Luke from the play at the bottom. “What you believe in is what it is. Useful video: the role of Luka in M. Gorky’s drama “At the Lower Depths”
Introduction
M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” is the first socio-philosophical drama in Russian literature, raising questions of human existence, the meaning of life, truth and lies. Written in 1902, the work realistically depicts the life of the marginalized, “people who find themselves at the bottom of life,” who do not believe in themselves or in the future.
Mite, Actor, Ash, Nastya and others are weak people, unable to defend their interests, and who do not see the point in this.
Luke's image
The most controversial hero of the play is considered to be Luke, a traveling preacher who came to the shelter in the midst of disputes about honor and justice. The main question of the work is directly related to the image of the old man - “What is better – truth or compassion?”
Luke is a comforter, trying to calm everyone down and give hope for an end to suffering. It is significant that he knows how to see in everyone the trait that particularly concerns a person. To the dying Anna he promises deliverance from pain and resentment in the next world, to the drinking Actor he tells a fairy tale about hospitals for alcoholism, to Nastya that an unearthly happy love awaits her, to Vaska Peplu he helps to take a fresh look at Siberia.
The night shelters like his unrealistic stories; they believe in them. Luke himself says that what you believe is what it is. In other words, the wanderer is trying to save people, give them the opportunity to believe in themselves and change their attitude towards life, to give them a kind of impetus.
righteous man
The appearance of the righteous man divides the inhabitants of the shelter into two camps - those who believe in Luke’s sermons and those who are prejudiced and skeptical about them. Nastya, after Luka’s disappearance, says that he was a good old man, Kleshch notes his compassion, even Satin, who does not accept a position of compassion, claims that the old man lied solely out of love for people.
The opinions of literary critics were also divided. Some compared him to the tempter. The name Luke is similar in sound to the name of Satan - the Evil One. The old man was accused, first of all, of unwillingness to confront reality. Other researchers correlated his name with the image of the Evangelical Apostle Luke, thereby associating him with wisdom and biblical commandments.
Another interesting fact is that by lying to save Luke, he violates one of the commandments - do not lie. But it seems to me that he simply does not think in these categories; for him it does not matter where the truth is, where the lie is. The main thing for a righteous person is to do good to a person. Probably, the commandment is closer to him - do no harm.
Author's attitude
The author's attitude towards Luke is ambiguous. Sometimes he condemns him, sometimes his image becomes so strong that it goes beyond Gorky’s plan. Readers must decide for themselves whether to accept a lie for salvation, or to share Satin’s statements about the priority of truth. In my opinion, the truth lies somewhere in the middle of their positions.
Maxim Gorky's play "At the Depths", written in 1902 and then staged at the Moscow Art Theater, was a phenomenal success. For the first time, real tramps appeared on stage (one of them was, in the recent past, the famous author of the play), in contrast to the romanticized tramps of Gorky’s early romantic stories about “ former people" However, keen interest in the play was caused not only by the topicality of problems about society’s responsibility for the lives of the disadvantaged, but also by the relevance of the philosophical questions posed by Gorky, the main one of which is what is truth, does a person need it, what is a person and in the name of what he lives.
The dramaturgical plot of the play rests on a dispute about the truth, and not on a traditional love affair. All elements of the play's cross-cutting action are connected with the image of Luke, with his philosophy and behavior in life, reflecting his views: the plot of the action is the appearance of Luke in the rooming house, who immediately becomes the center of attention of the rooming houses; The development of the action is determined by the influence that Luke’s personality, behavior and statements have on the lives of the inhabitants of the shelter. Luke awakens the feelings and consciousness of tramps, revealing their true essence. The climax is the attempt of the heroes of the play to change their lives, to fulfill the dream awakened by Luka, who made him believe in the possibility of its fulfillment (“You believe,” he inspires). The denouement - the collapse of all illusions - is connected with the disappearance of Luka and the ongoing dispute about his personality and the role he played in the lives of the inhabitants of the shelter and, more broadly, about the truth that people need.
Luka is an old wanderer, the only one of the inhabitants of the shelter about whose past we know almost nothing. Where he leaves the shelter in the fourth act is also unknown. But his stay in the shelter left a deep mark on the souls of the tramps.
Together with Luka, kindness and affection enter the shelter. He resembles Tolstoy’s Platon Karataev, as “something kind, Russian, round”: the same melodious speech, gentle words of greeting (“Good health, honest people”), from which the inhabitants of the “cave-like basement” have long been unaccustomed where from morning to night you can hear screams, curses, fights and even murders (“One day they will kill you,” says the Actor to Satin. “You fool, you can’t kill twice,” exclaims Satin calmly, that is, habitually); proverbs and sayings that abound in Luke’s speech are organically woven into the speech of the wise old man and reflect the people’s view of life (“For an old man, where it’s warm, there’s a homeland,” “not a single flea is bad: they’re all black, they all jump”). It exudes coziness and homeliness, something homeless people have long lost the habit of. No wonder Natasha immediately responds to his affection and lovingly calls him grandfather (“Go there, grandfather.”) Luka immediately wins people over because his words are wise and his sympathy is not offensive: “Ehe-he! I’ll look at you, brothers, - your life - oh!”
Compassionate for others, he never seeks to arouse sympathy for himself; Having experienced a lot in his long-suffering life (“They suffered a lot, that’s why he is soft,” he will say only once), he did not harden, did not become angry, but became softer, kinder, more humane, and this is a sign of a great soul and nobility.
Luka knows how to maintain dignity and stand up for himself (which is very much valued by people humiliated by life) not with shouting and abuse, but with the calm wisdom of a person who has lived and experienced a lot. When the Baron, out of preserved lordly habit, begins to interrogate him (“You have a passport!”), Luka immediately puts him in his place:
The confused Baron replies:
Well, what's there? I'm... kidding, old man! Brother, I don’t have any papers myself... That is, I have papers... but they are no good.
And Luke tactfully helps him get out of an awkward situation:
They, the pieces of paper, are all like that... they are all no good.
Luka knows how to understand every person at first sight, react kindly to a conflict situation, settle a quarrel, and prevent a fight. So, all morning the night shelters were quarreling because no one wanted to sweep the floor: the Baron forces the Actor, the Actor forces Nastya, Kvashnya forces the Actor again, and the Actor’s “body is poisoned with alcohol”, it is harmful for him to “breathe dust”; as a result, the owner Vasilisa threatens to “kick everyone out of the shelter.”
Luka (“Well, at least I’ll sweep the broom here. Where’s your broom?”) swept the floor, brought the sick Anna into the room, helped her get to the bed (“... is it really possible to abandon a person like that? He, whatever he is, is always worth the price." Luka caressed the terminally ill Anna - and her soul felt lighter: “I look at you... you look like my father... like my father... just as affectionate... soft.” Deprived of love and compassion, both Anna and Natasha recognized Luke as a loved one - “grandfather”, “father”.
Luka has the talent to listen to every person with sympathy and understanding, to feel sorry for and console: “Oh, you girl! Tired? Nothing! Be patient a little longer,” he addresses the terminally ill Anna.
His kindness is active, active: he prevents the owner of the shelter Kostylev from fighting with Ash, although he does this not without slyness (Luka - slyness): he slowly climbs onto the stove and at the right moment reveals himself.
The inhabitants of the shelter open their souls to the kind old man: Satin, Baron, Nastya - they all confess to him - their need for sympathy and compassion is so great, because they have lost faith in themselves, in the ability to change their lives for the better. (“Actor: no talent,... no self-confidence...).
Throughout the entire play, Luke repeats that only love or pity can save people (in the popular understanding, “to love” and “to pity” are synonyms): “To love - you must love the living ... the living”; “We don’t feel sorry for the living... we can’t feel sorry for ourselves... where is this” “Girl, someone needs to be kind... we need to feel sorry for people! Christ had compassion on everyone and commanded us to do so.” Only love and kindness can save people from anger and violence. To prove that he is right, Luke cites an incident from his life.
At night, thieves broke into the dacha he was guarding. Instead of fighting and murder (thieves with an ax, a watchman with a gun), Luke punished them in a fatherly way, forcing each other to flog each other, and then fed the escaped convicts and left them until spring. “Good men! If I didn’t feel sorry for them, they might have killed me... or something else..." “And then - a trial, and a prison, and Siberia... what’s the point? Prison will not teach you goodness, but a person will teach you... yes, a person can teach you goodness... very simply!” Luke convinces us that man is good by nature (the exception is people like the Kostylevs, whom Luke compares to “disadvantage,” that is, to the soil on which nothing will be born), but the circumstances of life make people evil. Luke’s rightness is also confirmed by the fact that, having got to the bottom of the matter, he revealed the bright core of every person. It turns out that Nastya dreams of pure, selfless love, and life forces her to sell her body; Ash would like to work honestly, but it is written in his blood to be a thief (“Vaska is a thief, a thief’s son”). The actor would like to return to the stage - but there are no hospitals for alcoholics. However, life, unfortunately, makes one doubt Luka’s unconditional rightness , which claims that love and mercy will eradicate evil.
Having learned everyone's deepest desires, Luka tries to convince his interlocutors of the possibility of their dreams coming true. He inspired Ash and Natasha with the idea of the possibility of starting a new, working, honest life in Siberia; supported Nastya’s faith in her “fatal love”; comforting the Actor, he makes him believe in the existence of a hospital for alcoholics. Luke resorts to deception to instill in people hope that their lives will change for the better, offering everyone an option that is possible for them. And even to the dying Anna he promises a heavenly life in the afterlife: “You die with joy, without anxiety...”
People believed Luke, believed in themselves, perked up - and they began to have faith and hope. The actor stopped drinking, started working and collecting money for the trip to the hospital with “marble stairs”; dreams of becoming an actor again, remembers his sonorous surname - Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky, long-forgotten lines from plays and poems come to mind. Ash begins to gather for Siberia, persistently persuades Natasha to run away with him, convincing her of his love. Nastya lives with the joyful faith that, although in the past, she had love. However, the fate of the people who believed Luka turned out to be tragic: Nastya was about to leave the shelter (“Oh, everything disgusted me…”); Ashes ended up in prison, Natasha was crippled by Vasilisa. And the Actor puts the final point in the drama of people who have lost faith: “In a vacant lot... there... The Actor... hanged himself!”
All the heroes agree that Luke is to blame for the death of the Actor, who gave people false hope. Luke, on the other hand, considers his position to be the only correct one, and in support of this he tells a parable about the righteous land, with which he tries to convince the night shelters of the need for “white lies,” contrasting his point of view with the wingless truth of Bubnov and Baron, “which falls like a stone on the wings.” Luke talks about an old man who lived with faith in the existence of a “righteous land” - and was happy. When the scientist proved to him that the “righteous land” does not exist, he hanged himself. According to Luke, the scientist is to blame for destroying the old man’s faith. But another interpretation of this parable is also possible. After all, living in a world of illusions, a person sooner or later discovers self-deception, which often leads to tragic consequences.
Satin’s last remark in the play to the Actor who committed suicide suggests the same thoughts:
Eh... ruined the song... fool
Was he a “fool” because he believed Luke, or because he turned out to be weak after learning the truth? Or maybe Satin is also to blame, convincing him that Luka is deceiving him, seducing him into drinking, undermining his weak strength?
Is it possible to lie out of love for people, why do people so easily succumb to self-deception, and what tragic consequences does this belief in the non-existent lead to - a question that humanity has been trying to resolve for thousands of years. The actor recites Bérenger’s poems about “madmen”, who armed humanity with the radiant dream of socialism, which was called utopian, i.e. unrealizable:
Gentlemen, if the holy world cannot find the way to truth,
Honor to the madman who will bring a golden dream to Humanity.
The fourth act of the play is an ongoing dispute about the truth after the disappearance of the undocumented tramp Luka from the flophouse. (“Disappeared from the police”). Luke's position is justified by some, condemned by others. Kleshch says: “He didn’t like the truth, old man... that’s how it should be!” And without her we can’t breathe.”
Satin, while defending the old man (“he lied... but it was out of pity for you”), at the same time condemns lies out of compassion, out of pity for people: “Pity humiliates a person.” What did Satin really want to say? What humiliates a person - pity or lies? Maybe it's a lie after all? Lies are needed by hopelessly ill people, and therefore by very weak people who do not find the strength to overcome life’s circumstances. And about whether it is necessary to feel sorry for a person, to love him, to be merciful to him, the night shelters themselves said best of all, remembering Luka with a kind word:
“He was a good old man!” (Nastya);
“He was compassionate...” (Mite);
“The old man was good... he had law in his soul!..”;
“Do not offend a person - that is the law” (Tatar).
Satin noticed Luke’s words about the need for self-respect and respect for people, consonant with his thoughts about a proud man: “The old man lives from himself... He looks at everything with his own eyes. One day I asked him: “Grandfather, why do people live!” - And - people live for the best, dear! Because every person must be respected... Especially children must be respected... children!
Gorky himself had an ambivalent attitude towards the image of Luka he created, since he endowed him with his own traits that were characteristic of him both as a person and as a writer. He put his thoughts on the problem of which is better - the ruthless truth of a fact or a “white lie” in the fairy tale-parable “About the Siskin Who Lied, and About the Woodpecker, a Lover of Truth.” He was tormented by the question whether his call in romantic works to heroism in the name of freedom and happiness was not a deception.
The artists who embodied the image of Luke on stage most often emphasized the best human traits of Luke, his kindness, mercy, and desire to actively help people believe in themselves. And if kindness and mercy do not triumph in life, then aren’t people themselves to blame for this because they have not found the strength to resist life’s circumstances? But even if such strong man If, like Satin, he lost hope of getting out of the “bottom”, then, obviously, the main culprit remains the state, the inhumane social system.
The play “At the Bottom” by the greatest writer Maxim Gorky is a work that has a deep philosophical meaning. It examines many problems that are characteristic of modern Russian society. The main problem there is truth in the play. The question immediately arises: what is better: “a cruel truth or a sweet lie?” This question is at the center of the plot of the work.
From the first pages of the play “At the Bottom,” a conflict is brewing when Luka appears. This image is the most complex and contradictory. His appearance in the “quiet” life of the inhabitants of the shelter, the so-called people from the bottom, is quite unexpected. Who are these inhabitants? Here are the mechanic Kleshch, his wife Anna, who suffered beatings all her life, the thief Ash, Nastya - lung girl behavior, cap holder, former master, alcoholic Actor and many others. All of them have long ago given up their hopes for a bright future and are people desperate for life.
But Luke sees extraordinary value in each of these people. "I don't care. I respect swindlers too, in my opinion, not a single flea is bad,” he immediately declared when he appeared. For Luke, a person’s past and what is happening to him now do not matter. The most important thing for him is faith in the future.
With the arrival of Luke, discord occurs in the lives of the inhabitants of the shelter. He assures Nastya that everything will be fine in her life and she will meet true love. There is also great news for the Actor. He is informed that there is a hospital that will help cure his problem with alcohol, and it is free. He promises Anna, who was already on her last breaths, that her afterlife will be bright and calm. But despite this, many heroes try to resist Luke. They don't believe him, they claim that he is a charlatan and a liar.
I believe that many heroes simply did not understand what the simple truth was. It was hard for them to understand that a person, and especially an inhabitant of the “bottom,” does not need the truth, but he truly needs consolation, hope and compassion.
After Luke leaves, it becomes clear that he was the only ray of light in the darkness of the “bottom”. Everyone's life doesn't end well. The actor shortened his life by suicide. In a fight, Ash kills Kostylev and goes to prison. Everything returns to its place again. Everything around is sad, depressing and there is a prevailing feeling of misunderstanding that everything can be changed. Only those who fought for the truth and trusted Luke were victorious.
I believe that the image of Luke is the embodiment of a special truth of “sweet lies” instead of “bitter truth”. Despite all the cunning and hypocrisy, Luka is still a positive character for me.
1. “Truth” of Luke.
2. Interpretation of the image of Luke.
3. The role of Luke in the life of the inhabitants of the “bottom”.
The social and philosophical drama “At the Lower Depths” was conceived by Gorky in 1900. The play was first published in Munich in 1902. In Russia, the work was published by the publishing house “Znanie” in 1903. The play shows the life of the inhabitants of the shelter. These are degraded, unhappy, disadvantaged people. There is nothing bright left in their lives.
The image of Luke is rightfully considered the most complex in the play. This man is trying to console those who are suffering. His position directly contradicts the phrase: “Truth is the god of a free man.” Luke does not accept the cruel and evil “truth.” For him, truth is the “truth” that a person believes in.
Luke is very kind to others. He finds for everyone exactly the words that a person needs. Let this consolation have nothing to do with the real truth of life. But on the other hand, if you can make a person at least a little happier, why neglect this opportunity? The play poses a complex philosophical question: is Luke’s compassion better than the naked “truth”, which reveals to the inhabitants of the “bottom” all the wretchedness of their existence... Everyone can answer this question differently. But one cannot help but admit that Luke’s role in the lives of other characters in the play is great.
Luke is not trying to convince anyone of anything: He simply consoles those who need it. He does not impose his point of view, and this shows his wisdom. Luke is sure: “What you believe in is what it is.” One cannot but agree with this. A person’s subjective perception of the surrounding reality may differ greatly from the opinions of others. But the opinion of others does not necessarily have to be considered true. Luke helps the downtrodden find hope. But this is very important for a person.
Critics could not come to clear conclusions regarding the image of Luke. Some believed that Luka is a positive hero, because he helps people find something good in themselves. Others considered Luka a negative character, because after he left the shelter, the inhabitants of the “bottom” had an even harder time, because they were forced to say goodbye to illusions. Gorky's own attitude towards Luka was very contradictory. In 1910, the writer said about the hero of the play: “Luke is a swindler. He doesn't really believe in anything. But he sees how people suffer and rush about. He feels sorry for these people. So he says different words to them - for comfort.”
The inhabitants of the shelter treat Luka as a storyteller. They are not deluded by the old man’s words. For example, Ash says: “You lie well... You tell fairy tales nicely! Lie! Nothing...". This means that Luke’s words still find a response in the souls of tormented people.
Luke consoles Anna with conversations about the peace that will come after death. For a dying woman, these words can mean much more than the reasoning of the “working man”, her husband Kleshch, that after her death he will be able to arrange his life. So, in in this case Luke's role is certainly positive. To the actor suffering from drunkenness, Luka talks about special hospitals where alcoholics can be cured. This hope could give strength. And it cannot be blamed on Luke that, having lost hope, the Actor decides to commit suicide. Hope for a better life could make a person stronger if he initially had at least a little more strength and the desire to break out of the vicious circle.
Luka tells Vaska Pepl that his life in Siberia will not be so bad. "A good side- Siberia! Golden side! He who has strength and intelligence is like a cucumber in a greenhouse!” Let the old man's words raise doubts. But on the other hand, an attempt to instill confidence in the future is better than the intention to trample a person into the dirt, to deprive him of his last dream.
It is no coincidence that Luke tells a parable about how a certain man believed that somewhere there was a righteous land. And when faith was destroyed by a scientist who was able to prove that this land does not exist, the man hanged himself. He could not survive the collapse of his hopes. The old man is sure that a lie can bring salvation, but the truth, on the contrary, is dangerous and cruel.
The image of Luke is the personification of humanity and love for mankind. Paradoxically, he himself is just as much an inhabitant of the “bottom” as others. But he has not lost his human qualities; he finds in himself kindness and compassion for those around him. The rest have long ceased to find even a drop of sympathy for those around them. How did Luke manage to maintain kindness within himself? Perhaps the reason for this is that, unlike those around him, he never ceases to love and respect the people around him. Even in cases where there is nothing to love and respect them for. Attempts to console the suffering are not valuable in themselves for Luke. He does not revel in his role as a comforter, he uses lies as a means to awaken something human in the dead souls of the inhabitants of the “bottom”. And it’s not his fault for the lack of results. One can blame Luka for the fact that after his departure, the life of the inhabitants of the shelter became even more difficult. They had to give up illusions, and again they found themselves face to face with the realities of life. But on the other hand, the reproaches against the elder seem unfounded. The trouble with the inhabitants of the “bottom” is that they are inactive, submit to circumstances, and do not try to do anything to change their fate. Luke could become a guiding star for the Actor. But it’s easier for him to believe Satin. It was not Luka, but Satin and the Baron who caused the Actor’s suicide. After all, it was they who convinced the unfortunate man that there were no hospitals for alcoholics. On the other hand, did it really matter in hospitals? Couldn't the Actor believe in his future and try to change something in his life? Luke tried to influence him, he said to Satin: “And why are you confusing him?” The rest are indifferent to the words, both their own and those of others.
Luka leaves the shelter because he cannot change the course of things. It is not in his power to help people leave the “bottom” and become full members of society. Luke understands that his help to the disadvantaged cannot be something material, tangible. The role of a comforter cannot be permanent, otherwise it will become devalued. Attempts to instill hope and encouragement should resemble a flash of light in pitch darkness. And then people will decide for themselves whether to do anything or not. The play does not answer whether the life of any of the inhabitants of the bottom will change. And, in my opinion, this is no coincidence; In his work, Gorky posed the most difficult questions, which everyone can answer in their own way.
The image of the wandering elder Luke occupies a special place among the characters. The main conflict of the work is closely related to the unexpected appearance of the hero.
Good wanderer
The mysterious figure of Luke suddenly appears and suddenly disappears. There is no description of the past, the future is unknown. There are several days when Luka lives among the humiliated, destitute inhabitants of the shelter.
It is difficult to give an objective assessment of the character and actions of the wanderer. Some consider him a benefactor, others a criminal.
Luka is a poor, homeless old man who wanders around the dosshouses. Inhabitant of the "bottom". What makes him special is his ability to sympathize, have compassion, and do good. Luke brings comfort to exhausted, despairing people. Dying Anna paints a picture of a calm afterlife. He tells the alcoholic Actor about a free hospital. Even the experienced thief Vaska Ash lends itself to convincing arguments. He is going to leave for Siberia to start a new honest life. Prostitute Nastya finds a grateful listener. Luka listens seriously to stories of great romantic love.
Everyone shares their pain and receives hope in return. A quiet voice, persuasive speech, and attentive attitude inspire confidence. Sweet talk is often deceitful. He believes that it is possible to deceive a person in order to instill hope. Luke is sure: a person needs pity and consolation.
The true face of an old man
The kindness of a wanderer changes the surrounding atmosphere. The pitiful shelter seems to be transformed: filled with light and warmth. The inhabitants of the damp basement are living a dream. When Luka leaves, the tale ends. Faced with reality again, the night shelters are having a hard time experiencing the collapse of their hopes. The tragic death of the actor is proof that lies are not always saving.
Luke's main opponent is Satin. A man believes that pity humiliates, and lies inspire empty hopes. Only it is easier for people to believe fairy tales than to take decisive actions, trying to change their fate.
Which is better: a comforting lie or a bitter truth? It was this question that the writer tried to find an answer to, creating the image of a harmless old man. The choice of the character's name is not accidental. Luke is the holy great martyr, Luke is the crafty deceiver. Christian love and forgiveness remind the reader of the wise covenants of Jesus Christ. The author makes you think and give your assessment of the hero’s actions.
