M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” is rightfully one of the best dramatic works of the writer. This is what he says incredible success it for a long time in Russia and abroad. The play has caused and still causes conflicting interpretations regarding the characters depicted and its philosophical basis. Gorky acted as an innovator in dramaturgy, posing an important philosophical question about man, his place, role in life, and what is important to him. “Which is better: truth or compassion? What is more necessary? - these are the words of Gorky himself.

The incredible success and recognition of the play “At the Lower Depths” also contributed to successful production her on the stage of the Moscow Art Theater in 1902. V.N. Nemirovich-Danchenko wrote to Gorky: “The appearance of “The Bottom” at one stroke paved the entire path for theatrical culture... Having in “The Bottom” an example of a truly folk play, we consider this performance the pride of the theater.”

Gorky acted as the creator of a new type of social drama. He accurately and truthfully depicted the environment of the inhabitants of the shelter. This is a special category of people with their own destinies and tragedies. Already in the first author's remark we find a description of the shelter. It's a "cave-like basement." Poor surroundings, dirt, light coming from top to bottom. This further emphasizes that we're talking about about the very day of society. At first the play was called “At the Bottom of Life,” but then Gorky changed the name, leaving only “At the Bottom.” Thus, according to the author, it more fully reflects the idea of ​​the work.

A cheater, a thief, a prostitute - these are the representatives of the society depicted in the play. The owners of the shelter are also at the bottom of moral rules; they have no moral values, carry a destructive element. Everything in the shelter takes place away from the general flow of life and events in the world. The bottom of life is a swamp that captures and absorbs.

The characters in the play previously belonged to different layers society, but now they all have one thing in common - their present, hopelessness, inability to change their fate, and some kind of reluctance to do this, a passive attitude towards life. At first, Tick is different from them, but after Anna’s death, he too becomes the same and loses hope of escaping from the shelter.

Different origins determine the behavior and speech of the heroes. The Actor's Speech contains quotes from literary works. The speech of the former intellectual Satin is full of foreign words. Luke's quiet, leisurely, soothing speech can be heard.

There are many different conflicts in the play, storylines. This is the relationship between Ash, Vasilisa, Natasha and Kostylev; Baron and Nastya; Klesch and Anna. We see the tragic fates of Bubnov, Actor, Satin, Alyoshka. And all these lines seem to run in parallel; there is no common, core conflict between the characters. In the play we can observe a conflict in the minds of people, a conflict with circumstances - this was unusual for the Russian audience.

The author does not tell in detail the history of each shelter, and yet we have enough information about each of them. The past of some, for example Satin, Bubnov, Actor, is dramatic, worthy in itself separate work. Circumstances forced them to the bottom. Others, such as Ash and Nastya, have known the life of this society since birth. There are no main characters in the play; everyone occupies approximately the same position. In the long term, they have no improvement in life, which is depressing with its monotony. Everyone is used to Vasilisa beating Natasha, everyone knows about the relationship between Vasilisa and Vaska Ash, everyone is tired of the suffering of dying Anna. Nobody pays attention to how others live; there are no connections between people; no one is able to listen, sympathize, or help. It’s not for nothing that Bubnov repeats that “the threads are rotten.”

People no longer want anything, do not strive for anything, they believe that they are superfluous on earth, that their life has already passed. At the same time, they despise each other, each considers himself higher, better than others. Everyone is aware of the insignificance of their situation, but does not try to get out, stop eking out a miserable existence and start living. And the reason for this is that they are used to it and have come to terms with it.

But not only social and everyday problems are raised in the play, the characters also argue about the meaning human life, about her values. The play “At the Bottom” is a deep philosophical drama. People thrown out of life, sank to the bottom, argue about the philosophical problems of existence. M. Gorky posed in his work the question of what is more useful to a person: truth real life or a comforting lie. This is the question that has caused so much controversy. The preacher of the idea of ​​compassion and lies for salvation is Luke, who consoles everyone and speaks kind words to everyone. He respects every person (“not a single flea is bad, all are black”), sees in everyone good start, believes that a person can do anything if he wants. He naively tries to awaken in people faith in themselves, in their strengths and capabilities, in a better life.

Luke knows how important this faith is for a person, this hope for the possibility and reality of the best. Even just a kind, affectionate word, a word that supports this faith, can give a person support in life, solid ground under his feet. Belief in your ability to change and improve own life reconciles a person with the world, as he plunges into his imaginary world and lives there, hiding from what frightens him real world, in which a person cannot find himself. And in reality this person is inactive.

But this only applies to a weak person who has lost faith in himself. That is why such people are drawn to Luke, listen to him and believe him, because his words are a miraculous balm for their tormented souls. Anna listens to him because he alone sympathized with her, did not forget about her, told her kind word, which she may have never heard. Luke gave her hope that in another life she would not suffer. Nastya also listens to Luka, because he does not deprive her of the illusions from which she draws vitality. He gives Ash hope that he can start life anew where no one knows either Vaska or his past. Luke talks to the actor about a free hospital for alcoholics, in which he can recover and return to the stage again. Luke is not just a comforter, he philosophically substantiates his position. One of the ideological centers of the play is the wanderer's story about how he saved two escaped convicts. the main idea Gorky’s character here is that it is not violence, not prison, but only goodness that can save a person and teach him goodness: “A person can teach goodness...”

Other inhabitants of the shelter do not need Luke's philosophy, support for non-existent ideals, because it is more strong people. They understand that Luke is lying, but he is lying out of compassion and love for people. They have questions about the necessity of these lies. Everyone argues, and everyone has their own position. All the sleepovers are involved in an argument about truth and lies, but do not take each other very seriously.

In contrast to the philosophy of the wanderer Luke, Gorky presented the philosophy of Satin and his judgments about man. “Lies are the religion of slaves and masters... Truth is god free man!” Speaking monologues. Satin does not expect to convince others of anything. This is his confession, the result of his long thoughts, a cry of despair and a thirst for action, a challenge to the world of the well-fed and a dream of the future. He speaks with admiration about the power of man, about the fact that man was created for the best: “Man - this sounds proud!”, “man is above satiety,” “do not feel sorry... do not humiliate him with pity... you must respect him.” This monologue, pronounced among the ragged, degraded inhabitants of the shelter, shows that faith in genuine humanism, in the truth, does not fade.

Gorky's play "At the Lower Depths" is a poignant socio-philosophical drama. Social, since it presents drama caused by the objective conditions of society. The philosophical aspect of drama is rethought in a new way by each generation. For a long time, the image of Luke was assessed as unequivocally negative. Today, in view historical events last decade, the image of Luke is read in many ways differently, he has become much closer to the reader. I believe that there is no clear answer to the author’s question. It all depends on the specific situation and historical era.

TOPICS OF PRACTICAL LESSONS

LESSON No. 1

LESSON No. 2

Historical novel A.N. Tolstoy "Peter the Great".

The concept of personality and assessment of the activities of Peter I in the novel

1. The reasons for A. N. Tolstoy’s appeal to the era and personality of Peter I. The concept of the personality of Peter I in the story “The Day of Peter.”
2. The problem of “personality and era” in the novel. The idea of ​​the historical necessity of the reforms of Peter I. The image of Peter, his evolution.
3. Features of the depiction of a historical era in the novel. Friends of Peter I and opponents of his reforms (Lefort, Menshikov, Brovkins, Buinosovs, etc.). Women's images in the novel.
4. Techniques for creating characters in a novel. Language and style of the novel.

1. Varlamov A. Alexey Tolstoy. – M., 2006.
2. Petelin V.I. The Life of Alexei Tolstoy: The Red Count. – M., 2002.
3. Polyak L.M. Alexey Tolstoy is an artist. Prose. – M., 1964.
4. Kryukova A.M. A.N. Tolstoy and Russian literature. Creative individuality in literary process. – M., 1990.

LESSON No. 3

E. Zamyatin’s novel “We” as a novel – dystopia

1. Reasons for E. Zamyatin’s turn to a new genre. The genesis and main features of the novel are dystopian. Russian traditions and European literature.
2. Characteristics of the United State in the novel. Criticism of American-European civilization and any form of totalitarianism is the author’s main idea. The fate of art in the United State.
3. The conflict between the individual and the state in the novel “We”. Tragedy D-503, its causes. Image 1-330.
4. Features of expressionism in the novel.

1. Zamyatin E. We. Tomorrow. I'm afraid. About literature, revolution, entropy and other things - M., 1988.

2. Zverev A. When he shoots last hour nature... // Questions of literature. 1989. No. 1.

3. Mikhailov O. Grandmaster of Literature // Zamyatin Evgeniy. Favorites. – M., 1989.

4. Sukhikh Igor. About the city of the sun, heretics, entropy and the last revolution // Zvezda. 1999. No. 2.

5. Shaitanov I. Master. // Questions of literature. 1988. No. 12.

6. Kostyleva I.A. Traditions and innovation in the work of E. Zamyatin (synthesis of realism and expressionism) // Creative heritage E. Zamyatina: a view from today. Tambov, 1994.

LESSON No. 4

LESSON No. 5

LESSON No. 6

LESSON No. 7

The story by A. Platonov “The Pit”.

LESSON No. 8

« Quiet Don"M. Sholokhov as an epic novel.

LESSON No. 9

LESSON No. 10

LESSON No. 11

“Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev

LESSON No. 12

Art world V. Nabokov. Novel "The Defense of Luzhin"

Lesson No. 13

“Small Prose” by A. Solzhenitsyn. “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” and “ Matrenin Dvor" Subject tragic fate person in the 20th century.

1. Description of camp life in the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.” Portraits of prisoners.
2. The image of Ivan Denisovich Shukhov. Traits of autobiography. Inner world hero, his moral and philosophical principles. Traditions of L.N. Tolstoy in depicting the character of the Russian peasant. Ivan Denisovich and Platon Karataev. The problem is genuine and imaginary freedom.
3. The image of the narrator in the work “Matrenin’s Dvor” and the theme of returning to free life. Personality traits.
4. Image of a Russian village in a story.
5. The character and fate of Matryona Vasilievna. Portrait of the heroine. Her attitude towards the world. National and individual in the image. The meaning of the ending.

1. Niva Zh. Solzhenitsyn. - M., 1991.

2. Saraskina L. I. Alexander Solzhenitsyn. - M.: Young Guard, 2009.

3. Sarnov B. Solzhenitsyn’s phenomenon. - M.: Eksmo, 2012.

4. Chalmaev V. Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Life and art. – M., 1994.

5. Vinokur T. Happy new year, sixty-second (about the style of “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”) // Questions of Literature. 1991. No. 11-12.

LESSON No. 14

LESSON No. 15

TOPICS OF PRACTICAL LESSONS

1. M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” as a socio-philosophical drama.
2. Historical novel by A.N. Tolstoy "Peter the Great". The concept of personality and assessment of the activities of Peter I in the novel.
3. E. Zamyatin’s novel “We” as a novel is a dystopia.
4. Creative evolution of S. Yesenin.
5. Poetic innovation of V. Mayakovsky.
6. Poetry of B. Pasternak. A wealth of ideas and images.
7. The story by A. Platonov “The Pit”. Search for the meaning of common and separate existence
8. “Quiet Don” by M. Sholokhov as an epic novel. The fate of the people and the fate of man in the revolutionary era.
9. M. Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” in the context of the world fiction.
10. Subject " little man"in the works of M. Zoshchenko ( humorous stories and "Sentimental Stories")
11. “The Summer of the Lord” by I. Shmelev and the theme of loss and return Orthodox Russia
12. The artistic world of V. Nabokov. The novel “The Defense of Luzhin” and the problem of gift in the writer’s work.
13. “Small Prose” by A. Solzhenitsyn. “One day in the life of Ivan Denisovich” and “Matrenin’s yard”. The theme of the tragic fate of man in the 20th century.
14. The skill of V. Shukshin - short story writer. “The history of the soul” of the Russian peasant as the main theme of the writer’s work.
15. Philosophical prose of V. Rasputin. The dramatic fate of Russia in the artist’s work (“Live and Remember”, “Farewell to Matera”)

LESSON No. 1

M. Gorky's play “At the Depths” as a socio-philosophical drama

1. Time and history of the creation of the play. “At the Bottom” as a socio-philosophical drama. Bottom theme. Images of homeless shelters, their “truth”.

2. Dispute about a person in the play. Theme of truth and lies. The complexity of Luke's image. A modern interpretation of this image.

3. The image of Satin, his philosophy. Is he an antagonist to Luke?

1. Basinsky P. Gorky. – M., 2005.

2. Bialik B.A. Gorky is a playwright. – M., 1977.

3. Gachev D. Logic of things and man. Debate about truth and lies in M. Gorky’s play “At the Depths.” – M., 1992.

4. Spiridonova L.M. M. Gorky: dialogue with history. – M., 1994.

5. Khodasevich V. Gorky // October. 1989. No. 12.

Purpose of the lesson: to show Gorky’s innovation; identify the components of genre and conflict in a play.

Methodical techniques: lecture, analytical conversation.

Lesson equipment: portrait and photographs of A.M. Gorky different years, illustrations “At the Bottom”.

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During the classes.

1. Conversation on the content of the play “At the Depths”.

In the early romantic works Gorky reflected some of Nietzsche's philosophical and aesthetic works. Centrally early Gorky is proud and strong personality, embodying the idea of ​​freedom. Therefore, Danko, who sacrifices himself for the sake of people, is on a par with the drunkard and thief Chelkash, who does not perform any feats for the sake of anyone. “Strength is virtue,” Nietzsche asserted, and for Gorky, the beauty of a person lies in strength and deeds, even aimless ones: strong man has the right to be “beyond good and evil”, to be outside of ethical principles, like Chelkash, and a feat, from this point of view, is resistance to the general flow of life.

In 1902, Gorky created the drama “At the Lower Depths”.

How is the scene depicted?

The location of the action is described in the author's remarks. In the first act it is a cave-like basement, heavy, stone vaults, smoked, with crumbling plaster. It is important that the writer gives instructions on how the scene is illuminated: “from the viewer and from top to bottom,” the light reaches the shelters from the basement window, as if looking for people among the basement inhabitants. Thin partitions screen off Ash's room. “Everywhere along the walls there are bunks.” Apart from Kvashnya, Baron and Nastya, who live in the kitchen, no one has their own corner. Everything is on display in front of each other, a secluded place is only on the stove and behind the chintz canopy separating the bed of the dying Anna from the others (by this she is already, as it were, separated from life). There is dirt everywhere: a dirty chintz canopy, unpainted and dirty tables, benches, stools, tattered cardboards, pieces of oilcloth, rags.

The third act takes place in an early spring evening in a vacant lot, “littered with various rubbish and a yard overgrown with weeds.” Let's pay attention to the coloring of this place: the dark wall of a “barn or stable”, the “gray wall of a shelter covered with the remains of plaster”, the red wall of a brick firewall covering the sky, the reddish light of the setting sun, black elderberry branches without buds.

In the setting of the fourth act, significant changes occur: the partitions of Ash’s former room are broken, the Tick’s anvil has disappeared. The action takes place at night, and light from the outside world no longer penetrates into the basement - the scene is illuminated by a lamp standing in the middle of the table. However, the last act of the drama takes place in a vacant lot - the Actor hanged himself there.

What kind of people live in the shelter?

People who have sunk to the bottom of life end up in a shelter. This is the last refuge for tramps, marginalized people, " former people" All social strata of society are here: the bankrupt nobleman Baron, the hostel owner Kostylev, the policeman Medvedev, the locksmith Kleshch, the cap maker Bubnov, the merchant Kvashnya, the sharpie Satin, the prostitute Nastya, the thief Ash. Everyone is equalized by the status of the dregs of society. Here live very young (shoemaker Alyoshka is 20 years old) and not yet old people (the oldest, Bubnov, is 45 years old). However, their life is almost over. Dying Anna appears to us as an old woman, and she is 30 years old.

Many night shelters do not have names; only nicknames remain, expressively describing their bearers. The appearance of the dumpling seller Kvashnya, the character of Kleshch, and the Baron’s ambition are clear. The actor once bore the sonorous surname Sverchkov-Zadunaisky, but now there are almost no memories left - “I forgot everything.”

What is the subject of the play? What is the conflict of the drama?

Reference: Sharp conflict situation, acting out in front of the audience, is the most important feature of drama as a type of literature.

The subject of the drama is the consciousness of people thrown out as a result of deep-seated social processes, to the bottom of life. Social conflict has several levels in the play. The social poles are clearly indicated: on one, the owner of the shelter, Kostylev, and the policeman Medvedev, who supports his power, on the other, the essentially powerless roomies. Thus, the conflict between the authorities and the disenfranchised people is obvious. This conflict hardly develops, because the Kostylevs and Medvedevs are not so far from the inhabitants of the shelter.

Each of the night shelters experienced his own social conflict, as a result of which he found himself in a humiliating position.

What brought its inhabitants - Satin, Baron, Kleshch, Bubnov, Actor, Nastya, Ash - to the shelter? What is the backstory of these characters?

Satin hit rock bottom after serving time in prison for murder; The Baron went bankrupt; Mite lost his job; Bubnov left home “out of harm’s way” so as not to kill his wife and her lover, although he himself admits that he is lazy, and even a heavy drunkard; The actor drank himself to death; Ash’s fate was predetermined already at his birth: “I have been a thief since childhood... everyone always told me: Vaska is a thief, Vaska’s son is a thief!” The Baron talks in more detail than others about the stages of his fall (act 4). Each stage of the life of the 33rd Baron seems to be marked by a certain costume. These disguises symbolize a gradual decline in social status, and there is nothing behind these disguises; life passed as if in a dream.

What is the peculiarity of the social conflict of each inhabitant of the shelter?

How is social conflict related to dramaturgical conflict?

These social conflicts are taken off stage, pushed into the past, they do not become the basis dramatic conflict.

What kind of conflicts, other than social ones, are highlighted in the play?

The play contains a traditional love conflict. It is determined by relationships

Vaska Pepla, Vasilisa, the wife of the owner of the shelter, Kostylev and Natasha, Vasilisa’s sister. The exposition of this conflict is a conversation between the night shelters, from which it is clear that Kostylev is looking for his wife Vasilisa in the rooming house, who is cheating on him with Ash. The beginning of this conflict is the appearance of Natasha in the shelter, for whose sake Ashes leaves Vasilisa. As the love conflict develops, it becomes clear that the relationship with Natasha revives Ash, he wants to leave with her and start new life. The culmination of the conflict is taken off stage: at the end of the third act, we learn from Kvashnya’s words that “they boiled the girl’s legs with boiling water” - Vasilisa knocked over the samovar and scalded Natasha’s legs. The murder of Kostylev turns out to be Ash tragic ending love conflict. Natasha stops believing Ash: “They are at the same time! Damn you! You both…"

What is unique about a love conflict?

A love conflict becomes a facet of a social conflict. It shows that anti-human conditions cripple a person, and even love does not save a person, but leads to tragedy: death, injury, murder, hard labor. As a result, Vasilisa alone achieves all her goals: she takes revenge ex-lover Ash and her sister, rival Natasha, get rid of her unloved and disgusted husband and become the sole mistress of the shelter. There is nothing human left in Vasilisa, and this shows the monstrosity of the social conditions that disfigured both the inhabitants of the shelter and its owners. The night shelters are not directly involved in this conflict, they are only third-party spectators.

1. Teacher's word.

The conflict in which all the heroes participate is of a different kind. Gorky depicts the consciousness of people at the bottom. The plot unfolds not so much in external action - in everyday life, but in the dialogues of the characters. It is the conversations of the night shelters that determine the development of the dramatic conflict. The action is transferred to a non-event series. This is typical for the genre of philosophical drama.

Bottom line. The genre of the play can be defined as a socio-philosophical drama.

D.Z.

Identify Luke's role in the play. Write down his statements about people, about life, about truth, about faith.

In 1902, the great Russian writer M. Gorky wrote the play “At the Lower Depths”. In it, the author raised a question that remains relevant to this day - this is the question of freedom and the purpose of man. M. Gorky was well acquainted with the life of the lower strata of society, and the sight of suffering and injustice aroused in him a feeling of acute rejection of reality.

All his life he was looking for the image of an ideal Man, the image of a Hero. He tried to find answers to his questions in literature, philosophy, history, and in life. Gorky said that he was looking for a hero “where there are usually no people.” In the play “At the Bottom,” the author showed the lifestyle and thinking of precisely those people who are already considered lost, useless for society. The author changed the name of the play many times: “The Bottom”, “Without the Sun”, “Nochlezhka”. They are all joyless and sad.

Although there is no other way: the content of the play requires dark colors. In 1901, the writer said about his play: “It will be scary...” The play is quite ambiguous in its content, but its main meaning cannot be distorted or misunderstood. In terms of literary genre, the play “At the Bottom” is a drama. Drama is characterized by plot-driven and conflict-ridden action. In my opinion, the work clearly identifies two dramatic principles: social and philosophical. Even its title, “At the Bottom,” speaks of the presence of social conflict in the play.

The stage directions placed at the beginning of the first act create a depressing picture of the shelter. “Cave-like basement. The ceiling is heavy, stone vaults, smoked, with crumbling plaster...

There are bunks everywhere along the walls.” The picture is not pleasant - dark, dirty, cold. Next come descriptions of the residents of the shelter, or rather, descriptions of their occupations.

What are they doing? Nastya is reading, Bubnov and Kleshch are busy with their work. It seems that they work reluctantly, out of boredom, without enthusiasm. They are all poor, pitiful, wretched creatures living in a dirty hole. There is also another type of people in the play: Kostylev, the owner of the shelter, and his wife Vasilisa. In my opinion, the social conflict in the play lies in the fact that the inhabitants of the shelter feel that they live “at the bottom,” that they are cut off from the world, that they only exist.

They all have a cherished goal (for example, the Actor wants to return to the stage), they have their own dream. They are looking for strength within themselves to confront this ugly reality. And for Gorky, the very desire for the best, for the Beautiful, is wonderful. All these people are put in terrible conditions. They are sick, poorly dressed, and often hungry. When they have money, celebrations are immediately held in the shelter.

So they try to drown out the pain within themselves, to forget themselves, not to remember their miserable position as “former people.” It is interesting how the author describes the activities of his characters at the beginning of the play. Kvashnya continues her argument with Kleshch, the Baron habitually mocks Nastya, Anna moans “every single day...”. Everything continues, all this has been going on for several days now. And people gradually stop noticing each other. By the way, the lack of a narrative beginning is distinctive feature dramas. If you listen to the statements of these people, what is striking is that they all practically do not react to the comments of others, they all speak at the same time.

They are separated under one roof. The inhabitants of the shelter, in my opinion, are tired, tired of the reality that surrounds them. It’s not for nothing that Bubnov says: “But the threads are rotten...”. In such social conditions in which these people are placed, the essence of man is revealed.

Bubnov notes: “No matter how you paint yourself on the outside, everything will be erased.” The residents of the shelter become, as the author believes, “involuntarily philosophers.” Life forces them to think about universal human concepts of conscience, work, truth. The play most clearly contrasts two philosophies: Luke and Satine.

Satin says: “What is truth?.. Man - here!.. Truth is the god of a free man!” For the wanderer Luke, such “truth” is unacceptable. He believes that a person should hear what will make him feel better and calmer, and that for the good of a person one can lie. The points of view of other inhabitants are also interesting.

For example, Kleshch believes: “...It is impossible to live... Here it is - the truth!.. Damn it!

“Luka’s and Satin’s assessments of reality differ sharply. Luka brings a new spirit into the life of the shelter - the spirit of hope. With his appearance, something comes to life - and people begin to talk more often about their dreams and plans. The actor gets excited about the idea of ​​finding a hospital and recovering from alcoholism, Vaska Pepel is going to go to Siberia with Natasha. Luke is always ready to console and give hope. The Wanderer believed that one must come to terms with reality and look at what is happening around him calmly.

Luke preaches the opportunity to “adapt” to life, not to notice its true difficulties and one’s own own mistakes: “It’s true, it’s not always because of a person’s illness... you can’t always cure a soul with the truth...” Satin has a completely different philosophy. He is ready to expose the vices of the surrounding reality.

In his monologue, Satin says: “Man! It's great! This sounds...

proudly! Human! We must respect the person! Don't feel sorry... Don't humiliate him with pity...

must be respected!” But, in my opinion, you need to respect a person who works. And the inhabitants of the shelter seem to feel that they have no chance of getting out of this poverty. That’s why they are so drawn to affectionate Luka. The Wanderer surprisingly accurately looks for something hidden in the minds of these people and paints these thoughts and hopes into bright, rainbow-colored currents. Unfortunately, in the conditions in which Satin, Kleshch and other inhabitants of the “bottom” live, such a contrast between illusions and reality has a sad result.

The question awakens in people: how and what to live on? And at that moment Luka disappears... He is not ready, and he does not want to. answer this question. Understanding the truth fascinates the inhabitants of the shelter.

Satin is distinguished by the greatest maturity of judgment. Without forgiving “lies out of pity,” Satin for the first time rises to the realization of the need to improve the world. The incompatibility of illusions and reality turns out to be very painful for these people.

The actor ends his life, the Tatar refuses to pray to God... The death of the Actor is the step of a person who failed to realize the real truth. In the fourth act, the movement of the drama is determined: life awakens in the sleepy soul of the “flopshouse”. People are able to feel, hear each other, and empathize. Most likely, the clash of views between Satin and Luke cannot be called a conflict.

They run parallel. In my opinion, if you combine the accusatory character of Satin and pity for the people of Luke, you would get the same an ideal person, capable of reviving life in a shelter. But there is no such person - and life in the shelter remains the same. Same in appearance.

Some kind of turning point occurs inside - people begin to think more about the meaning and purpose of life. The play “At the Bottom” as dramatic work inherent conflicts that reflect universal human contradictions: contradictions in views on life, in lifestyle. Drama like literary genre depicts a person in acute conflict, but not hopeless situations. The conflicts of the play are indeed not hopeless - after all (according to the author’s plan) the active principle, the attitude towards the world, still wins. M. Gorky, a writer with amazing talent, in the play “At the Bottom” embodied the clash of different views on being and consciousness. Therefore, this play can be called a socio-philosophical drama.

In his works, M. Gorky often revealed not only the everyday life of people, but also the psychological processes occurring in their minds. In the play “At the Bottom,” the writer showed that the proximity of people brought to life in poverty with the preacher of patient waiting “ better man“surely leads to a change in people’s consciousness. In the night shelters M. Gorky captured the first, timid awakening human soul- the most beautiful thing for a writer.