How are Onegin and Pechorin close? Difference between Pechorin and Onegin
Eugene Onegin from the novel of the same name in verses by Alexander Pushkin "Eugene Onegin" and Grigory Pechorin from "A Hero of Our Time" by M.Yu. Lermontov, although they are heroes of completely different works. have similar images. It was not for nothing that VG Belinsky remarked: "Pechorin is the Onegin of our time." Eugene Onegin appears as a reflection of the era of the 20s, the period of the Decembrists and social upsurge, Pechorin is a representative of the third decade of the 19th century, called "cruel". Time has determined both the common features of the heroes and their differences.
Both Pechorin and Onegin are representatives of the upper world. The formation of their characters, education and upbringing took place in the same conditions. In their youth, both heroes were fond of a carefree social life, leading it idly. They were unable to realize themselves in life, despite their outstanding abilities. The heroes are not capable of true love, thus they only bring suffering to the ladies in love with them.
Onegin and Pechorin stand out among the surrounding secular society. They both start a friendship out of boredom, and they emerge victorious from a duel with former friends, to which fate leads both of them. M.Yu. Lermontov himself, when he gives his hero the surname Pechorin, hints at his resemblance to Onegin: Onega and Pechora are rivers flowing in Russia. VG Belinsky notes: "Their dissimilarity is much less than the distance between Onego and Pechora. Sometimes in the very name that a true poet gives to his hero, there is a reasonable necessity, although, perhaps, invisible by the poet himself ..."
But we find significant differences in the characters of the characters, their attitude to life and values. Onegin is bored, he is tired of life. The young man does not seek to change anything, being disappointed in this world. Pechorin is somewhat different. He is not indifferent, active, "frantically chasing life, looking for it everywhere." Pechorin is a deep nature, passionate, he is a philosopher and thinker. He is interested in the world around him in all its manifestations, he thinks a lot. analyzes, keeps diary entries. The hero is inspired by nature and in his diaries often notes its beauty, which Onegin simply cannot see due to his character. The attitude of the heroes to society is also different. Onegin fears the condemnation of others and therefore decides to participate in a duel. Although Eugene understands that he must refuse, public opinion becomes more important for him than friendship. Onegin does not enter into open conflict with society, he avoids people. What about Pechorin? He neglects the opinions of others, always does what he considers necessary. Gregory puts himself above society, treating it with disdain. Pechorin is not afraid to go into direct conflict with others. As for the duel with Grushnitsky, he agrees to it solely out of noble intentions, wishing to protect the honor of Princess Mary and his own name.
Onegin is a "reluctant egoist". it was his dependence on the conventions of the society he despised and the inability to abandon them that made him so. Pechorin has a contradictory character, his egoism follows from his own beliefs and judgments about the world. Public opinion, the established order does not affect his worldview in any way.
Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin are among the most striking characters in 19th century literature. Comparing heroes, one can find many similarities and differences in their characters, beliefs and prevailing destinies. Each of them is a hero of his time. Both novels were enthusiastically received by the public, widely discussed and criticized. It is also important to note the artistic skill of the writers, who extremely accurately reflected in their works the character of each era.
To fully understand the character of the "superfluous person" type, a comparative characteristic of Onegin and Pechorin is necessary. These characters have common features that belonged to the representatives of "extra people", but there are differences in these images.
Similarities
The hero of Pushkin's novel in verse "Eugene Onegin" and the hero of the novel "Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov, when compared, have many similar traits of character and way of life.
Both characters are about the same age, both were born in St. Petersburg and raised in luxury. Onegin and Pechorin own money that allows them to have fun. However, they quickly bore them. Pushkin and Lermontov's heroes feel boredom in society, which makes them different from other nobles.
The similarity between Pechorin and Onegin also lies in the fact that both of them could seduce women. But the women of the heroes quickly got bored, although both paid great attention to them. Freedom was important for Grigory and Eugene, so they did not want to connect their lives with women. The character of Pechorin and Onegin showed a similarity even in some of their actions: the scene of Pechorin's refusal to feel Princess Mary resembles Onegin's explanation with Tatyana Larina. And Pechorin's meeting with Vera in the Caucasus, which revived the hero's feelings, is similar to Onegin's meeting with Tatyana in St. Petersburg.
Neither Pechorin nor Onegin had real friends, because they did not know how to appreciate other people. Eugene Onegin has a friend Vladimir Lensky, whom he kills in a duel. Pechorin kills Grushnitsky, whom he did not love from the very beginning, but with whom he communicated as a friend. Pechorin was indifferent to the meeting with his old friend Maksim Maksimych.
By their nature, the characters in the novels of A.S. Pushkin and M. Yu. Lermontov were selfish, which leads them to an unhappy life. They cannot find themselves in life. Pechorin and Onegin are not understood by their environment, they are "superfluous" people. These two characters were alone in the crowd.
Pechorin and Onegin are really similar to each other, which is why VG Belinsky calls the central character of the novel "A Hero of Our Time" "Onegin of our time."
Differences
Despite the fact that there are many similarities between Pechorin and Onegin, they have the main difference: their attitude to their own life. Eugene Onegin is bored, but does not look for himself in life, he does not see the true reasons for his behavior. Grigory Pechorin, on the other hand, constantly emphasizes that he is a selfish nature who lives only for himself. He understands why he cannot find happiness with women, why he cannot find his place in life. However, unlike Eugene Onegin, he is trying to find new hobbies that could turn a simple existence into real life.
M. Yu. Lermontov uses the method of psychologism in his novel "A Hero of Our Time", the reader sees the thoughts and experiences of the protagonist. The basis of Pechorin's outpourings is his diary. There are no diary entries in Eugene Onegin, but there are books with Onegin's remarks, which Tatyana finds, but the reader cannot see the hero's true thoughts from these pencil sketches.
table
In order to most clearly show the general and different features of Pechorin and Onegin, we present a table.
Similarities |
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Representatives of the secular society |
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Bored by society |
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Bored women |
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Rejection of marriage |
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Love for freedom |
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Similarity of actions |
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Lack of real friends |
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Loneliness in the crowd |
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"Extra people" |
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Understands his own self |
Doesn't think about his own life |
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Seeks new emotions from life |
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Trying to find herself in life |
Doesn't try to find his place in life |
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Psychologism |
Lack of psychologism |
This article, which will help write the essay "Comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin", will consider the main similarities and differences between the heroes of the novel in the poems "Eugene Onegin" by A. Pushkin and the novel "A Hero of Our Time" by M. Yu. Lermontov and formulate the conclusion in the form comparison table.
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The undoubted similarity of the images of Eugene Onegin and Grigory Pechorin was noted by one of the first V.G. Belinsky. "Their dissimilarity is much less than the distance between Onego and Pechora ... Pechorin is the Onegin of our time," the critic wrote.
The lifespan of the heroes is different. Onegin lived in the era of Decembrism, freethinking, and rebellions. Pechorin is a hero of the era of timelessness. Common to the great works of Pushkin and Lermontov is the image of the spiritual crisis of the noble intelligentsia. The best representatives of this class turned out to be dissatisfied with life, excluded from social activities. They had no choice but to waste their strength aimlessly, turning into "superfluous people."
The formation of characters, the conditions for the upbringing of Onegin and Pechorin, no doubt, are similar. These are people of the same circle. The similarity of the heroes lies in the fact that both of them went from harmony with society and themselves to denial of the light and deep dissatisfaction with life.
“But early his feelings cooled down,” writes Pushkin about Onegin, who “fell ill” with the “Russian blues”. Pechorin is also very early "... despair was born, covered with courtesy and a good-natured smile."
They were well-read and educated people, which placed them above the rest of the young people in their circle. Onegin's education and natural curiosity is revealed in his disputes with Lensky. One list of topics worth:
... of the tribes of past treaties,
The fruits of science, good and evil,
And age-old prejudices,
And the fatal secrets of the grave,
Fate and life ...
Onegin's high education is also evidenced by his extensive personal library. Pechorin, on the other hand, said about himself: "I began to read, study - science is also tired." Possessing remarkable abilities, spiritual demands, both failed to realize themselves in life and wasted it on trifles.
In their youth, both heroes were fond of carefree social life, both succeeded in the "science of tender passion", in the knowledge of "Russian young ladies." Pechorin says about himself: "... getting to know a woman, I always guessed unmistakably whether she would love me ... I have never become a slave of a beloved woman, on the contrary, I have always acquired an invincible power over their will and heart ... Is that why I never really do anything? I treasure ... "Neither the love of the beautiful Bela, nor the serious passion of the young princess Mary could melt the coldness and rationality of Pechorin. He brings only misfortune to women.
The love of the inexperienced, naive Tatiana Larina also leaves Onegin indifferent at first. But later our hero, upon a new meeting with Tatiana, now a secular lady and general, realizes what he has lost in the face of this extraordinary woman. Pechorin is not at all capable of great feeling. In his opinion, "love is a satiated pride."
Both Onegin and Pechorin value their freedom. Eugene in his letter to Tatiana writes:
Your hateful freedom
I didn't want to lose.
Pechorin directly declares: "... twenty times my life, I will even put my honor at stake, but I will not sell my freedom."
Indifference to people inherent in both, disappointment and boredom affect their attitude towards friendship. Onegin is friends with Lensky "there is nothing to do". And Pechorin says: “… I am not capable of friendship: of two friends, one is always a slave of the other, although often neither of them admits it to himself; I cannot be a slave, and in this case it is a tedious work to command, because at the same time it is necessary to deceive ... ”And he demonstrates this in his cold attitude towards Maksim Maksimych. The words of the old staff-captain sound helpless: "I have always said that there is no use in forgetting old friends!"
Both Onegin and Pechorin, disappointed in the life around them, are critical of the empty and idle "secular rabble." But Onegin is afraid of public opinion, accepting Lensky's challenge to a duel. Pechorin, shooting with Grushnitsky, takes revenge on society for unfulfilled hopes. In essence, the same evil trick led the heroes to the duel. Onegin "vowed to enrage Lensky and take revenge in order" for a boring evening at the Larins'. Pechorin says the following: “I lied, but I wanted to defeat him. I have an innate passion to contradict; my whole life was only a tribute to sad and unfortunate contradictions of heart or reason.
The tragedy of the feeling of their own uselessness is deepened in both by the understanding of the uselessness of their lives. Pushkin exclaims about this bitterly:
But it's sad to think it's in vain
Youth was given to us,
That they cheated on her every hour
That she deceived us;
That our best wishes are
That our fresh dreams
Decayed in quick succession
Like leaves rotten in autumn.
He seems to be echoed by the hero of Lermontov: “My colorless youth passed in the struggle with myself and the light; I buried my best qualities, fearing ridicule, in the depths of my heart: they died there ... Having learned well the light and springs of life, I became a moral cripple. "
Pushkin's words about Onegin when
Killing a friend in a duel,
Having lived without a goal, without work
Until twenty six,
Languishing in the idleness of leisure ...
he "began wandering without a goal," can be attributed to Pechorin, who also killed his former "friend", and his life continued "without a goal, without work." Pechorin during the trip reflects: “Why did I live? For what purpose was I born? "
Feeling "immense strength in his soul," but wasting them completely in vain, Pechorin seeks death and finds it "from an accidental bullet on the roads of Persia." Onegin, at the age of twenty-six, was also "hopelessly tired of life." He exclaims:
Why am I not pierced by a bullet,
Why am I not a frail old man ?.
Comparing the descriptions of the lives of the heroes, one can be sure that Pechorina is a more active personality with traits of demonism. "To be the cause of suffering and joy for someone, without having any positive right to do so, is not this the sweetest food of our pride?" - says the hero of Lermontov. As a person, Onegin remains a mystery to us. It is not for nothing that Pushkin characterizes him as follows:
A sad and dangerous freak
Creation of hell or heaven,
This angel, this arrogant demon,
What is he? Is it an imitation
An insignificant ghost?
Onegin image Pechorin intelligentsia
Both Onegin and Pechorin are selfish, but thinking and suffering heroes. Despising an idle secular existence, they do not find ways and opportunities to freely, creatively resist it. In the tragic outcomes of the individual fates of Onegin and Pechorin, the tragedy of "extra people" is evident. The tragedy of the "superfluous person", in whatever era he appears, is at the same time the tragedy of the society that gave birth to him.
In life, things do not always turn out the way we would like. We observe this in the real world, great books teach us this. I liked the proposed topic, because I really love A.S. Pushkin, and reading the novel "Eugene Onegin", you can study not only the poem, but also the history of the noble society of the XIX century.
The protagonists of both works are young people. What did the younger generation of that time dream about? Eugene Onegin, being a charming, handsome nobleman, received a "French" upbringing, but the author emphasizes not strong abilities for mathematical sciences, foreign languages, but more for the "science of tender passion", lived an ordinary riotous life of the young generation: he followed fashion, shone on balls, spent time in theaters in the company of rakes. But, in the end, all this "tinsel" of life bothers him, he is disappointed both in lives and in people. In his soul - emptiness, cold, indifference. He is sick. And the name of this disease is blues.
Onegin begins to shun society, despises everyone, is arrogant with everyone. This would have continued if not for the death of his uncle and his subsequent acquaintance with Lensky and the Larin family.
Larins are wonderful, open, kind and simple people. Lensky is an educated man who studied in Germany, a romantic poet with high ideals and a romantic soul and capable of great love. The Larin family met Eugene Onegin with parental care, like a loved one. Little by little, his soul began to thaw, but on the whole he remained the same. But the tragedy of the work is when Tatyana Larina fell in love with Onegin, but was rejected and ridiculed by him.
Tatiana dreamed of finding a spouse in Onegin, expects sublime love from him, being well-read French novels, immediately sees in him her dream "of a romantic hero, but she was mistaken and, in the end, was forced to marry an" old man ", a rich man with a high rank. Lensky dreamed of a wedding with his beloved Olga, but dies in a stupid and senseless duel from a friend's bullet.
Larina's old men dream of a calm old age, of peace, of the happiness of their daughters, but reality contradicts their dreams. Eugene Onegin is forced to wander around different countries after a duel with Lensky, but life again presents a surprise: at the ball he meets a luxurious, fashionable lady, a trendsetter, who, among other things, is in the center of attention of the entire high society and shines with her beauty, manners, intellectually and recognizes Tatiana in her: "Could it be that the same Tatiana?" He was amazed, his heart was pierced by love, he was sick with love!
Onegin dreamed of Tatiana, suffered, realized what a big mistake he made, not appreciating her real merits in her: kindness, purity of soul, inner beauty. But Tatyana Larina is noble and honest, she cannot betray her husband, although she still loves Eugene Onegin. This work has been analyzed by thousands of critics from different countries, so it remains relevant today. Not only as a study of the high society of that time and the customs of Moscow, Petersburg, provincial Russia of those times, but also as a relationship between a man and a woman.
Thus, the side of Onegin appears here, as a "superfluous person" that nobody needs.
The same motive of "an extra person" is described in Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time", where the inner world of the hero Pechorin, living in another generation, is similar to Onegin's world in that he is also disappointed in life, gloomy, cynical, strange.
Pechorin, just like Onegin, personifies an entire generation of his time, however, he includes such aspects of character as anger, envy, at the same time as generosity and kindness. The whole tragedy of Pechorin is that he cannot love, find use for his strengths and talents, he would like to serve the Motherland, but Russia was in a state of reaction, any free thoughts were punished, and he rushed about in search of the use of himself. This unites him with Onegin, since he, too, could participate in the development of Russia, and not rush about in the hustle and bustle of life.
This is a potential hero who could bring many benefits to society, but there was no need for this, and he wasted his energy on stupid, rash, and also defamatory actions: a duel with Grushnitsky, attitude towards Princess Mary and Bela. The tragedy of Pechorin, like the tragedy of Onegin, is the tragedy of many of their contemporaries, who are similar to them in the way of thinking, in their position in society. This is the tragedy of all progressive-minded nobles who entered life after the defeat of the Decembrists.
In Russian literature of the 19th century, the images of Eugene Onegin and Pechorin became symbols of the era. They combined the typical features of the nobility with outstanding personal qualities, deep intellect and strength of character, which, alas, were not used in the conditions of a deep moral crisis, which became the main sign of the time in the 30s - 40s. Misunderstood in their circle, superfluous, they wasted their strength in vain, and failed 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. For all the similarities, Onegin and Pechorin are endowed with vivid individual traits, thanks to which modern readers also show interest in these literary heroes.
Pechorin- the protagonist of the novel by M. Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time", a Russian nobleman, an officer who, on duty, found himself in a war zone in the Caucasus. The uncommon personality of this literary hero caused sharp controversy among critics and the hot interest of contemporary readers.
Onegin- the main character of the novel in verse "Eugene Onegin", written by Alexander Pushkin. Onegin belongs to the noble aristocracy. His biography, according to V.G.Belinsky, became an encyclopedia of Russian life in the first half of the 19th century.
What is the difference between Pechorin and Onegin?
Comparison of Pechorin and Onegin
The first chapters of Eugene Onegin were published by A. Pushkin in 1825. Readers met Pechorin in 1840. The insignificant difference in the time of creation of these literary images was still 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 secular dandy. He is rich, educated and constantly under the scrutiny of high society. Tired of idleness, Eugene 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 a blues, and all the undertakings 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 those around them. The characters are separated by ten years, but each of them is a representative of its own 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 under the influence of freedom-loving ideas in the midst of the flourishing of the progressive social movement. Pechorin lives in a period of violent political reactions to the activities of the Decembrists. And if the first 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.
The drama of Onegin is in the futility of his own strength and the emptyness of the way of life, which was imposed by public opinion and accepted by the hero as a standard, beyond which he did not dare to step. The duel with Lensky, the difficult relationship with Tatyana Larina is a consequence of the 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, in the place of dangerous hostilities, showing miracles of courage, demonstrating endurance and strength of character. But its main feature, repeatedly emphasized in the novel, is the ambiguous contradictoriness of spiritual nobility and selfishness, bordering on cruelty.
The reader learns about Onegin's personality from the narrator's remarks and Tatiana Larina's observations. The narrator and Maxim Maksimych express their opinions about Pechorin. But his inner world is fully revealed in the diary - a bitter confession of a person who has not been able 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 heartlessness and a passion for intrigue.
In opposition to the light, Pechorin, like Onegin, is defeated. Forces without use, life without a goal, inability to love and friendship, secular tinsel instead of serving a high goal - these motives in Eugene Onegin and A Hero of Our Time have a common sound.
Pechorin became a hero of his time: the second half of the 30s of the XIX century, marked by a deep social crisis after the events associated with the Decembrist movement in Russia.
Both characters are highly 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 and anger, envy. Disappointed in society, the heroes fall into melancholy, begin to get bored. Onegin is trying to start writing to satisfy his spiritual needs. But he quickly gets tired of "hard work". Reading also captivates him for a short time. Pechorin, too, quickly gets tired of any business he has begun. However, having got to the Caucasus, Grigory still hopes that there will be no place for boredom under the bullets. But he also gets used to military operations very quickly. Lermontov's character was also bored with love adventures. This can be seen in the attitude of Pechorin to Mary and Bela. Having achieved love, Grigory quickly loses interest in the ladies.
A comparative description of 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 remain in the places where the tragedy happened, drops everything and begins to wander around the world. The hero of Lermontov's novel admits that he has caused a lot of grief to people in his entire 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 to himself, nor to those around him. This attitude towards life, himself, people portrays him as a "moral cripple." Despite the differences between Pechorin and Onegin, they both have many similarities. Each of them has a particular ability to understand people well. Both heroes are good psychologists. So, Onegin singled out Tatiana immediately, at the first meeting. Of all the representatives of the local nobility, Eugene 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 perfectly knows female psychology, can easily predict the actions of women and, using this, wins their love. Comparative characteristics of Onegin and Pechorin allow one to see the true state of the characters' inner worlds. 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 Tatiana, Onegin is ready to do anything in order to just see her. Lermontov's hero immediately rushes after Vera who has left. 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 Tatiana and does not think to take advantage of her inexperience. In this, Lermontov's hero is the exact opposite. Pechorin appears as an immoral person, a person 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 precisely defined the essence of this type.
So, how are the characters in Pushkin's and Lermontov's works similar and in what ways?
First of all, the heroes of both novels appear before us as historically and socially conditioned human characters. The social and political life of Russia in the twenties of the nineteenth century - the intensification of political reaction, the decline of the spiritual forces of the young generation - gave rise to a special type of incomprehensible young man of that time.
Onegin and Pechorin combine their origin, upbringing and education: both of them come from wealthy noble families. At the same time, both heroes do not accept much of the secular conventions, they have a negative attitude towards the external secular splendor, lies, and hypocrisy. This is evidenced, for example, by Pechorin's detailed monologue about his "colorless" youth, which "passed in the struggle with himself and the light." As a result of this struggle, he "became a moral cripple", quickly fed up with "all the pleasures that money can get." The same definition is quite applicable to Pushkin's hero: "fun and luxury child", he quickly got tired of the bustle of the world, and "the Russian blues took possession of him little by little."
It unites heroes and spiritual loneliness among the secular "motley crowd". "... My soul is spoiled by the light, my imagination is restless, my heart is insatiable," Pechorin bitterly notes in a conversation with Maxim Maksimych. The same is said about Onegin: “… early feelings in him cooled down; he got bored with the noise of the light. "
Hence, in both works, the idea of escapism arises - the desire of both heroes for solitude, their attempt to remove themselves from society, worldly vanity. This is expressed both in a literal escape from civilization, and in flight from society into the world of inner experiences, "the conditions of light overthrowing the burden." Onegin and Pechorin are also united by the common motive of "wandering without a goal", "the hunt for a change of place" (Pechorin's wanderings in the Caucasus, Onegin's fruitless travels after a duel with Lensky).
Spiritual freedom, which is understood by the heroes as independence from people and circumstances, is the main value in the worldview system of both characters. 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 manifested in their identical attitude to love, inability to deep affection:
“We managed to tire of treason;
Friends and friendship are tired. "
Such a perception of the world determines the special significance of the actions of the heroes in the lives of other people: both of them, according to Pechorin's different expressions, play the role of “axes in the hands of fate,” causing suffering to people with whom their fate confronts. Lensky dies in a duel, Tatyana suffers; similarly, Grushnitsky dies, Bela dies, good Maxim Maksimych takes offense, the smugglers' way of life is destroyed, Mary and Vera are unhappy.
The heroes of Pushkin and Lermontov are almost equally likely to "take the form", "put on a mask."
Another similarity of these heroes is that they embody a type of intellectual character, which is characterized by an eccentricity of judgments, dissatisfaction with oneself, a tendency to irony - all that is brilliantly defined by Pushkin as a "sharp, chilled mind." In this respect, there is a direct overlap between Pushkin's and Lermontov's novels.
However, there are also clear differences between the characters of these characters and the means of their artistic depiction in both novels.
So what's the difference? If Pechorin is characterized by an unlimited need for freedom and a constant desire to "subjugate what surrounds him to his will," "to arouse feelings of love, devotion and fear", then Onegin does not strive for constant self-affirmation at the expense of other people, takes a more passive position.
Pechorin's worldview is also distinguished by great cynicism, some disdain for people
The difference between Pechorin and Onegin
- Onegin is a literary hero who could devote his life to democratic transformations in society, but due to his personal qualities he became a hostage of the high society.
- Pechorin understands the worthlessness of his own existence and tries to change it: at the end of the novel, he leaves Russia.
- Onegin does not seek to change anything in his fate: all his actions are a consequence of the prevailing circumstances.
- Pechorin is able to objectively assess himself and honestly admit his passions and vices.
- Onegin understands his own imperfection, but is unable to analyze his own actions and their consequences.