Being in Bessarabia, Gorky thinks about writing the story "Old Woman Izergil". For several years, the writer comprehended the essence of human nature, in which good and bad fight, and it is not entirely known what will win.

The result of the work pleased Gorky. The work fully reflected his views on social relations. Later, Gorky wrote to Chekhov that he would never again be able to write in such a collaborative language, with which the story "Old Woman Izergil" was written. Gorky also strove in his works to show all the best, something that every reader could strive for.

In the story "Old Woman Izergil" the composition plays an important role, which puts one story into the content of another. An elderly woman tells several stories in which absolutely opposite views on the world are presented: egoism, as a form of one's own good, and altruism, a form of work for society. And in the middle, the story is full of reality.

In the story, the theme of freedom is at the forefront. All heroes are not dependent on society. Danko, confident in his innocence, commands the uncomprehending crowd to go forward, despite the indignation from the outside. Izergil demonstrated complete freedom with her behavior. And Larra, with her behavior, even violates the freedom of others.

The universal love of Danko opens the theme of love in the story, which for Larra manifested itself exclusively towards herself. And Izergil, in pursuit of pleasure, comes to the realization that she has lost true love.

The main themes concern the role of man in society. According to the writer, each person should carry their talents for the public good. He opposes Larra's individualism and Izergil's emptiness.

The writer also calls for the useful use of his time, which inexorably runs forward. The image of Izergil makes it clear that such thoughtless behavior is not capable of ultimately bringing a complete sense of happiness from the life lived.

The fundamental idea of ​​this story is the search for the meaning of life. And the writer found it in altruism. But every person has the right to find his own.

The story also touches upon problems of a different nature: moral, ethical, philosophical, which everyone should think about.

The author, solving the problems of his characters, presents to the public their different views on life. It was important for Danko to live for the sake of others. Larra lived exclusively for himself, and Izergil in love pleasures. As a result, only Danko could get full pleasure.

The work "Old Woman Izergil" is presented in the form of three different life stories. By reading and tracing which everyone will be able to choose the right path for themselves. The writer tries to convey that a person is a social being. And those who try to act for their own selfishness will eventually realize that they are left with nothing.

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Old Isergil is a short story by Maxim Gorky, written in 1894. Everyone may be interested in the question of the Old Woman Izergil, the main theme and thought of the story.

Old woman Izergil main idea

The work consists of three parts: the legend of Larra, the life of the "old woman Izergil" and the legend of Danko. All three stories are different, but they have something in common, and this common thing lies in the fact that Gorky, through the means of these "three stories", is looking for an answer to the question "about the meaning of life."

In all stories Old woman Izergil general Main thought, which lies in the author's desire to reveal the true value of human life. And numerous images of “free” people suggested that freedom is the same indefinite and limitless concept as life.

First part - the legend of Larry. The protagonist of the legend of Larra is a young man, the son of an eagle and an ordinary woman. He is proud, freedom-loving, impudent, selfish, and he paid the price for these qualities. Considering himself the best, ignoring the opinions of other people, he could not calmly get along in society and therefore commits such a daring act as the murder of the daughter of one of the elders. For this, he received his punishment, the worst thing for any person, this is expulsion from society and immortality in solitude. People call him Larra, which means outcast. At first, Larra likes this outcome of events, since he was a freedom-loving person, but after a certain amount of time passes, the main character understands the meaning of life, but it is too late for him to bear the deserved punishment. He remained immortal and lonely, time withered him and turned him into a shadow that reminded people of his existence.
The second part is autobiographical. Old Isergil talks about his life. From her story, we learn that she had many men, and she loved all of them, as it really seemed to her. Her life was full of travel, she visited many parts of the country and even beyond. She played on the feelings of people, but at the same time she had pride, which was in her first place. If she loved, then she loved with all her heart and no obstacles on her way to happiness could interfere with her (the murder of a sentry at the post), and if she threw it, she threw it completely, irrevocably and irrevocably. Just as in the legend of Larra, Gorky is trying to show us the common thread that connects these stories. This is the meaning of life. The old woman reflects on fate, saying at the same time: “What is fate here? Everyone is his own destiny! She realizes the meaning of life, this is not wandering around the world in search of her love, but a calm, quiet life in some village with her husband and children.
And finally, the third part - the legend of Danko. The protagonist of the legend of Danko is the romantic hero Danko. He was handsome, courageous, strong, a real leader, able to lead the people, freedom-loving and disinterested. Danko is one of those people who are always brave, he decides to help his people, he leads them in order to bring people out of the dense forest. The road was not easy, and when all the people rebelled against Danko, he tore his heart out of his chest in order to light the way for people and give people kindness and warmth emanating from a heart burning with love. But as soon as people reached the desired goal, no one even remembered the dying Danko, who loved the people so much and did everything to make the people feel good. Sparks blazing in the night of the steppe expanse reminded people of the glorious selfless hero Danko, who saw his meaning of life in helping people.

Romanticism in Gorky's works occupies a central position. The work "Old Woman Izergil" is one of the assets of this trend in the literature of the late 19th century. Gorky fully reveals his idea about the meaning of life. He shows three points of view, thereby giving the reader a question to ponder, “what is the meaning of life?”

Now you know what the main idea of ​​the Old Woman Izergil is, and you can think about the true values ​​​​in life.

The great Russian writer Maxim Gorky traveled extensively in his native land. He met with different people, studied their life, delved into problems. The people met by the writer shared with him their sorrows and joys, told stories that happened in their lives, legends and fairy tales. An attentive listener, the writer took their stories as the basis for the plots of his works. Thus, the story “The Old Woman Izergil” was created, a brief analysis of the work of which is given below.

Brief analysis

Year of writing - 1894

History of creation - The idea of ​​creating a story came to the writer as a result of travels through the lands of Bessarabia back in 1891. The writer for a long time nurtured the idea of ​​the work, which resulted in the "Old Woman Izergil".

Theme - The theme of love, freedom, time and personal relationships with society.

Composition - The construction of the composition in this narrative is interesting. Basically, it's a story within a story. The old woman tells the traveler three stories. The first story is the opposition of the third, and the second part is the life story of Izergil herself.

Genre - Epic story.

Direction - The direction of this work is also interesting, if the two extreme parts belong to romanticism, with elements of mythology and fantasy, then the second part is pronounced realism.

History of creation

For a long time, Alexei Peshkov spent traveling around his native land. Each of these walks was fruitful for the work of the Russian writer. Meetings with different people provided food for thought, the writer drew inspiration from these simple people who shared their stories with him.

The history of the creation of "Old Woman Izergil" was also the writer's walking around Bessarabia. The idea of ​​"Old Woman Izergil" came to the mind of the writer in the spring of 1891. Gorky at that time was working on a romantic cycle of works, where baseness and sublimity are fighting among themselves. The fruit of his four years of reflection was "Old Woman Izergil", the problematic of which is in moral relations, the year of writing the entire story is 1894, in 1985 the story was published.

The writer himself liked the process of working on "Old Woman Izergil", liked the result of the resulting work. In a letter to Chekhov, the author admitted that with this work he was able to express his own views on the role of man in society, which was the main idea of ​​the story.

Topic

The work of M. Gorky covers a large and versatile topic of issues that worried the author.

First, there is the theme of freedom. Each of the three stories has a main character: Larra, Danko, Izergil. All these heroes come into conflict with society in their own way, remaining independent and free from the herd concept. Danko is a positive hero who dreams of leading the tribe to freedom and light, ignoring his murmurings. The old woman Izergil is also free from the prejudices imposed by society. She is free and independent to such an extent that at the end of her life she regrets it. Larra is considered a negative character. This is an overly proud and self-confident person, who trampled on the freedom of other people with his freedom and independence, and was left alone, free and independent, but unhappy.Each of the heroes of the work is also touched by the theme of love. Danko loved the people with all his heart, for the sake of this love he was ready to sacrifice himself, which he did. Larra also loved, but only himself. This is a narcissistic person to whom love did not give happiness.

The old woman Izergil was not always an old woman, once she was young too. She loved many and many, but most of all she loved herself. In the end, she just lost her love over trifles, and she also did not receive anything in return.

The theme of human relations with society. It is impossible for a person to be outside of society. All three characters play different roles in society. Danko is a leader, and society follows him. He does everything for society. Larra rejects society, he puts himself above it, and turns into an outcast. Izergil lost herself in vain, bringing no benefit to anyone, and her life was wasted in vain.

In the legend of Danko, the writer showed the history of the development of society. Out of the darkness of ignorance and savagery, the people came to the light. At the cost of his life, Danko gave the people light and freedom.

Composition

The composition is built like a story within a story. In the first chapter, the old woman tells the legend of Larra. A proud and self-confident person who opposed himself to society became an outcast. He can't even die, and wanders around in the shadows, looking for comfort. This story, like the last one, has elements of fantasy, and is like a fairy tale.

In the second part, the old woman Izergil shares the story of her past life. Her youth was stormy and eventful, she lived a long life, saw and knew a lot, but she never found the meaning of life, living aimlessly.

The third story is the legend of Danko. There are also fantastic motifs here. The story of a man who tried for people, and died so that they would live.

In The Old Woman Izergil, the analysis of the work shows that the two parts of the work, fantastic, are opposed to each other, have a romantic direction. The second part is a purely realistic direction. These are the features of the compositional construction of the story.

The old woman Izergil is a real image in the story that can express her thoughts, express her judgments, this is the meaning of the title of the work.

genre

Aleksey Peshkov began his creative career with the creation of short stories, a characteristic feature of which is the brevity of the form, a small number of characters.

The old woman Izergil includes all these characteristics, and the genre of this work is defined as a story. It can also be called an instructive parable, from which the reader draws life lessons for himself and draws certain conclusions.

The “Old Woman Izergil” contains three stories, and the narration turns out to be a “story within a story”, two of them have a romantic direction, and the middle one is a realism direction, where real events and heroes are clearly expressed.

The work of Maxim Gorky occupies a significant niche in Russian literature at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It is fair to say that Gorky is one of the greatest Russian writers on a par with Tolstoy. His early story, "Old Woman Izergil", sheds light on the writer's worldview at the beginning of his creative activity. It allows us to see the path that the writer has traveled in his life.

Gorky's first impulse to create a story came from his journey through Bessarabia in 1891. It was in this distant southern region that the writer transferred the events of his work. The story is based on the personal experiences of the author, his thoughts about the role of man in the world and his moral duty to himself and others. The creative history of the story "Old Woman Izergil" began in 1894: it was then that it was written, and then published in Samara Newspaper in 1895.

Until the end of his life, Gorky himself considered the “Old Woman Izergil” to be his greatest creation.

“It seems that I will not write anything as harmoniously and beautifully as I wrote the Old Woman Izergil.”

The idea of ​​the story "Old Woman Izergil" hovered in the free and clean air of Bessarabia, where a violent southern temperament ruled. Gorky was close to the spirit of freedom and audacity, with which the locals were saturated, like clouds of smoke. He himself was young and ready for new experiences. Therefore, he chose romanticism as the direction of his work - it was a rebellion against the dominant trends in the literature of that time. While other writers focused on reality, the young author portrayed a new rebellion of the individual against the crowd: his hero, like Gorky himself, went against people, but not for his own sake, but for their own good. Danko was a metaphorical reflection of the revolutionary of that time, and the writer belonged to this circle. The Wise Litrekon wrote in more detail about his passion for the revolution.

Genus, direction, genre

Despite the poetic manner of narration, we have a clearly epic work. The main attention is paid to the events and actions of the characters, who convey the author's thought. The genre features of the story "Old Woman Izergil" deserve a separate paragraph.

It is still not entirely clear to which literary direction Gorky's work can be attributed: romanticism or realism? In the story "Old Woman Izergil" are clearly present.

• The writer chose the exotic southern region as the scene of action, which was practically not touched by European civilization, inhabited by simple but noble people.
• At the center of the story are prominent personalities who come into conflict with society.
• The fairy tale style of narration in the story "Old Woman Izergil" is intertwined with folklore motifs, and fantastic episodes often appear in the narration. This is typical of romanticism.

However, Gorky deconstructs the image of such an outstanding person, presenting him closer to reality, which clearly refers us to. Based on a combination of factors, one can still decide that “Old Woman Izergil” is a romantic story-parable, because the author’s intention is based on an educational goal: its characters teach how to live. Larra and Izergil are negative examples, while Danko is positive. Such an edifying beginning is characteristic of the parable.

The genre of "Old Woman Izergil" can be unmistakably defined as a story. The prose form of the work is combined with brevity, a small number of characters and the absence of any specifics.

Composition and conflict

The type of composition of the story "Old Woman Izergil" is a story within a story. The young traveler talks about what the old woman told him. The work consists of three parts:

1. Legend of Larra
2. The life story of the old woman Izergil
3. Legend of Danko

The features of the composition lie in the through storyline and the opposition of each part in meaning. The stories of the old woman Izergil are interconnected by one main idea, namely the meaning of the life of the heroes, something for which it is worth living. Larra lived for himself away from people, despising them. Izergil lived in society, loved those around her, but also for herself. And only Danko came to the aid of the environment and lived for him.

The main conflict that the writer raises throughout the story in the story "Old Woman Izergil" is a person and society. He was looking for a place for an outstanding personality in modern society, and he talked about what the activity of such a person should be aimed at: serving people or himself. Each character answered in his own way, but only one answer was worthy of a positive assessment by the author and the reader.

Bottom line: what is the story about?

Izergil tells the first story about the son of an eagle and a human woman named Larra. Having met people for the first time, the young man immediately quarreled with them and killed the girl who rejected him. People expelled him, at first Larra did not take this as a punishment, but over time his loneliness intensified, and eventually drove him to despair, forcing him to seek death. For many centuries, Larra wandered alone in the steppe, and still wanders in the form of a disembodied shadow.

After that, Izergil tells us about his life. From a very young age, she has a busy lifestyle, changing lovers like gloves. She has traveled to many countries from Turkey to Poland. In the end, she fell in love with a certain Magyar and even rescued him from Russian captivity, but in the end he only used her. Aged and tired, Izergil settled in Bessarabia.

The third story of the old woman is dedicated to Danko. Once upon a time, a certain tribe was forced out by neighbors from good places into dark forests, where it was doomed to extinction. With them was a young man named Danko, who promised to lead people to places suitable for life. However, the long march tired the people, they became embittered at Danko and wanted to kill him. In desperation, the young man tore out his shining heart from his chest and, illuminating the path with it, led his fellow tribesmen out of the forest. Delighted people immediately forgot about their savior, and his shining heart was crushed underfoot.

Main characters and their characteristics

The images of the heroes in the story "Old Woman Izergil" are reflected in the table from the Wise Litrekon:

Themes

The subject of the story "Old Woman Izergil" is interesting for a thoughtful public:

1. Leading theme in the story- life values ​​and ideals for which it is worth living. Each hero chooses his own path and reaps the fruits of his choice. Danko was remembered, his contribution to the life of the tribe will always be a glorious feat, worthy of the respect of descendants. Everything that the people saved by him did is also his merit. Larra lived an unhappy life and repented of selfishness, but even this did not help him correct the mistake. Izergil is also lonely, her life passed without a trace, because both she and Larra lived for themselves, and this is an insignificant goal.
2. Target Gorky shows us how necessary it is for a person to live for something, to strive for something. A person without a goal, according to the writer, is no different from a dead man. So Larra turned into a shadow, although he could have achieved more if he wanted to.
3. Dream– The writer shows us that a dream can lead a person to both moral victory and complete collapse. Danko, who dreamed of the good for people, becomes a real hero, while Larra and Izergil, who sought to satisfy only their own desires, failed. This means that only a global and noble dream is worthy of worship.
4. Love- Gorky exalts love not in the usual sense, as a feeling for a particular person, but as love for all of humanity and the desire for the common good. The usual passion of Izergil is insignificant in comparison with it, because attraction passes, like beauty, and people appreciate humanism and mercy, regardless of the appearance of the one who possesses them.
5. Feat- The real feat, according to the author, lies in the ability to neglect one's own happiness for the benefit of the majority. The idea of ​​a feat is close in meaning to the revolutionary activity of the author's contemporaries. The metaphor "bring to the light" means an attempt to enlighten the people and lead them to happiness.
6. The ideal of man- Gorky presents Danko as an example to follow, as a real leader, ready to give even his life for the sake of people. People like him make history and move humanity forward.
7. The role of the landscape– The action of the story takes place against the backdrop of the endless steppes of Moldova, which indifferently look at the meaningless problems of people. Nature in the story "Old Woman Izergil" is metaphorical: the impregnable dark forest in the legend of Danko means the darkness of ignorance in which the people perish, and the steppe - the emptiness of life for itself. Nature in Gorky's eyes is a mighty force, in front of which man is nothing.
8. Fate– The writer tells us that nothing is predetermined, and people themselves determine their future. Everyone is given a choice, and a person is free to make it himself.

Problems

The problematics of the story "Old Woman Izergil" is just as multifaceted and relevant. It raises interesting moral questions that are characteristic of any era:

• selfishness, for Gorky, is the most difficult prophet who kills the soul and destroys a person. Life for oneself in his understanding leads a person to a dead end, where only disappointment awaits him. On the scale of the universe, a person is very small and insignificant, but the human race is that bulk of meaning that will illuminate life with meaning.
• Indifference- the writer strongly condemns human indifference to human suffering, on the example of Larra and Izergil, and the indifference of the infantile crowd, on the example of Danko's tribesmen.
• Pride- Gorky shows us a fine line between pride and arrogance. Pride destroys Larra, who arrogantly rejected people and was left alone. Danko is shown as a proud man who is ready to defend his principles and die for them.
• freedom- Larra and Izergil strove for freedom, but they understood it primitively, satisfying only their own desires. Danko, on the other hand, gains real freedom, sacrificing himself for the good of the majority and rising above the gray mass.
• Strong personality- all three heroes of the story are strong personalities, in many ways superior to those around them. However, the writer shows that it is not enough to be strong, one's strength must be directed in the right direction.
• Cruelty- the writer shows us the cruelty of the world. Larra, who kills the unfortunate girl, Danko's tribesmen, who responded to the hero with black ingratitude. Gorky condemns the mores prevailing in the world and hopes that in the future people will overcome their vices.

Main idea

The meaning of the story "Old Woman Izergil" is in determining the meaning of life and individual freedom. He showed that life has value only if it is aimed at achieving global and socially important goals. Gorky demonstrated to readers two types of freedom.

• The first type of freedom implies a desire for selfish satisfaction of one's own desires, which in the end only brings harm.
• On the other hand, Gorky shows that there is another path to true freedom, and, paradoxically, this path lies through service to society, through renunciation of oneself, which ultimately exalts a person to unprecedented heights.

The main idea of ​​the story “Old Woman Izergil” is that a person must belong to something greater than himself, and only then will he realize his significance in the world, and therefore, he will find the calling and purpose of being.

What does it teach?

This story shows us the destructiveness of primitive selfishness and pride. He shows us the meaninglessness of such a life and the depth of the fall that awaits a person at the end of this path. This is the moral conclusion from the story "Old Woman Izergil".

The author extols such virtues as kindness, compassion and sacrifice. Calls on us to turn our forces to good deeds, not for the sake of self-interest or reward, but for the sake of a brighter future. The story makes us think about what we live for, and where it will lead us: to loneliness and emptiness, or to the recognition and realization of the goal? Each of us needs to make the right choice. Such is the moral of Gorky's work.

Criticism

"Old Woman Izergil" is a vivid example of Gorky's early work, combining the best traditions of romance and realism.

The story, as part of a series that also included "Makar Chudra", "Song of the Falcon" and "Petrel", was very warmly received by such famous critics of the early twentieth century as Amfiteatrov and Chekhov, who noted the brightness, sensuality and emotionality of the work.

“Maxim Gorky is a specialist in the heroic epic. The author of The Burevestnik, The Song of the Falcon, Izergil, and countless epics about former people of various names, he ... succeeded in awakening the feeling of human dignity and the proud consciousness of dormant power in the most hopeless and lost class of Russian society. (A. V. Amfiteatrov, "Contemporaries. Articles", 1908)

But there were also such reviewers who did not appreciate the book and reproached the author for insufficient education and that he only earns money on literature. M.O. Menshikov said bluntly that if the author had a wealthy family, he would not write so much. He also noted the following shortcomings:

... our author falls into pretentiousness here and there, into a noisy, cold gesticulation of words. Such are his imitative things, clearly suggested by bad reading - "Makar Chudra", "Old Woman Izergil" ... ... Gorky cannot stand the economy of feelings ... "

His colleague, Y. Aikhenvald, also reproached the novice writer for mannerisms and inability to show real life without falsehood and pathos:

“Gorky’s fiction is more offensive than anyone else’s, his artificiality is worse than anywhere else ...<…>... By reasoning and writing, he distorted the legends - both "Old Woman Izergil" and "Makara Chudra"; he spoiled his exploits with literature. (Yu. Aikhenwald, "Silhouettes of Russian Writers", issue 3, 1910)

Of course, one can understand the reactionary critics, because in the era of realism, romanticism was perceived as a pathetic offshoot of what is really worth writing. However, time put everything in its place: Gorky's early work is known and loved by readers much more than his later works, which were so loved by critics.

The idea of ​​a free man in M. Gorky's story "Old Woman Izergil"

Gorky's story "Old Woman Izergil" is a story-reflection about the meaning of life. In it, Gorky, a romantic, in love with beautiful, strong, free people, creates a romantic ideal of a person who is capable of sacrificing himself in the name of people, accomplishing a feat.

The story consists of three independent parts. The first part is the legend of Larra, the second is the story of the old woman Izergil about her life, and the third part is the legend of Danko. At the same time, the first and third parts - "the legends of Larra and Danko" are opposite to each other. souls - to the "fiery heart" of the true hero Danko and the "stone heart" of the cruel Larra. Heroes, of course, are antipodes. Larra "considers himself the first on earth and sees nothing but himself. Everyone even became scared when they realized what loneliness he doomed himself to." Alienation from his own kind is the root of the tragedy and the meaning of this man's punishment. An eagle, a lonely predator, was thoughtfully chosen as the father of a young man. Larra tried to despise the sacred laws of humanity, love, unity. And he was defeated. In the destruction of ties between people, M. Gorky sees the loss of the meaning of life. It becomes dull, meaningless for those who want to close in on themselves. The legend of Danko is preceded by the memories of the old woman Izergil about the past. the old woman's sensible impressions are bleak. She was surrounded by indifference, greed, lust, meanness. She herself lived with high feelings, in the name of love, she was not afraid to sacrifice herself. Only a few lovers are kept in memory by an old woman. She speaks with delight about people with a strong will, powerful and bright characters, capable of a feat. She recalls her lover: “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.

The legend of Danko summarizes the long observations of a woman. Danko leads his people to freedom from a life of slavery. On the way there are extraordinary difficulties, insurmountable obstacles. And when, tired by the hard way, people lost heart, when they began to reproach Danko for their inability to manage them, hesitated and were ready to turn back, the hero’s heart flared with the fire of desire to save them. The romantic hero does not run away from his insolvent environment, but gives strength to pathetic, cowardly creatures, dreaming of awakening bright impulses in their souls. The feat is crowned with the liberation of the tribe. It seems that the inner perfection of the saved should begin. But they are cruel: they do not notice the death of Danko, and someone even steps on a proud heart with his foot.

Two legends frame the story of the old woman's life. The fate of the old woman Izergil is in many ways similar to the fate of Larra and Danko. First, she lived a "rebellious" life and was never a "slave to anyone". Without a doubt, condemning Larra's individualism, the old woman Izergil thinks that her own life and destiny tend more towards the Danko pole, which embodied the highest ideal of love for people and self-sacrifice.

The people among whom Izergil lives in his old age love her, they need her beautiful stories: after all, in their life today there is not that strength and that fire that used to be in people. Today's people “do not live, but try on everything ... and put their whole life on it. And when they rob themselves, having wasted time, they will begin to cry at fate. What is fate here? Everyone is his own destiny, ”says the old woman Izergil.

Both she and Danko created their own destinies, and no matter how sad the outcome of their lives, they still lived, and did not “try on”, and each lived his life for people, and this, according to Gorky, is the real feat.