An Anti-Hero Figure in Russian Novels

A major residual among the anti-hero of Pushkin and the other two is that Pushkin's impertinent is primarily historic and places more than(prenominal) significance on the political and social changes taking place rather than the changes in the personality of one man. Pushkin's Grinyov illustrates finished his confusion the general state of the era which the author explores. As such, Grinyov is far more a bewildered character than a hero or anti-hero. However, in this context, he is more anti-hero than hero.

Lermontov's novel is mainly about one man---Pechorin. Pechorin himself is a complex man, exhaustively an anti-hero, as Lermontov makes clear when he writes that the novel is a depiction " non of a single person" but "of the vices of our self-coloured generation in their ultimate development" (Lermontov 19).

Lermontov has created Pechorin to show not only what is villainous about one man, but what is villainous about a whole ball club. To Lermontov, Pechorin is a symptom of a sick society. It is a society without direction or purpose, and Pechorin represents that society as he goes about doing whatever he wants to do without concern for the disastrous results of his selfishness.

The conflict in the book is between the character of Pechorin and t

In addition, of course, the historical story by Pushkin ends far more happily for his adept than the more intensely mental studies of Dostoevsky and Lermontov end for their protagonists. The Empress frees Grinyov, while Pugachov is beheaded, and accordingly Grinyov marries his beloved and lives happily ever after. This stands is obvious and stark stemma to the fates of Raskolnikov and Pechorin. Pechorin dies miserable, and although Raskolnikov finds religious salvation, he remains in prison and awaits a dark fate, at least in terms of his physiologic being. Clearly, the nature of an anti-hero depends on the intent of the author and the nature of the organise itself.

Dostoevsky and Lermontov have created darker and more psychological (and spiritual, in Dostoevsky's case) portraits than Pushkin, who intends a more historical and romantic portrait of a man and his clip and place.

Lermontov, Mikhail. A Hero for Our Time. New York: Penguin, 1966.

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 idle in the world with no ethical compass. Like Pechorin, with no such compass, Raskolnikov is drawn to evil, in this case murder for dwarfish economic gain, primarily murder for the sake of experiencing murder. Both Pechorin and Raskolnikov be men who have excellence within them, but, because of some faction of personal and social failure, they are unable to put that goodness into action.

Pushkin, Alexander. The Captain's Daughter and Other Stories. New York: Vintage, 1936.

The third anti-hero, Grinyov in Pushkin's story, as stated in the introduction to this study, does not commit baneful acts as do the other two anti-heroes, nor is he as driven psychologically as the others. He is an intelligent man, more good than bad, but thoroughly confused by the hullabaloo in which he finds himself. He shows no
Order your essay at Orderessay and get a 100% original and high-quality custom paper within the required time frame.