(285 words) Nothing is more valuable to a person in a difficult situation than the support of a friend and a kind word. But does everyone need friendship? Can everyone be friends? After reading the work “Hero of Our Time”, we can conclude that Grigory Aleksandrovich Pechorin does not know how to make friends. “Of two friends, there is always one slave to the other,” he says. The hero knows how Maxim Maksimych, a simple and kind staff captain, is attached to him, but does not consider him his friend. When they meet again, the protagonist coldly greets the old man and reluctantly recalls the past. This offends the staff captain: he treated Pechorin as a “near-native person”, and unexpectedly met neither understanding nor desire on his part to support the conversation ... On the other hand, Maxim Maksimych understands: his “bosom friend” has such a character .
It seems that Pechorin and Grushnitsky meet in a very different way, like old friends ... But they are too different to understand each other. One loves spectacular acts, the other does not tolerate pretense in any form and sees through his comrade, and Grushnitsky does not like it. The tragic denouement of this story, alas, seems natural. Gregory meets a lot of people, but continues his journey alone. Only Vera understands and accepts him, however, even she cannot “cure” the hero of indifference, become more expensive for him than freedom. Grigory Alexandrovich Pechorin does not want to depend on anyone.
Another character who could become Pechorin's friend is Dr. Werner. But they are too similar to sincerely attach to each other. Both are indifferent and probably selfish. However, it cannot be said that the hero misunderstands the meaning of the word "friendship." Quite the opposite. Representatives of the upper world call friends of people whom they do not like and do not respect. Pechorin knows: true friendship is not at all like that. He may want to pour out his soul in a frank conversation, but he is afraid of affection. The reader can conclude: only the strength of his friendship depends on the person himself.
