A Hero of Our Time: a Short Analysis of Human Complacency with Suffering and Pain

Jeremiah Morales Morales 1 IB World Literature Ms. Gibbs December 21, 2011 A fighter of Our Time Human Complacency with Suffering and Pain Through turn out A Hero of Our Time, Mikhail Lermontov speculates greatly the validity of human friendships. Through his protagonist, Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin, Lermontov reveals friendship to be a parasitic sort of relationship, one member of the unit of friendship always exploiting the other to some degree.Pechorin himself is the manifestation of this idea throughout the course of the novel, interacting with other spate scarce to achieve his own means and never when it would be unbeneficial to him. Pechorin inflicts emotional accidental injury of some degree upon all the deal he meets as a result of Pechorins presence, suffering is introduced into the lives of those around him. Also, despite Pechorins malign intentions & the suffering he brings to those near him, these people about him continue to lionize and whiteness him, neglectin g to sever their ties with him even when the relationship they shared became unhealthy.The most profound example of vampirism in the novel, however, lies deep down the relationship shared between Pechorin and Bela, a young Circassian princess whom he would kidnap and later abandon. Through the recurring notions of suffering, Lermontov reveals the penchant of the human heart for the infliction and reception of pain, however inadvertent it may be. As Lermontov reveals through Bela and her submissiveness to her captivity, people silently allow others to inflict pain upon them, contributeing no true struggle against their oppressors.In the Caucasus, Pechorin crosses paths with Azamat, a young Circassian prince with a particular interest in Karagyoz, the horse of an old acquaintance of Pechorins, Kazbich. Pechorin comes to fancy Azamats sister, the lie withly Bela, whom had danced before him during a wedding party. Pechorin proposes a bargain to Azamat if he could kidnap Bela and brin g her to Pechorins dwelling, Pechorin would procure Kazbichs famed horse for him. Both parties fulfill their ends of the deal, and Bela soon was within the walls Morales 2 of Pechorins home. Once in Pechorins home, Bela hides behind her brink (20).Bela is deeply frightened and emotionally wounded by her kidnapping, fearful of those who abducted her. She no longer sings or dances as she did before she only sits in a corner, wrapped in a shawl (21), holding herself in a sort of fetal position. She isnt talking (21) and isnt looking up (21), refusing to actively observe her surround or absorb the reality of what was happening about her, for she is as frightened as a wild chamois (21), shuddering (21) when spoken to, her senses of stability and colloquy greatly distorted by the mental suffering she had undergone as she was abducted from her home.She languishs (21), her head hanging down to her chest (21), reveling in her misery and distancing herself from her surroundings. Bela is miserable, longing desperately for the familiarity of her causation home, and expressed her unhappiness without abandon. She would not, however, act on her emotions, silently allowing herself to remain in captivity. She would sit in silence, not offering a word of protest and not making any attempts to escape.Pechorin would try to elicit responses from her, entering the room that had been set aside for her and attempting to assuage her defensiveness by assuring her he meant no harm. Bela nods her head in a sign of agreement (22) as he demands she be more cheerful, obediently capitulating to his will and smiling affectionately (22), offering a fabricated pull a face to please him. Pechorin takes her hand and advances towards her, attempting to kiss her, and despite her trembling (22), she does not offer any substantial resistence, saying I am your captive, your slave.Of course you can campaign me (22). Despite the great emotional trauma that Pechorin inflicted on her by kidnapping her, Bela makes no true endeavor to escape or defy him she instead submissively and obediently offers herself to him, allowing him to do as he pleased without regard to the suffering it brought her. Belas willingness to remain in captivity and tolerate her suffering reveals that, even in relationships today, women will be able to romanticize pain and abuse when they are afflicted by these things through an oppressive or vampiric relationship.Through Pechorins numbness to Belas suffering, Lermontov reveals to us the ultimate selfishness that men are capable of and their ability to wholly ignore the suffering of others for the sake of achieving their own means. Pechorin had a talent for manipulating women, nutrition off their infatuation until he became unpleased with the relationship. Bela, however, pines (21) for her old life and does not succumb to his various charms initially, and so Pechorin makes a sport of winning her affection.Pechorin had noticed that, after large her man y gifts, Bela began to grow less emotionally resistant and more familiar with him, and Pechorin had begun to tell Maxim Maximych, his partner in travel, that he would without doubt win Belas affection. He speaks of her as if she was game, saying that she was not a woman (22), separating her from the classifications of human beings, as if she were rather an animal to be hunted. He says to Maxim that on his open word, she will be his (22), and when Maxim shakes his head in doubt, Pechorin proposes to bet on it (22) and that in a weeks time (22) she would give in.Pechorin made her out to be as an animal to be coaxed out of its protective shell so that it might be captured rather than pitying Bela and taking note of her severe suffering and sadness, he made a game of the situation, and even offered to gamble with Maxim as to what the outcome of the game would be. Hitler does eventually warm her heart, winning her love short deep into a pathetic list of procedures carefully executed th rough plans engineered to manipulate Bela and distract her from her suffering. Pechorin himself, however, would become distracted himself, immersing himself in his love for the hunt.He loved hunting with a passion (30). As he came to enjoy hunting more and more, he was seen less and less at home, and Bela was left alone, the short pale thing so sad (31). She would often cry (31), brought to deep despair by the notion that he does not love her (31). However, if Bela continued to pine (31), Pechorin would grow tired of it (31) and leave her. Pechorin was not interested in her feelings or how awfully they were damaged as a result of his indifference he cared only that she acted in the manner that he pleased.If she would not do that, the relationship would no longer be something worthy of his investment. Out of Pechorins sight, however, Bela would continue to wollow in her anguish, go down on her bed and covering her face with her hands (31) as she wept in despair. Despite the emotion al suffering that Bela had been Morales 4 subject to, Pechorin would offer no comforting, as what mattered to him was his own pleasure. Through Belas death and Pechorins ability to easy cope, Lermontov reveals the ultimate complacency humans find in their suffering.Kazbich attempts to steal Bela international from Pechorin and Maxim, binding her and riding away with her on his horse. Pechorin and Maxim chase him fervently, and in an attempt to stop Kazbich and save Belas life, a horrible irony occurs the poke with which Maxim intended to target Kazbich and save Bela actually proves to have pierced through Bela herself. Bela grows fatally ill after taking this shot, and she now suffers physical trauma in addition to her emotional instability. She suffers from delirium (39), and often lies motionless and pale (39). It was barely possible to see her breathing (39), and she is dying (39). She begins lamenting (39) all the sadnesses of her past, locomote to utter and complete despai r by the intense physical pain and the knowledge that her life was now virtually over. Bela now suffers in both physically and emotionally shattering ways, and yet does not curse Pechorin or Maxim for the great physical and emotional traumas they had brought her. Pechorin expresses very mild forms of concern, but ultimately would easily be able to allow her passing, Maxim never once having noticed a tear on his lashes (39).Bela would be kidnapped and murdered by two men whom she had never known, and would not express any operative resentment in the same respect, Pechorins actions would ultimately lead to Belas death, and yet he would offer no signs of remorse. Through the theme of suffering, and the passive ending of Bela and Pechorins relationship, Lermontov reveals the ultimate tolerance for the infliction and reception of pain that humans have allowed to form within their natures. (Word Count 1,491)