Literature has proven that it tries to accurately reflect society’s concerns and connections. Many authors use stories, characters and topic to show society. Mikhail Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time illustrates the ideals of Eurasian frontier community in the late 19th century. It is also in line with literary criteria. Grigory Alexandrovich, the protagonist of the book, shows how one’s surroundings can affect their moral actions.
People’s natural and geographical environment can impact their actions and lifestyles. Pechorin describes his time in Taman. It is a small community on the coast with few rooms. He was left to live in a shack right by the sea. Pechorin becomes concerned about the poor design of his hut and decides to take a darker route to get to an important smuggling hub. Pechorin is open to introducing entrepreneurs to authorities. After being warned by the woman running the operation, Pechorin decides to expose the illegal enterprise to police. Pechorin was terrified and intimidated when the woman tried to drown him by kissing and drowning him.
The choices that a person makes in their lives, especially when they are pursuing inner calmness and fate, can also be affected by them. Pechorin is devoted to his pursuit of inner peace. He overcomes numerous obstacles which were part of his destiny. Pechorin wasn’t meant to be in a lasting relationship with a woman. Pechorin lost Bella and found it difficult to feel tranquility. However, Bella is killed by the horse’s owner. He fails to get married to Vera after he kills Grushnitsky, his close friend. Because of the losses, he is no longer able to feel inner serenity and must continue wandering in search.
Heroism, on the other hand, is a great value in many communities. This includes the Eurasian frontier, which was located at the middle of the 20th century. The Eurasian society defined heroism to be the ability to conquer life’s challenges and win wars. Pechorin can be described as a hero, having overcome numerous obstacles throughout his life. He even battled his foes until the end to reach his goals. Grushnitsky, Pechorin’s rival for Vera’s affections, is killed. Bella’s death is overturned by him and he fights bravely for Vera’s love.
Pechorin is Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time. He is a perfect example of how human beings deal with their moral dilemmas, inner calm, destiny and heroism. This book is a great historical resource because it shows the perspective of Eurasian border settlements in the middle of the 19th century. It is significant because the events described in the book can also be applied to current communities.