“Early romanticism of M. Gorky (First version). Romanticism in Gorky's early stories in his works

25.03.2019

Romanticism as a movement in literature arose in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and became most widespread in Europe in the period from 1790 to 1830. The main idea of romanticism was the affirmation of a creative personality, and its peculiarity was the violent depiction of emotions. The main representatives of romanticism in Russia were Lermontov, Pushkin and Gorky.

Gorky's romantic mood was prompted by growing discontent in society and the expectation of change. It was thanks to the protest against “stagnation” that images of heroes who were capable of saving the people, leading them out of darkness, and showing them the right path began to appear in the writer’s head. But this path seemed completely different to Gorky, different from his usual existence; the author despised everyday life and saw salvation only in freedom from social shackles and conventions, which was reflected in his early stories.

Historically, this period of Gorky’s creativity coincided with the heyday revolutionary movements in Russia, whose views the author clearly sympathized with. He sang the image of a selfless and honest rebel, consumed not by greedy calculations, but by romantic aspirations to change the world for the better and destroy an unjust system. Also, in his works of that time, a craving for freedom and unrealistic ideals was revealed, because the writer had not yet seen the changes, but only had a presentiment of them. When dreams of something new social order acquired real shape, his work was transformed into socialist realism.

Main features

The main feature of romanticism in Gorky’s work is the clear division of characters into bad and good, that is, there are no complex personalities, a person has either only good qualities, or only bad. This technique helps the author more clearly show his sympathy and highlight those people who need to be imitated.

In addition, in all of Gorky’s romantic works a love for nature can be traced. Nature is always one of the main acting characters, and all romantic moods are transmitted through her. The writer loved to use descriptions of mountains, forests, seas, endowing every particle of the surrounding world with its own character and behavior.

What is revolutionary romanticism?

The early romantic works of Zhukovsky and Batyushkov were based on the ideas of classicism and, in fact, were a direct continuation of it, which did not correspond to the sentiments of progressive and radically thinking people of that period. There were few of them, so romanticism acquired classical forms: conflict between the individual and society, an extra person, longing for an ideal, etc. However, time passed, and there were more and more revolutionary-minded citizens.

The divergence of literature and popular interests led to a change in romanticism, to the emergence of new ideas and techniques. The main representatives of the new revolutionary romanticism were Pushkin, Gorky and the Decembrist poets, who, first of all, promoted progressive views on the prospects for the development of Russia. The main theme was folk identity - the possibility of independent existence of peasants, hence the term nationality. New images began to appear, and the main ones among them were the genius poet and hero, capable at any moment of saving society from an impending threat.

Old Isergil

In this story there is a contrast between two characters and two types of behavior. The first is Danko - an example of that very hero, the ideal who must save the people. He feels free and happy only when his tribe is free and happy. The young man is filled with love for his people, sacrificial love, which personifies the spirit of the Decembrists, who were ready to die for the well-being of society.

Danko saves his people, but at the same time dies himself. The tragedy of this legend is that the tribe forgets its heroes, it is ungrateful, but for the leader this is not important, because the main reward for the feat is the happiness of the people for whom it was accomplished.

The antagonist is the son of the eagle, Larra, he despised people, despised their way of life and law, he recognized only freedom, turning into permissiveness. He did not know how to love and limit his desires; as a result, he was expelled from the tribe for violating social foundations. Only then did the proud young man realize that without the people he was nothing. When he is alone, no one can admire him, no one needs him. Having shown these two antipodes, Gorky brought everything to one conclusion: the values and interests of the people should always be higher than your values and interests. Freedom is to free people from the oppression of the tyranny of the spirit, ignorance, that darkness that hid behind the forest, unfit for life for the Danko tribe.

It is obvious that the author follows the canon of romanticism: here is the confrontation between the individual and society, here is the longing for the ideal, here is the proud freedom of loneliness and extra people. However, the dilemma about freedom was not resolved in favor of Larra’s proud and narcissistic loneliness; the writer despises this type, glorified by Byron (one of the founders of romanticism) and Lermontov. His ideal romantic hero is one who, being above society, does not renounce it, but helps it even when it persecutes the savior. In this feature, Gorky is very close to the Christian understanding of freedom.

Makar Chudra

In the story “Makar Chudra,” freedom is also the main value for the heroes. The old gypsy Makar Chudra calls her the main treasure of a person; in her he sees an opportunity to preserve his “I”. Revolutionary romanticism is colorfully manifested precisely in this understanding of freedom: the old man claims that under conditions of tyranny a moral and gifted individual will not develop. This means that it is worth taking risks for the sake of independence, because without it the country will never become better.

Loiko and Radda have the same message. They love each other, but see marriage only as chains and shackles, and not as a chance to find peace. As a result, the love of freedom, which so far appears in the form of ambition, since the heroes cannot use it correctly, leads to the death of both characters. Gorky puts individualism above marriage ties, which only lull creative and mental capacity a person with everyday worries and petty interests. He understands that it is easier for a loner to sacrifice his life for the sake of freedom, it is easier to find complete harmony with his inner world. After all, married Danko cannot really rip out the heart.

Chelkash

The main characters of the story are the old drunkard and thief Chelkash and the young village boy Gavrila. One of them was going to go on a “deal,” but his partner broke his leg, and this could complicate the whole operation, and that’s when the experienced rogue met Gavrila. During their conversation, Gorky paid great attention to Chelkash’s personality, noticed all the little things, described his slightest movements, all the feelings and thoughts that arose in his head. The refined psychologism of the image is a clear adherence to the romantic canon.

Nature also occupies a special place in this work, since Chelkash had a spiritual connection with the sea, and his mental state often depended on the sea. The expression of feelings and moods through the states of the surrounding world is again a romantic trait.

We also see how Gavrila’s character changes over the course of the story, and if at first we felt pity and compassion for him, then in the end they turn into disgust. The main idea of the story is that it doesn’t matter what you look like or what you do, but what’s in your soul is important, the most important thing is to always remain a decent person in any matter. This thought itself carries a revolutionary message: how does it matter what the hero does? Does this mean that the murderer of a dignitary can also be a decent person? Does this mean that a terrorist can blow up His Excellency’s carriage and at the same time maintain moral purity? Yes, this is exactly the kind of freedom the author deliberately allows: not everything is a vice that society condemns. A revolutionary kills, but his motive is sacred. The writer could not say this directly, so he chose abstract examples and images.

Features of Gorky's romanticism

The main feature of Gorky's romanticism is the image of a hero, a certain ideal designed to save the people. He does not renounce the people, but on the contrary wants to lead them to the right path. The main values that the writer exalted in his romantic stories, is love, freedom, courage and self-sacrifice. Their understanding depends on the revolutionary sentiments of the author, who writes not only for thinking intelligentsia, but also for a simple Russian peasant, so the images and plots are not ornate and simple. They have the character of a religious parable and are even similar in style. For example, the author very clearly shows his attitude towards each character, and it is always clear who the author likes and who he doesn’t.

Gorky’s nature was also an active character and influenced the heroes of the stories. In addition, its individual parts are symbols that must be perceived allegorically.

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A brief sketch of the life and creative path of the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorky, analysis of his most striking works. Analysis of the spirit of romanticism in Gorky's stories. Transformation of the romantic tradition in the works of various masters.

ROMANTICISM IN THE WORK OF M. GORKY

INTRODUCTION

1. Life path writer

2. Romanticism of M. Gorky

3. Gorky’s stories “Makar Chudra” and “Old Woman Izergil”

4. The spirit of romanticism in the story “Chelkash” and “Song of the Falcon”

5. “Song of the Petrel”

6. Transformation of the romantic tradition in the works of various masters

Conclusion

List of used literature

INTRODUCTION

Maxim Gorky (Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov, 1868-1936) is one of the most significant figures in world culture of our century and at the same time one of the most complex and controversial. IN last decade Attempts were made to “throw Gorky’s work off the steamship of modernity.” At the same time, let’s not forget that at the beginning of the century they tried to do the same thing with Pushkin and Tolstoy...

Perhaps only Gorky managed to reflect in his work the history, life and culture of Russia in the first third of the twentieth century on a truly epic scale. This applies not only to his prose and drama, but also to memoirs. First of all - to “Notes from the Diary”, which had the original title “A Book about Russian People as I Knew Them”; to the famous literary portraits Chekhov, Leo Tolstoy, Korolenko, Leonid Andreev, Sergei Yesenin, Savva Morozov, as well as “ Untimely thoughts» - chronicle of times October revolution, in which Gorky gave a unique range of Russian characters - from intellectuals to philosophizing tramps, from revolutionaries to ardent monarchists.

Early work of A.M. Gorky is marked by the influence of romanticism. There may be some things you like about any writer’s legacy and some things you don’t like. One will leave you indifferent, while the other will delight you. And this is even more true for the huge and varied creativity of A.M. Gorky. His early works - romantic songs and legends - leave the impression of contact with real talent. The heroes of these stories are beautiful. And not only externally - they refuse the pitiful fate of serving things and money, their life has a high meaning Balukhaty S.A. M. Gorky. 1868-1936 // Classics of Russian drama. L.-M.: Art, 1940. P. 33-78. .

Heroes early works A.M. Gorky are courageous and selfless (“Song of the Falcon”, the legend of Danko), they glorify activity, the ability to act (images of the Falcon, Petrel, Danko).

One of the most striking early works of A.M. Gorky's story "The Old Woman Izergil" (1894). The story was written using the writer’s favorite form of framing: the legend of Larra, the story of the life of Izergil, the legend of Danko. What makes the three parts of the story a single whole is the main idea - the desire to reveal true value human personality.

In 1895, Gorky wrote his “Song about the Falcon.” In the contrasting images of the Snake and the Falcon, two forms of life are embodied: rotting and burning. To more clearly show the courage of the fighter, the author contrasts the Falcon with the adapting Snake, whose soul is rotting in petty-bourgeois complacency. Gorky pronounces a merciless verdict on philistine prosperity: “He who is born to crawl cannot fly.” In this work, Gorky sings a song to the “madness of the brave,” claiming it as the “wisdom of life.”

Gorky believed that with the organization of a “healthy working people - democracy”, a special spiritual culture would be established, in which “life would become joy, music; work is pleasure." That is why at the beginning of the 20th century the writer’s confessions about the happiness of “living on earth” were very frequent, where “ new life in the new century."

This romanticized feeling of the era was expressed by “Song of the Petrel” (1901). In this work, a personality was revealed through romantic means, overthrowing a stagnant world. The image of the “proud bird” contains all the manifestations of feelings dear to the author: courage, strength, fiery passion, confidence in victory over a meager and boring life. The petrel combines truly unprecedented abilities: to soar high, to “pierce” the darkness, to summon a storm and enjoy it, to see the sun behind the clouds. And the storm itself is their realization.

Everywhere and always A.M. Gorky strove for the revival by nature of the given foundations of human existence. Gorky's early romantic works contained and captured the awakening human soul- the most beautiful thing that the writer has always worshiped.

1. The writer’s life path

Born on March 28, 1868 in Nizhny Novgorod. At the age of 11 he became an orphan and until 1888 he lived with relatives in Kazan. He tried many professions: he was a boatman on a ship, worked in an icon-painting workshop, and was a foreman. In 1888 he left Kazan for the village of Krasnovidovo, where he was engaged in the propaganda of revolutionary ideas. Maxim Gorky's first story, "Makar Chudra", was published in 1892 in the newspaper "Caucasus". In 1898, the collection “Essays and Stories” was published, and a year later his first novel “Foma Gordeev” was published. In 1901, Gorky was expelled from Nizhny Novgorod in Arzamas Durnov A.N. Gorky, whom we do not know. // Literary newspaper, 1993, March 10 (No. 10). .

A little later, the writer’s collaboration with the Moscow Art Theater began. The plays “At the Lower Depths” (1902), “The Bourgeois” (1901) and others were staged at the theater. The poem “Man” (1903), the plays “Summer Residents” (1904), “Children of the Sun” (1905), “Two Barbarians” (1905) belong to the same period. Gorky becomes an active member of the Moscow Literary Environment and takes part in the creation of collections of the Knowledge Society. In 1905, Gorky was arrested and immediately after his release he went abroad. From 1906 to 1913, Gorky lived in Capri. In 1907, the novel “Mother” by R.M. Mironov was published in America. Maksim Gorky. His personality and works. - M., 2003. .

The plays “The Last” (1908), “Vassa Zheleznova” (1910), the stories “Summer” (1909) and “The Town of Okurov” (1909), and the novel “The Life of Matvey Kozhemyakin” (1911) were created in Capri. In 1913, Gorky returned to Russia, and in 1915 he began publishing the journal Letopis. After the revolution, he worked at the World Literature publishing house.

In 1921, Gorky again went abroad. In the early 20s, he finished the trilogy “Childhood”, “In People” and “My Universities”, wrote the novel “The Artamonov Case”, and began work on the novel “The Life of Klim Samgin”. In 1931, Gorky returned to the USSR. He died on June 18, 1936 in the village of Gorki.

2. RromanticismM. Gorky

At the end of the 90s, the reader was amazed by the appearance of three volumes of “Essays and Stories” by a new writer - M. Gorky. “Great and original talent,” was the general judgment about the new writer and his books G.D. Veselov. Very good writer[M. Gorky in modern literary criticism. Review of publications of 1996] // Book Review, 1996, No. 36. pp. 16-17. .

Growing dissatisfaction in society and the expectation of decisive changes caused increased romantic tendencies in literature. These trends were reflected especially clearly in the work of young Gorky, in such stories as “Chelkash”, “Old Woman Izergil”, “Makar Chudra”, and in revolutionary songs. The heroes of these stories are people “with the sun in their blood”, strong, proud, beautiful. These heroes are Gorky's dream. Such a hero was supposed to “strengthen a person’s will to live, arouse in him a rebellion against reality, against all its oppression.”

Centrally romantic works Gorky early period is the image of a hero, ready to perform a feat for the good of the people. The story “Old Woman Izergil,” written in 1895, is of great importance in revealing this image. In the image of Danko, Gorky put a humanistic idea of a man who devotes all his strength to serving the people.

Danko is a “handsome young man”, brave and decisive. To lead his people to light and happiness, Danko sacrifices himself. He loves people. And so his young and ardent heart flared up with the fire of desire to save them, to bring them out of the darkness.

“What will I do for people!?” - Danko shouted louder than thunder. And suddenly he tore his chest with his hands, and tore his heart out of it, and raised it high above his head.” Lighting the way for people bright light his burning heart, Danko boldly led them forward. And the darkness was defeated. “The proud daredevil Danko cast his gaze ahead of him at the expanse of the steppe; he cast a joyful glance at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died.” Danko dies, his brave heart goes out, but his image young hero lives as an image of a hero-liberator. “There is always a place for heroic deeds in life,” says old woman Izergil.

Gorky put the idea of heroism, sublime and ennobling, into his famous “Song of the Falcon,” written in 1895. Falcon is the personification of a fighter for people's happiness: “Oh, if only I could rise to the sky just once! I would press the enemy... to the wounds of my chest and... he would choke on my blood! Oh the happiness of battle!."

The Falcon is characterized by contempt for death, courage, and hatred of the enemy. In the image of the Falcon, Gorky glorifies the “madness of the brave.” “Madness, courage - this is the wisdom of life! Oh, brave Falcon, you bled to death in battle with your enemies. But there will be time - and drops of your hot blood, like sparks, will flare up in the darkness of life and many brave hearts will be ignited with an insane thirst for freedom and light!

In 1901, Gorky wrote “The Song of the Petrel,” in which he expressed with extraordinary force his anticipation of the growing revolution. Gorky sang of the imminent, undoubted revolutionary storm: “Storm! A storm is coming soon! This is the brave Petrel proudly soaring between the lightning over the roaring angry sea, then the prophet of victory shouts: “Let the storm blow stronger!” The petrel is the embodiment of heroism. He is contrasted with the stupid penguin, and loons, and seagulls, who moan and rush before the storm: “Only the proud Petrel soars boldly and freely over the angry roaring sea.” The magazine “Life”, in which this song was published, was closed.

Gorky’s contemporary A. Bogdanovich wrote: “Most of M. Gorky’s essays breathe this free breath of the steppe and the sea, one feels a cheerful mood, something independent and proud, which makes them sharply different from the essays of other authors relating to the same world of poverty and exclusion.” Vaksberg A.I. Death of the Petrel. M. Gorky: The last twenty years. - M.: Terra-sport, 1999. - 396 p. .

Other stories of the same kind: Malva (1897), where Malva is the female form of Chelkash, and My Companion (1896) is the best of this series in terms of the character created. The primitive and immoral Georgian prince Shakro, with whom the narrator walks from Odessa to Tiflis, is truly a remarkable creation, worthy of standing next to the best Gorky character sketches. There is not a drop of idealization of Shakro in the story, although it is obvious that the author’s “artistic sympathy” is entirely on his side. The early Gorky won many admirers for his manner of “describing nature.”

A typical example of this manner is the beginning of Malva famous first a paragraph consisting of two words: “The sea laughed.” But we must admit that today these descriptions have lost their freshness and are no longer amazing. Around 1897, realism began to outweigh: in Former people(1897) realism dominates, and heroic deeds Captain Sledgehammer cannot dispel the dull atmosphere of the scene.

3. Gorky’s stories “Makar Chudra” and “Old Woman Izergil”

Gorky's work on initial stage bears a strong imprint of the new literary movement- the so-called revolutionary romanticism. The philosophical ideas of the beginning talented writer, the passion and emotionality of his prose, the new approach to man differed sharply from both naturalistic prose, which went into petty everyday realism and chose the hopeless boredom of human existence as its theme, and from the aesthetic approach to literature and life, which saw value only in “refined” emotions, characters and words.

For youth there are two most important components of life, two vectors of existence. This is love and freedom. In Gorky’s stories “Makar Chudra” and “Old Woman Izergil”, love and freedom become the theme of the stories told by the main characters Gorky M. Collected works in 30 volumes. T.6. Plays 1901-1906 - M.: State Publishing House fiction, 1999. - 562 p. . Gorky's plot discovery - that old age tells about youth and love - allows us to give a perspective, the point of view of a young man who lives by love and sacrifices everything for it, and a man who has lived his life, seen a lot and is able to understand what is really important, what remains at the end of a long journey.

The heroes of the two parables told by the old woman Izergil are complete opposites. Danko is an example of love-self-sacrifice, love-giving. He cannot live, separating himself from his tribe, people, he feels unhappy and unfree if the people are unfree and unhappy. Pure sacrificial love and the desire for heroism were characteristic of romantic revolutionaries who dreamed of dying for universal human ideals, could not imagine life without sacrifice, did not hope and did not want to live to old age. Danko gives his heart, illuminating the path for people.

This is a fairly simple symbol: only a pure heart, full of love and altruism, can become a beacon and only selfless sacrifice will help free the people. The tragedy of the parable is that people forget about those who sacrificed themselves for them. They are ungrateful, but perfectly aware of this, Danko does not think about the meaning of his dedication, does not expect recognition or reward. Gorky argues with the official church concept of merit, in which a person does good deeds, knowing in advance that he will be rewarded. The writer gives an opposite example: the reward for a feat is the feat itself and the happiness of the people for whose sake it was accomplished.

The son of an eagle is the complete opposite of Danko. Larra is a loner. He is proud and narcissistic, he sincerely considers himself higher, better than other people. He evokes disgust, but also pity. After all, Larra does not deceive anyone, he does not pretend that he is capable of love. Unfortunately, there are many such people, although their essence is not so clearly manifested in real life. For them, love and interest come down only to possession. If it cannot be possessed, it must be destroyed. Having killed the girl, Larra says with cynical frankness that he did it because he could not own her. And he adds that, in his opinion, people only pretend to love and observe moral standards. After all, nature gave them only their body as their property, and they own both animals and things.

Larra is cunning and knows how to talk, but this is a deception. He loses sight of the fact that a person always pays for the possession of money, labor, time, but ultimately a life lived in one way and not another. Therefore, Larra’s so-called truth becomes the reason for his rejection. The tribe expels the apostate, saying: you despise us, you are superior - well, live alone if we are unworthy of you. But loneliness becomes endless torture. Larra understands that his whole philosophy was just a pose, that even in order to consider himself superior to others and be proud of himself, others are still needed. You can’t admire yourself alone, and we all depend on evaluation and recognition from society.

Freedom and love are the theme of the parable of Radda and Loiko. There is no love in slavery, there are no true feelings in self-deception. The heroes love each other, but freedom is above all for them. For Gorky, freedom is not a lawless freedom, but an opportunity to preserve one’s essence, one’s “I,” that is, one’s humanity, without which there can be neither love nor life.

Romanticism early stories Gorky, his heroic ideals are always close and understandable to youth; they will be loved and will inspire more and more generations of readers to search for truth and heroism.

A fusion of romanticism and realism, with which he began his creative path M. Gorky was a new progressive step in the development of Russian literature. The first striking work with which Gorky entered literature was “Makar Chudra” by Maxim Gorky. Favorites. - M.: AST Publishing House. - 2002, 432 p. .

The short story amazes with the richness and depth of the thoughts contained in it: the glorification of freedom, beauty and joy of life. The old gypsy’s reasoning about life amazes with its depth and simplicity at the same time: “Aren’t you yourself life? 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..."

The only value on earth is freedom, it’s worth living and dying for, that’s what the heroes of this story think. No treasure in the world can replace freedom for a person. In this story, the author has only outlined the beautiful romantic impulse of a person towards freedom. It is an end in itself, the heroes do not know what to do with it, what to use it for.

There are some wonderful fragments and parts in the story, when the old soldier Danilo argues that “it’s only the gentlemen who sell everything, from their pigs to their conscience, but I fought with Kossuth and don’t trade anything!”, or the Rada’s response to the gentleman’s proposal: “ ... if the eagle entered the raven’s nest of her own free will, what would she become?”

The characters’ imaginative and vivid speech, the beautiful southern nature against which the action takes place, but the characters do not yet have a specific goal for the sake of which they so highly respect their personal freedom. This is more individualism, the proud whim of everyone, than the dignity of character.

Young Gorky “swinged”, showed beauty and strength free man, but still doesn’t know where to use it so that it doesn’t die senselessly. And this is exactly how these heroes die, beautifully and in vain: Rada and Loiko, dreaming of love and seeing in it only shackles and chains, and not an opportunity to find happiness and peace. “I’ve never loved anyone, Loiko, but I love you. And I also love freedom! Will, Loiko, I love you more than you.

And I can’t live without you, just as you can’t live without me...” Here, each of the heroes wants to prove his superiority, the right to primacy and supremacy. There is no love here, but rather a game of ambition that ends according to all the laws of romanticism: the heroes die beautiful, young and unbroken.

Gorky continued to work in this genre, and the romantic motif of a beautiful free man, only outlined in the story “Makar Chudra,” receives a new and deep meaning in the legends of the old woman Izergil. From Larra’s individualism, through a free impulse to the happiness of Izergil herself, the author leads readers to true hero Danko, who gave his life for the freedom and happiness of people. Thus, already in his early works, Gorky declares a new romantic hero, showing his dedication and determination. He is a man of action, and that's the main thing.

4. Spiritromanticism in the story “Chelkash” and “Song of the Falcon”.

M. Gorky was a realist writer, but all his early stories are permeated with the spirit of romanticism. In them, the main characters are usually closely connected with nature. Gorky identifies man and nature. In his works, the writer gives clear preference to people free from the laws of society. They are interesting with their views and behavior. And, as a rule, the main character always has an antagonist - a person who holds the opposite view of life. A conflict arises between them, on the basis of which the plot of the work by E.J. Brauen unfolds. Symbolic influence on Gorky’s “realistic” style // Russian literature, 20th century. - St. Petersburg, 2003. .

As in many of his stories, in “Chelkash” Gorky also touches on the theme of human relationships, describes nature, the relationship of nature with state of mind their heroes. The events described by Gorky in the story “Chelkash” took place in a port city on the seashore. Main characters- Chelkash and Gavrila. Chelkash is already an elderly homeless drunkard and thief. Gavrila is a young peasant guy who came to this place after unsuccessful attempt find a job and earn money.

Everyone in the port knows Grishka Chelkash as an avid drunkard and a cunning thief. Outwardly, seemingly similar to all the “tramp figures” in the port, he immediately attracted attention by his resemblance to the “steppe hawk.” He was “long, bony, slightly stooped, with a humpbacked predatory nose and cold gray eyes. His brown mustache, thick and long, quivered every now and then, and his hands behind his back rubbed one another, nervously twisting their long, crooked and tenacious fingers. His seemingly calm, but vigilant and excited gait resembled the flight of a bird, which he was so similar to.” Chelkash made a living as a theft in the port, and when the deal was successful and the money appeared, he immediately drank it away.

The meeting between Chelkash and Gavrila took place at the moment when Chelkash, walking along the harbor, was thinking about how to deal with the “business” that was coming that night. His partner broke his leg, and this circumstance complicated the whole matter and caused Chelkash a feeling of annoyance.

Gavrila, after an unsuccessful attempt to earn money in Kuban, returned home. He was very sad and upset, since after the death of his father he had only one way to get out of poverty - “to become a son-in-law in good house" And this meant going to work as farm laborers.

Chelkash accidentally noticed a strong young guy in bast shoes and a tattered red cap sitting right next to the sidewalk, on the pavement. Chelkash touched the guy, and then, after talking with him, he suddenly decided to take him with him to the “case.”

Gorky described in detail their meeting, their conversation, thoughts and inner experiences of each. Gorky devotes his attention to Chelkash Special attention. He notices every stroke, the slightest nuance in the behavior of his hero. There are also thoughts about his former life, about Gavril, who, by the will of fate, ended up in his “wolf’s paws.” The feeling of dominance over someone, making him proud of himself, his endlessly changing mood, when he wanted to either hit and scold Gavrila, or feel sorry for him. Having once had a house, parents, and a wife, he became a thief and an inveterate drunkard, but, nevertheless, he does not seem to us a complete person.

This is a proud and strong nature. Despite the shabby appearance, he shows an extraordinary personality. Chelkash has an approach to everyone, he can come to an agreement anywhere. He has a special relationship with nature and the sea. Chelkash, a thief, loved the sea. “His seething, nervous nature, greedy for impressions, was never seduced by the content of this dark breadth, boundless, free and powerful... At sea, a wide warm feeling always rose in him, which enveloped his entire soul, cleansing it of everyday filth. Chelkash loved to see himself as the best among the water and air, where thoughts about life and life itself lost their sharpness and value.”

Gavrila appears before us in a completely different light. At first he is a village guy, “overwhelmed” by life, not too trusting, then he is a scared to death slave. And when the “case” was successfully completed and he saw such big money for the first time in his life, that’s when he “broke through.” Gorky very accurately describes what feelings overwhelmed Gavrila at that moment and how they affected his behavior. We saw with all clarity the undisguised greed of B. Paramonov. The works of M. Gorky. - M.: 2003. .

Pity and compassion for the poor village boy instantly disappeared. When Gavrila, falling to his knees in front of Chelkash, began to beg him for all the money, a completely different person appeared before us - he was a “vile slave” who forgot about everything in his desire to beg more money at his owner's. And Chelkash, filled with a feeling of acute pity and hatred for this greedy slave, threw him all the money. At that moment he felt like a hero. Chelkash knew that he would never become like that, even if he was a thief and a drunkard.

But when Gavrila told Chelkash how he wanted to kill him and throw him into the sea, he was overcome with rage - he had never been beaten so painfully, and he had never been so angry. Chelkash took the money and, turning his back to Gavrila, walked away. Gavrila could not survive this, he grabbed a stone and threw it at the head of the departing Chelkash. But when he saw what he had done, he again began to whine and ask Chelkash for forgiveness. Chelkash rose to the occasion in this situation as well. He realized what a petty and vile little soul this guy was, and threw the money right in his face. At first, when Chelkash walked away, staggering and holding his head, Gavrila looked after him. And then he sighed freely, crossed himself, hid the money and walked in the opposite direction.

In his work, Gorky gave clear preference to Chelkash, a man of high moral qualities, a man who did not lose his self-esteem under any circumstances.

Maxim Gorky comes to literature as a passionate romantic, calling for high and strong passions. Having paid tribute to romanticism, he will come to the truth of life, but his romantic heroes will remain with him forever.

Reading “The Song of the Falcon”, you involuntarily take the side of one or the other hero. Falcon certainly evokes sympathy with his dedication and courage, indomitable will to win: “I lived a glorious life!” I know happiness!. I fought bravely! I saw the sky... Oh, the happiness of battle!

It also seems to be saying sensible things: “Let those who cannot love the earth live in deception. I know the truth. And I won’t believe their calls. Creation of the earth, I live by the earth.” But with what self-confident contentment and faith in one’s own infallibility all this is said! Only the “philistines of the spirit” do not doubt anything, are always confident in their infallibility and despise the doubting “weaklings”.

We, together with the author, want to sing the praises of the “madness” of the brave Falcon, who gave his short but bright life to the struggle for a bright future, for the triumph of justice. “Let you die! But in the song of the brave and strong in spirit You will always be a living example, a proud call to freedom, to light! We sing a song to the madness of the brave!

Maxim Gorky's story “Song of the Falcon” was written according to the great canons of romanticism. Dark and damp gorge, quite romantic landscape, it is unknown where and when the action takes place. The brave Falcon yearns for the sky when he will never rise again. He dies a brave fighter, dreaming of a new battle with enemies, and readers understand that this is not personal enemies Falcon, and the enemies of his great fatherland, which is bright and beautiful, like this endless sky.

Defeated, but not broken, the Falcon dies, disturbing the peace of the Snake, who for a moment doubted his rightness, happiness, and knowledge of life. The petty-bourgeois complacency of Uzha is shaken for a moment, but this is the merit of the brave and selfless fighter Falcon. The author sees this as his main purpose, his mission on earth.

Yes, the Falcon died, but he planted a spark of doubt in the soul of the self-confident Snake and shook his complacency. And the author sings the glory of the Falcon, praising his feat, dedication and courage Kolomiets A.K. The legacy of A.M. Gorky and questions of literature // Russian literature, 2005, No. 3. .

The unusual theme and civic pathos of the work put it in the category of extraordinary, most interesting creations of the writer. The rhythmic prose in which the song is written makes it easy for readers to remember it and quote it when appropriate. Many phrases from the “Song of the Falcon” have become catchphrases, and this is the lot of only works of genius.

Life cannot stop, it moves forward endlessly. Just as there are no indisputable absolute truths - this is stated by A.M. Bitter.

5. "Song of the Petrel"

“Song of the Petrel” (1901) received a huge response in society. It expresses with extraordinary force the foreboding of the impending revolution. The proud Petrel embodies “the power of anger, the flame of passion and confidence in victory” - feelings that inspired proletarian revolutionaries. The petrel is a symbol of imminent victory, the “prophet of victory.”

After printing Gorky's work one of the censors reported that Gorky began to be called not only the “petrel”, but also the “storm herald”, since “he not only announces the coming storm, but also calls the storm behind him” Vaksberg A.I. Death of the Petrel. M. Gorky: The last twenty years. - M.: Terra-sport, 1999. - 396 p. .

The legendary and heroic images of Gorky are proud, strong and integral natures, with a strong-willed character, rejecting slavish humiliation, humility and meekness. These are images calling for struggle, for a beautiful and free life. Gorky's legendary romantic stories affirm faith in man, in his reason. A person is shown in them not as defeated, depressed by life, refusing to fight, to act; he is the creator of life, and the power of his sublime feelings is such that it must triumph over the forces of evil and darkness.

Gorky's songs are not just plot or lyrical sketches: they call forward, they show a person that life is only in movement, in overcoming thunderstorms. Everything else is a slow death.

This movement must be a revolution, but it must take place in the hearts, and its goal can only be good. “We sing a song to the madness of the brave!” - such daring madmen were Danko, and the Falcon, and the Petrel, and the Girl, great love its victorious Death. “Let you die! But in the song of the brave and strong in spirit you will always be a living example, a call to the proud to freedom, to light!” This is Gorky’s concept of man. A man creates a feat, a feat creates a man - this is exactly what follows from the early works of Gorky’s romanticism.

Antithesis is a favorite author's device, typically romantic. Falcon - Already, Danko - Larra, Petrel - storm, Girl - Death. But landscapes and hyperbolic inventions are not the author’s fruitless fantasies; they force one to strive for a feat, to go with even greater determination. And this idea of the Gorky man is emphasized by aphorism. An abundance of metaphors, comparisons, hyperbolization - all this serves not only to create a concept of a person, but also to form ideological meaning. Both are connected at the point “feat”: this is the writer’s feat as an action, this is a feat as a theme, as the concept of the hero he creates. Shklovsky V. Success and defeat of M. Gorky. - M,: 2000. .

Through emphasized beauty romantic images the writer leads a person to spiritual transformation. The one who creates a feat must know what beauty is, otherwise the feat will turn out to be recklessness. A person needs beauty - otherwise will he understand his purpose? A person needs a feat - otherwise will he understand that the heart should burn?

A person needs a Falcon - otherwise he, like Snake, will recline, prostrate on the prison bunks of his fate...

6. Transformation of the Romantic Traditionin the works of various masters

Studying work of art can be comprehensive only if all connections between it and the typological group of works are revealed, that is, in the system of a particular artistic movement.

Romantic moods and experiences have long attracted poets, prose writers, artists, composers, and were embodied in different types art and in different periods of time. Especially significant, even decisive role they played in the fate of one of the largest artistic directions, which was called romanticism.

A characteristic feature of romanticism is extreme dissatisfaction with reality, contrasting it with a beautiful dream. Inner world Romantics proclaimed a person, his feelings, and creative imagination as genuine values, as opposed to material values.
Distinctive feature romantic creativity is the author’s clearly expressed attitude towards everything that is depicted in the work.
Romantics were powerfully attracted to fantasy, folk legends, folklore They were beckoned distant countries and past historical eras, the beautiful and majestic world of nature. Favorite genres romantic literature- fantastic stories and dramas, fairy tales, where miraculous forces, good and evil wizards operate.

Romantic heroes are always in conflict with society. They are exiles, wanderers. Lonely, disillusioned, the heroes challenge an unjust society and turn into rebels, rebels.
Romantics modified and updated old genres, created new ones - such as historical novel, lyric-epic poem, fantastic story-fairy tale. They discovered priceless treasures folk art, brought literature closer to folklore.

The first romantic works appeared in Russia at the very beginning of the 19th century. In the 1820s, Romanticism became a major development literary life, literary struggle, the center of a lively and noisy journal-critical polemic. Russian romanticism arose in conditions different from those of Western Europe. In Russia, it was formed in an era when the country had yet to enter a period of bourgeois transformations. It reflected the disappointment of advanced Russian people in the existing serfdom and the unclearness of their understanding of the paths of the historical development of the country. On the other hand, Russian romanticism expressed the beginning of the awakening of national forces, rapid growth public and personal identity.

It is quite natural that Russian romanticism differed from Western European.

Firstly, romantic moods and art forms presented as if in a softened version. Secondly, Russian romanticism is characterized by a connection with other literary movements.

The names of its greatest representatives in Russian literature are associated with romanticism - A.S. Pushkina, M.Yu. Lermontov and N.V. Gogol, outstanding lyricists E.A. Baratynsky, V.A. Zhukovsky, F.I. Tyutcheva.

In the development of Russian romanticism, three main periods are usually distinguished.

1801-1815 - the period of the emergence of the romantic trend in Russia. At this time, romanticism was closely connected with classicism and - most importantly - with sentimentalism, within which it, in fact, developed. The founders of Russian romanticism are considered to be K.N. Batyushkova and V.A. Zhukovsky.

Since at the first stage of its development romanticism was very close to sentimentalism, let us consider the features of sentimentalism and romanticism in the ballad of V.A. Zhukovsky "Svetlana". Zhukovsky’s ballad “Svetlana” is associated with Russian customs and beliefs, and the song and fairy tale tradition. The subject of the ballad is fortune telling by a girl on Epiphany evening. The image of Svetlana is the first artistically convincing, psychologically truthful image of a Russian girl in Russian poetry. She is sometimes silent and sad, yearning for her missing groom, sometimes fearful and timid during fortune-telling, sometimes absent-minded and alarmed, not knowing what awaits her - this is typical of sentimentalism. The romanticism of the ballad is in a conventional landscape, an unusual incident, in indicating that the main and eternal thing is in some other world, and earthly life short-term. The author associates the image of Svetlana with the idea of the triumph of love over death. V.A. Zhukovsky gained fame as an original writer precisely as the creator of ballads of the Classics of Russian literature. - M.: Quart. - 2003. .

The ballad “Svetlana” was so striking in its unusualness and originality that even decades later, original reviews of it appeared in art.

1816-1825 - a time of intensive development of romanticism. Now romanticism acts as an independent movement and becomes central event literary life. The most important phenomenon This period saw the activity of Decembrist writers and the work of a number of remarkable lyricists: D.V. Davydova, P.A. Vyazemsky, E.A. Baratynsky. But the central figure of Russian romanticism was, of course, A.S. Pushkin.

Considering Pushkin’s poem “To the Sea” (against the background of the sounds of nature - the sound of the sea). Poem by A.S. Pushkin is a kind of message in which the poet shares his most intimate thoughts and feelings with the sea, as with a friend. In this work you can see all the features of Pushkin’s romanticism Pushkin A.S. Complete collection works in 10 volumes - L., 1997. .

In the poem by A.S. Pushkin’s “To the Sea” has two ideological and artistic centers: the image of the sea and the image of the lyrical hero. The poet says goodbye to the “free elements” in which he sees his friend and remembers walks along the seashore. The author sees the sea at peace and in anger regrets that he could not “congratulate the sea with delight,” because the soul was torn away. We see that the sea is perceived by the poet as a living being. The most important place is given to the experiences of the lyrical hero, who on the seashore remembers the “tomb of glory”, i.e. place of Napoleon's imprisonment. For romantics, Napoleon is an example of love of freedom. The image of another free elemental singer, Byron, also appears in the work. Pushkin’s lyrical hero evaluates “enlightenment” and “tyrant” and promises not to forget the solemn beauty of the sea. The poem contains two contrasting feelings: deep sadness from saying goodbye to the sea, from unfulfilled hopes and strong strength and pride.

During the same period of development of romanticism A.S. Pushkin creates the so-called “southern” poems: “ Prisoner of the Caucasus", "Bakhchisarai Fountain", "Robber Brothers" and "Gypsies".

The action of “Gypsies” takes place in an exotic setting: against the backdrop of the Bessarabian steppes, along which “carts of peaceful gypsies” roam. Their life resembles the poetic myth of the golden age, when people were in a state of harmony. The hero of the poem, Aleko, ends up here, striving for a natural life. His past is covered with a romantic veil of mystery, which breaks through only occasionally: Aleko talks about the “captivity of stuffy cities” that he was forced to leave:

There are people there, in heaps behind the fence,

They don’t breathe the morning cool...

They are ashamed of love, thoughts are driven away,

They trade according to their will,

They bow their heads before idols

And they ask for money and chains.

In the camp, Aleko begins to live a free life, but passions brought from the past are boiling in his soul. “They will wake up: wait!” - the author seems to warn him. And the prediction comes true. Zemfira stopped loving Aleko. As often happens in romantic works, the ending of the poem is tragic: Aleko kills Zemfira and her lover. The author, through the mouth of an old gypsy, pronounces a sentence on Aleko: “You only want freedom for yourself.”

The “southern” poems seem to complete a certain stage of Pushkin’s creative search. And the tragic events of 1825 draw a sharp line between the second and third periods of the development of romanticism in Russia.

Let's consider the features of the third period.

In the third, post-December period (1826-1840), romanticism became most widespread in Russian literature. It acquires new features, conquers new genres, and captures more and more new writers into its orbit.

The peak achievements of romanticism in the 1830s are the works of M.Yu. Lermontov, early works of N.V. Gogol, lyrics by F.I. Tyutcheva.
The most striking romantic work by M.Yu. Lermontov is the poem “Demon” by Lermontov M.Yu. Complete works in 4 volumes; Poems. - M.: State publishing house of artistic literature. 1999. - 393 p. . This is a unique work in its impact on the reader.

Lermontov's Demon is rebellious, irreconcilable, knowledgeable and wise, beautiful and cunning; along with denial, a thirst for ideal lives in his soul, a desire to restore harmony.

Continues the period of development of romanticism.

Creativity N.V. Gogol and his story “May Night, or the Drowned Woman” (“Do you know the Ukrainian night... Charming night!”). Nature and man are the main themes of Gogol’s work Gogol N.V. Petersburg tales. - M.: Synergy. - 2002, 352 p. .

The romanticism of “Evenings...” is vital and uniquely objective. N.V. Gogol poetizes values that really exist. He is attracted to everything strong, bright, containing excess vitality, he reveals the beauty of folk life within the boundaries of the romantic artistic system.

N.V. Gogol shows life transformed by folk fantasy. Creating a joyful dream world, he often turns to “non-scary” comic fiction, so often found in folk tales. Devils and witches in “Evenings...” adopt the habits and behavior of ordinary people, or rather, comedic characters. “Damn... Solokha was seriously softened up: he kissed her hand with such antics as an assessor for a priest.”

Only in two stories (“The Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala” and “Terrible Revenge”) the fantastic takes on a sinister character.
In “Evenings...” Gogol perfected the romantic art of translating the ordinary into the extraordinary, transforming reality into a dream, into a fairy tale. In “May Night”: “An irresistible dream quickly began to close his eyes... “No, I’ll fall asleep here!” - he said, rising to his feet and rubbing his eyes. He looked around: the night seemed even more brilliant before him...” - and then the real “retreats” more and more, and Levka’s wonderful dream unfolds.

Depicted in stories Ukrainian nature amazes with the riotous brightness of colors, some frantic scope and power, captivating us, the readers, with the writer’s joyful amazement at the beauty of the world.

After the 40s of the 19th century, romanticism lost its dominant position, but did not disappear completely. The finalist of the romantic trend in Russian literature can be called F.I. Tyutchev not only in the essence of his work, but also due to personal, biographical circumstances.

Tyutchev’s artistic fate turned out to be doubly unusual. It was not only late recognition that distinguished her. This was the fate of the last Russian romantic, who worked in the era of the triumph of realism and still remained faithful to the principles of romantic art Aikhenvald Yu.I. Tyutchev // Aikhenvald Yu.I. Silhouettes of Russian writers. - M., 1994. .

Tyutchev's poems have been familiar to us since childhood. Everyone remembers him " Spring thunderstorm", "The Enchantress in Winter...", "Winter is angry for a reason...", "Spring Waters" - poetically heartfelt sketches of Russian nature. In general, the predominance of landscapes is perhaps the most noticeable feature of Tyutchev’s lyrics. And yet it cannot be called landscape: pictures of nature serve the poet only as a means of expressing deep, intense, tragic thoughts about life and death, about man and the universe.

Tyutchev’s nature is changeable and dynamic. Knowing no rest, it is all in the struggle of opposing forces, the clash of elements, the continuous change of day and night, the cycle of the seasons. The most important thing is that nature in the poet’s poems is humanized and spiritualized. Like a living, thinking creature, she feels, breathes, rejoices and is sad.

Beautiful, eternal peace nature, akin to the human soul, appears in Tyutchev as the opposite, as the antipode of the world of human relations, human activity.

Nature is harmonious, but human society is far from ideal. And that’s why people turn to the artistic experience of romanticism more than once creative personalities throughout not only the 19th, but also the 20th century.

Romantic traditions continue with great force in the works of the young Maxim Gorky. His heroes are extraordinary individuals, they passionately strive to go beyond the usual “philistine” framework of life, they are ready to sacrifice themselves for the sake of freedom, for the sake of other people. It is no coincidence that Gorky abandons the usual prose genres and writes fairy tales, prose poems, and songs. Let's turn to artistic features"Songs about the Petrel"

In “The Song of the Petrel” you can see the following signs of romanticism: the action takes place in an unusual setting - against the background sea elements; the hero is freedom-loving, proud, the work is imbued with the dream of freedom; the tone of speech is elevated, excited. The “Song” is characterized by colorful language: epithets (“over the gray plain of the sea”, “emerald hulks”, etc.), comparisons (“a petrel, like black lightning”, etc.), personifications (“the sea catches the arrows of lightning”, etc. .).

We were convinced that A.M. Gorky creates a beautiful image of the sea.

Works by the same authors turn of XIX-XX centuries represent an invocation song of freedom for strong, brave hearts. The work of others, primarily the symbolists, is filled with a sense of the catastrophic nature of life, which does not allow one to seek salvation in the sphere of the ideal or even dream of transforming life.

One of these poets was F. Sologub “On a quiet evening at the crossroads of two roads...”. This poem belongs to the lyric-epic genre. The event (the meeting with the witch and the words she spoke) is more important for the author than the feelings of the lyrical hero. The mysterious atmosphere (“magic words, “enemy forces”, “quiet darkness”), time (“on a quiet evening”) and place (“at the crossroads of two roads”: according to folklore, evil spirits live precisely at crossroads and crossroads) of the meeting create the background against which the conclusion in the poem is realized symbolic meaning Antonov G.A. The work of Fyodor Sologub. - St. Petersburg: 2000.

"Grateful stone" donated to the lyrical hero"young witch", embodies eternal life: “Just live, you will live forever.” But life, limply accepted as a gift, not filled with anything, life “not for happiness, or luck, or a crown” is meaningless. Sooner or later, the hero “will become bored” - and then he can get rid of the fatal talisman by simply breaking the rope (here one hears an echo of ancient ideas about fate as a thread that is ready to break at any moment). Death is interpreted as a manifestation of the will, leading to liberation from earthly spells: “You throw a stone, you become free, and you die.”

The light, graceful form of the poem contrasts with its gloomy content. The hexameter trochee with paired rhymes gives the information melodiousness and breadth of breathing. There are no syntactic hyphens in the text: each line is an intonationally closed phrase.

Romanticism is also the desire to connect a beautiful dream with life, to show that any hopes can be realized. In A. Green's book " Scarlet Sails“We see how the predicted miracle is fulfilled.
The genre is unusual - extravaganza, i.e. magical fairy tale play. But “Scarlet Sails” is not a play; there is nothing supernatural here. Assol and Gray create a miracle themselves. We can say that they, as directors, “stage a play” about their own fate, in which the grayness of the real recedes before the imaginary Galitskikh E.O., Karpov I.P., Kobzev N.A., Makhneva M.A., Starygina N. N.
Lesson notes for a literature teacher: The work of A.S. Green. 8th grade: Teacher's manual. - M.: Vlados, 2002. - 224 p.

Green's heroes are brave, simple-minded people, like children, proud, selfless and kind. They are surrounded by the fresh, fragrant air of Grinovsky nature - completely real, touching the heart with its charm. A fairy tale is needed not only for children, but also for adults. She causes excitement - the source of high human passions. This is its value, and this is the value of the sometimes inexpressible charm of A. Green’s works

So, we have come to the following conclusion: as long as humanity lives, the dream of a happy future, of a beautiful future will live - and even if it is not always achievable, it is still beautiful. That is why, in each of us, to a greater or lesser extent, a romantic lives and will live.

Conclusion

The early works of M. Gorky reflect the incompleteness of his concept of the world and artistic creativity. In them he appears as a romantic, and his romanticism combines both traditional and new artistic techniques. Gorky creates his own world. In it one can often observe some features of contemporary Russia. Nevertheless, Gorky artistic reality He lives according to his own internal laws, which differ from the laws that existed for the realists of the 19th century.

Nature in this world is closely connected with the mental state of the heroes, which corresponds to the canons of romanticism. The sea in the story “Chelkash”, the forest in the legend of Danko, the steppe in the story “Grandfather Arkhip and Lenka” change as the plot develops. If at the beginning of the work nature is calm and ordinary, then during the main conflict it reflects the emotional tension of the heroes: a thunderstorm or storm begins. Nature either helps people, creating a natural background for a free, free life, as at the beginning of the story “Old Woman Izergil,” or opposes them. However, what is involved in this confrontation is, rather, not so much nature itself, but rather its “false likeness” created by people.

The embodiment of this “false resemblance” is the port city, which “breathes with the powerful sounds of a passionate hymn to Mercury,” or the “living” forest that arose due to the fear of people. In both cases, the reality created by people has “enslaved and depersonalized them,” so it must disappear the moment they manage to conquer their fear. On the contrary, true nature is always alive, it embodies the unchanging and eternal laws of life, therefore most stories end with landscapes symbolizing “eternity,” beauty and harmony that are not subject to petty passions.

Usually associated with nature main character, around which the narrative is built: Chelkash feels free only at sea, the dying Larra looks at the sky. This connection allows us to highlight the main character, which corresponds to the tradition of romanticism. This hero is an outcast in society, he is always alone. Although not the author’s “second self,” he nevertheless embodies certain ideas close to Gorky.

The main character usually has an antagonist who has the opposite view of life. A conflict arises between them, on the basis of which the plot unfolds. Thus, the main conflict is not only interpersonal, but also ideological. “Free” heroes are opposed to heroes who depend either on money, or on “traditions,” or on “ignorance.” Freedom for everyone is very different from freedom for yourself. The first is embodied by Danko, the second by Larra. Only freedom for everyone can bring happiness to people, teach them to “see life,” as the old woman Izergil says. Her fate is opposed to the bourgeois ideal of a “quiet life.”

The “philistine ideal” for Gorky is Gavrila’s dream “of a home”, and grandfather Arkhip’s “care” for Lenka, and the “wisdom” of Uzh. Gorky believed that man is not only an accumulation of sins and vices, but also a being capable of changing himself and the world. Because of this, any ethics must be “active”, that is, it must evaluate a person from the point of view of his ability to “live, and not reconcile.”

The confrontation between the two ethics forms the basis of the plot. The plot turns out to be a problem for which two different systems views give different answers. This is the stolen scarf in the story “Grandfather Arkhip and Lenka”, the problem of the “price of money” in “Chelkash” or freedom in “Old Woman Izergil”. Then the conflict develops and a denouement occurs, and the hero may die, but his ideas win. They win not in real life, but in the reader’s assessment of what is happening. Falcon could not prove “his truth” to Uzha, but it is he who appears before the readers as a positive hero.

This confrontation between two worldviews is manifested both in the appearance of the characters and in their perception of reality. “Beautiful people” are always compared to birds, they are “able to fly”, as opposed to “born to crawl”. In appearance and speech they are just like romantic heroes XIX centuries, are sharply different from the people around them. World " beautiful people“They see it in their own way, for them there is nothing scary or not entirely clear in it. For Chelkash, the “fiery blue sword” seen by Gavrila is a simple “electric lantern.”

Gorky's romantic stories include “Old Woman Izergil”, “Makar Chudra”, “The Girl and Death”, “Song of the Falcon” and others. The heroes in them are exceptional people. They are not afraid to tell the truth and live honestly.
The gypsies in the writer’s romantic stories are full of wisdom and dignity. These illiterate people tell the intellectual hero deep symbolic parables about the meaning of life. The heroes Loiko Zobar and Rada in the story “Makar Chudra” oppose themselves to the crowd and live according to their own laws. More than anything else, they value freedom, just like old Makar Chudra, who tells the story of their love. Makar does not understand why people live crowded, although there is a lot of space on earth, they work hard all their lives, but remain poor slaves. Makar condemns society, but does not call for changing its laws. believed that a person should draw strength from nature, like free gypsies.
Romantic streak in Gorky's stories is the author's interest in images of nature. Nature is important to him philosophical theme. This is the world of symbols for the romantic writer. The description of the storm, wind, sea, mountains - all this creates an atmosphere of romantic experiences. It is no coincidence that the story “Makar Chudra” ends with the song of the sea, which sings a hymn to the proud and brave gypsies.
The story “The Girl and Death” contrasts life, love and death, destruction, personified by two images: the Girl and Death.
In Gorky’s works, man, although a “natural” creature, is disfigured by the city and modern civilization. Gorky’s tramps are “children of nature,” poor but proud people.
The writer’s indifference to everyday life is also a romantic feature. We cannot find out anything concrete about the life of tramps, we only hear their fiery speeches about freedom. Like the romantics, Gorky’s characters are written in sharp terms. black and white flowers. If Larra is a villain, then without any admixture of goodness. In the image of Danko, only positive traits are given. He saves people at a cost own life, illuminating their path with his burning heart.
But, unlike the European romantics, Gorky glorifies not evil, but good. Negative heroes he is clearly condemned, as in Russian fairy tales. Gorky's only purely romantic hero is Larra, the son of a woman and an eagle. He despises people, seeing this as his freedom. The gypsies drive out the proud man. Larra is the embodiment of cynicism and selfishness. Danko represents the other side of the capabilities of the human soul - heroism and the ability to self-sacrifice.
Gorky's romanticism is distinguished by the presence of a positive ideal. “There is always a place for exploits in life,” says the author. His brave Falcon from the Song of the Falcon bled to death in battle with his enemies. But his death was not in vain. The writer creates images that would become an example for readers.

Born on March 28, 1868 in Nizhny Novgorod. At the age of 11 he became an orphan and until 1888 he lived with relatives in Kazan. He tried many professions: he was a boatman on a ship, worked in an icon-painting workshop, and was a foreman. In 1888 he left Kazan for the village of Krasnovidovo, where he was engaged in the propaganda of revolutionary ideas. Maxim Gorky's first story, "Makar Chudra", was published in 1892 in the newspaper "Caucasus". In 1898, the collection “Essays and Stories” was published, and a year later his first novel “Foma Gordeev” was published. In 1901, Gorky was expelled from Nizhny Novgorod to Arzamas A.N. Durnov. Gorky, whom we do not know. // Literary newspaper, 1993, March 10 (No. 10). .

Romanticism of M. Gorky

At the end of the 90s, the reader was amazed by the appearance of three volumes of “Essays and Stories” by a new writer - M. Gorky. “Great and original talent,” was the general judgment about the new writer and his books G.D. Veselov. A very good writer [M. Gorky in modern literary criticism. Review of publications of 1996] // Book Review, 1996, No. 36. pp. 16-17. .

Growing discontent in society and the expectation of decisive changes caused an increase in romantic tendencies in literature. These trends were reflected especially clearly in the work of young Gorky, in such stories as “Chelkash”, “Old Woman Izergil”, “Makar Chudra”, and in revolutionary songs. The heroes of these stories are people “with the sun in their blood”, strong, proud, beautiful. These heroes are Gorky's dream. Such a hero was supposed to “strengthen a person’s will to live, arouse in him a rebellion against reality, against all its oppression.”

The central image of Gorky's early romantic works is the image of a hero, ready to perform a feat for the good of the people. The story “Old Woman Izergil,” written in 1895, is of great importance in revealing this image. In the image of Danko, Gorky put a humanistic idea of a man who devotes all his strength to serving the people.

“What will I do for people!?” - Danko shouted louder than thunder. And suddenly he tore his chest with his hands, and tore his heart out of it, and raised it high above his head.” Illuminating the path for people with the bright light of his burning heart, Danko boldly led them forward. And the darkness was defeated. “The proud daredevil Danko cast his gaze ahead of him at the expanse of the steppe; he cast a joyful glance at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died.” Danko dies, his brave heart goes out, but the image of the young hero lives on as the image of a hero-liberator. “There is always a place for heroic deeds in life,” says old woman Izergil.

Gorky put the idea of heroism, sublime and ennobling, into his famous “Song of the Falcon,” written in 1895. The falcon is the personification of a fighter for the people's happiness: “Oh, if only I could rise to the sky just once!” I would press the enemy... to the wounds of my chest and... he would choke on my blood! Oh the happiness of battle!."

A typical example of this manner is Malva's opening with the famous two-word first paragraph: "The sea laughed." But we must admit that today these descriptions have lost their freshness and are no longer amazing. Around 1897, realism begins to outweigh: in The Former People (1897), realism dominates, and the heroic actions of Captain Sledgehammer cannot dispel the dull atmosphere of the scene.

Gorky entered literature in the late 1890s as a singer of outstanding personalities and strong characters. It was something new and unusual for the literature of that time. Romanticism was reflected in the work of young Gorky, especially in such stories as “Chelkash”, “Old Woman Izergil”, “Makar Chudra”, and in revolutionary songs. The heroes of these works are people “with the sun in their blood”, strong, proud, beautiful. They represent Gorky's ideal.

The central image of the romantic works of Gorky’s early work is the image of a courageous man, ready for a selfless feat in the name of the people. Great importance in revealing the ideal young writer has a story “Old Woman Izergil”, written in 1895. In the image of Danko, Gorky showed a man who devotes himself entirely to serving the people. Danko is a “handsome young man”, brave and decisive. To lead his people out of darkness, Danko sacrifices himself. He sacrifices himself because he loves people. He really wanted to save them, to bring them out of the darkness. “What will I do for people?!” - Danko shouted louder than thunder. And suddenly he tore open his chest with his hands and tore his heart out of it and raised it high above his head.”

Danko illuminated the way for people with his heart, he walked and was not afraid of anything. And the darkness was defeated. “The proud daredevil Danko cast his gaze forward at the expanse of the steppe,” he cast a joyful glance at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died.” Danko dies, but his image remains in legend as the image of a hero-liberator. “There is always a place for exploits in life,” concludes Gorky.

The writer developed the idea of a sublime feat in his work “Song of the Falcon,” written in 1895. The falcon is a symbol of a fighter for whom fighting is the meaning of life: “Oh, if only I could rise into the sky just once!.. I would press the enemy... to the wounds of my chest and... he would choke on my blood! Oh the happiness of battle!..” The falcon is characterized by such qualities as contempt for death, courage, and hatred of the enemy. In the image of a proud bird, Gorky glorifies the “madness of the brave.” “Madness, courage - this is the wisdom of life! O brave Falcon! You bled to death in battle with your enemies. But there will be time - and drops of your hot blood, like sparks, will flare up in the darkness of life, and many brave hearts will be ignited with an insane thirst for freedom and light!

In 1901, Gorky continued his favorite idea of heroic struggle and wrote “The Song of the Petrel.” In it, he with great force expressed his premonition of an approaching storm - revolution. The Petrel is the embodiment of heroism and rebellion. Opposite to him are the stupid penguin, loons and seagulls, who moan and are afraid of the storm: “Only the proud Petrel soars boldly and freely over the angry roaring sea.”

However, the ideal of early Gorky is divorced from reality. An active call to action, to fight, was important for the writer. Gorky's romantic heroes are lifeless and could not exist under ordinary conditions. Both Falcon and Petrel are looking for an enemy; without an enemy, their lives have no meaning. One can say about the heroes of Gorky’s early works in the words of Lermontov: “And he, rebellious, asks for storms / As if there is peace in storms.”