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Larra had been walking for three days already. The scorching sun, hunger and thirst exhausted his body, his bare feet were worn into blood, his vision was double. The rustling of the grass was not heard, and she herself, like Larra, bent over the ground, as if it could save her from the heat. The heat was unbearable even at night. The young man walked, overcoming himself. He desperately searched for food, but nothing grew nearby and there was not a single tribe from whom he could steal anything. Larra could not ask. My legs were bleeding. It seemed to him that the grass should serve as a pillow for them, but its dried and hardened roots stuck out, tearing the skin like a knife. Now he was unlike the birds that proudly flew above him. When his father weakened, he threw himself onto the rocks: what should Larra do? He had no weapons, no wings, nothing. But he didn't need it before. He felt like his mind was going haywire. My legs gave way and everything went dark before my eyes.

Life-giving moisture was the first thing Larra felt after waking up. It clogged his throat, and he spat it out, afraid of choking. But someone very close said, “Hush, hush,” and the young man realized that this was not a dream. He greedily took a sip of the waterskin offered by the stranger, and sighed in disappointment when it was taken away. - It's hard, right? - said the invisible one. He couldn't discern the intonation with which the man said these words, but he didn't care. Larra is used to humiliation. What else should you expect from people? Perhaps he got the young man drunk precisely in order to continue his torment, in order to mock his unfortunate lot. And Larra was overcome by a feeling of hatred, he wanted to look this man in the eyes and then tear him apart. He opened his eyes with difficulty, and when his gaze cleared, he looked angrily at the speaker. Larra froze in amazement. In front of him stood a young man his age, brown hair framed his handsome face, and his blue eyes shone with...kindness. Larra was embarrassed that he wanted to kill him. -Are you alone? - Larra wheezed out of habit. - No, my tribe is behind me. I was sent on reconnaissance as a young and sighted person. And I found you in the middle of the steppe. - the young man smiled at him, as if he had found a treasure. The thought flashed through his head whether he would have time to rob this young man and run away, but for the first time Larra could not bring himself to do this - his hand did not rise. - Do you want to eat? - As if he heard Larra’s thoughts, the young man asked. Larra nodded slightly. The young man opened his knapsack and took out food. After having a snack, Larra gained strength. -Can you get up? - the stranger asked again. Larra pushed himself off the ground with his hands and quickly jumped to his feet, but his legs responded with monstrous pain, and he collapsed back. It seemed that after the break they would not be able to go at all. “Lie here, I’ll be right back,” he heard the stranger’s retreating cry. Turning around, Larra saw that he was rushing in the direction from which his tribe was supposed to come.

People. There are a lot of people, and everyone is looking at him strangely. He didn't want to be among people he despised them. Larra’s legs were still aching, and so he was now riding in a carriage that was intended for the old and the poor. The cart was pulled by the stranger who found it in the steppe. Larra didn't even bother to ask his name. The people following the cart laughed at him, and the fire of indignation lit up in Larra’s soul. What funny did they see? And the answer was immediate: even the elders and women go, but he cannot. - Stop. - Larra said to the young man. He turned over his shoulder as if he wanted to say something, but still stopped. - I want to go. - said the eagle's son. - Have the wounds on your legs healed? - the young man asked. - No, but... - he was interrupted by the roar of the wheels spinning again. - But this is humiliating! - Larra said with feeling. “Help is not humiliating,” the young man answered, “but this is yes.” - And with these words, he lifted up the handrails of the cart, which he was holding on to, so that Larra flew off it like a sack of potatoes. He felt unpleasant, and the stranger was already standing on him, and a question sparkled in his eyes: “ Do you understand the difference?" And Larra really understood, so he lowered his gaze, no longer able to look into the blue eyes of the young man, like the sky above them. He looked down and noticed his savior's legs. They were wounded just like his own, but he never complained about it. Larra would not have noticed if he had not seen it with his own eyes. “Your legs...” Larra said after they set off again. - Why didn’t you tell me, didn’t ask me for anything? - Help should be selfless. And if I asked you for something in return, what kind of help would it be? - answered the young man. Larra thought about what was said for a long time, but firmly decided that someday he himself would help this young man for dragging him, despite the pain, as if not noticing it. For the first time he wanted to help a person. He felt calm with this young man, there was a firm confidence that he would not do anything bad to him. They were completely different, and although Larra did not want to admit it, he was beginning to like this strange young man with eternally shining eyes.

The sun was rolling towards the horizon. Having walked around all the old and infirm, Danko stopped at the young man he found, clutching a blanket in his hands. He slept, occasionally shuddering in his sleep. His chest heaved evenly, his jet-black hair was blown by an almost weightless wind. Despite all their differences, Danko seemed to have something in common. He approached the young man and covered him with a blanket. He was glad that he found him then, in the steppe. No one deserves to die forgotten by everyone. He walked away and stopped, still looking at the young man. - When he gets better, he will have to leave. - the voice of one of the elders was heard nearby. - Let him survive on his own, we did everything we could for him. Hard times are coming, and an extra mouth will be a problem for us. - Will extra hands really hinder us? He can help us. - Danko answered. - He's an outcast. How can he help those he despises? He only talks to you. - He is the same person as us. Why should we drive him away? - Outcasts are cursed by the Gods, and this is not something to joke about. It will affect the entire tribe if we shelter him. “The elder fell silent, and then, looking at Danko, muttered, “Don’t sacrifice yourself, he will destroy you.” Think about what your parents would say about this. - You know they would do the same. - the depressed Danko said dully, leaving. Approaching the young man sleeping in the cart, he sat down next to him, leaning his back against the wall of the cart. Danko was overcome by sadness that he would have to kick him out. It seemed unthinkable to him to save a person only to abandon him again. He could not even imagine how the young man would react to this news.

Noon is a time of strong sunshine. The tribe settled down near a high forest, in its shadow. Danko was returning from the council of elders. No matter how he tried to dissuade them, nothing worked. They decided to expel the young man and ordered Danko to inform him about this. One of the people slandered him, saying that he saw him stealing supplies at night. But Danko knew that at night he slept next to him. And he told the elders about this, but they did not want to believe him. They asked if he knew why the young man was expelled, and Danko had no answer to this question. Therefore, the elders decided to abandon the young man, saying that they were doing him a favor, because something terrible awaits them in the dense forest, and any tribe would be afraid to touch the outcast. Danko was offended by this attitude towards the young man he saved: it’s not his fault that the tribe expelled him, he doesn’t have to pay for it all his life, everyone has a second chance. But no one listened to him. The young man sat cross-legged, distant from all other people. Danko slowly approached, smiling forcedly. - Tell me, what were you doing alone in the steppe then? Why did your tribe abandon you? - he asked quietly. - What difference does it make to you? Human? - the young man said rudely, glaring at Danko with the gaze of an eagle driven into a corner. He seemed to sense danger. Danko was offended by rudeness, from the mouth of the young man the word Human it sounded so insignificant. - I see in front of me a person like me. Whatever you think you are, you don’t have wings behind your back, just like me. - he said. The young man stopped burning it and, looking down, stared at the grass. And Danko thought that maybe he called him a man simply because he didn’t know his name. - I'm Danko. - he suddenly blurted out. The young man raised his black eyes to him and, after thinking for a second, said: “They called me Larra.” And after these words, it became even more difficult for Danko to inform about the decision of the elders. He sat down next to Larra and, looking at him, said: “You have to leave, your legs are already fine, and you can’t stay here anymore.” - He wanted to say this, looking into his eyes, but when faced with Larra’s gaze, full of pain, he discarded this idea in powerlessness, feeling so insignificant and pathetic. How difficult it was for him to say these words and how he did not want to let him go. Danko managed to become attached to Larra. But now his greatest fear was that the young man would think that he, too, wanted him to leave. Danko expected anything - that Larra would refuse to leave, that he would carry out a massacre, that he would try to convince the elders to leave him. But none of this followed. “Okay, I’ll leave,” Larra said indifferently, “If You ask me this, I'll leave. Larra was hurt; people rejected him again. But it hurt because with this decision it was Danko who was sent to him, the man who cared about him, the man who did not abandon him. Larra easily rose to his feet and wandered away. - What about supplies? - Danko shouted after him. “I came here with nothing and I’m leaving with nothing.” I don't need anything from you. - said Larra. And Danko watched as the silhouette of the man whom he did not want to lose receded towards the horizon, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Dozens of people were killed in the forest for several days. They fell dead right before Danko’s eyes, and he could do nothing to help them. The young man concentrated on finding a way out of the forest. He woke up and went to bed with this thought. Danko knew that there had to be a way out, but he did not know how long it would take to get to it and how many people would have to be sacrificed. They stopped for the night. People huddled in fear of the shadows that danced from the fire. The foliage suddenly rustled next to Danko, and he decided to check what was there. Taking the torch, he walked past the spreading roots, which seemed alive and ready to be grabbed at any moment, and went around the trees, the trunk of which could not be grasped with his hands. And among the trees it seemed to him that he saw someone’s silhouette. Moving away from his tribe, he shouted: “Come out!” The leaves rustled again. Danko couldn't believe his luck. He just smiled madly when he saw the man who came out to meet him. - You said you would leave. - he said. - I couldn't. - Larra admitted, smiling, approaching Danko. The latter thought that this was the first time he saw him smile. - I came for you. - Follow me? - Danko asked. - I realized that my freedom is not nice to me. My freedom is now yours. And I would be the biggest fool in the world if I missed you. - Blue eyes opposite black ones. Illuminated only by a torch, Larra looked truly magical and enchanting. Pale skin contrasted with black eyes and hair. “I had a lot of girls, but they came and went as if they weren’t there at all.” No one lingered in my heart... Except you. And obeying an impulse, Larra kissed Danko’s parted lips, burying his hands in his brown hair. But he soon pulled away, whispering: “Come with me.” Don't sacrifice yourself for people, they don't deserve it. - They touched their foreheads. “I’ll go with you wherever you want, just let me save these people.” They will die without me, I am their only hope. - Noticing Larra’s incredulous look, Danko added, “and then you and I will go to the ends of the earth.” But Larra seemed to be looking at someone standing behind him, and, turning around, Danko saw the elder. He looked sideways at them with undisguised anger. Larra was nevertheless allowed to stay, which left the rest of the people unhappy. And that night the eagle's son slept, clinging to to the person I loved, listening to Danko's heartbeat and feeling its warmth.

They wandered through the forest, and it seemed to everyone except Danko that their days were numbered. Danko walked ahead of everyone, showing the way. Larra heard the discontent of the people following them. And then one day the elders blamed them for everything. - I was initially against you, Danko, bringing this outcast. He is cursed, and so are you. That's why the Gods punish us, that's why they kill us one by one. Therefore, we cannot leave this forest, because you are leading us. - said the elder who saw them in the forest. Angry people began to approach them and began to surround the young men. – You said: “Lead!” - and I drove! - Danko shouted. - I have the courage to lead, that’s why I led you! What about you? What did you do to help yourself? You just walked and didn’t know how to save your strength for a longer journey! You just walked and walked like a flock of sheep! The ranks of people around them began to close in. People screamed that they were going to die. And it flashed through Larra’s head that if they even touched Danko, he would tear them to shreds. He looked at the young man and saw how he was tearing his chest and pulling out his burning heart. Something broke in Larra. Danko rushed forward, and the amazed crowd running after him pushed Larra back. He knew that these were his last moments in life, he understood that he was losing the most important thing. Because of the people, he practically did not see Danko, he saw only his heart, illuminating the path. He ran faster, pushing people aside, and did not immediately realize that the light was no longer coming from Danko’s heart, but from the sun shining over the steppe where they had gone. Danko stood in front, admiring the view. When Larra caught up with him, Danko turned to him and smiled warmly, and then his eyes glazed over and he fell dead. Larra knelt in front of the lifeless body. It became unbearable for him to hear the joyful exclamations of people. He held back his tears at all costs. They won't see his weakness. And then he noticed how the elder stepped on Danko’s heart, and it shattered into fragments. In desperation, Larra rushed to the fragments, collecting them with his hands, as if his heart could be assembled from them again, but a strong gust of wind blew them away from his palms, scattering them on the ground.

He walked towards the tribe. Seeing him, people became wary, preparing for battle. " My freedom is now his- he repeated to himself, - but now he is gone, which means there is no freedom. I must die to be free again and reunite with him.“People put spears in front of him, but he continued walking, wanting to run into them. But people understood his plan and removed the weapons. They stood and laughed, and Larra trembled with despair. He thought that he could tear his flesh like Danko, and began to tear the skin with his nails, but the skin was like stone and did not give in at all, no matter how hard he tried. Then Larra rushed at the people in the hope that they would accidentally kill him, but they dodged him. He saw someone drop a knife, grabbed it and hit himself in the chest, but the knife did him no harm. And then he understood. This is his curse. The gods laugh at him. As soon as he found happiness, they took it away, and he could not be returned. Now, when a lot of time has passed since then, and the sun has dried up his body, he no longer remembers anything except one name. He searches and searches all over the earth for the fragments of Danko's heart, hoping to put them back together, as if this could bring his love back to life. * - You teach an eagle to fly (lat.)

While in Bessarabia, Gorky thought about writing the story “The Old Woman Izergil.” For several years, the writer comprehended the essence of human nature, in which good and bad fight and it is not completely known which will win.

The result of the work pleased Gorky. The work fully reflected his views on social relations. Later, Gorky wrote to Chekhov that he would never again be able to write in such a smooth language, in which the story “The Old Woman Izergil” was written. Gorky also strove in his works to show all the best, what every reader could strive for.

In the story "Old Woman Izergil" composition plays a big role, which puts one story into the content of another. An elderly woman tells several stories that present completely opposite views on the world: selfishness, as a form of one’s own good, and altruism, a form of working for society. And in the middle the story is full of reality.

The theme of freedom comes first in the story. All heroes are not dependent on society. Danko, confident that he is right, commands the uncomprehending crowd to move forward, despite the indignation from the outside. Izergil demonstrated complete freedom with her behavior. And Larra even violates the freedom of others with her behavior.

Danko’s universal love opens up the theme of love in the story, which for Larra manifested itself exclusively towards herself. And Izergil, in pursuit of pleasure, comes to the realization that she has lost true love.

The main themes concern the role of man in society. According to the writer, every person should bring his talents to the public good. He opposes Larra’s individualism and Izergil’s emptiness.

The writer also encourages us to make good use of our time, which inexorably runs forward. The image of Izergil makes it clear that such thoughtless behavior is not capable of ultimately bringing a complete feeling of happiness from the life lived.

The fundamental idea of ​​this story is the search for the meaning of life. And the writer found it in altruism. But every person has the right to find his own.

The story also touches on problems of a different nature: moral, ethical, philosophical, which everyone should think about.

The author, solving the problems of his characters, presents their different views on life for everyone to see. It was important for Danko to live for the sake of others. Larra lived exclusively for himself, and Izergil lived for love pleasures. As a result, only Danko was able to get complete pleasure.

The work "Old Woman Izergil" is presented in the form of three different life stories. By reading and following which everyone can choose the right path for themselves. The writer is trying to convey that man is a social being. And those who try to act for the sake of their own egoism eventually realize that they are left with nothing.

Several interesting essays

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• The history of the creation of the novel Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky

  For six years, F. M. Dostoevsky developed the concept of the novel “Crime and Punishment,” just during his hard labor. That is why the first thought was to write about Raskolnikov’s ordeals.

• The history of the creation of the story One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich Solzhenitsyn

  Alexander Solzhenitsyn's first published work was the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” It was published in the 11th issue of the New World magazine in 1962 with a circulation of more than 100 thousand

• Essay Why did the Kashirin family often quarrel in Gorky’s Childhood?

  In the large Kashirin family, Alyosha encounters a whole gallery of colorful characters, but among the large tribe of relatives he does not feel like he belongs. The everyday life of the family is poisoned by endless hostility, in which even children are involved.

• The image and characterization of Dunyasha in the play The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov essay

  The play “The Cherry Orchard” is the last play written by A.P. Chekhov. His “swan song,” although the author himself did not consider it such. Moreover, he considered it a rather funny comedy of a parody style

Maxim Gorky's story "Old Woman Izergil" was written in 1894. This is one of the writer’s early works, but it is already imbued with deep philosophical ideas and reflections on the meaning of life, goodness, love, freedom and self-sacrifice.

The story consists of three chapters, each of which tells one complete story. The first and third chapters are the legends of Larra and Danko, and the second is Izergil’s honest story about her interesting, “greedy,” but difficult life.

We find reflections on the meaning of human existence in all three chapters of the work. The idea of ​​the first chapter, which tells about Larra, the son of a woman and an eagle, is that life has no meaning without people. The name Larra itself means “outcast.” People rejected this young man because he was proud and believed that “there are no others like him.” To top it all off, Larra was cruel and killed an innocent girl in front of his fellow tribesmen.

For a long time people tried to “come up with an execution worthy of the crime” and in the end they decided that Larre’s punishment was “in himself” and released the young man. Since then, under the “invisible cover of the highest punishment,” he is doomed to forever wander around the world, knowing no peace.

The opposite of Larra in the story is the young man Danko, who sacrificed himself to save his fellow tribesmen: Danko tore out his heart, and, like a torch, illuminated their path from the impenetrable forest to the saving steppes. The meaning of life for this young man was selfless service to people whom he loved very much, despite their “bestial” nature.

Both of these legends (both about Danko and Larra) are heard from the lips of the heroine Izergil. It is not by chance that the author gives her the right to judge these heroes, since this elderly woman lived a long life, also filled with meaning. All her experience suggests that you can live with people and at the same time - only for yourself.

Izergil is close to the image of Danko, and she admires the dedication of this young man, but the woman herself cannot do this, since Danko is a romantic hero, and she is a real person. But in her life there was also a place for exploits for the sake of people, and she also performed them in the name of love. So, at the risk of being captured and killed, she ventured to rescue her beloved Arcadek from captivity.

It was in love that Izergil saw the main meaning of her existence, and there was enough love in her life. This woman herself loved many men, and many loved her. But then, at the age of forty, faced with Arcadek’s unrequited love and seeing the unsightly essence of this man (“What a lying dog that was”), Izergil was able to find a new meaning for herself: she decided to “start a nest” and get married.

At the time of communication with the author, this woman is already about seventy years old. Izergil’s husband died, “time bent her in half,” the look of her black eyes dimmed, her hair turned gray, and her skin became wrinkled, but despite this, the old woman finds the strength to enjoy life, the meaning of which she now sees in communication with young Moldovans working together with her at the grape harvest. The woman feels that they need her and that they love her. Now Izergil, thanks to the experience accumulated over the years, can serve people almost in the same way as Danko, telling them instructive stories and illuminating their path with the light of his calm wisdom.

Danko and Larra are two heroes of Gorky’s famous story “Old Woman Izergil”. The old woman, narrating about her life, weaves into this story two beautiful ancient legends about the son of the eagle Larra and the son of the people Danko.

First, the old woman talks about Larra. He is a handsome, proud and strong man. Usually, physical beauty in Gorky already symbolizes a person with high moral ideals. But, as it turns out, this is not always true. Izergil says: “the beautiful are always brave.” This statement is correct, judging by Gorky's early stories. Larra is brave and decisive. But everything about him is excessive: pride and strength. He's too selfish. How much benefit Larra could bring to people if he used the treasures of his soul for their benefit! But he doesn't want to give. He only wants to take, and take the best.

Larra, being the son of an eagle, does not value human society. He prefers loneliness and freedom. Striving for this, he often shows hardness. There is no love, no pity, no compassion in him. He dreams only of loneliness, because he does not see anything attractive in life among people. Sometimes the worst punishment for us is having our wishes come true. This was the case with Larra. He received eternal loneliness and eternal freedom to wander the earth. But how can a person’s soul endure this, even if he is the son of an eagle? No. That’s why Larra’s soul suffers. Only in his eternal wanderings on earth does he understand how unbearable it is to be alone. Every person, by his nature, needs a society of his own kind.

What does happiness consist of? Gorky, in the story “Old Woman Izergil,” answers this question this way: happiness is possible only in love, and the highest happiness is in self-sacrifice. The old woman Izergil talks about this in the legend of Danko.

Danko is somewhat similar to Larra. He is equally handsome, brave, and freedom-loving. But this is a completely different person. He directs the strength of his soul, the burning of his heart to serve people.

Let us remember that part of the legend when people begin to become disillusioned with Danko. They are overcome by unbelief. In the end, they even decide to kill Danko. But does this stop him, does it weaken his desire to lead his people to the light? No. Larra lived among people who were not plotting anything bad against him. It would seem that Danko had much more reasons to become embittered and even hate people. But within him lives a readiness for self-sacrifice and a thirst for achievement. He does not hesitate for a single moment when he needs to tear his heart out of his chest! I think Danko understood that his feat would not be appreciated, that those people for whom he illuminated the path with his heart would immediately forget about him. And so it happened. People, rushing towards their goal, trampled Danko’s hot heart that had fallen to the ground. But he didn't think about himself as he tore out his heart. A person who accomplishes a feat never thinks about himself and how people will react to it. He acts in the name of a high goal. So Danko acted only in the name of saving people.

In the image of Danko, Gorky embodied his ideal of a revolutionary. In Gorky's mind, this is a man with a burning heart, leading people to the light at the cost of his own death. Danko is ready to die for the sake of his cause; he shines light on the dark consciousness of people. It’s the same with revolutionaries: they fight despite the danger of death. They know for sure that, having died themselves, they will leave behind their ideas that will illuminate the path for people.

Gorky argues that Daiko's existence makes sense, because it was aimed at benefiting people. Larra sought only for his own benefit. Gorky, having told us the fate of Larra, affirms the idea that an existence like this can give nothing but emptiness and loneliness. Even the fate of the old woman Izergil, outwardly so unsuccessful, actually makes sense. And this meaning lies in the fact that she did not spare the strength of her soul. She loved people, and they, in turn, answered her in kind. Against the background of even this life, Larra’s existence seems pitiful.

Comparing the fates of Larra and Danko, Gorky makes one important conclusion: a short but bright life dedicated to serving people is better than an eternal selfish existence for its own sake. You can’t be isolated in your egoism. If you want to get as much as possible for yourself, you will most likely lose much more than you want to gain. And vice versa, you gain more the more mental strength you spend for the benefit of people. Danko, who tore out his heart, was much more alive than Larra, who received eternal existence. A high goal justifies any life, so every person, to the extent possible, should strive, if not for a feat, but to help people, to live for them.

Omukchanova Raisa Petrovna
Job title: Deputy Director for Death
Educational institution: MBOU KHSOSH
Locality: Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Krest-Khaldzhay village
Name of material: report
Subject: Danko and Moses, Larra and Cain (biblical origins of A.M. Gorky’s story “The Old Woman Izergil”
Publication date: 16.03.2018
Chapter: complete education

Danko and Moses, Larra and Cain

(biblical origins of the story by A.M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil"

Introduction ___________________________________________________________________

Chapter 1. Gorky and religion _____________________________________________________

Chapter 2. About Gorky’s story “Old Woman Izergil”_________________________________

Chapter 3. Danko and Moses_______________________________________________________________

Chapter 4. Larra and Cain_________________________________________________________

Conclusion ______________________________________________________________________

Used literature _____________________________________________________

Application _________________________________________________________________

Introduction

This work is devoted to the study of the moral origins of creating images

Danko and Larra, heroes of the story by A.M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil"

Relevance research topic is that creativity is currently being revalued

Gorky,

whom

Soviet

"proletarian

writer,

“the petrel of the revolution” and all his works were viewed from this angle. WITH

staggered:

started

openings

revelations,

Attempts were made to “throw Gorky off the ship of modernity,” but to do so

It turned out to be impossible, especially since, parallel to the noticeable drop in interest in

to this writer in Russia, attention to him in the West only increased. How to explain

Gorky's "unsinkability"? Time has shown that his works are always modern and

always arouse keen interest among readers. This can be proven with the example of a story

"Old Woman Izergil"

The heroes of Gorky's early works are people who are proud, strong, brave,

who alone enter into the fight against dark forces. One of these works is

story "Old Woman Izergil". The plot is based on the memories of the old woman Izergil about her

life and the legends she told about Larra and Danko. The legend tells of a brave

to the young man Danko, who loves people more than himself - selflessly, with all his heart. Danko -

a real hero, courageous and fearless, in the name of a noble goal - help

to his people - he is capable of a feat.

Positive,

sublime

contrasts

"negative"

chosen ones

He looks at the people around him as miserable slaves, and kills one girl.

Arrogant, selfish Larra and brave, sacrificing himself for the sake of life

inspired

Gorky

Creation

literary critics explain this by the revolutionary mood of the writer, but, having studied

The life and work of the writer came to a completely different solution to this problem.

Object of study: Gorky's story "Old Woman Izergil"

Subject of research: creating the images of Danko and Larra

Purpose of the study:

prove that the reason for creating the legend of Larra and Danko

Bible stories served as inspiration.

Research hypothesis: the images of Larra and Danko are created on the basis of Christian morality.

The purpose and hypothesis of the study determined the following tasks:

1. Study the facts of A.M.’s life. Gorky related to Christianity;

2. Study in detail the pages from the Bible dedicated to Moses and Cain;

3. Make a comparative analysis of the legend of Danko and the biblical story of Moses;

4. Compare the images of Larra and the biblical sinner Cain;

5. Summarize what has been studied and researched, draw a conclusion.

Chapter 1. Gorky and religion.

“Maxim Gorky” is the pseudonym that Alexey Maksimovich Peshkov took for himself,

Says a lot about the writer. The name “Maxim”, taken by the writer in memory of his father, at the same time

time expresses his declared maximalism. “Gorky” - because he tells

the bitter truth about a bitter life. Does this mean that the writer sees his task in

to tell the reader the bitter truth with uncompromising maximalism? Opinions

on this score may be different. The truth for Gorky is always bitter. Usually this look

explained

biographically:

Indeed, since childhood, life had not spoiled him. But

Gorky’s “bitterness” is explained not only by the external circumstances of life, but also

natural character, perhaps even heredity.

Contemporaries were amazed by the life experience acquired by Gorky already in his early

years of his life. In the early 1900s - a time of mass worship

before him, even the book “Maxim Gorky in Caricatures and Anecdotes” was published.

The material presented in it, although it presents the writer in a caricatured form,

sharpens features that caused bewilderment to some and delight to others. Opens the book

A brief “track record” of a popular writer:

1878. As a boy I entered a shoe store.

1879 – Was an apprentice draftsman.

1880 - Served as a cook on a steamship.

1883 – Worked in a pretzel establishment.

1884 - Was a wood sawyer.

1884 - Switched to work as a loader.

1885 - Worked as a baker in a bakery.

1886 - Was a chorister in a small opera troupe.

1887 – Traded apples.

1888 - Attempted suicide.

1889 – Took the position of railway watchman.

1890 – Acted as manager of brooms and tarpaulins of the railway

1890 – Became a clerk to a sworn attorney.

1891 - Began to wander around Russia and worked in the salt mines.

1892 – Served as a worker in railway workshops.

1892 - Wrote the first story.

1903 - World famous writer, whose name and works became

popular among intelligent readers of all countries.

“In general, the fate of this man is fabulous,” Bunin wrote many years later.- Rumor

repeats: “Tramp, rose from the bottom of the people’s sea...”

And in the Brockhaus dictionary it’s different:

Gorky - Peshkov, Alexey Maksimovich. Born in sixty-nine on Wednesday

quite bourgeois: the father is the manager of a large shipping company, the mother is the daughter

a rich merchant-dyer...” All this is true and not true.

Savvateevich,

demoted

officers,

cabinetmaker,

manager

steamship

office

Astrakhan, lived away from his family and died of cholera in 1871. Gorky didn’t know his father, but that’s all

everything connected with him was surrounded by a special halo for him, in honor of him he and his son

called Maxim. Maybe on the paternal side - from the grandfather - a certain

dissatisfaction,

protest.

Interesting:

Gorky,

showed

capabilities

drawing,

professional

painter.

The talent of this cheerful and witty young man was of a satirical nature, but,

by definition

acquaintances, he painted “in the style of Bosch” - and this is not just satire, it

a kind of pathology. Unlike his father, Maxim grew up in an atmosphere of love and understanding, -

but a certain heredity of “bitterness” also manifested itself in him.

Gorky's mother, Varvara Vasilyevna, remarried shortly after her husband's death.

In 1897 she died of transient consumption. Thus, at the age of 11, the future writer

remained an orphan. He inherited weak lungs from his mother. Co

Over time, he developed tuberculosis, from which he was never completely cured.

This disease also leaves its mark on a person’s character: difficulty breathing,

fever and weakness - all this contributes to a gloomy, pessimistic

outlook on life.

Gorky considered himself an atheist. But this means that he grew up outside of religious

education

autobiographical

trilogy

Childhood"

Universities" is replete with details of church piety, and at the same time it

A guide for educators: how not to teach faith.

Vasilievich

Kashirina,

owner

dyeing establishment. My grandfather had a difficult character, like many people in his environment, he

was religiously pious, read the Psalter and Book of Hours every day before going to bed, but

his piety was formal, external.

“Grandfather’s house was filled with a hot fog of mutual enmity,” Gorky recalled in

the story “Childhood,” it poisoned adults and even children took part in it.” God,

whom the grandfather bowed to, seemed cruel and punishing to his grandson.

Psalms,

he mastered the Church Slavonic literacy before the Russian one, knew the Holy Scriptures well and,

already being a conscious atheist, he often flaunted quotes from the Bible and his ability

stylize

biblical

education

remembered

quiet, timid aunt Natalya.

Well, please say: “Our Father like you...”

And if I asked: “What is it?” she, looking around fearfully, advised:

Don't ask, it's worse! Just say after me: “Our Father...” Well?

I was worried: why is asking worse? The word "like" took on a hidden meaning

and I deliberately distorted it: “Yakov is in the same,” “I am in the skin.” Unlearned prayers were followed by

grandfather’s indispensable order: “whip.” Naturally, this technique contributed

rooting in Orthodoxy.

However, Gorky never denied the moral preaching of Christ, but His

perceived himself more according to Renan than according to the Gospel - as a historical figure,

whose true history later became overgrown with legends and fiction. He believed that

God - God is a man-made embodiment of all the best that is in man.

“There is no God, Leonidushka,” he wrote in a letter to Leonid Andreev. - There is a dream about him...

God is a convenient explanation for everything that happens around us and that’s all.” But to my son

presented the New Testament with the inscription: “I give you, my dear, one of the best books in the world,”

And in one of his letters he wrote: “Read the Gospel, it’s a good book, and it’s necessary.”

know". In a letter to Ekaterina Pavlovna in December 1910. remarks: “Good book,

agree, you need to know her”; and Maxim: “Read the Gospel, a good book, and

need to know." Gorky also knew well prayers, the lives of saints, church services,

but he did not recognize the holiness of the Church - in this, obviously, a significant role was played by the fact that he

I had to see too early without embellishment “salt that has ceased to be salty”, and

there was no positive antithesis - or Gorky did not know how to see it. Concepts of kindness,

He learned mercy and compassion from his grandmother, Akulina Ivanovna. Grandma is like that

shown

"Childhood"

Gorkovsky

reminds

the righteous

Nikiforova

exclaims

steamship

showing

opening

panorama

Novgorod, - Here it is, father, Nizhny is that! This is what God is like!” "Long prayers

days always end with grief, quarrels and fights; listening to them is very interesting; grandmother

tells God in detail about everything that happened in the house.

You, my dear, know everything, everything is known to You, Father.

I really liked my grandmother’s god, so close to her, and I often asked her: Tell me

About God!

The Lord sits on a hill, in the middle of a paradise meadow, on the throne of a blue yacht, under

silver linden trees, and those linden trees bloom all year round, there is neither winter nor autumn in paradise, and

the flowers never fade, they bloom tirelessly, to the joy of the saints of God...”

“I realized very early that my grandfather had one god, and my grandmother had another,” he recalled

writer. But cruelty and indifference lived

and in grandma's paradise:

"Here is your angel

He brings it to the Lord: “Lexeus stuck out his tongue to his grandfather.” And the Lord will order: “Well,

let the old man flog him!” And so everything is about everyone, and he rewards everyone according to the deeds to whom we grieve,

to whom joy." The boy did not accept such a paradise and such a judgment.

Watching his grandmother, Alyosha Peshkov came to the conclusion that religiosity in Russian

people has grown together with prejudices, passivity, inertia, their active nature is such

the worldview was alien.

In 1877, Alexey Peshkov entered the school, studied very well, after two years

commendable

formal

education ended: by this time the Kashirins had gone bankrupt and soon the future

the writer found himself “among the people.” “Well, Lexey, you are not a medal, there’s no place for you on my neck,

“Go and join the people,” the “pious” grandfather told him, and the short grandmother said nothing

objected.

Indeed, as was mentioned in Gorky's humorous track record,

he happened to be both a “boy” at a fashion shoe store and a student (and

simultaneously

servant)

draftsman,

cookware

steamships

"Kind"

"Perm". Some

student

iconographic

workshop,

I was not inspired by icon painting: “I didn’t like the ugly painted icons;

sell

stories

represented

Mother of God

beautiful,

pictures

magazines,

they depicted her as old, strict, with a long, crooked nose and wooden handles<…>

No one is interested in icon painting: some evil sage divided the work into a long series

actions devoid of beauty, unable to arouse love for the work, interest in it.

The cross-eyed carpenter Panfil, angry and malicious, brings the things he has planed and glued together.

cypress and linden boards of different sizes; the consumptive fellow Davidov primes them;

"gesso"

pencil

the original, they paint the landscape and the robe of the icon, then she, without a face and arms, stands against the wall,

waiting for personal work. It is very unpleasant to see large icons for iconostases and

altar doors, when they stand against the wall without a face, arms, legs - only vestments or armor

and short shirts of archangels. These colorfully painted boards smell of death,

that which should revive it is not there, but it seems that it already existed and miraculously disappeared,

leaving only their heavy vestments..."

Facts from the life of A.M. Gorky

autobiographical

trilogy

"Childhood"

universities"

replete with details of church piety.

Psalms,

Church Slavonic

before Russian, knew the Holy Scriptures well;

3. While working on the ship, I read the lives of saints with the cook Smury;

4. He learned the concepts of kindness, mercy, and compassion from his grandmother Akulina Ivanovna:

“I really liked my grandmother’s god, so close to her, and I often asked her: “Tell me about

5. For some time he was a student in an icon-painting workshop.

6. Gorky knew prayers, lives of saints, and church services well.

7. He gave his son a New Testament with the inscription: I give you, my dear, one of

the best books in the world!"

Conclusion: Gorky considered himself an atheist, but the moral preaching of Christ was never

denied, he believed that God is a man-made embodiment of all the best that

is in a person.

Chapter 2. About the story of A.M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil"

The heroes of Gorky's early works are people who are proud, strong, brave,

who alone enter into the fight against dark forces. One of these works is

story "Old Woman Izergil".

The plot is based on the memories of the old woman Izergil about her life and the stories she told

legends about Larra and Danko. The legend tells about the brave and handsome young man Danko,

who loves people more than himself - selflessly and with all his heart. Danko is real

hero - courageous and fearless, in the name of a noble goal - helping his people

- he is capable of feat. When overcome with fear, exhausted by a long journey through

In the impenetrable forest, the tribe already wanted to go to the enemy and bring him their freedom as a gift,

Danko appeared. Energy and living fire shone in his eyes, the people believed in him and

went after him. But tired of the difficult path, people again lost heart and stopped believing

Danko, and at this turning point, when the embittered crowd began to surround him more densely,

to kill, Danko tore the heart out of his chest, illuminating the path to salvation.

The image of Danko embodies a high ideal - a humanist, a great spiritual personality

beauty, capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of saving other people. This hero

despite his painful death, does not evoke a feeling of pity in the reader, because

that his feat is higher than this kind of feelings. Respect, delight, admiration - that's what

feels

reader,

introducing

imagination

fiery

holding a heart sparkling with love in his hand.

Positive,

sublime

contrasts

“negative” image of Larra - a proud and egoist Larra considers himself the chosen one and

He looks at the people around him as miserable slaves. When asked why he killed

girl, Larra replies: “Do you only use yours? I see that everyone

man has only speech, arms and legs, but he owns animals, women, land... and

many more."

His logic is simple and terrible; if everyone followed it, then the world would soon

time, there would only be a pitiful handful of people left, fighting for survival and hunting each other

on a friend. Understanding the depth of Larra’s wrongness, he is unable to forgive and forget

perfect

crime,

condemns

loneliness.

society gives rise to a feeling of inexpressible melancholy in Larra. “In his eyes, - Izergil, -

there was so much melancholy that one could send it to all the people of the world.”

Pride,

most wonderful

character.

free, the weak - strong, the insignificance turns into a person. Pride does not tolerate

nothing philistine or “generally accepted”. But hypertrophied pride gives rise to

absolute

society,

moral

principles, which ultimately leads to dire consequences.

It is this idea of ​​Gorky that is key in the old woman Isegril’s story about Larra,

who, being just such an absolutely free individual, dies spiritually

for everyone (and above all for himself), remaining to live forever in his physical

shell. The hero has gained immortality and is free from it. Larra was doomed to

loneliness and considered death to be true happiness for himself. True happiness, after all,

Gorky's opinion is to give yourself to people, as Danko did.

A distinctive feature of this story is a sharp contrast, the opposition of good

and bad, good and evil, light and dark.

The ideological meaning of the story is complemented by the depiction of the image of the narrator - an old woman

Izergil. Her memories of her life's journey are also a kind of legend about

Izergil

proudly declares that she has never been a slave. Izergil with

admiration

talks about

love for feats: “When a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and will find where

this is possible."

story

"Old woman

Izergil"

exceptional

characters,

exalts proud and strong-willed people for whom freedom is above all. For

him Izergil, Danko and Larra, despite the extreme, contradictory nature of the first,

the apparent uselessness of the second’s feat; the endless distance from all living things

third,

true heroes, people who bring to the world the idea of ​​freedom in its different

manifestations.

However, in order to truly live life, it is not enough to “burn”,

It is not enough to be free and proud, feeling and restless. Must have

the main thing is the goal. A goal that would justify human existence, because “the price

a person’s business is his.” There is always a place for heroic deeds in life.” "Forward! - higher! everyone - forward!

and - above - this is the credo of the present.

Chapter 3. Danko and Moses

1. Life of the Prophet Moses

The book of Exodus tells us that Moses' parents belonged to

reign

Joseph." Hard labor did not reduce the number of Jews, and Pharaoh ordered to drown in

Nile of all newborn babies are male Israelites. At that time in the family

Amram's son Moses was born. Moses' mother Johobed managed to hide the baby in her home

at home for three months. No longer able to hide the child, she left

him in a basket in a reed thicket on the banks of the Nile, where he was found by the daughter of Pharaoh. she,

baby,

agreed

Israeli nurse.

Jochebed, and Moses was given to his mother, who nursed him. "And the child grew up, and

She brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she had him instead of a son."

Having matured,

got interested

enslaved

fellow tribesmen and "went out to his brothers." Having once seen how one of the overseers

beats a Jew at construction work, Moses killed the Egyptian offender and hid him

body in the sand. After this, Moses witnessed a quarrel between two Jews,

leading to a fight. One of them said: “Do you want to kill me like Moses?”

Moses was frightened; he realized that his case was already known. Fleeing from the wrath of Pharaoh,

Moses fled to the land of the Midialists, where he married the daughter of a local priest, who

She bore him sons Gershon and Enitzer. For many years Moses tended sheep.

And one day God calls out to Moses from the burning bush - who was burning, but

unburnt bush - and reveals his Yakve to him. the Lord told him to bring him out

his people from cruel oppression. He went to save the children of Israel with his brother

Aaron. Then the people believed him. He led them across the sea, gave them food and did for them

whatever they wish.

At this stage of the wandering, the first military clash with

the Amaleneites - the people who blocked the Israelites' road to Mount Sinai. In battle

The Israelites are victorious thanks to Moses.

Having overcome all obstacles, the people approach Mount Sinai. Moses in

publicly announces the Ten Commandments, in which God declares himself to be the only God

Israel. The Sinai revelation, the giving of the Law and the making of the Covenant - the climax

The exodus and apogee of the stormy and rapid activity of Moses. spends forty days

manufacture

material god. Aaron makes a golden calf, which the people brought out

him from Egypt. Moses, outraged by the gross violation of the second of the Ten Commandments,

breaks

handed over

tablets

commandments

recorded. The Lord wanted to destroy this people who had retreated from him. Moses rejects

this proposal, intercedes for the Israelites, and God reverses his decision.

Alienation begins between Moses and the people he liberated from

slavery. "Moses pitched himself a tent... far from the camp and called it the tabernacle of meeting."

Moses again climbs the mountain, where, at the command of God, he writes down the words of the Testament on new

tablets. After talking with God, Moses' face lights up with light. Since then, appearing

Before the people, after each conversation with God, Moses covers his face with a veil.

The crisis caused by the worship of the golden calf was a shock to

Moses. He leads the people in a roundabout way. But even more bitter disappointment befalls

Moses, when the spies sent to Canaan return. angry god again

decides to destroy the people of Israel, but this time Moses manages to get God to

forgiveness.

forty years old

stay

approaching

Canaan. Moses, despite his age (one hundred and twenty years), is still full of strength.

Moses dies in the land of Moab after God himself reveals

to him from Mount Nebo the whole land of Israel, "no one knows the place of his burial even to this day

days... And the children of Israel mourned for him... thirty days."

2. Comparative table of lines taken from the legend of Danko and from the book of Exodus in

Bible.

1. And then one day a difficult time came:

other tribes appeared from somewhere and drove away

the former ones deep into the forest. there were swamps, from

there was such a stench that people died alone

after another.

Pharaoh set the people of Israel over

bosses,

exhausted

work.

E g i p t i n a m i

o o o o o o y

cruelty

forced

Israelis

tried

unbearably cruel.

2. But then Danko appeared and saved them all alone.

suffering

trusting

deliverer in the person of Moses.

3. His heart burned brighter to save

burning

thorn bush.

4. Danko led them. Everyone went together

him - believed in him.

Israelis

The people believed the Lord and Moses.

those who were weary of him lost heart. In anger and anger

collapsed

person,

walked ahead of them. And they began to reproach him for

inability to manage them.

When they came to the desert, they all became

grumble against Moses and Aaron.

6. And then suddenly he tore his chest and

ripped his heart out of her.

went down

tablets,

The 10 commandments are written.

made way

stayed behind. All the people immediately plunged into

a sea of ​​sunshine and clean air.

Moses came up from the plains and showed him

The Lord said to the whole earth: This is the earth, oh

glad

free

laughed

then he fell and died.

God said: "I let you see through her eyes

yours, but you will not enter it." And he died

There Moses was buried in the valley.

3. What do the stories about Danko and Moses have in common?

1. Reason: the people, ardently loved by these heroes, found themselves in a difficult situation, because

For the love of their people, Danko and Moses dared to save them.

2. The trials that befell them: Danko and Moses led their people through thorns,

their path was difficult. Unable to withstand the difficulties, the people complained about them. But our heroes don't

got angry, they were able to forgive them.

3. The ability to self-sacrifice: in order to be able to further lead the people,

Danko and Moses decided to take an action that inspired people and gave them hope.

4. Final: Danko and Moses saved their people, but they themselves died, having entered the

the promised land.

Chapter 4. Larra and Cain

The Story of Cain

Cain and Abel are the children of Adam and Eve. One of them, Abel, was tending sheep, and his brother, Cain,

was a farmer. One day Cain brought a gift to the Lord from the fruits of the earth. And Abel

He also brought some of the firstlings of his sheep and some of their fat. And the Lord looked upon Abel

and his gift, but Cain and his gift he did not respect. Cain was very upset and he bowed down

his face. Then the Lord said to Cain: “Why were you upset and why did your face droop?

yours? If you do good, don't you raise your face? And if you don't do good,

sin lies at the door; he attracts you to himself, you dominate him.”

However, Cain did not overcome his sin and continued to envy his brother. One day,

when both brothers were in the field, Cain attacked Abel and killed him. Blood of the First

the man who died on earth was stained by the earth.

The Lord punished Cain for his sin and made him an exile and wanderer on

earth. What terrible sin can envy lurking in the heart lead to!

Therefore, to avoid sin, you need to watch, pray and overcome sin

by the power of the Lord.

(Children's Bible, Genesis 4:2-12)

Larra and Cain

1. A powerful tribe lived there, they grazed flocks

and spent their strength on hunting animals

courage, feasted after the hunt, sang

songs and played with the girls.

1. Abel was tending sheep, and Cain was

farmer.

2. Everyone looked at the eagle’s son in surprise

and they saw that they were no better than them, only

his eyes were cold and proud, like a king

2. And the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift,

but he did not look upon Cain and his gift. Cain

He became very upset and his face fell.

3. When the elders arrived, he

talked to them as if they were equals.

This offended them and they told him that they

they are respected and obeyed by thousands like him,

and thousands twice his age.

3. Then the Lord said to Cain: “How much are you

were you upset and why did your face droop?

If you do good, don't you raise

faces? And if you don’t do good, from

sin lies at the door; he attracts you to himself, he

you rule over him.”

4. The girl pushed him away and went away

4. However, Cain did not overcome sin and

away, and he hit her and when she fell,

stood on her chest, the girl sighed,

she writhed like a snake and died.

continued to envy his brother. One day,

when both brothers were in the field, Cain attacked

Abel and killed him.

5. And the wisest one said: “There is punishment.

This is a terrible punishment, you can't imagine it

like this in a thousand years. His punishment is in him

himself. Let him in, let him be

free! This is his punishment!

5. And the Lord said: “When you

cultivate the land, she will no longer

give my strength for you; you will

an exile and a wanderer on earth.

The punishment is more than one can bear."

6. He fell to the ground and banged his head for a long time

about her. But the earth moved away from him,

deepening from the gifts of his head. "He doesn't

may die,” people said with joy.

6. And the Lord said: “Therefore everyone who

he will kill Cain, he will take revenge on everyone.” And he did

The Lord is a sign that no one

having met him, he did not kill him.

7. He has no life, and death does not smile

to him. And there is no place for him among people. Here's how

the man was amazed for his pride!

7. And Cain went away from the presence of the Lord,

settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The main idea of ​​these works.

Larra and Cain committed a terrible sin; they both violated one of God’s commandments:

don't kill! What punishment awaits them? In the Bible, God decided to punish Cain

immortality, he expelled him from his native land, made him a wanderer and ordered him not to beat

his. Gorky also decided to punish Larra with loneliness, gave him freedom, but this

there was freedom without people. It turns out that a person cannot live without communication. Larra

seeks death, but cannot find it. Gorky took such a terrible punishment from

Conclusion

In Gorky's biography we found facts confirming that the writer did not

denied Christian morality.

The story of Moses is similar to the legend of Danko both in plot and in the character of the heroes,

who are united by a fiery love for their people.

In the legend of Lara and in the biblical story of Cain, the red line runs

the idea that rejection from one’s people is the most terrible punishment.

What has been studied and followed leads to the conclusion that A.M. Gorky at creation

The story “Old Woman Izergil” used biblical stories.

Literature used

Gorky A.M. Favorites. M, "Children's literature", 1982.

Bible. Ed. "Light in the East", 2000.

Children's Bible. Ed. Russian Bible Society, M, 1994.

Zalomov P. My meetings with Maxim Gorky. “Literary newspaper, No. 51, 1937

Zhigalov M.P., Great writer of Russia. Ed. "Children's Literature"