The story of the characters in the play at the bottom. "At the bottom" (main characters). Characters relate to the old man in two ways

The play "At the Bottom" was conceived by Gorky as one of the four plays in the cycle, showing the life and worldview of people from different walks of life. This is one of the two purposes of creating a work. The deep meaning that the author put into it is an attempt to answer the main questions of human existence: what is a person and whether he will retain his personality, sinking "to the bottom" of moral and social life.

The history of the creation of the play

The first evidence of work on the play dates back to 1900, when Gorky, in a conversation with Stanislavsky, mentions his desire to write scenes from the life of a rooming house. Some sketches appeared at the end of 1901. In a letter to the publisher K. P. Pyatnitsky, to whom the author dedicated the work, Gorky wrote that in the planned play, all the characters, the idea, the motives for the actions are clear to him, and "it will be scary." The final version of the work was ready on July 25, 1902, published in Munich and went on sale at the end of the year.

Things were not so rosy with the production of the play on the stages of Russian theaters - it was practically banned. An exception was made only for the Moscow Art Theater, the other theaters had to receive special permission to stage.

The name of the play changed at least four times in the course of work, and the genre was never determined by the author - the publication read "At the bottom of life: scenes." The shortened and familiar name for everyone today first appeared on the theater poster during the first production at the Moscow Art Theater.

The first performers were the stellar cast of the Moscow Art Academic Theatre: K. Stanislavsky acted as Satin, V. Kachalov as Baron, I. Moskvin as Luka, O. Knipper as Nastya, and M. Andreeva as Natasha.

The main plot of the work

The plot of the play is tied to the relationship of the characters and in an atmosphere of general hatred that reigns in the rooming house. This is the outer canvas of the work. Parallel action explores the depth of a person's fall "to the bottom", the measure of the insignificance of a socially and spiritually descended individual.

The action of the play begins and ends with the storyline of the relationship between two characters: the thief Vaska Ash and the wife of the owner of the rooming house Vasilisa. Ash loves her younger sister Natasha. Vasilisa is jealous, constantly beating her sister. She also has another interest in her lover - she wants to get rid of her husband and pushes Ash to kill. In the course of the play, Pepel really kills Kostylev in a quarrel. In the last act of the play, the guests of the rooming house say that Vaska will have to go to hard labor, but Vasilisa will "get out" anyway. Thus, the action is looped by the destinies of the two heroes, but is far from being limited to them.

The time span of the play is several weeks of early spring. The season is an important part of the play. One of the first names given by the author to the work, "Without the sun." Indeed, spring is all around, a sea of ​​sunlight, and darkness is in the rooming house and in the souls of its inhabitants. Luka, a vagabond, whom Natasha brings one day, became a ray of sunshine for the overnight stays. Luke brings hope for a happy outcome to the hearts of people who have fallen and lost faith in the best. However, at the end of the play, Luka disappears from the rooming house. The characters who trust him lose faith in the best. The play ends with the suicide of one of them - the Actor.

Play analysis

The play describes the life of a Moscow rooming house. The main characters, respectively, were its inhabitants and the owners of the institution. Also, persons related to the life of the institution appear in it: a policeman, he is also the uncle of the hostess of the rooming house, a dumpling seller, loaders.

Satin and Luca

Schuler, the former convict Satin and the vagabond, the wanderer Luke, are carriers of two opposing ideas: the need for compassion for a person, a saving lie out of love for him, and the need to know the truth, as proof of a person’s greatness, as a sign of trust in his fortitude. In order to prove the falsity of the first worldview and the truth of the second, the author built the action of the play.

Other characters

All other characters form the backdrop for this battle of ideas. In addition, they are designed to show, to measure the depth of the fall, to which a person is able to sink. The drunkard Actor and the mortally ill Anna, people who have completely lost faith in their own strength, fall under the power of a wonderful fairy tale into which Luke takes them. They are the most dependent on him. With his departure, they physically cannot live and die. The rest of the inhabitants of the rooming house perceive the appearance and departure of Luke as the play of a sunny spring ray - he appeared and disappeared.

Nastya, who sells her body "on the boulevard", believes that there is a bright love, and she was in her life. Kleshch, the husband of the dying Anna, believes that he will rise from the bottom and again begin to earn a living by working. The thread that connects him to his working past remains a toolbox. At the end of the play, he is forced to sell them in order to bury his wife. Natasha hopes that Vasilisa will change and stop torturing her. After another beating, after leaving the hospital, she will no longer appear in the rooming house. Vaska Pepel strives to stay with Natalya, but cannot get out of the networks of the imperious Vasilisa. The latter, in turn, is waiting for the death of her husband to untie her hands and give her long-awaited freedom. The Baron lives on with his aristocratic past. The gambler Bubnov, the destroyer of "illusions", the ideologist of misanthropy, believes that "all people are superfluous."

The work was created in conditions when, after the economic crisis of the 90s of the 19th century, factories in Russia stood up, the population was rapidly impoverished, many found themselves at the bottom rung of the social ladder, in the basement. Each of the heroes of the play in the past experienced a fall "to the bottom", social and moral. Now they live in the memory of this, but they cannot rise "into the light": they do not know how, they have no strength, they are ashamed of their insignificance.

main characters

Luke became a light for some. Gorky gave Luka a "speaking" name. It refers both to the image of St. Luke, and to the concept of "deceit". Obviously, the author is trying to show the inconsistency of Luke's ideas about the beneficial value of the Faith for a person. Gorky practically reduces Luke's compassionate humanism to the concept of betrayal - according to the plot of the play, the tramp leaves the rooming house just when those who trusted him need his support.

Satin is a figure designed to voice the worldview of the author. As Gorky wrote, Satin is not quite a suitable character for this, but there is simply no other character with such powerful charisma in the play. Satin is the ideological antipode of Luke: he does not believe in anything, he sees the ruthless essence of life and the position in which he and the other inhabitants of the rooming house find themselves. Does Satin believe in Man and his power over the power of circumstances and mistakes made? The passionate monologue that he utters, arguing in absentia with the departed Luka, leaves a strong, but contradictory impression.

There is also a carrier of the "third" truth in the work - Bubnov. This hero, like Satin, "stands for the truth", only she is somehow very scary in him. He is a misanthrope, but, in fact, a murderer. Only they die not from the knife in his hands, but from the hatred that he harbors for everyone.

The drama of the play increases from act to act. Luke's consoling conversations with those suffering from his compassion and Sateen's rare remarks, which indicate that he is attentively listening to the speeches of the tramp, become the connecting canvas. The culmination of the play is Sateen's monologue, delivered after Luke's departure-flight. Phrases from it are often quoted because they have the appearance of aphorisms; “Everything in a person is everything for a person!”, “Lie is the religion of slaves and masters ... Truth is the god of a free person!”, “Man - it sounds proud!”.

Conclusion

The bitter outcome of the play is the triumph of the freedom of a fallen person to die, disappear, leave, leaving no trace or memories behind. The inhabitants of the rooming house are free from society, moral norms, family and livelihood. By and large, they are free from life.

The play "At the Bottom" has been alive for more than a century and continues to be one of the most powerful works of Russian classics. The play makes one think about the place of faith and love in a person's life, about the nature of truth and lies, about a person's ability to resist moral and social decline.

The play "At the Bottom" by A.M. Gorky wrote in the winter of 1901-1902. The action of the work takes place in a rooming house, which was located in one of the St. Petersburg basements. This basement was like a cave. He seemed so lifeless.

Here live people who, due to various circumstances, descended from the heavens of the social ladder to the bottom.

This is a former baron who once had estates, the owner of a fur shop, who became an ordinary tailor, a provincial actor who knew recognition and popularity.

The main characters of the play "At the Bottom":

Mikhail Ivanovich Kostylev, 54 years old - hostel owner. Of those who lay softly, but sleep hard. He treats his wife rudely, reproaches her sister with a piece of bread, offends her. He buys stolen things from Ashes on the cheap. Dies at the hands of Vaska, who defended Natalya.

Vasilisa Karpovna, Kostylev's wife, 26 years old. The woman is powerful, willful. She dreams of getting rid of her unloved, old husband, had a lover, but noticed that her lover sympathizes with her sister. Vasilisa offers Vaska Pepl to release her from her husband, and in return promises not to oppose his marriage to his sister.

Natasha, her sister, 20 years old. Resignedly endures the bullying of her sister and her husband. He has no special feelings for Vaska, and testifies against him. She ran away from the hospital, never to return to her cruel sister.

Medvedev, their uncle, a policeman, 50 years old. Believes that a person should behave quietly. He likes the trader Kvashnya, and, in the end, he marries her. Despite the fact that he is a policeman, he closes his eyes to the theft of Ash and the dark deeds of other inhabitants of the rooming house.

Vaska Pepel, 28 years old - Vasilisa's lover, thief. He likes Natalya, and for her sake he dreams of changing his life. He refuses Vasilisa's request to kill her husband. But defending Natalya, he hit Korostylev, and he fell.

Klesch Andrey Mitrich, locksmith, 40 years old - unemployed. All his life he bullied his wife. And made her sick.

Anna - Klesch's wife, 30 years old. In the play, this is a seriously ill woman with a difficult fate. Her husband beat her all her life. They lived and continue to live in poverty. Feeling the kindness of Luka, she began to complain to him.

Nastya, girl 24 years old - lives in a fictional, or rather in the world she read. In the depths of his soul, he dreams of such love as in books.

Kvashnya - seller of dumplings, under 40 years old. She considers herself an independent woman and has decided never to get married. There was one husband, suffered from him and sworn off. But at the end of the play, she married policeman Medvedev.

Bubnov, kartuznik, 45 years old - once was the owner of a fur shop, but after a divorce he ended up on the street. Sews hats, caps to order.

Baron, 33 years old - roommate of Nastya. In the past, as he says, a representative of high society. For embezzlement he was deprived of everything and imprisoned. After leaving prison, he became an outcast.

Satin - drunkard and swindler .

Actor - in the past, an actor in a provincial theater, a drunken and degraded inhabitant of a rooming house. Having learned that somewhere there is a clinic where they treat drunkenness, he dreams of getting there and being cured, but Luka does not say the address of the clinic. The actor breaks down and starts drinking again. From hopelessness, he took his own life - hanged himself in a vacant lot.

Satin and the actor are friends of about the same age. They are both in their forties.

Luke is the most controversial character in the play. Wanderer, 60 years old. Wise with life experience. He speaks fluently, sympathizes with people. Morally supports the dying Anna. Unlike others, he does not conflict with anyone, he finds a kind word for each of the rooming houses. According to Kleshch, Luka did not like the truth. He rebelled very much against the truth.

Tatar- a hooker, or in modern language a rigger. A decent person, but a player. Catching Sateen on cheating.

crooked goiter- also a rigger, a lover of singing.

Alyoshka- Shoemaker and drunkard. Because of his drunkenness, he often spends the night at the police station.

note

The play ends with the murder of Kostylev, the suicide of the Actor. Natalia is gone. Ashes and Vasilisa in prison. There is no political overtones in this play. Most of the heroes ended up here, in this rooming house due to their own stupidity, lack of will, misunderstanding of the meaning of life. More often people sink to the bottom because of their vices: drunkenness, laziness, passion for the game.

Heroes of the play

The drama "At the Bottom" is a landmark work in Gorky's creative biography. A description of the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” will be presented in this article.

This work was written at a critical time for the country. In Russia in the 90s of the XIX century, a serious economic crisis erupted.

Masses of impoverished, ruined peasants after each crop failure left the villages in search of work. Plants and factories were closed. Thousands of people found themselves without livelihood and shelter.

This led to the fact that a large number of "tramps" appeared, who sank to the bottom of life.

Who lived in hostels?

Enterprising slum owners, taking advantage of the fact that people were in a hopeless situation, found how to make use of the stinking basements. They turned them into bunkhouses where the poor, the unemployed, thieves, vagabonds and other representatives of the “bottom” lived. This work was written in 1902. The heroes of the play “At the Bottom” are just such people.

Maxim Gorky throughout his career was interested in personality, man, the secrets of his inner world. Feelings and thoughts, dreams and hopes, weakness and strength - all this is reflected in the work. The heroes of the play “At the Bottom” are people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century, when the old world collapsed and a new life arose.

However, they differ from the rest in that they are rejected by society. These are people of the “bottom”, outcasts. The place where Vaska Pepel, Bubnov, Actor, Satin and others live is unattractive and scary. According to Gorky's description, this is a basement that looks like a cave. Its ceiling is stone vaults with crumbling plaster, smoked.

Why did the inhabitants of the rooming house find themselves “at the bottom” of life, what brought them here?

Heroes of the play "At the bottom": table

hero
How did you get to the “bottom”
characterization of the hero
dreams

Bubnov
In the past, he owned a dyeing workshop. However, circumstances forced him to leave. Bubnov's wife got along with the master.
He believes that a person is not able to change fate. Therefore, Bubnov only goes with the flow. Often shows skepticism, cruelty, lack of positive qualities.
It is difficult to determine, given the negative attitude towards the whole world of this hero.

Nastya
Life forced this heroine to become a prostitute. And this is the social bottom.
A romantic and dreamy person who lives in love stories.
Dreams for a long time of pure and great love, continuing to practice his profession.

Baron
Was in the past a real baron, but lost his wealth.
He does not perceive the ridicule of the inhabitants of the rooming house, continuing to live in the past.
He wants to return to his former position, once again becoming a wealthy person.

Alyoshka
A cheerful and always drunk shoemaker who never tried to rise from the bottom, where his frivolity led him.
As he says, he wants nothing. About himself he reports that he is “good” and “fun”.
Everyone is always satisfied, it is difficult to say about his needs. Dreams, most likely, of a “warm breeze” and “eternal sun”.

Vaska Pepel
This is a hereditary thief who has been in prison twice.
A weak, loving person.
He dreams of leaving for Siberia with Natalya and becoming a respectable citizen, starting a new life.

Actor
He sank to the bottom due to drunkenness.
He often quotes literary works.
He dreams of finding a job, recovering from alcoholism and getting out of the rooming house.

Luke
This is a mysterious wanderer. Not much is known about him.
Teaches sympathy, kindness, comforts heroes, guides them.
Dreams of helping everyone in need.

satin
He killed a man, as a result of which he ended up in prison for 5 years.
He believes that a person needs not consolation, but respect.
He dreams of conveying his philosophy to people.

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What ruined the lives of these people?

Addiction to alcohol killed the Actor. By his own admission, he used to have a good memory. Now the Actor believes that everything is over for him. Vaska Pepel is a representative of the “thieves' dynasty”. This hero had no choice but to continue his father's business. He says that even when he was little, even then he was called a thief.

The former furrier Bubnov left the workshop because of his wife's infidelity, and also out of fear of his wife's lover. He went bankrupt, after which he went to serve in one "state chamber", in which he committed embezzlement. One of the most colorful figures in the work is Satin.

He was a telegraph operator in the past, and went to prison for the murder of a man who insulted his sister.

Whom do the inhabitants of the rooming house blame?

Almost all the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” tend to blame the current situation not on themselves, but on life circumstances. Perhaps, if they had developed differently, nothing would have changed significantly, and all the same, the overnight stays would have suffered the same fate. The phrase that Bubnov uttered confirms this. He admitted that he actually drank the workshop away.

Apparently, the reason for the fall of all these people is their lack of a moral core, which makes up the personality of a person. You can cite the words of the Actor as an example: “Why did he die? I didn't have faith...

Was there a chance to live another life?

Creating images of the heroes of the play “At the Bottom”, the author gave each of them the opportunity to live a different life. That is, they had a choice. However, for everyone, the first test ended in the collapse of life. The baron, for example, could improve his affairs not by stealing state funds, but by investing in profitable business that he had.

Satin could teach the offender a lesson in another way. As for Vaska Pepel, would there really be few places on earth where no one would know anything about him and his past? The same can be said about many of the inhabitants of the rooming house. They have no future, but in the past they had a chance not to get here. However, the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” did not use it.

How do heroes comfort themselves?

Now they can only live with unrealizable hopes and illusions. Baron, Bubnov and the Actor live in memories of the past. The prostitute Nastya amuses herself with dreams of true love.

At the same time, the characterization of the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” is supplemented by the fact that these people, rejected by society, humiliated, are endlessly arguing about moral and spiritual problems. Although it would be more logical to talk about their daily bread, since they live from hand to mouth.

The fate of the heroes of the play "At the bottom" by Gorky

In the play "At the bottom" Gorky showed us the life of tramps who have lost: their own names, spiritual values, life guidelines. Only one of the heroes of the play - the owner of the rooming house - has a first name, patronymic and surname. Others have only a name or nickname. Already the poster gives us an idea of ​​what social position the heroes of the play occupied before falling “to the bottom”. The list of characters includes seventeen characters, Only a few of them have a job (locksmith, policeman), and most only age, I want to dwell on the fate of the Actor.

Only once in the play is the real name of the Actor-Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky mentioned. The first part of the surname is something small, inconspicuous, afraid to be seen. Zavolzhsky - something wide, great. His fate can be divided into two parts before and after the loss of his last name. Sverchkov is suitable for the first part, and Zavolzhsky for the second.

From some statements, we can guess about the past of the Actor. He says: "Hamlet is a good thing ... I played the gravedigger in it." This role is the second plan, which does not require a special acting gift. Did the actor have talent? I think he was a talented actor. Apparently, there was a moment when he could not “break through”, and this broke him. The actor says: “Talent is faith in yourself, in your strength.” He did not have enough faith in his own strength, and without this it is impossible to achieve success. The actor had to gather willpower into a fist in order to “rise” after the first failure and again go on the storm of acting heights. Instead of doing this, he began to pour vodka on his failures. Gradually, the Actor loses the good that was in him. Then he loses his own name, which is replaced by a nickname. Among the inhabitants of the rooming house, he considers himself a representative of the creative intelligentsia: dusting is not for him. After Luke told him about a hospital where you can recover from alcoholism, the Actor, it seemed to me, was infected with this idea. Then why didn't he bring it to life? I think that he no longer had the moral strength to get out of the hole he fell into. To do this, he needed more support. But could any of the inhabitants of the rooming house provide it? No. That is why the Actor will soon strangle himself. He just couldn't keep going like this. He had to choose: either to live like a human, or not to live at all. The first he could not bring to life, so he chose the second ...

The tragic fate of the Actor is typical: a person who has failed in his professional activities often breaks down in his personal life, rolls down an inclined plane, becomes an alcoholic and a homeless person. By inertia, he continues to consider himself what he was before the fall: an actor, a poet, an artist, and even a baron. Such people blame the whole wide world for their failures, but not themselves. Continuing to sink lower and lower, they indulge in dreams of returning to a past life without making any effort for this. And only those few for whom the aphorism: "Man - it sounds proud!" becomes a life attitude, they are able to find the strength to get out of the bottom of life.

One of the main characters in the play, an ambiguous character, an elderly wanderer who unexpectedly appeared in a rooming house. He has rich life experience and his mission is to comfort disappointed people.

Guest of a rooming house, a hereditary thief. He was told from childhood that he would grow up to be a thief, like his father. With such parting words, he grew up. Vaska is 28 years old. He is young, cheerful and naturally kind. He does not want to accept such a life and tries in every possible way to find another truth.

The wife of the owner of the rooming house, Kostylev, and the mistress of Vaska Pepel. Vasilisa is a cruel and domineering woman. She is 28 years younger than her husband and does not love him at all, most likely, she lives with him for the sake of money. She dreams of getting rid of him as soon as possible and from time to time persuades the guest Vaska the thief to save her from her husband.

One of the characters in the play, an inhabitant of a rooming house. He does not give his real name, since he himself forgot it due to drunkenness. He remembers only a pseudonym, appears to be Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky. The Actor's memory has become so bad that he tries in vain to remember poetry or recite excerpts from plays.

One of the more miserable inhabitants of the rooming house in the play, a former nobleman who squandered his fortune. He is thirty three years old. He was once a rich aristocrat, and now he has sunk to the very "bottom", to the position of a pimp. In the past, he had hundreds of serfs and carriages with coats of arms.

A consumptive woman living out her last days, the wife of the hard worker Kleshch. She is tired of a life in which she shakes over every piece of bread and walks in rags. At the same time, Anna constantly endures her husband's abuse. Anyone sympathizes with the poor thing, but not her husband.

One of the inhabitants of the rooming house, a kartuznik who lives there on credit. In the past, he was the owner of a dyeing workshop. However, his wife agreed with the master, after which he chose to leave in order to stay alive. Now he has sunk to the very “bottom” and does not want to retain any positive qualities in himself.

The sister of the hostess of the hostel, a kind and soft-hearted girl. Her image is noticeably different from other guests. Natasha combines kindness, purity, dignity and pride. It was with these qualities that she charmed Vaska Ash. The intrigue of the play is whether she will be able to retain these qualities under the influence of a rough and cruel environment.

One of the inhabitants of the rooming house in the play, a former telegraph operator. This man has his own life philosophy. In this he differs from many other guests. He often uses smart words in his speech, such as "macrobiotics", which does not indicate his education.

One of the characters in the play; hostel resident; dumpling vendor. Kvashnya is a kind woman, which can be understood by her attitude towards the sick Anna, whom even her husband does not feel sorry for. She often feeds the sick, takes care of her.

One of the inhabitants of the rooming house in the play, a fallen woman who dreams of romantic love. Despite the fact that she is engaged in prostitution, she dreams of pure and devoted love. However, she is surrounded by poverty, hopelessness and humiliation.

One of the guests of the rooming house, a locksmith by profession, Anna's husband. At the beginning of the play, he idealizes hard work, considering this the only way out. He dreams of returning to a normal life with the help of honest labor. The tick is opposed to other lodgers who prefer to do nothing.

Each character in the play "At the Bottom" is an indicator of the state of a certain stratum of society in Tsarist Russia, therefore, in order to understand the book, it is very important to know the history of each character.

1. Mikhail Ivanov Kostylev. 54 years old, owner of a rooming house. Husband of Vasilisa Karpovna. Mercantile. The past is unknown. Sadist, bloodsucker. He suspected that his wife was cheating on him. He adhered to authoritarian views on human rights - "it is impossible for people like cockroaches to live ... A person must determine himself to the place." He was killed by Vaska Ash.
2. Vasilisa Karpovna. 28 years. Kostylev's wife, Natasha's sister, Vaska Pepel's former lover. She hates her husband - he beat her. Luke compared her to a viper. She beat her sister.
3. Natasha. 20 years. Vasilisa's sister, Ash's mistress. Kostylev beat her. I often quarreled with my sister. Rejects Ash's advances. Disappeared without a trace after the death of Kostylev.
4. Medvedev. 50 years. Police officer. Uncle of Natasha and Vasilisa. Suitor Kvashnya. Hot-tempered. Not located on the "Day".
5. Vaska Pepel. 28 years. Thief, son of a thief. Sells stolen goods from Kostylev. His parent spent his whole life in prison, leaving him the family "craft" by inheritance. Vasilisa's former lover, Natasha is a boyfriend who is ready to sacrifice his way of life for her. Interested in religion. Does not tolerate the sight of the dead. His story ends when he ends up in jail for the (unintentional) murder of Kostylev.
6. "Tick", Andrey Mitrich. 40 years. Locksmith, alcoholic. Anna's husband. He beat his wife, even though he loved her. I drank my fortune and tools. A materialist and a workaholic, he tried to rise from the "Bottom" with honest work. Rejects foreign ideology. He ended his life as a beggar.
7. Anna. 30 years. Klesh's wife. In the past, she lived a hungry, hard life. Her husband beat her. For a moment she wanted to get well, but succumbed to Luke's eloquence and gave up. Waited for death as deliverance. She died of a fatal lung disease at the end of Act 2.
8. Luke. 60 years. Wanderer leading a wandering lifestyle. He professes peculiar religious views: "What you believe is what you are." Interested in the personalities and stories of the guests of the rooming house. He adheres to the idea of ​​lying for the good, trying to alleviate the suffering of those around him with false hope: “It’s not about the word, but why is the word spoken?”. Disappears between 3-4 acts, probably having gone into the “Khokhly”, becoming interested in their faith.
9. Nastya. 24 years. An ordinary girl who is fond of romantic stories. Emotional. Empathizes with Luca, sticking to his point of view regarding lies. Works as a prostitute, has a relationship with the Baron.
10. Kvashnya. 40 years. Selling dumplings. Sympathizes with Medvedev. She was married to an unloved person, adheres to feminist views. Her story ends untold, she remains in good health.
11. Bubnov. 45 years old, kartuznik, furrier. Previously, he had his own establishment. Can't lie, can't understand lies. Always sincere, therefore pessimistic. Ends life in poverty.
12. Baron. 33 years. Former aristocrat, now bankrupt. Hot-tempered. He lived his whole life meaninglessly, as if in a fog. He does not understand the reason for lying, but is prone to it.
13. Satin. 40 years. Previously, he performed on stage, danced. Was a telegrapher. Became a card player. Charlatan, alcoholic, unemployed. He was in prison for the murder of a scoundrel who insulted his sister. A very witty and reasonable person who opposes lies, insulting human dignity with pity.
14. Actor. 40 years old, alcoholic, neurotic. According to the stage, his name is Sverchkov Zavolzhsky. The past is unknown. Deep in debt. He chose to believe Luke's story about the alcohol-poisoned-organisms-free clinic and was going to go looking for her. He committed suicide by hanging himself.

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M. Gorky's drama "At the Bottom" was written in 1902. The characters of this play are people who, as a result of social processes that took place at the turn of the century, were thrown to the very bottom of life.

The social conflict is present in the play primarily in the form of a confrontation between the owners of the rooming house, the Kostylevs, and its inhabitants. Kostylev appears in the eyes of the overnight stayers as a rich man who thinks only about money, seeks to ask as much as possible for a place. At the same time, Kostylev pretends to be a pious person and firmly believes that he will use the extra money received from the inhabitants of the rooming house for a good cause. “I’ll throw a half a ruble on you, I’ll pour oil into the lamp ... and my sacrifice will burn in front of the holy icon ...,” he insinuatingly says to Kleshch. However, the hostels themselves are kinder and more sympathetic than Kostylev: The actor helps the dying Anna, Vaska Pepel sincerely loves Natalya. And Kostylev is sure that “kindness of the heart” cannot be equated with money in any case, which he tells the Actor about: “Kindness is above all blessings. And your debt to me - this is the debt! So you have to pay me back…”

Vasilisa, Kostylev's wife and hostess of the hostel, loves to show her superiority over the hostels. Allegedly keeping order in the rooms, she threatens to call the orderlies who “will come and impose a fine”, and after that she will kick out all the inhabitants of the rooming house. But her superiority and power are imaginary, about which, after her angry tirade, Bubnov reminds her: “And what will you live on?”

Thus, there is practically no difference between the owners of the hostel and their guests. Kostylev buys a stolen watch from the thief Vaska Ash, his wife Vasilisa had an affair with the same Vaska. Therefore, the conflict between the Kostylevs and the room-beds has not so much a social as a moral basis: after all, Kostylev and his wife are people without a heart and conscience. Vasilisa persuades Vaska Pepel to kill Kostylev, who, according to her, is torturing her and her sister. Ash condemns her: "... you have no soul, woman."

Policeman Medvedev, the uncle of Vasilisa and Natalya, also does not look like a harsh representative of the law. He complains about his restless service, regrets that it is necessary to constantly separate the fighters: “Let them beat each other freely, as much as they like ... they would fight less, because the beatings would be remembered longer.” With a rooming house Bubnov, he comes to play checkers, and the dumpling merchant Kvashnya proposes to marry him. In the play "At the Bottom" social differences between all the characters are erased. The concept of the bottom expands and captures all the actors, and not just the inhabitants of the rooming house.

Each of the heroes who found themselves at the bottom experienced their own conflict with society in the past. The actor is brought to the rooming house by drunkenness, he admits that he "drank away his soul." Because of this, the Actor loses faith in himself and his talent. Only with the arrival of Luka, a wonderful old man who manages to restore faith in the future to many shelters, the Actor remembers his name “on the stage”: Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky. However, in the rooming house he has no name, just as there is no past or future. Although the Actor constantly quotes the lines of immortal plays, he misrepresents their words, adjusts them to the overnight life: “I get drunk - like ... forty thousand drunkards ...” (a modified line from Hamlet), The Actor commits suicide, being not able to resist the oppressive and sucking, depersonalizing reality of the bottom of life.

The cheater Bubnov occasionally recalls his past life. Previously, he was a furrier, "had his own establishment." His wife "contacted" with the master, a "dodger", according to Bubnov himself, and a great fighter. Bubnov planned to kill his wife, but left in time, escaping from hard labor. But for the fact that now he has to lead such a lifestyle, Bubnov blames not his insidious wife, but himself: his drinking and laziness. He looks with surprise at his hands, which, as it seemed to him, will never be washed off from yellow paint, and sees that now they are just dirty. If before the hands were the hallmark of his profession, now he belongs entirely to the faceless brotherhood of rooming houses, which he himself says: “It turns out - outside, no matter how you paint yourself, everything will be erased ... everything will be erased, yes!”

Satin, when he was a boy, worked at the telegraph office. The baron was a real aristocrat, he studied, "wore the uniform of a noble institute", and then went to prison for embezzlement. The whole life of the baron appears to readers as a change of several costumes, several masks: from a noble uniform, a dressing gown, a cap with a cockade to a prisoner's dressing gown and clothes of a rooming house.

Together with these heroes, the cheat Satin, the thief Pepel, the walking girl Nastya, the market cook Kvashnya, and Tatarin live under the same roof. However, in the rooming house, social differences between them are erased, they all become just people. As Bubnov notes: "...everything faded, one naked man remained ..." The social conflicts that determined their fate remain in the past, are excluded from the main action of the play. We see only the result of social troubles that have so tragically affected people's lives.

However, the very title of the play "At the Bottom" suggests the presence of social tension. After all, if there is a bottom of life, there must be something above this bottom; there must also be a swift course of a bright, bright, joyful life. The overnight stays do not hope to ever have such a life. All of them, with the exception of Klesh, are turned to the past or are immersed in worries about the present. But the Tick is not so much full of hope as of impotent malice. It seems to him that he lives in a dirty rooming house only for the sake of Anna, his dying wife, but nothing changes after her death. The faith of the inhabitants of the rooming house in the possibility of a new life is restored by Luke, the "crafty old man", but it turns out to be fragile and quickly fades away.

"At the Bottom" is not just a social, but a socio-philosophical drama. What makes a person a person, what helps and prevents him from living, gaining human dignity - the author of the play "At the Bottom" is looking for an answer to these questions. Thus, the main subject of the image in the play is the thoughts and feelings of the overnight stays in all their inconsistency. Gorky shows that those who, by the will of fate, fell to the very bottom of life, their situation does not seem tragic, unbearable, hopeless. The fact that their environment, the oppressive atmosphere of the rooming house pushes people to theft, drunkenness, and murder, seems to its inhabitants to be a normal course of life. But the author's point of view differs from the position of his characters. He shows that the anti-human conditions of the bottom lead to the impoverishment of the spiritual world of a person, even such an exalted feeling as love leads to hatred, fight, murder, hard labor. Among the inhabitants of the rooming house, only Satin "awakens" to life, utters a furious monologue about the greatness of man. However, the speech of this hero is only the first step towards changing the consciousness of people who have fallen to the bottom of life, the first attempt to overcome social conditions that put pressure on a free person.

Introductory lesson on Gorky's play "At the bottom".

Getting to know the characters. Conflict and Issues. Analysis of the 1st action.

Lesson Objectives:

educational : to promote the development of cognitive interest in Gorky's work; develop the ability to carefully read the list of characters in a dramatic work; bring up attention to the word; to promote the development of new forms of search, processing and analysis of information; organize the activities of students to identify the predictive power of Gorky's play in comparison with other works;

developing : to promote the formation of communicative competence among high school students; create conditions for the development of creativity in the classroom; use pedagogical techniques to increase motivation with the subsequent development of cognitive activity; consolidate the ability to analyze, explore and evaluate a work of art and its characters;

educational: to introduce students to moral values; promote a sense of collective cooperation and civic responsibility.

Equipment:

Projector (presentation for the lesson, slides);

Portrait of M. Gorky;

Illustrations for the novel;

Table: characterization of heroes;

Lesson type : work on a new topic with a comprehensive application of students' knowledge, a lesson-thinking (talk on questions, associative thinking, filling out a table about heroes, extracting quotes-aphorisms).

Dictionary: drama, play, conflict, polylogue.

Methodical methods:

Study of the poster: (title of the play, meaning of names, professions, ages of heroes; prototypes of heroes);

Comprehension of the title of the work "At the bottom", work with the word;

Filling in the table: quotes about heroes, language features; - expressive reading of the roles of the 1st act.

Textbook: "Russian Literature of the 20th Century" edited by Yu.I. Lyssogo

The main question that

I wanted to put in a play

"At the bottom" - which is better:

Truth or Compassion?

M Gorky

Gorky piled up the mountain

greatest suffering...

and united with a burning desire

to truth and justice.

L. Andreev about the play "At the Bottom"

During the classes

Organizational moment. Message of the topic of the lesson: "The study of the philosophical drama about the purpose and capabilities of Man, about the essence of the human relationship to Man." Referring to the epigraphs of the lesson, commenting on them.

Repetition . Dramatic works. What is the nature of drama? Why is this the most difficult kind of art to perceive?

Student responses.

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

Teacher . Therefore, in the drama, a special burden falls on the conflict - a sharp clash between the characters on a very significant occasion for them. Otherwise, the characters simply will not be able to realize themselves in the limited amount of drama and stage space. The playwright ties such a knot, when unraveling it, a person shows himself from all sides. At the same time, there can be no superfluous heroes in the drama - all heroes must be included in the conflict.

Before you start studying the piece, explain your association with the word "bottom".

Student response options: the bottom is rubbish, a pit, the dregs of society, a fall, bankruptcy, hopelessness.

Teacher: What does it mean to be at the "bottom"?

Students: to be powerless, to do nothing, not to work, to become a beggar.

Teacher: Gorky wrote this play at the beginning of the last century. Has anything changed?

Students : Hardly ever. There are rooming houses, the poor, the homeless.

Teacher: thus, the topic that the author identified is still relevant.

And now let's dwell on the poster, get acquainted with the characters. The presence of a conflict is already indicated in the title of the play and the poster.

Projector:

• Gorky rejected the original titles of the play - "Without the Sun", "Nochlezhka", "Bottom", "At the Bottom of Life".
• The decisive word on the choice of the name "At the bottom" belonged to L. N. Andreev.
• . On December 18, 1902, the premiere of Gorky's play "At the Bottom" took place.
• For the first time, the audience saw on the stage the terrible world of "former people", tramps.

Teacher adds: the tense silence, interrupted at times by either sobs or angry cries, testified to how shocked the hall was ... , caused such a frantic reaction from the audience that Nemirovich-Danchenko whispered to the actors from behind the scenes to play "easier". He feared that the police would not let the play end.

• What could attract the audience to the title of the play?

"Bottom" was called Khitrov market. Every intelligent person should be familiar with this, Gorky believed. Conflict , of course, is already indicated in the title. After all, the very fact of the existence of the "bottom" of life implies the presence of an "upper stream", to which the characters strive.

Question : Why are some actors named only by their last names,

others - by name, others - in full, with an indication of the occupation?

• The very name of the play and the list of characters speak of social conflicts, the victims of which were the heroes of the play, who found themselves at the "bottom" of life, in a rooming house.

Hero Prototypes

• As Gorky himself pointed out, he observed the prototypes of heroes in Nizhny Novgorod. Almost every hero had their own prototype:
• artist Kolosovsky-Sokolovskyserved as the prototype of the Actor;
• Bubnova Gorky wrote not only from his tramp acquaintance, but also from one intellectual, his teacher;
• In Nizhny Novgorod, and in other places, Gorky saw many wanderers, so the writer had accumulated a huge amount of material for creating image of Luke.
• satin also written from a specific person.
  The heroes of the play "At the Bottom" turned out to be generalized, collective images, although they are no doubt typical, they are familiar and close to Gorky.

Let's talk about first names

What associations do you have in connection with the surname LUKA?

One of the evangelists, Gorky, gives him a name that is dear to him. (Newspaper "Moskovskie Vedomosti", December 23, 1902: "This wanderer entered the basement like a ray of bright sun, illuminating everything bad in it ... and ... awakening to life the sprouts of goodness.")

First name Luka comes from the word "evil". This is exactly how Gorky's contemporaries see the old man (D. Merezhkovsky: "The religion of the evil old man is a religion of lies").

A contemporary of M. Gorky, Archbishop Luka (1877-1961) lived in Krasnoyarsk. He was a famous priest and surgeon, a man worthy of respect. Of course, he was known to Gorky. Archbishop Luka of Krasnoyarsk spent twelve years in Stalin's camps. In October 2002, in honor of the 125th anniversary of his birth, a monument was unveiled in Krasnoyarsk. A priest and a surgeon in a padded jacket - this is how the sculptor saw him.

What associations do you have in connection with the surname Satin?

• Satin - in this name the sound of the word "Satan". But what test will he come up with? Maybe Satin is testing a person with the possibility of a new faith?

What does the occupation of the characters indicate?

Tick ​​- locksmith,

Kvashnya - a seller of dumplings,

Alyoshka - shoemaker,

Krivoy Goiter and Tatarin are key keeper.

Answers: All these are necessary professions, that is, these people can earn a living. But they don't work. This is also a social conflict. The very title of the play and the list of characters speak about social conflicts the victims of which were the heroes of the play, who found themselves at the "bottom" of life, in a rooming house.

Part of the social conflict is love conflict(it is indicated on the poster by the difference in the age of the Kostylevs, the presence of a girl with the tender name Natasha).

It is clear that here, in the conditions of the "bottom", the most exalted feelings will not bring happiness.

Let's turn to the heroes. What is the age of the overnight stays? What does it say?

Klesch and Kvashnya are 40 years old, Anna is 30, Bubnov is 45. This is the most productive age. And this is also the age at which a person should already develop, have something behind him. But these people are in a rooming house, they have nothing.

Baron is 33 years old. This is the age of Jesus Christ. Why does Gorky (and we know that nothing happens by chance with a great artist) gives the age of Christ to one of the unloved heroes with the nickname Baron? Perhaps, by analyzing the play, revealing the image of the hero, we will answer this question.

Teacher: before Before you start reading on the roles of the 1st act, I will ask you to give a brief information about the characters. (Individual messages) Students fill out a table about the characters, continue to work at home, draw conclusions and pass after studying the work.

Table-study of the fate of the heroes in Gorky's play "At the Bottom".

Getting to know the characters. Mite.

• Only six months is in a rooming house.

• It is most painful for him, a working man, to realize that he is doomed to live among people who are without work.

• The tick lives by one desire to escape to the surface.

• In the 1st act - twice the remark "sullenly". This is the darkest figure. He soberly looks at life and gloomily in front of him.

• His fate is tragic, because. at the end of the play, he comes to terms with life: “There is no work ... there is no strength! There is no shelter. You need to breathe…”

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

• He reached the "dead point" of the fall, finally crushed by life.
• Rude, cynical. To the request of the dying Anna to stop screaming, the abuse calmly answers: "Noise is not a hindrance to death."
• Indifferent to the fate of his comrades. His indifference is manifested at the moment of Anna's death. “I stopped coughing,” he says.
• Once had a workshop ... drunk.
• “I'm lazy. I don’t like the passion of working.”
• From the first remarks, slow-wittedness and indifference are manifested.

• A descendant of rich and noble nobles, but in the rooming house he sank below everyone. There is not a single bright human quality in this person.
• He is still young, he is 33 years old, but he lives at the expense of Nastya, Kvashnya feeds him. Nastya is called “fool”, “whore”, “scum” - and immediately hurries to put up, cynically explaining: “If you don’t make peace, you won’t let me drink.”
• “A lost soul, an empty man,” the tramps say about him.

Vaska Pepel.

• A hero in his strength and spiritual generosity;
• Full of protest against the "wolf life", out of anger at her, he became a thief;
• Stealing not out of greed. To him, a strong man, an idle life is boring;
• With all his soul he is drawn to the pure, so he fell in love with the honest Natasha.

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

• Appears not with words, but with a growl. His first line is that he is a card cheat and a drunkard.
• He once served on the telegraph, was an educated person.
• Came here because I killed a villain.
• He served 4 years in prison, learned to play cards.
• He pronounces words incomprehensible to others. Organon in translation means "tool", "organ of knowledge", "mind". (Perhaps Satin means that it is not the human body that is poisoned, but the very rationality of life.) Sicambre is an ancient Germanic tribe, meaning "dark man." In these words, the superiority of Satin over the rest of the rooming houses is felt.
• Gorky's dream of transforming life sounds in his monologue.
• Monologue about Man: “Man! It's great. That sounds...proud!”

• Appears with the words: “Good health, honest people. To Vasilisa’s question: “Who are you? - answers: "Passing ... wandering."
• It is known that he had a chance to "try" Siberia.
• In the rooming house, he tries to call everyone to a frank conversation, he is ready to give advice.
• For everyone he finds an affectionate word, consolation.

But do the inhabitants of the rooming house need it? We will answer this question later.

Reading the 1st action by roles. Text on the projector.

(in a drama, the appearance of heroes, their first lines, is important).

The action of the 1st act is preceded by a detailed description of the basement. The author wanted to introduce the viewer into this cellar. It looks like a cave. But this is the house of the overnight stays, they are tied to their dwelling. From another world breathes cold. “Cold,” says Bubnov, it’s cold for Alyoshka, Klesch.

The task was set before the students: when reading, convey the character of their hero with intonation.

Conclusions after reading.

In the 1st act, we met with all the heroes of the play. These people are mostly indifferent to each other, often do not hear what others say, do not try to understand. In the 1st act, all the characters speak, but each, almost not listening to others, talks about his own.

The author conveys the mutual alienation of the guests of Kostylev's rooming house, the atmosphere of spiritual separation of people in the original form of a polylogue. (A polylogue is a form of speech organization in a drama, a combination of replicas of all the participants in the scene.) The characters are deliberately scattered by Gorky - each speaks about his own. Whatever the hero of the play starts talking about, he will still talk about what hurts. In the speech of the characters there are words, phrases that have a symbolic meaning. (Bubnov: "And the threads are rotten..."; Bubnov - Nastya: "You are superfluous everywhere.") These words reveal the "subtextual meaning": the imaginary connections, the uselessness of these people.

Despite the abundance of replicas, the action of the 1st act is slow, "sleepy". The development of the conflict begins with the appearance of Luke.

The main theme of the play: which is better: truth or compassion? What is more needed?

Teacher: this is homework, answer orally, based on the text, images of Satin and Luke, citing quotes (fill in the table).

Reflection: compose a syncwine on the topic of the lesson.

In school years, many probably had a chance to get acquainted with the work of the respected Russian writer Maxim Gorky - the play “At the Bottom”, without embellishment, describing to all of us the familiar archetypes of people living in Russian realities.

Despite the fact that more than a century has passed since the publication of the drama, the situations that it touches on remain relevant today.

In this article, we will analyze in detail the image of the character Luke from this play, get acquainted with his statements and talk about the attitude of other heroes of the work towards him.

Where did the wanderer come from

does not reveal the secret the origin of Luke, only a fleeting mention of his wandering life. The wanderer has neither a homeland, nor at least some definite place of residence. He himself says this about it: "Old man – where it is warm, there is the homeland”.

The inhabitants of the rooming house are also not interested in the past of the old man, they are preoccupied with their problems and attempts "get out in public", and not drag out an existence “at the bottom” for the rest of your life.

Analysis of character characteristics

Luke appears before us in the form soft-hearted old man preaching goodness, love, pity and the will of a person to create his life as his heart tells.

From the hero directly emanates an aura of peacefulness and understanding, which, of course, disposes the characters of the play to him, making them believe that the future is not hopeless and there is a chance to improve their social position, fulfill dreams and desires.

To everyone who, willy-nilly, ended up in a rooming house, Luke chooses the right words, gives everyone hope and encourages them to believe in their dreams, no matter how ridiculous they may seem to themselves and others.

But no matter how sweet and comforting the words of the wanderer sounded, they were only empty sounds, distracting roommates from everyday hardships, and not real support, giving strength to get out of poverty and dishonor.

However, Luka is not a liar, he just sincerely pities those around him and cheers them up, even if it is absolutely pointless and useless.

Luke's relationship with other characters in the play "At the Bottom"

The characters relate to the elder in two ways:

• alone ( thief Vaska Pepel, Actor, Anna, Nastya, Natasha) tell him with relief about their life, confess and receive in response the necessary pity, sympathy and soothing statements;
• other ( kartuznik Bubnov, Satin, Baron, Tick) do not trust a stranger too much and speak to him briefly and skeptically.

One thing is certain - nobody remained indifferent to the appearance of such an extraordinary personality in such a dirty and doomed place.

After the sudden disappearance of the wanderer, the fate of some characters has changed dramatically. The wife of the locksmith Klesch, Anna, died of tuberculosis, the Actor could not come to terms with the hopelessness of his life and hanged himself, Vaska Pepel went to hard labor in Siberia due to an accidental murder, his dreams of an honest life with Natasha came to an end. The rest of the heroes continued to while away their time in a rooming house, but at the same time started thinking about the meaning of their existence, their actions and the problems of others.

Parable of the Righteous Land

The parable of Luke tells us about a man who endured all the hardships and sufferings of earthly life, believing that there is a righteous land where people live in great relationships, help each other and never lie. One day he went to a local scientist he knew and asked him to show the righteous land on a map. He tried to find what he was looking for, but could not. Then the man got angry, hit the scientist, and then went home and strangled himself.

This parable seemed to predetermine the fate of several characters - the death of Anna and the Actor, the imprisonment of the thief Vaska. They believed that their own righteous land would be found for them, that it was possible to get out of the bottom, poverty, but this did not happen. Luka soon left, and with him the hope that warms the heroes of the play also left.

Quotes

The play "At the bottom" is rich thoughtful phrases and the statements of the characters, but perhaps the most significant of them are the words of Elder Luke.

Here are a few of his quotes, which should be analyzed and pondered by everyone who has read the play “At the Bottom” by Gorky:

“All of them are people! No matter how you pretend, no matter how you wiggle, but you were born a man, you will die a man ... "

"I don't care! I respect crooks too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad: everyone is black, everyone jumps ... "

“You, girl, do not be offended ... nothing! Where is it, where are we to pity the dead? E, honey! We don’t feel sorry for the living… we can’t feel sorry for ourselves… where is it!”

“Here, then, you will die, and you will be calm ... you will not need anything else, and there is nothing to be afraid of!”

“... not in the word - the point, but - why is the word spoken? - that's the problem!"

Outcome

The image of the wanderer Luka in Maxim Gorky turned out to be very multifaceted and reflective major philosophical questions about life, love, principles and human priorities.

And not only Luke - all the characters in one way or another reflect those who we meet in real life.

The writer managed to reflect in his work entertaining philosophical and psychological ideas:

All of the above is important for a correct understanding of the work and simply the situations that happen to people around us, it teaches us to sympathize and set life priorities correctly.

Falling to the bottom of society is as easy as transferring two bytes. You do not need to have special knowledge or skills to do this. That's just to remain a man, to think not only about everyday things, but also to speak out on philosophical topics - this is not everyone can. After all, a person who stays at the bottom has only three options: to slide into the abyss, turn into a philosopher, or rise from the ashes.

Legacy of Maxim Gorky

Alexey Maksimovich Peshkov cherished the dream that the world would be inhabited by "new people". People who are impeccable in terms of intellectual and physical development, manners and principles. These new people are distinguished by fearlessness and a thirst for freedom, they do not care about any obstacles, they can achieve everything they want. And even if their goals are beyond the bounds of the possible, they can do it.

During this time, he managed to write 5 novels, 10 stories, 18 short stories and essays, 16 plays and published 3 cycles of journalistic articles. The writer, prose writer and playwright was nominated 5 times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He was known as one of the most famous Russian thinkers and writers. After himself, he left a rich legacy, and one of the pearls of his collection is the play "At the Bottom".

"At the bottom"

The play "At the Bottom" saw the world in 1902. Before publishing the material, the author for a long time could not choose which title to choose. He had a choice among several options: “Bottom”, “Bunkhouse”, “At the bottom of life”, “Without the sun”. In the end, the play received a short and concise title "At the Bottom". Two years after its release, in 1904, the play was awarded the Griboyedov Prize.

For the first time, a performance based on the work was staged on December 18, 1902 at the Moscow Art Theater. In Soviet times, the production delighted the audience 9 times. She was last seen in 1956. But this did not detract from her success. More than once the play was staged abroad in such cities as Berlin, Krakow, Helsinki, Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Tunisia. From 1996 to the present, more than 20 productions have been staged in different countries of the world. The play was filmed 10 times not only by domestic cinema, but also in Hungary, Japan and France.

Why this play attracted the public so much: the problem of moral choice; the realization that each person has his own truth; Or did the very image of the bottom in the play "At the Bottom" touch the strings of the human soul? Let's try to figure it out.

M. Gorky, "At the Bottom": a summary

The events of the work take place in a place like a rooming house. The doss house is the property of M. I. Kostylev. Here live people who have long sank to the bottom of society. Some of them still believe that it is possible to get out of this hell and change their fate for the better, while others have long given up and rolled into the farthest channels of the "bottom".

Relations between the residents of the hostel are complicated. They have different fates, different outlooks on life, so it is difficult for them to find a common language, which is why quarrels constantly arise. The wife of the owner of the establishment, Vasilisa, loves Vaska Pepla, who earns his living by stealing. She persuades the thief to kill her husband so that they are free and no one interferes with them. Only Vaska does not reciprocate Vasilisa's feelings, since he has long been in love with her younger sister Natalya. Vasilisa notices this and mercilessly beats Natalya, which is why she ends up in the hospital. After discharge, she no longer returns to the rooming house.

What does the work tell about that created by M. Gorky (“At the Bottom”)? The summary, even in the second part, is tragic. Among the guests, a new man, Luka, appears, who inspires everyone that life will get better. But when a conflict arises between Kostylev and Vaska, as a result of which Vaska accidentally kills Kostylev, and the thief is arrested, Luka miraculously disappears. The actor, who has taken a liking to Luka and believed him, is saddened by his disappearance and hangs himself in the yard. The reader is struck by the final phrase of the work, uttered by Satin after he learned about the death of the Actor: "Here's a fool, he just ruined the song."

bottom people

The people of the bottom in Gorky's play "At the Bottom" are the most ordinary. They got into a difficult life situation. The main characters of the work:

• Mikhail Kostylev - in charge of a rooming house.
• Vasilisa - Kostylev's wife, loves the thief Pepel.
• Natalya, Vasilisa's sister, suffers beatings from her older sister and disappears after leaving the hospital.
• Luka is a wanderer who suddenly appears and disappears, skillfully comforting everyone with lies.
• Vaska Pepel is a thief who wants to change his fate.
• Tick ​​is an ordinary hard worker who wants to return to his past life.
• The Baron, an impoverished aristocrat, is sure that the best moments of his life are in the past.
• Satin is a sharpie, I am sure that the main thing for a person is spiritual freedom
• Actor - once really performed on the big stage, now a drunkard who did not come up with anything better than to commit suicide.

Play analysis

Why did Gorky write "At the Bottom"? An analysis of this work shows that among the moral dirt of outcasts of society there is a small smoldering ember that hisses unobtrusively: “Man is proud, man is good!” This is especially evident when the guests face a small problem.

Truth or lie?

The problem of moral choice in Gorky's play "At the Bottom" is very acute. What are people supposed to believe? In the sweet lie or the bitter truth, with what seasoned Gorky's play "At the Bottom"? The analysis shows that the wanderer Luke is the master of sweet lies in the work, he is sure that people need to be told what they want to hear. He encourages all the inhabitants of the rooming house. Gives faith that there is a chance to change your life if you do this or that. But when he suddenly disappears, everyone becomes uncomfortable. The guests feel abandoned, and the Actor, who believed Luke's words the most, commits suicide.

The truth in Gorky's play "At the Bottom" is personified by its hero - Satin. This man is not the best representative of the human race - he is dishonest, likes to drink, participates in fights, looks to the future with pessimism. But there is a little more knowledge and understanding of what is happening in it. It is from him that the simple truth comes: “You need to be proud that you are a person.” Satin is not a charismatic person who can lead the crowd, he is not a revolutionary, not a psychologist and not a politician - he simply pointed out the obvious, which ignited a special spark in the eyes of every inhabitant who was not yet completely desperate. And it won't fade away when Satin disappears, as Luka's beautiful lie did.

The image of the bottom in the play "At the bottom"

What else can be said about this creation of a classic of Russian literature? Why is it so catchy even to our contemporaries? Maybe because the topic raised by Alexei Maksimovich is relevant at all times?

The play written by M. Gorky (“At the Bottom”) can rightly be called a socio-philosophical one. Here, social life and philosophical reflections do not intersect, but perfectly complement each other, making the play a full-fledged, lively and real work. The image of the bottom in the play "At the Bottom" represents the harsh reality of the lower strata of society. There are no fictional facts here, but only real life, as it is. The fate of the outcasts, those who no longer have a chance to rise. For the first time in world dramaturgy, the hopeless fate of "former people" was shown. In the sticky darkness of the musty basement, crippled, disfigured by fate people gathered. Every day they desperately fight for their existence. Someone has enough strength to survive, and someone surrenders to the arms of death. The only ray of hope in this hopeless darkness was brought by Luke, who encouraged people, and then disappeared. It is difficult not to give up in such a situation, but Sateen's words instill faith in people not in the future, but in their own human dignity. The image of the bottom in the play "At the Bottom" is a torture chamber, where His Majesty the disappointment acts as an executioner. It mercilessly beats people who have long been covered with mud.

The image of the bottom in the play "At the Bottom" is something dark and hopeless, but with a person inside. And where there is a person, there will always be a little hope, because a person is beautiful.

The truth is always known

The public reacted ambiguously to the play written by M. Gorky ("At the Bottom"). People have always been alien to the suffering of the lower stratum of society. But the veracity of his story, the characters and destinies of his heroes became recognizable not only in the Soviet Union, but all over the world - from America to Japan.