trying to notice at least the slightest trace of repentance. But it seemed to me that he was holding back a smile.
“I advise you to pray to God before you die,” I told him then.
- Don't care about my soul more than your own. I ask you one thing: shoot quickly.
- And you do not renounce your slander? don’t ask me for forgiveness?.. Think carefully: isn’t your conscience telling you something?
- Mister Pechorin! - shouted the dragoon captain, - you are not here to confess, let me tell you... Finish quickly; No matter if someone drives through the gorge, they will see us.
- Okay, doctor, come to me.
The doctor came up. Poor doctor! he was paler than Grushnitsky ten minutes ago.
I deliberately pronounced the following words with emphasis, loudly and clearly, like pronouncing a death sentence:
- Doctor, these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my pistol: I ask you to load it again - and well!
- Can't be! - shouted the captain, - it can’t be! I loaded both pistols; unless a bullet rolled out of you... it's not my fault! - And you have no right to reload... no right... this is completely against the rules; I will not let...
- Fine! - I said to the captain, - if so, then we will shoot under the same conditions... He hesitated.
Grushnitsky stood with his head bowed to his chest, embarrassed and gloomy.
- Leave them! - he finally said to the captain, who wanted to snatch my pistol from the doctor’s hands... - After all, you yourself know that they are right.
It was in vain that the captain did to him different signs, - Grushnitsky didn’t even want to look.
Meanwhile, the doctor loaded the pistol and handed it to me. Seeing this, the captain spat and stamped his foot.
“You’re a fool, brother,” he said, “a vulgar fool!.. You’ve already relied on me, so obey in everything... Serves you right!” kill yourself like a fly... - He turned away and, walking away, muttered: - Still, this is completely against the rules.
- Grushnitsky! - I said, - there is still time; renounce your slander, and I will forgive you everything. You failed to fool me, and my pride is satisfied; - remember - we were once friends...
His face flushed, his eyes sparkled.
- Shoot! - he answered, “I despise myself, but I hate you.” 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...
I shot...
When the smoke cleared, Grushnitsky was not on the site. Only the ashes still curled in a light column on the edge of the cliff.
Everyone screamed in one voice.
- Finita la comedy! - I told the doctor.
He did not answer and turned away in horror.
I shrugged my shoulders and bowed to Grushnitsky’s seconds.
Going down the path, I noticed the bloody corpse of Grushnitsky between the crevices of the rocks. I involuntarily closed my eyes... Having untied the horse, I walked home. I had a stone on my heart. The sun seemed dim to me, its rays did not warm me.
Before reaching the settlement, I turned right along the gorge. The sight of a person would be painful for me: I wanted to be alone. Throwing away the reins and lowering my head to my chest, I rode for a long time, finally finding myself in a place completely unfamiliar to me; I turned my horse back and began to look for the road; The sun was already setting when I rode up to Kislovodsk, exhausted, on an exhausted horse.
My lackey told me that Werner had come in and gave me two notes: one from him, the other... from Vera.
I printed out the first one, it was as follows:
“Everything was arranged as best as possible: the body was brought in disfigured, the bullet was taken out of the chest. Everyone is sure that the cause of his death was an accident; only the commandant, who probably knew about your quarrel, shook his head, but said nothing. There is no evidence against you, and you can sleep peacefully... if you can... Goodbye..."

The text of the novel “Hero of Our Time” by M.Yu. Lermontov was used.
materials from the site.

The novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time” is psychological. It's dedicated extraordinary personality, a person who, unfortunately, cannot find use for his abilities. To further reveal the character of the main character, the author depicts his friends and enemies. Thus, the suffering Pechorin is contrasted with Grushnitsky - his “distorting mirror”, which wears a “mask of disappointment”, constantly plays “with extraordinary feelings, sublime passions and exceptional suffering.”
This cadet considers himself an honest and decent person, but if his pride is touched, he will immediately forget about his nobility. The best for that confirmation is the quarrel and duel of the hero with Pechorin. The episode of the duel is one of the key ones in the novel: here, being between life and death, each of the rivals reveals his true face.
The duel in “Princess Mary” is unlike any other in Russian literature, because this tragic way of resolving a quarrel usually excludes any treachery and is distinguished by the impeccable honesty of the participants. Here, at the heart of the fight is Grushnitsky’s vile conspiracy with a certain dragoon captain. The latter, of course, does not think about the terrible outcome of the case, his goal is to have fun by presenting Pechorin as a coward and disgracing him, but this does not reduce his guilt. Grushnitsky is stupid: he trusted a self-confident and irresponsible person.
At the beginning of the duel, the captain is convinced that events will unfold according to his plan:
“We have been waiting for you for a long time,” he says with an ironic smile to Werner and Pechorin, hinting at their lateness. But the heroes arrived on time! Instead of reconciling the participants in the duel, the captain tries to intensify the conflict. Grushnitsky's second violates the first rule of conduct in a duel. But Werner diplomatically corrects the situation: “... you, gentlemen, could explain yourself and end this matter amicably.” Pechorin expresses his readiness to make peace, but here the dragoon captain enters again, who “blinked to Grushnitsky.” Here we understand how dangerous the cadet's second is. He personifies the opinion of society, which with great pleasure will mock Grushnitsky if he refuses to duel. Now there is no turning back for the cadet. “We will shoot,” says Grushnitsky, not yet suspecting that he is signing his own death warrant.
Pechorin is a good psychologist. I think he would also make an excellent teacher, because he skillfully tries to “re-educate” his opponent, to awaken his conscience. Grushnitsky would have repented, but he is so weak in spirit, and here is the dragoon captain nearby!
We should also note the courage of Pechorin. Taking mortal risks, he remains confident. He even has time to notice the beauty of the landscape. The hero complicates the already cruel conditions of the duel, continuing to test not only Grushnitsky, but also himself, and in advance freeing himself from the future pangs of conscience. By lot, the cadet gets to shoot first.
"He blushed; he was ashamed to kill an unarmed man... but how can he admit to such a vile intention?..” It’s a pity for the poor fellow: he paid very dearly for pride and selfishness.
Grushnitsky aims at Pechorin's forehead. Does he really want to commit murder? For what? There is only one answer: to get rid of shame, from accusations of cowardice.
At the fatal moment for Pechorin, Werner behaves interestingly. He is obliged to prevent the tragedy, as an honest second who knows about the conspiracy, and finally, as a doctor who took the Hippocratic oath, but does not do this. How so? I condemn Werner and sympathize with Pechorin, who is doomed to proud loneliness among weak-willed people. Everyone obeys the main character, but this only makes things worse for him.
Grushnitsky did not have time to complete his dirty deed: the same weakness prevented him. The bullet grazed Pechorin's knee, and he was able to stay on the narrow platform. We can say that here fate is already giving Grushnitsky another chance. But instead of repentance, the hero continues his vile game. He is calm, even cheerful: everything is about to end. Now Grushnitsky is not interested in either God or the soul. But in vain. “Doctor, these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my pistol: I ask you to load it again, and well!” - Pechorin addresses his second.
Here, finally, Grushnitsky understands the true meaning of all the opponent’s previous phrases. Juncker is disgraced. This is where his unrighteous path led him. The courage of the dragoon captain immediately gives way to confusion. He abandons his “true friend” at the most difficult moment, betrays him, evading responsibility.
Pechorin tries to the end to avoid bloodshed: “Grushnitsky, ... there is still time. Refuse your slander, and I will forgive you everything; you didn’t manage to fool me, and my pride is satisfied - remember, we were once friends.”
Pechorin’s nobility, his sincere goodwill drive Grushnitsky crazy: “Shoot!... I despise myself, but I hate you. 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..."
The origins of Grushnitsky’s anger are that next to Pechorin he always feels like a flawed, insolvent person. And painfully jealous. This cadet now honestly admits to himself and to everyone that he is a scoundrel. And what another! He is the embodiment of evil exactly as much as Pechorin is the embodiment of good, so their coexistence is impossible: one must die.
Justice wins in this struggle, this is how the author’s humanism is manifested. In general, the episode, perhaps more clearly than all others, indicates inexhaustible energy Pechorin, the inflexibility of his will, the desire to defend his dignity at all costs and the insane loneliness among people “for all occasions” who have “ready-made pompous phrases”, behind which... emptiness.

"Princess Mary", the chapter of Lermontov's work "Hero of Our Time", tells us about the vain human passions, heartlessness, irresponsibility, and finally immorality contemporary author society.

The main character of the work is a man endowed with a sharp mind and inner nobility, who used them for insignificant entertainment, which one cannot dare to call innocent. He himself looks “at the suffering and joy of others... as food that supports my spiritual strength.” Largely thanks to this “energy vampirism” the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. Analysis of the episode, as well as all previous events, allows us to come to exactly this conclusion.

Grushnitsky's character

The dynamics of the development of relations between these characters is one of the main ones in the story. The author shows the reader a short path from hostility to hatred, from stupidity to meanness, from narcissism to aggression. Before starting an analysis of the duel, it is necessary to understand what made the young people take up arms.

So, in Pyatigorsk, on the waters, two people meet. They don't like each other, but at the same time maintain friendly relations. Pechorin despises Grushnitsky. In his opinion, he is stupid, pompous, and little capable of sincere feeling. The whole life of the young cadet is a pretense, even the soldier's overcoat that he wears, following the new Caucasian fashion, means nothing, because soon the young man will be promoted to officer.

Pechorin's personality

Pechorin has everything that Grushnitsky strives to demonstrate. And disappointment in life, and a rich past, and power over woman's heart. In principle, the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky should really begin with the characteristics of the opponents.

There is no positive hero in this work, although the character on whose behalf the story is told still looks preferable. Pechorin, at least, is undoubtedly smart and capable of not lying, at least to himself. And this quality is generally quite rare in people.

The protagonist's habit of constantly dissecting his own feelings may have played a cruel joke on him somewhere. He himself admits that his personality is divided into two: one Pechorin lives, the other closely watches him. It must be said that he copes with this task “excellently”, not sparing his “alter ego” one bit. It is not surprising that those around you become the object of equally unkind attention.

Pechorin sees weaknesses and vices in every person - and cannot find in himself either the strength or the desire to forgive them.

Illusory love

But let’s return to the story, the key to which is the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky: summary their disagreements are quite capable of proving that the reason was not so much the woman as the character traits of the heroes.

The young cadet begins to court the Moscow princess. The reason is her touching sympathy for the wounded soldier (after all, Grushnitsky is showing off in an overcoat) - the girl hands him a dropped glass.

A minor event is enough to romantic hero rushed enthusiastically to play the role of a madly in love. Watching him amuses Pechorin - Grushnitsky is completely devoid of both a sense of proportion and the ability for self-criticism. It not only seems to the young man that he is in the grip of a sincere feeling - he immediately convinces himself of its reciprocity and claims his non-existent rights to a stranger, essentially a woman.

“You can’t confuse real tenderness...”

The subsequent analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky clearly shows how little love there is in the heart of the young cadet and how much wounded pride. After all, he does not hesitate to slander his beloved, trying to denigrate her name - but Princess Mary did nothing wrong to him. Prone to exaggerate everything in the world, Grushnitsky interpreted her innocent interest and affection as love. But is the girl to blame for this?

The reason for the loss of interest in Grushnitsky was also Pechorin, who was partly out of boredom, partly out of spite of the so-called. friend, achieves great feelings from the young princess. He is smart, educated, and interesting as an interlocutor. It’s all the more easy for him because he himself is cold-blooded, which means the likelihood of making a mistake is low. Using knowledge feminine nature, Pechorin becomes the cause of sleepless nights and deep sadness for an innocent creature.

Irresponsibility and vice

In this sense main character The story does not evoke sympathy - at least in the female part of the audience. He didn't behave in the best possible way and with Princess Mary, and with his long-time love Vera, and even with her husband. This behavior is all the more unforgivable since nobility is not at all alien to the hero: the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky does not contradict this version.

The events of the story begin to rush at a gallop after the young cadet is finally convinced that his opponent was more successful. He does not hesitate to deprive Princess Mary of Pechorin’s company - and makes a big mistake. Grushnitsky cannot offer anything in return: his conversation is boring and monotonous, he himself is ridiculous. Quick-witted Mary quickly becomes disillusioned with her gentleman, which infuriates him.

Formally, it was thanks to this unsuccessful passion that the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky took place. Analysis of the behavior of both characters forces us to give credit to the main character of the story. At least he cannot be charged with cowardice and meanness.

His Majesty the Case

An incident helped Pechorin avoid being a laughing stock: a young officer accidentally becomes a secret witness to a shameful agreement between Grushnitsky and his new friend, a dragoon captain. This personality is very interesting and acts as a kind of instigator demon in the story, which is confirmed by the analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky. According to the scoundrel’s plan (with which, however, the young officer agreed), the conditions of the duel were to force the hated “favorite of fate” to show cowardice. To place opponents at six paces, give them unloaded pistols and amuse themselves with the fright of the victim - this was the original plan of the “Grushnitsky gang”.

After the incident in the garden, when the main character was seen near the princess's balcony (and in fact, returning from a date with the married Vera), the plans of the dragoon captain changed. The reason was the blow that Pechorin dealt him in the dark. Enraged, the scoundrel set out to destroy the offender, using his young friend for low purposes. Now an analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, the reasons for which, in essence, lie in idleness and unimportant spiritual qualities participants, acquires even more food for thought: the unlucky contender for the heart of Princess Mary agrees to the duel taking place on different terms. It was decided to load only one pistol - even if it was a cold-blooded murder.

Test of endurance

All these secret plans become known to the main character: analysis of the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky, in short, gives reason to think that main character The story is also looking for a reason to kill yesterday's friend. Only first does he want to finally make sure of the baseness of the enemy in order to “give himself the full right not to spare him.”

Already during the preparation for the fight, Pechorin changes its conditions to even more severe ones. Now each of the duelists must wait for the shot at the very edge of the mountain area - then almost any wound will be fatal, since the enemy struck by the bullet will certainly fall on the sharp stones. Pechorin patiently waits for the hesitating Grushnitsky's shot - and only after the bullet has grazed his leg, he orders his pistol to be loaded.

The price of fun

The young man, who has not shown himself in the best way, does not resist and even gives a fair assessment of his own actions, responding to the enemy’s proposal to make peace: “I despise myself, and I hate you... there is no place for the two of us on earth.”

Only now, having achieved what he wanted, does Pechorin shoot. When the smoke clears, everyone sees that the edge of the site is empty, and true to the image of a cynic, the winner gives a unique assessment of what happened: stunning even his own second.

This is how the duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky ends. An analysis of the main character's feelings tells the reader that what happened did not bring him pleasure at all - his heart is heavy.

The denouement can hardly be considered happy: Grushnitsky died, the life of Vera was destroyed, who, in the madness of worry for her lover, confessed to her husband of treason, the heart of the young princess was broken. We must admit that Pechorin had a blast...

Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov is one of the few writers in world literature whose prose and poems are equally perfect. IN last years life Lermontov creates his amazingly deep novel “A Hero of Our Time” (1838 - 1841). This work can be called an example of socio-psychological prose. Through the image of the main character of the novel, Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin, the author conveys the thoughts, feelings, and quests of people of the 30s of the 19th century.

The main character traits of Pechorin are “passion for contradictions” and dual personality. In life, the hero is contradictory and unpredictable. Moreover, he is very selfish. It often seems that Pechorin lives only to have fun and amuse himself. The scary thing is that the people around the hero become the reason for his entertainment. However, Grigory Alexandrovich does not always behave like a villain.

V.G. Belinsky said that the “tragic” lies “in the collision of the natural dictates of the heart” with duty, in the “struggle, victory or fall that arises from it.” His words are confirmed by one of the most important scenes in the novel - the scene of Pechorin’s duel with Grushnitsky.

In Grushnitsky, Grigory Alexandrovich wants to find something good, wants to help him understand himself, become normal person. We understand and do not condemn Pechorin when he says before the duel that he wants to give himself the moral right not to spare Grushnitsky. Pechorin gives this hero freedom of choice and tries to push him to the right decision.

Grigory Alexandrovich decides to risk his life for the sake of one psychological experiment, for the sake of awakening in Grushnitsky best feelings and qualities. The abyss on the edge of which the newly minted officer stands is an abyss in the literal and figurative sense. Grushnitsky falls into it under the weight of his own anger and hatred. How did this psychological experiment take place?

Grushnitsky, together with the dragoon captain, decided to “teach a lesson” to Pechorin because he began to court Princess Mary. Their plan was quite simple: to load only Grushnitsky’s pistol during the duel.
Grushnitsky wanted to scare Pechorin and humiliate him. But is that all there is to it? After all, it could have happened that he would have ended up with Pechorin. It turns out that Grushnitsky was planning to practically kill an innocent person. The laws of honor for this “officer” turned out to be unwritten.

Pechorin accidentally learns about the conspiracy, but decides not to give up the duel. Lermontov writes that “there was some kind of anxiety in Grushnitsky’s gaze, revealing an internal struggle.” Unfortunately, this struggle in the hero’s soul ended with the victory of baseness and meanness.

However, Pechorin does not immediately decide to go into a duel with a loaded pistol. Grigory Alexandrovich had to be convinced more than once that the meanness in Grushnitsky was ineradicable before he decided on retribution. But Grushnitsky did not take advantage of any of the opportunities given to him for reconciliation or repentance.

Seeing this, Pechorin still decides to go to the duel. There, on the mountain, “he was ashamed to kill an unarmed man...” But at that moment Grushnitsky fired! Even though the bullet only grazed his knee, he fired! “The annoyance of offended pride, and contempt, and anger, born at the thought that this man ... wanted to kill him like a dog, could not help but rebel in Pechorin’s soul. Grushnitsky did not feel remorse, although if the wound had been even a little more serious, he would have fallen off the cliff,” writes Lermontov.

Only after all this Pechorin asked to load his pistol. But even before that, he gave Grushnitsky one more opportunity to apologize. But: “Shoot,” he answered, “I despise myself, but I hate you. 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!” And Pechorin shot...

I think that Pechorin’s cruelty is caused by insult not only for himself. He was amazed that a person can make faces and lie even before death. Pechorin was shocked to the depths of his soul by the fact that petty pride in Grushnitsky turned out to be stronger than honor and nobility.

Who is right and who is wrong in the scene of Pechorin’s duel with Grushnitsky is, at first glance, obvious. You might think that human vices should be punished. Here, perhaps, the method of punishment is not even important. On the other hand, every person has the right to protect his honor and his dignity. But the question arises: who gave Pechorin the right to judge other people? Why did this hero take upon himself the responsibilities of the Lord God to decide who lives and who dies?