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- At the bottom as Gorky's socio-philosophical drama
The play “At the Lower Depths” by M. Gorky is one of the author’s best works; it amazes with its depth and drama. This work has successfully passed the test of time; it is still popular both in Russia and abroad.
Gorky's play to this day causes a storm of controversy and speculation about the philosophical meaning and characters of the characters. The play “At the Bottom” is called innovative, since Gorky was the first to raise such philosophical questions about the common man, namely: what is his role in the world, where is his place, what is important to him, what is more necessary. Gorky is the creator of a completely new type of social drama. He managed to draw the environment of the inhabitants of the shelter convincingly, realistically and truthfully. He portrayed a special category of people who differ greatly in their personal tragedies and destinies.
The characters in the play live in a dirty shelter that looks like a cave. The work is about people who, for one reason or another, find themselves at the very bottom of society. There is also a prostitute, a thief and a cheater. The owners of such an establishment are also far from observing moral principles; they lack moral values.
The life of the flophouse seems to fall out of the general flow of events taking place in the world; everything seems to have come to a standstill here. The heroes of the work, who at first belonged to completely different strata of society, are now in the same position, they have no future, no prospects, they have developed apathy towards life, they feel that they are powerless to change their lives.
The speech of the heroes is individual, this is due to their origin. So the Actor often speaks using various quotes from literature. Satin's speech is full of foreign words. The wanderer Luke is distinguished by his measured, quiet speech.
The play is filled with an abundance of conflicts and storylines. They run parallel. We observe conflicts in people's minds and with circumstances. Despite the fact that we do not find detailed information about each hero, we still know enough about each of them.
Some heroes from birth fell to the very bottom of society, these are Nastya, Ash, others got there due to a coincidence of circumstances - this is Actor, Satin. It is interesting that there are no main characters here, everyone is in almost the same positions.
There is no place for compassion and help, everyone is used to it, there are no connections between people. For the inhabitants of the shelter, life is already over, they do not strive for anything, they do not want anything, they have resigned themselves and given up.
But the characters also raise deep philosophical questions. Gorky seems to be asking his readers what is more beneficial for a person: a sweet lie that can give comfort, or bitter reality. Luke promotes the idea of compassion; he consoles everyone. Luke realizes that faith is very important for a person, it can give him strength to fight, it gives him hope for the future. The key event is Luke's story about the rescue of escaped convicts. Gorky leads readers to the idea that only good can save a person. Satin has a contrasting point of view on the philosophical question. He stands for truth, lies are for slaves. Satin's monologues are a cry of despair, a dream of the future.
Gorky's play raises pressing social issues that need to be addressed by society. In addition, the play also contains philosophical, eternal questions, to which each person will answer in his own way.
Essay At the Bottom as a socio-philosophical drama
Gorky’s remarkable work “At the Lower Depths” raises topics that still excite the minds of many people, even those far from literature and other things.
The work tells us about the difficult fate of a group of people who, for one reason or another, ended up where they are at the time of the story. All these people are united by the fact that in the past they had a not very honest past. Some were involved in theft, some in robbery, and some in murder. They all talk about the meaning of life, talk about what happened to them. Some of them have come to terms with their situation, while others are desperately fighting for their future. But still, in the end, only one thing awaits them all - oblivion. Almost the entire work is spent thinking about this.
By showing us these characters, Gorky discusses the same topics that the characters discuss. He talks about the theme of life and death, truth and lies, good and evil. Through some characters he conveys either something good or something bad, which gives the reader time to think about one thing or another. By showing us how these people suffer, he shows what can lead to such a dissolute life, which some of the heroes of the work led.
Gorky also talks about the characters’ intention to change something, but, despite their great desire, they are unable to cope with the oppression of the world around them and its pressure. Every person around them is trying to lead them astray from the true path, which they do quite well. It is by going astray that Gorky explains moral and ethical death. He says that if a person betrays his ideals, then that part of the person that pursued these ideals dies. Gorky saw such moral death. He wanted the reader to feel sorry for his heroes because of their insignificance and inability to change anything.
In my essay, I analyzed Gorky’s work “At the Lower Depths”, trying to reveal the theme of tragedy and philosopheme in the work. It is clear from the work that the author thought enough about philosophical topics, describing them in his works. This is my subjective opinion, it is based on personal beliefs and does not claim the right to be called truly true.
For 11th grade
M. Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” as a philosophical drama - An essay based on the work of M. Gorky “At the Lower Depths”
Raising social problems, the case “At the Bottom” simultaneously poses and resolves philosophical questions: what is truth? do people need it? Isn't it a sin to find happiness in real life? Suitable for a play.
Ant. two conflicts cannot be detected. The first is social: between the owners of the shelter and the tramps, the next is philosophical, touching on the basic questions of existence, and unfolds among the inhabitants of the shelter.
This is the main one. The cosmos of the flophouse is the world of “former people.” Previously, they belonged to different strata of society: after that, a baron, a prostitute, a mechanic, an actor, a cap maker, a merchant, and a swindler. They try on different situations, trying to “surface” to the surface. Each of them wants to return to (the world of) “real people.”
The heroes are full of illusions about the temporary nature of their situation. And as soon as Bubnov and Satin realize that there is no way out “from the bottom” (the plant) - this is the lot of only the strong. Weak people need self-delusion.
And yet, in this terrible world of the outcast, these people are searching for truth, trying to solve eternal problems. (language to bear the weight of life? What to oppose to the terrible force of circumstances - an open pile, patience based on sweet lies, or to be extinguished? These are the three main positions that the characters in the play adhere to.
The biggest thinker in the shelter is Bubnov. He is unpleasant to Gorky, due to the fact that his remarks reflect the cynical truth of the fact. Longevity in Bubnov’s assessment makes no sense. It is monotonous and flows in the realm of laws that man cannot change.
“Let’s all say: they are born, they live, they die. And I will die, and you too. Why be sad?” Dreams for him are a person’s desire to appear superior or, as the Baron said, “all people have gray souls, they want to turn brown.”
Bubnov’s philosophy is the philosophy of hopelessness that reigns “at the bottom.” With the appearance of Luka, the situation in the shelter changes. The wanderer Luke, in my opinion, is the most sophisticated and interesting character in the play.
The old man finds the inevitable tone with everyone: he consoles Anna with heavenly happiness after death, explains why in the afterlife she will find peace, which she has not felt until now.
Pepel persuades Vaska to go to Siberia: there is a place there for strong and purposeful people. She calms Nastya down, pretending to believe in her stories about unearthly love.
The actor is promised a cure for alcoholism in a special clinic. The most amazing thing in all of this is that Luka is lying because of his beautiful eyes. He takes pity on people, tries to give them hope as well as an incentive to live.
Initially, his ideas were based on a lack of faith in human capabilities: for him, all people are weak, petty, and therefore need compassion and consolation. Lukanya believes that the truth can be a “butt” to avoid the weak. Sometimes it is better to deceive a person with fiction and make him believe in the future.
But this is the philosophy of slavish obedience, there is no smoke without fire. Satin calls lies “the religion of slaves and masters”: “the beloved supports some, others hide behind her.” The wanderer's advice helped no one: Vaska kills Kostylev and goes to prison, the actor commits suicide.
Obviously, this is not Luke’s direct fault, it’s just that the circumstances turned out to be stronger than the people. Yes, he is indirectly to blame, or rather, not he, but his ideas: they made changes in the days of the night shelters and in their worldviews, after which those who believed him now could not continue to live normally. Satin opposes this harmful lie.
In his final monologue, there is a beautiful demand for freedom and a humane attitude towards man: “You must have the weakness of man! Don’t feel sorry for him, don’t humiliate him with pity... you need to appreciate him!” The hero is convinced of the following: it is necessary not to reconcile. Ant. to quarrel a person with reality, but to make this reality work gets the person. “Everything is in man, everything is for man.”
Satin, of course, is sympathetic to the author. Unlike most night shelters, someone in the past committed a decisive act, for which he paid: he spent a year in prison.
But he does not regret it: “Man is free, he pays for everything himself.” Thus, the nightingale claims that a person is able to change circumstances, and not at all adapt to them.
It seems that through the mouth of Satin, the librettist condemns Luke and refutes the conciliatory philosophy of the wanderer.
However, Gorky is not so simple and straightforward; • he gives readers and viewers the chance to decide for themselves: are such “reconciling” philosophers needed in real life or are they evil. It is amazing how society's complacency towards this character has changed over the years.
If during the creation of the play “At the Lower Depths” Lukanya, with his boundless compassion for people, was almost a negative hero, because he “indulged” their weaknesses, then in our cruel season, when a person feels his loneliness and uselessness to others, the pilgrim received a “second life” and is perceived as a truly (religiously) tolerant character. He feels sorry for the people living nearby, to hell with him mechanically, without wasting all his mental strength on this, but he finds time to listen to the suffering, instills hope in them, and this is already a lot. The play “At the Bottom” is one of those works that age poorly, and each generation discovers in them thoughts that are in tune with their time, views, and life situations.
This is the great strength of the playwright’s talent, his ability to look into the future.
At the Lower Depths, M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” as a philosophical drama
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Raising social problems, the drama “At the Bottom” simultaneously poses and resolves philosophical questions: what is truth? do people need it? Is it possible to find happiness in real life? Two conflicts can be found in the play.
The first is social: between the owners of the shelter and the tramps, the second is philosophical, touching on the basic questions of existence, unfolding between the inhabitants of the shelter. This is the main one.
The world of the flophouse is the world of “former people.” Previously, they belonged to different strata of society: here was a baron, a prostitute, a mechanic, an actor, a cap-maker, a merchant, and a thief. They try on different situations, trying to “surface” to the surface. Each of them wants to return to the world of “real people.” The heroes are full of illusions about the temporary nature of their situation.
And only Bubnov and Satin understand that there is no way out “from the bottom” - this is the lot of only the strong. Weak people need self-deception. And yet, in this terrible world of outcasts, these people are searching for truth, trying to solve eternal problems.
How to bear the burden of life? What to oppose to the terrible force of circumstances - open rebellion, patience based on sweet lies, or reconcile? These are the three main positions held by the characters in the play.
The darkest thinker in the shelter is Bubnov. He is unpleasant to Gorky because his remarks reflect the cynical truth of the fact. Life in Bubnov’s assessment is devoid of any meaning. It is monotonous and flows according to laws that man cannot change.
“Everything is like this: they are born, they live, they die. And I will die, and so will you. What is there to regret?” Dreams for him are a person’s desire to appear better, or, as Baron said, “all people have gray souls, everyone wants to brown up.”
Bubnov’s philosophy is the philosophy of hopelessness that reigns “at the bottom.”
With the appearance of Luka, the atmosphere in the shelter changes. The wanderer Luke, in my opinion, is the most complex and interesting character in the play. The old man finds the right tone with everyone: he consoles Anna with heavenly happiness after death, interprets that in the afterlife she will find peace, which she has not felt before.
Pepel persuades Vaska to leave for Siberia: there is a place there for strong and purposeful people. She calms Nastya down, pretending to believe her stories about unearthly love. The actor is promised recovery from alcoholism in a special clinic. The most amazing thing about all this is that Luke lies disinterestedly.
He takes pity on people, tries to give them hope as an incentive to live. Initially, his ideas are based on disbelief in human capabilities: for him, all people are weak, petty, and therefore need compassion and consolation. Luke believes that the truth can be a “butt” for the weak. Sometimes it is better to deceive a person with fiction and instill in him faith in the future.
But this is a philosophy of slavish obedience; it is not for nothing that Satin calls lies “the religion of slaves and masters”: “it supports some, others hide behind it.”
The wanderer's advice did not help anyone: Vaska kills Kostylev and goes to prison, the actor commits suicide. Of course, this is not Luke’s direct fault, it’s just that the circumstances turned out to be stronger than the people.
But he is indirectly to blame, or rather, not he, but his ideas: they made changes in the lives of the night shelters and in their worldviews, after which those who believed him could no longer continue to live normally. Satin opposes this harmful lie.
In his final monologue there is a demand for freedom and a humane attitude towards man: “We must respect man! Don’t feel sorry, don’t humiliate him with pity... we must respect him!” The hero is convinced of the following: it is necessary not to reconcile a person with reality, but to make this reality work for a person. “Everything is in man, everything is for man.”
The author undoubtedly likes Satin. Unlike most night shelters, he committed a decisive act in the past, for which he paid: he spent four years in prison. But he does not regret it: “Man is free, he pays for everything himself.” Thus, the writer argues that a person is able to change circumstances, and not adapt to them.
It seems that through the mouth of Satin the author condemns Luke and refutes the conciliatory philosophy of the wanderer. But Gorky is not so simple and straightforward; • it gives readers and viewers the opportunity to decide for themselves whether such “reconciling” philosophers are needed in real life or whether they are evil. It's amazing how society's attitude towards this character has changed over the years.
If at the time of the creation of the play “At the Lower Depths” Luka, with his boundless pity for people, was almost a negative hero, since he “indulged” their weaknesses, then in our cruel times, when a person feels his loneliness and uselessness to others, the wanderer received a “second life” and perceived as a truly good character.
He feels sorry for the people living nearby, even if mechanically, without spending all his mental strength on it, but he finds time to listen to the suffering, instills hope in them, and this is already a lot. The play “At the Bottom” is one of those works that do not age, and each generation discovers in them thoughts that are in tune with their time, views, and life situations.
This is the great power of the playwright’s talent, his ability to look into the future.
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At the Lower Depths, M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” as a philosophical drama
Analysis of the play “At the Lower Depths” as a philosophical drama
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Maxim Gorky is known throughout the world as a great Russian writer and playwright who lived and worked during the years of “rebellious” Russia. His works became famous for the image of a declassed character; the author calls them “tramps.” Gorky’s work emanates revolutionary tendencies, because everyone knows that the brilliant prose writer was in sharp opposition to the tsarist regime.
Images of people deprived of the sun's warmth can also be traced in the socio-philosophical play “At the Lower Depths”; according to the plot, they were all inhabitants of a shelter for the poor. Maxim Gorky quietly introduces the reader to the nasty world of people who have sunk to the bottom of life, among them: a baron, a prostitute, an actor, a cap-holder and a thief.
All residents of the shelter have a common unattainable goal - to return to the world of “real” people. Each character is interesting and disgusting in their own way, but the concept of the play is even more attention-grabbing.
The work reveals two conflicts: the first is social, between the owners of the ill-fated house and its unclean soul inhabitants, the second is philosophical, unfolding on the basis of the understanding of existence. The philosophical conflict is fundamental.
The philosophical direction of the play is set by romanticized heroes living with empty dreams; in contrast to them stand only the cap-wearer Bubnov and the unemployed Satin. The last two drowned without cries for help, realizing the hopelessness of their situation.
The author endowed Bubnov with the vile cynicism of a realist, just like the remark: “Everything is like this: they are born, they live, they die. And I will die, and so will you. What to regret?
A certain antipathy of Gorky towards Bubnov is noticeable, which reinforces the melancholic nature of everything that happens.
The philosophical tension increases with every page read. The peak of the philosophical conflict occurs at the time of the appearance of the wanderer Luke. This same wandering old man has his own vivid understanding of reality, choosing “a lie for the greater good.”
The essence of his theory is as follows: by deceiving you into believing in your fantasies, you will bring great help to a weak person.
Through the mouth of Satin, the author condemns and refutes Luke's actions, thus igniting the climactic clash of worldviews.
“At the Depths” is a play by Maxim Gorky without philosophical answers, without any special conclusions; each reader has the right to decide for himself whose worldview to support and whose to condemn. I can say one thing for sure: Gorky’s philosophical cocktail has a strong motivating energy that is simply necessary for “real” people.
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