Nature of the Hero in Russian Novels
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This study will examine the changing nature of the hero in three Russian works, Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Alexander Pushkin's The Captain's Daughter, and Mikhail Lermontov's A Hero of Our Time. The study will be based on the view that the "hero" of these three works is not a heroic figure in the traditional sense, but is more an anti-hero, a person who in one case (Grinyov in Pushkin) is a weak man who is blown to and fro by circumstances, and, in the other two cases, is far more flawed than such traditional, classical heroes, and far more flawed than the bulk of the readers. By "traditional hero" this study means the classical figure of the Greeks or Shakespeare--an acknowledged leader of men, an honorable and admirable character with far more positive than negative qualities, but also with a fatal flaw (pride, jealousy) which eventually destroys him. What gives the anti-hero in these stories his identity is precisely the fact that he is meant to bring not admiration from the reader, but rather annoyance at best and repulsion at worst. The reader is forced to experience the anti-hero's thoughts and feelings and the terrible consequences of his actions (in the case of the protagonists in Dostoevsky and Lermontov), resulting, first, in repulsion, and then, perhaps, in compassion (as with Lermontov's protagonist), or even in wisdom and a sense of redemption (as with Dostoevsky's protagonist). Perhaps the reader is being asked to identify with the anti-hero fo
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death, as he does. The book is successful because Pechorin is fascinating as a man who does evil while being aware that he should not be doing it, who knows he is doing evil but cannot, or believes that he cannot behave in any other way. Because of this conflict, he is a tormented man. Although one may judge him for his evil ways and feel he deserves his death, one also cannot help but feel some sorrow for the soul of such a lost man who knows he is lost. If the reader is merely repulsed, then he or she has failed to understand the author's purpose, which is to bring about some measure of compassion or understanding for Pechorin.
Dostoevsky's anti-hero, Raskolnikov, can be seen as a man without a God, without morals, without social or psychological guidelines to follow. In other words, like Lermontov's anti-hero, Raskolnikov is a man loose in the world with no ethical compass. Like Pechorin, with no such compass, Raskolnikov is drawn to evil, in this case murder for little economic gain, primarily murder for the sake of experiencing murder. Both Pechorin and Raskolnikov are men who have goodness within them, but, because of some combination of personal and social failure, they are unable to put that goodness into action.
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1678
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)
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