“Danko is “the best of all. The image and characteristics of Danko in the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky essay

The protagonist of M. Gorky's fairy tale "The Burning Heart of Danko" (she is the third part of the story "The Old Woman Izergil") is a young man named Danko. He belonged to a tribe that lived on the border of forest and steppe. Once enemies came and drove this tribe deep into the forest.

The forest was very dense, dark, swampy and people began to die in it. They had only two ways - either to go through the forest and find a new place suitable for life, or to submit to the enemies who forced them into the forest.

People began to think and thought for a very long time, not daring to choose any of these paths. And then Danko said that he was ready to lead his tribe through the dark forest to find a better life.

People believed Danko and followed him. The road was incredibly difficult, and people continued to die along the way. Gradually, confidence in the success of this campaign left them, and at one moment they stopped and began to blame Danko for all their troubles.

Danko at first tried to convince people, but, seeing how they lost faith in success, he did something incredible. Danko tore open his chest and pulled out a brightly burning heart. Raising it high above him, Danko went on and people again followed him. They still died on the way, but their confidence in success did not let them stop.

And the moment came when the forest ended, and the tribe again saw the expanse of the steppe. And Danko, seeing that the forest had been passed, laughed joyfully. Then he fell and died, and his heart continued to burn beside him. People rejoicing at their salvation did not notice the death of a brave young man, and one person imperceptibly put out a burning heart.

This is the summary of the story.

The main idea of ​​Gorky's fairy tale "The Burning Heart of Danko" is that often among people there are people with a special thirst for life, with a desire for unlimited freedom, with a craving for something impossible, even at the cost of their own lives. Danko gave up personal in the name of the public. Danko has a desire to conquer, he is capable of self-sacrifice.

People tend to feel like selfishness. Thinking only about themselves and about saving their lives, they take the exploits of lone heroes for granted, and forget about the savior as soon as the danger to their lives has passed. When Danko, who saved people, died, they immediately forgot about him. Moreover, out of precaution, someone extinguished his burning heart.

The fairy tale teaches to be decisive, to be able to show leadership qualities, not to be afraid of difficulties and always believe in the success of one's undertakings.

In the fairy tale, I liked the main character, Danko, who found the strength and courage to lead the tribe into the unknown in order to find a way to salvation. Danko died, but saved people from death at the cost of his life.

What proverbs are suitable for Gorky's fairy tale "The Burning Heart of Danko"?

A rolling stone gathers no moss.
The road will be mastered by the walking one.
Courage and inferno you will pass.
A callous heart knows no gratitude.
A brave man is not afraid of anything.

A young man with a kind and brave heart named Danko, at the cost of his own life, gave people a world filled with light, warmth and joy. created a romantic image that makes you wonder what is the meaning of life and the value of human actions.

History of creation

The early creative biography of Maxim Gorky is filled with works with romantic motives. The story "Old Woman Izergil" stood in line with the stories "Chelkash" and "Maxim Chudra", in which the author's admiration for the power of the human personality reached its climax. The creation of the next work of the writer was inspired by travels in southern Bessarabia, where he ended up in the spring of 1891. "Old Woman Izergil" even begins with the words

"I saw these stories near Akkerman, in Bessarabia, on the seashore."

Most likely, the birth of literary work took place in the autumn of 1894. A few months later, he was presented to the reading public in the Samarskaya Gazeta, stretching for three numbers.

The composition of the story is complex and interesting. The author mixed two legends (about Larra and about Danko), which are united by the main character - the old woman Izergil. Maxim Gorky chose a "fantasy" style of writing for the work. However, this technique, which allows the reader to evoke a sense of realism of what is happening, he has already managed to test earlier.

The ancient old woman acted as a heroine-narrator, telling about legends, and at the same time about her beloved men whom she met on her life path. Two polar concepts of being, hidden in legends, frame the ideological center of the story. The author tried to determine the value of human life, to answer questions about the limits of individual freedom.

Danko's character appeared due to the writer's passion for work. At the beginning of his creative path, Alexei Maksimovich showed interest in individualistic heroes, endowed with a restless spirit.

Readers accepted the work with enthusiasm. The writer was ready for such recognition, because he himself reacted with love to "Old Woman Izergil": in a letter addressed to, the author speaks of the beauty and harmony of the story, recognizes it as the best of his works.

Plot

The first legend told by the old woman tells of a fabulous young man named Larra. The hero, born from an earthly woman and an eagle, is distinguished by a cold look and a rebellious disposition. Larra killed the girl who rejected him and for his pride became an exile from his native tribe. Selfishness doomed the young man to eternal loneliness. However, the tale shows the wise thought of the writer that pride is a wonderful part of character. This quality, if developed in moderation, makes a person a personality and helps not to look back at people's opinions.

The character of the second story is Danko, in whose eyes "a lot of strength and living fire shone." In the allegorical story, people imprisoned in a dark forest follow a young man who has promised them a warm place with a bright sun and clean air. The tribe that got lost along the way began to blame Danko for their troubles and fatigue. But the young man did not give up - he took out a burning heart from his torn chest and, lighting the way with it, led the travelers to the goal. No one appreciated the feat of the deceased in the name of the people of Danko.

Image and prototype

Compiling a characterization of Danko, Maxim Gorky contrasted the hero with the selfish character of the first tale. The author endowed him with a rich inner world, courage and perseverance, made him an ideal of honor, courage and perfection. The ability to self-sacrifice helped to defeat the darkness. Excellent qualities are complemented by a beautiful appearance. The proud daredevil, as the author himself spoke of the character, asked the main question:

"What will I do for people?"

And when he died, he made the reader think about the need for good deeds, about whether humanity is worthy of the victims of "ideal individualists."

The researchers are sure that Alexei Maksimovich, when creating the character, relied on biblical motives, taking features and even. Someone suggests that the hero's name is symbolic: Danko has the same root with the words "give", "giver". In fact, the name is borrowed from the gypsy language and means only “youngest son”, “gypsy”.

As for the prototypes of the character, with the naked eye there is a connection with Greek mythology, where Prometheus gave fire to people. On the other hand, references to the philosopher are clearly visible in the story, who insisted on the reasonableness of fire. And Maxim Gorky, by the way, was known as a "fire-worshipper".

But all these statements are considered assumptions. The "confirmed" prototype is only August Strindberg, a Swedish poet who captured the attention of the intelligentsia in the late 19th century. Alexei Maksimovich himself admitted that Danko is very similar to the famous Swede. The character and the writer were united by an important mission - they "illuminated the people, lost in the darkness of the contradictions of life, the path to light and freedom."

Gorky was also known as a fan of the poet Pencho Slaveikov. The Bulgarian also introduced to the masses of readers the idea that the future belongs to individuals with a strong will. The list of the writer's poems includes the work "The Heart of Hearts", where the deceased romantic Shelley is burned in the fire. It is easy to draw a parallel between this image and Danko with a burning heart.

• In 1967, based on the work of Gorky, the cartoon "The Legend of the Fiery Heart" was created at the Kievnauchfilm studio. Director Irina Gurvich took the legend of Danko as a basis. Two years later, the work was recognized as the best film for youth at the zonal review, which was held in the capital of Armenia.
• "Old Woman Izergil" is the second work written by Alexei Peshkov under the pseudonym Maxim Gorky. The first on the list is Chelkash.

• The mythical hero Danko is dedicated to a monument erected in Krivoy Rog in 1965 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maxim Gorky. At first, the sculpture adorned Gorky Square, then, in connection with the reconstruction of the square, it was moved to Prospekt. The monument was created by the Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, sculptor Alexander Vasyakin.
• At the end of the 1990s, a new star by name lit up in the sky of the Russian stage. The pseudonym hides the singer Alexander Fadeev, whose repertoire includes such songs as "Baby", "Autumn", "You are my girl" and others.

Quotes

"Everything in the world has an end!"

“Do not turn a stone out of the way with a thought. Whoever does nothing, nothing will happen to him."

"The heart burned as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch."

“In order to live, one must be able to do something.”

“We would look vigilantly into the old days - there are all the answers there ... But you don’t look and don’t know how to live because ...”

“He loved exploits. And when a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and finds where it is possible. In life, you know, there is always a place for exploits. And those who do not find them for themselves are simply lazy or cowards, or do not understand life, because if people understood life, everyone would want to leave behind their shadow in it. And then life would not devour people without a trace.

“He is the best of all, because in his eyes a lot of strength and living fire shone. That's why they followed him, because they "believed in him."

“Nothing exhausts the body and soul of people as exhausting dreary thoughts. And people weakened from thoughts.

The old woman, obviously, often talked about Danko's burning heart. She spoke in a melodious voice, and her voice, creaky and muffled, clearly depicted before me the sound of the forest, among which the unfortunate, driven people were dying from the poisonous breath of the swamp ... “Danko is one of those people, a young handsome man. The beautiful are always bold. And so he says to them, his comrades:

- Do not turn a stone out of the way with a thought. Whoever does nothing, nothing will happen to him. Why do we waste energy on thought and longing? Get up, let's go to the forest and go through it, because it has an end - everything in the world has an end! Come on! Well! Hey!..

They looked at him and saw that he was the best of all, because in his eyes a lot of strength and living fire shone.

- Lead us! they said.

Then he took…”

The old woman paused and looked out into the steppe, where darkness was thickening. The sparks of Danko's burning heart flashed somewhere far away and seemed like blue airy flowers, blooming only for a moment.

“Danko led them. Everyone followed him together - they believed in him. It has been a difficult journey! It was dark, and at every step the swamp opened its greedy rotten mouth, swallowing people, and the trees blocked the road like a mighty wall. Their branches intertwined with each other; like snakes, roots stretched everywhere, and each step cost a lot of sweat and blood to those people. They walked for a long time ... The forest became thicker, there was less and less strength! And so they began to grumble at Danko, saying that in vain he, young and inexperienced, led them somewhere. And he walked ahead of them and was cheerful and clear.

But one day a thunderstorm struck over the forest, the trees whispered muffledly, menacingly. And then it became so dark in the forest, as if all the nights had gathered in it at once, how many there had been in the world since the time he was born. Little people walked among the big trees and in the terrible noise of lightning, they walked, and, swaying, the giant trees creaked and hummed angry songs, and the lightning, flying over the tops of the forest, illuminated it for a minute with a blue, cold fire and disappeared just as quickly, as they appeared, scaring people. And the trees, illuminated by the cold fire of lightning, seemed to be alive, stretching around the people who were leaving the captivity of darkness, clumsy, long arms, weaving them into a dense net, trying to stop people. And from the darkness of the branches, something terrible, dark and cold looked at the walking ones. It was a difficult journey, and the people, weary of it, lost heart. But they were ashamed to admit their impotence, and so in anger and anger they fell upon Danko, the man who was walking ahead of them. And they began to reproach him for his inability to manage them - that's how!

They stopped and under the triumphant noise of the forest, among the trembling darkness, tired and angry, began to judge Danko.

“You,” they said, “are an insignificant and harmful person for us!” You led us and tired us, and for this you will perish!

- You said: "Lead!" - and I led! Danko shouted, standing against them with his chest. “I have the courage to lead, that’s why I led you!” And you? What have you done to help yourself? You just walked and did not know how to save strength for a longer path! You just walked, walked like a flock of sheep!

But these words infuriated them even more.

- You will die! You will die! they roared. And the forest hummed and hummed, echoing their cries, and lightning tore the darkness to shreds. Danko looked at those for whom he had toiled, and saw that they were like animals. Many people stood around him, but their nobility was not on their faces, and he could not expect mercy from them. Then indignation boiled up in his heart, but it went out of pity for people. He loved people and thought that maybe without him they would perish. And then his heart flared up with a fire of desire to save them, to lead them to an easy path, and then the rays of that mighty fire flashed in his eyes ... the wolves, expecting that he would fight them, and began to surround him more densely, so that it would be easier for them to grab and kill Danko. And he already understood their thought, because of which his heart burned even brighter, for this thought of theirs gave birth to melancholy in him.

And the forest kept singing its gloomy song, and the thunder rumbled, and the rain poured down ...

What will I do for people? Danko shouted louder than thunder.

And suddenly he tore his chest with his hands and tore out his heart from it and raised it high above his head.

It burned as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch of great love for people, and the darkness scattered from its light and there, deep in the forest, trembling, fell into the rotten mouth of the swamp. The people, amazed, became like stones.

- Let's go! Danko shouted and rushed forward to his place, holding his burning heart high and lighting the way for people with it.

They rushed after him, fascinated. Then the forest rustled again, shaking its peaks in surprise, but its noise was drowned out by the clatter of running people. Everyone ran quickly and boldly, carried away by the wonderful sight of a burning heart.

And now they were dying, but they were dying without complaints and tears. But Danko was still ahead, and his heart was burning, burning!

And then suddenly the forest parted before him, parted and remained behind, dense and mute, and Danko and all those people immediately plunged into a sea of ​​sunlight and clean air, washed by rain. There was a thunderstorm - there, behind them, above the forest, and here the sun was shining. , the steppe sighed, the grass shone in the diamonds of the rain and the river sparkled with gold ... It was evening, and from the rays of the sunset the river seemed red, like the blood that was hot streaming from Danko's torn chest.

The proud daredevil Danko cast a glance ahead of himself at the expanse of the steppe, - he threw a joyful glance at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died.

People, joyful and full of hope, did not notice his death and did not see that his brave heart was still burning next to the corpse of Danko. Only one cautious person noticed this and, being afraid of something, stepped on the proud heart with his foot ... And now it, crumbling into sparks, died out ... "

- That's where they come from, the blue sparks of the steppe that appear before a thunderstorm!

Now, when the old woman finished her beautiful fairy tale, it became terribly quiet in the steppe, as if she was also struck by the strength of the daredevil Danko, who burned his heart for people and died without asking them for anything in return for himself. The old woman was dozing. I looked at her and thought: “How many more fairy tales and memories are left in her memory?” And I thought about the great burning heart of Danko and about the human fantasy that created so many beautiful and powerful legends.

The wind blew and exposed from under the rags the dry chest of the old woman Izergil, who fell asleep more and more soundly. I covered her old body and myself lay down on the ground beside her. The steppe was quiet and dark. Clouds kept creeping across the sky, slowly, dully... The sea was muffled and mournful.

The time in which Gorky's early romantic works were created was difficult and uncertain: revolutionary clouds were gathering over the country, all social contradictions were aggravated to the limit. The best realist writers of that time A.P. Chekhov, I.A. Bunin, A.I. Ku-prin with the utmost truthfulness depicted that period in their works. Gorky at this time declares the need to search for new ways in literature: “The task of literature is to capture in colors, in words, in sounds, in forms, what is in a person the best, beautiful, honest, noble. In particular, my task is to arouse in a person pride in himself, to tell him that he is the best, the most sacred in life ... ”In 1894, he wrote his famous story“ Old Woman Izergil ”, which included two wonderful legends: the legend of Larra and the legend of Danko.
The theme of a free man is the main theme of the entire work, but in the Danko legend it is viewed from an unexpected perspective. For the writer, the concept of "freedom" is associated with the concept of "truth" and "feat". Gorky is not interested in "freedom" "from anything", but freedom "in the name".
Legends have been created by people since ancient times. In a bright, figurative form, they told about heroes and events, conveying to the listener or reader folk wisdom, folk aspirations and dreams. Gorky uses the genre of literary legend, because it was the best fit for his idea: briefly, excitedly, vividly sing of all the best that can be in a person. Most of all, the writer was indignant against selfishness, greed, narcissism and pride. In his favorite romantic hero Danko, he emphasizes, first of all, philanthropy, kindness, the desire to sacrifice himself for the sake of the happiness of his people.
The legend begins with a peculiar beginning: “Only people lived on the earth in the old days, impenetrable forests surrounded the camps of these people on three sides, and on the fourth there was a steppe.” Very much like a fairy tale. Anxious and instructive. To show what a difficult situation people are in, Gorky creates an ominous image of a dense forest, through which they are forced to make their way, running away from enemies: -cheram, when the fires lit up ... And it was even more terrible when the wind beat on the tops of the trees and the whole forest hummed dully, as if threatening and singing a funeral song to those people ... "In this darkness and fear, the appearance of Danko, who led people out of the swamps and the dead forest.
The author also raises the theme of the ungrateful, capricious crowd in the legend, because people, having fallen into the thickest darkness of the forest and swamp swamps, attacked Danko with reproaches and threats. They called him "an insignificant and harmful person", they decided to kill him. However, the young man forgave the people for their anger and unfair reproaches. He tore out a heart from his chest, which burned with a bright fire of love for these same people, and lit the way for them: “It (the heart) burned as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, lit by this great torch love for people ... "Danko's act can be called a feat, because a feat for Gorky is the highest degree of freedom from self-love. The hero dies, but the sparks of his ardent heart still illuminate the path to truth and goodness.
In the composition of the story "Old Woman Izergil" the legend of Danko is the third, final part. It completes the author's reflections on the meaning of human existence, gives an answer to the question: "What is it worth living and fighting for?"
This third part of the work is opposed to the first, where the image of the self-loving and proud Larra is given. Danko and Larra are antipodes, they are both young, strong and beautiful. But Larra is a slave to his egoism, and this makes him lonely and rejected by everyone. Danko lives for people, therefore he is truly immortal.
It is no coincidence that Gorky introduces the image of the narrator into the narrative. Old Rukha Izergil is the bearer and exponent of the people's truth. In addition, the writer has the opportunity to compare real life with the world of legends. The old woman Izergil, the story of whose fate occupies a central compositional place in the story, survived both the fate of Larra and the fate of Danko in her youth. This, according to the writer, is the best evidence that in the life of every person there is a place for both individualism and achievement. The narrator of the legend about Danko is also a romantic hero, the ideal of her life is freedom. But her personal selfishness, life for a loved one and herself, makes her look like Larra. And here is the finale of her life: before us is a desiccated, incorporeal old woman with black holes in her eye sockets, but with a red rag on her head - a symbol of ardent admiration for such heroes as Danko.
In his legend, Gorky skillfully uses artistic and visual means: hyperbole (“It became so dark in the forest, as if all the nights had gathered in it at once ...”); personification (“... giant trees ... buzzing angry songs”, “... a swamp ... opened its greedy rotten mouth ...”); bright epithets ("... cold fire"; "poisonous stench", "blue airy flowers"). The text of the legend contains many exclamatory sentences, rhetorical questions and dots, i.e. omissions. All this conveys a tense and agitated tone of the story. The final words, speaking of Danko's feat, sound firmly, sublimely, loudly.
The legend of Danko made a very big impression on me: there is not only a clear and beautiful language, not only an interesting, exciting plot, but also the depth of philosophical thought, the depth of generalization. I have no doubt that this small work is destined to touch the hearts of many generations of people, because it makes you think about the meaning of human activity, the meaning of life in general.

However, the influence of folklore is not limited to Gorky's borrowing of individual plots of folk art. Artistic images, thoughts and feelings expressed in these works are close to folklore, therefore stories are perceived as legends, even fairy tales, because they reflect the ideals of the people, their dream of beauty.

“Old Woman Izergil” is a real story, where the author includes realistic details directly into the landscape itself, accurately indicates the place of meeting with the old woman, even specifying what the narrator himself is doing in Bessarabia. Realistically given is the real appearance of the old woman Izergil, who has a “dry voice” and “a trembling hand with crooked fingers”, “a wrinkled nose, bent like an owl’s beak” and “dry, chapped lips”.

The heroine tells her legends in a completely real setting, and this, as it were, brings them closer to life, emphasizing the close connection between heroic romance and real life. The three-part composition of the story helps to embody the author's ideal and anti-ideal.

The anti-ideal is expressed in the legend of Larre, the son of an eagle, who symbolizes individualism and selfishness taken to the extreme. The legend of Danko, on the contrary, embodies the ideal that expresses the highest degree of love for people - self-sacrifice. The events of the legends unfold in ancient times, as if in a time preceding the beginning of history, in the era of first creations. Therefore, in reality there are traces directly related to that era: the shadow of Larra, which only the old woman Izergil sees, the blue lights left from Danko's heart.

Unlike Larra, who embodied an anti-human essence (not without reason is he the son of an eagle!), Danko demonstrates an inexhaustible love for people. Even at the moment when they "were like animals", "like wolves", which surrounded him, "to make it easier for them to grab and kill Danko." He was possessed by only one desire - to overcome the cruelty of people, to displace darkness from their consciousness, fear of a dark forest with stinking swamps.

Danko's heart flared up and burned to dispel the darkness, not so much of the forest as of the soul. That is why the image of Danko is revealed by Gorky with the help of the image of fire, a burning heart, sunshine: “The rays of that mighty fire sparkled in his eyes .... His heart burned as brightly as the sun and brighter than the sun ...”

These images of the sun and fire are designed to emphasize the heroic aspirations of the young man, giving the whole work an emotional intensity. His love for people is an ardent desire to selflessly serve them, his high aspirations merge with his beauty, strength and youth. No wonder the old woman Izergil claimed that "beautiful ones are always brave." Therefore, the whole legend about Danko, about his heart, burning with great love for people, is perceived by both the narrator and readers as a bold call to heroic deeds.

The handsome young man himself is a true hero, boldly moving towards a lofty, noble goal, sacrificing himself for the sake of people's happiness. Only now the people he saved did not even pay attention to the "proud heart" that fell near them, and one cautious person, noticing him, stepped on Danko's burning heart, as if fearing something.

What this man was afraid of remained a mystery to the writer himself, but at different times different literary scholars gave their interpretation of this act. The image of Danko himself has long been associated with counselors, teachers and other people who have devoted themselves to working with children. To lead, you need to have a truly burning heart, albeit in a metaphorical sense.

Children always feel false and are unlikely to catch fire with such an idea that the teacher himself does not accept or does not share. It is no coincidence that every second group of leaders in a children's camp or school was called "Danko", proving the right to lead children out of the darkness of ignorance and indifference.

The ideal of a humanist, embodied in the image of a brave young man, does not evoke pity in the reader, since his act is a feat. Danko's act can only cause pride, admiration, delight, admiration, respect - in a word, such feelings that overwhelm the heart of every reader who imagines a young man with a flaming gaze, who holds in his hand a heart sparkling with love, this torch of selfless love for people.

• "Old Woman Izergil", analysis of Gorky's story
• "Old Woman Izergil", a summary of the chapters of Gorky's story