H.+O.+T.+Reading+group+questions

Each student must post comments for at least two questions. Use a different coloured text and identify yourself by first name.


 * 1) 2 What are Pechorin's vices? Does he have redeeming qualities? How would you compare him to today's youth?

- Pechorin’s vices are presented throughout the whole story, and it is most obvious when he is interacting with other characters in the story. The list of vices would include dishonesty,cunning, fickleness, pride and flirting. However, Pechorin does have redeeming qualities that seem to ease his faults, such as his intelligent,adventurous nature and reflective mind. - Many aspects of Pechorin are very similar to those of current teenagers nowadays. As the world becomes more open-minded, and opportunities arise much more often, today’s youth were able to interact with a wider range of people and gather experience so much faster. Many young people are brilliant and well developed in the intellectual sense; they are adventurous and willing to try different experiences as well. However, all these opportunities and information are so vast that the youth just can’t control or filter out what they’re inheriting, and therefore resulting in them having faults, and not treating things seriously. - Ben Hsiao, Lauren Kim, Bangdi Wang

BongJin
 * 1) 5 Describe Lermontov's portrayal of the Caucasus and the people of the region. How do they compare to people of Pyatigorsk? How do both of these worlds contrast with Petersburg high society? Are the rules of etiquette less rigid?

• In the beginning when he travels up the mountain, we can deduce that Caucasus is a beautiful place through his depiction of Caucasus of its scenery.

• Spa-resort place, good service, still people there are treated as inferior figures. Bad connotation on people, stealing, smuggling, vanity, contempt.

• Petersburg-educated, rich, noble classes society. Unlike Caucasus which is deemed as place for abandoned people, less educated, they are deemed as people with high honor, innocence, dignity.

• People from Petersburg is brought up in highly-educated background therefore they tend to have more strict rules of etiquette than people from Caucasus who do not have to be prudent in every single action. Jessica Z

• On page 76, The Petersburg were judging Pechorin based on his army epaulets (belittling Pechorin), but the wives of the local authorities were "more favorably inclined," and payed less attention to the uniform. From this, we can tell that The Petersburg can be judgmental based merely on their appearance and attire.

• On page 95, Grushnitsky said Russians who were richer regarded Grushnitsky with contempt because of his association with Caucasus, but at Caucasus no one saw him differently.

• There was a clear distinction between the nobility and "serfs" in Petersburg

• Rules of etiquette predominantly are present in Petersburg ("how dare an army man of the Caucasus train his glass on a Moscow princess" page 82)

Joyce The chapter in "Princess Mary" began by describing the marvelous views of Pyatigorsk. These gorgeous sceneries, however, are in contrast with the low societal rank of the people who resides there. The higher society in Petersburg is judgmental towards and Caucasians and regard them as people who are less educated, and should not be treated with respect. Several examples in the book shows view of the Petersburg high society towards the Caucasians: • Pg.76: "They soon recognized my army epaulets and turned away in disgust."

• Pg 81: Showed Princess Mary's haughty and arrogant attitudes towards Grushnitsky because he is lower in rank.

• Pg. 95: Contrast between the society stance of Caucasians and the etiquettes from Petersburg. They receive different amount of respects.


 * 1) 8 Describe Pechorin's relationship with Werner, Maxim Maximich, and Grushnitsky. Does he relate differently to men than he does to women? How do the three men feel about the way Pechorin treats them? Do you agree with his statement "...of two friends, one is always the other's slave, although often neither of them will admit to this"?

Kevin Woo

Admitting that He enjoys the company of Werner, the doctor at Pyatigorsk, Pechorin decleares that he is “incapable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the other’s slave, although often neither will admit to this.” Describe Pechorin’s relationships with Werner, Maxim Maximich, and Grushnitsky. Does he relate differently to men than he does to women? How do his three “chums” feel about the way Pechorin treats them? Do you agree with his statement about Friendship? Relationships:

**Pechorin& Maxim Maximich :**

• Maxim sees Pechorin as a hero type person and admires him, whereas Pechorin sees Maxim as something less than a close friend, almost an acquantance • Part where Maxim and Pechorin meet again

**Pechorin&Grushnitsky (pg.77)**

• Met G at the front line, wounded by a bullet to the leg • Sees him as a friend but also as a type of an enemy when it comes to princess Mary Has a competitive side to the friendship
 * Cadet, well built, black haired, musculine
 * Pretentious, portrayed as somewhat primitive and inclined to hedonistic instincts

**Pechorin&Werner(pg. 82****~83****)**


 * First impression: frail, thin, short like a child, one leg was shorter than the other.
 * Attire: neatness, clean
 * States that friendship has one dominant and one weaker friend.
 * However still stayed good friends as both of them has similar interests

Questions: Admitting that he enjoys the company of Weaner, the doctor at Pyatigorsk, Pechorin declares that he is "incapable of friendship: of two friends, one is always the other ones slave, although often neither will admit to this" Describe Pechorins relationship with Weaner, Maxim and Grushnitsky. Does he relate differently to men than he does to women? How do his three "chums" feel about the way Pechorin treats then? Do you agree with his statement about friendship?

Connor **Questions :**

No Pechorin doesn’t treat his friends the same as he treats women, however he doesn’t really care about women - they are more of a past time or a hobby.

Treatment of women agrees with his statement Maxim offers Pechorin advice
 * • Manipulation
 * • Exchanges pleasantries and proceeds to leave after his meeting.

Does Pechorin relate differently to men than he does to women ?
 * • No Pechorin doesn’t treat his friends the same as he treats women, however he doesn’t really care about women - they are more of a past time or a hobby.

Do you agree with his statement about friendship?
 * • Treatment of women agrees with his statement
 * • Manipulation
 * • Personally, yes. Because we all know that I am the dominant friend. But I am not limited to only one friend - as everyone tries to get along with each other in order to be friends with me.

 Brian Pechorin generally treats women as inferior to him, as he consistently manipulates their emotions of him, while having little concern over their well-being. Back in the day, Maxim offered Pechorin advice, which Pechorin ignored. Although Pechorin treated his advice as such, Maxim wished to reconciliate with Pechorin, but after their brief meeting—where Pechorin dismissed Maxim and promptly left—his opinion of Pechorin changes after their brief meeting.

Pechorin concludes that men are ultimately ruled by fate no matter how hard they try to avoid it. This is shown through his conflict with Vulich at the Cossack Village. On page 159, Pechorin meets Vulich and "thought he read the stamp of death on his pale face". He then follows his hunch and tells him, "You will die today!". Vulich attempted to verify this by firing a pistol toward his own forehead. When the pistol misfired on his forehead the first time, yet worked the next time when he fired it toward a cap, Pechorin's belief in predestination was challenged. On page 156, he says, "I don't know for certain whether I now believe in predestination or not". However, later that night when Pechorin was informed of Vulich's death, he reaffirmed his belief in predestination and fate. Near the end of the story, Pechorin says in page 159, "After all this, how, it would seem, could one not become a fatalist? Through this conflict, Pechorin confirms his idea that predestination and fate do exist--one may strive to embark on a different path in attempt to change his predestinated life, but in the end, all pathways lead to the same result. - Jessica Li, Stanley Zuo, Omar Altieri
 * 1) 9 What does Pechorin conclude about a person's destiny and freedom of choice?

BongJin: In the end, Pechorin meets Vulich and predicts that he will die soon. Then they have a bet and Vulnich proves Pechorin wrong by shooting himself and survives. But in later Pechorin is informed of Vulnich's death which leads him to the conclusion that there might be various mechanisms towards an end but there is always one result at won't change.