The past life of the characters in the play is at the bottom. Methodological development in literature (grade 11) on the topic: lesson on Gorky’s play “At the Depths”

M. Gorky's drama “At the Lower Depths” was written in 1902. The characters in this play are people who, as a result, social processes that took place at the turn of the century, found themselves thrown to the very bottom of life.

Social conflict is present in the play primarily in the form of a confrontation between the owners of the shelter, the Kostylevs, and its inhabitants. Kostylev appears in the eyes of the night shelters as a rich man who thinks only about money and strives to ask for as much as possible for a place. At the same time, Kostylev pretends to be a pious person and firmly believes that he will use the extra money received from the inhabitants of the shelter for a good cause. “I’ll throw fifty dollars on you, pour oil into the lamp... and my sacrifice will burn in front of the holy icon...” he insinuatingly says to Kleshch. However, the night shelters themselves are kinder and more sympathetic than Kostylev: The actor helps the dying Anna, Vaska Ash sincerely loves Natalya. And Kostylev is sure that “kindness of heart” cannot be equated with money under any circumstances, which he explains to the Actor: “Kindness is above all good things. And your debt to me is indeed a debt! So you have to reimburse me..."

Vasilisa, Kostylev’s wife and owner of the shelter, loves to show her superiority over the shelter. Allegedly keeping order in the rooms, she threatens to call the orderlies, who will “come and impose a fine,” and after that she will kick out all the inhabitants of the shelter. But her superiority and power are imaginary, which, after her angry tirade, Bubnov reminds her of: “How will you live?”

Thus, there is practically no difference between the owners of the shelter and their guests. Kostylev buys a stolen watch from the thief Vaska Pepel; his wife Vasilisa had an affair with the same Vaska. Therefore, the conflict between the Kostylevs and the night shelters has not so much a social basis as moral basis: after all, Kostylev and his wife are people without heart and conscience. Vasilisa persuades Vaska Pepel to kill Kostylev, who, according to her, is torturing her and her sister. Ash condemns her: “...you have no soul, woman.”

Policeman Medvedev, uncle of Vasilisa and Natalya, also does not at all look like a stern representative of the law. He complains about his hectic service, regrets that he has to constantly separate fighters: “If only we would let them beat each other freely, as much as each one wants... they would fight less, because they would remember the beatings longer.” He comes to play checkers with the roommate Bubnov, and proposes to the dumpling seller Kvashnya to marry him. In the play “At the Bottom” they are erased social differences between all the characters. The concept of the bottom expands and covers all the characters, and not just the inhabitants of the shelter.

Each of the heroes who found themselves at the bottom experienced their own conflict with society in the past. Drunkenness brings the actor to the shelter; he admits that he “drank away his soul.” Because of this, the Actor loses faith in himself and his talent. Only with the arrival of Luka, a wonderful old man at the shelter, who manages to restore faith in the future to many of the shelter’s residents, does the Actor remember his name “from the stage”: Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky. However, in the shelter he has no name, just as he has no past or future. Although the Actor constantly quotes lines from immortal plays, he misinterprets their words, adapts them to nightlife: “I’ll get drunk like... forty thousand drunkards...” (modified line from Hamlet). The Actor commits suicide in his life, not being able to able to resist the oppressive and sucking, depersonalizing reality of the bottom of life.

Occasionally he remembers his past life sharper Bubnov. Previously, he was a furrier, “he had his own establishment.” His wife “contacted” the master, a “dodgeman,” as Bubnov himself admitted, and a big fighter. Bubnov planned to kill his wife, but left in time, escaping from hard labor. But for the fact that now he has to lead such a lifestyle, Bubnov blames not his insidious wife, but himself: his binges and laziness. He looks in surprise at his hands, which he thought would never wash off. yellow paint, and sees that now they are just dirty. If earlier his hands were the hallmark of his profession, now he belongs entirely to the faceless brotherhood of the night shelters, as he himself says: “It turns out that on the outside, no matter how you paint yourself, everything will be erased... everything will be erased, yes!”

Satin, when he was a boy, worked at the telegraph office. The baron was a real aristocrat, he studied, “wore the uniform of a noble institute,” and then went to prison for embezzlement. The whole life of the baron appears before the readers as a change of several suits, several masks: from a noble uniform, robe, cap with a cockade to a prisoner's robe and the clothes of a rooming house.

Together with these heroes, under the same roof live the sharper Satin, the thief Ash, the walking girl Nastya, the market cook Kvashnya, Tatar. However, in the shelter, the social differences between them are erased, they all become just people. As Bubnov notes: “...everything faded away, only one naked man remained...” Social conflicts The events that determined their fate remain in the past and are excluded from the main action of the play. We see only the result of social unrest that has had such a tragic impact on people’s lives.

However, the very title of the play “At the Bottom” suggests the presence of social tension. After all, if there is a bottom to life, there must be something above this bottom; there must also be a rapid flow of light, bright, joyful life. The night shelters do not hope to ever find such a life. All of them, with the exception of the Tick, are turned to the past or immersed in worries about the present. But the Tick is also filled not so much with hope as with impotent anger. It seems to him that he lives in a dirty shelter only for the sake of Anna, his dying wife, but after her death nothing changes. The faith of the inhabitants of the shelter in the possibility of a new life is restored by Luka, the “crafty old man,” but it turns out to be fragile and quickly fades away.

“At the Bottom” is not just a social, but a socio-philosophical drama. What makes a person human, what helps and hinders him to live, to gain human dignity - the author of the play “At the Bottom” seeks answers to these questions. Thus, the main subject of depiction in the play is the thoughts and feelings of the night shelters in all their contradictions. Gorky shows that for those who, by the will of fate, have found themselves at the very bottom of life, their situation does not seem tragic, unbearable, hopeless. The fact that their environment, the oppressive atmosphere of the flophouse, pushes people to theft, drunkenness, and murder, seems to its inhabitants to be a normal course of life. But the author's point of view differs from the position of his heroes. It shows that the inhuman conditions of the bottom lead to impoverishment spiritual world In a person, even such a sublime feeling as love leads to hatred, fight, murder, hard labor. Among the inhabitants of the shelter, only Satin “awakens” to life and pronounces a furious monologue about the greatness of man. However, the speech of this hero is only the first step towards changing the consciousness of people who have fallen to the bottom of life, the first attempt to overcome social conditions, putting pressure on a free person.

Falling to the bottom of society is as easy as passing two bytes. To do this, you do not need to have special knowledge or skills. Just remain human, think not only about everyday things, but also speak out philosophical topics- not everyone can do this. After all, a person who is at the bottom has only three options: slide into the abyss, turn into a philosopher, or rise from the ashes.

The legacy of Maxim Gorky

Alexey Maksimovich Peshkov cherished the dream that the world would be inhabited by “new people.” People who are impeccable in terms of intellectual and physical development, manners and principles. These new people are distinguished by their fearlessness and thirst for freedom, they don’t care about any obstacles, they can achieve anything they want. And even if their goals are beyond the realm of possibility, they can do it.

During this time, he managed to write 5 novels, 10 novellas, 18 stories and essays, 16 plays and published 3 cycles of journalistic articles. The writer, novelist and playwright was nominated 5 times for Nobel Prize in the field of literature. He became known as one of the most famous Russian thinkers and writers. He left behind rich heritage, and one of the pearls of his collection is the play “At the Bottom”.

"At the Bottom"

The play “At the Bottom” saw the world in 1902. Before publishing the material, the author for a long time could not choose which title to choose. He had a choice among several options: “The Bottom”, “Nochlezhka”, “At the Bottom of Life”, “Without the Sun”. Ultimately, the play received the short and laconic title “At the Bottom.” Two years after its release, in 1904, the play was awarded the Griboyedov Prize.

The first performance based on the work was staged on December 18, 1902 at the Moscow Art Theater. IN Soviet era The production delighted the audience 9 times. The last time she was seen was in 1956. But this did not detract from her success. More than once the play was staged abroad in cities such as Berlin, Krakow, Helsinki, Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Tunisia. From 1996 to the present, more than 20 productions have been staged in different countries peace. The play was filmed 10 times not only domestic cinema, but also in Hungary, Japan and France.

What attracted the public so much to this play: the problem moral choice; the realization that each person has his own truth; or the very image of the bottom in the play “At the Bottom” touched the strings human soul? Let's try to figure it out.

M. Gorky, “At the Bottom”: summary

The events of the work take place in a place like a flophouse. The lodging house is the property of M.I. Kostylev. People live here who have long sunk to the bottom of society. Some of them still believe that they can get out of this hell and change their destiny for the better, while others have long given up and slipped into the farthest channels of the “bottom.”

There are complex relationships between the residents of the shelter. They have different destinies, different views on life, so it’s difficult for them to find common language, because of which quarrels constantly arise. The owner's wife, Vasilisa, loves Vaska Pepla, who earns his living by stealing. She persuades the thief to kill her husband so that they will be free and no one will bother them. Only Vaska does not reciprocate Vasilisa’s feelings, since he has long been in love with her younger sister Natalya. Vasilisa notices this and mercilessly beats Natalya, which is why she ends up in the hospital. After being discharged, she no longer returns to the shelter.

What next does the work that M. Gorky created (“At the Depths”) tell about? The summary even in the second part is tragic. Appears among the guests new person Luke, who inspires everyone that life will get better. But when a conflict arises between Kostylev and Vaska, as a result of which Vaska accidentally kills Kostylev and the thief is arrested, Luka miraculously disappears. The actor, who had become attached to Luka and believed him, is upset by his disappearance and hangs himself in the yard. The reader is struck by the final phrase of the work, uttered by Satin after he learned of the death of the Actor: “What a fool, he just ruined the song.”

People of the bottom

The people of the bottom in Gorky's play "At the Depth" are the most ordinary. They found themselves in a difficult life situation. The main characters of the work:

• Mikhail Kostylev is in charge of the shelter.
• Vasilisa is Kostylev’s wife, loves the thief Ash.
• Natalya, Vasilisa’s sister, suffers beatings from her older sister and disappears after leaving the hospital.
• Luke is a wanderer who suddenly appears and disappears, skillfully comforting everyone with lies.
• Vaska Pepel is a thief who wants to change his destiny.
• Mite is an ordinary hard worker who wants to return to his past life.
• The Baron is an impoverished aristocrat, confident that best moments his life is a thing of the past.
• Satin is a sharper, he is sure that the main thing for a person is spiritual freedom
• Actor - once actually performed on big stage, currently a drunkard who couldn't think of anything better to do than commit suicide.

Play Analysis

Why did Gorky write “At the Lower Depths”? Analysis of this work shows that among the moral dirt of outcasts of society there is a small smoldering ember that unobtrusively hisses: “Man is proud, man is good!” This is especially clearly visible when guests face a small problem.

True or false?

The problem of moral choice in Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” is very acute. What should people believe? A sweet lie or a bitter truth, with which Gorky spiced up his play “At the Depths”? The analysis shows that the wanderer Luke is the master of sweet lies in the work; he is sure that people need to be told what they want to hear. He reassures all the inhabitants of the shelter. Gives you faith that there is a chance to change your life if you do this or that. But when he suddenly disappears, everyone becomes uneasy. The guests feel abandoned, and the Actor, who believed Luke’s words more than anyone else, commits suicide.

The truth in Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” is personified by its hero, Satin. This man is not the best representative of the human race - he is dishonest, likes to drink, gets into fights, and is pessimistic about the future. But there is a little more knowledge and understanding of what is happening. It is from him that the simple truth comes: “You need to be proud of being a human being.” Satin is not a charismatic personality who can lead a crowd, he is not a revolutionary, not a psychologist or a politician - he simply pointed out the obvious, which lit a special spark in the eyes of every inhabitant who had not yet completely despaired. And it will not fade away when Satin disappears, as happened with Luke’s beautiful lie.

The image of the bottom in the play “At the Bottom”

What else can be said about this creation of a classic of Russian literature? Why is it so captivating even to our contemporaries? Maybe because the topic raised by Alexey Maksimovich is relevant at all times?

The play written by M. Gorky (“At the Depths”) can rightfully be called social and philosophical. Here social life And philosophical reflections do not intersect, but complement each other perfectly, making the play complete, lively and real work. The image of the bottom in the play “At the Bottom” represents the harsh reality of the lower strata of society. There are no fictitious facts here, but only real life, such as she is. The fate of the outcasts, those who no longer have a chance to rise. For the first time in world drama, the hopeless fate of “ former people" In the sticky darkness of the musty basement, crippled people, disfigured by fate, gathered. Every day they desperately fight for their existence. Some people have enough strength to survive, while others surrender to the embrace of death. The only ray of hope in this pitchless darkness was brought by Luke, who reassured people and then disappeared. It is difficult not to give up in such a situation, but Satin’s words instill in people faith not in the future, but in their own human dignity. The image of the bottom in the play “At the Bottom” is a torture chamber, where His Majesty disappointment acts as the executioner. It mercilessly beats people who have long been covered in dirt.

The image of the bottom in the play “At the Bottom” is something dark and hopeless, but with a person inside. And where there is a person, there will always be a little hope, because a person is wonderful.

The truth is always recognizable

The public reacted ambiguously to the play written by M. Gorky (“At the Depths”). People have always been alien to the suffering of the lower class of society. But the truthfulness of his story, the characters and fates of his heroes became recognizable not only in the Soviet Union, but throughout the world - from America to Japan.

The author of “At the Lower Depths,” Maxim Gorky, worked on the work for two years. The work of four acts took a long time to write, and the author spoke very unflatteringly about the work. It seemed to Gorky that the topic was outdated, the story of two dozen “lost” people would not interest either his contemporaries or future generations.

The history of the novel

The history of the creation of the play “At the Lower Depths” begins at turn of the 19th–20th centuries, Gorky decided to try his hand at writing drama. About 20 characters from the tramp “bottom” of life were conceived for the play. Having told Stanislavsky about the idea, the author began writing, without at all expecting success in the process.

Important!“At the Lower Depths” was created for the Moscow Theater troupe and was staged shortly after the work was completed. Contrary to the writer’s expectations, the play was “overtaken” by both tremendous success and multiple criticism. In order to “survive,” the drama had to endure many prohibitions, oblivion, and censorship.

What is “At the Depths” about?

Describing the genre of the play, let us dwell on philosophical drama. The author raised a number of the most important life questions in the work: does a person need a conscience? what is “on the other side” of a prosperous life, is the truth good or deadly, is there a need for “a lie for the good” or vice versa – is it precisely because of lies that people die? So, summary by action.

Act 1

Meet the main characters. The events take place in a rooming house, which looks more like a basement.

Dumpling seller Kvashnya, who was recently proposed to by Abram Medvedev, a local policeman, about 50 years old, rants about that marriage is hard labor, the only thing a husband can do is drive his wife to death. Kvashnya has one opinion - getting married means going to the next world.

At this time, Kleshch makes fun of the woman, claiming: no matter what she says, she will still happily marry Medvedev. The dying wife of Kleshch, a working man who beat his wife and starved her, lies on a bench behind a curtain, coughing heavily. Kvashnya jokes about this, but receives a rude rebuff.

Nastya is young lung girl behavior, reads a book with the sonorous title “Fatal Love,” which the Baron selects. Seeing what the book is about, starts laughing. Further, the remaining inhabitants of the shelter - Satin, Bubnov, Actor and Kleshch - remember that they were “normal people” and meant something to.

At this moment, the owner of the shelter, Kostylev, comes looking for his young wife Vasilisa, who is having an affair with the thief Vaska Pepl who lives here. Not finding his wife, the man wakes up Vaska himself, but the latter kicks the owner out of the shelter, annoyed that his interesting dream was interrupted.

At this time, Satin says, taking money from Ash, that he does not mind the money - he gets it easily. If work doesn't bring you pleasure, then it's... not work at all, but real slavery. Afterwards, Satine invites the Actor to a pub, both leave.

Natasha, the hostess's younger sister, introduces a new guest - the wanderer Luka. The thief begins to flirt, but the girl ignores it. Alyoshka, a 20-year-old drunken shoemaker, appears. Kleshch considers himself the only decent person here, the rest are without honor or conscience. Vaska claims that the others are no worse, and neither honor nor conscience are on their feet you can't wear boots instead.

Vasilisa appears and drives Alyoshka away for spreading rumors about an affair with Ash, scolding those around her for littering that has not yet been swept up. As the conversation progresses, she finds out that the younger sister was talking with her lover, is angry, goes into the kitchen, where she begins to beat Natasha. The act ends with Medvedev, Baron and Kvashnya running away to separate the sisters.

Act 2

The second act continues in the same room, only evening has already come, two lanterns are burning. Bubnov plays checkers with Medvedev, who came, and the rest play cards for money. Luka sits by the bed of dying Anna. A woman talks about her difficult life, full of hardships. The old man calms Anna down, convincing her that peace awaits the martyrs after death where there will be no pain.

Before going to the pub, the actor wants to read his favorite books, but at the last moment he realizes that he forgot the text. The man begins to lament - due to drunkenness, all paths are now closed.

Luka tells him that there are hospitals where a person can be cured of drunkenness, but he doesn’t remember where they are. The actor needs to be patient and not drink to get there.

Upset Ash, entering the shelter, asks the inhabitants how badly Vasilisa beat Natasha. Medvedev, the girls’ uncle, declares that this is not Vaskino, but a family matter, which is why both of them quarrel.

Vaska replies that if he sits down, then this family will follow, since it was the former mistress with her husband tricked into stealing, after which they bought stolen items. Medvedev immediately denies it, continuing to play.

Luka tries to intervene to reconcile the disputants, but Vaska rudely interrupts the old man and asks why he is deceiving, saying that it might be good somewhere. The first, in turn, began to convince the young thief that he needed to leave this shelter and go to Siberia, where it would be better, since it was they need strong people with the right brains.

Vasilisa arrives and kicks out the guests, but Luka does not leave, but hides on the stove. The woman finds out that she is tired of the thief, that Vaska never really loved the mistress, and offers Ash to marry her sister, to give money for the thief to kill her husband, who is very tired of her. Vaska replies that she has no soul, doubting the offer.

At this moment, Kostylev unexpectedly comes in, wanting to find his wife at home, and not next to the thief. Rivals fight, Ashes is about to hit the husband of his mistress, when Luka begins to toss and turn on the stove. When married couple leaves, the old man advises Vaska not to get involved with the quarrelsome woman, not to take up the proposed business, but to leave with Natasha as far from here as possible.

After this phrase, Luka interrupts the conversation, heading towards Anna’s bed. The woman is already dead. Within a few minutes, shelter residents gather around the deceased’s bed.

Act 3

The third act takes place in the courtyard, where they go characters. Nastya talks about how she once loved, and the others laugh and, without hiding, claim that these words are a lie. Luka consoles the girl and tells her not to worry. Happening debate about truth and lies.

Bubnov develops the idea that people who lie are trying to correct their soul, to add more meaning to themselves, but this is unnecessary. The tick, in turn, simply says that all people are unworthy to exist, the worker hates them and expresses this very emotionally.

Nastya runs away, and Natasha declares that she is also waiting for someone special, since she does not trust people. Ash arrives and finally persuades the girl to go with him.

Vasilisa, who overhears this conversation, comes to the vacant lot with her husband and provokes a quarrel with her former lover. Luka extinguishes the quarrel, but, having found a reason, the woman kicks out the old man, who actually leaves, leaving the people who believed in themselves.

The guests return to the room where they tell their stories. The screams of Natasha, who is being beaten by her sister, can be heard. The younger sister is taken into a room - beaten, with her feet scalded with boiling water. Vaska accidentally kills Kostylev in a fit of emotion. Vasilisa calls the police, points to Ash, who admits that this woman put him up to such an act.

Natasha, hearing this, faints, accuses her former lovers of conspiracy, demanding that she be taken to prison.

Act 4

All the inhabitants of the shelter in their room are discussing Luka - their opinions differ: some say that he was good and kind, others say he was simply soft-hearted and deceitful. The guests believe that Vasilisa will escape punishment, and if Ash is not hanged, then she will definitely be imprisoned. Nastya wants to give up everything, go “wherever they look,” just away from people.

Satin says that the concept of man is pride, so you shouldn’t humiliate people with pity or condescension. The actor, listening to those around him, suddenly gets off the stove and runs away. After a while, Medvedev and the others arrive, and then the Baron runs in, reporting that the Actor has hanged himself.

Important! The play ended with the iconic phrase of Satin, who sang when the Baron appeared: “Eh, I ruined the song - stupid cancer!”

Characteristics of heroes (quotes)

Description of the characters' personalities:

1. Kostylev (“And your debt to me is a debt!”), Vasilisa’s husband, a stingy, angry old man who is terribly jealous of his wife. Ready to take away the last things from the guests, literally squeeze out the soul.
2. His wife Vasilisa (“Free me… from my husband! Take this noose off me…”) is no better - resourceful and quarrelsome. She wants to drive her husband away from the world so that she can live for her own pleasure.
3. Her lover, the thief Ash (“We are animals... we need... we need to be tamed...”) is confused in the world and cannot find the truth. Ash's father was a thief, Vaska was used to being considered one, but internally understands that he is living wrong, wants to fix it.
4. Luke is a wise old man who claims that a person needs to be helped with kindness, but the truth only cripples the soul. You need to feel sorry for the person and treat him kindly. He helps the inhabitants of the shelter, but quickly and deftly leaves when he is needed most (“They crushed me a lot, that’s why I’m soft”).

Quoted description of heroes who do not participate in the main actions.

The drama "At the Depths" is a landmark work in creative biography Gorky. Descriptions of the heroes will be presented in this article.

This work was written at a turning point for the country. In Russia in the 90s of the 19th century, a serious outbreak broke out. Masses of impoverished, ruined peasants left the villages after each crop failure in search of work. Plants and factories were closed. Thousands of people found themselves without means of livelihood and shelter. This led to the appearance large number"tramps" who have sunk to the bottom of life.

Who lived in the dosshouses?

Enterprising slum owners, taking advantage of the fact that people found themselves in a hopeless situation, found how to extract benefit from fetid basements. They turned them into shelters in which beggars, the unemployed, thieves, tramps and other representatives of the “bottom” lived. This work was written in 1902. The heroes of the play "At the Bottom" are just such people.

Maxim Gorky throughout creative path I was interested in personality, man, the secrets of his feelings and thoughts, dreams and hopes, weakness and strength - all this is reflected in the work. The heroes of the play "At the Bottom" are people who lived at the beginning of the 20th century, when the old world, and arose new life. However, they differ from the rest in that they are rejected by society. These are people from the bottom, outcasts. The place where Vaska Pepel, Bubnov, Actor, Satin and others live is unsightly and scary. According to Gorky's description, this is a cave-like basement. Its ceiling is stone vaults with crumbling plaster, smoked. Why did the inhabitants of the shelter find themselves “at the bottom” of life, what brought them here?

Heroes of the play "At the Bottom": table

What ruined the lives of these people?

Addiction to alcohol ruined the Actor. By his own admission, he used to have a good memory. Now the Actor believes that everything is over for him. Vaska Pepel is a representative of the "thieves' dynasty". This hero had no choice but to continue his father’s work. He says that even when he was little, even then he was called a thief. Former furrier Bubnov left his workshop because of his wife’s infidelity, as well as out of fear of his wife’s lover. He went bankrupt, after which he went to serve in one “treasury chamber”, in which he committed embezzlement. One of the most colorful figures in the work is Satin. He was a former telegraph operator, and went to prison for the murder of a man who insulted his sister.

Who do the shelter's inhabitants blame?

Almost all the characters in the play “At the Bottom” are inclined to blame the current situation not on themselves, but on life circumstances. Perhaps, if they had turned out differently, nothing would have changed significantly, and the same fate would have befallen the night shelters anyway. The phrase that Bubnov said confirms this. He admitted that he actually drank the workshop away.

Apparently, the reason for the fall of all these people is their lack of a moral core, which constitutes a person’s personality. You can cite the words of the Actor as an example: “Why did you die? I had no faith...”

Was there a chance to live a different life?

By creating the images of the characters in the play “At the Bottom,” the author provided each of them with the opportunity to live a different life. That is, they had a choice. However, for each, the first test ended in the collapse of life. The baron, for example, could improve his affairs not by stealing government funds, but by investing money in profitable businesses that he had.

Satin could have taught the offender a lesson in another way. As for Vaska Ash, would there really be few places on earth where no one would know anything about him and his past? The same can be said about many of the inhabitants of the shelter. They have no future, but in the past they had a chance not to get here. However, the heroes of the play "At the Bottom" did not use it.

How do the heroes console themselves?

All they can do now is live with unrealistic hopes and illusions. Baron, Bubnov and Actor live with Dreams of true love Prostitute Nastya is amusing herself. At the same time, the characterization of the heroes of the play “At the Bottom” is complemented by the fact that these people, rejected by society, humiliated, wage endless debates about moral and spiritual problems. Although it would be more logical to talk about since they live from hand to mouth. The author's description of the characters in the play "At the Bottom" suggests that they are interested in such issues as freedom, truth, equality, work, love, happiness, law, talent, honesty, pride, compassion, conscience, pity, patience, death, peace and much more. They are also even more concerned important issue. They talk about what a person is, why he is born, what his true meaning being. The philosophers of the shelter can be called Luka, Satina, Bubnova.

With the exception of Bubnov, all the heroes of the work reject the “losing” lifestyle. They hope for a lucky turn of fortune that will bring them from the “bottom” to the surface. Kleshch, for example, says that he has been working since he was young (this hero is a mechanic), so he will definitely get out of here. “Wait a minute... my wife will die...” he says. The actor, this chronic drunkard, hopes to find a luxurious hospital in which health, strength, talent, memory and the applause of the audience will miraculously return to him. Anna, an unfortunate sufferer, dreams of bliss and peace in which she will finally be rewarded for her torment and patience. Vaska Pepel, this desperate hero, kills Kostylev, the owner of the shelter, because he considers the latter the embodiment of evil. His dream is to go to Siberia, where he will start a new life with his beloved girl.

Luke's role in the work

Luke, the wanderer, supports these illusions. He masters the skill of a comforter and preacher. Maxim Gorky portrays this hero as a doctor who considers all people to be terminally ill and sees his calling in softening their pain and hiding it from them. However, at every step life refutes the position of this hero. Anna, to whom he promises divine reward in heaven, suddenly wants to “live a little more....” Having first believed in a cure for alcoholism, the Actor commits suicide at the end of the play. Vaska Pepel defines true value to all these consolations of Luke. He claims that he “tells fairy tales” pleasantly, because there is so little good in the world.

Satin's opinion

Luka is full of sincere pity for the inhabitants of the shelter, but he cannot change anything, help people live a different life. In his monologue, Satin rejects this attitude because he considers it humiliating, suggesting the failure and wretchedness of those at whom this pity is directed. The main characters of the play "At the Bottom" Satin and Luka express opposing opinions. Satin says that it is necessary to respect a person and not humiliate him with pity. These words probably express the author’s position: “Man!.. This sounds... proud!”

The further fate of the heroes

What will happen to all these people in the future, will the heroes of Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” be able to change anything? It's not hard to imagine them future fate. For example, Tick. At the beginning of the work he tries to get out of the “bottom”. He thinks that when his wife dies, everything will magically change for the better. However, after the death of his wife, Kleshch is left without tools and money and gloomily sings along with others: “I won’t run away anyway.” In fact, he will not run away, like the other inhabitants of the shelter.

What is salvation?

Are there any ways to escape from the “bottom” at all, and what are they? A decisive way out of this difficult situation may be outlined in Satin’s speech when he talks about the truth. He believes that the purpose of a strong man is to eradicate evil, and not to comfort the suffering, like Luke. This is one of the most strong convictions Maxim Gorky himself. People can rise from the bottom only by learning to respect themselves and gaining self-esteem. Then they will be able to bear the proud title of Man. It still needs to be earned, according to Gorky.

Declaring his belief in creative forces, the abilities and intelligence of a free person, Maxim Gorky affirmed the ideas of humanism. The author understood that in the mouth of Satin, a drunken tramp, words about a free and proud man sound artificial. However, they had to sound in the play, expressing the ideals of the writer himself. There was no one to say this speech to except Satin.

In his work, Gorky refuted the main principles of idealism. These are the ideas of humility, forgiveness, non-resistance. He made it clear what beliefs the future belongs to. This is proven by the fate of the heroes of the play "At the Bottom." The entire work is imbued with faith in man.