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

The play "At the bottom", written by Maxim Gorky (Alexei Maksimovich Peshkov) in 1902, is the second after the drama "Meshchan" (1901). Throughout the world, it is recognized as the best dramatic creation of this author. The work is written on the material of the life of "former people", a well-known writer. In the Nizhny Novgorod doss houses, Gorky observed with his own eyes the prototypes of almost all the actors in the play. Each of them is important for expressing a common sense, carries its own "truth", different from others.

"Former people"

The fact that most of the characters in the work are "former people" is extremely important. Each of them was once a member of society, performing a social role. Now, in the doss house, the differences between the characters have worn off, all of them are just people, lacking in any measure individuality. In order to understand the image of the "bottom" in the play "At the bottom", it is necessary to take into account this feature of its actors.

The problems of the play

The author focuses attention not so much on social roles, as on general, most important for most features of human consciousness. "What helps and prevents living?", "How to find human dignity?" - Maxim Gorky is looking for these questions. Therefore, the content of the play is not limited to social problems, including philosophical and ethical ones. "Bottom" is the bottom of life in the broadest sense, in the sense of human existence in general, and not only in the context of the social.

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

Russian society at the turn of the century was acutely aware of the imminent threatening social catastrophe. In his work, the writer depicted the state of the modern world in apocalyptic tones. Heroes living in the "pits" and cellars, are waiting for the Day of Judgment. This life is a kind of test: who is capable of resurrection, a new life, and who finally died.

The symbolic, apocalyptic sound of the play was felt especially acutely by some modern theater and filmmakers. So, in the production of the Moscow Theater in the Southwest (director Valery Romanovich Belyakovich), the doss house turns into an empty dark space with rows of two-storey bunks, losing everyday signs. All actors wear white clothes and crosses, as if before the Day of Judgment. The course of the play is interspersed with "existential" scenes: the night shelter is filled with "afterlife" with blue lights and smoke clouds, and its inhabitants suddenly fall silent and, like somnambulists, begin to roll over the plank beds and writhe as if they are tormented by an evil unknown force. The image of the "bottom" in the play "At the bottom" in this interpretation is widening, extending beyond the social context.

Symbolism and realism in the work

The symbolism of the sound of the work is connected with adherence to the image of the principles of socio-psychological realism. Particularly loud is the theme of "pit", the basement as a symbol of the humiliated, oppressed existence of people. It reflects not only the realities of life (the poor in Russia at that time really lived mostly in the cellars), but also something much more. Gorky wanted man to reach the "divine" essence, repeated the "divine" feat in the spiritual plane. For this, however, he had to commit a painful and complex act of resurrecting his own soul. It is no coincidence that the stone vaults of the doss house are reminiscent of a cave with the tomb of Christ. Characteristics of the images ("At the bottom") is based on comparison with this biblical character, the ability to become like him.

People and "people"

In this basement, a person is thrown out of everyday life, deprived of property and savings, social status, often even a name. Many actors of the play have only nicknames, vividly characterizing the characters of the characters "At the bottom". Gorky) creates a whole gallery of characters: Actor, Baron, Crooked Zob, Kvashnya, Tatar. It seems that from these people there were only similarities. The author, putting this psychological experiment on the heroes of his work, wants to say that, despite the depth of the fall, these "former people" still retained a living soul and can make a "resurrection."

The system of images "at the bottom of life" includes another type. Representatives of the "upper", sub-base world of "owners" - Kostylev, the owner of the lodging house, the bloodsucker and the prude, his wife Vasilisa, inciting his lover Vaska Aspl to commit the murder of her husband - are shown as incapable of rebirth, permanently lost creatures. It becomes clearer one of the "mysterious" phrases, which the elder Luke says: "There are - people, and there are - others - and people ...". Then he explains to Kostylev that "people" are those whose soul resembles a plowed fertile land capable of giving new shoots.

The opposition "truth-lie"

Alexei Maximovich Gorky - a writer and a man - always tormented the insolvability of the opposition "truth is a lie." Comparison of two "truths" - one that beats a person on the head and one that stimulates creative energy, is the basis of the play "At the bottom." Images of the Baron, Mite, Bubnov, Ashes are carriers of bitter truth, and the author's representations of it are invested in Satin's famous monologue ("Everything is in man, everything is for man!").

Dostoevsky once confessed that if he had to choose between Jesus Christ and the truth, he would have chosen Christ. He would be chosen and Nastya, Luke, Actor and others. Images of heroes "At the bottom" in many ways characterizes the commitment to this view or another (Baron, Bubnov, Mite, Ash). Alexey Maksimovich, with his work, and especially this work, said that he makes a choice in favor of man.

The reaction of readers and critics

Despite the huge success of the play "At the bottom," the author was not entirely satisfied with what he had as a result. He understood from the reaction of most critics and the public that the preacher of Luka's "comforting lie" came out as the most important and significant figure to which there was no worthy opponent. In later reviews and interviews, Alexei Maksimovich defied the "deceitful" Luka, but subconsciously, probably, he loved him. Therefore, the elder turned out to be so contradictory and mysterious. In the harmfulness of "comforting lies," Gorky persuaded his readers almost to the end of his life.

Conclusion

Gorky managed to show one of the most painful and dangerous features of the psychology and consciousness of man - dissatisfaction with reality, its criticism, and at the same time dependence on outside help, weakness for the possibility of "miraculous" salvation and relief from ills, unreadiness to be responsible for one's own life and independently Create it. This is the very "bottom" of life, where there can be a representative of any class and social position. For such people, Luke's "comforting lie" is harmful and dangerous, even deadly (recall the actor who hanged himself at the end of the play), since the truth, which they will sooner or later have to face, is by no means so idyllicly beautiful.

There is evil in the world, and it needs to be resisted, not run away from it into a world of dreams and fantasies. People who prefer fiction are weak. They are opposed by the more adapted to life, who can withstand the truth. Alexei Maksimovich is a true humanist, revealing a person's eyes to the true state of things, without clouding his eyes with comforting promises, based on a lie that humiliates a person.

The image of the "bottom" in the play "At the bottom" is one of the most powerful images in the writer's work, to which readers and critics return again and again, drawing their thoughts, ideas and inspiration.

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