III. Final words from the teacher. M. Gorky "At the Lower Depths": description, characters, analysis of the play Was there a chance to live a different life

The drama "At the Lower Depths" is a landmark work in Gorky's creative biography. Descriptions of the heroes will be presented in this article.

This work was written at a turning point for the country. In Russia in the 90s of the 19th century, a serious outbreak broke out. Masses of impoverished, ruined peasants left the villages after each crop failure in search of work. Plants and factories were closed. Thousands of people found themselves without means of livelihood and shelter. This led to the emergence of a large number of “tramps” who sank to the bottom of life.

Who lived in the dosshouses?

Enterprising slum owners, taking advantage of the fact that people found themselves in a hopeless situation, found how to extract benefit from fetid basements. They turned them into shelters in which beggars, the unemployed, thieves, tramps and other representatives of the “bottom” lived. This work was written in 1902. The heroes of the play "At the Bottom" are just such people.

Throughout his entire career, Maxim Gorky was interested in personality, man, his secrets. Feelings and thoughts, dreams and hopes, weakness and strength - all this is reflected in the work. The heroes of the play "At the Bottom" are people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century, when the old world collapsed and a new life arose. However, they differ from the rest in that they are rejected by society. These are people from the bottom, outcasts. The place where Vaska Pepel, Bubnov, Actor, Satin and others live is unsightly and scary. According to Gorky's description, this is a cave-like basement. Its ceiling is stone vaults with crumbling plaster, smoked. Why did the inhabitants of the shelter find themselves “at the bottom” of life, what brought them here?

Heroes of the play "At the Bottom": table

What ruined the lives of these people?

Addiction to alcohol ruined the Actor. By his own admission, he used to have a good memory. Now the Actor believes that everything is over for him. Vaska Pepel is a representative of the "thieves' dynasty". This hero had no choice but to continue his father’s work. He says that even when he was little, even then he was called a thief. Former furrier Bubnov left his workshop because of his wife’s infidelity, as well as out of fear of his wife’s lover. He went bankrupt, after which he went to serve in one “treasury chamber”, in which he committed embezzlement. One of the most colorful figures in the work is Satin. He was a former telegraph operator, and went to prison for the murder of a man who insulted his sister.

Who do the shelter's inhabitants blame?

Almost all the characters in the play “At the Bottom” tend to blame life circumstances rather than themselves for the current situation. Perhaps, if they had turned out differently, nothing would have changed significantly, and the same fate would have befallen the night shelters anyway. The phrase that Bubnov said confirms this. He admitted that he actually drank the workshop away.

Apparently, the reason for the fall of all these people is their lack of a moral core, which constitutes a person’s personality. You can cite the words of the Actor as an example: “Why did you die? I had no faith...”

Was there a chance to live a different life?

By creating the images of the characters in the play “At the Lower Depths,” the author provided each of them with the opportunity to live a different life. That is, they had a choice. However, for each, the first test ended in the collapse of life. The baron, for example, could improve his affairs not by stealing government funds, but by investing money in profitable businesses that he had.

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

How do the heroes console themselves?

All they can do now is live with unrealistic hopes and illusions. Baron, Bubnov and Actor live. The prostitute Nastya amuses herself with dreams of true love. At the same time, the characterization of the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” is complemented by the fact that these people, rejected by society, humiliated, wage endless debates about moral and spiritual problems. Although it would be more logical to talk about since they live from hand to mouth. The author's description of the characters in the play "At the Bottom" suggests that they are interested in such issues as freedom, truth, equality, work, love, happiness, law, talent, honesty, pride, compassion, conscience, pity, patience, death, peace and much more. They are also concerned about an even more important problem. They talk about what a person is, why he is born, what is the true meaning of existence. The philosophers of the shelter can be called Luka, Satina, Bubnova.

With the exception of Bubnov, all the heroes of the work reject the “losing” lifestyle. They hope for a lucky turn of fortune that will bring them from the “bottom” to the surface. Kleshch, for example, says that he has been working since he was young (this hero is a mechanic), so he will definitely get out of here. “Wait a minute... my wife will die...” he says. The actor, this chronic drunkard, hopes to find a luxurious hospital in which health, strength, talent, memory and the applause of the audience will miraculously return to him. Anna, an unfortunate sufferer, dreams of bliss and peace in which she will finally be rewarded for her torment and patience. Vaska Pepel, this desperate hero, kills Kostylev, the owner of the shelter, because he considers the latter the embodiment of evil. His dream is to go to Siberia, where he will start a new life with his beloved girl.

Luke's role in the work

Luke, the wanderer, supports these illusions. He masters the skill of a comforter and preacher. Maxim Gorky portrays this hero as a doctor who considers all people to be terminally ill and sees his calling in softening their pain and hiding it from them. However, at every step, life refutes the position of this hero. Anna, to whom he promises divine reward in heaven, suddenly wants to “live a little more....” Having first believed in a cure for alcoholism, the Actor commits suicide at the end of the play. Vaska Pepel determines the true value of all these consolations of Luka. He claims that he “tells fairy tales” pleasantly, because there is so little good in the world.

Satin's opinion

Luka is full of sincere pity for the inhabitants of the shelter, but he cannot change anything, help people live a different life. In his monologue, Satin rejects this attitude, because he considers it humiliating, suggesting the failure and wretchedness of those to whom this pity is directed. The main characters of the play "At the Bottom" Satin and Luka express opposing opinions. Satin says that it is necessary to respect a person and not humiliate him with pity. These words probably express the author’s position: “Man!.. This sounds... proud!”

The further fate of the heroes

What will happen to all these people in the future, will the heroes of Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” be able to change anything? It is not difficult to imagine their future fate. For example, Tick. At the beginning of the work he tries to get out of the “bottom”. He thinks that when his wife dies, everything will magically change for the better. However, after the death of his wife, Kleshch is left without tools and money and gloomily sings along with others: “I won’t run away anyway.” In fact, he will not run away, like the other inhabitants of the shelter.

What is salvation?

Are there any ways to escape from the “bottom” at all, and what are they? A decisive way out of this difficult situation may be outlined in Satin’s speech when he talks about the truth. He believes that the purpose of a strong man is to eradicate evil, and not to comfort the suffering, like Luke. This is one of the firmest convictions of Maxim Gorky himself. People can rise from the bottom only by learning to respect themselves and gaining self-esteem. Then they will be able to bear the proud title of Man. It still needs to be earned, according to Gorky.

Declaring his belief in the creative powers, abilities and intelligence of a free person, Maxim Gorky affirmed the ideas of humanism. The author understood that in the mouth of Satin, a drunken tramp, words about a free and proud man sound artificial. However, they had to sound in the play, expressing the ideals of the writer himself. There was no one to say this speech to except Satin.

In his work, Gorky refuted the main principles of idealism. These are the ideas of humility, forgiveness, non-resistance. He made it clear what beliefs the future belongs to. This is proven by the fate of the heroes of the play "At the Bottom". The entire work is imbued with faith in man.

Issues of the play

History of creation and name of the play

The play “At the Lower Depths” was written in 1902 for the troupe of the Moscow Art Public Theater.

In the 1900s, Russia suffered a severe economic crisis. After each crop failure, masses of impoverished peasants wandered around the country in search of income. Factories and factories were closing. Thousands of workers were left without a livelihood. A huge number of tramps sink to the “bottom” of life.

Taking advantage of the desperate situation of the people, enterprising owners of dark slums found a way to benefit from their fetid basements, turning them into flophouses where the unemployed, beggars, tramps, thieves and other “former” people found shelter. The play “At the Bottom” depicts the life of these people.

The action of the play takes place in a gloomy, semi-dark basement, like a cave, where it is dark, there is no space and there is nothing to breathe. The furnishings of the basement are poor: instead of chairs there are dirty pieces of wood, a roughly knocked together table, and bunks along the walls. The gloomy life of the Kostylev doss house is depicted as the embodiment of social evil. The depiction of this terrible world is an indictment against an unjust social order.

Initially the play was called “Nochlezhka”, then “Without the Sun”, “The Bottom”, “At the Bottom of Life”. The title “At the Bottom” has a deep meaning. People who have fallen “to the bottom” will never rise to the light, to a new life. The last name was perceived more widely: “at the bottom” not only of life, but first of all of the human soul.

The play “At the Lower Depths” continues the theme of the humiliated and insulted in Russian literature. At its center is a dispute about man. The main thing in this dispute is the problem of truth and lies. What is more important for a person – a lie or the truth? Should we perceive life as it really is, with all its hopelessness for the inhabitants of the shelter, or should we live in illusions? Gorky poses a philosophical question in the play: what is better – truth or compassion? There is no clear answer to the philosophical questions of the play.

The characters in the play are not united by a single plot, but exist as if in parallel. Gorky presents the disunity of the inhabitants of the shelter with the help of a polylogue.

Polylogue is a form of speech that combines the remarks of all participants in the scene. In Act 1, all the characters speak, almost without listening to others, each talking about his own.

Night shelters are people who are deeply suffering and lonely. Having reached the very bottom of life, they became ruthless towards themselves and others.

Baron- a bankrupt nobleman, all his property is memories of the former greatness of his family. He lives off Nastya, but her tears and fantasies only amuse him. He mocks everyone and quickly loses his human appearance.

Mite- a mechanic, dreams of getting out of the shelter through honest work. Fate has made him embittered and cruel, he despises all night shelters. After the death of his wife Anna, having sold his tools, he loses all hope of getting out of the “bottom” and accepts his fellow sufferers.

Anna- Kleshch’s dying wife, constantly worries about “not eating anything else.”

Actor- a weak-willed alcoholic who once played on stage, who, due to uselessness, lost not only his place, but even his name. And at the same time, he is a soft, lyrically-minded romantic and poet at heart. Lives with memories of beauty.

Nastya– a fallen woman, naive, touching and helpless. She passionately dreams of pure and devoted love, in her illusions she tries to hide from the dirt that surrounds her.

Kvashnya- a dumplings seller, consoles herself with the illusion that she is a free woman.

Vaska Ash- a thief, the son of a thief, was born in prison and is doomed to follow this road. But he longs for a proper life: he dreams of marrying Natasha, leaving the power of Vasilisa (Kostylev’s wife, the owner of the flophouse), who is inciting him to kill her husband.

Satin- a drunkard and a sharper, he hit rock bottom after serving time in prison for murder (not believing in justice, he took revenge on the scoundrel who killed his sister). Sometimes cruel and cynical, infected with anarchic ideas. But still, what distinguishes him from other tramps is his intelligence, relative education and breadth of nature.

Bubnov- a cap holder, left home for a shelter “out of harm’s way” so as not to kill his wife and her lover. He admits that he is lazy and a drunkard. He is indifferent to everything, he does not like people and does not believe in anything. This is the darkest figure in the play.

Owners of the flophouse(Kostylev, his wife Vasilisa, policeman Medvedev) are people who are not far from their guests.

The purpose of the lesson: to create a problematic situation and encourage students to express their own point of view on the image of Luke and his life position.

Methodological techniques: discussion, analytical conversation.

Lesson equipment: portrait and photographs of A.M. Gorky from different years.

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During the classes.

1. Analytical conversation.

Let us turn to the extra-event series of the drama and see how the conflict develops here.

How do the inhabitants of the shelter perceive their situation before Luke appears?

(In the exhibition we see people who, in essence, have come to terms with their humiliating position. The night shelters squabble sluggishly, habitually, and the Actor says to Satin: “One day they will completely kill you... to death...” “And you are a fool,” Satin snaps. “Why “- the Actor is surprised. “Because you can’t kill twice.” But the response is interesting. Actor: “I don’t understand... why is it impossible?” Perhaps it is the Actor, who died more than once on stage, who understands the horror of the situation more deeply than others, after all, it is he who will commit suicide at the end of the play.)

- What is the meaning of using the past tense in the characters’ self-characteristics?

(People feel like “former”: “Satin. I was an educated person” (the paradox is that the past tense is impossible in this case). “Bubnov. I was a furrier.” Bubnov pronounces a philosophical maxim: “It turns out that it’s like outside Don’t paint yourself, everything will be erased... everything will be erased, yes!”).

Which character is opposed to the others?

(Only one Kleshch has not yet come to terms with his fate. He separates himself from the rest of the night shelters: “What kind of people are they? A rag, a golden company... people! I am a working man... I’m ashamed to look at them... I’ve been working since I was little... Do you think I won’t get out of here? I’ll get out... I’ll tear off my skin, but I’ll get out... Just wait... my wife will die...” Tick’s dream of another life is connected with the liberation that his wife’s death will bring him. He does not feel the enormity of his statement. And the dream will turn out to be imaginary. )

Which scene sets up the conflict?

(The beginning of the conflict is the appearance of Luke. He immediately announces his views on life: “I don’t care! I respect swindlers too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad: they’re all black, they all jump... that’s it.” And also: “For an old man, where it’s warm, there’s a homeland...” Luka finds himself in the center of attention of the guests: “What an interesting little old man you brought, Natasha...” - and the entire development of the plot is concentrated on him.)

How does Luke affect night shelters?

(Luka quickly finds an approach to the night shelters: “I’ll look at you, brothers, - your life - oh!...” He feels sorry for Alyoshka: “Eh, guy, you’re confused...” He does not respond to rudeness, skillfully avoids questions that are unpleasant for him, is ready to sweep the floor instead of the shelters. Luka becomes necessary for Anna, feels sorry for her: “Is it possible to abandon a person like that?” Luka skillfully flatters Medvedev, calling him “under,” and he immediately falls for this bait.)

What do we know about Luke?

(Luka says practically nothing about himself, we only learn: “They crushed a lot, that’s why he’s soft...”)

What does Luke say to each of the inhabitants of the shelter?

(In each of them, Luka sees a person, discovers their bright sides, the essence of personality, and this makes a revolution in the lives of the heroes. It turns out that the prostitute Nastya dreams of beautiful and bright love; the drunken Actor receives hope for a cure for alcoholism; the thief Vaska Pepel plans to leave to Siberia and start a new life there with Natalya, to become a strong master. Luka gives consolation to Anna: “Nothing, nothing else will be needed, and there is nothing to be afraid of - silence, peace - lie to yourself!” faith in the best.)

Did Luka lie to the night shelters?

(There may be different opinions on this matter. Luke selflessly tries to help people, instill in them faith in himself, awaken the best sides of nature. He sincerely wishes good, shows real ways to achieve a new, better life. After all, there really are hospitals for alcoholics, indeed Siberia - the golden side, and not just a place of exile and hard labor. As for the afterlife with which he attracts Anna, the question is more complicated; this is a question of faith and religious beliefs. What did he lie about when Luka convinces Nastya that he believes in her feelings? her love: “If you believe that you had real love... then there was it!”

How do the inhabitants of the shelter react to Luke’s words?

(The lodgers are at first incredulous of his words: “Why are you lying?” Luka does not deny this; he answers the question with a question: “And... what do you really need... think about it! She really can , fucked up for you...” Even to a direct question about God, Luke answers evasively: “If you believe, there is; if you don’t believe, there is no... What you believe in, that is...”)

What groups can the characters in the play be divided into?

"believers" "non-believers"

Anna believes in God. The tick no longer believes in anything.

Tatar - in Allah. Bubnov never believed anything.

Nastya - into fatal love.

Baron - into his past, perhaps invented.

What is the sacred meaning of the name “Luke”?

(The name “Luke” has a dual meaning: this name is reminiscent of the evangelist Luke, means “bright”, and at the same time is associated with the word “evil” (devil).)

(The author's position is expressed in the development of the plot. After Luka leaves, everything happens not at all as Luka convinced and as the heroes expected. Vaska Pepel really ends up in Siberia, but only to hard labor, for the murder of Kostylev, and not as a free settler. The actor who lost faith in oneself, in one’s own strengths, exactly repeats the fate of the hero of Luke’s parable about the righteous land. Luke, having told a parable about a man who, having lost faith in the existence of a righteous land, hanged himself, believes that a person cannot be deprived of dreams, even imaginary ones. while showing the fate of the Actor, he assures the reader and viewer that it is false hope that can lead a person to suicide.)

Gorky himself wrote about his plan: “The main question that I wanted to pose is what is better, truth or compassion. What is more necessary? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies, like Luke? This is not a subjective question, but a general philosophical one.”

Gorky contrasts not truth and lies, but truth and compassion. How justified is this opposition?

(This faith did not have time to take hold in the minds of the night shelters; it turned out to be fragile and lifeless; with the disappearance of Luka, hope fades.)

What is the reason for the rapid decline of faith?

(Perhaps the point is in the weakness of the heroes themselves, in their inability and unwillingness to do at least something to implement new plans. Dissatisfaction with reality, a sharply negative attitude towards it, are combined with a complete unwillingness to do anything to change this reality.)

How does Luke explain the failures of life for the homeless shelters?

(Luke explains the failures in the lives of the night shelters by external circumstances, and does not at all blame the heroes themselves for their failed lives. That is why they were so drawn to him and were so disappointed, having lost external support with Luke’s departure.)

Luke is a living image precisely because he is contradictory and ambiguous.

1. Discussion of questions D.Z.

The philosophical question that Gorky himself posed: what is better – truth or compassion? The question of truth is multifaceted. Each person understands the truth in his own way, still keeping in mind some final, highest truth. Let's see how truth and lies relate in the drama “At the Bottom.”

What do the characters in the play mean by truth?

(This word has multiple meanings. See the dictionary.

Two levels of “truth” can be distinguished.

D.Z.

Prepare for an essay on the works of M. Gorky.

4-2 System: teaching literature as a subject that shapes a person.

LESSON SUMMARY ON M. GORKY'S PLAY “At the Depths”

The role of Luka in the drama “At the Bottom”. Is Luke a healer of souls or a liar?

The purpose of the lesson : create a problematic situation and encourage students to speak out

own point of view on the image of Luke and his life position.

Methodical techniques : discussion, analytical conversation.

Teacher's word:

In the last lesson, we began to get acquainted with M. Gorky’s play “At the Depths”. An unsightly picture appeared before our eyes: a cave-like basement. The ceiling is a heavy stone vault, smoked with crumbling plaster. Both externally and by what is happening in it now (noise, swearing, quarrels. Satin growls, Anna and Actor cough), the shelter resembles hell. And a hero named Luke descends into this hell. As you know, the author’s choice of the hero’s name is not accidental.

What associations does this name evoke in you?

· Luke is one of the apostles, disciples of Christ, disseminator of his teachings.

· Luka – a derivative of the word “evil”, i.e. insidious, characterized by maliciousness, covered with ostentatious goodwill.

· The evil one is a demon that seduces and destroys a person.

So who is he, this “curious” old man?

Evil demon or apostle?

What is its purpose?

What role does Gorky assign to him in the play?

Today we have to give comprehensive answers to these complex questions.

Analytical conversation:

How do the inhabitants of the shelter perceive their situation before Luke appears?

In the exhibition we see people who have essentially come to terms with their humiliating situation. The night shelters sluggishly, habitually squabble, and the Actor says to Satin: “One day they will completely kill you... to death...” “And you are a fool,” Satin snaps. "Why?" - the Actor is surprised. “Because you can’t kill twice.” These words of Satin show his attitude towards the existence that they all lead in the shelter. This is not life, they are all already dead. Everything seems clear. But the Actor’s response is interesting: “I don’t understand... why not?” Perhaps it is the Actor, who has died more than once on stage, who understands the horror of the situation more deeply than others. After all, it is he who commits suicide at the end of the play.

People feel like “former”: “Satin. I was an educated person” (the paradox is that the past tense is impossible in this case). “Bubnov. I was a furrier.” Bubnov pronounces a philosophical maxim: “It turns out that no matter how you paint yourself on the outside, everything will be erased... everything will be erased, yes!”

Only Tick has not yet come to terms with his fate. He separates himself from the rest of the night shelters: “What kind of people are they? Ragged, golden company... people! I’m a working man...I’m ashamed to look at them...I’ve been working since I was little...Do you think I won’t break out of here? I’ll get out... I’ll rip off the skin, and I’ll get out... Wait a minute... my wife will die...” Tick’s dream of another life is connected with the liberation that his wife’s death will bring him. He does not feel the enormity of his statement. And the dream will turn out to be imaginary.

How did the night shelters react to Luke’s appearance? Why were your souls drawn to him like pale sprouts to the sun?

He gives hope to the dying Anna, Ashes, and Actor. The only person who is at every moment turned to the world and to people, who not only hears, but also sees, who not only speaks, but answers. And these rare qualities are immediately in great demand.

Once again let’s listen to the elder’s conversation with the night shelters. Think about why Luke’s words excited his interlocutors so much?

Anna reaches out to the only sincere compassionate person. (Dialogue between Luke and Anna.)

Ash also demands an answer from Luke to his questions. (Conversation between Ash and Luke.)

The Actor also longs to be heard. (Dialogue between Actor and Luke.)

So why did Luke’s words excite his interlocutors so much?

And the hospital for drunkards, and the saving space of Siberia, and true love - all this, which only yesterday seemed to the night shelters not a fantasy, but even delirium, today becomes a fact of their spiritual life.

Why does Luke call the fallen outcasts? Let's read Luke's statements, which express his philosophy of life.

Do you think Luke himself believes what he invites others to believe?

There is no reason to doubt. After all, in full accordance with his preaching, he is infinitely attentive and respectful to everyone. For him, a person, “no matter what he is, is always worth his price.”

What motivates Luke to be kind? Maybe cunning, selfish calculation?

No, even the cynical Bubnov, who does not trust anyone, understands this: “Here is Luka, approximately... he lies a lot... and without any benefit to himself. But if not for yourself, then why? The old man... Why does he need it? - Bubnov is surprised.

“You are kind, grandfather... Why are you so kind?” - Natasha asks.

So really, why is he so kind?

Luke gives the answer himself: “Someone needs to be kind... we need to feel sorry for people! Christ – he pitied everyone and commanded us to do so.”

Which of the inhabitants of the Kostylevo shelter do you most sympathize with?

Both the behavior, the words, and the very presence of the old man are conducive to a calm, good conversation. Even the impenetrable Bubnov confesses to Luka, encouraged by attention and sympathy. Every person longs to be heard and understood.

The cold indifference of the surrounding world is worse than the screams of damnation. Let us remember with what frenzy, with what greed Marmeladov attacked Raskolnikov, in whom he guessed the ability to hear the suffering of others. Floridly, verbosely and at the same time hastily and confusingly, he pours out his soul, demanding, begging, conjuring: “Do you hear, do you hear?” Heard, and therefore shared with someone, pain does not burn the soul so much, so dying Anna asks: “Grandfather! Talk to me." And the old man readily responds: “Let’s talk.” The sorrowful confessions of the sufferer Anna are accompanied by sympathetic remarks and sighs from Luka: “Eh, old lady! Don't be sad! “Oh, you baby! Tired? Nothing!"

What other writer told us about bitter loneliness among people?

The story “Tosca” was written about the well-fed and indifferent. In the story, Jonah the cabman's son dies. Jonah wants to tell someone about this, talk, pour out his soul and thus alleviate the grief at least a little. But it turns out there is no one to tell. No man wants to listen to Jonah, and he ends up telling his horse everything.

In his article in Literaturnaya Gazeta, Daniil Granin told an incident from his own life that is directly related to the topic of our thoughts.

Having ended up in the hospital with an injury, he did not sleep at night from pain, wandered through the corridors filled with beds and cots, and provided all possible assistance to patients abandoned by our infirm medicine. And then one day, the writer says, an old woman called him over. She asked me to sit next to her. She complained that she was scared, started talking about her loved ones who were far away, about her difficult, now lonely life. She took my hand. She fell silent. I thought she fell asleep, but she died. Her hand began to stiffen.

Anna? “Eternal” Anna while the world stands? But let’s listen further to Granin: “I saw all sorts of deaths at the front. And the fact that people die in hospitals is inevitable. But this death shocked me. This woman called a stranger, no matter who, languishing in loneliness in the face of death. It must be an unbearable feeling. The punishment is terrible, for what it is unknown. At least someone to lean against. Caring for people, free medicine, humanism, the collectivity of life - how can this be combined with the fact that a person, having worked his entire life, dies in such abandonment? Isn’t this a shame, a disgrace and our universal guilt?

Granina, who awakened the moral forces of society that had been dormant for many years under the anesthesia of official morality, was called “On Mercy.” This word has since ceased to be obsolete, but, unfortunately, it is used much more often than the actions corresponding to it are committed.

Luke, pitying and comforting, shows us an example of true mercy. It is interesting that Gorky’s contemporaries, who listened to the author’s reading of the play, emphasized that the writer was best in the role of Luke, and especially in the scene at Anna’s bedside. recalled: “Gorky read Luke superbly, especially well. When he reached the scene of Anna's death, he could not stand it and burst into tears. He looked up from the manuscript, looked at everyone, wiped his eyes and said:

Well, by God, he wrote it well... The devil knows, huh? Is it really good?

What caused this delight if not the impression of an organic fusion of author and hero in a fit of compassion.

“You, brother, are great! - Ash says to the old man. - You lie well... you tell fairy tales nicely! Lie! Nothing...not enough, brother, pleasant in the world!”

Is there at least one moment in the play when we can shout triumphantly: “Stop the thief!” - catch him in an outright harmful lie?

It is documented that at that time there were 3 hospitals for alcoholics in Russia and at least 2 of them had free beds.

Is Siberia really the place where it is easiest for Ash to start a new life, breaking ties with his environment forever?

Firstly, little-developed Siberia for a strong person, and Ash is such, provides quite rich opportunities to arrange his life. But the main thing is that Ash, as he himself said, began to steal first because in his entire life no one called him by any name other than “thief,” “son of a thief.” Therefore, Siberia is a place where no one knows him and will not call him a thief, ideal for Ash.

Is Luka lying to Nastya?

Luka does not lie to Nastya, he only convinces her: “If you believe, you had true love... that means you had it!” - implementing your principle “what you believe in is what it is.”

The “evil” elder calls not for reconciliation, but for action: he awakens in the cohabitants the hope that what they hope for can be realized. So, Luke did not lie, but awakened hope in people.

So who is he - an apostle or a demon?

Discussion of the issue.

This is how merciful and kind we saw Luke in the play.

What is Gorky’s attitude towards the hero and his philosophy?

Luka disappears after killing Kostylev. Why?

In a conversation with the writer V. Shishkov, Gorky said:

Luke? Rogue. Rogue.

However, from the stage he looks cute.

Yes? He pretends to be a saint because it benefits him.

So why does Gorky have such a negative attitude towards Luka?

We'll talk about this in the next lesson.

The topic of the next lesson is “Philosophical debate about truth in the play “At the Bottom.”

Homework : Write down in a notebook the statements of Satin, Bubnov, Luka about man, work, truth, life. Oral response to the question: “What is the author’s position in this dispute?”