Which is better, truth or compassion? This is a question that, on closer examination, raises more doubts than certainties.

True

What is truth? This is something that exists in reality, a statement verified by experience. What is compassion? - empathy, sympathy for the misfortunes of another person. These concepts are difficult to contrast with each other. But this is exactly what M. Gorky, the author of the play "At the Bottom", does.

The action of the play takes place in a rooming house for tramps, "former people." This place is more like a prison basement than a living room. The inhabitants of the rooming house are people embittered at life, having lost all hope for a better future, indifferent to each other and to themselves. They have forgotten their past, they have no present, they will not have a future. They themselves say that they do not live, but exist. Some critic noted that “At the Bottom” is a stunning picture of a cemetery, where people who are valuable in their makings are buried alive.

The light wanderer Luke breaks into this black world. He tries to comfort people, to give them a new outlook on life, to expand the isolation of the rooming house with dreams and hopes. And people are drawn to it. Nastya finds hope for true love, Pepel thinks about a trip to a new life in Siberia, the Actor begins to dream of an infirmary for drunkards, Anna dies with thoughts of heavenly tranquility.

Opposition to Luke

He is clearly opposed to Luka Bubnov - a cynical and gloomy person with whom no one even wants to talk, he only manages to insert his phrases into someone else's conversation. He is convinced that it is necessary to speak the whole truth directly, as it is, without hesitation. And when Luka disappears, Bubnov accuses the old man of disturbing the souls of the rooming-houses with false hope and abandoning them.

Satin takes a slightly different position. Satin is a former telegraph operator, a person who supports the views of the philosopher F. Nietzsche, shouting after him that “God is dead!”. He says that Luke is not a charlatan, because he lies out of compassion, out of the kindness of his soul. And Satin exclaims: "Man - that's the truth!". He is sure that compassion humiliates people, because of self-pity, a person is not able to change the cruel world. For a revolution, people need to take a sober look at life.

Answer to the question

Which of them is right? Gorky does not give a definite answer. On the one hand, Luke's compassion leads to Actor committing suicide. On the other hand, it is possible that those who discovered the truth about fictional hospitals for drunkards are guilty of his death.

We do not know on whose side the author is. Contemporaries claim that M. Gorky wept when he read the scenes of Anna's consolation by Elder Luke. Perhaps it is his position that is closest to the writer, and the positions of the other heroes are introduced to confirm the correctness of Luke?

In my opinion, the truth is certainly important for a person, but there come such moments when without consolation, without faith in something better, life simply cannot go on. Faith is life itself.

Lord! If the holy World cannot find the way to the truth, - Honor to the madman who will inspire Humanity with a golden dream! As a writer, Gorky had his own view of the role and purpose of art, he assigned high tasks and goals to it. In his work, Gorky was looking for...

M. Gorky's play "At the Bottom" was created more than eighty years ago. And all these years it has not ceased to cause controversy. This can be explained by the many problems posed by the author, problems that at different stages of historical development acquire ...

The play contains, as it were, two parallel actions. The first is social and everyday and the second is philosophical. Both actions develop in parallel, not intertwined. There are, as it were, two planes in the play: external and internal. External plan. In the overnight...

True and false... Two opposite poles connected by a non-breaking thread. What is more necessary for a person? It is strange to ask such a question. After all, since childhood, we are taught the concept of truth as a positive quality, and about lies as a negative one.

In Gorky's play "At the Bottom" the system of images is unusually interesting. But, before turning to them directly, we should consider in more detail the meaning of the title of the work. What is this "bottom"? According to Gorky, this is not only housing - “a basement that looks like ...

M. Gorky's play "At the Bottom" was written in 1902. This play was allowed to be staged only by the Art Theatre. The censors hoped it would fail, but the performance was a huge success. M. Gorky showed us the life of people who sank “on ...

At first glance, it seems that truth and compassion are two completely different concepts that are difficult to compare with each other. But in the play M.A. Gorky, they oppose each other. Is it better to tell the truth or show compassion? In my opinion, it is difficult to unambiguously answer this question. Let's try to find the answer in the play "At the bottom".

The drama "The Lower Depths" presents people with completely different pasts, but the same present.

All of them are mired in poverty and misery. Heroes do not live, but only exist, spending their lives in a dark, dirty closet. Satin stands out against the background of all the inhabitants of the rooming house. In the past, he was fond of reading interesting books, worked as a telegraph operator. But one day, while protecting his sister, he ended up in prison for almost 5 years. And after the prison ended up in this rooming house. Satin's life is not going well: he likes to drink and play cards. But despite all these shortcomings, he knows how to subtly, clearly and philosophically express his thoughts. Satin proclaims the cult of man. He claims that a person is capable of much, admires his power and potential. Sateen is a fighter for truth. The hero believes that every person deserves to know the truth, no matter how hard it would be, and that only strong personalities can accept it. Only the truth can make a person realize and understand the full horror of his situation, can push him to go further, overcoming obstacles, improve and change his life for the better, and compassion only inspires false hopes. Truth makes a person strong and confident. As the hero himself stated: "Lie is the religion of slaves." It is this point of view that the author of the play, Maxim Gorky, adheres to. In particular, the hero Satin speaks through him.

As an opposition to Sateen, Luke, who unexpectedly appeared in the rooming house, is presented. His worldview is different from Sateen's. Luke is a wanderer, who has come from nowhere and who knows where he is on his way. By nature, he is a kind, sensitive, sympathetic person. Luke showed compassion, pitied, gave hope and comfort. He, like no one else, was able to influence these low people. His speeches awakened in people the desire to live and improve their lives. But his compassion is sometimes associated with lies and deceit. And as he himself believes, his lie is for the good. Luke only instills deceptive illusions in the souls of vulnerable people. In my opinion, only weak personalities will fall for these illusions.

Both truth and compassion did not force the heroes to take action to change their lives, but only aroused desire. Perhaps this is because people are so exhausted and weak that they are not able to correct their bad situation. They resigned themselves to hopelessness. So, analyzing this work, it is impossible to accurately answer the question we asked earlier: “Which is better - truth or compassion?”. Each person will have their own point of view on this situation. Personally, I agree with Satin. It seems to me that compassion with an admixture of lies does not lead to good.

Which is better, truth or compassion? It is impossible to give a definite answer. "At the Bottom" touches upon and reveals several problems to readers: lies and truth, merciful deception and bitter truth. In my opinion, compassion is still better, because it is precisely this that gives hope for life to any of the characters in the play “At the Bottom”.

Each of them: Satin, Bubnov, Nastya, Actor, Kleshch were "at the bottom of life" through their own fault. A person chooses his own destiny, he must have a goal, a dream, in order to have something to strive for. But the heroes don't have that... They don't live, they just exist, they spend the rest of their lives in a dark, dirty rooming house. Day after day, the same thing: darkness, emptiness in the soul, complete indifference to everyone and everything ... But it was like that until a certain moment. . .

With the advent of a new character - Luke, it seemed that now everything will work out: people will get out of this hole on their own - they just need to be pushed. It is Luke who shows compassion, gives hope, consoles. He, like no one else, has an influence on these low people. Being near death, Anna listens to the old man, believes in his words of compassion, they help her - a woman dies with the hope that in the other world everything will be fine for her: no suffering, no poverty. Luke's words did not pass by the Actor: a person who has lost all hope suddenly understands the meaning of life, that not everything is lost, you can still fix everything and start from scratch. But, alas, this is not to be... Just as you instantly gain hope, just as quickly you can lose it. Compassion is not just words that have an impact while you hear them - it is a spiritual upheaval, a constant desire for striving and change.

It would be a mistake to say that it was Luka who was to blame for the death of the Actor, that it was the words of compassion that ruined the man. He helped people. What if he did not console the inhabitants of the “bottom”, but, on the contrary, once again showed the truth of their life, the place that they occupy in society? By doing this, he would not change anything for the better, he would only push him to the “extreme step” of solving all problems - suicide.

The author does not accept a naive belief in a miracle, but it is precisely the miraculous that the characters of this drama imagine, for some in a marble hospital, for others in honest work, for others in love happiness. Luke's speeches had an effect because they "fell on the fertile soil of cherished illusions."

The characters of the work, of course, touched the truth, but did not get rid of the feeling of hopelessness. Their circle of existence is closed: from indifference - to an unattainable dream, and from it - to death and emptiness.

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“The arrival of Luke only for a minute accelerates the pulse of a fading life, but he can neither save nor raise anyone” (I.F. Annensky) (based on the play by M. Gorky “At the Bottom”)

The meaning of the image of Luke in Gorky's play "At the Bottom"

Which is better, truth or compassion? (according to the work of M. Gorky)

Which is better, truth or compassion? (based on the play by A.M. Gorky "At the Bottom")

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Is it really necessary for a person to know the absolute truth, or can staying in illusions and fantasies be much better and even more saving for him? This question is asked by the great Russian writer and playwright Maxim Gorky in his play At the Bottom.

The heroes of Gorky's work are ordinary people who, by the will of fate, are forced to fight for their survival, to save every penny, labor and sweat, in order to somehow make ends meet. Among them there are both once famous or noble people (Actor, Baron), and those who have been starving all their lives (Anna). But, despite the filth and lawlessness surrounding them, they still try to remain human beings, to adhere to moral guidelines. In their conversations, they raise issues that contrast sharply with the disgusting conditions of their living in their loftiness and originality.

The goal of their dialogues is to search for some universal truth of life, and each of the heroes of the play sees it in his own way.

The first position is the acceptance of the disappointing truth as it is, without softening embellishment. On the side of this position is Bubnov, once the owner of a dyeing workshop. This hero is skeptical, cynical and cruel, there is not a drop of compassion in him - even to the request of the dying Anna to be quieter, he replies: “Noise is not a hindrance to death ...”

The second position on this issue is the position of the eccentric wanderer Luke. He tries to show the need for pity for every person. He consoles the dying Anna with the words that after death she will finally find peace. Luka tells the actor about a free clinic where they treat drunkenness. Some inhabitants of the rooming house perceive Luke's words with hostility, accusing him of giving people only empty hopes, completely closing their eyes to the true state of things. But is this truth so good? And is it worth reproaching the wanderer for his sincere desire to help the inhabitants of the rooming house, even with a kind word?

A saving lie is sometimes necessary. Anna needs her - her days are numbered, she is dying, and the cruel truth of Bubnoy would only make her death more painful. But then, do the other heroes of the play really need false hopes and compassion, and didn’t they lead some of the heroes to an even more tragic death? Although the majority of the inhabitants of the rooming house are not guilty of their fate, they are weak-willed in themselves, they do not want to correct the situation in any way. The actor, after the disappearance of Luka, who decides that there is no salvation, commits suicide; Bubnov still does not move beyond bilious and cynical reasoning. All heroes are united by the inability to do anything to rise from the social bottom.

We can say that only one hero in the play is truly right - Satin. He sees no point in once again "chewing" obvious things, in illusions and blind consolation. Neither compassion nor any truth is worth anything without the desire to act, to fight the difficulties of life, without a person's firm self-confidence.

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“Which is better: truth or compassion?” - essay on the play "At the bottom"

Maxim Gorky's play "At the Bottom" asks fundamental questions, the answers to which mankind is still looking for. One of those questions is:

“WHAT IS BETTER: COMPASSION OR TRUTH?”

The heroes of the work, the inhabitants of the rooming house, are people with different beliefs, ideals and past. Some dream of freedom, others dream of love, and still others don't believe in anything at all. But all of them are united by the search for the meaning of their worthless existence.

Luke's arrival gives hope to the desperate inhabitants of the rooming house. These people, with no present or future, gain faith through Luke's sweet lies.

Luke himself is well aware that he is deceiving these unfortunate people, however, he does this with good intentions. His position is conscious and thoughtful. Luke seeks to comfort people in every way. It does not matter to him whether these words are true or false, the main thing is the result. After all, the bitter truth can finally finish off a person who is at the bottom of his life, push him to suicide.

The main opponent of Luke is Satin, who prefers to accept the truth, no matter how bitter it is, to accept all the absurdity of the world around him.

For him, living a lie is tantamount to a loss of self-respect, tantamount to recognizing oneself as weak and defeated. And Satin strives to hold out to the end, remaining a strong man.

The end of the play is dramatic. The philosophy of compassion is failing. All those whom Luca sought to help could not find a way out of their life's dead ends. The preaching of compassion did not change the lives of the heroes.

However, the philosophy of Sateen, which did not develop into concrete actions and actions, as a result, is no different from empty promises of a better life. The world of the inhabitants of the rooming house is filled with a sense of hopelessness. In the life of the heroes, nothing has changed. Truth and compassion alone cannot bring the desired relief.

One should strive to find the golden mean, when the blade of truth becomes not an instrument of ruthless murder, but an instrument of merciful healing of the human soul.

Composition "At the bottom - Gorky" "Which is better: truth or compassion?" - essay on the play "At the bottom"

Just for every firefighter under the cut))) Under the sea, two pages of printed text, as for me - delusional nonsense, according to the teacher of literature - a good essay))

Which is better: truth or compassion? What is needed?
(Composition based on the play by M. Gorky "At the Bottom")

Showing the life of the inhabitants of the rooming house - people who have sunk to the very bottom of life, M. Gorky throughout the play tries to find the answer to the question: what is better, what people need more: truth or compassion?
According to the author himself, compassion and pity give rise to "comforting lies" and carry only harm. And Gorky expresses his thoughts through Sateen's monologue: "Lie is the religion of slaves and masters. ... Truth is the god of a free man!" And Luka, as the antagonist character of Sateen, was introduced into the play precisely in order to show all the futility, senselessness of compassion, because in the end, after the old man left, everything became not only not better, but even worse! But, despite the author's intention, it is impossible to say unequivocally who is right - Satin or Luke, and what would be better for a person - a cruel truth or a comforting lie.
When the reader first meets the inhabitants of the rooming house, he sees degraded, desperate people thrown to the sidelines of life. No one cares about anyone, even the neighbors are only busy with their own problems. However, these people also have their own dreams, desires, someone, like the Baron, has memories of a past life - and it is impossible to understand whether they are true or invented, like Nastya's "true love". And Luka, appearing for the first time in this dark and inhospitable place, finds a kind word for almost everyone. So, he tells the Actor about the hospital, Anna - that she will be fine in the next world, in words he believes Nastya's stories. And as if a sunbeam penetrates the rooming house - people are inspired by hope, they believe - or, like Vaska Pepel, want to believe - Luka, because his words coincide with their own dreams. Luka is crafty - he is not like Bubnov, who believes that "bring the whole truth as it is", Luka tells people exactly what they want to hear, even if it goes against the true state of affairs. Compassion is not alien to him, and he is ready to pity the people who have gathered in the rooming house. In his life, he saw a lot, and came to the conclusion that "you can't always cure the soul with the truth." A vivid example of this can be the story told by Luke about a man who believed in a righteous land: he lived, worked and endured hardships and hardships, because he believed that there is such a land! But, having learned the truth, he lost all meaning of life: "... went home - and strangled himself! .." The truth did not bring anything good to this man, only deprived him of the hope that he lived. And so is Luke - he supports the inhabitants of the rooming house, encourages them and gives hope, even if it is false. And under its influence, it would seem that completely desperate people begin to dream, even make plans. They are changing for the better, they draw strength from the appeared hope to fight for their dream. Vaska Pepel is ready to leave for Siberia and start life there from scratch, he says words that a completely degraded thief would not say: "We must live like this ... so that I can respect myself." The actor goes to work, saves money for a hospital and even remembers his stage name. It would seem that everything is going well, because now people have hope, there is a goal in life - and this raises them above their previous position.
But what - as soon as Luka disappears, as the haze of bright hopes dissipates, the heroes are faced with the cruel truth of life, in which, however, Satin plays an important role with his sarcastic, contemptuous and incriminating remarks. And, having lost their hope, the heroes return to their former state, only now it is even more difficult for them to overcome adversity on their life path, their spiritual strength is already running out, and for someone, like an Actor, this manifests itself to an extreme degree, like the man in the story of the righteous land. And this, too, is Luke's fault. As Kleshch rightly put it: “he beckoned them somewhere ... but he didn’t say the way ...” Again, faced with the cruel truth, the heroes are disappointed in life. And the stronger their disappointment, the stronger was the hope for the best. And here again we can turn to the story of the righteous land. After all, the inhabitants of the rooming house do not understand it at all in the way that Luka wants to present it: "I could not stand the deception," says Natasha. Who and why told this man that a righteous land exists? Why give him false hope, if in the end the disappointment in life turned out to be so great that suicide turned out to be the best way out for the hero? After all, in fact, this story practically does not differ from the events unfolding in the play. And Luke's compassion, his comforting lie, told not at all for selfish purposes, but to encourage - all this went only to the detriment of the heroes.
But at the same time, this tragic ending is also the fault of the characters themselves. After all, the words of the old man were not an absolute lie: Vaska Pepel could start his life from scratch in Siberia, and the Actor, even if he did not find a hospital, could rise from the bottom of life. Luke only gave them the initial impetus, I will give them hope and faith that the realization of their dreams is possible. Another thing is that, having lost external support and encouragement with the departure of Luke, they could not find in themselves that inner core that would allow them to continue to pursue their intended goal. Weak in spirit, they would need constant support from the outside - but there was only one person in the rooming house who was ready for this - Luka. But he left, and Satin remained, who is alien to such: "What good is it to you if I regret?" he asks Klesch. And oddly enough, it is Satin who best understands Luke and his motives: "The old man is not a charlatan!<…>I understand the old man... yes! He lied... but it was out of pity for you."
And after all, not everyone in the rooming house Luka gave advice or tried to encourage. Satin, Bubnov, Kleshch - Luka did not even approach them with consolations, because they do not need it. The tick clearly distinguishes between truth and lies, even if he himself doesn’t need the truth: “It’s true - what’s the truth here? And without it, there’s nothing to breathe ...” - he says. Bubnov does not dream, he is indifferent to others and is in favor of "blaming the whole truth as it is." Satin is a sharpie, a gambler - why does he need Luke's pity? After all, he himself does not accept pity, considering himself a "free man": "You must respect a person! Do not pity ... do not humiliate him with pity ... you must respect!" he says. Of course, the words about respect spoken by people like Satin do not sound particularly true, but here the words of Satin are spoken by the author himself, and this is the author's position.
So which is better, truth or compassion? Strong people do not need any compassion or pity - in case of failure, faced with the true state of things, they will be able to survive it and move on with renewed vigor, if, of course, they themselves need it. The situation is different with people like the Actor: on the one hand, compassion and "white lies" can keep them hopeful, can give them the strength to endure and move on; on the other hand, faced with the cruel truth, the loss of hope can finally deprive them of the strength and desire to fight on. Thus, each person must decide for himself what is best for him: truth or compassion. In the end, as the same Luke said: "What you believe is what you are."