Maxim Gorky entered the literature and as the author of romantic stories. Among them was the work "The Old Woman Isergil", written in 1894. In it, the author tries to evaluate a person based on an analysis of his actions. The measure of them becomes the benefit to other people. Thus, the concept of ideal and anti-ideal ideal for romanticism was realized.
The writer focuses on three heroes: Isergil, who acts as a storyteller, condemned to the eternal immortality of Larr and gave his life to save the Danko tribe. A comparative analysis of all three stories (legends are successfully interwoven with the fate of the old woman herself) is the key to understanding the answer to the question that never loses its relevance: what is the meaning of human existence on earth? It is interesting in this connection to speculate on what Larra was punished for. And is he only to blame for everything that happened?
Background to the legend of Larre
The story unfolds in the evening on the seashore - a typical backdrop for a romantic piece. The majestic free nature surrounding the narrator and the old Moldavian woman lives according to her own laws and at the same time reflects the aspirations of man, helps to understand his inner world.
The legend telling who Larra is, the old woman Isergil recalls not by chance. She points out to her interlocutor the shadows floating across the boundless sky. One of them was “darker and thicker,” and it was moving faster than the rest. "He lives for thousands of years ... That's what God can do with a man for pride!" - these words became the beginning of the tale of the incredible pride of the man-eagle, which became the cause of his curse and immortality.
The story of the birth of a hero
Understanding what Larra was punished for begins with his origin. Once a mighty eagle stole a girl in a strong and powerful tribe. She returned only twenty years later, and next to her was a beautiful young man - a son born of an eagle. The bird king, beginning to weaken, rose up and, folding his wings, rushed to the sharp rocks.
Now his descendant stood in front of people - outwardly appearing like them, but still distinguished by proud and cold eyes. And all his actions emphasized that he felt superior to the others - even with the elders the young man spoke as an equal to them. The reason is simple. The young man from birth was distinguished by a different psychology, making him unlike people, therefore he has no place among them. This is the first characteristic of Larra - the son of a powerful and freedom-loving eagle and earthly woman.
Killing a girl
Immediately opposing himself to the whole tribe, Larra calmly deals with the daughter of one of the elders. She first looked him, and then pushed him away, frightened of her father. Fear shackled everyone around - for the first time in their eyes, they brutally killed a woman. And the son of the eagle proudly stood over his prey, without bowing his head and feeling his superiority over the others, for which he was punished.
Larra was embarrassed by the behavior of the elders. For a long time they tried to understand the act of the young man. Not finding the answer to their questions, they turned to him himself. And for Larra, everything was simple: "I killed her because ... because she pushed me away." So the reason for the opposition of one person to the crowd, characteristic of a romantic work, was the exorbitant pride and individualism inherited from the royal bird.
Estrangement from people
The elders thought for a long time what punishment Larra deserves. The old woman Izergil told me that they tried many options, while the young man himself with his speeches did not prompt them the answer. He considered himself the first on earth, and therefore, as one of the elders remarked, freedom would be the worst punishment for him. Suddenly, a “thunder from heaven” that struck at this moment convinced them of the correctness of the decision. Larra was released, and since then he has become “rejected” - such is the meaning of his name.
More than a thousand years have passed, and his shadow is still lonely roaming the earth. At first he lived freely, like a bird, did everything he wanted. No one paid attention to him. But once the proud son of an eagle himself came to people: he stood for a long time and did not budge. Someone realized that he was looking for death. However, everyone remembered what Larra was punished for, and therefore only laughed, looking at him. Then Larra grabbed a knife and hit him in the chest. But he bounced off his body, like a stone.
It has long been his flesh withered out, and he, turning into a shadow, is all looking for death, which he will never find.
The image of Larra: assessment and significance
The author condemns his hero for his extreme individualism, for daring to oppose himself to the whole tribe. According to M. Gorky, the main goal of human existence is to serve people. This is exactly what Danko presented in the story. Larra, on the other hand, is an anti-ideal whose behavior and deed are not justified.
However, do not forget that Larra is not an ordinary person. He is the son of an eagle, who grew up far from people and not accustomed to human laws. But his trouble is that he is not a bird like his father. Therefore, Larra deserves not only condemnation, but also sympathy. His tragedy was predetermined at birth.