Gorky Makar Chudra analysis of the work. The main characters of Gorky's story "Makar Chudra", characteristics with quotes

The main characters of Gorky's story "Makar Chudra", characteristics with quotes

The heroes of the stories are desperate and beautiful people. They are proud and extremely freedom-loving.

The main character of the story is Makar Chudra, a wise old gypsy. For him, the main thing in life is personal freedom, which he would never trade for anything: “...This is how you need to live: go, go - and that’s all. Don't stand in one place for a long time - what's in it? Just as they run day and night, chasing each other, around the earth, so you run away from thoughts about life, so as not to stop loving it. And if you think about it, you’ll stop loving life, this always happens.”

Makar talks about human life and freedom:

"Life? Other people? ... – Hey! What do you care about that? Are you not life yourself? Other people live without you and will live without you. Do you think that someone needs you? You are not bread, not a stick, and no one needs you.”

He believes that a person without personal freedom becomes a slave: “was he born then, perhaps, to dig up the earth, and die, without even having time to dig out his own graves? Does he know his will? Is the expanse of the steppe clear? Does the sound of the sea wave make his heart happy? He is a slave - as soon as he was born, he is a slave all his life, and that’s it! What can he do with himself?

The old gypsy thinks that love and freedom are incompatible. Love weakens a person, makes him submit to his beloved. He tells the legend of the love of Loiko and Radda. Makar admires the courage, resilience and love of freedom of his heroes. He believes that their action was the only right one.

Also in the story there is an image of the listener. He has no lines and virtually no description of him. However, through his image it is easily conveyed author's position.

Nature is an almost full-fledged participant in the story. By describing her beauty, the author betrays the feelings and thoughts of the characters.

The heroes of the legend are Loiko Zobar and the beautiful Radda. Loiko is a young, daring and proud gypsy. He was brave and strong, he was not afraid of anyone or anything: “Yes, if Satan had come to him with all his retinue, if he had not thrown a knife at him, he would probably have had a strong fight, and what the devil would have given a kick in the snout - that’s just it!”

Loiko valued his freedom most of all. I didn’t stay anywhere for long. “He loved only horses and nothing else, and even then only for a short time - he would ride and sell, and whoever wants the money, take it. He didn’t have what he cherished - you need his heart, he himself would tear it out of his chest and give it to you, if only it would make you feel good. That’s what he was, a falcon!” But after meeting Radda, Loiko “lost his head.”

Radda is a young gypsy of such beauty that no one could resist her. She was so proud that even her love for Loiko could not break her. “I’ve never loved anyone, Loiko, but I love you. And I also love freedom! Will, Loiko, I love more than you.”

Both Radda and Loiko look at their love as a chain that binds them. They give up love and choose death for the sake of absolute freedom.

What do you need to do to look at the world in a new way? Been through an important event, visit an unknown place. But how to get acquainted with a different attitude towards life? Gorky's story "Makar Chudra" solves all the questions raised. This early work of the writer goes beyond the romantic sketch that it is traditionally considered to be. This creation has philosophical overtones and remains relevant to this day.

“Makar Chudra” is the first story of the young writer Alexei Peshkov, which he published under the pseudonym M. Gorky. This bright debut took place in 1892 in the newspaper “Caucasus”. The author was then working in a provincial newspaper in Tiflis, and the impetus for writing was conversations with A. Kalyuzhny, a revolutionary and wanderer. It was this man who was the first to see a talented prose writer in the young writer and instilled in Alexei confidence in his own abilities. He also helped Gorky take the first step into the world of great literature - to publish a work. The writer was grateful to Kalyuzhny and considered him his teacher.

The story is called, like many other early works of Gorky, after the name of the main character - an old gypsy. And it is not accidental: Makar is translated from Greek as “happy,” and Chudra is the occasionalism of the creator of the text, the etymology of which probably goes back to the word “miracle.”

Genre and direction

Gorky's early work is permeated with the spirit of romanticism: the author asks questions about the ideal, freedom, and the meaning of life. As a rule, these themes are heard in the narration of a hero who is wise and experienced, and these memories are presented to a still young interlocutor with an unformed worldview. So, for example, in the work of the gypsies under consideration, Makar Chudra tells the young man about his fate, about what he values, what, in his opinion, is worth valuing.

Here is a view that is in many ways exotic to the average reader: is there happiness in a settled life? What's happened real will? In the heroes there is no struggle between reason and feeling: unconditional preference is given to passion and will. They are worth living for, and you can die for them. In order to form the most complete idea of ​​the direction early creativity Gorky, pay attention to.

Composition

The main feature of the composition is that Gorky in his work uses the technique of a story within a story: the young hero hears from the lips of Chudra the legend of a daring gypsy named Loiko Zobar. Frame this beautiful story Makar's philosophical reasoning, presented in the form of replicas. This method of presentation is reminiscent in its nature of confession.

The story about Loika has a classic three-part composition: the presentation of the hero, his character and environment, the climax - main conflict character and his romantic resolution at the end of the story.

The work is rounded off by a description of the sea - an imperturbable element that symbolizes freedom and eternity.

Conflict

The main conflict of the work is freedom and slavery. The story is permeated by the collision of two fundamentally different worldviews: people nomadic image life and sedentary. It is this conflict that becomes the impetus for remembering the legend of Loika Zobar. Some value freedom, both internal and external, which is expressed in the refusal to own material wealth and independence from anyone. The inability to obey is explained by pride and self-esteem. Any admiration for such a person is seen as slavery, with which a free soul will never agree.

This attitude to life led to the death of two young people who continue to be admired even after death. Radda admitted that she loves Loika, but still freedom is more than him. Passionately loving gypsy could not come to terms with such a revelation: he could not lose his will for the sake of someone who could not make the same sacrifice.

About what?

The old gypsy Makar Chudra reflects on existence, freedom and the destiny of man. He recalls the story of the daring Loika Zobar. He was handsome, strong and incredibly talented. The daredevil allowed himself to play with women's hearts, because I couldn’t find my equal, that worthy girl. The meeting with the beauty turned his life upside down: he realized that he could only be happy by possessing her, or death. The obstinate gypsy puts will above love and invites her knight to bow at her feet in front of the entire camp - to submit to her. The young gypsy cannot agree to such humiliation in front of a woman: he decides to test her stone heart for strength with his knife. Radda's father pays him the same - this is how these lovers are united in heaven.

The main characters and their characteristics

The first image of Makar Chudra appears before us in this story. The author's admiration for this man is felt: the writer repeatedly appeals to the fact that the hero is already 58 years old, but he still retains his powerful physique. His conversation with the young man resembles a philosophical dialogue between a self-satisfied sage and a student. The main thesis of Makar Chudra is that you are your own life. It is better to be free from prejudices, rather than listen to imaginary instructions. For him, the standard of such a free and independent personality is Loiko Zobar.

This young gypsy was incredibly kind and talented, his pride did not develop into arrogance: it was a sincere joy in freedom, in the opportunity to enjoy the vastness of this world. His crime was not caused by fear of what other gypsies would say. No, this is not that kind of character. Love replaced the passion for will, but Radda did not experience the same feeling for Loika in order to fill the place of her former life in his heart. The young man could not survive this grief, there could be no other outcome: the path of humiliation is not for a proud gypsy, longing for his beloved is not for a warm heart.

Themes

• Freedom. Nomads value independence from everything material and do not understand how they can spend all their years on endless work in the field and arranging their home. So, for the entire period that is allotted from above, you may not see anything in the world and not comprehend wisdom.
• Love. For the main characters, love has a special value: you can kill for it, give your life. Everything is radical and clear: this feeling either comes first, or it should be torn out of the heart.
• Nature. She acts as the keeper of the secrets of knowledge. Only she knows will, willfulness, independence. The landscape in the story is rich in symbols: the steppe and the sea - freedom, the cultivated field - slavery.
• Meaning of life. The text is permeated by philosophical reflections on the search for the purpose of existence: wandering or cultivation, the search for beauty or everyday life? The old gypsy offers his point of view to the Russian youth, and it seems that he manages to charm the young interlocutor with it.

Issues

• Freedom and slavery. This antithesis concerns absolutely all topics: from love to way of existence. What is really worth spending your life on: “come and see” or stay and settle down? Perhaps the worldview of a nomad and a peasant are alien to each other, but still everyone has something to adopt for themselves.
• Impossibility of love. The wayward beauty does not respond to Loika with the same feeling, but offers to submit. Deep down, the enchantress knows what this gypsy will do. Can we say that she deliberately doomed herself to death, that she wanted to die for the sake of his passionate love? Probably yes, because two loves fought inside Radda: for a young man and for freedom, and she lost this battle in favor of her will. But was the girl happy with this outcome? internal conflict? Hardly. That's why she made such an offer. Loiko could not come to terms with Radda’s decision, which prompted him to do just that. These heroes were worth each other: the young gypsy also understood that her father would avenge her - only death would unite proud hearts.

The meaning of the story

Showing a worldview that is exotic for the majority of the readership, Gorky reminds the public of the natural, primordial beginning of man, when he was not tied to his place, home, things. The author's position is expressed in rejection of a slavish attitude towards life. It is worth remembering that this writer will later say: “Man, that sounds proud.” Gorky is outraged by the cowardice of people, their attention to public opinion, and thoughtless adherence to accepted orders. It is worth noting that he does not follow the path of ridiculing the current situation. A different method is proposed here: it shows people of other faiths with completely different values ​​and preferences.

The idea of ​​“Makar...” is to remember your individuality and not merge with the masses. Perhaps Gorky hopes that his creation will make the same bewitching impression on the reader as on the young listener of Makar Chudra. Thus, people will awaken the desire to discover a new life.

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Maxim Gorky's first published work was the story "Makar Chudra". Its analysis makes it possible to understand that, despite his youth and inexperience, the author managed to organically depict the life of the gypsies and convey the fullness of their feelings. For Gorky, his wanderings across vast Russia were not in vain. The writer did not always have something to eat, but he never for a minute parted with the thick notebook in which he wrote down unusual stories, legends, some interesting events from the life of random companions.

Gypsy love story

Analysis of “Makar Chudra” shows the author of the work in the image of a romantic writer. The main character of the story is an old gypsy who is sincerely proud of his free life. He despises peasants who are already born slaves, whose purpose is to dig in the ground, but at the same time they do not even have time to dig their own grave before death. The heroes of the legend told by Makar are the embodiment of the maximalist desire for freedom.

Radda and Loiko love each other, they are happy together, but they are too fixated on personal freedom. An analysis of “Makar Chudra” shows that the main characters even looked at love as a hateful chain that fettered them and diminished their independence. Declaring their love, young people set conditions for each other, while each of them strives to be the main one in the couple. Gypsies never kneel before anyone, this is considered terrible humiliation, but Loiko gives in to Radda and bows before her, immediately killing his beloved, and then he himself dies at the hands of her father.

Comparison of the value systems of the gypsy and the narrator

Analysis of “Makar Chudra” shows that for the main character, Radda and Loiko are the ideals of love of freedom. The old gypsy understands that the highest degree of pride and love cannot get along together, no matter how wonderful these feelings are. But he is sure that every person must defend his freedom, even at the cost own life. Gorky's story is interesting because of the presence of a narrator in it, in whose image the author himself can be discerned. Its influence on the work is subtle, but still sufficient for the writer to express his own thoughts.

Gorky does not agree with all of the old gypsy’s judgments. Makar Chudra (analysis of the story shows the author’s admiration for the heroes of the legend) does not receive direct objections from the narrator, but still at the very end, summing up the story, the author says that the young people have become slaves of their freedom. Pride and independence make people unhappy and alone

nokimi, because sometimes you still have to sacrifice your interests for the sake of your family and loved ones.

Musicality of the story

Analysis of “Makar Chudra” shows how successfully the writer used the technique landscape sketches. The frame of the entire story is the sea, which clearly expresses the feelings and state of mind of the characters. The work is filled with musicality, it is even said that Radda’s beauty can only be played on the violin. Maxim Gorky's story immediately attracted attention with the brightness of its images and memorable plot.

The problem of freedom has always worried word artists. Exactly Liberty was attractive to romantic heroes. For her sake they were ready to die. After all, romanticism is like literary movement formed a very specific canon: an exceptional person making exceptional demands on the world. Therefore, the hero is an order of magnitude higher than the people around him, therefore society as such is rejected by him. This also determines the typical loneliness of the hero: for him this is a natural state, and the hero finds an outlet only in communication with nature, and more often with the elements.

Maxim Gorky in his early works refers to traditions of romanticism, but in the context of the twentieth century his work is defined neo-romantic.

In 1892 the first romantic story "Makar Chudra", in which an old gypsy appears before the reader surrounded by a romantic landscape: he is enveloped "the darkness of an autumn night", opening on the left a boundless steppe and on the right an endless sea. The writer gives him the opportunity to talk about himself, about his views, and the story of Loiko Zobar and Radda, told by the old shepherd, becomes the main means of revealing image of the main character, because the story is named after him.

Talking about Radda and Loiko, Chudra speaks more about himself. At the heart of his character lies the only principle that he considers the most valuable - the maximum desire for freedom. For heroes, will is also more valuable than anything in the world. In Radda, the manifestation of pride is so strong that even love for Loiko Zobar cannot break it: “I’ve never loved anyone, Loiko, but I love you. And I also love freedom! Will, Loiko, I love you more than you.”.

Such an insoluble contradiction between love and pride in romantic character is perceived by Makar Chudra as absolutely natural, and it can only be resolved by death: the romantic hero cannot sacrifice either his boundless love or his absolute pride. But love presupposes humility, self-sacrifice and the ability to submit to a loved one. And this is precisely what the heroes of the legend told by Chudra cannot do.

What assessment does Makar Chudra give to this position? He believes that this is the only way he should understand life real man, which is worthy of imitation, and only with such a position can personal freedom be preserved.

But does the author agree with his hero? What is the author's position and what are the means of expression? To answer this question, it is important to note compositional feature Gorky's early works - availability narrator's image. At first glance, this is an inconspicuous image, because it does not manifest itself in any actions. But it is the position of this man, a wanderer who meets different people on his way, that is especially important for the writer himself.

In almost all the early romantic works of Maxim Gorky, negative consciousness will also be embodied, distorting real picture being, and the positive, filling life with higher meaning and content. And the gaze of the autobiographical hero seems to snatch out the most bright characters– such as Makar Chudra.

And even though he listens rather skeptically to the objections of the hero-narrator, it is the ending that dots all the i’s in the author’s position. When the narrator, looking into the darkness of the endless steppe, sees the gypsies Loiko Zobar and Radda “were spinning in the darkness of the night smoothly and silently”, and no way “The handsome Loiko could not compare with the proud Radda”, he reveals his position. Yes, these words contain admiration, but the thinking reader realizes the futility of such a bloody outcome: even after death, Loiko cannot become equal to the beautiful Radda.

In accordance with the best traditions Romanticism Maxim Gorky used many means of expression in his story. Describing the main characters, he uses hyperbole: Radda’s beauty can only be played on the violin, and Loiko’s mustache fell on his shoulders and mixed with his curls. To convey the peculiarities of speech, especially of the old Chudra, he introduces appeals, interjections, and rhetorical exclamations.

A significant role is played by the landscape, but not simple, but animated, where Makar controls the waves, and the sea sings a gloomy, but at the same time solemn hymn to a pair of proud, handsome gypsies.

The story “Chelkash” belongs to the early romantic works of M. Gorky. It is part of the series of so-called stories about tramps. The writer has always been interested in this “class” of people that formed in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Gorky considered tramps to be interesting “human material” who seemed to be outside society. In them he saw a kind of embodiment of his human ideals: “I saw that although they live worse” ordinary people“But they feel and recognize themselves better than them, and this is because they are not greedy, do not strangle each other, and do not hoard money.”
At the center of the story (1895) are two heroes opposed to each other. One is Grishka Chelkash, “an old poisoned wolf, well known to the Havana people, an inveterate drunkard and a clever, brave thief.” It's already mature man, bright and extraordinary nature. Even in a crowd of tramps like him, Chelkash stood out for his predatory strength and integrity. It is not for nothing that Gorky compares him to a hawk: “he immediately attracted attention with his resemblance to a steppe hawk, his predatory thinness and this aiming gait, smooth and calm in appearance, but internally excited and vigilant, as old as the bird of prey that he resembled.” .
As the plot develops, we learn that Chelkash lives by robbing ships and then selling his loot. Such activities and lifestyle suit this hero quite well. They satisfy his need for a sense of freedom, risk, unity with nature, a sense of his own strength and unlimited possibilities.
Chelkash is a hero from a village. He is the same peasant as the other hero of the story - Gavrila. But how different these people are! Gavrila is young, physically strong, but weak in spirit and pitiful. We see how Chelkash struggles with contempt for this “young heifer”, who dreams of a prosperous and well-fed life in the village, and even advises Gregory how he can “better fit in” in life.
It becomes clear that these are completely different people will never be found common language. Although they have the same roots, their nature, their nature, is completely different. Against the background of the cowardly and weak Gavrila, the figure of Chelkash emerges with all his might. This contrast is especially clearly expressed at the moment when the heroes “went to work” - Grigory took Gavrila with him, giving him the opportunity to earn money.
Chelkash loved the sea and was not afraid of it: “At the sea, a wide, warm feeling always rose in him - embracing his entire soul, it slightly cleansed it of everyday filth. He appreciated this and loved to see himself as the best here, among the water and air, where thoughts about life and life itself always lose - the former - their sharpness, the latter - their value.”
This hero was delighted by the sight of the majestic element, “endless and powerful.” The sea and clouds intertwined into one whole, inspiring Chelkash with their beauty, “arousing” high desires in him.
The sea evokes completely different feelings for Gavrila. He sees it as a black heavy mass, hostile, carrying mortal danger. The only feeling that the sea evokes in Gavrila is fear: “It’s just scary in it.”
The behavior of these heroes at sea is also different. In the boat, Chelkash sat upright, calmly and confidently looked at the surface of the water, forward, communicating with this element on an equal footing: “Sitting at the stern, he cut the water with the wheel and looked forward calmly, full of desire to ride long and far along this velvet surface.” Gavrila is crushed sea ​​elements, she bends him, makes him feel like an insignificance, a slave: “... grabbed Gavrila’s chest with a tight hug, squeezed him into a timid ball and chained him to the bench of the boat...”
Having overcome many dangers, the heroes return safely to the shore. Chelkash sold the loot and received the money. It is at this moment that the true natures of the heroes appear. It turns out that Chelkash wanted to give Gavrila more than he promised: this guy touched him with his story, stories about the village.
It should be noted that Chelkash’s attitude towards Gavrila was not unambiguous. The “young heifer” irritated Grigory; he felt Gavrila’s “foreignness” and did not accept his philosophy of life, his values. But, nevertheless, grumbling and swearing at this man, Chelkash did not allow himself meanness or baseness towards him.
Gavrila, this gentle, kind and naive person, turned out to be completely different. He admits to Gregory that he wanted to kill him during their trip in order to get all the loot for himself. Later, not deciding on this, Gavrila begs Chelkash to give him all the money - with such wealth he will live happily in the village. For this reason, the hero lies at Chelkash’s feet, humiliates himself, forgetting about his human dignity. For Gregory, such behavior only causes disgust and disgust. And in the end, when the situation changes several times (Chelkash, having learned new details, either gives or does not give Gavrila the money, a serious fight breaks out between the heroes, and so on), Gavrila receives the money. He asks Chelkash for forgiveness, but does not receive it: Gregory’s contempt for this pitiful creature is too great.
Not by chance positive hero the story becomes a thief and a tramp. Thus, Gorky emphasizes that Russian society prevents rich human potential from being revealed. He is satisfied only with the Gavrils with their slavish psychology and average capabilities. There is no place for extraordinary people who strive for freedom, flight of thought, spirit and soul in such a society. Therefore, they are forced to become tramps, outcasts. The author emphasizes that this is not only a personal tragedy of tramps, but also a tragedy of society, deprived of its rich potential and its best strengths.

The work “The Old Woman Izergil” was written by Maxim Gorky in 1895. The story refers to early works written by Gorky. “Old Woman Izergil” is one of Gorky’s works, filled with the spirit of romanticism. After all, Gorky is rightfully considered the first to introduce romanticism into Russian literature. Romantic works occupy a huge place in the writer’s work. The composition of the story “Old Woman Izergil” is unusual. Gorky himself said that “Old Woman Izergil” is one of the works that was built on top level, he considered it one of his best works. The composition is such that Gorky writes a story within a story, or rather, three stories within a story. The work consists of three parts: the legend of Larra, the life of the “old woman Izergil” and the legend of Danko. All three stories are different, but they have something in common, and this commonality is that Gorky, through these “three stories,” is looking for an answer to the question “about the meaning of life.”
The first part is the legend of Larra. The main character is a young man, the son of an eagle and an ordinary woman. He is proud, freedom-loving, daring, selfish, and he paid for these qualities. Considering himself the best, regardless of the opinions of other people, he could not calmly get along in society and therefore commits such daring act like the murder of the daughter of one of the elders. For this he received his punishment, the worst for any person, this is expulsion from society and immortality in solitude. People call him Larra, which means outcast. At first, Larra likes this outcome of events, since he was a freedom-loving person, but after some time passes main character understands the meaning of life, but it is too late he suffers a well-deserved punishment. He remained immortal and alone, time dried him up and turned him into a shadow that reminded people of his existence.
The second part is autobiographical. Old woman Izergil talks about her life. From her story we learn that she had many men, and she loved them all, as it seemed to her truly. Her life was full of travel, she visited many parts of the country and even beyond its borders. She played on people's feelings, but at the same time she had pride, which came first. If she loved, then she loved with all her heart and no obstacles on her path to happiness could stop her (the murder of a sentry at his post), and if she abandoned her, she abandoned her completely, irrevocably and irrevocably. Just as in the legend of Larra, Gorky is trying to show us the commonality that connects these stories. This is the meaning of life. The old woman reflects on fate, saying: “What is fate here? Everyone is their own destiny!” She realizes the meaning of life, it is not wandering around the world in search of her love, but a calm quiet life in some village with her husband and children.
And finally, the third part is the legend of Danko. The main character of the legend is the romantic hero Danko. He was handsome, courageous, strong, a true leader, able to lead people, freedom-loving and selfless. Danko is one of those people who are always brave, he decides to help his people, he leads them in order to bring people out of deep forest. The road was not easy, and when all the people rebelled against Danko, he tore his heart out of his chest in order to illuminate the path for people and give people kindness and warmth emanating from a heart burning with love. But as soon as people achieved their desired goal, no one even remembered the dying Danko, who loved the people so much and did everything to make the people feel good. The sparks burning in the night of the expanse of the steppe reminded people of the glorious, selfless hero Danko, who saw his meaning in life in helping people.
Romanticism occupies a central position in Gorky's works. The work “Old Woman Izergil” is one of the assets of this movement in literature of the late 19th century. Gorky fully reveals his idea about the meaning of life. He shows three points of view, thereby giving the reader a question to think about, “what is the meaning of life?”

Mashenka

In 1926 the first prose work Nabokov's novel "Mashenka". On this occasion, Niva magazine wrote: “Nabokov, having fun, tirelessly embroiders himself and his destiny in different variations along the canvas of his works. But not only his own, although hardly anyone interested Nabokov more than himself. This is also the fate of the whole human type- Russian intellectual emigrant." Indeed, for Nabokov, life in a foreign land was still quite difficult. The past in which there were bright feelings, love, a completely different world. Therefore, the novel is based on memories. There is no plot as such, the content unfolds as a stream of consciousness: dialogues characters, internal monologues the main character, descriptions of the scene are interspersed.

The main character of the novel, Lev Glebovich Ganin, having found himself in exile, lost some the most important properties personality. He lives in a boarding house, which he does not need and is not interested in, its inhabitants seem pitiful to Ganin, and he himself, like other emigrants, is of no use to anyone. Ganin is sad, sometimes he cannot decide what to do: “should I change my body position, should I get up to go and wash my hands, should I open the window...”. “Twilight obsession” is the definition that the author gives to the state of his hero. Although the novel refers to early period Nabokov's creativity is, perhaps, the most “classical” of all the works he created, but the game with the reader characteristic of the writer is also present here. It is unclear what serves as the root cause: either spiritual experiences deform the external world, or, on the contrary, ugly reality deadens the soul. There is a feeling that the writer has placed two crooked mirrors in front of each other, the images in which are ugly refracted, doubling and tripling.
The novel “Mashenka” is structured as the hero’s recollection of his former life in Russia, cut short by the revolution and Civil War; The narration is told in third person. There was one important event in Ganin’s life before emigration - his love for Mashenka, who remained in her homeland and was lost along with her. But quite unexpectedly, Ganin recognizes his Mashenka in the woman depicted in the photograph, the wife of his neighbor in the Berlin boarding house Alferov. (It is not yet clear whether this is his Mashenka at all). She must come to Berlin, and this expected arrival revives the hero. Ganin’s heavy melancholy passes, his soul is filled with memories of the past: a room in a St. Petersburg house, country estate, three poplars, a barn with a painted window, even the flickering spokes of a bicycle wheel. Ganin again seems to be immersed in the world of Russia, preserving the poetry of “noble nests” and the warmth of family relationships. Many events took place, and the author selects the most significant of them. Ganin perceives the image of Mashenka as “a sign, a call, a question thrown into the sky,” and to this question he suddenly receives a “gemstone, delightful answer.” The meeting with Mashenka should be a miracle, a return to the world in which Ganin could only be happy. Having done everything to prevent his neighbor from meeting his wife, Ganin finds himself at the station. At the moment the train on which she arrived stops, he feels that this meeting is impossible. And he leaves for another station to leave the city.

It would seem that the novel assumes a love triangle situation, and the development of the plot pushes towards this. But Nabokov rejects the traditional ending. Ganin’s deep experiences are much more important to him than the nuances of the characters’ relationships. Ganin’s refusal to meet his beloved has not a psychological, but rather a philosophical motivation. He understands that the meeting is unnecessary, even impossible, not because it entails inevitable psychological problems, but because it is impossible to turn back time. This could lead to submission to the past and, therefore, renunciation of oneself, which is generally impossible for Nabokov’s heroes.

In the novel “Mashenka” Nabokov first addresses themes that will then appear repeatedly in his work. This is the theme of lost Russia, acting as an image paradise lost and the happiness of youth, the theme of memory, which simultaneously resists the all-destroying time and fails in this futile struggle.

The image of the main character, Ganin, is very typical of the work of V. Nabokov. Unsettled, “lost” emigrants constantly appear in his works. The dusty boarding house is unpleasant to Ganin, because it will never replace his homeland. Those living in the boarding house - Ganin, mathematics teacher Alferov, the old Russian poet Podtyagin, Klara, funny dancers - are united by uselessness, some kind of exclusion from life. The question arises: why do they live? Ganin acts in films, selling his shadow. Is it worth living in order to “get up and go to the printing house every morning,” as Clara does? Or “look for an engagement”, as dancers look for it? Humiliate yourself, beg for a visa, using bad language German How is Podtyagin forced to do this? None of them have a goal that would justify this miserable existence. All of them do not think about the future, do not strive to get settled, improve their lives, living in the daytime. Both the past and the expected future remained in Russia. But admitting this to yourself means telling yourself the truth about yourself. After this, you need to draw some conclusions, but then how to live, how to fill boring days? And life is filled with petty passions, romances, and vanity. “Podtyagin came into the room of the hostess of the boarding house, stroking the affectionate black dachshund, pinching her ears, a wart on her gray muzzle and talking about his old man’s painful illness and that he had been trying for a long time for a visa to Paris, where pins and red wine are very cheap "

Ganin’s connection with Lyudmila does not leave for a second the feeling that we are talking about love. But this is not love: “And yearning and ashamed, he felt how senseless tenderness - the sad warmth remaining where love had once slipped very fleetingly - makes him press without passion to the purple rubber of her yielding lips...” Did Ganin have real love? When he met Mashenka as a boy, he fell in love not with her, but with his dream, the ideal woman he had invented. Mashenka turned out to be unworthy of him. He loved silence, solitude, beauty, and sought harmony. She was frivolous and pulled him into the crowd. And “he felt that these meetings were making him smaller true love" In Nabokov's world happy love impossible. It is either connected with betrayal, or the heroes do not even know what love is. Individualistic pathos, fear of subordination to another person, fear of the possibility of his judgment make Nabokov’s heroes forget about her. Often at the heart of the plot of the writer’s works love triangle. But it is impossible to find the intensity of passions, the nobility of feelings in his works; the story looks vulgar and boring.

The novel “Mashenka” is characterized by features that appear in further creativity Nabokov. This is a play with literary quotes and the construction of a text on elusive and reappearing leitmotifs and images. Here sounds become independent and significant (from nightingale singing, signifying the natural beginning and the past, to the noise of a train and tram, personifying the world of technology and the present), smells, repeating images - trains, trams, light, shadows, comparisons of heroes with birds. Nabokov, speaking about the meetings and partings of the characters, undoubtedly hinted to the reader about the plot of “Eugene Onegin.” Also, an attentive reader can find in the novel images characteristic of the lyrics of A.A. Feta (nightingale and rose), A.A. Blok (dates in a snowstorm, heroine in the snow). At the same time, the heroine, whose name is in the title of the novel, never appeared on its pages, and the reality of her existence sometimes seems doubtful. The game with illusions and reminiscences is ongoing.

Composition

Gorky is the author of completely contradictory statements about man. He said to Chekhov: “You have to be a monster of virtue in order to love, feel sorry for, and help live the trashy midges with guts that we are.” To Repin, he argued the opposite: “I don’t know anything better, more complicated, more interesting than a person. He is everything; he even created God.” This suggests that Gorky thought a lot about human nature and studied it. Wanderings around Russia, life “among people” provided the basis for such reflections. Research about man was expressed in stories such as “Makar Chudra”, “Old Woman Izergil”, “Chelkash”, etc. and embodied in the image of a romantic hero.
Hero of the early romantic stories Gorky is multifaceted and complex, but the main thing for them is freedom and independence. Their character, their life philosophy not always given directly. Their image is created by the legends they tell, confrontations with other heroes, landscape and portrait.
One of these images is the image of Makar Chudra. The ideal of Makar Chudra is a free, proud person who is above the everyday sphere. Such a person “knows the will”, “the expanse of the steppe is clear to him”, “the sound of the sea wave gladdens his heart.” And he calls a person who is not free a slave, harshly asserting that he was born to dig up the earth, and even die without even having time to dig his own grave. The freedom-loving nature of Makar Chudra is emphasized both by the landscape (the sea, the wind is associated with the rebellious spirit of the hero) and the portrait (everything in it is unshakable, significant: “strong pose”, “huge pipe”, “thick clouds of smoke”, “darkness of the walls”, he does not make a single movement and protects from sharp blows of the wind, because Makara Chudru is a native “wind of freedom”.
Makar Chudra tells the legend of “Loiko Zobar and Radda.” They loved each other, but could not be together; they are proud and independent individuals. "I free man and I will live as I want.” “Volya, Loiko, I love you more than you.” The heroes of the legend reflect the views of Makar himself. For the sake of freedom they sacrificed life and love. This speaks of the insolubility of the contradictions between pride and love, but this contradiction can only be resolved by death. For Makar Chudra, their deaths are not surprising; for him they are natural. He has his own philosophy and does not accept another.
Old Woman Izergil is the same independent, free person. Her image is given in the light ideal person, his endless love for people (Danko) and anti-ideal, cruel individualism (Larra).
The legend of Lara condemns the extreme contempt for people and the individualism of the son of an eagle and a woman. Larra valued freedom most of all. He was proud to such an extent that he committed murder. Immortality was given to the mind by punishment. Larra's name means rejected and "thrown out." Eternal loneliness turns into eternal suffering. His individualism is strange, it distorts his life. Izergil tells this legend as an edification to generations.
The legend of Danko glorifies human selflessness and the ability to make sacrifices. Legend - anthem effective love to people. Danko, in order to lead people out of the forest, tore the heart out of his chest, and its fire illuminated their path. In the image of Danko, Gorky’s dream of a man with “the sun in his blood” was embodied. However, with this legend, the author says that there are also anti-heroes in the world who are capable of forgetting noble deeds and are not receptive to goodness. “One cautious man, fearing something, stepped on the proud Heart with his foot. And so it, scattered into sparks, faded away.”
These two legends seem to frame Old Woman Izergil’s story about herself, about the love she gave, about the people who were dear to her. There is a contradiction in her image and speeches: a young girl should talk about sensual love, not an old woman, whom “time has bent in half, her once black eyes were dull and watery. Her dry voice sounded strange, it crunched, as if an old woman was speaking with bones.” Old woman Izergil contrasts her life and Lara’s life; she believes that individualism is absolutely not characteristic of her and that she and Lara different ways. But, firstly, the autobiographical hero uses their similarities. Larra “he has no life, and death does not smile on him. He has become like a shadow and will remain so forever.” And Izergil “sits alive, but dried up by time, without a body, without blood, with a heart without desires, with eyes without fire - also almost a shadow.” Secondly, it is amazing how they treat the people they loved. They say: “they never met again those whom they once loved. These are not good meetings, it’s like meeting dead people.” But, despite the convergence of the images of Izergil and Larra, she strives for Danko’s pole, which embodies the highest ideal of love and self-sacrifice. She strives to convey to people the importance of love in life.
The image of Chelkash, an old freedom-loving thief, is revealed in an unusual way. Gorky no longer explains the image of the hero with romantic legends. The image of Chelkash is already in contrast with Gavrila, a young peasant. Only one thing unites them - love and freedom, and in other respects the heroes are antipodes. They have different things social status(Chelkash is a tramp and a thief, and Gavrila is a peasant), types of activity (Chelkash wanders and steals, engages in propaganda, Gavrila is devoted to the farm, the land), portraits (Chelkash “attracted attention by his resemblance to a steppe hawk,” “he was barefoot , in old trousers, in a dirty cotton robe”, Gavrila “broad-shouldered, stocky, fair-haired, with a weather-beaten face and large blue eyes that looked trustingly and good-naturedly”). The attitude of the heroes towards each other is also different - Makar Chudre Gavrila resembled himself, and he treated Gavrila with pity and understanding. But Gavrila did not understand Chelkash and allowed himself to insult him. They are opposed in the story life positions. Gavrila was swallowed up by everything earthly and base, he forgot about the love of freedom for the sake of making money, while Chelkash, being an asocial thief, strove for freedom and an ideal.
Gorky says: “The natural state of man is diversity.” And he portrayed romantic heroes in all their complexity and versatility.