In “Princess Mary” the human soul is revealed to us. We see that Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin is a contradictory, ambiguous person. Before the duel, he himself says: “Some will say: he was a good fellow, others - a scoundrel. Both will be false." And indeed, this story shows us both the good qualities of a young man (poetic nature, extraordinary intelligence, insight) and the bad traits of his character (terrible selfishness). And indeed, a real person is not exclusively bad or good.

The chapter “Princess Mary” shows the confrontation between Pechorin and Grushnitsky.
Both heroes meet like old friends. Pechorin is self-confident, reasonable, selfish, mercilessly sarcastic (sometimes beyond measure). At the same time, he sees right through Grushnitsky and laughs at him. Their dissimilarity and rejection of each other do not prevent them from communicating and spending a lot of time together.
They saw Princess Mary for the first time almost simultaneously. From that moment on, a thin crack lay between them, which eventually turned into an abyss. Grushnitsky, a provincial romantic, is seriously infatuated with the princess. Pechorin's eternal enemy - boredom - forces him to infuriate the princess with various petty antics. All this is done without a shadow of hostility, but solely out of a desire to entertain oneself.

Pechorin makes the princess fall in love with him out of a desire to dispel boredom, to annoy Grushnitsky, or God knows what else. After all, even he himself does not understand why he is doing this: Pechorin believes that he does not love Mary. The main character is true to himself: for the sake of entertainment, he invades the life of another person.

“Why am I bothering? “- he asks himself and answers: “There is immense pleasure in possessing a young, barely blossoming soul! “This is selfishness! And besides suffering, he can bring nothing to Pechorin or those around him.

The more the princess becomes interested in Pechorin (after all, she is much more interested in him than with the simple-minded boy), the wider the gap between him and Grushnitsky becomes. The situation is heating up, mutual hostility is growing. Pechorin’s prophecy that they will someday “collide on a narrow road” begins to come true.

A duel is the denouement of the relationship between two heroes. It was approaching inevitably, as the road became too narrow for two.

On the day of the duel, Pechorin experiences cold anger. They tried to deceive him, but he cannot forgive it. Grushnitsky, on the contrary, is very nervous and tries with all his might to avert the inevitable. He had recently behaved unworthily, spreading rumors about Pechorin, and tried in every possible way to cast him in a black light. You can hate a person for this, you can punish him, despise him, but you cannot deprive him of his life. But this does not bother Pechorin. He kills Grushnitsky and leaves without looking back. The death of a former friend does not awaken any emotions in him.
Pechorin admits to Mary that the Grushnitskys’ society has made him a “moral cripple.” It is clear that this “disease” is progressing: a debilitating feeling of emptiness, boredom, and loneliness increasingly takes possession of the main character. At the end of the story, already in the fortress, he no longer sees those bright colors that made him so happy in the Caucasus. “Boring,” he concludes.
“Princess Mary” shows us the true tragedy of Grigory Pechorin. After all, he spends such a remarkable nature and enormous energy on trifles, on petty intrigues.

The novel “A Hero of Our Time” was conceived by a young poet in 1836. It was assumed that the action would take place in the author's contemporary Petersburg.

However, the Caucasian exile in 1837 made adjustments to the original plans. Now Lermontov's main character, Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich, finds himself in the Caucasus, where he finds himself in very difficult situations. The reader hears their brief content from different characters in the work. “A Hero of Our Time” (“Princess Mary” included) turns into an exploration of the soul of a young man trying to find his place in life.

The composition of the novel is somewhat unusual: it consists of 5 stories, united by the image of Pechorin. The most voluminous and significant for understanding the character of this character is the chapter “Princess Mary”.

Features of the story

“Princess Mary” in the novel “Hero of Our Time” is essentially Pechorin’s confession. It consists of diary entries made during his stay for treatment in Pyatigorsk and Kislovodsk.

According to contemporaries, its main characters had real prototypes with whom Lermontov was personally acquainted, which gives credibility to what is depicted. Thus, the main character, after whom the story is named, could have been copied from the sister of N. S. Martynov or the poet’s friend from Pyatigorsk E. Klinberg. The image of Pechorin himself is extremely interesting. “The Tale “Princess Mary” is a summary of his month-long stay at the mineral waters. During this time, he charmed a young, naive girl, turned all the officers against him, killed an old acquaintance in a duel, and forever lost the only woman he loved.

Pechorin's arrival in Pyatigorsk

The first entry in the protagonist's diary is marked the eleventh of May. The day before he arrived in Pyatigorsk and rented an apartment on the outskirts, near Mashuk himself. He was attracted by the wonderful view of the city and somewhat smoothed out the shortcomings of the new housing. In an elated, enthusiastic mood, Pechorin goes to the source the next morning to see the water society here. The caustic remarks that he addresses to the ladies and officers he meets along the way characterize him as a caustic person who certainly sees shortcomings in everything. This is the beginning of the story “Princess Mary”, a brief summary of which will be presented further.

The loneliness of the hero, standing at the well and watching the people passing by, is interrupted by Grushnitsky, with whom he once fought together. The cadet, who had only been in the service for a year, wore a thick overcoat decorated with a heroic cross - with this he tried to attract the attention of the ladies. Grushnitsky looked older than his years, which he also considered an advantage; he was outwardly attractive and a figure skater. His speech often included stilted phrases, giving him the appearance of a passionate and suffering person. At first glance, it would appear that the two were good friends. In fact, their relationship was far from ideal, as the diary author directly states: “We will run into him someday... and one of us will be in trouble.” Even when they met, Pechorin recognized the falseness in him, which is why he disliked him. This is how an action begins that will unfold over the course of a month, and Pechorin’s diary will help the reader to trace the entire chain of events - this is their summary.

“A Hero of Our Time” (“Princess Mary” is no exception) is interesting because of the unusual character of the main character, who is not accustomed to lying even to himself. He openly laughs at Grushnitsky, who throws out a phrase in French at the very moment when the Ligovsky mother and daughter pass by, which, of course, attracts their attention. A little later, having gotten rid of his old acquaintance, Pechorin observes another interesting scene. Juncker “accidentally” drops a glass and still cannot pick it up: his crutch and his wounded leg are in the way. The young princess quickly flew up to him, handed him a glass and just as quickly flew away, making sure that her mother had not seen anything. Grushnitsky was delighted, but Pechorin immediately cooled his ardor, noting that he did not see anything unusual in the girl’s behavior.

This is how one can describe the hero’s first day in Pyatigorsk.

Two days later

The morning began with a meeting with Dr. Werner, who came to visit Pechorin. The latter considered him a wonderful person and even assumed that they could become friends if only Grigory Alexandrovich was capable of such a relationship in principle. They loved to talk with each other on abstract topics, which can be seen more than once in the story “Princess Mary.” A summary of their conversations characterizes both as smart, honest and uncompromising people.

This time they gradually moved on to the meeting of former colleagues that had taken place the day before. Pechorin’s words that “there is a connection” and he will not be bored here immediately evoked a response from the doctor: “Grushnitsky will be your victim.” Then Werner reports that the Ligovskys' house has already become interested in the new vacationer. He tells his interlocutor about the princess and her daughter. She is quite educated, treats all young people with contempt, loves to talk about passions and feelings, speaks impartially about Moscow society - this is how Princess Mary appears from the words of the doctor. A brief summary of the conversations in the Ligovskys’ house also makes it possible to understand that Pechorin’s appearance aroused the interest of the ladies.

Werner's mention of a visiting relative of the princess, pretty, but really sick, makes the hero worry. In the description of the woman, Grigory Alexandrovich recognizes Vera, whom he once loved. Thoughts about her do not leave the hero even after the doctor leaves.

In the evening, during a walk, Pechorin again encounters the princess and notices how much she has captured Grushnitsky’s attention. This ends another day of Pechorin, described in the diary included in the story “Princess Mary”.

On this day, several events happened to Pechorin. The plan he developed for the princess began to take effect. His indifference caused a response in the girl: when they met, she looked at him with hatred. The epigrams she composed also reached the hero, in which he received a very unflattering assessment.

Pechorin lured almost all of her admirers: free food and champagne turned out to be better than a sweet smile. And at the same time he constantly egged on Grushnitsky, who was already head over heels in love.

The summary of the chapter “Princess Mary” continues with a description of the first chance meeting of Pechorin and Vera at the well. Their feelings, which flared up with renewed vigor, determined the lovers’ further actions. Pechorin needs to meet Vera’s elderly husband, enter the Ligovskys’ house and hit on the princess. This will give them the opportunity to meet more often. The hero appears in this scene somewhat unusual: there is hope that he is truly capable of sincere feelings and will not be able to betray the woman he loves.

After parting, Pechorin, unable to sit at home, goes on horseback to the steppe. Returning from a walk gives him another unexpected meeting.

A group of vacationers moved along the road that wound between the bushes. Among them were Grushnitsky and Princess Mary. The summary of their conversation can be reduced to a description of the cadet’s feelings. Pechorin in Circassian attire, unexpectedly appearing from the bushes, disrupts their peaceful conversation and causes first anger and then embarrassment in the frightened girl.

During an evening walk, friends meet. Grushnitsky reports with sympathy that the princess’s attitude towards Pechorin is completely ruined. In her eyes, he looks impudent, arrogant and narcissistic, and this forever closes the doors of their home to him. It is clear that the hero’s words that he can be part of the family even tomorrow are perceived with sympathy.

Incident at the ball

The next entry - May 21 - is quite insignificant. It only states that in a week Pechorin never met the Ligovskys, for which Vera blamed him. On the 22nd a ball was expected, at which Princess Mary would also be present.

The summary of the story from the novel will continue the incident that made adjustments to the established course of events. At the ball, where Grushnitsky was still not allowed to enter, Pechorin meets the princess and even defends her honor in front of the drunken gentleman. There was clearly a plan here, orchestrated by the dragoon captain, another longtime acquaintance of Grigory Alexandrovich. During the mazurka, Pechorin captivates the princess, and also, as if by the way, reports that Grushnitsky is a cadet.

The very next day, together with a friend who thanked him for his action at the ball, the hero goes to the Ligovskys’ house. The main thing to note here is that he displeases the princess by not listening carefully enough to her singing after tea, and instead enjoys a calm conversation with Vera. And at the end of the evening, he watches the triumph of Grushnitsky, whom Princess Mary chooses as an instrument of revenge.

Lermontov M. Yu.: summary of Pechorin’s notes on May 29 and June 3

For several days, the young man adheres to his chosen tactics, although from time to time he asks himself the question: why is he so stubbornly seeking the love of a young girl if he knows in advance that he will never marry her. Nevertheless, Pechorin does everything to make Mary bored with Grushnitsky.

Finally, the cadet appears in his apartment, happy - he was promoted to officer. In just a few days, a brand new uniform will be sewn, and he will appear before his beloved in all its glory. Now he no longer wants to confuse her look with his overcoat. As a result, it is Pechorin who accompanies the princess during the evening walk of the water society to the failure.

First, slander about all his acquaintances, then malicious statements addressed to them and a long, accusatory monologue of a “moral cripple,” as he calls himself. The reader notices how Princess Mary changes under the influence of what she hears. A summary (Lermontov does not spare his hero at all) of the monologue can be conveyed as follows. Society made Pechorin what he became. He was modest - he was credited with guile. He could feel evil and good - no one loved him. He put himself above others - they began to humiliate him. As a result of misunderstanding, I learned to hate, pretend and lie. And all the best qualities that were originally inherent in him remained buried in his soul. All that remains in him is despair and memories of his lost soul. Thus, the princess’s fate was predetermined: tomorrow she would want to reward her admirer, whom she had treated with coldness for so long.

And again the ball

The next day three meetings took place. With Vera - she reproached Pechorin for his coldness. With Grushnitsky - his uniform is almost ready, and tomorrow he will appear in it at the ball. And with the princess - Pechorin invited her to a mazurka. The evening was spent at the Ligovskys' house, where the changes that had occurred in Mary became noticeable. She did not laugh or flirt, but sat all evening with a sad look and listened carefully to the extraordinary stories of the guest.

The summary of “Princess Mary” will continue with a description of the ball.

Grushnitsky beamed. His new uniform with a very narrow collar was decorated with a bronze chain with a lorgnette, large epaulettes resembling the wings of angels, and kid gloves. The creaking of boots, a cap in his hands and curled curls completed the picture. His whole appearance expressed self-satisfaction and pride, although from the outside the former cadet looked quite funny. He was absolutely sure that he would have to be the princess’s partner in the first mazurka, and soon left impatiently.

Pechorin, entering the hall, found Mary in the company of Grushnitsky. Their conversation did not go well, as her gaze kept wandering around, as if looking for someone. Very soon she looked at her companion almost with hatred. The news that the princess was dancing a mazurka with Pechorin aroused anger in the newly-minted officer, which soon resulted in a conspiracy against his rival.

Before leaving for Kislovodsk

On June 6-7, it becomes clear: Grigory Alexandrovich achieved his goal. The princess is in love with him and suffers. To top it all off is the news brought by Werner. There is talk in the city that Pechorin is getting married. Assurances to the contrary only caused the doctor to grin: there are times when marriage becomes inevitable. It is clear that Grushnitsky spread the rumors. And this means one thing - the denouement is inevitable.

The next day, Pechorin, determined to complete the matter, leaves for Kislovodsk.

Entries June 11-14

For the next three days, the hero enjoys the local beauty and sees Vera, who arrived even earlier. On the evening of the 10th, Grushnitsky appears - he does not bow and leads a riotous lifestyle. Gradually, the entire Pyatigorsk society, including the Ligovskys, moved to Kislovodsk. Princess Mary is still pale and still suffering.

Summary - Lermontov gradually brings the action of the story to a climax - the rapidly developing relationship between the officers and Pechorin can be reduced to the fact that everyone is rebelling against the latter. The dragoon captain, who had personal scores with the hero, takes Grushnitsky’s side. Quite by accident, Grigory Alexandrovich becomes a witness to a conspiracy planned against him. The gist was this: Grushnitsky finds an excuse to challenge Pechorin to a duel. Since the pistols will be unloaded, the first one is in no danger. The second, according to their calculations, should chicken out if he shoots at six steps, and his honor will be tarnished.

Compromising meeting and duel

The events of May 15-16 became the denouement of everything that happened to Pechorin during the month at mineral waters. Here is their summary.

The “hero” of our time... Lermontov (“Princess Mary” plays an important role in this regard) more than once makes us think about the question: what is he really like? Selfish and aimlessly living his life, Pechorin often causes condemnation from both the author and the reader. Werner’s phrase in the note given to Grigory Alexandrovich after the duel sounds condemning: “You can sleep peacefully... if you can...” However, in this situation, sympathies still fall on Pechorin’s side. This is the case when he remains completely honest with himself and with those around him. And he hopes to awaken the conscience of his former friend, who turned out to be dishonest and capable of baseness and meanness in relation not only to Pechorin, but also to the princess.

The evening before the duel, the whole community gathered to watch the visiting magician. The princess and Vera remained at home, with whom the hero went to meet. The whole company, planning his humiliation, tracked down the unlucky lover and made a fuss in the full confidence that he was visiting Mary. Pechorin, who managed to escape and quickly return home, met the dragoon captain and his comrades while lying in bed. So the officers' first attempt failed.

The next morning, Grigory Alexandrovich, who went to the well, heard the story of Grushnitsky, who allegedly witnessed how the night before he got out through the window from the princess. The quarrel ended with a challenge to a duel. Pechorin invited Werner, who knew about the conspiracy, as a second.

An analysis of the content of Lermontov’s story “Princess Mary” shows how contradictory the main character was. So on the eve of the duel, which could be the last in his life, Pechorin cannot sleep for a long time. Death does not frighten him. Another thing is important: what was his purpose on earth? After all, he was born for a reason. And there is still so much unspent strength left in him. How will he be remembered? After all, no one ever fully understood it.

His nerves calmed down only in the morning, and Pechorin even went to the bathhouse. Cheerful and ready for anything, he went to the place of the duel.

The doctor's proposal to end everything peacefully caused the dragoon captain, the enemy's second, to grin - he decided that Pechorin had chickened out. When everyone was ready, Grigory Alexandrovich put forward a condition: to shoot on the edge of a cliff. This meant that even a slight injury could lead to a fall and death. But this did not force Grushnitsky to admit to the conspiracy.

The opponent got to shoot first. For a long time he could not cope with his excitement, but the captain’s contemptuous exclamation: “Coward!” - forced him to pull the trigger. A slight scratch - and Pechorin still managed to avoid falling into the abyss. He still had hope of bringing his opponent to reason. When Grushnitsky refused to admit the slander and apologize, Pechorin made it clear that he knew about the conspiracy. The duel ended in murder - Grushnitsky was only able to show firmness and steadfastness in the face of death.

Parting

In the afternoon, Pechorin was brought a letter from which he learned that Vera had left. A futile attempt to catch up with her ended in failure. He realized that he had lost his beloved woman forever.

This concludes the summary of “Princess Mary.” It only remains to add that Pechorin’s last explanation with the main character was short and straightforward. A few words were enough to put an end to their relationship. At the moment when the girl’s first serious feeling was trampled, she was able to maintain her dignity and not degrade herself to hysterics and sobs. Her secular manners and contemptuous attitude towards others hid a deep nature, which Pechorin was able to discern. Learning to trust people and love again is what Princess Mary will have to do in the future.

The characteristics of a literary hero consist of his actions, thoughts, and relationships with other people. Pechorin appears in the story as an ambiguous person. On the one hand, he perfectly analyzes the situation and assesses its consequences. On the other hand, he values ​​his life little and easily plays with the destinies of others. Achieving a goal is what attracts a person who is bored and has no use for his talents.

. Princess Mary.)

Lermontov. Princess Mary. Feature film, 1955

...Our conversation began with slander: I began to sort through our acquaintances who were present and absent, first showing their funny, and then their bad sides. My bile became agitated. I started jokingly and ended with sincere anger. At first it amused her, and then it scared her.

– You are a dangerous person! - she told me, - I would rather fall under the knife of a murderer in the forest than to get caught on your tongue... I ask you not jokingly: when you decide to speak ill of me, you better take a knife and stab me - I think this is It won't be very difficult for you.

– Do I look like a murderer?..

- You are worse...

I thought for a minute and then said, looking deeply moved:

– Yes, this has been my lot since childhood. Everyone read on my face signs of bad feelings that were not there; but they were anticipated - and they were born. I was modest - I was accused of guile: I became secretive. I felt good and evil deeply; no one caressed me, everyone insulted me: I became vindictive; I was gloomy, - other children were cheerful and talkative; I felt superior to them - they put me lower. I became envious. I was ready to love the whole world, but no one understood me: and I learned to hate. My colorless youth passed in a struggle with myself and the world; Fearing ridicule, I buried my best feelings in the depths of my heart: they died there. I told the truth - they didn’t believe me: I began to deceive; Having learned well the light and springs of society, I became skilled in the science of life and saw how others were happy without art, freely enjoying the benefits that I so tirelessly sought. And then despair was born in my chest - not the despair that is treated with the barrel of a pistol, but cold, powerless despair, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile. 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 of the deceased its halves; but now you have awakened in me the memory of her, and I read her epitaph to you. To many, all epitaphs seem funny, but not to me, especially when I remember what lies underneath them. However, I do not ask you to share my opinion: if my trick seems funny to you, please laugh: I warn you that this will not upset me in the least.

At that moment I met her eyes: tears were running in them; her hand, leaning on mine, trembled; cheeks were burning; she felt sorry for me! Compassion, a feeling that all women so easily submit to, let its claws into her inexperienced heart. During the entire walk she was absent-minded and did not flirt with anyone - and this is a great sign!

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Pechorin sought the love of Princess Mary out of boredom, and also because he wanted to annoy Grushnitsky. A kind of game in which Pechorin wanted to achieve his victory just like that, because winning is nice.

Pecherin got bored on the waters. It was customary to follow young ladies, and Princess Mary was just as proud and unapproachable. Pecherin chose her out of principle. Moreover, he wanted to annoy Grushnitsky.

He was running away from boredom and the emptiness of his life. Even at some point, if I remember correctly, it seemed to him that love could help him feel the fullness of life. But, alas, everything is in vain. For if the heart and soul are empty, nothing can fill them.

Certainly not because he was not in love. He loved only himself. And, seeking the favor of Princess Mary, he exclusively pleased his male vanity. He didn’t particularly care about her feelings, at least his own feelings were much more important to him. Competing with Grushnitsky, breaking an unapproachable beauty - for him this is only entertainment, an attempt to brighten up monotonous everyday life. And although everyone traditionally feels sorry for Mary, it seems to me that Pechorin was a bright event in her life. He gave her what he wanted for himself.

To annoy Grushnitsky, who was in love with the princess.

At the same time, test your strength to see if you can charm and make a girl who may be attracted to someone else fall in love with you.

Out of purely sporting interest. He directly admitted his complete indifference to her during the decisive meeting with the princess, when the final points were drawn in this strange relationship. He even admitted himself that he deserved her contempt. Poor, poor princess. One can only sympathize with her.

Most likely, Pechorin had one main goal - sporting interest. This person is simply not used to giving up something; on the contrary, he is used to achieving his goal. And of course, he wanted to test his strength and stroke his male pride.

He was bored, and he also had a reputation for always getting his way. It seemed funny to him to achieve Mary’s love, because she was unapproachable, and besides, a friend was in love with her. Pechorin was an egoist and respected only his own desires and whims.

Firstly, Pechorin simply had nothing to do, he was bored. Secondly, he wanted to make fun of Grushnitsky. Well, thirdly, Pechorin was used to getting his way, winning, so for him it was just a game in which he wanted to win, having nothing to do, that’s all.

In general, all the works of Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov are absolutely stunning and exciting. This is reflected in youth, and some opposition to the current government, as well as the influence of such famous literary figures, such as A.S. Pushkin.

By the way, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin was a fictional character, which already brings into the work a certain semblance of imagery, partly inherited from Onegin (A.S. Pushkin), partly the fruit of his own experiences.

The famous novel A Hero of Our Time was written by M.Yu. Lermontov in 1838-1840, and the film adaptation of the novel, in our time, was carried out in the feature film Princess Mary in 1955 by the no less famous director Isidore Annensky.

In the novel, as in many of the writer’s works, the characters are tormented by contradictions. Sometimes the power of torment reached such intensity that people were ready to go to the end, and even lose everything in this life, which was not the least of the members of secular society.

As always, at the center is the relationship between a man and a woman, between friends, and between participants in the legal field, which is the state. Again dueling and injured and dead people. Everything that was inherent in that time, because then questions and concepts of honor very clearly played the leading role of everything that happened.

The dichotomous situation between love, friendship, devotion and rivalry has never led to any good.

Why was he trying?

Of course, as in all centuries, the stumbling block or grain of discord was the attention of a noble person, her location. We live and act intuitively at times, and if we feel that we need to do just that, although common sense tells us not to do so, we still, despite everything, often sometimes commit irreversible actions.

So it is here, brain chemistry, as Herzen once said.





Most likely, bored Pechorin sought Mary’s love simply for the sake of interest and curiosity - what would come of it? Will he be able to win the favor of this unapproachable beauty? So he had no love for Mary.

The chapter “Princess Mary” is central in “Pechorin’s Journal,” where the hero reveals his soul in his diary entries. Their last conversation - Pechorin and Princess Mary - logically completes the storyline of complex relationships, drawing a line over this intrigue. Pechorin consciously and prudently achieves the love of the princess, building his behavior with knowledge of the matter. For what? Just so that he “doesn’t get bored.” The main thing for Pechorin is to subordinate everything to his will, to show power over people. After a series of calculated actions, he achieved that the girl was the first to confess her love to him, but now he is not interested in her. After the duel with Grushnitsky, he received orders to go to fortress N and went to the princess to say goodbye. The princess learns that Pechorin defended Mary's honor and considers him a noble man. She is most concerned about her daughter's condition, because Mary is sick from worries, so the princess openly invites Pechorin to marry her daughter. One can understand her: she wishes Mary happiness. But Pechorin cannot answer her: he asks permission to explain to Mary herself. The princess is forced to give in. Pechorin has already said how afraid he is of parting with his freedom, and after a conversation with the princess, he can no longer find in his heart a single spark of love for Mary. When he saw Mary, pale and emaciated, he was shocked by the change that had occurred in her. The girl looked in his eyes for at least “something resembling hope” and tried to smile with her pale lips, but Pechorin was stern and unforgiving. He says that he laughed at her and Mary should despise him, drawing a logical, but such a cruel conclusion: “Consequently, you cannot love me...” The girl suffers, tears shine in her eyes, and all she can barely whisper clearly - “Oh my God!” In this scene, Pechorin’s reflection is especially clearly revealed - the splitting of his consciousness, which he said earlier, that two people live in him - one acts, “the other thinks and judges him.” The acting Pechorin is cruel and deprives the girl of any hope of happiness, and the one who analyzes his words and actions admits: “It became unbearable: another minute and I would have fallen at her feet.” He explains in a “firm voice” that he cannot marry Mary, and hopes that she will replace her love with contempt for him - after all, he himself is aware of the baseness of his act. Mary, “pale as marble,” with sparkling eyes, says that she hates him.

The consciousness that Pechorin played with her feelings, wounded pride turned Mary’s love into hatred. Insulted in her first deep and pure feeling, Mary is now unlikely to be able to trust people again and regain her former peace of mind. Pechorin’s cruelty and immorality are revealed quite clearly in this scene, but it also reveals how difficult it is for this man to live according to the principles he has imposed on himself, how difficult it is not to succumb to natural human feelings - compassion, mercy, repentance. This is the tragedy of a hero who himself admits that he cannot live in a quiet peaceful harbor. He compares himself to a sailor of a robber brig who languishes on the shore and dreams of storms and wrecks, because for him life is a struggle, overcoming dangers, storms and battles, and, unfortunately, Mary becomes a victim of this understanding of life.