The early work of M. Gorky is a vivid example of a new romanticism. The writer resurrects the principles that remained in the past, in the middle of the 19th century. Once again, an exceptional hero with some special qualities becomes relevant. Such is the image of the old woman Isergil.
Summary of the story
The work "The Old Woman Isergil" is a narrative in the stories. It begins with a description of nature and the general situation. The storyteller speaks with the old woman Isergil, it was she who told him two interesting legends.
Legend of larre
This is a story about how a shadow appeared on Earth. The eagle abducted a girl from a tribe of strong people, he lived with her as with his wife, and after his death she returned home. The young man, who at first caused general fear, was no different from people. But he was very proud and despised everyone. He wanted to get the elder’s daughter, but she rejected him. Enraged, Larra killed her in cold blood. No one could come up with a better punishment than expelling Larra. After some time, it turned out that he was immortal. Time and wanderings exhausted his flesh, as a result he turned into a shadow. Through the story, the image of the old woman Isergil clearly appears. She tells of events with particular rapture, it seems that she really believes in the authenticity of this story.
History of Isergil
In this part of the work there are no fictitious events, only the real life story of an old woman who has gone through many trials and has seen a lot in her life. The image of the old woman Isergil is very controversial. There were so many men in her life that she could be easily condemned. However, the author listens with pleasure to her story, because there is so much life and energy in it. She worked spontaneously in her youth, but such a life could not please a mobile girl. In the end, she ran away from home with her lover, but then left him for another. She lived with a Hutsul, military, Russian and Poles, with a young Turkish boy ... She loved everyone, but did not want to see anyone after parting. The simplicity of the heroine captivates, she does not think for a moment about morality, saying only that a person must know life, be open to her. Therefore, the life of modern youth seems wrong to her.
The Legend of Danko
The most important thing in the story is the image of Danko. The old woman Isergil talks about him last, speaking with obvious admiration, solemnly and resonantly. Danko was from a tribe of strong people. Once they were attacked, people were forced to go to a swamp, on one side of which there were enemies, and on the other - a dense forest. Fearing for their covenants, people did not go to war. They had the idea of surrendering. But the brave youth Danko led people through the forest. The hardships of the road were beyond the power of the tribe, they began to grumble at Danko, threatened to kill him. But he loved people so much that he could not endure their reproaches. He tore his chest and took out a burning heart (it caught fire from a desire to help). Lighting the way, Danko led the tribe out of the forest, and he fell dead. But no one noticed this. Some "cautious" man stepped on a still burning heart, sparks from him are still visible in the steppe before a thunderstorm. This legend is a hymn to human courage and courage. It is no exaggeration to say that this particular story is central in the work.
Appearance Isergil
It is impossible to analyze the image of the old woman Isergil without describing her appearance. She was so old that her skin was wrinkled and dry, it seemed that she could just tear into rags, her wrinkles cut so deep. Gorky repeatedly mentions that her voice sounded hoarse, like a creak, even he was old. All this suggests that the old woman Isergil is an example of experience and worldly wisdom.
Image value
The image of the old woman Isergil is significant for understanding the idea of the story. Gorky strove to find something special in man; he was not satisfied with how his contemporaries live. He was upset by a certain inertia, coupled with a desire to achieve profit, to arrange a "warm" place and a quiet life. He puts his thought into the mouth of the old woman, who says that there is no longer the former heroism and fortitude. In addition, the old woman does not understand Russian because of their gloom and seriousness. It is no coincidence that the writer does not just retell the legend, but introduces the image of the old woman Isergil. In the stories of M. Gorky of the early period, such heroes were not uncommon. Makar Chudra, the hero of the story of the same name, expresses a similar opinion about the life of modern youth. He is also old, has seen a lot in his lifetime and made up his mind about the meaning of human life.
The artistic originality of the story
The image of the old woman Isergil is significant for both the structure and the form of the work. Indeed, thanks to this heroine, the narrative becomes heterogeneous, multi-layered. First, we hear the voice of a storyteller who speaks with Isergil. It uses the artistic style of speech. But when the heroine enters the business, everything changes. New style, other speech turns. Gorky surprisingly accurately manages to copy the manner of conversation of an old simple woman. Precisely because Isergil herself tells the legends, they become even more interesting. Do not forget that in the story almost all the principles of romanticism are observed. The landscape that opens the work is the sea and the steppe, a place where there is a walk in a strong nature, they symbolize freedom. Night, shadows, sparks give the situation a certain mystery. And the main sign of romanticism is three unusual heroes. Isergil is the embodiment of vital energy. Larra combined all human vices. And Danko is the personification of courage, kindness and humanity.
So, what role does the image of the old woman Isergil play in the story of the same name? The most important thing is that Gorky’s idea of a correct human life is embedded in her mouth, in which there is no place for narrow frames, narrow-mindedness, boredom and idleness.