Intro: talk about society/ societal conventions of the time. In his novel A Hero of Our Time, Mikhail Lermontov offers criticism of social conventions. In the preface to the second edition of the novel he writes, “You have admired far more terrible and monstrous characters than he [Pechorin], so why are you so merciless towards him, even as a fictitious character? Perhaps he comes too close to the bone?” (20). Lermontov admits in this passage that his novel was designed to criticize people and make them uncomfortable. He uses the story to throw many societal faults into light, specifically through the protagonist, Grigori Alexandrovich Pechorin. The revelation of Alexander Pechorin’s character offers readers a view of Mikhail Lermontov’s criticism …show more content…
This story is located at the end of the novel, at a point where readers have already learned about Pechorin from three different sources: an unnamed narrator, Maxim Maximych, and Pechorin himself. The first two narrators lead to the portrayal of Pechorin as a evil, heartless, emotionless, and cruel man. The “Princess Mary” story is a collection of diary entries that grant readers insight into the character of Pechorin, granting readers a different understanding. By getting access to his own, unfiltered thoughts, readers get a glimpse of his true nature and direct thoughts, not an altered or interpreted view as given through other narrators. As understanding of Pechorin increases, he becomes more likeable. While many of his choices are not conventionally good, understanding his motivation for those decisions makes them more understandable. Readers are able to connect with Pechorin because his thoughts are similar to that of everyday people. This connection to real life situations offers Lermontov’s criticism of society. By portraying Pechorin as a relatable character, despite his obvious shortcomings, Lermontov shows that people are also