Mikhail Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time exemplifies Russia’s paradoxical identity: is Russia “Europe?” This question guides our reading and analysis of Lermontov’s narrative and provides a valuable social, political, and historical lens through which to engage with the text. Lermontov presents his iteration of the Western literary titan that is the “Bryonic Hero” in Pechorin, however Pechorin’s characterization exists in a liminal space in between. Pechorin straddles both sides of the Eurasian continent, subverting stereotypical expectations in the process and unveiling a third option that disrupts the binary and ultimately constructs a triangle of identity.
This is perhaps best observed in the following passage from the passage:
I know not whether this mental quality is deserving of censure or commendation, but it proves the incredible pliancy of his mind and the presence of that clear common sense which pardons evil wherever it sees that evil is inevitable or impossible of annihilation.
I would like to highlight the phrase “incredible pliancy of his mind” because I believe it elucidates the earlier point regarding Pechorin defying the binary, and by extension, Russia simultaneously adhering to and challenging Western European ideals. This notion of the pliable, flexible mind is evocative because it evokes this process of mediation. As Ram writes: “the relationship between the aesthetic and this political was generally mediated by the lyric hero.” This moment in the text reinforces Ram’s claim. Pechorin’s flexible mind is demonstrating this meditative process in which there is synthesis of ideas, stereotypes, and cultural beliefs. Thus, the Byronic hero occupies this space of liminality to deconstruct definite binary perceptions of nationality and region to illuminate a more nuanced and complicated perception of personhood and identity.