The work of Maxim Gorky is a bright page in Russian Soviet literature. From the first steps in the artistic field, he declared himself as a talented nugget, passionately protesting against the ugly and cruel manifestations of life. The ideals of early Gorky are freedom of the human spirit, independence from all shackles, whether it be the framework of the law or bonds of kinship, as well as a passionate love for people, a thirst for serving them, a thirst for achievement.
Romantic traits of Gorky prose
Early Gorky is a romantic, thanks to whom such heroic, sparkling images as the remarkably beautiful gypsy couple - Rada and Loiko, who love each other with all their hearts, and even more personal freedom, have entered the reader’s world. They preferred to die, but not submit to one another, however, the memory of their beauty and liberty remained in legends and ignites the human imagination.
Or two more heroes, complementary and shading characters, deeds and life position - Lara, son of Orel, and Danko, son of a once free tribe. Both heroes symbolize a certain philosophy, with which the writer introduces us in the story “Old Woman Isergil”.
“Old Woman Isergil”, the brief content of which is reduced to reflection on the meaning of life and the nature of the Feat, has a three-part composition and is written in the form of “story in story”. The first short story is a story about a proud and selfish Lara, from whom people turned their backs, and even Death herself, as a punishment, refused to come for him. As the son of a woman and an eagle, he imagines himself superior and better than all the people of his own tribe. Handsome as a god, Lara looked down on the elders with eyes as cold as ice floes. When the girl pushed him away, he killed her by crushing his chest with his foot. The whole tribe shuddered - for the first time a woman was killed so cruelly and indifferently with them. And Lara calmly looked at the indignant people, independently and arrogantly answered questions of leaders. He was not afraid of anyone and did not think to repent. To such exorbitant pride the elders did not find what to answer. They came up with a hero’s punishment - not to kill, but to expel him, as a renegade, from their ranks and never accept people into society.
As the work “The Old Woman Isergil” further narrates, its summary, centuries have passed, some generations of people have been replaced by others, and Lara still wanders alone along the steppe. He did many troubles to people - at first just like that, having fun or for food: he stole women, cattle. Then, tired of himself, he did evil so his fellow tribesmen would kill him. The hero himself tried to kill himself, striking the earth from all magnitude - but the earth did not want to take into its bowels the one who could not, in fact, be considered a man. And death passed him by. The sun and time dried Lara, turned into an ethereal shadow, which now roams restlessly on the earth, finding no refuge and peace. The first part of the story “The Old Woman Isergil”, the brief content of which we recalled, ends with the conclusion: in this way a man was punished for pride.
This legend is told to the author-narrator, on behalf of whom the story is kept, Isergil herself, a Bessarabian old woman, dried up and hunched under the burden of years, whom Gorky encounters in the steppes near Akkerman. She is a connecting compositional work, in many ways an exponent of copyright ideas and views. And the second part of the story “The Old Woman Izergil”, its brief content boils down to a description by the heroine of her life.
Izergil spent a stormy youth, loved a lot, visited various adventures. She was beautiful, strong in body and spirit, somewhat selfish, like Lara. However, in her heart there was a thirst for feat, bright, eventful events, and she was drawn to people by unusual, strong and brave, real heroes. She prefers to the wealthy cavaliers of a Pole wounded in battle, because he committed heroic acts in his life. For the sake of love and salvation of the one she is dear to, Isergil risks himself and even kills the guard soldier.
The summary of “The Old Woman Isergil”, its second part, comes down to the heroine’s words that in our life there is always room for exploits. It is only important to want to commit them. And those who are not given this are lazy in their souls, the living dead, such as Lara.
And in the third part, Isergil tells another very interesting and instructive legend - about Danko, a brave and strong handsome man who led his tribe from rotten swamps, dense forests to the vastness and light of a free life.
It’s hard to be a hero. Indeed, in addition to overcoming one’s own fears, the hero must also overcome the “resistance to the environment”: contemporaries' unbelief, ridicule and contempt, their overt pursuit. Danko faced all this when he led the exhausted and disbelieving people to a new life. In order to breathe hope and confidence in people into victory, loving with their whole being, Danko rips out his heart from his chest and illuminates the road in pitch darkness.
The story “The Old Woman Isergil”, a brief summary of it, even expresses a deep and important philosophical thought. First, as it is rightly said, a prophet cannot be found in his own country. So the brave young man died, and the tribe did not notice this. And only a cautious person stepped on sparks from the heart and extinguished them. Why? It is likely that they no longer ignite anyone for such frenzy. After all, living in a philistine, philistine, quiet and calm, is much more convenient than enduring torment and deprivation, even for a bright future.
And secondly, the memory of the altruist Danko and his warm, love-filled heart still remained. She excites people and calls them to a feat. And it is precisely in this - to live and burn for the sake of people - that Gorky sees the highest calling of Man.