His story “Chelkash” is considered to be one of Gorky’s earliest romantic works. The author has always been interested in the life and psychology of the so-called tramps. In tramps, Gorky saw a real human soul. The writer believed that these people, although they stand on the lowest rung of the social ladder, behave much better and higher than representatives of higher classes. Below is a brief literary analysis of a work studied in 8th grade.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing: 1894

History of creation - the impetus for writing this story was a story Gorky heard from one of the patients of the hospital where he was treated

Subject— “Chelkash” examines the themes of human freedom, the meaning of life, and a large place is devoted to the description of nature

Composition - The work consists of an introduction and three chapters

Genre - Story

Direction - romantic realism

History of creation

In 1891, the writer had to undergo treatment in one of the hospitals in the city of Nikolaev. There was a tramp in the ward with him, who told his ward mate an episode from his life. The writer subsequently developed this story and wrote the story in a couple of days. The work was highly appreciated by V. G. Korolenko, and with his assistance, Gorky’s work was published in 1895. Since that time, the writer has been accepted in literary circles as a promising author.

Subject

The story describes two main characters, Chelkash and Gavrila. All topics are interconnected. The description of nature helps to better understand the characteristics of these heroes, the state of their souls, and their perception of life.

For each of them, freedom is represented differently. Gavrila, a simple village bumpkin, sees freedom from the point of view of a slave. He is used to being subjugated by stronger ones. He wants to have a family, his own home, farm. Lacking the means to make this dream a reality, he agrees to marry a rich bride, even if this again leads him to lifelong slavery.

Chelkash, unlike him, is a man who has been beaten by life more than once, he has seen and knows a lot. Freedom-loving and proud, he does not want any subordination. He has no material dependence, he is free like the wind, stormy like the sea, and all this gives him peace of mind. He lives easily and simply, and this is his credo.

The thoughts about the meaning of life are completely opposite for these heroes. Chelkash is already a wise man with life experience. Once upon a time he was a family man and had a farm. He chose the path of vagrancy consciously. He has no problem feeding a hungry family, raising and expanding the farm. He lives by stealing. He spends easily obtained money easily and thoughtlessly, without setting himself the goal of getting rich. Gavrila is a young peasant who has his whole life ahead of him. He has yet to choose the path he will take.

Composition

Gorky's story is built on an antithesis; a fundamental difference between the two heroes emerges before the reader's eyes.

The composition of the work serves to fully reveal their characters. The action begins with the introduction. Everything happens in the seaport. Against the backdrop of powerful technology, where everything rattles and clangs, the people look insignificant and small. They swarm like ants, subjugated by the enormous force created by their hands and enslaved them.

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The first part talks about Chelkash. This is a well-known man in the port, a brave and resourceful thief. Despite his unattractive occupation, he is respected among the dock workers. Chelkash is going to “business”, he needs a partner. On his way he comes across Gavrila, a young village guy. After talking with Chelkash, he agrees to help him.

In the second part of the story, the inner world of a freedom-loving thief is unexpectedly revealed. Chelkash and Gavrila went to sea. In the expanses of the sea, Chelkash feels free and free; the sight of the sea cleanses his soul of everyday dirt. Gavrila, on the contrary, is afraid of this huge element; the sea has a depressing effect on him. The description of the sea brings out all the good qualities inherent in Chelkash. In comparison, the cowardly and vile Gavrila looks like a complete nonentity, ready to abandon his partner in a dangerous moment.
The third part of the work is the climax and denouement. Having successfully pulled off the “deal,” Chelkash shares the money with his accomplice. Here comes the climax. In Gavril, this spineless and timid lump, greed awakens. The sight of money awakened all those base qualities that were hidden under the guise of a God-fearing guy. In order to take possession of all the money, he attempts to kill his older comrade. Gavrila is so insignificant and petty that without any qualms of conscience he takes the money thrown at him by Chelkash. In the denouement of the work, its base essence and the greatness of the soul of a hardened thief are revealed.

Genre

A work of small volume, with a small number of characters, belongs to the short story genre. Actual events are described, which corresponds to the direction of realism. A lively description of the sea and the ennoblement of the tramp hero gives the realistic direction a touch of romanticism.

Composition

The scene of the final explanation of Chelkash and Gavrila as the culmination of the narrative in M. Gorky’s story “Chelkash”

The early period of Maxim Gorky's work is characterized by the creation of a number of works of a romantic nature. Romantic art is distinguished by the emphasized brightness of human characters and the increased drama of life circumstances. In such stories as “Makar Chudra”, “Old Woman Izergil”, the writer uses material from fairy tales and legends. But even in works on a realistic basis, he creates images inspired by the breath of romance. This is the title character of the story “Chelkash” written in 1894.

The conflict of this story is expressed in the clash of two characters, two worldviews, represented by the images of Chelkash and Gavrila. Both of them come from peasant backgrounds. But now “Grishka Chelkash, an old poisoned wolf, well known to the Havana people, is an inveterate drunkard and a clever, brave thief.” And Gavrila ended up in a port city after traveling in search of work. He dreams of earning a large sum of money in order to return to his village, build his own house and get married.

As a result of a dangerous night operation, Chelkash rescues a substantial amount of money and pays part of it to Gavrila, whom he hired as a rower on the boat. From this moment the final scene of the story begins, which is its culmination.

Chelkash earned a “considerable income,” which required “a little labor and a lot of dexterity,” and fulfilled the terms of the deal concluded with Gavrila. Each participant in the thieves' operation received his share, corresponding, so to speak, to his own “labor” contribution. But Gavrila, amazed at how easily and quickly Chelkash got a huge sum, according to his peasant concepts (he no longer remembers how they both risked life and freedom, forgot how cowardly he behaved at sea), cannot part with his partner , or rather, with the money that he takes away. This unpleasantly strikes Chelkash while still in the boat:

“- You are greedy!.. Not good... However, what then?.. Peasant... - Chelkash said thoughtfully.

But what can you do with money!.. - Gavrila exclaimed, suddenly flaring up with passionate excitement. And he abruptly, in a hurry, as if catching up with his thoughts and grasping words on the fly, began talking about life in the village with and without money: “Honor, contentment, fun!”

And on the shore a scene takes place that degrades the peasant boy even more in the eyes of the freedom-loving and generous thief: “Suddenly Gavrila jumped out of his seat, threw himself at Chelkash’s feet, hugged them with his arms and pulled them towards him. Chelkash staggered, sat down heavily on the sand and, gritting his teeth, sharply waved his long hand clenched into a fist in the air.

But he did not have time to strike, stopped by Gavrila’s bashful and pleading whisper:

Darling!.. Give me this money! Give, for Christ's sake! What are they to you?.. After all, one night - only one night... And I need years... Give me - I will pray for you! Eternally - in three churches - about the salvation of your soul!.. After all, you would throw them to the wind... and I would - to the ground! Eh, give them to me! What is in them for you?.. Is it precious to you? One night - and rich! Do a good deed! You are lost... There is no way for you... And I would - oh! Give them to me!”

And Chelkash, “trembling with excitement, acute pity and hatred for this greedy slave,” throws him all the money. In response, Gavrila bursts into cries of delight and gratitude.

“Chelkash listened to his joyful cries, looked at his shining face, distorted with the delight of greed, and felt that he - a thief, a reveler, cut off from everything dear to him - would never be so greedy, low, and not remembering himself.”

And then, in a fit of animal joy, Gavrila makes a confession that dramatically changes the situation:

“What was I thinking? We're going here... I think... I'll grab him - you - with an oar... right!.. money for myself, him - in the sea... you... huh? Who, they say, will miss him? And they will find it, they won’t ask how and who. He’s not the kind of person, they say, to make a fuss about him!.. Unnecessary on earth! Who should stand up for him?

Offended to the core, Chelkash takes the money from Gavrila by force, and then he tries to kill him with a stone. In the end, Chelkash, wounded in the head, returns the money to Gavrila and, not paying attention to his pleas for forgiveness, leaves, “staggering and still supporting his head with the palm of his left hand, and quietly tugging at his brown mustache with his right.” And “Gavrila took off his wet cap, crossed himself, looked at the money clutched in his palm, sighed freely and deeply, hid it in his bosom and with wide, firm steps walked along the bank in the direction opposite to where Chelkash had disappeared.”

In the final scene, Gorky demonstrates to the reader the spiritual superiority of Chelkash. The thief and drunkard shows nobility and generosity, and the “honest fellow” almost becomes a robber and murderer. Chelkash is an outcast from society, but he has moral rules, and most importantly, he feels like a free person with self-esteem.

The concept of the story revealed Gorky’s wary attitude towards the Russian peasant. The writer considered the peasantry to be an inert social force, incapable of a revolutionary transformation of life. Therefore, the tramp, thief and drunkard Chelkash, who has broken with his peasant roots, turns out to be morally stronger than Gavrila, who is devoid of romantic feelings and capable of crime for the sake of profit.

Other works on this work

“Proud Man” by M. Gorky (based on M. Gorky’s story “Chelkash”) Analysis of M. Gorky's story "Chelkash" Are tramps heroes or victims? (based on the story "Chelkash") Heroes of M. Gorky's early romantic prose The image of a tramp in M. Gorky’s story “Chelkash” The image of Chelkash in Gorky's story "Chelkash" Images of Chelkash and Gavrila (based on the story "Chelkash" by M. Gorky) The problem of a strong free personality in the works of Gorky at the turn of the century (based on the example of the analysis of one story). The role of landscape in the stories of I. A. Bunin “Caucasus” and M. Gorky “Chelkash” The role of landscape in the stories of L. N. Tolstoy “After the Ball”, I. A. Bunin “Caucasus”, M. Gorky “Chelkash”. The role of landscape in the story The originality of the problems of M. Gorky's early prose using the example of one of the stories (“Chelkash”). Essay based on Gorky's story "Chelkash" Comparison of Chelkash and Gavrila (based on the story “Chelkash” by M. Gorky) The similarity between the heroes of M. Gorky and V. G. Korolenko Chelkash and Gavrila in M. Gorky’s story “Chelkash”.

The story “Chelkash” belongs to the early romantic works of M. Gorky. It is part of the series of so-called stories about tramps. The writer has always been interested in this “class” of people that formed in Russia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Gorky considered tramps to be interesting “human material” who seemed to be outside society. In them he saw a kind of embodiment of his human ideals: “I saw that although they live worse than “ordinary people,” they feel and recognize themselves better than them, and this is because they are not greedy, do not strangle each other, and do not hoard money.” .

At the center of the narrative of the story (1895) are two heroes opposed to each other. One is Grishka Chelkash, “an old poisoned wolf, well known to the Havana people, an inveterate drunkard and a clever, brave thief.” This is already a mature person, a bright and extraordinary nature. Even in a crowd of tramps like him, Chelkash stood out for his predatory strength and integrity. It is not for nothing that Gorky compares him to a hawk: “he immediately attracted attention with his resemblance to a steppe hawk, his predatory thinness and this aiming gait, smooth and calm in appearance, but internally excited and vigilant, as old as the bird of prey that he resembled.” .

As the plot develops, we learn that Chelkash lives by robbing ships and then selling his loot. Such activities and lifestyle suit this hero quite well. They satisfy his need for a sense of freedom, risk, unity with nature, a sense of his own strength and unlimited possibilities.

Chelkash is a hero from a village. He is the same peasant as the other hero of the story - Gavrila. But how different these people are! Gavrila is young, physically strong, but weak in spirit and pitiful. We see how Chelkash struggles with contempt for this “young heifer”, who dreams of a prosperous and well-fed life in the village, and even advises Grigory how he can “better fit in” in life.

It becomes clear that these completely different people will never find a common language. Although they have the same roots, their nature, their nature, is completely different. Against the background of the cowardly and weak Gavrila, the figure of Chelkash emerges with all his might. This contrast is especially clearly expressed at the moment when the heroes “went to work” - Grigory took Gavrila with him, giving him the opportunity to earn money.

Chelkash loved the sea and was not afraid of it: “At the sea, a wide, warm feeling always rose in him - embracing his entire soul, it slightly cleansed it of everyday filth. He appreciated this and loved to see himself as the best here, among the water and air, where thoughts about life and life itself always lose - the former - their sharpness, the latter - their value.

This hero was delighted by the sight of the majestic element, “endless and powerful.” The sea and clouds intertwined into one whole, inspiring Chelkash with their beauty, “arousing” high desires in him.

The sea evokes completely different feelings for Gavrila. He sees it as a black heavy mass, hostile, carrying mortal danger. The only feeling that the sea evokes in Gavrila is fear: “It’s just scary in it.”

The behavior of these heroes at sea is also different. In the boat, Chelkash sat upright, calmly and confidently looked at the surface of the water, forward, communicating with this element on an equal footing: “Sitting at the stern, he cut the water with the wheel and looked forward calmly, full of desire to ride long and far along this velvet surface.” Gavrila is crushed by the sea elements, she bends him, makes him feel like an insignificance, a slave: “... grabbed Gavrila’s chest with a strong hug, squeezed him into a timid ball and chained him to the bench of the boat...”

Having overcome many dangers, the heroes return safely to the shore. Chelkash sold the loot and received the money. It is at this moment that the true natures of the heroes appear. It turns out that Chelkash wanted to give Gavrila more than he promised: this guy touched him with his story, stories about the village.

It should be noted that Chelkash’s attitude towards Gavrila was not unambiguous. The “young heifer” irritated Grigory; he felt Gavrila’s “foreignness” and did not accept his philosophy of life, his values. But, nevertheless, grumbling and swearing at this man, Chelkash did not allow himself meanness or baseness towards him.

Gavrila, this gentle, kind and naive person, turned out to be completely different. He admits to Gregory that he wanted to kill him during their trip in order to get all the loot for himself. Later, not deciding on this, Gavrila begs Chelkash to give him all the money - with such wealth he will live happily in the village. For this reason, the hero lies at Chelkash’s feet, humiliates himself, forgetting about his human dignity. For Gregory, such behavior only causes disgust and disgust. And in the end, when the situation changes several times (Chelkash, having learned new details, either gives or does not give Gavrila the money, a serious fight breaks out between the heroes, and so on), Gavrila receives the money. He asks Chelkash for forgiveness, but does not receive it: Gregory’s contempt for this pitiful creature is too great.

It is no coincidence that the positive hero of the story is a thief and a tramp. Thus, Gorky emphasizes that Russian society does not allow rich human potential to be revealed. He is satisfied only with the Gavrils with their slavish psychology and average capabilities. There is no place for extraordinary people who strive for freedom, flight of thought, spirit and soul in such a society. Therefore, they are forced to become tramps, outcasts. The author emphasizes that this is not only a personal tragedy of tramps, but also a tragedy of society, deprived of its rich potential and its best strengths.

Characteristics of the main characters:

Chelkash is a tramp and lives by theft. He needs money to drink and take a walk. Loves freedom. The author emphasizes Chelkash’s spiritual superiority over Gavrila. He despises cowardice and greed. But Chelkash is not needed by society with all his creative possibilities;

Gavrila is a peasant guy who doesn’t know how to make money. Envy, fear, obedient willingness to serve, greed. He cannot stand the temptation of money and is ready to kill for it. He believes that Chelkash does not need money. The economical Gavrila will arrange his life.

Topic: a story about a small drama that broke out between tramps.

Idea: a realistic description of the life of the “people of the bottom” of the early 20th century, opposing views on freedom, on the price of money.

Reader's position: strong, brave, freedom-loving people like Chelkash inspire admiration.

They “do not find themselves” in society, theft for them becomes a dangerous profession. Philistine morality is contrasted with the "tramp", a person of the "bottom", who stands out for his spiritual qualities.

Updated: 2017-08-19

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The story “Chelkash” belongs to the early work of Maxim Gorky. In it, the author tells a story that happened to a tramp named Grishka Chelkash. Despite the fact that this hero was far from ideal, he was engaged in theft and drinking, but it was in him that the writer saw a genuine human soul. The many-wise Litrekon offers you a detailed analysis of the story “Chelkash”, in which the themes, problems and ideas revealed by Gorky in the work are explained in detail and clearly.

The creative history of the story “Chelkash” is very unusual and includes interesting facts from the life of the young Maxim Gorky. In 1891, then Alexey Peshkov went on a trip to Rus'. In the village of Kandybino, Nikolaev region of Ukraine, the writer witnessed the torture of a wife unfaithful to her husband by a crowd. The future writer decided to stand up for the woman, for which he was severely beaten, then taken far beyond the village and thrown into the mud. An organ grinder coming from a rural fair picked him up and took him to the hospital in Nikolaev. There his roommate turned out to be a tramp. Gorky later recalled:

“...I was amazed at the good-natured mockery of the Odessa tramp who told me the incident I described in the story “Chelkash.”

Three years later, the writer V. G. Korolenko prompted Gorky to create a story:

“...you tell a good story... try to write something longer, for a magazine... They will publish you in a magazine, and, I hope, you will begin to take yourself more seriously!”

The aspiring author, inspired by the praise of a respected publicist, wrote his first work, “Chelkash,” in just two days. Korolenko, having read the drafts, was very impressed by the story. With his support, “Chelkash” was first published in the 6th issue of the magazine “Russian Wealth” in 1895.

Genre and direction

The genre of "Chelkasha" is a story. The small volume of the work tells us this, one storyline built around an episode from the life of the main character, a small number of characters.

The story mixes two literary trends. Signs such as the ordinary, everyday life of the characters, pronounced social problems and language close to real speech clearly indicate realism. But there are also features of romanticism, namely the individualism of the protagonist and spectacular and vivid descriptions of nature, especially the sea. Based on this, we can safely say that the literary direction of the story is romantic realism.

Composition and Conflict

The story consists of a prologue and three parts.

• In the prologue, we are presented with an exposition - a description of the place where all subsequent events of the story will unfold. A greenish sea, a cramped harbor, giant steamships, a loud roar, whistles, screams, people and their slave labor - this is the picture the author paints for us.
• The first part of the story introduces us to the main character - Grishka Chelkash. The plot also takes place here, namely the hero’s meeting with Gavrila and their agreement about “night fishing.”
• We can see the development of actions in the second part. Chelkash and Gavrila go by boat to the sea. Here the author increasingly reveals to the reader the spiritual world, the insides of both heroes.
• The third part includes the climax - Gavrila’s attack on Chelkash, and the denouement - Chelkash with disgust throws money at Gavrila, and they disperse. The characters' characters are now fully revealed. The story ends with a description of the sea waves that washed away all traces of the recent conflict.

As the work progresses, the central conflict is revealed - the conflict of two different worldviews. Chelkash, a tramp who is completely free, not tied to home, family, or work, is contrasted with Gavrila, an ordinary peasant who needs money to ensure a decent existence for himself and his future family. Through the development of the conflict, we are shown the essences, characters, different attitudes towards freedom, money and the life of the characters, which allows the reader to understand the motivation of their actions, their thoughts and feelings, and take the side of one of the characters.

The gist: what is the story about?

Grishka Chelkash, an inveterate thief, appears at the port during lunch break. He's clearly looking for someone. Having asked the watchman Mishka about his partner, he learns that his leg was crushed and he is now in the hospital. Chelkash, thinking that he couldn’t handle the case at night without a partner, sees a young, strong guy and decides to talk to him. From the dialogue he learns that the guy's name is Gavrila. He complains to Chelkash that he mowed the grass, but received mere pennies for his work. The main character, in turn, says that he is a fisherman and invites the guy to help him fishing at night. He, although he suspects that they will not go far to fish, still agrees.

That evening the heroes set off on business. Gavrila is filled with fear and regrets that he agreed to help Chelkash. The thief threatens the young guy that he will get rid of him without a twinge of conscience if they are noticed. The heroes arrive at their destination - a huge dark wall. Chelkash takes the boy’s knapsack with his passport and oars so that he cannot swim away anywhere, and climbs the wall. After some time, he lowers heavy loads to Gavrila, descends himself, and they sail away.

When a customs cruiser sailed past them, Gavrila was so frightened that he fell to the bottom of the boat, closed his eyes and did not want to get up. The main character again threatened the young man that he would kill him if they were arrested because of him. The danger is over. Chelkash felt sorry for the guy, he began to calm him down, saying that he had earned good money and could buy a lot of things with this money.

Soon they sailed to the ship, where they were met by sailors familiar to Chelkash. They climb on board, hand over the cargo and go to the cabin to sleep. The next morning the main character receives the money, and he and Gavrila go back to shore. Of the 540 rubles he earned, the thief gives Gavrila 40, keeping the rest for himself.

Having sailed back to the shore, Gavrila rushes to Chelkash and begins to beg him to give him the entire amount he has earned. He claims that this money is more necessary and useful to him, and a thief and drunkard like Chelkash will spend it in one day. The main character becomes disgusted with the guy’s greed and greed, he throws money at him with contempt. Gavrila, having taken the money, admits that while still in the boat he had the idea to hit the main character with an oar, take the proceeds from him and throw him overboard, assuring that no one would miss him. Chelkash was angry about this, he takes the money from his partner and is about to leave. The same one, not intending to give up, throws a stone at Chelkash and, frightened, runs away. But, having come to his senses, he comes back and begins to tearfully beg the main character to forgive him. Chelkash feels contempt for the selfish guy; with disgust, he shoves all the proceeds into him, not wanting to be as greedy for money. Gavrila initially resists, but soon takes the money, and the characters go their separate ways.

The main characters and their characteristics

• Chelkash- “an inveterate drunkard and a clever, brave thief,” a middle-aged man, a tramp, a swindler and a ragamuffin. He has an unkempt appearance, which is justified by his vagrancy. Born into a wealthy peasant family, in his youth he served in the guard, and was married to a girl, Anfisa. At the time of the events told in the work, the character has been leading a tramp lifestyle for 11 years. Chelkash is a truly romantic hero. He has his own moral values. He does not like greedy and greedy people like Gavrila. Despite the external severity, the hero can experience pity and sympathy. His life philosophy is based on freedom; he stands out from the crowd with his independence. Chelkash is not attached to anything, he lives one day at a time, without thinking ahead. He has the same attitude towards money, he is not attached to it, there is no commercialism in him, so he easily gives all the proceeds to his partner. The hero loves to admire nature; what attracts him most is the sea. It is the wide, endless and powerful sea that he associates with real freedom. The main character's attitude towards Gavrila changes throughout the story. At first he sees him as a young guy, “whose life has fallen into his wolf’s paws.” He feels sorry for him in a fatherly way. During their voyage, Chelkash begins to understand what the young man is like; he begins to dislike his cowardice. At the end of the work, when all of Gavrila’s greed and meanness comes out, the main character feels only disgust and disgust towards him.
• Gavrila- a young poor peasant. He is very trusting, good-natured and naive, but at the same time he also harbors a dark side. The hero was forced to come to work to provide for himself and his elderly mother, but he is unable to get enough money. The only way out for him is to marry a rich bride and work for his father-in-law for the rest of his life, and this prospect does not make the young man happy. He dreams of earning enough money to marry his beloved and not depend on her father. Helping Chelkash, the hero shows his cowardice, is frightened by the lantern, cries, and asks to let him go. Unlike the main character, Gavrila’s attitude towards the sea is different; it only poses a danger to him and instills fear in him. But his attitude towards money is different: the hero loves money very much, so much so that he is ready to kill Chelkash twice just to get the entire proceeds. He also shows his timidity when, having thrown a stone at Chelkash, he runs away. But still, there is humanity in him, he returns and asks for forgiveness from the main character, and at first he even refuses to take the money, but, in the end, his greed breaks out and he takes most of what they both earned.

Topics

The theme of the story “Chelkash” is characteristic of Gorky’s romanticism:

• Scenery. Landscape plays a huge role in the story. Nature is the personification of true freedom and independence. The landscape creates a mood and gives a certain color to the work; the moods of the characters are also conveyed through descriptions of the weather. The author, although he compares the states of the characters and nature, still elevates it above human feelings, makes it stronger, more powerful and more powerful in comparison with petty and insignificant human passions.
• Freedom- the main theme of the story . It's different for everyone. For Chelkash, freedom is to be independent of anything, to live one day at a time, without worrying about what will happen tomorrow. In such a life lies his moral satisfaction and peace. For Gavrila, freedom is to have enough money to provide for himself, his mother and his future wife. Both heroes fight for their freedom. At the end of the story, each of them essentially finds themselves in conditions of their own freedom: Chelkash is left without much income, not burdened with any worries, and Gavrila receives enough money not to worry about anything in the near future.
• Fate. The theme of fate flows smoothly from the theme of freedom. Chelkash has been a wanderer for many years; he is truly lonely. When his partner admits that he wanted to kill him and throw him into the sea, without worrying that someone would look for him, he most likely turns out to be right. At the very end of the story, when both heroes disperse, the fate of Chelkash remains unknown to us; who knows whether he got where he wanted, or died in the forest from loss of blood. Gavrila’s fate can be predicted. Apparently, he returned to his village, marries his sweetheart and lives a relatively comfortable life.

Problems

The problems of the story “Chelkash” are interesting and rich.

1. Slavery. The important social problem of slavery was raised by Gorky in his story. Slaves are first depicted as workers at the port, toiling in terrible and dangerous conditions. Afterwards, Gavrila becomes a kind of “slave” of Chelkash; during their voyage, he carries out all the orders of the protagonist. For Chelkash, peasant life in general is slavery, since it always involves dependence on land, family and work. Gavrila turns out to be not only a “slave” of Chelkash, but also a slave of his desires. It is for the sake of the funds that he so dreams of that he agrees to help the thief, and then he himself thinks about theft and murder.
2. Greed. The problem of greed is the main one in the work. It is most clearly revealed by the character of Gavrila. For the sake of money, he is ready to do anything, even kill. With the gradual increase in the manifestation of greed in the hero, his other negative traits are revealed: lack of spirituality, selfishness, cruelty, meanness. After this, against his background, even the thief-smuggler Chelkash appears in a better light, who, although he is engaged in an illegal business, has moral values.
3. Happiness. Which of the two heroes is truly happy? Although throughout the entire story we are shown the main character who enjoys complete freedom and independence, is he happy? Chelkash is lonely, no one needs him. He sadly remembers his father, mother and wife, his former life, which he abandoned in favor of vagrancy. At the beginning of the work, we see Gavrila saddened by the situation in his life, but at the end, when he got what he wanted, we can predict his future, most likely, happy fate.

main idea

Gorky was always close to the theme of the life of tramps. The main idea of ​​the story “Chelkash”, which the author wanted to convey to readers, is that people like Chelkash are no worse than ordinary peasant workers, and sometimes even on the contrary, they are more moral and conscientious people in comparison with them. The writer compares a freedom lover, a thief and a drunkard with a young hard-working peasant and proves that the first impression is not always correct. At the beginning of the story, the reader sympathizes more with Gavrila, but with the revelation of the characters and their characters, everything falls into place, and by the end Chelkash appears before us as noble and generous. The author's position is revealed, Gorky is clearly on the side of Chelkash, he is also disgusted by people like Gavrila, and is impressed by freedom-loving tramps.

The point of the story “Chelkash” is to show different life values ​​and what they lead to. Chelkash does not need literally anything, he stands out among others for his high spiritual qualities, but this does not make him the happiest on earth. Gavrila adheres to the foundations on which society rests, he is attached to his family and home, which makes him dependent and pushes him to do terrible things, but in the end, he turns out to be happy in his own way.

What does it teach?

Maxim Gorky in his story “Chelkash” taught moral lessons to readers. He showed that there is no need to judge the inner qualities of a person by his appearance or social status, that it is necessary to always remain honest, selfless and noble, that one should not allow oneself to become so mercantile and greedy as not to stoop to the most terrible and base acts.

The main conclusion in the story “Chelkash” is the idea that although money gives some kind of freedom, it also burdens a person with duties and responsibilities, and perfect freedom is not a guarantee of unlimited happiness.

What does the author make you think about? The writer wanted to convey to readers that, despite any life situations, it is necessary to always remain human, to be a generous, kind and worthy person, not to show bad and disgusting qualities such as greed, cruelty, immorality. This is the moral of the work “Chelkash”.

Artistic details

In “Chelkash” the landscape plays an important role. It creates a kind of frame for the events taking place in the work. At the very beginning we see an industrial landscape: a harbor, a sky clouded with dust, hot sun, greenish water, sea waves bound by granite. An even greater immersion effect is created by the sounds described: the ringing of chains, the rumble of carriages, the “metallic scream of iron sheets,” whistles and shouts. This whole gloomy picture makes readers think that what awaits them is a far from cheerful and carefree story.

The most important artistic detail of the work is the image of the sea. It allows you to convey the mood and characters of the characters even more deeply. We can say that the sea personifies the main character. Chelkash, like it, is free and independent, lives “with the flow.” The hero loves the sea; in his opinion, it “infuses calm into a person’s soul.” His partner Gavrila, on the contrary, feels only fear in relation to the sea. Its unbridledness and vastness frightens him. The sea emphasizes and enhances the differences between the characters in the story.

The work also ends with a description of the sea and weather, which, after the conflict between the characters, rebelled and washed away all the remnants of their quarrel without a trace. Thus, the author showed that, unlike people and their relationships, nature is infinite, powerful and majestic.

Criticism

Contemporaries warmly and positively received the story of the aspiring writer. They began to respect him, and in literary circles they began to take him seriously.

The writer and statesman A.V. Lunacharsky noted the tramp-like nature of Gorky’s story, saying that the writer

“it was possible to create completely original and unforgettable paintings and symphonies, in which individual elements of truth almost merged with the fundamental untruth, that is, with a romantic rise to a straightened person, to a free individuality.”

Writer A. M. Anichkova, critic V. L. Lvov-Rogachesky and publicist M. V. Gelrot spoke about the depth, strength, sincerity and significance of the story. The poet and journalist A. A. Korinfsky and the publicist and critic A. I. Bogdanovich also admired “Chelkash”. They noted that the main character is a strong, frank and free person.

The critic A. M. Skabichevsky was struck by the work of the young author, he called the story

“one of the best pearls of Russian literature for its poetic charm, drama and deep content.”