We present to your attention the novel that M. Gorky created - "Mother", a brief summary of it and analysis. This work was first published in the United States (1906-1907). With significant censorship distortions in our country, it came out in 1907-1908. And only after the revolution of 1917 - in its original form.
Andrey Nakhodka
Andrei Onisimovich Nakhodka (Andrei - "crest") - underground revolutionary, adopted son of Nilovna and friend of Pavel Vlasov. He is a Ukrainian, an orphan-adoptive (as the hero’s last name speaks of), "illegitimate." His name means that he is "the son of all people", symbolizes the humane, "universal beginning of the revolution, which M. Gorky (Mother) wanted to emphasize.
The summary of the novel consists of the following events.
Arrest
The hero expresses thoughts about the international brotherhood of workers, containing references to the gospel. Nilovna offers him to settle in their house. As a result of the search, it turns out that Andrei has already been prosecuted twice for political crimes. He is again arrested, but released several weeks later. In a conversation with him, for Nilovna the sense of motherhood in the universal, concrete, even mystical sense, is actualized. This hero takes an indirect part in the murder of Isai Gorbov, a local scammer and spy. It causes him severe moral suffering, although Andrei understands the need to destroy such "Judas." During the May 1 demonstration, he is near Paul, who carries the banner, and they are being arrested. During the trial, Andrey receives a word after Paul, but then he is deprived of the opportunity to speak. Friends together sentenced to exile in Siberia.
Nilovna
Vlasova Pelageya Nilovna is a heroine, whose image symbolizes Russia in the novel. Associated with it is a “popular,” universal perception of events. The dynamics of Nilovna’s character is intended to reflect the changes in the psychology of the people. Her love for her son is transformed into love for people in general. The Christian sense is combined with the idea of ​​active political struggle in this character. The revolutionary movement is recognized by it as a movement of "children." She, being a mother, cannot sympathize with him, which is noted by M. Gorky ("Mother").
A summary of the participation in the novel of the main character is as follows. Nilovna at the beginning of the story about 40 years, but she is shown as an elderly woman, because all her life she lived in expectation of beatings.
Her son Paul, after the death of her husband, wanted to live "like a father." The woman persuades him not to do this. But the changes taking place in her son scare her. Seeing Paul's associates, Nilovna cannot believe that these are "forbidden people." They do not seem scary to the heroine at all. Nilovna suggests that Pavel take Andrei to his tenants, essentially becoming a mother for him as well. After her friends were arrested, she feels lonely, as she is used to talking with young people.
Flyer distribution
Friends of his son, two days after his arrest, are asked to help distribute leaflets in the factory. Realizing that she can thus ward off suspicion from Paul, she, under the guise of a tradeswoman, distributes banned literature to the workers. When Nakhodka returns from prison, she tells him about it, confessing that she only thinks about her son, acts only out of motherly love.
The summary of Gorky's novel "Mother" is composed of the following further events. Gradually, looking at those who come to visit Andrei, Nilovna mentally begins to unite all these faces into a single face similar to the face of Christ. She slowly realizes what is needed for a "new life." Upon learning that the scammer Gorbov was killed, and Andrei was indirectly implicated in this, Nilovna said that she did not consider anyone guilty, although she was surprised at her words, contrary to the Christian spirit.
Rybin
During the May 1 demonstration, she speaks to people and speaks of a “holy cause,” urging her not to leave her children alone on this path. After the arrest of friends, Nilovna from the factory settlement moved to the city. After that, she goes to the village to establish some links for the distribution of literature. Here the heroine meets Rybin, a former neighbor who agitates peasants, gives him books. Having returned to the city, Nilovna begins to deliver forbidden literature, newspapers and proclamations to the villages. She participates in the funeral of Yegor Ivanovich, a revolutionary and her countryman. This funeral develops into a clash in a cemetery with the police. Nilovna takes the injured young man away and takes care of him, as Gorky's "Mother" tells us about.
The summary of further events is very dramatic. Having again gone to the village after some time, she observes Rybin’s arrest and is forced to give books brought to him by a peasant accidentally caught, campaigning among them. Having visited Pavel in prison, the heroine gives him a note with an escape plan, but the son refuses to escape and writes about it in a reply note. However, the underground members managed to organize the escape of Rybin and another prisoner. Nilovna, at her request, was allowed to observe this escape from the side.
The final
A woman is present during the trial of Pavel and his friends, after which he delivers the text of Pavel’s speech to an underground printing house, and volunteers to take printed copies to the village. At the station, she notices surveillance. Realizing that arrest can not be avoided, but not wanting the leaflets to be wasted, she scatters them in the crowd. A woman beaten by the police makes a hot speech to others. The ending of the work is not entirely clear. Perhaps Nilovna is dying. So ends the novel M. Gorky "Mother". A summary of the main events has been described above.
Pavel Vlasov
Vlasov Pavel Mikhailovich (Pavel) - the son of the main character, who became a professional revolutionary hereditary worker. His prototype was P. Zalomov, a Sormovsky worker. The fate of this hero is connected with the symbol of the atoning sacrifice. In his name you can see a hint of similarity with the image of the apostle, since the beginning of the work shows a sharp change in the life of the hero from a simple factory guy turned into a political fighter, as M. Gorky tells us (“Mother”).
A summary of his further actions in everything is given out by the revolutionary.
The revolutionary activity of Paul
His first decisive act was resistance to his father’s beatings. The father, who worked as a locksmith, Mikhail Vlasov, subconscious social protest degenerates into aggressive behavior and drunkenness.
After his death, the hero tries to imitate him, but a meeting with an underground circle radically changes his external and internal appearance, which is noted by Gorky M. ("Mother").
A summary of the chapters of further events in the life of this character is as follows. In Paul’s house, meetings are beginning to take place, in which Andrei Nakhodka, Nikolai Vesovshchikov, the son of a thief, teacher Natasha, Fedor Sizov, a factory worker and others participate. He immediately warns Nilovna that they all face a prison. The severity and asceticism of Paul seems to the mother to be "monastic." For example, he calls for abandonment of Andrei’s family and happiness for the sake of “business” and admits that he once made such a choice. In a conversation with his mother, Nakhodka calls this hero an "iron man." Paul’s friends distribute leaflets in the factory. A search is being made in his house, as Maxim Gorky (“Mother”) tells us.
A summary of further events is as follows. The day after this, the revolutionary talks with the fireman Rybin, who has come to visit. He says that we need to "come up with a new faith." Paul, however, believes that only reason can free a person. During a conflict between workers and the factory administration (the so-called “swamp penny” story), the hero calls them to fight for rights, suggests organizing a strike. But people do not support him; Paul experiences this as a result of his "weakness."
He is arrested at night, but released several months later. Friends are going to celebrate May 1, Paul intends to carry the banner during the demonstration. When this happens, he is arrested among other leaders (about 20 people in total). So ends the first part. After this, Paul appears only in the final chapters, in the court scene. Here he delivers a speech outlining his social democratic program. The court sentenced the hero to exile in Siberia. This is how participation in the events of this character ends, and then Gorky’s novel “Mother” itself. A summary of the work and its analysis were presented to your attention.