Narrators provide information about a character through how they are described and what events are emphasized. In Eugene Onegin, by Alexander Pushkin, and A Hero of Our Time, by Mikhail Lermontov, both have engaged voices, which add a more personal element to the novels, perhaps a bias, to the reader's understanding of the characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The personal element is the relationship narrators have with characters. It forces the reader to evaluate the characters as companions, rather than characters. The narrative voice of Eugene Onegin comes from a narrator who speaks like a friend. Since the narrator is a friend of Eugene Onegin, the narrator is much more compassionate and less critical. He portrays Onegin in a negative light, but makes excuses for him. Confronting Tatyana about her letter, the narrator explains that Onegin was deeply moved, but coldly rejects her because "Eugene had no desire to betray / so innocent, so trusting soul" (Pushkin 4, X1, 11-12). It is difficult to believe that these are truly Eugene's thoughts, not the narrator's interpretation, because Eugene is a superfluous man; think about your own needs and desires before others. If he really tried to be sensitive towards Tatyana's feelings, he would have been more sensitive while talking to her. Yet, he still talks about himself – “But I simply wasn't destined/ for happiness – that extraneous role,” when he explains why he won't marry her (Pushkin 4, XV, 1-2). Here, the narrator explains Eugene's actions and words, and does not scold Eugene's selfish behavior, so he directs the narrative to Tatyana's reaction of embarrassment. The narrator connects the hurt and offensive words to Tatyana's reaction. This partial evaluation arises from blind friendship. Interestingly, however, the narrator changes tone based on the character he is describing. He uses words like "dear" when referring to Tatyana and the reader. It seems as if the narrator is speaking directly to the reader, rather than through the text, evoking emotions in the reader. When discussing Tatyana's absorption of neighbors' gossip about her potential marriage to Eugene, the narrator "cries," "why [Tatyana has], / at this early date, / into the hands of a fashionable tyrant / at the resigned disposal of your fate" (Pushkin 3, XV, 1-3). The narrator is very troubled by the direction of Tatyana's life because he cares for her. Seeing his compassion for Tatyana, the reader cannot help but feel guilty for Tatyana's trap of falling into society's expectations of love. At the same time, however, the narrator sees the problem with Tatyana's fate, not with how Eugene responds to her. Out of pity for Tatyana and friendship towards Onegin, the narrator blames external powers, rather than the character's behavior, to protect his beloved character from harsh judgment. Unlike the narrator of Onegin, the narrator in A Hero of Our Time speaks as a critical observer. It puts the reader's understanding of Pechorin in a negative light. He criticizes all of Pechorin's physical attributes, then acknowledges his prejudice when he says, “All these thoughts could have come to mind simply because I knew something about his life,” but this does not change the opinion that the reader feels and understands ( Lermontov 49 ). After this negative introduction of physical characteristics and acknowledgment of prejudice, we hear from a friend's point of view, but observe how Pechorin offends the speaker, just a couple of pages later, discrediting the previous narrative..