Grigory Pechorin: The Superfluous Man Essay -- essays research papers

Mikhail Lermontovs protagonist, Grigory Pechorin, belongs to that group of literary characters kn own individu on the wholey as the extra man. Generally an intelligent, enlightened individual, the superfluous man would appear to be one who has been either unjustly treated or outcast by society in general. The superfluous man attempts to find a place for himself in the world, but possibly out-of-pocket to the combination of his talents, upbringing, personality and intelligence, continually finds himself on the outs with his peers.If the above translation is accepted as valid, then Pechorin might appear to be the perfect(a) superfluous man. From the outpouring of his tale of woe to Princess Mary, we may come to the stopping point that Pechorin has no supposition of cause and effect, at least not as it applies to himself as the cause. Moreover, it begets fairly apparent that he is of the belief that he is a victim of the world, which is more interesting, as one considers the cu lture of victimization that has become popular in recent years. Who has not heard the excuse, I did it because my (parents/state instance/dog) (harassed/bit/abused) me when I was a kidskin. In my opinion, the growing interest in pop psychology and the related fields of social psychology and child psychology have greatly contributed to the decay of moral rectitude and the concept of taking responsibility for ones own actions.The translator attributes Pechorins capriciousness to the lack of manipulation for his gifts. I do not agree with that assessment, as it has been my experience that sole(prenominal) those who have made up their minds to lack direction go forth be unable to find an activity that occupies their mind and appeals to them. One possible by-line would be some form of art. Skill matters little, if the activity is pleasing. Cultural appreciation, gastronomic excess, or sexual exercise would all be suitable endeavors. We chatter that Pechorin certainly takes pleasu re in the company of women, though in his own words, I must confess I dont really like strong- allow fored women, (111), the womanish sex does not hold an unbounded appeal for him. But his consanguinity with Vera, and his reaction to Maxim Maximychs inquiry about Bela clearly show that he is capable of feeling some emotion for others, although he refuses to expressing it. This is entirely Pech... ...given all it needs to survive and learn intellectually, but no moral boundaries, will come to be greatly like a sociopathic personality. They will most likely be incapable of relating to others, save as farther as they are themselves effected. They will not display anything near the take aim of enlightened self-interest that enables society. For all intents and purposes, they will be a sociopath, and due to the initial lack of guidance, they will be at best highly resistant to change, and at worst, totally irredeemable. Pechorin is either a coward, in which eggshell he should be pi tied, if not despised for his unwillingness to change, or he is a sociopath, in which case he should be exterminated, without a luminosity of guilt or pity, for the benefit of society. He clearly does not gloaming into the sociopathic category, as his displays of emotion &8211 faint though they are &8211 prove. So he is a coward, unwilling to come to terms with himself.Pechorin is not nevertheless the superfluous man of the 19th century, but rather a reflect held up for all of humanity. His insensitivity, fear, and self-loathing reflect us still to this day.