The play “At the Depths,” written by Gorky during 1902, brought him worldwide fame. This work was the writer’s response to the most pressing problems of our time. Ideological topicality immediately attracted the attention of the Russian public.

The idea of ​​​​rejecting the philosophy of consolation is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people's juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it. Lies are the religion of slaves and masters.” Luke preaches lies in the play. Gorky contrasted this lie, the psychology of humility, with the truth about a free Man who rejects pity that humiliates a person.

In general, the appearance of the old man in the shelter led to global changes in the inner world of the tramps. Each of them perceived the idea of ​​consolation in their own way. That is why, at the beginning of the fourth act, a heated debate ensues between the inhabitants of the shelter about the meaning of man, his life on earth.

The act begins with the characters discussing Luca's sudden disappearance. Satin recalls the words from the prayer, which sound symbolic, considering who they are talking about: “This is how sinners disappear from the face of the righteous.” Everyone understands the undoubted significance of Luke, but everyone means something different. Satin and Baron laugh: “And in general... for many he was... like crumbs for the toothless.” The tick defends the old man: “He... was compassionate... you have... no pity...”.

Thus, the question becomes clear: what is better - truth or lie? Gorky once again asserts the uselessness and destructiveness of pity for people. This idea is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people’s juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it... lies are the religion of slaves and masters.”

So, Gorky puts his thoughts about this into Satin’s mouth. He talks about the great possibilities of man and humanity, which with their own hands, with their thoughts will create the life of the future: “Man is the truth... only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain! Human! - It's great! It sounds proud!

This famous monologue of the hero became the calling card of the play “At the Bottom.” Let's take a closer look at the features of this episode. Satin's words sound like a protest against Luke's ideology, although the latter is no longer on stage.

Satin is drunk, so his words sometimes contradict each other. So, for example, a little earlier he defends the old man, saying: “The old man is not a charlatan! What is it - the truth?.. He lied... but - it’s out of pity for you, damn you! There are many people who lie out of pity for their neighbors...” Later he states: “We must respect a person! Don’t feel sorry... don’t humiliate him with pity... you have to respect him!” How to understand this hero? Apparently, the author wanted to emphasize the inconsistency of this character and the fact that his words about the splendor of man are an insight, a truth that is not visible at first.

And in fact, Satin speaks very enthusiastically. His speech is similar to a theatrical monologue, although before this the dialogues and monologues of the characters were as close as possible to colloquial speech by the author: “What is a person?.. It’s not you, not me, not them... no! It's you, me, them, the old man, Napoleon, Mohammed... in one! (He traces the figure of a man in the air with his finger).” What a theatrical stage direction! This is not just a monologue, it is a manifesto of pride: “This is huge! This is where all the beginnings and ends are... Everything is in man, everything is for man! Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain!”

Thus, from the dispute about man through Satin’s monologue, we learn Gorky’s point of view that “Man sounds proudly,” that pity is an unworthy feeling for a real person.

The play “At the Bottom” was written more than eighty years ago. All this time, disputes and disagreements did not stop arising around her. This can be explained by the huge number of problems posed by the author, which at various stages of the historical development of society acquire new relevance. In addition, the author’s position in this work is very contradictory and ambiguous. In addition, the fate of the play and its perception by society was influenced by the fact that the author artificially simplified his complex philosophical ideas, turning them into slogans that were adopted by the official propaganda of recent years. Posters of that time often bore the inscription: “Man – that sounds proud!” This remark from one of the characters in the play was almost as widespread as the slogan “Glory to the CPSU!”, and children at school memorized Satin’s monologue about Man.

Nowadays, I want to re-read the play “At the Lower Depths” by M. Gorky, take a careful and unbiased look at its characters, analyze their words and actions.

Gorky's play can be called an innovative literary work. The main content of the play is not so much the fate of people, but a clash of views, a dispute about Man, about his capabilities and the meaning of life. The epicenter of this dispute is the problem of truth and lies. How should this life be perceived: as it actually is for the inhabitants of the “bottom”, with all the gloom and hopelessness, or as it can be imagined in illusions, with the ability to correct any situation and achieve the goal? This dispute begins between the inhabitants of the shelter before Luke appears and continues after the elder leaves. Even at the beginning of the play, Nastya consoles herself with dreams of sublime feelings, borrowing from a tabloid novel, and Kvashnya lives with the illusion that she is a free woman. And almost immediately this illusory world is destroyed when faced with the fatal truth of life.

If you look closely at the image of Luke, you can note that it is this hero of the play that causes the most fierce debate, constituting its dramaturgical nerve. Elder Luke consoles people. But how can you console tramps who have sunk to the very bottom of life: a former actor, an unemployed person, a dying woman, a hereditary thief? Luke uses lies as a verbal drug, as a painkiller. He instills illusions about a bright future in the inhabitants of the shelter, and, having vast life experience, Luka knows exactly what each individual person needs, he subtly feels what is most important for the unfortunate person than anything else. Therefore, Luka unmistakably manages to put pressure on the main lever of the personality: he promises Anna rest and peace in the next world, he talks to the Actor about free hospitals for alcoholics, and to Ash he talks about a free life in Siberia. Why is Luka lying? This question has been asked more than once by readers and critics reflecting on Gorky’s play. Interpretations of the image of Elder Luke for a long time were dominated by negative reviews; he was accused of an indifferent attitude towards people, of the fact that, tempting a person with his lies, Luke finally destroys him (the main example was the death of the Actor). Even the name Luke was associated with the word “evil one,” one of the meanings of which is “tempter.”

However, if you take a closer look at what Luke is doing and listen to his words, it becomes clear that the mechanism of his saving lie is much simpler, but at the same time more complex at the same time. Luke has not hardened his soul, he does real good. The elder does not just deceive, he has pity and strives to support people in difficult times (he consoles Anna before her death), and sometimes tries to influence with his words the actions and motivations of individuals (he reproaches Vasilisa, dissuades Ash from murder). Luka also has a presentiment that the relationship between Vaska Ash and the hostess of the rooming house Vasilisa will not end well, so he advises Ash to leave for Siberia as soon as possible, and his feeling turns out to be correct. Luka not only deceives the Actor, he persuades him to pull himself together and abstain, to prepare for treatment at the clinic. And the cause of the Actor’s death lies not in the illusions themselves, but in their collapse, since the drunkard realizes that he can no longer pull himself together. Luke is confident in the correctness of his actions and philosophically justifies his own position. A very important point in the play is the wanderer’s story about the rescue of two escaped convicts, the main idea of ​​which is that a person can only be taught goodness by goodness, and not by prison and violence. Thus, Luke is the main bearer of good in the play; he sympathizes with people, kindly pities them and tries to help.

The author's position is expressed in the drama plot-wise. The last event of the play is the death of the Actor, which confirms Luke’s idea that a person who has lost faith dies. It is generally accepted that in the dispute about Man, Luke’s main opponent is Satin. At first glance, this is indeed the case, because Satin opposes lies, calling it the religion of slaves and masters, and proclaims the truth to be the only God of a free person. But it is Satin who stands up for the old man and forbids speaking ill of Luke, and then pronounces his main monologue about the Man, who is the embodiment of Luke’s main idea. After all, discussions about Man, as the most worthy and intelligent creature on the planet, are a kind of verbal drug designed to console all the inhabitants of the shelter, to inspire them with their own significance and value. The news of the Actor's suicide interrupts the picture of drunken revelry in the rooming house, which began after Satin's monologue. Therefore, Luke’s main opponent is the author of the play himself, and not Satin. It is the author who shows that lying in the name of salvation could not save anyone, you cannot live in a world of illusions and patiently put up with the hopeless wretchedness of real life. In many ways, Gorky’s dispute with Luka is his dispute with himself, because in his human qualities the writer was very close to this old man-comforter. For a long time, the image of Luke was considered negative also for the reason that he preached pity and mercy, and did not call for a revolutionary struggle against class enemies, which the Soviet regime seemed to see everywhere. Nowadays, humanity is again turning to humanism and mercy, so Gorky’s play takes on a completely different meaning. It is becoming relevant again, as it attracts society's attention to the eternal problems of goodness and social justice.

The play “At the Depths,” written by Gorky during 1902, brought him worldwide fame. This work was the writer’s response to the most pressing problems of our time. Ideological topicality immediately attracted the attention of the Russian public.

The idea of ​​​​rejecting the philosophy of consolation is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people's juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it. Lies are the religion of slaves and masters.” Luke preaches lies in the play. Gorky contrasted this lie, the psychology of humility, with the truth about a free Man who rejects pity that humiliates a person.

In general, the appearance of the old man in the shelter led to global changes in the inner world of the tramps. Each of them perceived the idea of ​​consolation in their own way. That is why, at the beginning of the fourth act, a heated debate ensues between the inhabitants of the shelter about the meaning of man, his life on earth.

The act begins with the characters discussing Luca's sudden disappearance. Satin recalls the words from the prayer, which sound symbolic, considering who they are talking about: “This is how sinners disappear from the face of the righteous.” Everyone understands the undoubted significance of Luke, but everyone means something different. Satin and Baron laugh: “And in general... for many he was... like crumbs for the toothless.” The tick defends the old man: “He... was compassionate... you have... no pity...”.

Thus, the question becomes clear: what is better - truth or lie? Gorky once again asserts the uselessness and destructiveness of pity for people. This idea is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people’s juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it... lies are the religion of slaves and masters.”

So, Gorky puts his thoughts about this into Satin’s mouth. He talks about the great possibilities of man and humanity, which with their own hands, with their thoughts will create the life of the future: “Man is the truth... only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain! Human! - It's great! It sounds proud!

This famous monologue of the hero became the calling card of the play “At the Bottom.” Let's take a closer look at the features of this episode. Satin's words sound like a protest against Luke's ideology, although the latter is no longer on stage.

Satin is drunk, so his words sometimes contradict each other. So, for example, a little earlier he defends the old man, saying: “The old man is not a charlatan! What is it - the truth?.. He lied... but - it’s out of pity for you, damn you! There are many people who lie out of pity for their neighbors...” Later he states: “We must respect a person! Don’t feel sorry... don’t humiliate him with pity... you have to respect him!” How to understand this hero? Apparently, the author wanted to emphasize the inconsistency of this character and the fact that his words about the splendor of man are an insight, a truth that is not visible at first.

And in fact, Satin speaks very enthusiastically. His speech is similar to a theatrical monologue, although before this the dialogues and monologues of the characters were as close as possible to colloquial speech by the author: “What is a person?.. It’s not you, not me, not them... no! It's you, me, them, the old man, Napoleon, Mohammed... in one! (He traces the figure of a man in the air with his finger).” What a theatrical stage direction! This is not just a monologue, it is a manifesto of pride: “This is huge! This is where all the beginnings and ends are... Everything is in man, everything is for man! Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain!”

Thus, from the dispute about man through Satin’s monologue, we learn Gorky’s point of view that “Man sounds proudly,” that pity is an unworthy feeling for a real person.

The deep meaning of the conversation between the characters from the night shelter in M. Gorky's drama "At the Lower Depths"

The play “At the Depths,” written by Gorky during 1902, brought him worldwide fame. This work was the writer’s response to the most pressing problems of our time. Ideological topicality immediately attracted the attention of the Russian public.

The idea of ​​​​rejecting the philosophy of consolation is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people's juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it. Lies are the religion of slaves and masters.” Luke preaches lies in the play. Gorky contrasted this lie, the psychology of humility, with the truth about a free Man who rejects pity that humiliates a person.

In general, the appearance of the old man in the shelter led to global changes in the inner world of the tramps. Each of them perceived the idea of ​​consolation in their own way. That is why, at the beginning of the fourth act, a heated debate ensues between the inhabitants of the shelter about the meaning of man, his life on earth.

The act begins with the characters discussing Luca's sudden disappearance. Satin recalls the words from the prayer, which sound symbolic, considering who they are talking about: “This is how sinners disappear from the face of the righteous.” Everyone understands the undoubted significance of Luke, but everyone means something different. Satin and Baron laugh: “And in general... for many he was... like crumbs for the toothless.” The tick defends the old man: “He... was compassionate... you have... no pity...”.

Thus, the question becomes clear: what is better - truth or lie? Gorky once again asserts the uselessness and destructiveness of pity for people. This idea is expressed in the famous words of Satin: “Whoever is weak in soul... and who lives on other people’s juices - those who need lies... some are supported by it, others hide behind it... lies are the religion of slaves and masters.”

So, Gorky puts his thoughts about this into Satin’s mouth. He talks about the great possibilities of man and humanity, which with their own hands, with their thoughts will create the life of the future: “Man is the truth... only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain! Human! - It's great! It sounds proud!

This famous monologue of the hero became the calling card of the play “At the Bottom.” Let's take a closer look at the features of this episode. Satin's words sound like a protest against Luke's ideology, although the latter is no longer on stage.

Satin is drunk, so his words sometimes contradict each other. So, for example, a little earlier he defends the old man, saying: “The old man is not a charlatan! What is it - the truth?.. He lied... but - it’s out of pity for you, damn you! There are many people who lie out of pity for their neighbors...” Later he states: “We must respect a person! Don’t feel sorry... don’t humiliate him with pity... you have to respect him!” How to understand this hero? Apparently, the author wanted to emphasize the inconsistency of this character and the fact that his words about the splendor of man are an insight, a truth that is not visible at first.

And in fact, Satin speaks very enthusiastically. His speech is similar to a theatrical monologue, although before this the dialogues and monologues of the characters were as close as possible to colloquial speech by the author: “What is a person?.. It’s not you, not me, not them... no! It's you, me, them, the old man, Napoleon, Mohammed... in one! (He traces the figure of a man in the air with his finger).” What a theatrical stage direction! This is not just a monologue, it is a manifesto of pride: “This is huge! This is where all the beginnings and ends are... Everything is in man, everything is for man! Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain!”

Thus, from the dispute about man through Satin’s monologue, we learn Gorky’s point of view that “Man sounds proudly,” that pity is an unworthy feeling for a real person.

M. Gorky's play "At the Lower Depths" was created more than eighty years ago. And all these years it has not ceased to cause controversy. This can be explained by the many problems posed by the author, problems that at different stages of historical development acquire new relevance. This is also explained by the complexity and inconsistency of the author’s position. What influenced the fate of the work and its perception was that the writer’s complex, philosophically ambiguous ideas were artificially simplified, turned into slogans adopted by the official propaganda of recent years. Words: "Man... that sounds proud!" often became poster inscriptions, almost as common as “Glory to the CPSU!”, and children memorized Satin’s monologue itself, although they first corrected it, throwing out some of the hero’s remarks (“Let’s drink to the man, Baron!”). Today I want to re-read the play “At the Lower Depths”, taking an unbiased look at its characters, carefully thinking about their words and looking closely at their actions.
M. Gorky's play is an innovative literary work. At its center is not so much human destinies as a clash of ideas, a dispute about man, about the meaning of life. The core of this dispute is the problem of truth and lies, the perception of life as it really is, with all its hopelessness and truth for the characters - people of the “bottom”, or life with illusions, no matter how diverse and bizarre forms they appear. This dispute begins long before Luka appears in the shelter and continues after he leaves. Already at the very beginning of the play, Kvashnya consoles herself with the illusion that she is a free woman, and Nastya with dreams of a great feeling, borrowing it from the book “Fatal Love.” And from the very beginning, the fatal truth bursts into this world of illusions.
Let's take a closer look at the image of Luke. First of all, we note that it is this character of the play that causes the most heated debate and constitutes its dramaturgical nerve. Luke consoles people. How can we console these former barons, actors, a working man who has lost his job, a dying woman who has nothing good to remember about her life, a hereditary thief, thrown out of life, who have sunk to the bottom of its life? And Luke resorts to lies as a verbal drug, as a painkiller. He instills illusions in the inhabitants of the shelter, and his life experience is such that he subtly feels people, knows what is most important to each of them. And he unmistakably presses the main lever of the human personality, promising Anna peace and rest in the next world, free hospitals for alcoholics for the Actor, and a free life in Siberia for Vaska Ash. Why is Luka lying? Readers and critics have asked themselves this question more than once when reflecting on Gorky’s play. For a long time, negative assessments prevailed in interpretations of the image of Luke; he was accused of indifference to people, of self-interest (his very name is consonantly associated with the word “evil”, and one of the meanings of this word is close to the unclean, to the tempter). Luka was also accused of tempting people with his lies, and the main accusation was the death of the Actor; in the image of Gorky’s wanderer, they were looking, first of all, for ideological origins; he was associated with sectarian runners, with the ideas of Tolstoyism. However, if you look closely at what Luke does, listen to his speech, you understand that the mechanism of his consolation is simpler and more complex. He simply has not hardened his soul; one cannot but agree with the assessments that Satin gives to Luke:

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