Essay on the topic: “Comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin. Comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin (Advanced people of the 19th century)

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

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

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

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

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

There are a number of similarities, but also significant differences, between the hero of Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” and the hero of Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin”.

Pechorin and Evgeny Onegin are quite interesting personalities. Their originality is expressed in the fact that in comparison with other people of the same social generation, like them, the main characters of the novels of Pushkin and Lermontov seem to the reader to be smart, sensitive, but at the same time quite cruel and judicious.

They have studied people well, which helps them skillfully deal with the feelings of others. Pechorin became disillusioned with people, lost all interest in life, but throughout the entire novel he tries to find it, painfully hurting the feelings of those around him. Society made him cold and cruel:

“I was ready to love the whole world, but no one understood me: and I learned to hate.”

Evgeny Onegin is tired of life. He quickly became satisfied with all the delights of life, and soon they tired him. Onegin is trying to find himself in different areas activities, but nothing touches his soul. He lost interest in life, became cynical and lazy; his mind and soul demand interest in something, but do not receive it.

“How early could he be a hypocrite,

To harbor hope, to be jealous,

To dissuade, to make believe,

Seem gloomy, languish.”

But there are also differences between Onegin and Pechorin.

Onegin, tired of life's worries, does not try to find the meaning of his existence, to dispel boredom.

He is lazy, his heart has not touched anything for a long time, and he seems to lead a meaningless existence. Onegin is not amused by balls and theaters, he has cooled down to life and does everything rather because he has developed such an order over several years.

“No: his feelings cooled down early;

He was tired of the noise of the world;

Beauties were not long the subject of his usual thoughts;

They managed to satisfy the betrayals;

I'm tired of friends and friendship...”

Pechorin appears before readers as an image of a romantic, but at the same time selfish young man. Although he still has a burning desire to find the meaning of life and his purpose in it, all his attempts to do this do not bring him success.

“I became a moral cripple: one half of my soul did not exist, it dried up, evaporated, died, I cut it off and threw it away - while the other moved and lived at the service of everyone, and no one noticed this, because no one knew about the existence the dead half of it."

The similarities and differences of the main characters show the different psychologism of the novels. “Eugene Onegin” is a work that contains hidden optimism; "Hero of our time" - tragic romance, introducing the reader into a long discussion about the eternal questions of life.

Updated: 2017-12-18

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In Russian XIX literature century, the images of Eugene Onegin and Pechorin became symbols of the era. They combined the typical features of representatives of the noble class with outstanding personal qualities, deep intelligence and strength of character, which, alas, were not used in conditions of a deep moral crisis, which became the main sign of the times in the 30s and 40s. Misunderstood in their circle, superfluous, they wasted their strength in vain, unable to overcome the moral deafness of their contemporaries and the pettiness of public opinion, which was considered the main measure of human values ​​in high society. Despite all their similarities, Onegin and Pechorin are endowed with bright individual traits, thanks to which modern readers also show interest in these literary heroes.

Pechorin - main character the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov “A Hero of Our Time”, a Russian nobleman, an officer who, due to his duty, found himself in the war zone in the Caucasus. The extraordinary personality of this literary hero caused heated controversy among critics and the ardent interest of contemporary readers.

Onegin- The main thing actor the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin”, written by A. S. Pushkin. Onegin belongs to the noble aristocracy. His biography, according to V. G. Belinsky, became an encyclopedia of Russian life of the first half of the 19th century century.

What is the difference between Pechorin and Onegin?

Comparison of Pechorin and Onegin

The first chapters of “Eugene Onegin” were published by A. S. Pushkin in 1825. Readers met Pechorin in 1840. Minor difference in the time of creation of these literary images nevertheless, it was of fundamental importance for the disclosure of their personal qualities, which contemporaries perceived as a reflection of deep social processes.

At the beginning of the novel, Onegin is a social dandy. He is rich, educated and constantly under close attention high society. Tired of idleness, Evgeniy makes an attempt to get down to serious business: reforming the economy he inherited. The novelty of village life turned into boredom for him: the lack of the habit of working gave rise to melancholy, and all the endeavors of the learned economist came to naught.

Both characters are representatives of the capital's aristocracy. The heroes received an excellent education and upbringing. Their intelligence level is higher than the average level of the people around them. The characters are separated by ten years, but each of them is a representative of their era. Onegin's life takes place in the twenties, the action of Lermontov's novel takes place in the 30s of the 19th century. The first is influenced by freedom-loving ideas in the context of the flourishing of an advanced social movement. Pechorin lives in a period of brutal political reactions to the activities of the Decembrists. And if the first one could still join the rebels and find a goal, thus giving meaning to his own existence, then the second hero no longer had such an opportunity. This already speaks of the greater tragedy of Lermontov’s character.

Onegin's drama lies in the uselessness of his own powers and the emptiness of his lifestyle, which was imposed by public opinion and accepted by the hero as a standard, beyond which he never dared to step. Duel with Lensky, difficult relationships with Tatyana Larina - a consequence of deep moral dependence on the opinions of the world, which played a primary role in Onegin’s fate.

Pechorin, unlike Onegin, is not so rich and noble. He serves in the Caucasus, a place of dangerous military operations, showing miracles of courage, demonstrating endurance and strength of character. But his main feature, repeatedly emphasized in the novel, is the dual contradiction of spiritual nobility and selfishness, bordering on cruelty.

The reader learns about Onegin’s personality from the narrator’s remarks and Tatyana Larina’s observations. The narrator and Maxim Maksimych express judgments about Pechorin. But his entire inner world is revealed in his diary - the bitter confession of a man who failed to find his place in life.

Pechorin's diary entries are the philosophy of the Byronic hero. His duel with Grushnitsky is a kind of revenge on secular society for its heartlessness and passion for intrigue.

In his confrontation with the light, Pechorin, like Onegin, suffers defeat. Strength without application, life without purpose, inability to love and friendship, secular tinsel instead of service high goal- these motifs in “Eugene Onegin” and “Hero of Our Time” have a common sound.

Pechorin became a hero of his time: the second half of the 30s of the 19th century, marked by a deep social crisis after the events associated with the Decembrist movement in Russia.

Both characters are very critical of people and life. Realizing the emptiness and monotony of their existence, they show dissatisfaction with themselves. They are oppressed by the surrounding situation and people mired in slander, malice, and envy. Disillusioned with society, the heroes fall into melancholy and begin to get bored. Onegin tries to start writing to satisfy his spiritual needs. But he quickly gets tired of "hard work." Reading also fascinates him for a short time. Pechorin also quickly gets tired of any business he starts. However, once in the Caucasus, Grigory still hopes that there will be no room for boredom under the bullets. But he also gets used to military action very quickly. Lermontov's character also became bored with his love adventures. This can be seen in Pechorin's attitude towards Mary and Bela. Having achieved love, Gregory quickly loses interest in the ladies.

Comparative characteristics Onegin and Pechorin would be incomplete without mentioning the self-criticism of the heroes. The first is tormented by remorse after the duel with Lensky. Onegin is unable to stay in the places where the tragedy occurred, he gives up everything and begins to wander around the world. The hero of Lermontov's novel admits that he has caused quite a lot of grief to people throughout his life. But, despite this understanding, Pechorin is not going to change himself and his behavior. And Gregory’s self-criticism does not bring relief to anyone - neither himself nor those around him. This attitude towards life, himself, and people portrays him as a “moral cripple.” Despite the differences between Pechorin and Onegin, they both have a lot common features. Each of them has a particularly pronounced ability to understand people well. Both heroes are good psychologists. So, Onegin singled out Tatyana immediately, at the first meeting. Of all the representatives landed nobility Evgeny became friends only with Lensky. Lermontov's hero also correctly judges the people who meet him on the way. Pechorin gives quite accurate and accurate characteristics to those around him. In addition, Gregory has an excellent knowledge of female psychology, can easily predict the actions of the ladies and, taking advantage of this, wins their love. A comparative description of Onegin and Pechorin allows you to see the true state inner worlds characters. In particular, despite all the misfortunes that each of them caused to people, both of them are capable of bright feelings.

Love in the lives of heroes

Realizing his love for Tatyana, Onegin is ready to do anything just to see her. Lermontov's hero immediately rushes after the departed Vera. Pechorin, not having caught up with his beloved, falls in the middle of the path and cries like a child. Pushkin's hero is noble. Onegin is honest with Tatyana and does not think of taking advantage of her inexperience. In this, Lermontov's hero is the direct opposite. Pechorin appears as an immoral person, a man for whom the people around him are just toys.

Pechorin and Onegin belong to that social type of the twenties of the nineteenth century, who were called “superfluous” people. “Suffering egoists”, “clever uselessness” - this is how Belinsky figuratively and accurately defined the essence of this type.
So, how are the characters in Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s works similar and different?
First of all, the heroes of both novels appear before us as historically and socially determined human characters. Socially - political life Russia in the twenties of the nineteenth century - the strengthening of political reaction, the decline in the spiritual strength of the younger generation - gave birth to a special type of incomprehensible young man of that time.
Onegin and Pechorin are united by their origin, upbringing and education: both of them come from wealthy noble families. At the same time, both heroes do not accept many of the secular conventions and have a negative attitude towards external secular splendor, lies, and hypocrisy. This is evidenced, for example, by Pechorin’s extended monologue about his “colorless” youth, which “passed in a struggle with himself and the world.” As a result of this struggle, he “became a moral cripple,” quickly becoming fed up with “all the pleasures that can be obtained for money.” The same definition is quite applicable to Pushkin's hero: “Having had fun and luxury as a child,” he quickly got tired of the bustle of society, and “the Russian melancholy took possession of him little by little.”
The heroes are also united by spiritual loneliness among the secular “motley crowd.” “... My soul is spoiled by light, my imagination is restless, my heart is insatiable,” Pechorin bitterly notes in a conversation with Maxim Maksimych. The same is said about Onegin: “... the feelings in him cooled down early; he was tired of the noise of the world.”
This is where the idea of ​​escapism arises in both works - the desire of both heroes for solitude, their attempt to distance themselves from society and worldly vanity. This is expressed both in a literal departure from civilization and in an escape from society into the world of internal experiences, “throwing off the burden of the conditions of light.” Onegin and Pechorin are also united by the common motif of “wandering without a goal,” “wanderlust” (Pechorin’s wanderings in the Caucasus, Onegin’s fruitless travels after the duel with Lensky).
Spiritual freedom, which is understood by the heroes as independence from people and circumstances, is main value in the worldview system of both characters. So, for example, Pechorin explains his lack of friends by the fact that friendship always leads to the loss of personal freedom: “Of two friends, one is always the slave of the other.” The similarity between Onegin and Pechorin is also manifested in their identical attitude towards love and inability for deep affection:
“We’ve had time to tire of the betrayals;
I’m tired of friends and friendship.”
This worldview determines special meaning actions of heroes in the lives of other people: both of them, according to different expression Pechorin, play the role of “axes in the hands of fate”, causing suffering to the people whom their fate encounters. Lensky dies in a duel, Tatyana suffers; similarly, Grushnitsky dies, Bela dies, kind Maxim Maksimych is offended, the smugglers’ way of life is destroyed, Mary and Vera are unhappy.
The heroes of Pushkin and Lermontov are almost equally likely to “assume a form”, “put on a mask”.
Another similarity between these heroes is that they embody the type of intellectual character who is characterized by originality of judgment, dissatisfaction with oneself, a penchant for irony - everything that is brilliantly defined by Pushkin as a “sharp, cooled mind.” In this regard, there is a direct overlap between Pushkin’s and Lermontov’s novels.
However, there are clear differences between the characters of these characters and the means of their artistic image in both novels.
So what's the difference? If Pechorin is characterized by a boundless need for freedom and a constant desire to “subordinate to his will what surrounds him”, “to arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear,” then Onegin does not strive for constant self-affirmation at the expense of other people, and takes a more passive position.
Pechorin’s worldview is also distinguished by great cynicism and some disdain for people

The difference between Pechorin and Onegin

1. Onegin - literary hero, who could devote his life to democratic changes in society, but due to his personal qualities became a hostage of high society.
2. Pechorin understands the worthlessness of his own existence and tries to change it: at the end of the novel he leaves Russia.
3. Onegin does not seek to change anything in his destiny: all his actions are a consequence of the current circumstances.
4. Pechorin is able to objectively evaluate himself and honestly admits his passions and vices.
5. Onegin understands his own imperfection, but is not able to analyze his own actions and their consequences. Read more:

(387 words, table at the end of the article) The “extra person” type is quite popular in Russian literature. Our writers abound in presenting us with heroes who are disappointed in life and have not found their destiny. These people can be completely different: ardent intellectuals, like Chatsky, or bored and tired of life, sensualists, like Onegin and Pechorin. The last two form one type of person, because there are few differences between them. If you make a comparative description, you will notice that one of the heroes is new version another, it’s not for nothing that Belinsky calls Pechorin “Onegin of our time.”

The similarity can be traced already at the level of names. Lermontov names Pechorin according to the same principle as Pushkin: based on the name of the river. The Pechora is a stormy, noisy mountain river, while the Onega is calm and smooth, which to some extent reflects the characters’ characters.

Studying the sciences “quickly bored” Pechorin, as did Onegin, who “had no desire to rummage / in the chronological dust,” and both set out to enjoy social life to dispel boredom, but just as quickly became disillusioned with these joys. One “got bored with the noise of the world,” and he “has completely lost interest in life,” while the other “shies away” from society and considers himself “a small loss for the world.” Pechorin experiences this much more tragically than Onegin, due to the fact that the heroes live in different eras, but a general disappointment in themselves and the world around them is inherent in both heroes, so they quickly become cynical egoists. Those around them treat them with interest because they see them as a mystery, women love them, since both have skillfully mastered the “science of tender passion.” But, despite their cynicism, both have their only beloved, with whom they are not destined to be together. So, Onegin loses Tatiana, and Pechorin loses Vera. Friends suffer next to them: for similar reasons, Lensky and Grushnitsky die at their hands.

These are “Byronic heroes” who have lost the flair of romanticism that idealized them. Onegin is one of those young people who believed in the ideals of the revolution, while Pechorin is a man of a different time, when these ideals were not only shaken, but destroyed due to the collapse of Decembrism. The characters are similar in many ways, but the results of their similarities are different. Onegin is an idle rake, sharply fed up with life due to laziness. Pechorin is not like that at all, who is looking for himself, “chasing madly after life,” not believing in a meaningless destiny. We can say that Onegin remained in the “water society”, from which Pechorin hastened to escape.

Pushkin and Lermontov showed two typical representatives successive decades, so the images of the heroes could not differ radically. They complemented each other, and the authors created real picture reality of that time, which changed under the influence of crisis circumstances.

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I look sadly at our generation!
His future is either empty or dark,
Meanwhile, under the burden of knowledge and doubt,
It will grow old in inactivity.
M.Yu.Lermontov

The novels by A.S. Pushkin “Eugene Onegin” and M.Yu. Lermontov “Hero of Our Time” show the dramatic fate of typical representatives of the noble intelligentsia of the first half of the 19th century. The main characters of these works, Evgeny Onegin and Grigory Pechorin, belong to the type of “superfluous people” in Russia who, not finding use for their abilities, became disillusioned with life and the society around them. The heroes of A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov are separated by only ten years, but they belong to different eras in the history of Russia. Between them stands the famous date - December fourteenth, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-five, the Decembrist uprising.
Onegin lives in the twenties of the 19th century, during the heyday of the social movement and freedom-loving ideas. Pechorin is a man of another era. The action of the novel “A Hero of Our Time” takes place in the thirties of the 19th century. This period was marked by a brutal political reaction that followed the Decembrists' speech at Senate Square. Onegin could still have gone to the Decembrists, thus finding a purpose in life and giving meaning to his existence. Pechorin is already deprived of such an opportunity. His situation is much more tragic than that of Pushkin’s hero.
What are the similarities between Onegin and Pechorin?
Both of them are representatives of the capital's aristocracy, received good upbringing and education, their intellectual level is above the average level of the society around them.
Both heroes are critical of life and people. They are dissatisfied with themselves, they understand that their life is monotonous and empty, that slander, envy, and malice reign in the world. Therefore, Onegin and Pechorin begin to suffer from boredom and melancholy.
To satisfy his spiritual needs and relieve boredom, Onegin tries to write, but “he was sick of persistent work,” and reading books also does not occupy him for long.
And Pechorin quickly tires of any business he starts, it becomes boring for him. Once in the Caucasus, he hopes that “boredom does not live under Chechen bullets.” But he gets used to the whistling of bullets very quickly. Love adventures also bored Lermontov's hero. This was manifested in his attitude towards Bela and Mary. Having achieved their love, he loses interest in them.
A characteristic feature of Onegin and Pechorin is their selfishness. Heroes do not take into account the opinions and feelings of other people.
Onegin rejects Tatiana's love, not wanting to lose his freedom. A petty desire to annoy Lensky leads to the murder of a friend.
Pechorin brings misfortune to almost everyone he meets: he kills Grushnitsky, destroys the lives of Bela, Mary, Vera, and saddens Maxim Maksimych to the depths of his soul. He achieves the love of women solely out of a desire to entertain himself, to relieve boredom, and then grows cold towards them. Pechorin is cruel even to the seriously ill Mary, saying that he never loved her, but only laughed at the poor girl.
Both Onegin and Pechorin are self-critical of themselves. Onegin, tormented by remorse, cannot remain where the crime was committed. He is forced to leave calm village life and wander around the world. Pechorin admits that during his life he has caused people a lot of grief, that he plays “the role of an ax in the hands of fate.” At the same time, Pechorin is not going to change his behavior. His self-criticism does not bring relief to him or anyone else. This behavior makes Pechorin, as he described himself, a “moral cripple.”
Onegin and Pechorin are observant and have a good understanding of people. They are subtle psychologists. At the very first meeting, Onegin singled out Tatyana from other women, and of all the local nobility he became friends only with Vladimir Lensky. Pechorin also correctly judges the people he meets on his way. The characteristics given to them are accurate and to the point. He knows the psychology of women very well, can easily predict their actions and uses this to win their love.
But both heroes are capable of deep feelings. Onegin, realizing that he is in love with Tatyana, is ready to do anything to at least see her. And Pechorin, having learned about Vera’s departure, immediately rushes after her, but, not catching up, falls in the middle of the road and cries like a child.
Secular society has a negative attitude towards the heroes of A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov. Their behavior is incomprehensible to others, their point of view on life does not coincide with the generally accepted one, they are alone in the society around them, which feels the superiority of these “extra people”.
Despite all the similarities in character and position in society, the heroes of A.S. Pushkin and M.Yu. Lermontov have many differences.
Onegin is not devoid of nobility. He is honest with Tatyana and does not want to take advantage of her inexperience. Pechorin appears before us as an immoral man, for whom people are just toys. Perfectly aware of the consequences of his actions, Pechorin does not even try to change his behavior, cruelly destroying the destinies of other people.
The heroes also have different attitudes towards the duel.
The day before, Onegin is fast asleep, not taking the upcoming duel seriously. And after Lensky’s murder, he is overcome with horror and begins to be tormented by remorse.
Pechorin approaches the issue of a duel seriously, carefully choosing the place of the duel. Before the duel, Lermontov’s hero does not sleep and thinks about questions that sooner or later any person thinks about: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born? Very soon Pechorin will kill Grushnitsky in cold blood and, bowing politely, will leave the dueling site.
Onegin and Pechorin are deeply disappointed in life, tired of emptiness secular society, reject his ideals and values. At the same time, Onegin, suffering from his uselessness, is not able to resist the society that he condemns. Pechorin, unlike him, does not go with the flow, but is looking for his path in life, his calling and purpose. He thinks about his purpose in life, feeling “immense strength” in his soul. Unfortunately, all his energy only brings misfortune to the people he encounters. This is the tragedy of Pechorin's life.
Depicting the fates of their heroes, typical of their generation, Pushkin and Lermontov protest against a society that deprives people of a purpose in life, forces them to waste their strength, and does not allow them to find a use for their minds and abilities. This society creates “superfluous people” who are unable to find love, friendship, or happiness. The revelation of this society is historical meaning novels "Eugene Onegin" and "Hero of Our Time".