Why does Pechorin interfere in the lives of honest smugglers? Pechorin and the smugglers
The chapter “Taman” was included in the “Pechorin Journal”. Restoring the chronological sequence of events from Pechorin’s life, one should begin reading the novel “A Hero of Our Time” with the story “Taman”, where Pechorin talks about an incident that happened to him when he first came from St. Petersburg to the Caucasus. Then follows the story “Princess Mary”, where Pechorin talks about the events in which he participated when he arrived at the waters in Pyatigorsk. Then the story “Bela”, the events of which take place in the fortress where Pechorin was exiled for a duel with Grushnitsky. Pechorin left the fortress for some time to Cossack village and witnessed the story with officer Vulich, described in the short story “Fatalist”. Then five years pass. Pechorin, having retired, lives in St. Petersburg and, bored again, goes to Persia. Along the way he meets Maxim Maksimych. Their meeting is described in the story “Maksim Maksimych”. From the short preface to Pechorin's Journal we learn that, returning from Persia, Pechorin died. Lermontov deviated from such a chronology and structured the composition of the novel in such a way that first we learn about Pechorin from the stories about him by Maxim Maksimych and a passing officer, and then from the diary “Pechorin’s Journal”. Thus, Pechorin’s character is revealed in different situations, in a clash with other characters in the novel. And every time some new facet of Pechorin’s complex and rich nature opens up.
“Taman” is the third story in order. With its problematics and the character of the hero’s environment, “Bela” seems to continue and is a record of an episode from the past. The story is told in the first person (Pechorina). Describing an episode from the life of smugglers, Pechorin says nothing about his thoughts and experiences. His attention is focused on showing the events themselves, their participants, and the setting. The landscape helps create the mysterious and romantic mood of the story. WITH amazing skill Lermontov describes the restless sea, the moon, and clouds. “The shore sloped down to the sea almost right next to its walls, and below, dark blue waves splashed with a continuous roar. The moon quietly looked at the restless, but submissive element, and I could distinguish in its light, far from the shore, two ships,” writes Pechorin. There is an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty around him. The night, the reed roof and white walls of the new home, the meeting with the blind boy - all this so amazes Pechorin’s imagination that for a long time he cannot fall asleep in the new place. Much in the boy’s behavior seems incomprehensible and mysterious: how a blind man so easily descends a narrow steep path, how he feels a person’s gaze. His barely noticeable smile makes an unpleasant impression on Pechorin. Pechorin's curiosity is also spurred by the boy's actions. Alone, in the middle of the night, with some kind of bundle, he goes down to the sea. Pechorin began to watch him, hiding behind a protruding rock. He saw a white woman approach him female figure and spoke to him. From the conversation it became clear that they were waiting for Yanko, who must sail by boat on a stormy sea, bypassing the coast guards. He delivered some cargo by boat. Taking a bundle each, they set off along the shore and disappeared from sight.
What kind of people live on the shore? What mysteries lie behind their unusual behavior? These questions haunt Pechorin, and he boldly invades the unknown, boldly rushes towards danger. Pechorin meets an old woman and her daughter. Hearing the song, Pechorin looked up and on the roof of the roof saw a girl in a striped dress, with loose braids, a real mermaid. Subsequently, he nicknamed her Ondine. She was unusually beautiful: “The extraordinary flexibility of her figure, the special, unique tilt of her head, her long brown hair, the kind of golden tint of her slightly tanned skin on her neck and shoulders, and especially her correct nose - all this was charming to me.” Having started talking to this girl, Pechorin talked about night scene on the shore, which he witnessed, and threatened to report everything to the commandant. This was a great carelessness on his part, and he soon repented. The poetic girl - “undine”, “real mermaid” - insidiously lures Pechorin into a trap, hinting at love: “She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and a wet, fiery kiss sounded on my lips. My vision darkened, my head began to spin, I squeezed her in my arms with all the strength of youthful passion...” Ondine made an appointment for Pechorin at night on the shore. Forgetting caution, Pechorin gets into the boat. Having sailed some distance from the shore, the girl hugged Pechorin, unfastened the pistol and threw it overboard. Pechorin realized that he could die because he did not know how to swim. This gave him strength, and a short fight ended with him throwing her into the waves. The hope for love turned out to be deceived, the date ended in a fierce struggle for life. All this angers Pechorin, who suffered because of his naivety and gullibility. But, despite everything, he managed to uncover the secret of the “peaceful smugglers.” This brings disappointment to the hero: “And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers? Like a stone thrown into a smooth spring, I disturbed their calm and, like a stone, I almost sank to the bottom myself.” Upon returning, Pechorin discovers that the blind man had carried his things to the shore in a sack - a box, a saber with a silver frame, a Dagestan dagger - a gift from a friend. “Wouldn’t it be funny to complain to the authorities that a blind boy robbed me, and an eighteen-year-old girl almost drowned me?” In the morning Pechorin leaves for Gelendzhik.
Pechorin realizes that he made a mistake by invading the lives of these people, and blames himself for invading their circle, which disrupted their lives. Yanko and the girl leave, leaving the boy and the old woman without a means of subsistence. Pechorin admits: “I don’t know what happened to the old woman and the poor blind man. And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a traveling officer, and even on the road for official reasons.”
“Taman” amazes with its masterful portrayal of the characters’ characters. The image of a smuggler girl is truly romantic. This girl is characterized by bizarre mood swings, “quick transitions from the greatest anxiety to complete immobility.” Her speeches are mysterious and close in form to folk proverbs and sayings; her songs, reminiscent of folk songs, speak of her desire for a violent will. There's a lot in it vitality, courage, determination, poetry of “wild freedom”. A rich, unique nature, full of mystery, it is as if by nature itself created for the free, risk-filled life that she leads. No less colorful is the image of the smuggler Yanko, painted with spare but bright strokes. He is determined and fearless, not afraid of storms. Having learned about the danger that threatens him, he leaves his native place to look for fishing in another place: “... but everywhere is dear to me, wherever the wind blows and the sea makes noise!” But at the same time, Yanko shows cruelty and stinginess, leaving a blind boy on the shore with a few coins. Pechorin's personality is complemented by such qualities that appear in moments of danger: courage, determination, willingness to take risks, willpower.
At the end of the story, Pechorin peers at the white sail that flashed between the dark waves in the light of the moon. This symbolic image reminds of one of the most amazingly beautiful and deepest in thought Lermontov’s poems - “The Lonely Sail Whitens...”. The life of the main character, Pechorin, was just as rebellious and restless.
“And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes?”
M. Yu. Lermontov
Lermontov’s novel “A Hero of Our Time” addresses the burning question: why people, smart and energetic, do not find use for their remarkable abilities and wither without a fight at the very beginning life path. Lermontov answers this question with the life story of Pechorin, young man, belonging to the generation of the 30s. The composition, plot of the work and the entire system of images are subordinated to the task of a comprehensive and deep disclosure of the personality of the hero and the environment that raised him.
The story told in Taman has life basis. Lermontov was in Taman in 1837. He had to stay late waiting for the ship. The old Cossack woman Tsaritsykha mistook Lermontov for a secret spy who wants to detect smugglers. Tsaritsykha’s neighbor was a beautiful Tatar woman, whose husband had dealings with smugglers. And there was a blind boy, Yashka.
The story "Taman" is an independent piece of art and at the same time is part of the novel. It is written in the form of a diary, and this is no accident. If at the beginning of the novel the author strives to show Pechorin’s contradictory actions, then later on the pages of the diary the secret and obvious motives of the hero’s actions are revealed and their reasons are analyzed.
It should be noted that in “Taman” the romantic elation of the narrative is harmoniously combined with a realistic depiction of the characters and life of free smugglers. For example, let’s take the description of Yanko’s portrait: “A man in a Tatar hat came out of the boat, but he had a Cossack haircut, and a large knife was sticking out of his belt.” And this detail (the knife) reminds us of the dangerous profession of a smuggler. Somehow it is said very simply about Yanko’s prowess. “What, blind man,” said female voice, - the storm is strong. Yanko will not be there." “Yanko is not afraid of the storm,” he answered. Following this dialogue, Lermontov draws a raging sea. “Slowly rising to the ridges of the waves, quickly descending from them, the boat approached the shore.” The description of the raging elements serves as a means of revealing the prowess of Yanko, for whom “everywhere there is a road, where only the wind blows and the sea makes noise.” He undertakes this feat only for the sake of profit. His stinginess is amazing: the blind boy receives a small coin as a reward. And Yanko asks the old woman to tell her “that, they say, it’s time to die, I’ve healed, I need to know and honor.” Fate does not bring Pechorin and this “honest” smuggler directly together, but nevertheless, Yanko is forced precisely because of him to leave the “inhabited lands.” The heroes of the story are engaged in a dangerous trade - smuggling. Lermontov deliberately does not specify what exactly they are transporting through the strait and what they are taking overseas. “Rich goods” “the cargo was great” - we don’t know anything else. It is important for Lermontov to create in the reader a feeling of danger, unusual life, full of anxiety.
Let's trace the relationship between Pechorin and the smugglers. Having settled in a hut where it is “unclean,” Pechorin does not even think of being afraid, one might even say he behaves thoughtlessly. On the very first night he “got up, threw on his beshmet; He quietly left the hut, seeing a shadow flash past the window.” Why does he need this alien life? The answer is very simple. Everything is interesting to him, important, he needs to “touch” everything, this is probably what attracts Pechorin’s character. He is young, looking for love. But the mysterious girl lured him into the boat, he “felt her fiery breath on his face” - and at that same moment the “mermaid” threw his pistol into the water. There is no longer an “undine”; there is an enemy with whom we must fight.
To top it all off, the blind boy robbed Pechorin with the girl’s knowledge, and this completely destroys the dreams in which our hero was. Yes, Pechorin is largely to blame: inexperience, inability to understand people. And what were the consequences of the phrase: “What if, for example, I decided to inform the commandant?” And the old woman, and the blind boy, and the girl could not explain Pechorin’s actions other than the desire to give them away. After all, he walks around, looks out, threatens. They don’t understand that he is simply interested in these people, their lives. And this curiosity resulted in Pechorin ruining the lives of the smugglers and, moreover, almost dying himself. And when the blind boy began to cry, when the girl left forever with Yanko, then Pechorin was horrified by what he had done: “And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers? Like a stone thrown into a smooth spring, I disturbed their calm, and, like a stone, I almost sank to the bottom myself.”
As for the artistic side of the story “Taman,” it is simply impossible to overestimate it. But I would still like to more specifically define what the work is based on. These are the “three pillars”: accuracy, imagery, expressiveness. And what a selection " telling details"! Here, for example, Pechorin writes in his travel journal: “two benches and a table; not a single image on the wall is a bad sign!” This poor situation suggests that people live here temporarily and are ready to leave their uncomfortable shelter at any moment.
Or in the scene of a conversation between a girl and a blind man, we learn that the storm is strong, the fog is getting thicker. It would seem, so what? But this is important for smugglers: you can’t go “on business” in all weathers.
The technique of antithesis in the story is interesting. This is how the blind boy imagines the image of Yanko: “Yanko is not afraid of either the sea or the wind.” Sort of fairy tale hero, fearless hero. But Pechorin sees Yanko differently: “a man of average height, wearing a Tatar lamb’s cap, came out of the boat,” ordinary person, not at all heroic in appearance.
The technique of combining the sublime and the base in the story is also interesting. Here romance coexists with the prose of life. The mysterious girl reminds me of Pechorin romantic heroine. But the “mermaid” sings her beautiful free song, standing on the roof of a miserable hut. The girl’s words addressed to Pechorin are mysterious, and the lamentations of the blind boy are pathetic: “Where did I go?... With a knot? What kind of knot!?”
If we talk about the plot, it vaguely resembles the plot of “Bela”. A Russian young man meets a local savage girl and falls in love with her. The plot is typical for the literature of Lermontov's era. But in Taman everything is unconventional. The girl was supposed to fall in love with the newcomer. But everything turns out to be wrong. Landscape sketches give the story a romantic flavor and, contrasting with the wretchedness of the “unclean place,” open up to the reader a charming world of beauty and bliss.
The composition of the story is unique. The work opens and ends with the hero’s judgments, testifying to the bitterness of the experience gained in this event, about an attempt to be indifferent to the people with whom fate confronts him. A.P. Chekhov, with all the severity of his assessments, said: “I don’t know the language better than Lermontov.”
I would like to add on my own that sometimes it becomes sad when, in the modern variety of books, it is very difficult to choose a book “for the soul.” All this market “reading” that surrounds us everywhere, screams and gets into our eyes, is simply annoying. And, honestly, one small story “Taman” from “A Hero of Our Time” is already worth all this waste paper
1)“Taman” is the first of the stories written on behalf of Pechorin. Knowing from the preface to Taman that he died on the way from Persia, the reader is especially attentive to his confessions. The story of Pechorin's disappointed and dying soul is set out in the hero's confessional notes - with all the mercilessness of introspection; being both the author and the hero of the "magazine", Pechorin fearlessly speaks about both his ideal impulses and dark sides your soul, and about the contradictions of consciousness. Pechorin makes people who come into contact with him unhappy. So he interferes in the lives of “honest smugglers,” just as he plays with Bela’s fate. Finding himself in a hut on a steep seashore, Pechorin instantly notices and Moonlight, and a steep coast, a restless sea element and a blind boy. Looking at the house, he notices that there is not a single “image” on the wall, which is not at all typical for ordinary people that time. Everything seems to indicate that this place is unclean. And indeed, the promised evil begins to come true - Pechorin discovers that the inhabitants are nocturnal. How does he behave? Pechorin has a deep and tragic character. He combines a “sharp, chilled mind” with a thirst for activity and struggle with courage, bravery, and willpower. Realizing that they are smugglers in front of him, Pechorin instinctively reaches out to them, romanticizing their attitude to freedom. The warnings of the orderly and the constable only inflame his excitement. Pechorin starts the game with a beautiful smuggler girl. He responds to the call of the alarming, dangerous, alluring freedom of the life of smugglers. The heroine of the story has no name. This is not accidental - the author wants to show only the seductive nature of women. This " feminine nature“Described using contrasts, variability, sensuality. But later this innocent femininity will take on a completely different side - the girl almost drowns Pechorin in the sea. This will be Pechorin’s payment, payment for Bela’s death, payment for unlimited passion. “Honest smugglers seem free, romantic, mysterious and attractive, but their world disappoints Pechorin. Having run away with Yanko, the girl dooms the old woman and the blind boy to starvation, but what does he, Pechorin, care about this? He feels like a stranger everywhere: the smugglers are in sea elements, but he doesn’t know how to swim, they are free to choose their place of residence, but he is ordered to go to the Caucasus
Answer
The chapter “Taman” was included in the “Pechorin Journal”. Restoring the chronological sequence of events from Pechorin’s life, one should begin reading the novel “A Hero of Our Time” with the story “Taman”, where Pechorin talks about an incident that happened to him when he first came from St. Petersburg to the Caucasus. Then follows the story “Princess Mary”, where Pechorin talks about the events in which he participated when he arrived at the waters in Pyatigorsk. Then the story “Bela”, the events of which take place in the fortress where Pechorin was exiled for a duel with Grushnitsky. Pechorin left the fortress for some time to the Cossack village and witnessed the story with the officer Vulich, described in the short story “Fatalist”. Then five years pass. Pechorin, having retired, lives in St. Petersburg and, bored again, goes to Persia. Along the way he meets Maxim Maksimych. Their meeting is described in the story “Maksim Maksimych”. From the short preface to Pechorin's Journal we learn that, returning from Persia, Pechorin died. Lermontov deviated from such a chronology and structured the composition of the novel in such a way that first we learn about Pechorin from the stories about him by Maxim Maksimych and a passing officer, and then from the diary “Pechorin’s Journal”. Thus, Pechorin’s character is revealed in various situations, in collisions with other characters in the novel. And every time some new facet of Pechorin’s complex and rich nature opens up. “Taman” is the third story in order. With its problematics and the character of the hero’s environment, “Bela” seems to continue and is a record of an episode from the past. The story is told in the first person (Pechorina). Describing an episode from the life of smugglers, Pechorin says nothing about his thoughts and experiences. His attention is focused on showing the events themselves, their participants, and the setting. The landscape helps create the mysterious and romantic mood of the story. With amazing skill, Lermontov describes the restless sea, the moon, and clouds. “The shore sloped down to the sea almost right next to its walls, and below, dark blue waves splashed with a continuous roar. The moon quietly looked at the restless, but submissive element, and I could distinguish in its light, far from the shore, two ships,” writes Pechorin. There is an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty around him. The night, the reed roof and white walls of the new home, the meeting with the blind boy - all this so amazes Pechorin’s imagination that for a long time he cannot fall asleep in the new place. Much in the boy’s behavior seems incomprehensible and mysterious: how a blind man so easily descends a narrow steep path, how he feels a person’s gaze. His barely noticeable smile makes an unpleasant impression on Pechorin. Pechorin's curiosity is also spurred by the boy's actions. Alone, in the middle of the night, with some kind of bundle, he goes down to the sea. Pechorin began to watch him, hiding behind a protruding rock. He saw a white female figure approach him and speak to him. From the conversation it became clear that they were waiting for Yanko, who must sail by boat on a stormy sea, bypassing the coast guards. He delivered some cargo by boat. Taking a bundle each, they set off along the shore and disappeared from sight. What kind of people live on the shore? What mysteries lie behind their unusual behavior? These questions haunt Pechorin, and he boldly invades the unknown, boldly rushes towards danger. Pechorin meets an old woman and her daughter. Hearing the song, Pechorin looked up and on the roof of the roof saw a girl in a striped dress, with loose braids, a real mermaid. Subsequently, he nicknamed her Ondine. She was unusually beautiful: “The extraordinary flexibility of her figure, the special, unique tilt of her head, her long brown hair, the kind of golden tint of her slightly tanned skin on her neck and shoulders, and especially her correct nose - all this was charming to me.” Having spoken to this girl, Pechorin spoke about the night scene on the shore, which he had witnessed, and threatened to report everything to the commandant. This was a great carelessness on his part, and he soon repented. The poetic girl - “undine”, “real mermaid” - insidiously lures Pechorin into a trap, hinting at love: “She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and a wet, fiery kiss sounded on my lips. My vision darkened, my head began to spin, I squeezed her in my arms with all the strength of youthful passion...” Ondine made an appointment for Pechorin at night on the shore. Forgetting caution, Pechorin gets into the boat. Having sailed some distance from the shore, the girl hugged Pechorin, unfastened the pistol and threw it overboard. Pechorin realized that he could die because he did not know how to swim. This gave him strength, and a short fight ended with him throwing her into the waves. The hope for love turned out to be deceived, the date ended in a fierce struggle for life. All this angers Pechorin, who suffered because of his naivety and gullibility. But, despite everything, he managed to uncover the secret of the “peaceful smugglers.” This brings disappointment to the hero: “And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers? Like a stone thrown into a smooth spring, I disturbed their calm and, like a stone, I almost sank to the bottom myself.” Upon returning, Pechorin discovers that the blind man had carried his things to the shore in a sack - a box, a saber with a silver frame, a Dagestan dagger - a gift from a friend. “Wouldn’t it be funny to complain to the authorities that a blind boy robbed me, and an eighteen-year-old girl almost drowned me?” In the morning Pechorin leaves for Gelendzhik. Pechorin realizes that he made a mistake by invading the lives of these people, and blames himself for invading their circle, which disrupted their lives. Yanko and the girl leave, leaving the boy and the old woman without a means of subsistence. Pechorin admits: “I don’t know what happened to the old woman and the poor blind man. And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a traveling officer, and even on the road for official reasons.” “Taman” amazes with its masterful portrayal of the characters’ characters. The image of a smuggler girl is truly romantic. This girl is characterized by bizarre mood swings, “quick transitions from the greatest anxiety to complete immobility.” Her speeches are mysterious and close in form to folk proverbs and sayings; her songs, reminiscent of folk songs, speak of her desire for a violent will. She has a lot of vitality, courage, determination, and the poetry of “wild freedom.” A rich, unique nature, full of mystery, it is as if by nature itself created for the free, risk-filled life that she leads. No less colorful is the image of the smuggler Yanko, painted with spare but bright strokes. He is determined and fearless, not afraid of storms. Having learned about the danger that threatens him, he leaves his native place to look for fishing in another place: “... but everywhere is dear to me, wherever the wind blows and the sea makes noise!” But at the same time, Yanko shows cruelty and stinginess, leaving a blind boy on the shore with a few coins. Pechorin's personality is complemented by such qualities that appear in moments of danger: courage, determination, willingness to take risks, willpower. At the end of the story, Pechorin peers at the white sail that flashed between the dark waves in the light of the moon. This symbolic image is reminiscent of one of the most amazingly beautiful and profoundly thought Lermontov poems - “The Lonely Sail Whitens...”. The life of the main character, Pechorin, was just as rebellious and restless.
The chapter “Taman” was included in the “Pechorin Journal”. Restoring the chronological sequence of events from Pechorin’s life, one should begin reading the novel “A Hero of Our Time” with the story “Taman”, where Pechorin talks about an incident that happened to him when he first came from St. Petersburg to the Caucasus. Then follows the story “Princess Mary”, where Pechorin talks about the events in which he participated when he arrived at the waters in Pyatigorsk. Then the story “Bela”, the events of which take place in the fortress where Pechorin was exiled for a duel with Grushnitsky. Pechorin left the fortress for some time to the Cossack village and witnessed the story with the officer Vulich, described in the short story “Fatalist”. Then five years pass. Pechorin, having retired, lives in St. Petersburg and, bored again, goes to Persia. Along the way he meets Maxim Maksimych. Their meeting is described in the story “Maksim Maksimych”. From the short preface to Pechorin's Journal we learn that, returning from Persia, Pechorin died. Lermontov deviated from such a chronology and structured the composition of the novel in such a way that first we learn about Pechorin from the stories about him by Maxim Maksimych and a passing officer, and then from the diary “Pechorin’s Journal”. Thus, Pechorin’s character is revealed in various situations, in collisions with other characters in the novel. And every time some new facet of Pechorin’s complex and rich nature opens up.
“Taman” is the third story in order. With its problematics and the character of the hero’s environment, “Bela” seems to continue and is a record of an episode from the past. The story is told in the first person (Pechorina). Describing an episode from the life of smugglers, Pechorin says nothing about his thoughts and experiences. His attention is focused on showing the events themselves, their participants, and the setting. The landscape helps create the mysterious and romantic mood of the story. With amazing skill, Lermontov describes the restless sea, the moon, and clouds. “The shore sloped down to the sea almost right next to its walls, and below, dark blue waves splashed with a continuous roar. The moon quietly looked at the restless, but submissive element, and I could distinguish in its light, far from the shore, two ships,” writes Pechorin. There is an atmosphere of mystery and uncertainty around him. The night, the reed roof and white walls of the new home, the meeting with the blind boy - all this so amazes Pechorin’s imagination that for a long time he cannot fall asleep in the new place. Much in the boy’s behavior seems incomprehensible and mysterious: how a blind man so easily descends a narrow steep path, how he feels a person’s gaze. His barely noticeable smile makes an unpleasant impression on Pechorin. Pechorin's curiosity is also spurred by the boy's actions. Alone, in the middle of the night, with some kind of bundle, he goes down to the sea. Pechorin began to watch him, hiding behind a protruding rock. He saw a white female figure approach him and speak to him. From the conversation it became clear that they were waiting for Yanko, who must sail by boat on a stormy sea, bypassing the coast guards. He delivered some cargo by boat. Taking a bundle each, they set off along the shore and disappeared from sight.
What kind of people live on the shore? What mysteries lie behind their unusual behavior? These questions haunt Pechorin, and he boldly invades the unknown, boldly rushes towards danger. Pechorin meets an old woman and her daughter. Hearing the song, Pechorin looked up and on the roof of the roof saw a girl in a striped dress, with loose braids, a real mermaid. Subsequently, he nicknamed her Ondine. She was unusually beautiful: “The extraordinary flexibility of her figure, the special, unique tilt of her head, her long brown hair, the kind of golden tint of her slightly tanned skin on her neck and shoulders, and especially her correct nose - all this was charming to me.” Having spoken to this girl, Pechorin spoke about the night scene on the shore, which he had witnessed, and threatened to report everything to the commandant. This was a great carelessness on his part, and he soon repented. The poetic girl - “undine”, “real mermaid” - insidiously lures Pechorin into a trap, hinting at love: “She jumped up, wrapped her arms around my neck, and a wet, fiery kiss sounded on my lips. My vision darkened, my head began to spin, I squeezed her in my arms with all the strength of youthful passion...” Ondine made an appointment for Pechorin at night on the shore. Forgetting caution, Pechorin gets into the boat. Having sailed some distance from the shore, the girl hugged Pechorin, unfastened the pistol and threw it overboard. Pechorin realized that he could die because he did not know how to swim. This gave him strength, and a short fight ended with him throwing her into the waves. The hope for love turned out to be deceived, the date ended in a fierce struggle for life. All this angers Pechorin, who suffered because of his naivety and gullibility. But, despite everything, he managed to uncover the secret of the “peaceful smugglers.” This brings disappointment to the hero: “And why did fate throw me into the peaceful circle of honest smugglers? Like a stone thrown into a smooth spring, I disturbed their calm and, like a stone, I almost sank to the bottom myself.” Upon returning, Pechorin discovers that the blind man had carried his things to the shore in a sack - a box, a saber with a silver frame, a Dagestan dagger - a gift from a friend. “Wouldn’t it be funny to complain to the authorities that a blind boy robbed me, and an eighteen-year-old girl almost drowned me?” In the morning Pechorin leaves for Gelendzhik.
Pechorin realizes that he made a mistake by invading the lives of these people, and blames himself for invading their circle, which disrupted their lives. Yanko and the girl leave, leaving the boy and the old woman without a means of subsistence. Pechorin admits: “I don’t know what happened to the old woman and the poor blind man. And what do I care about human joys and misfortunes, me, a traveling officer, and even on the road for official reasons.”
“Taman” amazes with its masterful portrayal of the characters’ characters. The image of a smuggler girl is truly romantic. This girl is characterized by bizarre mood swings, “quick transitions from the greatest anxiety to complete immobility.” Her speeches are mysterious and close in form to folk proverbs and sayings; her songs, reminiscent of folk songs, speak of her desire for a violent will. She has a lot of vitality, courage, determination, and the poetry of “wild freedom.” A rich, unique nature, full of mystery, it is as if by nature itself created for the free, risk-filled life that she leads. No less colorful is the image of the smuggler Yanko, painted with spare but bright strokes. He is determined and fearless, not afraid of storms. Having learned about the danger that threatens him, he leaves his native place to look for fishing in another place: “... but everywhere is dear to me, wherever the wind blows and the sea makes noise!” But at the same time, Yanko shows cruelty and stinginess, leaving a blind boy on the shore with a few coins. Pechorin's personality is complemented by such qualities that appear in moments of danger: courage, determination, willingness to take risks, willpower.
At the end of the story, Pechorin peers at the white sail that flashed between the dark waves in the light of the moon. This symbolic image is reminiscent of one of the most amazingly beautiful and profoundly thought Lermontov poems - “The Lonely Sail Whitens...”. The life of the main character, Pechorin, was just as rebellious and restless.