Examining the Role of Women in Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time Vasilisa Isabel Hunton College

M. Lermontov’s novel A Hero of Our Time utilizes the voice of the main character Pechorin, along with the voice of an unnamed traveler to provide an inner glimpse into the workings of Pechorin’s complex mind, along with the often philosophical, sometimes sensitive and sometimes cynical outlooks this anti-hero possesses. As the reader is exposed to a few impactful and vital accounts in the development of Pechorin’s life and timeline, it is not difficult to see that this hard-to-please character has a negative view of women, in the sense that they are more pawns in his game of chess, rather than human beings deserving respect and equality. Although this type of thinking was not uncommon for the time period in which the book was written (1800s), Pechorin takes this contempt further, by choosing to manipulate certain female characters and grow bored of others. The anti-hero treats “...life as drama”, which only becomes further validated by his actions towards many, among them Princess Mary in the final sections of the novel (Goscilo 1980). This action, in addition to numerous others, some of which will be covered later on, not only exemplify Pechorin’s arrogance, but also his overall dissatisfaction in the way things are. One...