What is better dream or reality at the bottom. Dreams and cruel reality in the play M

What do sleepovers dream about? essay in the format of the final essay in the direction "Dream and Reality") Auth. Bakhtin S.F.

Introduction (thesis ) "At the bottom" - the most famous play by M. Gorky. The drama, which has the subtitle "Pictures", depicts a group of inhabitants of an overnight house for the poor - thieves, cheaters, beggars, hungry, crippled, humiliated and insulted, thrown out of life - the former ... Almost everyone livesdream about another, happy life. (39 words).

Main body (arguments).

1 .In the center of the plot is a dispute about a person, the opposition of worldviews, the problem of truth and lies. The heroes of the work are, for the most part, people broken by circumstances who have lost their moral guidelines. At the same time, each inhabitant of the "bottom" livesdream which has nothing to do with reality. With the help of psychologisms, the author reveals the characters of the characters, theirdreams about a decent life. For example, young Nastyadreams about pure love, but the existing realities do not correspond in any waydream girls. The book "Fatal Love" is an important detail in revealing the image of Nastya, it is designed to support herdreams . (79 pp.).

2 . An interesting fact is that not all characters have names, surnames, some are represented only by nicknames. I think by this Gorky shows the degree of doom of the heroes. Each of them in the past experienced his own personal social conflict, as a result of which he found himself in a miserable position. For example, a drunken Actor once upon a time shone on stage, the audience knew him as Sverchkov-Zadunaisky. We learn about this only from the hero’s own memoirs, now he only has a nickname that reminds him of his past life. Hisdream - get into the hospital, and then - again go to the stage. But, alas, hisdreams also not destined to come true, since reality is much harsherdreams .(95 w.).

3 .Any inhabitant of a rooming house wants a better life, but at the same time does absolutely nothing to correct the situation. It is much easier to listen to the empty words of the wanderer Luke, inspiring hope for realizationfantasies . His comforting truth lies in one phrase: “What you believe is what you are.” But the formula of hope, not supported by action, is fatal for most of the inhabitants of the rooming house. For example, having learned about the absence of a free hospital for alcoholics, the Actor hanged himself in a vacant lot. Luke's parable of the righteous land gave him false hope, and he repeated the fate of the nameless character... (81 words).

Conclusion ).

Thus, the author shows that even the brightest innermostdreams if they do nothing, they are forever doomed to remain so, since the cruel reality is much stronger. ThoughtGorky is clear: the fate of a person is always in his own hands. It is one thing to fall to the bottom due to the prevailing circumstances, and quite another to come to terms with your situation, give up and stop the struggle for a worthy existence. The problems raised in the drama still have not lost their relevance. Every day we see the inhabitants of the bottom on the streets and do not even think about how many there are and how they ended up in such a deplorable situation. I am sure that among them there are those who were broken by difficult circumstances, someone lacked the participation of loved ones. And most, unfortunately, prefer to stay at the bottom consciously.

(115 words) Total - 409 words.

At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher analyzes in detail the attitude of the inhabitants of the rooming house in Maxim Gorky's play "At the Bottom" to people, reveals the image of Luke and his understanding of the truth of life.
The rooming house is a symbol of human life in general, the desire to escape from this world into some kind of dream, because a dream gives rise to people who promote the world. Maxim Gorky's plays "At the Bottom" are the most remarkable phenomenon of the early 19th century.

Topic: Russian literature of the late XIX - early XX centuries.

Lesson: Maxim Gorky. "At the bottom": what is the truth?

The play "At the Bottom" is a socio-philosophical work, which, according to many literary critics, is central to the writer's work. “No matter how you treat Gorky, the drama “At the Bottom” will survive both the abuse of his enemies and the hysterical delights of obsequious friends,” wrote literary critic D. V. Filosofov. “The main question I wanted to pose,” Gorky himself said, “is what is better: truth or compassion?”

“At the Bottom” is an ambiguous play, allowing for various interpretations, including those that disagree with the intention of its author. It reflected the personal conflict of the author himself: the contradiction between Gorky the ideologist and Gorky the man. The play received its final name on the theater poster, after Maksim Gorky went through others: "Without the sun", "Nochlezhka", "Bottom", "At the bottom of life." Unlike the original ones, which set off the tragic position of the tramps, the latter clearly had ambiguity, was perceived widely: not only “at the bottom” of life, but first of all, “at the bottom” of the human soul.

Rice. 1. K.S. Stanislavsky, A.M. Gorky and M.P. Lilina ()

Here, under the gloomy and gloomy vaults of the doss house, people of the most diverse character and social status found shelter, people from almost all strata of the then Russian society. Different paths led them to the "bottom", they all deserve a better fate. Most of them face imminent moral and even physical death. But it is here, "at the bottom" among the pitiful crippled vagrants, in the midst of darkness and hopelessness, that a dispute arises about man and the meaning of his life...

Maxim Gorky's play "At the Bottom" excited society with its appearance. Her first performance caused a shock: did real rooming houses come on stage instead of actors? The action of the play in a cave-like basement attracts attention not only by the unusual characters, but also by its polyphony. It is only at the first moment when the reader or viewer sees the “heavy stone vaults” of the ceiling, “Bubnov’s bunk beds”, “a wide bed covered with a dirty cotton canopy” it seems that the faces here are all the same - gray, gloomy, dirty. The action of the 1st act is preceded by a detailed description of the basement. The author wanted to introduce the viewer into this cellar. It looks like a cave. But this is the house of the overnight stays, they are tied to their dwelling. But the heroes have spoken.

Satine appeared not with words, but with a growl. His first line is that he is a card cheat and a drunkard. He once served on the telegraph, was an educated person. He pronounces words incomprehensible to others. "Organon" in translation means "tool", "organ of knowledge", "mind". (Perhaps Satin means that it is not the human body that is poisoned, but the very rationality of life.) Sicambre is an ancient Germanic tribe, meaning "dark man." With these words, Satin shows his superiority over the rest of the rooming houses.

The actor is a drunkard who constantly remembers his acting past. He is harmless, does no harm to anyone, helps Anna, takes pity on her. His citation of classical works speaks in favor of the hero. He prefers solitude, the company of himself, or rather, his thoughts, dreams, memories. The remarks to his remarks are characteristic: “after a pause”, “suddenly, as if waking up”. He has no name (his name was Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky, but "no one knows this"). Like a drowning man, he clutches at any straw if it creates the illusion of this name, individuality. "My body is poisoned by alcohol." The remark “with pride” explains a lot: here I have something that others do not have.

Bubnov. From the first remarks, the slow-wittedness, indifference of the hero is manifested. V. Luzhsky, who played the role of Bubnov in the Moscow Art Theater, recalls a conversation with Maxim Gorky: “He asked me in the 3rd act to be even dumber.”

Mite. In the 1st act - twice the note "sullenly". This is the darkest figure. He soberly and gloomily looks at life.

Nastya in the 1st act appears with the novel "Fatal Love". (Newspapers said that such tabloid novels constituted the traditional "culture" of the city prostitute.) She had already found "uplifting deceit" before Luke's arrival.

Luke appears with the words: "Good health, honest people." To Vasilisa’s question: “Who are you?” replies: "Passing ... wandering."

These people are mostly indifferent to each other, often do not hear,

what others say, do not try to understand. In the 1st act, all the characters speak, but each, almost not listening to the others, talks about his own. Indeed, everyone lives in this basement the way they want, everyone is preoccupied with their own problems (for some it is a problem of freedom, for someone it is a problem of punishment, for someone it is a problem of health, survival in the created conditions). The development of the conflict begins with the appearance of Luke. The playwright has been thinking about the problem of man for many years. Probably, the appearance of Luke in the first act of the play is the climax of this action, not only because the hero outlines one of the main problems - how to relate to a person; the appearance of Luke is the most striking moment, also because rays-thoughts stretch from him to the next actions of the drama.

Bubnov, kartuznik, 45 years old

Reference. The nickname Tambourine was given to: 1) a master making a percussion musical instrument; 2) to someone who constantly chats, mumbles unintelligibly, a talker, a liar, a swindler; 3) squandered or lost in cards (metonymy based on the name of the card suit) or ruined poor fellow; 4) a fool (tambourines in the head - without a king in the head), a lazy person, a hanger-on. Wed also the expression "zabubёnnaya little head", that is, a lost person.

The viewer sees Bubnov and Anna only within the limits of Kostylev's rooming house. Even in Act III, when all the rest of the rooming houses are "in the wild" (in the "vacant lot"), he remains in the basement, looking out the window from there.

.. “The whole soul is in the beloved” - one can agree with this statement of Luke. The kartuznik Bubnov has a “favorite” - a cautious song that he selflessly sings with Crooked Goiter - the one that the Actor “spoiled”.

In response to Luka's remark: "I'll look at you, brothers - your life - oh-oh! .." - Bubnov replies: "Such a life that as soon as you get up in the morning, so you howl." At the same time, the card-maker alters the proverb: “Without truth, life is standing up, and even howling.”

Satin, under 40 years old

Reference. Satin - from Sat, Satya - shortened versions of the name Satyr (in Greek mythology, satyrs are the gods of fertility from the retinue of Dionysus, the god of winemaking; they are cocky, lustful, amorous, impudent, love wine).

The surname Satin is also associated with the "prince of darkness" - Satan.

The literary critic A. Novikova calls Satin "the new Danko, who has turned from a romantic into a realist," who "cannot lead people, illuminating the road with the rays of his own heart," because "he has no strength."

Sateen's words: “What is a person? .. It's not you, not me, not them ... no! - it's you, me, them, the old man, Napoleon, Mohammed ... in one!

Luka, wanderer, 60 years old

Reference. Luke - Lucian (lat. - light, luminous). Luke was also the name of one of the 70 disciples of Christ, sent by Him “to every city and place where he himself wanted to go”, the author of one of the canonical Gospels and the “Acts of the Apostles”, a skilled doctor. The Gospel of Luke emphasizes the love of Christ for the poor, harlots, and sinners in general. Crafty - cunning, witting, insidious, secretive and evil, deceptive, feigned. The type of wanderer has "taken root" in Russian literature for a long time. Remember, for example, Feklusha from the drama "Thunderstorm" by A. N. Ostrovsky.

Luka's appearance is described in some detail: the author reports about his things: a stick, a knapsack, a bowler hat and a teapot, but he is silent about height, physique, and other "signs".

In the last conversation, Kostylev teaches Luka: “Not every truth is needed”?

For overnight stays, the truth becomes unbearable, they are at the bottom, they cannot cope with the truth. None of the heroes needs the truth about their unnecessary life.

They all dream of breaking out of this rooming house. A passionate dream lives in every hero, and Luka sees the dream of everyone, he respects the world that the heroes themselves have come up with.

How does Luke perceive people? He does not need to assert himself, he does not quarrel with other people, he is interested in them, treats them with curiosity. Each person has a value for him. On the other hand, people are "too painfully fussy."

For Luke, civilization has no value. Luka begins to clean up the room with the strength that he has, and Luka listens to everyone and listens to everyone. He gives advice to everyone, which corresponds to the inner desire of a person. He says: "A man can do anything, if only he wants to."

A dream can beautify life, but the truth is sometimes merciless. Each hero in his own way does not withstand reality. "Why.. really?"

Luka is exactly the character who can extract from people what they really are, extract from them this internal conflict of dreams and reality and present it to the audience. Luka is the only person who does not divide people into good or bad. Evil and aggression in a person arises when he does not see a normal attitude towards himself, does not see love, pity, or compassion. He sometimes knows when to tell the truth and when to lie in the name of the truth.

One of the main (if not the most important) points in all the reasoning of the heroes of the play is the question of the purpose of human (or humanity) life.

First truth- the truth of Bubnov, it can be called the truth of the fact. Bubnov is convinced that a person is born for death and there is no need to feel sorry for him: “Everything is like this: they are born, live, die. And I will die ... and you ... What to regret ... You are superfluous everywhere ... and all the people on earth are superfluous. As you can see, Bubnov completely denies both himself and others, his despair is generated by unbelief. For him, the truth is a cruel, murderous oppression of inhuman circumstances.

What is the truth of Bubnov?

“What is my conscience? I'm not rich!" “People all live ... like chips floating in a river ...” “All people on earth are superfluous ...” “All fairy tales ...” “Everything is like this: they will be born, live, die. And I will die ... and you ... "

Second truth- the truth of Luke is the truth of compassion and faith in God. Looking closely at the tramps, he finds words of consolation for everyone. He is sensitive, kind to those who need help, he instills hope in everyone: he tells the Actor about the hospital for alcoholics, advises Ash to go to Siberia, Anna talks about happiness in the afterlife. What Luke says is not just a lie. Rather, it inspires faith that there is a way out of any hopeless situation. “People are looking for everything, everyone wants what’s best, give them, Lord, patience!” - Luke sincerely says and adds: “Whoever seeks will find ... They only need help ...” Luke brings saving faith to people. He thinks that pity, compassion, mercy, attention to a person can heal his soul, so that the very last thief understands: “It is better to live! It is necessary to live in such a way ... so that one can ... respect oneself ... "

What is the truth about Luke?

“What you believe is what you are…” “Christ pitied everyone and commanded us” “A man can do anything… if only he wants to…” the heart is adjusted, and so it lives ... "

The third truth true sateen. He believes in man as in God. He believes that a person can believe in himself and rely on his own strength. He sees no point in pity and compassion. "What good is it to you if I pity you?" he asks

Tick. And then he utters his famous monologue about man: “There is only man, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain! Human! It's great! It sounds proud! Satin is not just talking about a strong personality. He speaks of a man who is able to rebuild the world at his own discretion, to create new laws of the universe - about a man-god.

What is the truth of Satin?

“Everything is in man, everything is for man. Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and brain! Human! It's great! It sounds proud! You have to respect the person! Do not pity, do not humiliate him with pity…” “What is truth? The man is the truth! “Falsehood is the religion of slaves and masters… Truth is the god of a free man!”

There is one more nuance in opposing dreams, lies and truth in the play: a dream is what gives rise to madmen who look at life strangely. Each of the characters strive for beauty, art (reading a novel, poetry). In the rooming house, art (scraps) is the only source of vivid emotions that is lacking here, where everything is dark and gray. Sateen's final line - "Fool, ruined the song" - applies both to the Baron (who reports that the Actor hanged himself) and to the Actor himself (who hanged himself). This song is a piece of art.

"Three Truths" tragically collide, which determines precisely such an ending to the play. The problem is that in each of the truths there is a part of a lie and that the very concept of truth is multidimensional. A vivid example of this - and at the same time a moment of collision of different truths - Sateen's monologue about a proud man. This monologue is delivered by a drunken, downtrodden man. And the question immediately arises: is this drunkard, a downcast man, the same one who “sounds proud”? A positive answer is doubtful, and if it is negative, then what about the fact that “only man exists”?

It turns out that in order to perceive the truth of Sateen's words about a proud man, one must not see Sateen, whose appearance is also true.

It is terrible that an inhuman society kills and maims human souls. But the main thing in the play is that M. Gorky makes you feel even more acutely the injustice of the social structure, think about a person, his freedom. He says: do not put up with untruth, injustice, you need to save in yourself kindness, compassion, mercy.

Conclusion

In the play "At the Bottom" M. Gorky sought not only to draw attention to the fate of disadvantaged people by depicting terrible reality. He created a truly innovative philosophical and journalistic drama. The content of seemingly disparate episodes is a tragic clash of three truths, three ideas about life.

There is no one answer, what is the truth?

Additional

Drama (Greek - action) is the most effective kind of literature. It is meant to be staged. Therefore, the playwright, unlike the author of an epic work, cannot directly express his position - the only exceptions are the author's remarks, which are intended for the reader or actor, but which the viewer will not see. The playwright is limited both in the volume of the work (the performance can go on for two or three hours), and in the number of characters (all of them must fit on the stage and have time to

realize yourself). Therefore, in the drama, a special burden falls on the conflict - a sharp clash between the characters on a very significant occasion for them. Otherwise, the characters simply will not be able to realize themselves in the limited amount of drama and stage space.

The playwright ties such a knot, when unraveling it, a person shows himself from all sides. At the same time, there can be no superfluous heroes in the drama - all heroes must be included in the conflict.

Homework

Write a quote for Luke.

Bibliography

1. Chalmaev V.A., Zinin S.A. Russian literature of the twentieth century.: Textbook for grade 11: In 2 hours - 5th ed. - M .: OOO 2TID "Russian Word - RS", 2008.

2. Agenosov V.V. . Russian literature of the 20th century. Methodical manual M. "Buddy Bustard", 2002

3. Russian literature of the 20th century. Textbook for applicants to universities M. uch.-scient. Center "Moscow Lyceum", 1995.

4. Wiktionary.

5. Troitsky V.Yu. M. Gorky's play "At the bottom" // Literature at school. 1998 №8

6. Yuzovsky Yu. "At the bottom" by M. Gorky. M., 1968

Video and audio material

The conflict of dreams and reality is a topic that is relevant at all times. The prose of life plunges us into vanity, suppresses cherished desires, and contributes to understanding the hopelessness of life. And often this conflict is unresolvable, the denouement becomes tragic.

This theme is revealed in the drama by A.M. Gorky "At the bottom". The hero who brings a dream to the life of those around him is Luke in the play. This image is ambiguous. Luka is a subtle psychologist, he is smart, observant, has a huge life experience. The ideological position of the hero is revealed by the story of two robbers and the parable of the "righteous land". Luke's ideological opponents are Bubnov, Baron and Satin. However, if Bubnov and Baron are cynical realists, then Satin sincerely believes in a person, in his spirit and inner strength.

What is the impact of Luke's "sermons" on the fate of the overnight stays? It contributes to the birth of hope in the life of the characters: Anna promises to find the desired peace after death, tells the Actor about a free clinic for alcoholics, inspires Vaska Pepla with confidence in the opportunity to start a new life in Siberia, supports Natasha's romantic love story. And the characters themselves change at the end of the play. Critics noted the atmosphere of humanity, general enthusiasm that reigns in the rooming house. For the first time, Kleshch is generous and kind to people, the Baron begins to think about life, Bubnov treats everyone, and the sounding song unites people. But the atmosphere of general enthusiasm is spoiled by the sudden death of the Actor. And this is already a tragic clash of dreams and reality. Others also fail to realize their plans. Vaska Pepel follows to Siberia for hard labor, Natasha, who believes in romantic love, convicts the Baron of lies, Anna dies. This is the bitter end.

However, does the author lay responsibility for what is happening only on Luke? What is the position of A.M. Gorky in the play? We note the writer's critical view of the social structure of Russian society, his designation of the internal conflicts of the characters (fear of life, weak will, laziness of the soul, fear of change). The author does not share either the position of Luke or the position of Sateen. He poses one of the eternal questions in the play, calling the viewer to reflection and to his own assessment. Of course, Gorky the realist stands for human courage and faith in one's own strength. However, Gorky the romantic highly valued a person's ability to dream. That is why the researchers wrote that the image of Luke was more successful for the writer than the image of Satin (V. Khodasevich). Also, critics noted a certain "kinship" of these characters. At the end of the play, it is Satin who protects Luca. Heroes A.M. Gorky reflect the duality, inconsistency of the nature of the writer himself. The author himself leaves this question open.

Thus, the collision of dreams and reality is often dramatic, capable of destroying human life, depriving us of hope, faith in the future.

The play "At the bottom" tells about the fate of people who find themselves at the "bottom" of life. Each inhabitant of the rooming house has his own dreams and desires that collide with the cruel reality. Dream and Reality ("At the Bottom") is the central theme of M. Gorky's work.

Heroes Dreams

In the course of the story, the reader will learn about what the residents of the Kostylevs' rooming house are striving for. A former actor nicknamed The Actor wants to return to his former life on stage. A girl of easy virtue Nastya dreams of pure and sincere love. Thief Vaska Pepel wants a happy life with Natasha. Natasha herself dreams of an unusual life event that will completely change her difficult existence. The tick wants to return to its former life, so it works hard.

Luke occupies an important place in the system of images. The appearance of the old man in the rooming house excited all its inhabitants. Luke supported the dreams of the heroes: he tells the Actor that there is a hospital that will allow him to recover from alcoholism and return to the stage; he strengthens Nastya's belief that she is truly worthy of love and that a French student exists; he tells Vaska Pepl that he can find happiness with Natasha if he goes with her to Siberia. In addition, Luke tells the dying Anna about a happy afterlife, that is, he forms a kind of dream in her.

Dream meets reality

M. Gorky shows how the dreams of the central characters are broken.

Tick, who until the end did not lose the ability to change and fix everything, understands that life “at the bottom” has completely sucked him in. He no longer considers himself special, Kleshch is the same resident of a rooming house as the rest.

Vaska Pepel, who dreams of a happy life in Siberia, kills the husband of his former mistress, the owner of Kostylev's rooming house, and ends up in prison.

The most terrible fate was with the Actor, who realized that Luke's stories about the hospital were lies. The hero commits suicide because he realizes that his dream is impossible.

Causes of the conflict

The theme of dreams and reality in the work is closely connected with the image of Luke. The hero supports the aspirations of the inhabitants of the rooming house, and in some cases creates new dreams for them. However, Luke, who sought to use lies in the name of salvation, does not understand that his instructions and advice can destroy vulnerable people. Luke says that Vaska Pepel will find happiness in Siberia, but there were no conditions for existence. Luka tells the Actor about a non-existent hospital, wanting to motivate the Actor to change his life, but Luka's good intentions turn into tragedy.

However, the main reason for the collision of dreams and reality is the inaction of the characters. The inhabitants of the rooming house are only ready to think about a better life, to constantly dream about something, but they are not ready to take specific actions to achieve their goals. Luca wanted to give the heroes hope for the best, the realization of the dream was left to the person. The desire to move on turned out to be only words, not actions. M. Gorky in his play "At the Bottom" demonstrated that reality is cruel to a dream if a person does not make any efforts to realize it.

The play “At the Bottom” is the pinnacle of M. Gorky's dramaturgy. The central idea of ​​the play is a dispute about a person, about what a person is, what he needs more - the truth, often a cruel, or a beautiful lie. The author's position is expressed by Satin, the opposite - by Luke. The play was a huge success upon release, but the author himself was dissatisfied with it. The reader, involuntarily, likes the humanism and humanity of Luke more than the fiery words uttered by the card sharper: “Man - that sounds proud!” Sateen, speaking these words, does not even try to change his position: “Work? For what?.. A man is higher than satiety!..” Gorky could not find a more “positive” hero at the bottom of society, capable of uttering words about a proud Man. And that is why we feel false, unnatural in Sateen’s speeches. Not without reason later Gorky will write the play “The Old Man”, in which he will try to deprive the image of Luka of charm, talking about the dark past of his hero.
The rooming house for the poor is a symbol, an image of the last bottom, on which people have fallen, having lost the meaning of life, having lost hope and faith in themselves. The play begins with a description of the terrible conditions of the rooming house. All characters are “former people”: Baron is a former aristocrat, Actor is an artist, Klesch is a worker. Some of them are already desperate: Actor, Anna, Pepel, Nastya are looking for a way out in their dreams, and only Klesh really wants to get out of here. The extreme position is occupied by Satin, who despises labor and any social conventions.
With the advent of Luka with his philosophy of love and pity for a person, the monotonous life of the rooming house changes. Initially, Luka was conceived as a negative character, while Sateen is a positive one.
.But the author, being a realist writer, created the image of a wanderer much more complex and richer than it was first thought. There is an opinion that L. Tolstoy with his philosophy of non-resistance is parodied in the image of Luke.
We know very little about Luke himself: a wanderer “about sixty years old”. He is kind (in any case, this is how he appears before us), he pities people, tries to awaken hope in them, preaches compassion for man. He believes that the full truth is fatal for a person, and therefore tells the story of a poor man who lived with one hope - to find a righteous land - and did not survive the disappointment in his dream. Indeed, the Actor commits suicide, unable to bear the “truth” of Sateen. No wonder the play ends with the words of Satin: “Eh ... ruined the song ... fool-cancer!”
Luke consoles Anna, promises her an afterlife: “You will rest there!..”, although he himself does not believe in God (“What you believe, that is ...” - he evasively answers Ashes to this question) pretends that believes Nastya: “I believe! .. If you believe, you had true love ... then it was!” The old man gives hope to the Actor: “You... heal! Now they are treating drunkenness ... Free of charge ... ", points the way to Ash: "... Get out of here with her ... ". And he is right in his own way. Indeed, why do women who have lived in cruel reality since childhood and have never seen beauty in life need a cruel truth - let them be happy at least in their dreams. The actor and Pepel truly believed Luke and decided to break out of poverty and dirt. And, who knows, perhaps they would have succeeded ... So, the Actor says: “Today I worked ... but I didn’t drink vodka.” He finally felt like a man, he had an interest in life, he even began to remember poetry.
With the appearance of Luke, the main conflict of the play arises. There is a dispute about a man between two heroes: Satin and Luke. The wanderer has a huge influence on all the inhabitants of the rooming house, including Sateen. He "woke up" the sharper, awakening the man in him. Satin Luke's position is unacceptable, but he at least makes him think. No wonder Satin forbids everyone to speak badly about the old man: “He is a smart one! .. He ... acted on me like acid on an old and dirty coin ...” It is now that Satin pronounces his famous monologue: “I understand the old man .. . Yes! He lied... but this is out of pity... Those who are weak in soul... and who live on other people's juices need a lie... Lies are the religion of slaves and masters. “Truth is the god of a free man!” - this is the motto of Sateen. A person must know how low he has fallen in order to start a new life, says the card sharper. A person is “above everything”, he does not need anything: neither love, nor pity, nor compassion. A real, free, strong person deserves the truth. Certainly, Satin's philosophy is the author's early romantic philosophy, according to which "man is above pity", "man is everything" and "there is nothing but man".
And it’s hard to argue with this, especially since the plot develops in accordance with the position of the author: Ash is arrested, Natasha disappears, the Actor and Anna die, and even Klesh resigns himself to poverty and loses his last hope for a new life, that is, Luka really did not improve anyone’s life . Luke's consolation does not last long: the truth again leads a person to disappointment, but at least for a while he will be happy, and sometimes this is already important.
Thus, despite the certain position of the author, the main issue of the play remains unresolved. Everyone re-decides it for themselves. It seems to me that every person sometimes needs support and sympathy, although living on illusions is also pointless.