Part 1 of Essay
Mikhail Lermontov’s protagonist, Grigory Pechorin, belongs to that group of literary characters known individually as the “superfluous man.” Generally an intelligent, educated individual, the superfluous man would appear to be one who has been either unjustly treated or outcast by society in general. Th ....

Part 2 of Essay
.... that has become popular in recent years. Who has not heard the excuse, “I did it because my (parents/state representative/dog) (harassed/bit/abused) me when I was a child.” In my opinion, the growing interest in pop psychology and the related fields of social psychology and child psychology have greatly contributed to the decay of moral rectitude and the concept of taking responsibility for one’s own actions. The translator attributes Pechorin’s capriciousness to the lack of em ....