A Hero of Our Time

Beginning on page 97 of A Hero of Our Time, a June 5th diary entry marks one of the sections in the chapter, “Princess Mary.” Throughout the novel, more information is uncovered about Pechorin and how he views himself in his society. This diary reveals much of his character especially well because in “Princess Mary” as a whole, it is written from Pechorin’s point-of-view. Within this singular diary entry, several clues are revealed to take apart Pechorin for who he really is. First, at an earlier point in the novel, Pechorin writes that he feels Grushnitsky was trying to write himself as the main character of a story. However, within this chapter, readers can see that Pechorin is doing the same thing in his own life. He writes, “Can it really…

George Sand’s Indiana and Mikhail Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time interrogate the conflict between individual and collective identity in the nineteenth century through presenting the individual as a site of ambiguity and hybridity that disrupts the supposed coherence and homogeneity of the collective identities cultivated by national and colonial power relations. Collective identity attempts to bound and border individuals within binary categories, presenting groups defined by national, ethnic,…

In The Hero of Our Time, Pechorin uses fate as an answer when it is convenient and this bars him from developing a sense of responsibility. Lermontov helps us understand Pechorin’s stance on fate when we read the story of the Fatalist inside Pechorin’s journals; we learn of the inconsistency in Pechorin’s metaphysical beliefs, and how they affect his attitude to consequences of his actions. Pechorin’s statements constantly flip-flop between belief and doubt in fatalism. Pechorin takes a stance…

Known as the ‘Russian Byron’, Mikhail Lermontov is revered for his radical interpretation of the Romantic antihero in A Hero of Our Time. He sought to fashion “a portrait built up from the vices of our whole generation” (Lermontov, preface), to create a character who would embody the spirit of the contemporary Russian man. In what would be his only prose work, Lermontov employs traits commonly associated with the Byronic hero as the basis for the character of his protagonist, Pechorin, such as…

Does the novel follow or reject the conventions of Romanticism. A Hero of Our Time follows the conventions of romanticism. The book sees each main character as naturally good, it evokes a pleasant kind of melancholy life in the main characters, and it has very natural romantic settings. A Hero of Our Time is a good literary example of the romantic style. First, In the first novella entitled Bela, where we meet Captain Maksim Maksimych who introduces us to the main character Grigory…

In a Hero of Our Time, predestination emerges as a theme near the end of the story. The end of the story leaves the reader wondering if there is anything other than predestination. The story follows this young man named Pechorin. Pechorin lives a life very different than a “normal” person. He is both emotionally smart and foolish. The thing that striked me the most is Pechorin’s fate. When he was a young boy, his mother was told that he would “die through a bad wife” (p.123). Pechorin never…

Reading Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time can be slightly confusing because of the sudden story endings and seemingly choppy and incoherent story line, but linking the stories is the underline appears of war like images. Sometimes these war like images appear in day to day life events. One of these day to day war like images appears in The Battler where readers learn the story of Ad Frances. Ad was once a professional fighter, but he is now very disfigured and presumably lives out near the train…

declines the prompt and would rather keep his life simple and not be involved. Throughout this story the setting remains the same but you get a general understanding of what it was like overseas. As you read the story you may find yourself responding in your head to some of the events as you read. For example, “By the time Krebs returned to his hometown in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late. The men in town who had been drafted had all be welcomed elaborately on…

visual texts, there is a conjunction of themes and perception, as these environments shape the events and structure of novels. Similarly, the associated insight and perception contribute to the novel, as they establish an intimate relationship with the reader. These descriptions can evoke pleasure and delight from readers, as they can appeal to the reader’s sensual enjoyment, past experiences, and personal contemplations. Plot development and setting description share a unique and foundational…

“Big Two Hearted River: Part 1,” a chapters in Ernest Hemingway’s In Our Time, reads like a third-person narrative of a young man’s camping trip in the wilderness. However, through close examination of the details in the story, it slowly comes to light that the events that transpire in the young man’s excursions are somewhat related to his experiences in war. Hemingway’s account observes how war changes an individual as they return home, thus leaving them unsettled. Nick, our protagonist, isn’t…