“Three truths in M. Gorky’s play “At the Bottom”
Development of a literature lesson with elements of communicative teaching and RKMP technology;
Goals:
Educational - identify the position of the characters in the play in relation to the issue of truth,find out the meaning of the tragic collision of different points of view: the truth of fact (Bubnov), the truth of a comforting lie (Luke), the truth of faith in man (Satin);create a problematic situation, awaken students to express their own opinions about the life principles of Luka, Bubnov, Satin.
Educational – to promote the formation of one’s own point of view in relation to such a concept as “truth”, to create situations that will help to understand that there is a way out of each situation.
Developmental – development of public speaking skills, the ability to defend one’s point of view, activation of students’ creative abilities.
During the classes:
I want to start our lesson with poetry. Listen, please.
Is it fog? Haze? Is there smoke from the fires?...
The sinister world of an unknown era...
Was this world really like this?
Or is it scary to us because we know it poorly?..
We'll slide down the spiral of time
In those times where we cannot be...
Imagine for a moment that by the will of fate you found yourself in Moscow without money, without friends, without relatives, without cell phones. You have traveled to the beginning of the century. How would you try to improve your life or change the situation you find yourself in? Will you try to improve your life or will you immediately sink to the bottom?
The heroes of the play we are studying stopped resisting; she sank to the “bottom of life.”
The topic of our lesson: “Three truths in M. Gorky’s play “At the Bottom.”
What do you think will be discussed?
What questions will we consider?
(Suggested answers: What is truth? What kind of truth can there be? Why three truths? What thoughts about truth do the heroes express? Which of the heroes thinks about this question?
Teacher's summary: Each hero has his own truth. And we will try to find out the positions of the characters, understand them, understand the essence of the dispute that arose between the characters and decide whose truth is closer to us, modern readers.
Literary warm-up.
You know that you cannot competently defend your point of view without knowledge of a literary work. I offer you a literary workout. I read a line from the play, and you determine which character it belongs to.
What is conscience for? I'm not rich (Bubnov)
We must love the living, the living (Luke)
When work is a duty - life is slavery (Satin)
Lies are the religion of slaves and masters... Truth is the god of a free man! (Satin)
People live... like chips floating down a river... (Bubnov)
All love on earth is superfluous (Bubnov)
Christ had compassion on everyone and commanded us (Luke)
Petting a person is never harmful (Luke)
Human! It's great! It sounds proud! Human! We must respect the person!
Updating knowledge. Call.
You have demonstrated good knowledge of the text. Why do you think you were offered the lines of these particular characters? (Luka, Satin, Bubnov have their own idea of truth).
How do you understand the meaning of the word “truth”?
IS IT TRUE, -s,and. 1. What actually exists corresponds to the real state of affairs.Tell the truth. Hear the truth about what happened. The truth hurts my eyes (last). 2. Justice, honesty, just cause.Seek the truth. Stand for the truth. The truth is on your side. Happiness is good, but truth is better (last). 3. Same as (colloquial).Your truth (You are right).God sees the truth, but will not tell you soon (last). 4.introductory sl. The statement of truth is true, in fact.I really didn't know this.
Those. truth can be private, but it can also be ideological
So, let's find out the truth of Luka, Bubnov, Satin.
"Luke's Truth"
In the work of every talented writer, the name of the hero necessarily means something. Let's turn to the origins of the name Luke. What meanings can it have?
1) Ascends on behalf of the Apostle Luke.
2) Associated with the word “Evil,” that is, cunning.
3) “Lukovka”, by the time you get to the middle, you’ll take off a lot of “clothes!”
How does Luke appear in the play? What are the first words he says? (“Good health, honest people,” he immediately announces his position, says that he treats everyone well, “I respect swindlers, too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad.”
What does Luke say about attitude towards people around you?
Let's consider how Luka behaves with each of the inhabitants of the shelter.
How does he feel about Anna? (She regrets, says that after death she will find peace, consoles, helps, becomes necessary)
What advice does an actor have? (Find a city that offers treatment for alcoholism, it’s clean, the floor is marble, treatment is free, “A person can do anything, as long as he wants to.”)
How does he propose to arrange Vaska Pepl’s life? (Go to Siberia with Natasha. Siberia is a rich region, you can earn money there and become a master).
How does he console Nastya? (Nastya dreams of big, bright love, he tells her: “What you believe in is what it is”)
How does he talk to Medvedev? (Calls him “under,” that is, flatters him, and he falls for his bait).
So how does Luka feel about the inhabitants of the shelter? (Okay, he sees a person in everyone, reveals positive character traits, tries to help. He knows how to discover the good in everyone and instill hope).
Read the remarks that reflect Luke’s life position?
How do you understand the words: “What you believe in is what it is?”
What other thoughts of Luke are consonant with your thoughts?
Which heroes need Luke's support? (Actor, Nastya, Natasha, Anna. What is more important to them is not the truth, but words of consolation. When the Actor stopped believing that he could recover from alcoholism, he hanged himself.
A person can learn goodness... very simply, says Luka. What story does he give as an example? (Incident at the dacha)
How do you understand the “story” of the righteous land?
So, Luke’s truth is comforting, he turns to the remnants of humanity in the souls of the night shelters, gives them hope.
- What is Luke’s truth? (Love and feel sorry for a person)
“Christ had pity on everyone and commanded us to”
“What you believe is what you believe”
“A man can do anything, he just wants to”
“To love – we must love the living, the living”
“If someone has not done good to someone, he has done something bad”
Which of the heroes (Luka, Satin or Bubnov) seemed the darkest character to you?
Which character's position is opposed to Luke's?
"Bubnova's Truth"
Who is it? (Kartuznik, 45 years old)
What does he do? (trying old, torn trousers on blanks for hats, figuring out how to cut)
What do we know about him? (I was a furrier, I dyed furs, my hands were yellow from paint, I had my own establishment, but I lost everything)
How is he behaving? (Dissatisfied with everything, treats those around him with contempt, looks sullen, speaks in a sleepy voice, does not believe in anything sacred. This is the gloomiest figure in the text).
Find lines that characterize his worldview.
“Noise is not a hindrance to death”
“What is conscience for? I'm not rich"
“People all live... like wood chips floating down a river... They build a house, but the wood chips go away.”
“Everything is like this: they are born, they live, they die. And I will die... and you."
When Anna dies, he says: “That means she’s stopped coughing.” How would you rate it?
How do these words characterize him?
What is the truth about Bubnov? (Bubnov sees only the negative side of life, destroys the remnants of faith and hope in people. A skeptic, a cynic, he treats life with evil pessimism).
Satin becomes the spokesman for another life truth.
"The Truth of Satine"
How does this character appear in the play?
What do we understand from his first words?
(Appears with a growl. His first words indicate that he is a card sharper and a drunkard)
What have we learned about this man? (Once he served in a telegraph office, he was an educated man. Satin likes to pronounce incomprehensible words. Which ones?
Organon – translated means “tool”, “organ of vision”, “mind”.
Sicambrus is an ancient Germanic tribe that means “dark man.”
Satin feels superior to other night shelters.
How did he end up in the shelter? (He went to prison because he stood up for his sister’s honor).
How does he feel about work? (“Make the work pleasant for me - maybe I will work... When work is pleasure, life is good! Work is a duty, life is slavery!
What does Satin see as the truth of life? (One of the climaxes of the play is Satin’s famous monologues about man, truth, and freedom.
“Lies are the religion of slaves and masters”
“Man is free, he pays for everything himself: for faith, for disbelief, for love, for intelligence...”
“Truth is the god of a free man.”
How, in his opinion, should a person be treated? (Respect. Do not humiliate with pity. Man - this sounds proud, says Satin).
- According to Satin, pity humiliates a person, respect elevates a person. What's more important?
Satin believes that a person should be respected.
Luke believes that a person should be pitied.
Let's look at the dictionary
Regret
Feel pity, compassion;
Reluctant to spend, spend;
To feel affection for someone, to love
Respect
Treat with respect;
Be in love
What do they have in common? What is the difference?
So, each of the heroes has their own truth.
Luke - the comforting truth
Satin – respect for man, faith in man
Bubnov - the “cynical” truth
Bottom line. Whose truth is closer to you?
Sinkwine
Express your attitude towards your work in class.
Subject - your name
Appendix 2 – evaluation of your work in class
Verb 3 – describing the actions of the object, i.e. how you worked in the lesson
A 4-word phrase expressing your attitude towards your work in class
Summary – assessment
Today we are convinced that everyone has their own truth. Perhaps you have not yet decided what life positions you will adhere to in the future. I hope you choose the right path.
The Fox knows many truths, but the Hedgehog knows one, but a big one.
Archilochus
The play “At the Bottom” is a socio-philosophical drama. More than a hundred years have passed since the creation of the work, the social conditions that Gorky exposed have changed, but the play is still not outdated. Why? Because it raises an “eternal” philosophical topic that will never cease to excite people. Usually for Gorky's play this theme is formulated as follows: a dispute about truth and lies. Such a formulation is clearly insufficient, since truth and lies do not exist by themselves - they are always associated with a person. Therefore, it would be more accurate to formulate the philosophical theme of “At the Bottom” in a different way: a dispute about true and false humanism. Gorky himself, in Satin’s famous monologue from the fourth act, connects truth and lies not only with humanism, but also with human freedom: “Man is free... he pays for everything himself: for faith, for unbelief, for love, for intelligence - man He pays for everything himself, and therefore he is free! Man - that’s the truth!” It follows that the author in the play talks about man - truth - freedom, that is, about the main moral categories of philosophy. Since it is impossible to unambiguously define these ideological categories (“the last questions of humanity,” as F.M. Dostoevsky called them), Gorky presented in his drama several points of view on the problems posed. Drama became polyphonic (the theory of polyphonism in a work of art was developed in his book “The Poetics of Dostoevsky’s Work” by M. M. Bakhtin). In other words, there are several ideologue heroes in the play, each with their own “voice”, that is, with a special point of view on the world and man.
It is generally accepted that Gorky portrayed two ideologists - Satin and Luka, but in fact there are at least four of them: Bubnov and Kostylev should be added to those named. According to Kostylev, the truth is not needed at all, since it threatens the well-being of the “masters of life.” In the third act, Kostylev talks about real wanderers and simultaneously expresses his attitude to the truth: “A strange person... not like others... If he is truly strange... knows something... learned something like that... . no one needs... maybe he learned the truth there... well, not all truth is needed... yes! He - keep it to himself... and - be silent! If he is truly strange... he is silent! Otherwise he says things that no one understands... And he doesn’t want anything, doesn’t interfere with anything, doesn’t bother people in vain...” (III). Indeed, why does Kostylev need the truth? In words he is for honesty and work (“It is necessary for a person to be useful... for him to work...” III), but in reality he buys stolen goods from Ash.
Bubnov always speaks the truth, but this is the “truth of fact,” which only captures the disorder and injustice of the existing world. Bubnov does not believe that people can live better, more honestly, helping each other, as in a righteous land. Therefore, he calls all dreams of such a life “fairy tales” (III). Bubnov frankly admits: “In my opinion, throw out the whole truth as it is! Why be ashamed? (III). But a person cannot be satisfied with the hopeless “truth of fact.” Kleshch speaks out against Bubnov’s truth when he shouts: “Which truth? Where is the truth? (...) No work... no power! That's the truth! (...) You have to breathe... here it is, the truth! (...) What do I need it for - is it true?” (III). Another hero also speaks out against the “truth of fact,” the same one who believed in the righteous land. This faith, as Luke says, helped him live. And when faith in the possibility of a better life was destroyed, the man hanged himself. There is no righteous land - this is the “truth of fact”, but to say that it should never exist is a lie. That is why Natasha explains the death of the hero of the parable this way: “I could not tolerate deception” (III).
The most interesting hero-ideologist in the play is, of course, Luke. Critics have varied assessments of this strange wanderer - from admiration for the old man’s generosity to exposure of his harmful consolation. Obviously, these are extreme estimates and therefore one-sided. The objective, calm assessment of Luka, which belongs to I.M. Moskvin, the first performer of the role of the old man on the theater stage, seems more convincing. The actor played Luka as a kind and intelligent person, whose consolations are not self-interested. Bubnov notes the same thing in the play: “Luka, for example, lies a lot... and without any benefit to himself... Why would he?” (III).
The reproaches leveled at Luke do not stand up to serious criticism. It should be specially noted that the old man does not “lie” anywhere. He advises Ash to go to Siberia, where he can start a new life. And it is true. His story about a free hospital for alcoholics, which made a strong impression on the Actor, is true, which is confirmed by special research by literary scholars (see the article by Vs. Troitsky “Historical realities in M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”” // Literature at school, 1980 , No. 6). Who can say that in describing Anna’s afterlife, Luke is being disingenuous? He consoles a dying man. Why blame him? He tells Nastya that he believes in her romance with the noble Gaston-Raoul, because he sees in the story of the unfortunate maiden not just a lie, like Bubnov, but a poetic dream.
Luke’s critics also claim that the harm from the old man’s consolations tragically affected the fate of the night shelters: the old man did not save anyone, did not really help anyone, the death of the Actor is on Luke’s conscience. How easy it is to blame one person for everything! He came to degraded people whom no one cared about, and consoled them as best he could. Neither the state, nor the officials, nor the homeless shelters themselves are to blame—Luke is to blame! It’s true, the old man didn’t save anyone, but he didn’t destroy anyone either - he did what was in his power: he helped people feel like people, the rest depended on them. And the Actor, an experienced heavy drinker, has absolutely no willpower to stop drinking. Vaska Pepel, in a stressed state, having learned that Vasilisa crippled Natalya, accidentally kills Kostylev. Thus, the reproaches expressed against Luke seem unconvincing: Luke is not “lying” anywhere and is not to blame for the misfortunes that happened to the night shelters.
Usually, researchers, condemning Luke, agree that Satin, in contrast to the crafty wanderer, formulates the correct ideas about freedom - truth - man: “Lies are the religion of slaves and masters... Truth is the god of a free man!” Satin explains the reasons for lying this way: “Whoever is weak at heart... and who lives on other people’s juices, those need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it... And who is his own master... who is independent and does not eat someone else’s - why would he lie?” (IV). If we decipher this statement, we get the following: Kostylev lies because he “lives on other people’s juices,” and Luka lies because he is “weak at heart.” Kostylev’s position, obviously, should be rejected immediately; Luka’s position requires serious analysis. Satin demands to look life straight in the eye, and Luka looks around in search of a comforting deception. Satin's truth differs from Bubnov's truth: Bubnov does not believe that a person can rise above himself; Satin, unlike Bubnov, believes in man, in his future, in his creative talent. That is, Satin is the only hero in the play who knows the truth.
What is the author's position in the debate about truth - freedom - man? Some literary scholars argue that only the words of Satin set out the author’s position, however, it can be assumed that the author’s position combines the ideas of Satin and Luke, but is not completely exhausted even by both of them. In other words, in Gorky Satin and Luke as ideologists are not opposed, but complement each other.
On the one hand, Satin himself admits that Luke, with his behavior and consoling conversations, pushed him (formerly an educated telegraph operator, and now a tramp) to think about Man. On the other hand, Luke and Satin both talk about goodness, about faith in the best that always lives in the human soul. Satin recalls how Luke answered the question: “What do people live for?” The old man said: “For the best!” (IV). But doesn’t Satin, when discussing Man, repeat the same thing? Luke says about people: “People... They will find and invent everything! You just need to help them... you need to respect them...” (III). Satin formulates a similar thought: “We must respect a person! Don’t feel sorry... don’t humiliate him with pity... you have to respect him!” (IV). The only difference between these statements is that Luke focuses on respect for a specific person, and Satin - on the Person. Diverging in particulars, they agree on the main thing - in the statement that man is the highest truth and value of the world. In Satin's monologue, respect and pity are contrasted, but it cannot be said for sure that this is the author's final position: pity, like love, does not exclude respect. On the third hand, Luka and Satin are extraordinary personalities who never clash in an argument in the play. Luka understands that Satin does not need his consolations, and Satin, carefully watching the old man in the shelter, never ridiculed him or cut him off.
To summarize what has been said, it should be noted that in the socio-philosophical drama “At the Bottom” the main and most interesting is the philosophical content. This idea is proven by the very structure of Gorky’s play: almost all the characters participate in the discussion of the philosophical problem of man - truth - freedom, while in the everyday storyline only four sort things out (Ashes, Natalya, the Kostylev couple). Many plays have been written showing the hopeless life of the poor in pre-revolutionary Russia, but it is very difficult to name another play other than the drama “At the Lower Depths”, in which, along with social problems, the “last” philosophical questions would be posed and successfully resolved.
The author's position (the fifth in a row, but perhaps not the last) in the play “At the Lower Depths” is created as a result of repulsion from false points of view (Kostylev and Bubnov) and the complementarity of two other points of view (Luka and Satin). The author in a polyphonic work, according to M.M. Bakhtin’s definition, does not subscribe to any of the points of view expressed: the solution to the posed philosophical questions does not belong to one hero, but is the result of the searches of all participants in the action. The author, like a conductor, organizes a polyphonic choir of characters, “singing” the same theme in different voices.
Still, there is no final solution to the question of truth - freedom - man in Gorky's drama. However, this is how it should be in a play that poses “eternal” philosophical questions. The open ending of the work forces the reader himself to think about them.
M. Gorky's play “At the Depths” raises many deep and philosophical themes. The characters show different points of view on the problems of existence. The main conflict is the collision of three different truths: fact, consolation and lies and faith.
First the truth - the truth of the fact - is represented by Bubnov. He prefers to express his thoughts directly and accurately, based on proven knowledge. Bubnov does not like people and is not going to feel sorry for them, but he believes that everyone has their own purpose. Human understanding, support or humanism are alien to him. His truth is straightforward and callous, since he is convinced that lying is pointless, because all people will die sooner or later. He will not choose his words, try to soften his speech so as not to offend the person. Bubnov's main principle is to tell it like it is.
Second truth- this is the truth of Luke. This person teaches others compassion, comfort, the ability to accept and hear others. He helps people gain faith in God and themselves, survive difficult life situations, and cope with difficulties. He lies to almost all the residents of the shelter, but does it for the good. Luke is convinced that hope, even if false, will give people the strength to improve their lives. The truth is not always good for him, because it can hurt and completely deprive a person of the meaning of existence. Luke believes that without some lies, people may not withstand the trials of life. In addition, he is confident that it is faith, and not facts, that gives people strength.
Third the hero who expresses his opinion on this topic is Satin. It is his thoughts that are worth paying special attention to, since Gorky expresses his thoughts through him. The basis of his thoughts is faith in man. Satin is convinced that man changes this world, creates new laws, and controls basic processes. For him, man is the highest being. He believes that the truth should be respected and expressed. For him, lies are the basis for the existence of the world of slaves and masters. At the same time, truth is necessary for a free person. He argues with Luka, believing that a person should not be pitied, but respected.
The three truths in Gorky's play are three opposing points of view on the world. Bubnov is convinced of the power of straightforward facts, which must be expressed without embarrassment or fear. Luke advocates a soft approach and deception for the greater good, if it gives hope and faith in a bright future. Satin believes only in man, his strength and freedom. Such different points of view reveal the topic as deeply as possible and help the reader decide for himself which of the heroes to support.
A. M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” is one of the most powerful dramatic works of that time. This play concerns the main issues of the existence of humanity, its perception of the world.
The play describes episodes from the lives of people living in the same shelter. Each of them was once someone, and now they find themselves at the “bottom”. Some of them live in an illusory world, some simply go with the flow, but among them there are also those who are ready to defend their truth.
One day, out of nowhere, Luka appeared in the shelter, inconspicuous from the outside, but with his concept of life stirring the souls of people. He seems to be a kind and compassionate person, but it is impossible to understand what is in his soul; he talks little and reluctantly about himself, at the same time he tries to get into the soul of every person. He is interested in absolutely everything: why Nastya is crying over the book, and why Vasilisa behaves this way, he cares about everything. With his words, he tries to help, encourage, support, and calm everyone. This is his truth, Luke believes that his philosophy is necessary for people. He instilled faith in the future in the shelter's guests, made them look at life differently, and left as suddenly as he had appeared. And what did this give people? Bitter disappointment of unrealistic hopes, and the weak-willed Actor completely took his own life.
Bubnov has a different truth. Skeptical about everything, he denies everyone, including himself. Its truth is that social differences do not play any role, they are all washed off like paint from your hands, seemingly ingrained forever. Having sunk to the “bottom” of life, everyone becomes the same, just as they were born naked, they will die, no matter how hard they try to embellish themselves during life. Bubnov does not recognize any pity for anyone or anything; everyone around him is equal and superfluous, like himself.
The truth of Satin is to exalt a person, Luke’s pity is unacceptable for him, he believes that pity only humiliates a person, and in his concept: “Man sounds proud!” He admires a person as a strong and strong-willed person, capable of reshaping the whole world according to his own understanding. Satin is convinced that a person’s strength lies in himself, there is no need to rely on anyone or feel sorry for anyone, a proud person is capable of anything.
It is also true in his discussions about work, where Satin argues that if work brings pleasure to a person, then his life will be pleasant, and if you work out of obligation, you will again become a slave, slavery is humiliating, a proud and freedom-loving person should strive for achieving higher goals.
Gorky's play makes every person think about his own existence, and decide for himself how to live in this world. All three of these characters are right in their own way, which suggests that there is no single truth and cannot be. Each person is an individual, and each judges in his own way, assessing the truth of these heroes.
Of course, everyone should have kindness and philanthropy, compassion, but at the same time without humiliating human dignity, and have the strength to resist injustice and cruelty.
Maxim Gorky's play “At the Bottom” is a drama that tells about the lives of people who, for various reasons, find themselves at the very bottom of life. Once upon a time they had a decent job, a position in society, families... Now their life is survival in a shelter, in dirt and drunkenness, without money, among people like them. Each of the characters experiences this fall in their own way, but the most clearly expressed are the opinions of three characters, three truths colliding with each other.
The first is the truth of Bubnov, the former owner of a dyeing workshop, and now a cap-maker with debts. Due to a quarrel with his wife, who cheated on him, Bubnov was left with nothing, and this, undoubtedly, left an imprint on his attitude towards life. Lack of compassion for a person, lack of faith in people and in oneself, dry statement of facts, straightforwardness - these are his principles. Bubnov does not want the best in this life, because “Everything is like this: they are born, they live, they die. And I will die... and you...". For this person there is no meaning in life, having taken his place at the very bottom, he inevitably and calmly moves towards death.
The second truth belongs to the wanderer Luke, who appears briefly, illuminating the dark corners of the shelter with a ray of light, and again disappears into nowhere. The elder is kind to everyone without exception, he sincerely empathizes with each hero of the play in his misfortune. He tells the actor about the existence of a hospital where drunkenness is treated for free, Pepla calls on Vaska to move to Siberia, where life is good, he reassures the dying Anna that peace and tranquility await her in the afterlife, and supports Nastya’s romantic hopes of finding her betrothed. “I respect swindlers too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad: all are black, all jump...” - this is Luka’s life principle. It gives people a chance, allows them to believe in themselves in the most difficult situations. After all, every person deserves to feel self-respect and gain faith. Yes, it becomes clear to the reader of the play that Luke is lying, but this is a white lie. A lie that gave people hope.
Satin, a card sharper who was once an educated telegraph operator, has his own truth. He does not agree with Luka that people should be pitied. In his opinion, every person has the power with which he can achieve whatever he wants, change not only his life, but also the world around him. Satin’s words “Man sounds proud!” became famous for all time. Respect yourself, do not feel sorry for anyone, do not rely on anyone. This character does not accept lies, he tells people only the truth, no matter how cruel it may be. Alas, this truth does not bring people happiness, but only returns them from the illusions inspired by Luke to the mortal earth.
Gorky's play "At the Bottom" makes the reader think about who is right in this dispute, whose truth is true? Perhaps there is no clear answer to this question, because each hero is both right and wrong in his own way. Without a doubt, humanity and compassion are important in our world, without them people will become tough and bitter. But sincerity and honesty towards people plays an equally important role. It is important that in any life situation a person remains human.
The painting by Ivan Ivanovich Shishkin was painted by the artist in 1889. At the moment, the painting is stored in the V.D. Polenov Museum-Reserve. The artist created a whole series of paintings
Pierre Bezukhov, one of the main characters of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace, throughout the entire work tries to understand what the meaning of his life is.
The works of the remarkable writer Moliere reflect the main problems and phenomena that happened in his country in the eighteenth century, and in them he also reveals the main points
Maxim Gorky’s play “At the Depths” shows the life of the lower strata of society, reflects the hopes and aspirations of its poorest strata, and opens up for readers the spiritual and moral world of people who were previously considered outcasts. The work shows two main life positions, two “truths”, they are professed by two heroes: Luke and Satin. With the help of this antithesis, Gorky showed the fermentation of thought at the bottom of society.
Luke is a wanderer, a vagabond, he has developed his own understanding of the truth. This hero puts a person’s feelings above all else; he believes that “...to caress a person is never harmful...” - one must treat him humanely. In fact, this is expressed in the fact that Luke tells almost every character in the play what he wants to hear. Ash, for example, is that he can get out of the bottom; Anna, that there is a better world after death, Actor, that there is a hospital for alcoholics, where he (the Actor) can be returned to normal life.
At first glance, it seems that these actions of his are justified: indeed, Anna receives consolation in her last hour, Actor and Ashes receive hope, but the further development of the play completely refutes Luke’s truth. Ash goes to prison, and the Actor, realizing that there is no other choice, commits suicide. The hopes that these heroes had were crushed, crushing them with their weight.
It turns out that there is no way out from the bottom, that the characters in the play are at a dead end in life, that they have neither hope nor chance to change anything.
No! At the end of the play, the most striking monologues are delivered by the hitherto undistinguished Satin. It’s strange to hear such words from the lips of an ordinary tramp, but this was the great writer’s idea, to show how a person who finds himself on the edge of an abyss has a desire to jump over it, break the shackles that are sung in the tramps’ favorite song, and live fully again. life.
Satin’s truth is to look at things soberly, in order to boldly move forward towards your goal, so as not to deceive yourself with false hopes. The reader cannot but agree with this point of view; it is confirmed by the entire course of the play. “Do not humiliate a person with pity!” - says Satin, and indeed, after reading the play, we understand that pity only humiliates a person, makes him even more unhappy. And man, “man—that sounds proud!”
However, the truth of Luke and the truth of Satin are far from being opposed to each other in everything. So, Luke says: “You need to respect a person,” and Satin says about Luke that he “... is smart!.. He... acted on me like acid on an old and dirty coin...”
The play “At the Bottom” reflects one of the eternal problems of human existence: is a white lie evil or good?
According to Gorky’s work, it is difficult to make a choice between two truths: it is difficult not to say words of consolation to a dying person, on the one hand, and one cannot but agree with Satin, with his understanding of the truth. This is where Gorky’s genius manifested itself: in the ability to pose a philosophical question and illuminate it from different sides, to show different points of view. The writer was able to act not as a judge, but as an “impartial witness of life.” And more than once a person who finds himself faced with a choice will turn to the great work of Russian classics.
Luka is the most complex character in M. Gorky’s play “At the Bottom”. It is with this that the main philosophical question of the work is connected: “What is better: truth or compassion? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies, like Luke?” Before the appearance...
Gorky's play "At the Lower Depths" was written in 1902 for the troupe of the Moscow Art Public Theater. For a long time, Gorky could not find the exact title for the play. Initially it was called “Nochlezhka”, then - “Without the Sun”, and finally -...
The play “At the Lower Depths” was written during the period of acute industrial and economic crisis that broke out in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, therefore it reflects the facts and events of our time that actually took place. In this sense, the play was a verdict...
For Russian writers of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries, a characteristic feature was that in their works they considered the inner, spiritual world of man, his moral quest. Gorky in some ways continues this tradition. Peculiar...
Gorky began to write his works at a time when man, in essence, had become devalued. He became a slave to things, the value of the individual fell. In the play "At the Bottom" Gorky shows a very special type of people - people of the bottom, broken by life, doomed...
Gorky's play "At the Lower Depths" poses many rhetorical questions. It reveals not only the gradual moral “dying” of people who find themselves in difficult social conditions, but also the author’s philosophical views on various problems. Without any doubts,...
