Heroism In Imperial Russia

Shiv Rohira

Professor Juliette Apkarian

Russian 271: Literature of Imperial Russia

September 15th, 2015

Response Paper “Both villains and heroes need to have a steadfast belief in themselves.”- Jack Gleeson

This quote demonstrates how our “hero” Pechorin is neither a quintessential hero nor villain because his internally conflicted character, and his destructive nature places him in the margin between the two. Employing a a unique style of varying narrative techniques in a series of five skillfully connected short stories, the author, Mikhail Lermontov, depicts the bizarre Romanticism and Byronic nature of Pechorin’s “heroism” , and the internal complexities of his character,

A romantic is someone who neglects societal norms and has a higher intellect and purpose. He possesses qualities like selflessness, that put him above the rest, and has an elevated sense of natural beauty, leading an atypical life driven by emotion and self-criticism. In the introduction of the novel, Maksim Maksimovich describes Pechorin to the readers and the traveler, “ He was so very elegant, his complexion so nice and white, his uniform so brand new, …” (Lermontov 16) thereby highlighting his “handsomeness”, a characteristic that gains Pechorin attention and makes him appealing to other characters in the book. Pechorin also develops a bitter outlook on life, as a result of its monotony. Despite being surrounded by the constant activity of the military in the present, it is ironic that he is unable to seek some challenge or thrill. His cynicism towards life is heightened when he complains to Maksim “My soul has been spoiled by the world, my imagination is unquiet, my heart insatiate”(Lermontov 70) demonstrating how his imagination led him astray giving him hope for adventure in his life, but he feels dissatisfied because his desires were futile . Additionally, he has an intense desire to travel perpetually, as shown by “My life grows emptier day by day. One expedient only is left to me-travel.”(Lermontov 71). Furthermore, Pechorin makes exaggerated claims of misery and boredom, and

He uses them for amusement(Bela), to satisfy his ego(Vera), and to attack other men(Princess Mary) For instance, in ‘Princess Mary’, Pechorin talks about his “colorless youth” , to make Mary feel sympathetic towards him so he can exploit her. The detail and technicality of the story he told her, clearly demonstrates his special intellect and keen observation, in tandem with the theme of Romanticism. Additionally, he objectifies these women involuntarily, metaphorically comparing them to different animals, “There was a good deal of breeding in her…Breeding in woman, as in horses, is a great thing: a discovery”(Lermontov 75), “hid herself frightened out through the thicket” (Lermontov 76), “like a snake, she gilded from between my arms”(Lermontov 77), “but she clung like a cat” (Lermontov 78), “her serpent-like nature” (Lermontov 78) . Here Pechorin degrades women by comparing them to animals and uses possessive pronouns