The youths today are much more confident than it was 15 – 20 years ago. They are free to think and speak whatever they want and they can have their own beliefs without a fear of being punished for this. Especially it concerns the youth of the former Soviet Union. As we all know the socialism in 50-60’s of the century tried to create people who are practically the same: who would have one belief, one way of behaving, one way of dress, even one way of haircut.
Luckily in recent years this problem has disappeared and everyone has the right to have their own personality. But the question is: How do the contemporary people create their character?
Nowadays the movies, the television, the books and comics have an incredible influence over the youth. Many young boys and girls try to imitate their favourite singers, actors or comic heroes. They dress, act, speak, laugh, cry, smile and behave like them. So here is another question: How to choose the right person to imitate?
I think it depends on which society you have grown up in. For example, I grew up far from cinemas, famous singer’s concerts, discos and comic-clubs. I grew up in a developing country. Now I prefer books to TV, and my favourite person is a book character. He is not so famous all over the world, but in east Europe and Russia he is well known. The name of this character is Pechorin and he is the main character in Lermontov’s book ‘The Hero of Our Time’.
Perhaps, many of you would ask yourselves who is Lermontov? So I’ll digress from Pechorin for a moment. Michael Lermontov was born in 1814 and in 1837 he wrote his brilliant poem to Pushkin’s (the greatest Russian writer) death. After Lermontov’s death in 1841 his friend found many papers with poems, stories, and novels. One of those novels was “The Hero of Our Time’. As I’ve already wrote the main character there is Pechorin. He is a young man completely bored of life. Many readers think he is totally dead from the inside, but few of them are able to understand his deep and contradictory nature. Pechorin is intelligent, ironic, ingenious and the most important – loyal to his friends. Although he has no respect to conceptions such as:: love, sacrifice in the name of love, and marriage, personally, I like this person the best, because such unceremoniousness makes him free of duties of the heart and he is totally independent from women. He is master of his life and there is no conscience that would stopped him from doing what he has dreamed about. Of course, this description would probably repel the readers, but the point is that Pechorin in spite of his minuses is a god person. Maybe that is why I liked him – because his is a combination of good and bad, and the border between them is almost invisible. It is not easy to be so improvident. For me it’s a talent and I would always aspire to be like Pechorin. Unfortunately, I know it’s impossible for me to reach his imperturbability because I can’t be indifferent to somebody’s pain.
Many of my friends can’t understand me and people like Pechorin, but it won’t prevent us from appearing more and more, men who are much more interested in their own feelings than in others. And it will lead to more and more women who can put men in their places. But until then I will admire Pechorin’s character, because it’s better to bet on a winning side.
Simona
FCE preparation
Luckily in recent years this problem has disappeared and everyone has the right to have their own personality. But the question is: How do the contemporary people create their character?
Nowadays the movies, the television, the books and comics have an incredible influence over the youth. Many young boys and girls try to imitate their favourite singers, actors or comic heroes. They dress, act, speak, laugh, cry, smile and behave like them. So here is another question: How to choose the right person to imitate?
I think it depends on which society you have grown up in. For example, I grew up far from cinemas, famous singer’s concerts, discos and comic-clubs. I grew up in a developing country. Now I prefer books to TV, and my favourite person is a book character. He is not so famous all over the world, but in east Europe and Russia he is well known. The name of this character is Pechorin and he is the main character in Lermontov’s book ‘The Hero of Our Time’.
Perhaps, many of you would ask yourselves who is Lermontov? So I’ll digress from Pechorin for a moment. Michael Lermontov was born in 1814 and in 1837 he wrote his brilliant poem to Pushkin’s (the greatest Russian writer) death. After Lermontov’s death in 1841 his friend found many papers with poems, stories, and novels. One of those novels was “The Hero of Our Time’. As I’ve already wrote the main character there is Pechorin. He is a young man completely bored of life. Many readers think he is totally dead from the inside, but few of them are able to understand his deep and contradictory nature. Pechorin is intelligent, ironic, ingenious and the most important – loyal to his friends. Although he has no respect to conceptions such as:: love, sacrifice in the name of love, and marriage, personally, I like this person the best, because such unceremoniousness makes him free of duties of the heart and he is totally independent from women. He is master of his life and there is no conscience that would stopped him from doing what he has dreamed about. Of course, this description would probably repel the readers, but the point is that Pechorin in spite of his minuses is a god person. Maybe that is why I liked him – because his is a combination of good and bad, and the border between them is almost invisible. It is not easy to be so improvident. For me it’s a talent and I would always aspire to be like Pechorin. Unfortunately, I know it’s impossible for me to reach his imperturbability because I can’t be indifferent to somebody’s pain.
Many of my friends can’t understand me and people like Pechorin, but it won’t prevent us from appearing more and more, men who are much more interested in their own feelings than in others. And it will lead to more and more women who can put men in their places. But until then I will admire Pechorin’s character, because it’s better to bet on a winning side.
Simona
FCE preparation
1 comment:
1 – Nice work except you didn’t mark the beginning of a new paragraph.
2 – It is time women put men in their places. Perhaps, we women should all have a bit of Pechorin’s character. I would be really interested to read about this man if you have the story in English – my Russian isn’t quite up to scratch.
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