Salvation deception. Which is better, the bitter truth or a white lie? (USE in Literature)

There are no absolutely truthful people, we all lie. Someone resorts to deception in exceptional cases, for someone lying is a part of everyday life, someone lies with bad intent, and someone believes that his lies are for the good. I would like to talk about the last phenomenon in more detail, because we often hear about the destructive effect of deceit, and if so, can it save someone?

Lies for salvation

In order to answer the question of whether a lie is needed in the name of salvation, it is necessary to understand what exactly we mean by this concept.

White lies are often confused with so-called white lies. This is a polite deceit, which they go for, not wanting to offend the other person. This type of deceit, a husband telling his wife that she has not gained any weight, despite the fact that the scale is approaching 100, a young man telling an ugly girl that she is lovely, etc. This type of lying is not always blamed, and in some cultures it is even considered a courtesy. There is a very thin line between this type of lie and flattery, if a person begins to embellish another in order to gain a benefit, then this is already obvious flattery, and not politeness at all.

True white lies can be divided into two types: lying for the benefit of another person and lying to save your own soft spot. The first type includes lying to a seriously ill person to save them from worry, lying to a child that his dad was a test pilot and died like a hero so that he does not feel defective, etc. In such a lie, many do not see anything shameful, since they make a deal with their conscience for the benefit of another person, in their eyes such a deceit is noble.

The second type of lies for one's own salvation is condemned much more often, because here there is no question of any nobility, a person behaves like an egoist, spitting on the feelings of other people. True, people resort to such deceptions much more often: being late for work, we often embellish the traffic situation, not wanting to go with a shopaholic girlfriend to the third shopping run of the week, we remember the mountain of laundry, a small child with whom a neighbor asked to sit and etc.

Small white lie or truth?

That's really an insoluble dilemma, between truth and lies, and there is nothing to choose! This opinion is shared by a large number of people (although 80% of them will lie on occasion), they even doubt whether there is a white lie. After all, if deceit is revealed, it will be bad for both the deceiver and the deceived. We can say that lying is a sin, you can’t lie under any circumstances and give a lot of heartbreaking stories in which lies led to a tragic resolution of the situation, but we are not in Sunday school. We are all adults and we perfectly understand that it will not work without deceit, such is human nature, and you will not go against it. Therefore, choosing between truth and lies, one should not think about the moral side of one's behavior, but try to soberly assess the situation and assess what will do more harm - gentle deceit or ruthless truth. Take, for example, the case of a seriously ill person. To tell him the truth about his condition or not? And here everything depends on the person, if he is a crybaby and a whiner by nature, then a true story in most cases will aggravate the situation, forcing the crybaby to unstick and believe that he has only one way left - to the churchyard. But you can’t lie to a person with a fighting character, accurate information will only motivate her to take actions leading to a speedy recovery. Moreover, it is dangerous to deceive such a person, if the deception is revealed, serious offense cannot be avoided, you may even be suspected of maliciously hiding the truth.

So any lie requires a meaningful approach, not every white lie is good, and not every deception is evil.

Probably, each of us wondered what is better, the bitter truth or a lie to the rescue? Everyone thinks in their own way, but any thought is true, because the choice of one or another concept depends on the situation in which you are.

In the work of M. Gorky "At the Bottom" moral concepts of truth and lies are touched upon. The play describes the life and way of life of people who find themselves at the bottom of society. Particularly interesting are the positions of Luke and Sateen. Luka is an elderly traveler, sixty years old, he tries to console everyone with a fiction and make life easier. Satin, an educated man in the past, who later went to prison for murder, considers freedom to be the highest value of a person.

It is conditionally possible to distinguish three types of lies - a lie-joke, a lie for salvation and a self-serving lie. Luke's position is a white lie. He shows compassion for people, to their misfortune. The Stranger tries to console a person, encouraging him to have faith that will help him endure life's trials. Anna - the wife of one of the guests of the doss house, is hopelessly ill. Everyone shows compassion for her, except for her husband, who, on the contrary, treats the poor woman cruelly.

Luke consoles Anna with the fact that, once in the afterlife, she will go to heaven, where relief and peace await her.

Satin disagrees with Luke's position. Satin makes a speech saying that a real person is worthy of the truth, no matter how bitter it is, as he is strong and will be able to cope with everything. "A man - sounds proud! We must not humiliate him with pity, we must respect ..."

Thus, truth and falsehood are polar concepts, the choice of one of them depends on us. I think the bitter truth is better. Yes, lies can console, give hope, faith in something. Lies only reassure, only hide the truth for a while.

In the end, the truth will still come out, and the person will be hurt more by disappointment in the hope that was not there.

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Updated: 2017-07-10

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Psychology defines the concept of a lie as a technique that allows you to change the circumstances in the psychology of relationships in the desired direction. Almost everyone deceives in this life - someone to a greater extent, someone to a lesser extent, someone has no other choice, and someone wants to put himself in a favorable light in front of the people around him. If you think that it is impossible to live without lies, you are mistaken.

People who claim to always tell the truth are liars. Human psychology is such that each of us, for a number of reasons, sometimes prevaricates. And perhaps the most common type of untruth is a white lie.

You can imagine it as a kind of painkiller, which is sometimes allowed by the psychology of communication between close people. We use such a trick if the truth can hurt the interlocutor. Moreover, from the point of view of the psychology and morality of society, such a lie can be regarded as a virtue, and not as a sin, because in this case we are lying not for our own benefit, but to save the feelings of other people. Some even call white lies a special kind of truth. It is only intended for a limited contingent of users. And most often it is addressed to our children or parents, because the psychology of relationships is such that they do not always need to know some details from the personal lives of others.

Hardly anyone wants to be deceived. It is rather unpleasant to understand that your friends or relatives are hiding something from you or not telling you. Therefore, it is necessary to learn to recognize lies. You do not need to be a specialist in psychology to understand whether they are telling you the truth or lying. The psychology of communication identifies some signs by which a liar can be recognized. Following the advice of a psychologist, you need to pay attention to the behavior of the interlocutor:

• you are clearly deceived if they answer a hot question immediately, without a pause and without thinking about the answer, and try to do it as convincingly as possible in order to dispel all your doubts and suspicions;
• many details are given as arguments;
• trying to quickly change the topic of conversation;
• admire you, uttering a lot of affectionate words to you and distract you from a hot topic.

What to do if you are deceived too often, trying to protect you from the truth? Apparently, you are too vulnerable, and loved ones do not dare to hurt you and make you suffer. On the one hand, this is good, because it is humane. But from the point of view of personality psychology, everything is not so perfect, because it is very difficult to live in constant lies with your loved ones. And it is not safe to be constantly in ignorance. Therefore, feeling deceived, thank the interlocutor for the compassion shown to you and ask them to tell the truth, whatever it may be.

The psychology of communication sometimes experiences a crisis in trusting relationships. It is impossible to achieve something in life by passing off dreams as reality and resorting to lies. Life in the name of deception is the fate of losers, while the hallmark of successful people is sincerity and decency, not only in relation to other people, but also to oneself.

Is it worth it to tell a friend that she looks unpresentable in a new dress? Does the doctor need to tell the patient a terrible verdict, taking away his hope for recovery? These moments, in a sense, can be categorized as a humane lie or the so-called white lie. In the same category, the unfaithful spouse puts his multiple versions, masking betrayals, citing the fact that in this way he supposedly protects the peace of the family. In reality, due to the often repeated lies, the psychology of relationships in a family or a friendly team goes to an unsafe level.

One lie gives rise to another, and over time turns into a huge ball of lies, in the middle of which a serious problem is hidden, but sometimes it is simply impossible to get through the intricate tangles of deceit. But what to do if you yourself have to lie to your relatives in order to save them from their worries? If for some reason it is not possible to reveal the truth, tell them something soul-saving. And most importantly - remember your answer well, so that in the future, if this topic comes up again, you will not get confused in the answers and be caught in a lie. They will no longer trust you, because nothing destroys a trusting relationship like an open deception, even if it was for salvation. When a person suddenly finds out that everyone around knew the truth and only he was kept in the dark, he becomes doubly offended. It is very frustrating to realize that others decide what you should know and what not, completely without bothering to ask for your opinion on this matter.

In order not to resort to lies, but to present the truth in a way that spares the feelings of the interlocutor, it is necessary to prepare for this.

• Prepare the ground for an important conversation, determine in advance the time and place for this. Do this not on the go, but in a calm, friendly atmosphere, so that your counterpart has the opportunity to think about what he heard and try to accept the information;
• speak from a pure heart, showing love and respect for the interlocutor;
• choose carefully and articulate each word clearly.

In families where people for one reason or another often deceive, distrust and suspicion are firmly rooted. Therefore, try not to bring the psychological situation in your family to a critical level.

Do not try to be perfect for everyone at once - after all, human psychology is such that it is the need for approval that pushes him to lie. And do not forget, a person who practices lying as a way to avoid conflict situations or attract good luck is not only completely defenseless. The lie forces him to fly into the abyss of loneliness, which cannot have a bottom. In the end, think about your health, because nervousness, insomnia, headaches, increased anxiety and sudden mood swings are constant companions of inveterate liars.

• Alexandra answers
• Let's think: is the truth always and in 100% of cases good?
• A person rarely thinks specifically about this question - until he comes to a standstill in some situation ...
  • Is the truth always unambiguously good - especially in the relationship of two close, loving people?
  • If you don’t think about it, you will answer - yes, always, by all means!
  • Is it possible to hide something? if close? ... and further in the text.
  • And if you think about it, then everything turns out not so clearly.
  • Simple examples: is it necessary to tell a person that his illness is incurable?
  • Should I tell a woman that she is old and looks bad?
  • Do I need to confess to my husband that a hundred years ago she accidentally cheated on him at a resort?
  • Should an adopted child know that he or she is adopted?
  • Here is the reaction to such a question of people who have committed this sin (and is it a sin?):
  • 1. There are white lies!
  • I still regret that I confessed to my loved one that I had plastic surgery. After that, he began to treat me worse. appreciates everything "natural", and we parted.
  • 2. My husband died of cancer a year ago. The disease manifested itself quite suddenly. When I found out about her, the verdict was pronounced - only a month remained to live for the person dearest to me. "What do the doctors say?" my husband asked me. I confessed to my husband that he had a tumor, that he was doomed: the last days remained.
  • My husband died in my arms, suffering terribly and crying. "Why did you tell me this? - he reproached me constantly, - You see, I'm a weakling. I don't want to die, I don't want to!"
  • I called the priest for communion, my husband categorically refused: "Now I don't believe in God, why should I, what I have done wrong to Him!"
  • It was hysterical. Now he torments me in my dreams and I understand why. Through my fault, he died without receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
  • 3. I can’t find a place for myself that I didn’t lie to my girlfriend.
  • She could not forgive her beloved husband, they separated, two children were left without a father who started drinking. And that's my fault.
  • Her husband began to pester me, of course, I did not like it. But a friend felt something and asked me straight in the eye: "Do you have any relationship with my husband?" "No," I said sincerely. "But he's calling you, I found your number on his phone."
  • Now I understand: it was possible to lie, for example, that he was looking for his wife and called me.
  • But I told the truth: "Yes, he has been pestering me for a long time, but he is unpleasant to me. You know me."
  • In fact, you can't even call it harassment.
  • There are many such examples.
  • Let's see what the Holy Fathers say.
  • I first read about this in the life of St. John of Kronstadt, then - at St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
  • "Yes, there are white lies."
  • Because Christ gave us the commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself" and "Do not do to another what you do not want them to do to you." And again: "Do no harm!"
  • Would you like to hear the truth that can change your fate and the fate of your neighbors for the worse?
  • Folk wisdom says: "Chew your tongue before you tell the truth."
  • What do philosophers say about this?
  • 1. "You should always carry kindness in your heart."
  • 2. "The most important thing that can be done for a person is to be able to stand in his position."
  • 3. "Consider every word. Remember firmly that there are situations when it is better to be silent"
  • And now - the main thing: what our priests say.IS THERE A LIE TO SALVATION?
  • 1. Judas, the truth is fatal, and a lie is sometimes necessary. Forced necessary. To say that she is saving, it would be wrong. Indeed, in a situation where a person with a club runs up to you, there is another option for behavior - to be a martyr of the truth and answer: “There was a person here, I know where he is, but I won’t say, even if I have to die.”
  • The only question is, is everyone capable of it?
  • Archpriest Georgy Gorbachuk, Rector of the Vladimir Theological Seminary, Rector of the Transfiguration Church at the Golden Gates, Vladimir
  • 2. Is the truth always saving?
  • The answer would seem to be obvious. Lying is a sin, therefore, it cannot be saving.
  • But is everything so clear? Is the truth always saving?
  • Let's turn to the gospel. Judas didn't lie. He did not kiss Peter, saying that it was Jesus, and not Thomas ... But the truth, spoken at the wrong time, not for good, not for good, is a betrayal and is considered the gravest sin. Such a truth is a direct path to hell and cannot be saved.
  • And if the truth is not always salutary, it is logical to assume that sometimes it is better to lie than to tell the truth.
  • To clarify this statement, I will give the following example.
  • In Soviet times, I was repeatedly summoned to the State Security Committee for “studying” (it was located in the building where the Vladimir Theological Seminary is now located). One day they showed me a list of surnames and asked if I had baptized the people named there.
  • If I had told the truth and confessed to having performed the sacrament, the people on the list would have been worked out at party meetings, they would have been deprived of bonuses, they would have been removed from the queue for apartments, etc. Therefore, I answered the KGB officer that I did not baptize those named in list, and explained the essence of the problem as follows: “A man is running past me in great fear, I see how he is hiding in the bushes. Soon another comes running, with a club in his hands, and asks: “Did anyone run through here?” If I show the wrong direction, the hider will be saved. Therefore, I answer: I did not baptize any of the persons you indicated. He was indignant, but that was the end of it.
  • So, Judas, the truth is fatal, and a lie is sometimes necessary. Forced necessary. To say that she is saving, it would be wrong. Indeed, in a situation where a person with a club runs up to you, there is another option for behavior - to be a martyr of the truth and answer: “There was a person here, I know where he is, but I won’t say, even if I have to die.” The only question is, is everyone capable of it?
  • Define the "lesser evil"
  • If anyone thinks that “white lie” is a quote from the Bible, then he is mistaken. This is a distorted quote from Psalm 32: A king is not saved by his great strength, and a giant is not saved by his great strength. Lie the horse for salvation, but in the multitude of its strength it will not be saved (Ps 32:16-17), in Russian: The horse is unreliable for salvation. Lie - in this case, the Slavic short adjective of the masculine gender (in the Russian Synodal translation, it is translated as "unreliable"). It is, as we see, about a horse, but a completely different meaning has entered the proverb. Another example of the use of the same word (and again in the Psalm) is Psalm 115: But I rech in my anger: every man is a lie (Ps 115:2), that is, again, "unreliable."
  • It seems to me that when we are faced with the question “to lie or not to lie” and at the same time various considerations about the good or overcoming some harm incline us in favor of “lying”, we are faced with a classic situation of choosing the “lesser evil”.
  • We know that, in principle, lying is bad, it is a sin, for this one way or another, if it does not bite, then the conscience pricks. But there are situations when on the opposite side of the scale (“do not lie”) are the prospects for even worse consequences. The main question here, as always, is to determine what is the "lesser evil" in this or that situation. Will this particular lie really be a lesser sin and bring less harm than the “truth-womb”, which a person is ready to “cut” in full in any case? Not to mention the fact that it is difficult and uncomfortable for a conscientious person to lie even “for salvation”, even in some small trifle, so he often deceives quite clumsily, and in the end even more evil can come out of this.
  • To specify the problem, it must be said that lying “in one’s own favor” is forbidden, and above all because it is most often “used” to avoid unpleasant consequences, punishment for a crime or retribution for any mistake. It is permissible to lie for the sake of saving a life neighbor, sheltering him from persecution; sometimes it is permissible to deviate from the truth, speaking about the diagnosis of a terminally ill person (I emphasize - sometimes, since a lot depends on a wide variety of additional circumstances). On the whole, if a “white lie” can be justified in some specific rare situations by love for one’s neighbor, then in general it is a very dangerous tool that “blurs” the eye between love for one’s neighbor and some kind of “good” according to one’s own mind.
  • Priest John Okhlobystin, screenwriter, writer, Moscow
  • 3. Decayed tatters of glossy lies
  • I understand that people who use the expression “white lies” most often mean hiding or distorting the real state of affairs for the sake of peace of mind, for example, people who are seriously ill or in some other critical situation. In cases where it is unprofitable to reveal the truth, but no one will suffer from ignorance. That is, it does not mean some kind of conscious betrayal, serving the "father of lies and the main liar."
  • This, alas, is possible in our fallen world, and this is very sad. For example, diplomacy (both human relations diplomacy and international diplomacy) is also often a white lie. The use of this technique is one of the evidences of the unbearable division of our world. Like the death penalty - "a necessary, unavoidable evil", murder in the name of the "happiness" of the survivors. And the soul can only grieve and cry about that happy time when it will not be necessary to hide the truth in decayed tatters of glossy untruth.
  • At the same time, “lie for deliverance” is evil. A lie is a lie, and one must answer for it as if it were a sin. For example, the Grand Duchess and Reverend Martyr Elisaveta Feodorovna, in her Marfo-Mariinsky monastery, tried to make efforts of her heart to prepare a hopelessly ill person for a Christian death, rather than leaving him in the dark about her tragic situation.
  • Priest Yevhen Likhota, Rector of the Holy Nativity Church, Brest
  • 4. You can't lie to God
  • We live in a world that lies in evil. The laws of sinful plexuses often operate in it, where lies give rise to lies. Christianity offers an option to break the chain of lies - repentance. Another question - to tell the child that he will die soon? Is hiding the truth or keeping silent about the truth a lie? This is a matter of everyone's conscience.
  • Abba Dorotheos wrote in his teachings that “when there is such a great need to evade the word of truth, then even then a person should not remain carefree, but should repent and weep before God and consider such an event a time of temptation.”
  • It seems to me that the problem of modern people is to break the circle of lies in their own lives. A person puts on one mask in communication with relatives, another one at work, another one in a circle of friends, and, worst of all, he puts on a mask when he begins to read the rule of prayer or goes to church. He begins to lie to God and loses himself. In this lie his own soul disintegrates. To the extent that a person develops spiritually, to the same extent he is freed from all lies.
  • Priest Alexander Ryabkov, Cleric of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, St. Petersburg
  • 5. To remain silent for the sake of love Unfortunately, in pastoral life there are situations when one has to not speak the true truth, but only in those cases when it is more dangerous and more destructive than a lie. But no less responsible is the situation when one has to discover the truth, no matter how impartial it may be. The decision to remain silent requires special moral struggles and experiences. I recall the words of Father Pavel Florensky, who remarked that even the truth, even the truth, is antinomic, contradictory.
  • For unrighteousness cannot be with God (Job 34:10).
  • Here you need to have a special spiritual reasoning, a special inner voice of God that promotes truth and righteousness, or, as the apostle John says, here you need a mind that has wisdom (Rev. 17:9).
  • Hieromonk Nikon (Bachmanov), Lecturer, Stavropol Orthodox Theological Seminary, Stavropol
  • 6. It is impossible to say, of course, whether a lie for the sake of salvation is possible. But to the question of whether a lie will lead to the salvation of our soul, the answer is unequivocal - no! “Falsehood closes the door to prayer. Lies drive faith out of a person's heart. The Lord moves away from a person who creates lies” (St. Theophan the Recluse).
• Dear Dmitriy. Choose for yourself the answer to such an ambiguous question.

Truth and lies... Two opposite poles connected by a non-breaking thread. What is more necessary for a person? It is strange to ask such a question. Indeed, since childhood, we are taught the concept of truth as a positive quality, and of lies as a negative one. In a normal situation, perhaps it is not always so important that they will tell you: the truth, the truth - or they will lie again. And if it concerns, for example, the patient and the doctor, when the doctor has no doubt that the patient will not live to see the next day. He does not know what to do: to say everything in the eyes or to remain silent, to hide. This is the eternal philosophical question. The question of truth and holy lies ... This problem is also raised by M. Gorky in his play "At the Bottom".

In the nine hundred years, a severe economic crisis erupted in Russia. Under the pressure of the most severe economic oppression, a huge number of people fell to the "bottom" of life. In the play "At the Bottom" M. Gorky paints amazing pictures of life for us
capitalist "bottom", which is presented in the form of a Kostylevo rooming house.
The main conflict of the drama is the conflict in the souls of the characters, in their perception of the world, man, truth, the conflict between the real and the desired. This is where the debate about truth comes in.
In an interview with the correspondent of Peterburgskaya Gazeta, M. Gorky, referring to the problems of his play, said: “Is it necessary to bring compassion to the point of using a lie, like Luke? This question is not subjective, but general philosophical. So
M. Gorky poses the problem.

Luka and Satin reflect on a man, his strength, his truth, about his attitude towards a man: "Man is the truth."

Onion…. With the appearance of this person in the rooming house, the souls of its inhabitants become agitated, thoughts become more intense, more collected. Luke is a wanderer who preaches kindness, love and respect for people. This is a man who loves to think. Him
you can’t deny the mind, he strives for the truth.

Luka is not the main character of the play. He is only the compositional center of the drama around which the main conflict is built. The appearance of Luke is the beginning of the play, his disappearance is the climax.

Luke is an interesting character, causing a huge amount of controversy around him. In order to try to understand who he is, let's turn to the author. M. Gorky himself claimed that Luka is a swindler, a deceiver, and his name is Luka - “evil one”.
Luka is a subtle psychologist. He immediately guesses what people need, and immediately provides them with that consoling wisdom, that fairy tale, which for the inhabitants of the rooming house becomes a balm that heals all wounds. Thus, Luke does not aim at
changing social foundations, but to lightening the cross that ordinary people carry.

Compassion - this is the highlight, due to which Luka wins the sympathy of others. Compassion and the suggestion of a false, fleeting illusion in the hopeless life of a hole, a bottom, an abyss, from which one can no longer get out! Someone who, but Luke understands this better than anyone!

He does not believe in his "truth". And he knows that everything he says is nonsense, fiction or an impossible idea, but does he care? Does he consider the implications of his comforting tale?

Not! He is not interested! And he proves it with his disappearance. Yes! He disappears, dissolves just at the moment when the people whom he has turned their heads need his words, his advice, these very inventions more than anything else.
Luka, instead of gathering and joining forces for a long and difficult struggle, on the contrary, relaxes the inhabitants of the rooming house.

Each of the heroes is trying to escape. And Luke strengthened this desire of theirs. But how bitter it becomes for everyone after realizing the complete discrepancy between the social position of the heroes and their inner world.

No, the people of the "bottom" do not need the "truth" of Luke. It takes strength to fight reality in order to achieve happiness, for which man was created.
The inhabitants of the rooming house are weak, they are insolvent: with the disappearance of Luka, their dream of a new life, ignited by a wanderer, disappears from their field of vision. Everything remains the same.
A completely different human type, a completely different life position is presented in the image of the tramp Sateen. Sateen is a fighter for justice. He ended up in prison because he stood up for the honor of his sister. Human injustice and years of terrible need did not embitter Satine. He sympathizes with people no less than Luke, but he sees no way out, relief of suffering in a simple consolation of people. It is in his mouth that the writer puts a monologue in defense of man and human rights:

"Man is free, he pays for everything himself."

With this play, Gorky continues, rethinks and completes the theme of bosyatstva, but at the same time, the author is looking for answers to philosophical questions, the main of which is the question: “Which is better: compassion or truth? What is more needed? In the play, different ideas, views, positions collide; Each of the characters answers these questions in their own way.
The action of the play takes place in a basement, devoid of light and air, gloomy, damp, stuffy. But it is here that a variety of people are forced to live. They create a collective, many-sided image of the "bottom".

The characters lead their usual way of life: they swear, quarrel, whose turn it is to clean up, and so on. But the appearance of the wanderer Luke disrupts the situation.
First of all, it must be said that this little hunched old man is not at all like the inhabitants of the rooming house.

His melodious, smooth, soft speech contrasts sharply with Sateen's growl, Klesh's intermittent phrases, screams, whistles.

Heroes constantly humiliate each other, offend. Such appeals as “you are a red goat”, “old dog”, “unclean spirit”, “fool”, “animals” are quite common and familiar here. And Luke calls the overnight stays only as "honest people", "brother",
"dove", "mother", "dear", "baby". Luka also attracts us by the fact that for him all people are the same: “... In my opinion, not a single flea is bad: they are all black, they all jump,” he says.
Luke tells a lot of things, and it is thanks to these stories that we learn at least something about the wanderer. From his behavior in some episodes (Luka's conversation with Bubnov, Pepel with Kostylev), we can conclude that Luka is an escaped convict. Apparently, he, knowing full well that he could not survive in the harsh conditions of Siberia, decided to escape. And, perhaps, that is why Luka does not have a passport, and he is so afraid of the police that he disappears at the moment when Kostylev is killed.

Almost all the characters are deprived of something in life: the Actor - the opportunity to play on stage, Kleshch - a permanent job, Nastya - love. They painfully try to change their situation and find understanding and sympathy from Luke. With its appearance, the faith in a better life grows stronger among the overnight stays, there is a hope for a way out of the “bottom”. He finds his own approach to each person.

The Actor, who has lost everything because of his craving for alcohol, Luka gives faith in a cure: “Today they are treating drunkenness, listen!

For free, brother, they treat ... such a hospital is built for drunkards ... so that, therefore, they can be treated for nothing ... Refrain ... pull yourself together and - be patient ... And then you will be cured ... and you will start living again ... Well, decide in two steps ... "The actor is easy believes Luke because
that in the soul already carries this dream. According to Yu. Yuzovsky, the Actor gives "a blindfold" of uplifting deceit to be tied around his eyes.
Luka also calms Anna, gives her consolation before death, facilitates the steps in life; “That means you will die, and you will be calm ... You will not need anything else, and there is nothing to be afraid of! ... Death - it calms everything ... it is affectionate for us ... Believe me! You - die with joy, without anxiety ... ”Anna, who was always beaten and offended, sees in Luka an affectionate, father-like person and believes him.

Everything is not so easy for Luka with the thief and bandit Vaska Pepel, who looks at things soberly. But humanity, care, attention from the wanderer make Pepel sincerely believe in the "righteous land" - in Siberia, where you can start a new, completely different life.

Luka also convinces Natasha to believe Ash and leave with them: “And I will say - go for him, girl, go. He is a guy of nothing, a good one!”
Luka has no problems with Nastya. She lives with dreams, and Luka only encourages her, saying: “Your truth, not theirs ... If you believe, you had true love ... then it was!”