Summary of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “The Hero of Our Time”
“This book has experienced recently the unfortunate credulity of some readers and even magazines… Others are terribly offended… what they put as an example of such an immoral person as the Hero of Our Time, while others very subtly noticed that the writer drew his portrait and portraits of their acquaintances… ”
The author explains that” The Hero of Our Time… is a portrait composed of the vices of our generation… It was simply fun for the author to draw a modern man as he understands it and… too often met. There will be also that the diseases available… “.
PART ONE
1
BELA
The path along the mountain road brings together the author of the narrative and the captain in years, striking his companion with skilful treatment of the mountaineers and knowledge of local conditions. On the advice of the officer, the caravan stops for the night in the roadside smoky sakle. A conversation begins,
The local prince invites them to the wedding of his eldest daughter, and there Pechorin sees Bela, a girl of sixteen, the youngest daughter. He does not take his eyes off her – but not only him, but also the desperate Likhach Kazbich, known in the district. Coming out to take a breath of fresh air, Maxim Maksimych accidentally overhears Kazbich’s conversation with Azamat, the son of the owner: the latter begs him to sell or exchange something for him, even for Belle’s sister Bel, his beloved horse Karagez. He does not agree.
Maxim Maksimych can not forgive himself that he told this conversation to Pechorin, a man
Maxim Maksimych, dressed in his uniform, goes to Pechorin. He comes with an extinguished pipe in his hand and pretends that he does not notice. Maxim Maksimych does not allow him to address him more by name: he is a captain. With his utter shamelessness, Pechorin puts the old officer in a dead end, he just does not know how to prove to this young man that he committed a meanness. “… It’s not right… that you took Bela…” – “Yes, when I like her! ..” And if the father finds out that she is here? “How will he know?” – answers Pechorin, making the old campaigner his accomplice.
He is holding a girl in a closed room and has put a Tartar to her, which must constantly persuade her that she belongs to Pechorin. He himself every day makes her gifts, from which she at first proudly refuses. Little by little, Bela begins to understand in Russian, while Pechorin teaches the Tatar language. Gradually, he broke the will of the girl, moreover – she fell in love with him, even became attached to him. “Can it really be… my father did not realize that she was in your fortress?” – the satellite was surprised. Maxim Maksimych says that he probably suspected something. A few days later we found out that the old man had been killed. He was avenged by Kazbich, who imagined Azamat stole his horse with the consent of his father.
Narrator and Maxim Maksimych continue their way among the wild and majestic nature of the Caucasus. They wanted to round the Cross Hill, but the clouds descended, hail and snow fell; the wind, bursting into the ravines, roared, whistled like a Nightingale the robber, and soon a stone cross disappeared in a fog… Tradition says that this cross was placed by Emperor Peter I himself, driving through the Caucasus… To Kobe, where they were going, it was impossible to get there. On the slope to the left something blackened-a few sacks. They turned into it. The narrator learned later that the government pays them and feeds them on condition that they accept travelers caught up in the storm.
After supper, the conversation turned again to Bel. Maxim Maksimych bitterly remembered her. He loved her as a daughter, and she loved him. Meanwhile, Pechorin was already beginning to get bored. And here for the first time he left Bela and went hunting. Maxim Maksimych leads her to walk around the fortress. They sit down on the corner of the bastion. A rider appears from the forest. Bela recognizes Kazbich on the horse of her father.
In the evening, Maxim Maksimych begins to reproach Pechorin for changing to Bela, treating her coldly, caressing rarely, spending half a day hunting… Bela’s big eyes faded.
Pechorin in response says that he gets bored very quickly, and with this he can not do anything, although he himself is uncomfortable. So it’s with Bela. He does not need him anymore.
Pechorin persuaded Maxim Maksimych to go with him to the boar. He did not agree for a long time, but nevertheless he went. Hunting was not successful. Suddenly a shot was heard. “… I recognized Kazbich, only I could not make out what he was holding before me… Pechorin jumped on the jump with his gun… the bullet interrupted the horse’s back leg… Kazbich jumped down and then we saw that he was holding on his hands, a woman wrapped in a veil… It was Bela… poor Bela! He shouted something to us in his own way and carried a dagger over her… “Bela spent two more days. Pechorin was somewhat unwell, he did not want to talk about Bela any more. Three months later he went to Georgia for a new assignment.
MAXIM MAXIMYCH
Some time passes, and travelers – the narrator and Maxim Maxi – meet again on the Caucasian roads. It was a hotel of the most neglected kind, where you could not even eat properly. It was necessary to wait for an “opportunity” three more days. What is an “opportunity”? This is a cover consisting of a half-infantry and a cannon, with which trains run through Kabardu from Vladikavkaz to Ekaterinograd.
The next day, early in the morning, a cart appeared in the courtyard. With Maxim Maximich they met as old friends. In addition, he turned out to be a good cook. After the meal, there was nothing to talk about. And suddenly several carriages with Armenians entered the courtyard of the hotel and behind them an empty road carriage of a dapper-looking kind. The guy behind her was clearly a spoiled servant of a lazy master.
The carriage belonged to Pechorin. Maksim Maksimych shone with joy. He asks the waiter to inform the master that Maxim Maksimych is here. And he sat down by the gate. He thought, poor thing, that Pechorin would now run to him. Not right there. Early in the morning he was sitting on the bench again. Finally decides to go to the commandant, and asks his traveler to be sent for him, if Pechorin appears. Seeing Pechorin with the colonel, who, while farewell to him at the hotel, turned back to the fortress, the narrator quickly sent for Maxim Maksimych.
Pechorin was a middle-aged young man of about twenty-three, although at times it was possible to give him all thirty. He was sturdily built, casual in his walk, sitting down, hunching and somehow relaxing. There was something childish about his smile. On the pale forehead under the curly blond hair, it was barely possible to notice traces of wrinkles. His mustache and eyebrows were black. As for the eyes, they did not laugh when he laughed! This sign, according to the narrator, or evil temper, or deep, constant sadness. Pechorin is obviously going on the road. The narrator asks him to wait, now his old friend will approach him. Maxim Maximich ran through the square, out of breath. He wanted to rush at Pechorin’s neck, but he was rather cold, although with a friendly smile, extended his hand to him. Pechorin speaks with an impenetrable mine, asks the old officer, where he is like he, and so on. Maksim Maksimych wants to take his soul with his friend, as he naively thinks. But Pechorin is in a hurry. At the last moment, Maxim Maksimych remembers Pechorin’s remaining papers. “What shall I do with them?” – “What do you want”. Pechorin goes to Persia.
The innocent nature of Maxim Maksimych in frustration and confusion. How can you forget your old friends! Maxim Maksimych walks by the wagon, hiding his tears. The companion asks him to give him Pechorin’s papers, and he angrily throws them, one after another, out of the suitcase. Maxim Maksimych did not have time to meet with Pechorin to settle matters with the colonel, so he will have to wait for the next “opportunity.”
JOURNAL OF PECHORIN Preface
It appears that Pechorin, recently returning from Persia, has died. The casual owner of the diaries is very happy about this circumstance, because he can now print these notes, and even under his own name.
These notes are quite sincere, moreover – they ruthlessly expose their own weaknesses and the vices of the writer who wrote them. But the history of the soul of the human, even the smallest soul, is almost more interesting and not more useful than the history of a whole people, especially when it is the result
of observations of the mature mind over itself and when it is written without a vain desire to stir up participation or surprise. The book contains only that which pertained to the stay of Pechorin in the Caucasus.
Maybe someone will want to know the author’s opinion about the nature of Pechorin? His answer is the title of this book. “Yes this is an evil irony!” – they will say. “I do not know,” the author says.
Taman
“Taman is the worst city of all the seaside cities in Russia, I did not die a little bit from hunger, and in addition they wanted to drown me.” I went on a state duty in the acting detachment, I need a government apartment. The ten’s manager took me around the city, but around it was busy. After three days of the trip, I really wanted to sleep, it was cold. They stopped at a small hut under a reed roof, on the beach. The steep bank fell into the sea.
He ordered the orderly to lay out his suitcase and release the cab, but no one answered from the hut. According to the blind man, who finally crawled out of the passage, the mistress left for the village when it will be, it is not known. The hut inside was wretched and empty: two benches, a table and a huge trunk. No icon is a bad sign! Pechorin spread the burka on the bench and fell asleep, but immediately woke up: a blind man with white eyes moved in the darkness. A shadow flashed past the window. He hid by the fence. The blind man passed by with a knot under his arm and began to descend to the sea along a steep path. Pechorin followed carefully.
The blind man stopped and put a knot next to him. A few minutes later, a white figure came up from the opposite side and sat next to a blind man. They talked about some Janko, not afraid of the storm. They were silent. The woman jumped up and looked uneasily away. But the boat approached the shore in the midst of waves. All three began to pull out of it something very cumbersome. Taking on the shoulders of the knot, they set off along the shore, and soon Pechorin lost sight of them.
The Cossack, confident that his master was asleep, was very surprised to see him dressed. Pechorin did not tell him anything. From the commandant Pechorin had to find out the hour of departure to Gelendzhik. But in the fortress of Fanago, no one knew anything. On his return, he stumbled upon his orderly with a frightened face. The sergeant told him that “here, brother, is unclean, people are unkind! ..” Pechorin asked if at least the hostess was showing up. He said that the old woman came and her daughter. But she does not have a daughter! It is necessary to ask the old woman – he sits in the hut. She answered all his questions that she was deaf, she did not hear. The blind man was sitting in front of a hotly heated stove. Pechorin proceeded to ask him where he was at night with the knot. This time the old woman was not deaf and grumbled. He left, firmly resolved to solve the mystery.
Sitting, wrapped in a burqa, on a stone by the fence, I looked at the sea and remembered the northern capital. Suddenly, from somewhere, one could hear singing – a long and sad motif, then a quick and lively one. On the roof of the house stood a girl with loose braids. She sang, and Pechorin remembered this song from beginning to end. It seemed to him that he had already heard this voice at night, but when he looked again at the roof, there was no one there. The girl ran past him, singing something, hurried to the old woman, and they argued about something. The old woman was angry, the girl laughed. The girl, running again past Pechorin, stopped and looked intently into his eyes, then casually turned and went to the pier. The whole day she spun around his apartment. She seemed to be waiting for something, but as soon as Pechorin started to speak, she ran off with a perfidious smile. He had never seen anything like it. She was fascinating, although in her oblique glances he read something wild and suspicious. In the evening Pechorin spoke to her, but her answers were strange and evasive. Later she herself came to him in the hut. She obviously seduced him. “This night, when everyone is asleep, go ashore,” she whispered and jumped out of the room.
“An hour or two later… I woke up my Cossack.” If I shoot a pistol, “I told him,” then run ashore. “I plunged the gun and waited for it on the edge of the descent.” They began to descend on a very steep path. The moored boat darkened by the shore. The girl invited to the boat. Pechorin is not afraid, but there was nowhere to retreat. He did not notice how the boat was already sailing. “What does it mean?” he said angrily. “It means,” she answered, “that I love you…” She pressed herself against Pechorin. But suddenly something noisily fell into the water: it was his gun. Pechorin was seized with a terrible suspicion. To the shore about five sazhens, but he does not know how to swim! They began to struggle desperately; Rabies gave Pechorin strength, but the girl surpassed him in dexterity. “What do you want?” he cried, tightly squeezing her small hands. “You saw,” she answered, “you will inform me!” With a supernatural effort, she knocked Pechorin aboard the boat, they both hovered over the waist. The minute was decisive. Grasping the girl by the hair and throat, Pechorin threw her into the waves. At the bottom of the boat he found half of the old oar and somehow landed to the shore. Making his way to the hut, Pechorin carefully looked around. It seemed to him that someone in white was sitting on the shore; Pechorin crept up and lay down in the grass. He was not very surprised to learn his mermaid. Soon a boat appeared in the distance, a tall man in a Tatar hat came out, with a big knife behind his belt. “Yanko,” she said, “everything is lost!” They quietly began to talk about something. A blind man appeared with a bag on his back. Janko tells the blind man that he is going to look for work elsewhere and that he had to pay more, then he would not have left. The girl is riding with Janko, and let the old woman say to the old woman that she was alive, and she must also be honored. Blind they do not need. Janko and the girl sat in the boat, raised the sail and quickly rushed. The blind cried for a long time… “I felt sad, and why was it destiny to throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers?” As a stone thrown into a smooth source, I disturbed their calmness and, like a stone, hardly went to the bottom! “
In the hut Pechorin guessed what the damned blind man was dragging-all his most valuable things. I had to keep silent about the theft, otherwise it would be ridiculous.
PART TWO
II
Princess Mary
on the 11th of May
“Yesterday I arrived in Pyatigorsk, I hired an apartment on the edge of the city… at the foot of Mashuk: during a thunderstorm, the clouds will go down to my roof.” Kind of wonderful. Below him a clean, new town is dazzling, the healing keys are noisy, the multilingual crowd is buzzing, – and there, mountains are piling up amphitheater… It’s fun to live in such a land! In a fine, good mood Pechorin goes to the source, where, as they say, the whole water society is going to gather in the morning.
On the way, Pechorin manages to give short descriptions, and not out of flattery, to local society. He’s sarcastic. Several wounded officers are sitting at the well. Ladies are walking. Pechorin stands on the edge of the mountain, examining the neighborhood when a familiar voice calls to him. This Grushnitsky, with whom he fought together. Grushnitsky – a cadet, only a year in the service, but wears a fat soldier’s overcoat and a heroic soldier’s cross. This is for the ladies. His role is unusual feelings, exalted passions and exceptional suffering. He himself so often assures others that he is a creature doomed to some kind of secret suffering, that he almost self-assured himself of it. Pechorin unraveled it, and so he does not love him, which is mutual. The tragic mantle of Grushnitsky did not deceive the perceptive Pechorin, which, naturally, does not like that, embarrasses him. Two tastefully dressed ladies pass by. Grushnitsky reports that this is Princess Litovskaya and her daughter Mary. Proud Grushnitsky, of course, does not have the slightest desire to get acquainted with them. At the same time Grushnitsky touches and met Raevitch from Moscow, who, in his opinion, is a player. With the approach of the ladies, Grushnitsky has time to pronounce in French the most nihilistic phrase. The younger turned and looked with curiosity. Having made a break from Grushnitsky, Pechorin hurries home. Passing by the source, watches an interesting scene. Grushnitsky dropped the glass and, poor, tries to lift it, but the trouble is that the leg and the crutch are interfering. Mary quickly jumped to him and handed a glass. However, a minute later, passing by with her mother and a Moscow dandy, as if she had not noticed his passionate gaze. Further, Pechorin writes that he likes to lead people out of himself,
On the 13th of May
In the morning the local doctor Werner came. He is already interested in the fact that the skeptic, the materialist and at the same time the poet, although he does not write poetry, but his evil language has deprived many of them. He is mocking the sick, but weeping over the dying soldier. He dreams about millions, but he does absolutely nothing for this. He is interesting and his appearance – from those that at first do not like, but like then, when a person learns to read in the wrong features the imprint of a soul experienced and high. There have been cases when women fell in love with insanity in this short, thin and weak child, like a child who had one foot shorter than the other. He liked to dress in black – and even with his black eyes – for which the youth nicknamed him Mephistopheles. As for Pechorin’s friendship with Werner, Pechorin admits that he is incapable of friendship: after all, one of the friends is always the slave of the other, But he, naturally, can not be in this position. So everything was limited to friendly relations.
They like to reason on all sorts of topics, leading them to the point of absurdity, which leads both to the most cheerful mood. So usually they diverge. Both of them consider themselves very intelligent people and believe that without fools it would be boring. Werner reports the news: Princess Ligovskaya became interested in him, Pechorin, and Mary, as Pechorin immediately guessed, was a sufferer of Grushnitsky. Princess is sure that this young man in a soldier’s greatcoat is demoted to the soldiers for a duel. Princess told me something about the adventures of Pechorin in Petersburg, my daughter listened with curiosity. Werner describes in detail the Princess of Lithuania and her daughter. Princess is not friendly with young people. On the question of Pechorin, whom he saw today at the Lithuanian, Werner reports about a lady from the new arrivals, very pretty, but, it seems, very sick… She was at the well… She is of medium height, with the right features,
Pechorin is very sad. Is their meeting accidental?
After dinner at about six, he went to the boulevard. There was all the local society and not society. In the center of one of the circles were the princess and the princess. Pechorin sat down on another bench at a distance, stopped two familiar officers and began to tell something that seemed to them funny, so that soon everyone laughed and some of the princess’s society turned to him. Pechorin littered without joke anecdotes and stories – and so amused the audience before sunset. The Princess and her daughter were clearly intrigued. Princess was annoyed. Pechorin somehow wanted to upset her even more. What for? Grushnitsky’s chances are increasing that he will be presented to the princess. After all, she’s bored.
On the 16th of May
Pechorin does everything to poison the pastime of the princess. He tries in every possible way to distract her attention from her former admirers. Every day his house is full of guests. Having met Ligovsky in the store, where the princess begged her mother to buy her a carpet, Pechorin immediately overpaid, bought a rug for himself and ordered to purposely pass his Circassian horse covered with this carpet past the windows of the princess.
Grushnitsky’s business is getting better. Pechorin assures him that the princess is in love with him. Grushnitsky reports that the princess inquired about him (although without any kindness.) Taking advantage of Grushnitsky’s vanity and vanity, Pechorin more and more tied him to Mary.
The next day Pechorin walked along the grape alley, remembering a young woman with a birthmark on her cheek… and suddenly saw her on the bench. She loved him, exhausted by this love. Now married.
Pechorin subordinated every woman who loved him to his will, and this does not give happiness, leads to parting. After the meeting with Vera, Pechorin mounted and rode to the steppe. There is no woman’s gaze, which he would not forget at the sight of the curly mountains illuminated by the southern sun, at the sight of the blue sky or listening to the noise of the stream falling from the cliff to the cliff. Pechorin boasts of his art in horse riding in the Caucasian way. In general, he puts himself very highly.
Descending to one of the ravines to water the horse, Pechorin saw on the road a noisy, brilliant cavalcade; Grushnitsky went ahead with Princess Mary. He was acting. At this time, Pechorin appeared.
That same evening, when he met Grushnitsky, who was returning from Princess Ligovskaya, Pechorin casually throws out that if he wants, tomorrow he will be with the princess and even begin to trail behind the princess…
On May 21,
almost a week passed, and Pechorin still did not meet with Lithuanian. Grushnitsky follows the shadow of Mary. When will she get bored? For the first time Vera appeared at the well. She can only see Pechorin from the Ligovskys. Tomorrow the ball on a subscription in the restaurant hall, and Pechorin will dance with the princely mazurka.
On the 22nd of May
The restaurant hall was turned into a hall of the Noble Assembly. At nine o’clock they all came together. The princess and the princess appeared among the latter. Under the window Grushnitsky stood in the crowd, pressing his face to the glass and not taking his eyes off his goddess. She noticed him and nodded to him; he beamed.
A fat lady, behind whom Pechorin stood, indignantly complained to her knight, the dragoon captain, that the princess pushed her and did not apologize: “She should be taught a lesson…” “There will not be a thing for this!” answered the complaisant captain.
Pechorin immediately invited Princess Mary to a waltz. On her face flashed a triumphant expression for a moment. Pechorin starts a secular conversation, hinting that the princess for some reason does not feel good feelings for him. She responds with irony. At this time a drunken gentleman came up and, looking at the princess with dull gray eyes, invited me to the mazurka. Princess confused, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, the gentleman did not lag behind. She was ready to faint from fear and indignation. Pechorin went up to the drunken gentleman, took him firmly by the hand and, looking into his eyes intently, asked to retire, – therefore, explained Pechorin, that the princess had long promised to dance the mazurka with him. The Princess looked at Pechorin with a deep, wonderful gaze. She told all mothers, as a result, the Ligovsky home was open to him. Pechorin and the princess continued to talk, and he let her know that he likes him. He discovered, as it were by the way, the secret of Grushnitsky, than instantly dropped him in the eyes of the princess. Over dinner, he reported on the change in circumstances to Werner.
On the 23rd of May
Grushnitsky went up to Pechorin Boulevard and began to thank him with some ridiculous delight for yesterday’s rescue of the princess. If he only knew about the rest, he would not be surprised that the princess’s look today is dull and cold.
At nine o’clock they went together to the princess. Soon Vera entered. Pechorin tried to please the princess. The princess sat her daughter at the piano, and he, using the turmoil, went to the window with Vera. Mary is unhappy – she was not listened to, compliments are doubtful. Mary decided to punish Pechorin with the most stupid weapon – coquetting with another. She sat down with Grushnitsky, than delivered him, a foolish, unspeakable happiness. Pechorin spent time talking with Vera.
On the 29th of May
Pechorin without a twinge of conscience lures Princess Mary, using her naivety and trustfulness. What for? You see, he has a system. He laughs at everything, especially over feelings. Pechorin demonstratively tries to leave Princess Mary alone with Grushnitsky. She was glad or pretended, the second time she became angry with Pechorin, the third time with Grushnitsky. To Mary’s question, why does Pechorin do this, he answered that he sacrificed the happiness of a friend with his pleasure… “And mine,” she added. Grushnitsky was bored with her – it was obvious.
On the 3rd of June
Pechorin reasoned why he was trying to achieve Mary’s love, which he did not want to seduce, and on which he would never marry. From envy to Grushnitsky? Not at all! The joy and suffering of others for Pechorin means nothing. He himself is devoid of passions. The reasoning is very long, but the reader can draw from them one conclusion – vanity: that’s what drives Pechorin.
A happy Grushnitsky came-he was promoted to the officers. According to Werner, having removed the soldier’s greatcoat, Grushnitsky will lose his originality in the eyes of the ladies.
The next talk of Pechorin with Meri, worthy of our attention, took place on a narrow path that led up the mountain among the bushes and rocks. Pechorin began to ridicule, first joking, and then with anger, various acquaintances. Mary noticed in response that with his tongue he is worse than a killer. Pechorin starts the game. He describes his miserable childhood, when everyone for some reason read on his face signs of bad properties. I had to become like this. Poor Pechorin no one caressed, but only all insulted. And so on, and so on… A classic set used by young people trying to win the girl’s sympathy, no matter what evil they have done in life. Princess Mary behaved exactly as many pure girls would behave: in her eyes Pechorin sees tears. Pechorin returns home contented: Mary blames herself for coldness, but tomorrow he will want to reward him! He knows all this by heart – that’s what boring! On the 4th of June
Vera tortured Pechorin with her jealousy. It seems that the princess took it into her head to reassure her with her heartfelt secrets. Faith demands to say that Pechorin does not like Mary. If he does not like her, then why pursue, disturb, worry her imagination? Vera leaves for Kislovodsk the day after tomorrow. Pechorin should also go there for her. The Princess remains here longer. The same day Pechorin instructed to rent an apartment in Kislovodsk.
In the evening appeared Grushnitsky. Tomorrow, just at the ball, his uniform will be ready! He is going to dance with Princess Mary all evening. Grushnitsky did not want to go to the boulevard. Pechorin, having gone alone and met Princess Mary, immediately invited her to the mazurka. On the 5th of June
Half an hour before the ball appeared shining, self-satisfied and at the same time somewhat unsure Grushnitsky. “You, they say, have been dragging after my princess awfully these days?” he said rather casually and without looking at Pechorin. “Where do we, fools, drink tea!” – joked that. Grushnitsky is shy – he will have to start with the princely mazurka. How could he, stupid, know that Pechorin had already arranged everything! Half an hour after Grushnitsky went to the ball and Pechorin. He, as always, plays with himself: oh, why do I have the only assignment on earth – to destroy other people’s hopes?
In the hall he quietly approached so that he could hear Grushnitsky’s conversation with Princess Mary. He asks her not to torment him. She has changed so terribly since he did not see her… Princess turns to irony: “Whoever saw you one day, he will take with him your divine image forever.” At this time, Pechorin approaches them and joins the ridicule over
Grushnitsky.
All evening Grushnitsky pursued the princess, danced either with her or with a grip, he devoured her with his eyes, sighed and bored her with pleas and reproaches.
They began to leave. Putting the princess in the carriage, Pechorin, according to his preliminary decision, and not otherwise, quickly pressed Mary’s small pen to his lips. He returned to the hall very pleased with himself. When Pechorin came in, everyone was silent. Apparently, Grushnitsky organizes against him a gang. Well, Pechorin loves it.
June 6
In the morning Vera left with her husband to Kislovodsk. I did not want to meet alone with Pechorin-let him now suffer with jealousy… With this thought, Pechorin profiled to Princess Ligovskaya. However, Princess Mary did not show up. Grushnitsky also has a desperate look, but even Grushnitsky’s sadness is ridiculous to Pechorin.
Returning home, Pechorin caught himself thinking that he was missing something. He did not see Mary! She is ill. Was he really in love with her? What nonsense!
On the 7th of May
At eleven o’clock in the morning, when Princess Litovskaya takes medicinal baths, Pechorin went to Mary. She was pale and sad. Pechorin again started the game: “Forgive me, princess, I acted like a madman… this will not happen some other time… Why do you need to know what was happening so far in my soul?” Farewell. ” After that, there seemed to be a crying.
In the evening, Werner came to Pechorin, who brought a rumor that Pechorin was supposedly going to marry Princess Mary. Pechorin believes that this is the trick of Grushnitsky. He will take revenge on him.
June 10th
For three days now, like Pechorin in Kislovodsk. Every day he sees Vera at the well and on a walk. As if by accident, they meet in the garden alone.
Grushnitsky came yesterday.
On the 11th of June
Finally arrived Ligovskie. Pechorin’s heart quivered when he heard the sound of their carriage.
At dinner, the princess looked at Pechorin gently, but Vera was jealous of the princess, which Pechorin sought! He has the lowest opinion of women, considers himself much cleverer than them and yet does not like anything in the world, except for them.
On the 12th of June
Today was full of events. Not far from Kislovodsk, in the gorge, “there is a rock called the Ring, it is the gate formed by nature, they rise on a high hill, and the setting sun throws through them their last fiery glance through the world.” A large cavalcade set off to see this, although many pursued entirely different goals. Pechorin was driving near the princess. Returning home, it was necessary to move the river for a wade. Mountain rivers, even the smallest, are dangerous – their bottom often changes, and where yesterday there was a stone, today there can be a pit. Pechorin took the bride’s horse by the bridle and brought her into the water, which was no higher than the knees; they quietly began to move obliquely against the current. Moving fast rivers, it is better not to look into the water, otherwise your head may become dizzy. Pechorin forgot to tell Princess Mary about this. When they were already in the middle, in the very edge, Mary suddenly swayed in the saddle. “I’m sick!” she said in a weak voice. Pechorin leaned toward Mary and grabbed her by the waist. “Look up,” he whispered to her, “It’s nothing, just do not be afraid, I’m with you.” Mary became better, and she tried to free herself from Pechorin’s embrace, but he pressed her even harder. Finally they climbed ashore. Mary was in embarrassment and despair. Pechorin did not touch this at all. He wanted to see how Mary would get out of this predicament. “Or do you despise me, or love me very much,” she said at last with a voice in which there were tears. he whispered to her. “It’s nothing, just do not be afraid; I’m with you. “Mary became better, and she tried to free himself from Pechorin’s embrace, but he pressed her even harder. Finally they climbed ashore, Mary was in embarrassment and despair.” Pechorin did not care. “He wanted to see Mary go out from this predicament. “Or do you despise me, or love me very much! she finally said in a voice in which there were tears. – he whispered to her. “It’s nothing, just do not be afraid; I’m with you. “Mary became better, and she tried to free himself from Pechorin’s embrace, but he pressed her even harder. Finally they climbed ashore, Mary was in embarrassment and despair.” Pechorin did not care. “He wanted to see Mary go out from this predicament. “Or do you despise me, or love me very much! she finally said in a voice in which there were tears. – in which there were tears. – in which there were tears. –
Maybe you want to laugh at me, outrage my soul and then leave… It would be so mean, so low that one assumption… Oh no! is not it, “she added with a voice of gentle power of attorney,” is not it true that there is nothing in me that excludes respect? ” Your impertinent act… I must, I must forgive you, because I allowed… Answer, say the same, I want to hear your voice! .. “In the last words there was such a woman’s impatience that I involuntarily smiled, for happiness, it was beginning to get dark… I did not say anything. “Are you silent? “she continued,” do you perhaps want me to tell you first that I love you? .. “I said nothing.” Do you want this? “- she continued, quickly turning to me… In the determination of her eyes and there was something terrible in the voice… “Why?” I answered, shrugging my shoulders. She struck her horse with her whip and set off with all her might on a narrow, dangerous road… “All the evening she was unusually gay.” Pechorin enjoyed his achievement, how-was it than… Having dismounted from the horses, the ladies came to the princess, and Pechorin galloped to the mountains to unwind, passing through the village, he noticed a bright light breaking through the shutter, voices and shouts were heard, Pechorin stole up to the window, Grushnitsky’s company worked out a plan for how to get rid of Pechorin once and for all. Any excuse will come to Pecho rinu and challenge him to a duel, the guns will be without bullets, and the opponents will be put in six steps. “So Pechorin will be seen to be coward.” Will Grushnitsky agree to this plan, which was supposed to expose his former friend to ridicule? “Pechorin waited angrily. Pechorin went home, agitated by two senses. The first was sadness: “Why do they all hate me?” The second is anger: “They do not joke with me.” In the morning Pechorin met the princess at the well. The girl continued to search for at least some explanation of the indecent behavior of Pechorin. And the reason was simple – disrespect, arrogant contempt. “I’ll tell you the whole truth,” I answered the princess, “I will not justify myself nor explain my actions, I do not like you.” On June 14th, the author of the diary clearly writes to the public: how he sometimes despises himself, is afraid of appearing ridiculous to himself, has become incapable of noble impulses, how passionately he values his freedom, and therefore one mention of marriage causes him to run away.. June 15th Today there will be a presentation of a visiting magician, and everyone is going to go watch it. After lunch, passing by the windows of the Faith, Pechorin picked up a note from the ground, in which it was reported that her husband had left to Pyatigorsk in the morning. Everything turned out well. You can refer to the presentation, and spend the night with Vera. About two o’clock in the afternoon Pechorin descended from the upper balcony to the lower one. It was the room of the princess. Pechorin peered through the window. Mary sat in front of an open book, although her thoughts were far away… At that moment, someone stirred behind the bush. Pechorin jumped from the balcony to the ground. Someone invisible grabbed his shoulder. “Yeah, I’m caught!” shouted a raspy voice. Another person joined him. They were Grushnitsky and the dragoon captain. Pechorin broke free and rushed into the bushes. All the paths of the garden were well known to him. A minute later Pechorin was already in his room, undressed and lay down. Before the footman could lock the door, Grushnitsky and the captain began to knock. “Pechorin, have a drink?” “I’m asleep.” – “Get up! Thieves… Circassians.” “I have a cold,” I answered, “I’m afraid of catching a cold.”
There was an alarm. A Cossack galloped out of the fortress. Everyone was looking for Circassians in all the bushes. No one was found.
On the 16th of June
In the morning at the well there was only talk about the night attack of the Circassians. Pechorin, having met the husband of Faith, who had just returned from Pyatigorsk, ate breakfast in a restaurant. The husband of the Faith was very worried. They were sitting near the door leading to the corner room, where there were about ten young people, among others Grushnitsky. Fate gave Pechorin another opportunity to overhear the conversation, which was to decide his fate. Grushnitsky did not see Pechorin, there could be no intention in his speeches, and this only increased his guilt in Pechorin’s eyes. According Grushnitsky, someone told him that he saw yesterday at ten o’clock in the evening, as someone crept into the house to the Lithuanian. The Princess was at the show, and the Princess at home. Pechorin was frightened that the husband of the Faith would suddenly be aware of something, but this did not happen. Meanwhile, according to Grushnitsky, their company went to the garden just like that, to scare the guest. We sat up to two hours. Suddenly someone comes off the balcony. Grushnitsky sure that the night visitor was at the princess, exactly, and then rushed into the bushes, then Grushnitsky on it and shot. Grushnitsky is ready to name the lover. It was Pechorin. At this moment, raising his eyes, he met the eyes of Pechorin standing in the doorway. Pechorin demands that he immediately abandon his words. The woman’s indifference to the brilliant merits of Grushnitsky, in his opinion, does not deserve such terrible revenge. Supporting his words, Grushnitsky loses the right to the name of a noble person and risks his life. Grushnitsky was in great agitation, but the struggle of conscience with self-esteem was short-lived. The captain interfered, to whom Pechorin offered to be a second. Promising to send today his second, Pechorin left. He went straight to Ver-ner and told him everything-his relationship to Vera and the princess, an overheard conversation, from which he learned of the intention of these gentlemen to poke Pechorin. But now it was not a joke. The doctor agreed to become a second Pechorin. They discussed secret conditions. Werner returned an hour later and announced that the duel was supposed to be in a remote canyon, the distance was six steps. The doctor has a suspicion that they have changed their plan somewhat and are going to charge only Grushnitsky’s pistol. Pechorin replied that he would not yield to them, but for the time being this is his secret. At night Pechorin thinks about his life, about the appointment, which, apparently, did not guess, his love brought no happiness to anyone, because he did not sacrifice anything for the one he loved. He loved only for himself, for his own pleasure. Continuation of the diary Pechorin refers already to the time of his stay in the fortress N5 Maxim Maksimych went on a hunt, bored, through the gray clouds the sun looks through a yellow stain. Pechorin reread the last page: it’s funny! He was thinking of dying, but it was not meant to be. The cup of suffering has not yet been drained. Pechorin seems to have a long life waiting for him. The whole night before the fight, Pechorin did not sleep, he was restless. On the table was a novel by Walter Scott “Scottish Puritans”, he sat down and began to read – first with effort, then carried away by magic fiction. At last it was light. Pechorin looked in the mirror and was pleased with himself: his face was pale, but his eyes, though in dark circles, shone proudly and inexorably. After the Narzan bath, he was fresh and cheerful, as if he were going to the ball. Dr. Werner appeared in a very funny, huge shaggy hat. I do not remember the morning more blue and fresh! The sun was barely showing up because of the green peaks… I remember – this time, more than ever before, I loved nature. “Werner asks whether Pechorin wrote a will. 1et, did not write, write no one and not about What. But here are the opponents: “We have 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.” Grushnitsky looked up at Yechorin, his gaze expressed an inner struggle. Both sides refuse to apologize, Pechorin puts forward his condition: as rivals decided to draft If you want to die, you need to do everything to make it remain a mystery and secondarily you do not have to be responsible. There is a narrow platform on top of a steep rock, thirty yards from there, sharp stones at the bottom. If the duelists are at the edges of the site, even a slight wound will be fatal. The six steps suggested by the opposite side are in full agreement with this, are not they? The wounded man will surely fly down and smash to pieces; the doctor will take out the bullet, and then this death can be explained by an unsuccessful jump. Grushnitsky was agreeable, but a shadow of doubt ran through his face, for under normal circumstances he could just wound Pechorin, and now he had to either shoot in the air or become a killer.) They all started climbing the top of the cliff. Six steps were taken from the outstanding corner, and decided that if the one standing on the corner (avoid the shot, the opponents would switch places. “I decided to give all the benefits to Grushnitsky, I wanted to test him, a spark of generosity could awake in him, and then everything was arranged (for the better. “But it did not happen.) There was one more thing – that he would shoot into the air, which could be hampered by one thing: the thought that Pechorin would demand a secondary fight.” The doctor is pulling Pechorin – it’s time to open the plot Pechorin vs. The opponents fall into place. “Grushnitsky… started to raise the gun, his knees trembled, he aimed me straight in the forehead… Unexplained frenzy boiled in my chest.” But Grushnitsky suddenly lowered his gun and, pale as a canvas, turned to the second: “I can not.” “Coward!”, – answering Getting the captain. A shot rang out. “The bullet grazed my knee. I inadvertently took a few steps forward.” The captain, confident that no one knows about nothing, pretended forgiven Grushnitsky. “I have a few minutes of watching him intently in the face, trying to see at least an easy trace of remorse. But it seemed to me that he was holding a smile. “Pechorin called Werner:” Doctor, these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my gun: I ask you to load it again – and good! “The captain tried to object, but Pechorin suggested to shoot with him, especially on the same conditions… Grushnitsky stood with his head on his chest, embarrassed and gloomy. “Grushnitsky! – I said, – there is still time; give up your slander, and I’ll forgive you everything… remember – we were once friends… “” Shoot! – he answered, – I despise myself, but I hate you. If you do not kill me, I’ll kill you at night from around the corner. There is no place for us on the ground… ” these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my gun: I ask you to load it again – and good! “The captain tried to protest, but Pechorin offered to shoot and with him especially under the same conditions… Grushnitsky stood with his head down on the chest, embarrassed and gloomy. “Grushnitsky! – I said, – there is still time; give up your slander, and I’ll forgive you everything… remember – we were once friends… “” Shoot! – he answered, – I despise myself, but I hate you. If you do not kill me, I’ll kill you at night from around the corner. There is no place for us on the ground… ” these gentlemen, probably in a hurry, forgot to put a bullet in my gun: I ask you to load it again – and good! “The captain tried to protest, but Pechorin offered to shoot and with him especially under the same conditions… Grushnitsky stood with his head down on the chest, embarrassed and gloomy. “Grushnitsky! – I said, – there is still time; give up your slander, and I’ll forgive you everything… remember – we were once friends… “” Shoot! – he answered, – I despise myself, but I hate you. If you do not kill me, I’ll kill you at night from around the corner. There is no place for us on the ground… ” embarrassed and gloomy. “Grushnitsky,” I said, “there’s still time, give up your slander, and I’ll forgive you everything… remember – we were once friends…” “Shoot!” He answered, “I despise myself, and I hate you, if you do not kill me, I’ll kill you at night from around the corner. “There’s no place for us on the ground…” embarrassed and gloomy. “Grushnitsky,” I said, “there’s still time, give up your slander, and I’ll forgive you everything… remember – we were once friends…” “Shoot!” He answered, “I despise myself, and I hate you, if you do not kill me, I’ll kill you at night from around the corner. “There’s no place for us on the ground…”
Pechorin fired. When the smoke cleared, Grushnitsky was not on the landing. Descending the path down, Pechorin noticed… Grushnitsky’s bloody corpse. He closed his eyes involuntarily. He had a stone in his heart, and he rode for a long time along the gorge. Two notes awaited him at home: the first – from Werner – that everything was arranged. The note ended with the word “Farewell”. In the second, Vera reported that they parted forever. Vera wrote further that in the morning her husband told about Pechorin’s quarrel with Grushnitsky. She changed so much in her face that he seemed to be suspicious. She confessed her husband in love to Pechorin. My husband was very rude and went to start a carriage. Faith wholeheartedly hopes that Pechorin survived. “Do not you love Mary, do not you marry her? Listen, you must bring this sacrifice to me: I’ve lost everything for you…”
Pechorin jumped out onto the porch, jumped onto his Cherkess and set off on his way to Pyatigorsk. He drove his horse, tried to walk – his legs gave way, he fell on the wet grass and how the child cried. Returning to Kislovodsk at five o’clock in the morning, he rushed to his bed and fell asleep with Napoleon’s dream after Waterloo.
He woke up already in the evening and sat down by the window, substituting the chest with a fresh mountain wind. A gloomy doctor came in. Against the habit, he did not reach out to Pechorin. He said that the princess was sick of nervous breakdown. The princess says that Pechorin was shooting for her daughter. ” The doctor came to warn Pechorin. Maybe they will not see again, Pechorin will be sent somewhere. It was felt that when he said goodbye, the doctor really wanted to shake hands with Pechorin, but he did not make the slightest response. He went out.
The next morning, having received an order from higher authorities to go to the fortress N. Pechorin went to the princess to say goodbye. It turned out that she had a serious conversation with him. She knows that Pechorin defended her daughter from slander and was shooting for her. The daughter confessed to her that he loved Pechorin. Princess agrees to their marriage. What keeps him? Pechorin asked permission to talk with Mary in private. The princess was against it, but after thinking it over, she agreed. Mary entered: “Her big eyes, filled with inexplicable sadness, seemed to look in my hopes for something, her pale lips tried in vain to smile…” “Princess,” I said, “you know that I laughed at you… You must despise me… Consequently, you can not love me… You see, I am low before you, is not it, if you even loved me,
An hour later the courier troika was rushing Pechorin from Kislovodsk. In serf boredom, he often thinks about why he is not attracted by a quiet life.
III Fatalist
Pechorin writes that somehow he happened to spend two weeks in a Cossack village; next to it was an infantry battalion. In the evening the officers gathered from each other in turn to play cards.
One day, after throwing the cards, they sat around talking. Against the habit, the conversation was entertaining. Now, they say that Muslims believe that the destiny of man is written in heaven; some Christians believe this.
Began to tell various unusual cases. “It’s all nonsense,” someone said, “… and if there is definitely a predestination, then why are we given the will, the reason, why should we give an account of our actions?”
An officer, who had sat before in the corner of the room, approached the table and looked at everyone with a calm and solemn gaze. This man was a Serbian lieutenant Vulich. He was brave, spoke little, but abruptly, he did not believe his secrets, did not drink much wine, he did not drag himself after the young Cossacks. He had only one passion – cards. On this occasion, even talked about an interesting case.
Vulich proposed, instead of arguing for nothing, to try on himself, whether a person can voluntarily dispose of his life, or each of us has a fatal minute in advance… Bet on Vulych himself. He took one of the various pistols from the wall at random and charged it. “I looked him in the eye, but he met my searching look with a calm and immovable glance, and his pale lips smiled… it seemed to me I was reading the seal of death on his pale face.” About this say many old warriors… “You are going to die today!” Pechorin told him. “Maybe, yes, maybe not,” he replied. Noisy talk about a bet and a gun began… “Look,” I said, “either shoot yourself, or hang the gun in its original place, and go to bed.” Vulich ordered everyone not to get off the ground and shot himself in the forehead… misfire. He again cocked the trigger and shot into the cap hanging over the window. There was a shot. Vulich won the bet. “… I do not understand now, why it seemed to me that you must surely die today…” Pechorin said to Vulich.
Everyone went home. Pechorin walked and laughed at the distant ancestors, confident that the stars of heaven take part in their insignificant disputes over a patch of land and some fictitious rights! But the stars all shine, and their hopes and passions long ago died away with them, .. The
incident of the evening made a deep impression on Pechorin. Suddenly he came across something soft, lying on the road. It was a pig, cut in half with a sword. Two Cossacks ran out of the alley. One of them asked if Pechorin had seen him drunk, that he was chasing a sword with a sword. He, having got drunk, is very dangerous.
Early in the morning they knocked at the window. It turned out that Vulich was killed. The drunken Cossack he was talking about jumped on him. Before his death Vulich said only two words: “He’s right!” – “I understood: I predicted involuntarily
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