How many lives a duel has claimed! A wounded honor necessarily required the intervention of a weapon, and a warm young heart echoed to her. Someone's honor triumphed, and the enemy received a bullet or a sword. The subject of satisfaction also touched upon the heroes of Mikhail Lermontov’s magnificent novel “Hero of Our Time”. The duel between Pechorin and Grushnitsky could not have a different outcome as death. To understand the reason for this denouement, it is worth looking at the history of the relationship between the characters of the novel.
A brief description of the heroes
- So, Pechorin Grigory Alexandrovich is the central axis of the novel, which holds the entire plot. He is an extraordinary personality, proud, proud, and at the same time we see him as a lost person, a person without a purpose and place in the world. The task of the hero’s life is to understand who he is and why he exists.
- Grushnitsky is a man with a passionate soul, but with a weak and cowardly character. He is capable of beautiful speech in order to conquer the ladies, is ready to swing his sword in battle. But that does not make him weak. Our hero is weak due to the fact that he does not know how to admit his wrong. He is a kind of infringed personality who is trying to cover his slack with farce and seduction.
Friendship story
It would seem that such two natures simply cannot be next to each other. But first the heroes are driven by the service, and then the healing waters of Pyatigorsk. They cannot be called friends; rather, they are friends through the fault of circumstances. Pechorin does not need friendship, he believes that he does not have the ability. He sees through his allegedly “comrade” through and through, all his shortcomings and weaknesses. Grushnitsky sees in him the one to whom he can tell about his love affairs or talk about the service. But he also secretly hates his “friend” because he completely saw through his pathetic little soul.
Between Pechorin and Grushnitsky there are strained relations that result in an incident with a sad ending.
Reason for the duel
The duel between our heroes is the most intense scene of the whole novel. Because of what is it actually happening? The answer to this question is Grushnitsky’s immoral act towards the princess and Pechorin himself. The fact is that a love triangle arose between the heroes. Grushnitsky is in love with Mary, she loves Pechorin, but he is completely cold to her, the girl’s love is just a game for him. The pride of the junker is affected.
Because Ligovskaya refused him, the hero sows gossip about the princess and Pechorin. This could completely ruin the reputation of the young lady, and at the same time her future life. Upon learning of this, Gregory challenges the slanderer to a duel.
Match preparation
Grushnitsky continues to take revenge, even using a challenge to a duel, and plotting meanness. Even more, he can dishonor Pechorin by giving an unloaded pistol. But fate is not on the side of the hero, and the vile intent is revealed.
It is worth noting the mental state of Gregory before the duel. The hero understands that he can die without fulfilling the purpose of life. Pechorin’s mood is echoed by nature.
Duel Description
Let's move on to the duel itself. During it, Gregory gives the opponent a chance to improve. With this gesture, he hints that he does not want the death of the enemy. But stupid swagger prevents Grushnitsky from understanding this, because he is convinced that meanness will save him. Then Pechorin demands a loaded pistol, and the opponents shoot on equal terms.
It all ends with the death of Grushnitsky, so stupid and terrible.
The meaning of the episode and its role in the novel
Obviously, the author added this fragment for a reason. In it, he most fully reflects the character of Pechorin. The main feature of the work and its innovation is psychologism (a detailed description of the inner world of the heroes and their feelings through the situation, gestures and appearance, the interior of the house, etc.), so it was very important for Lermontov to reveal the soul of Grigory Alexandrovich. All characters and events obey this goal. A duel is no exception.
How did the duel reveal the character of the hero? She showed his composure and indifference to the environment. Even for the honor of Mary, he intervenes because he guards his skeletons in the closet, namely, an affair with a married guest of Ligovsky. Gregory appeared on their territory at a late hour in front of Grushnitsky, but not because he was walking to Mary. He left the chambers of Vera. The fight was an excellent way to get rid of unnecessary guesses that could jeopardize the reputation of Pechorin himself. So, he can be called a calculating egoist and a hypocrite, because he cares only about the external observance of decency. Also, the hero can be characterized by such qualities as revenge and cruelty. He killed a man because he tried to deceive him and did not admit it. He did not regret a single drop of this act.
Thus, the duel scene completes the portrait that the author sketched in other chapters. In the following descriptions, he only sketches the finishing touches.
