Analysis of the legend of Larra from the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky. Analysis of the legend of Larra from the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky Maxim Gorky the old woman read a summary

There are works that remain relevant for centuries. Their value cannot be overestimated either for philologists or for readers, each of whom can draw on wisdom carried through eras. These include “The Old Woman Izergil” by M. Gorky and the legend of Larra, which is included in the story.

M. Gorky: briefly about the writer

M. Gorky is a writer with an unusual destiny and extraordinary, sharp creativity. His works leave an indelible mark on the souls of readers. He was born in Nizhny Novgorod in Russia in 1868. Gorky is a pseudonym, the real name of the writer is Peshkov. And Maxim took the name in honor of his father, who died when he was still a child. From the age of eleven, the future classic was forced to work at the same level as adults.

Maxim Gorky began writing at the age of twenty; his first works were written under the influence of romanticism. These are “Old Woman Izergil” and “Song of the Petrel”. Despite the fact that romantic works were a huge success, growing up, the writer became closer and closer to realism and socialist realism. M. Gorky writes most of his works in this vein. The legend of Larra, included in the story about the old woman who describes her eventful youth to the young author, has provided food for researchers of the writer’s work for years.

“Old Woman Izergil” by M. Gorky - a hymn to love and romanticism

Gorky's story, written by the writer in his youth, is filled with the crazy fire of romanticism, love, and the spiritual quest of man. The old woman's memories are framed by two legends about the antihero Larra and the hero Danko. Between these legends is the whole life of the old woman Izergil, her search for herself, her place and her love. The love of this once young, lively woman is not platonic and innocent - it is sensual, earthly, filled with passion and strength. Almost everyone she loved dies. In the death of the boy - the son of a Turkish nobleman - Izergil considers himself to blame; her love turned out to be too much of a burden for the weak greenhouse flower. She contrasts the author with her young self, her violent feelings and inner strength, reproaching him that he “was born old.” The old woman's memories are interrupted by the legend of Larra. Its meaning is ambiguous and requires serious attention.

The Legend of Larra

This legend, like the legend about Danko, was included in the story “Old Woman Izergil”. The first begins the work, the second ends it.

In one village, an eagle stole a girl. They looked for her for a long time, but could not find her and forgot. And two decades later this girl returned, very emaciated and aged, and next to her was an incredibly handsome young man, only his eyes were cold and insensitive. The girl said that the eagle stole her and lived with her as with his wife until he grew old and threw himself onto the rocks. And this young man is their son.

The elders began to talk to him, but he behaved as if people were inferior to him. Not paying attention to the people around him, he walked towards a beautiful girl who was standing nearby. She was the daughter of an elder, and, fearing her father, she pushed him away. This enraged Larra and he brutally killed the girl in front of people. His act shocked the people; they wanted to immediately kill the eagle’s son, but the elders stopped him, wanting to listen to him. They wanted to understand why he behaved this way. Larra said that he has the right to whatever he wants. And the elders realized that he did not understand human laws and did not accept them.

The Legend of Larra. Punishment for pride

And after consulting, the wise elders decided not to kill, but to expel him from the tribe, he himself would punish himself with his madness and loneliness. Larra laughed in their faces and left with his head held high.

But he did not find happiness in the free steppes, the proud son of the eagle sometimes returned to the people, he stole the girls of the tribe and their cattle. Arrows flew off his stone heart, knives broke on his body.

Many years passed and one day people saw Larra in the settlement. But he did not defend himself, did not run away from them. The old people realized that he wanted to be killed and did not touch him, laughing in his face. So he left, rejected by everyone, and now wanders the steppe, turning into a shadow, because even a heart of stone can exude loneliness. Pride is a terrible sin, but the punishment prescribed to Larra is commensurate with his crime.

Analysis of Larra's image

Larra is the embodiment of one of the mortal human sins - pride. Against the background of his reluctance to reckon with his mother’s fellow tribesmen, even a brutal murder does not seem so monstrous. Larra was raised by his father - a proud eagle. But he was a free bird, not a man. His son is at least half-human. And people are social; they cannot exist separately from their environment. But even if he had not been expelled, Larra would not have found his place among the people. His pride gives rise to punishment, and only punishment can show him that he cannot be alone, and the laws of society must be taken into account. The ideological content of the legend of Larra is the emphasis on the place of man among his own kind. But if there is no place in his heart for sympathy, regret and empathy, society will sooner or later push him away. Humanity is capable of living without the individual, but ninety-nine percent of the individual cannot.

The legend of Danko as the completion of a story and a separate work

The legend of Larra begins the story, and the legend of Danko sounds like the final chord of the story. It tells about the young man Danko, who led his people through a storm and a terrible forest. He was the only one who believed that people could come to a better life, get out of the swamps and forests. Halfway through the journey, they began to blame him for leading them to death. A terrible thunderstorm and storm began. In gusts of wind and lightning, the people lost faith even more. In order for people to reach their cherished goal, Danko tore out his burning heart and raised it high above his head. It had so much love for people and faith that it illuminated the entire forest and showed people the way. They followed the light and came out of the forest. Danko’s heart was still burning with fire, but out of superstitious fear someone stepped on it and extinguished it. People settled in a new place and forgot about Danko.

The question of what is the meaning of the legends about Larra and Danko has had very different interpretations in the works of researchers. Let's leave it open, but the indisputable fact is that both legends, despite their apparent independence, will be incomplete without each other. Just like the story about Izergil’s life without legends, it would sound dry and incomplete. Danko and Larra are antagonists. One loves people with all his heart and sacrifices himself for them, the second is unfamiliar with love, but both find themselves rejected by people.

In conclusion

Some works do not lose their sharpness; time only adds value to them. This is the legend about Larra. Analysis of the work has already been carried out before us by many literary scholars. Therefore, we will not repeat ourselves. Let's just say that such works are a must read; they contain many ideas and moral lessons that are better to be learned by reading, and not from a teacher who does not forgive mistakes - life.

His biographies and analysis of creativity) worked at the grape harvest with a party of Moldovans - men and women. One evening after work, all his comrades went to the seashore, and Gorky and an old woman named Izergil, who was in the party, remained to rest under the vines. [Cm. full text of the story “Old Woman Izergil”.]

It's already dark. Pointing to the shadows of clouds in the steppe, between which one was darker than the others, Izergil said: “There comes Larra! He lives for thousands of years, the sun dried up his body, he became a shadow. This is his punishment for his pride!”

Gorky Maxim. "Old Isergil". Audiobook

The old woman told Gorky the legend about Larra. Many thousands of years ago, far in the East, the most beautiful girl from one tribe was carried away by an eagle. After 20 years, the girl returned back with a handsome and strong young man - her son Larra, whom she gave birth to from an eagle. The eagle itself, having grown old and weakened, rose high into the sky, folded its wings, fell to the ground and crashed.

Larra was as proud and brave as his father. Finding himself among the people, he immediately approached one beautiful girl and hugged her. She pushed Larra away, and then he knocked her to the ground with a blow and stepped on her chest, killing her. Other people tied up Larra and began to invent a painful execution for this proud man who despised everyone. However, one wise man advised to let him go, saying that this would be the worst punishment for Larra.

People abandoned Larra and left him. He laughed after them, and then followed the tribe for a long time, stealing cattle, kidnapping girls and doing other cruel things. But several decades later, pining for loneliness, he himself came to people and stood, without defending himself, in a thirst to be killed. People did not want to kill the villain. Larra began to stab himself in the chest with a knife, but the knife broke on his stone body. He hit his head on the ground, but it moved away and deepened from the blows of his head.

Having failed to die, Larra, rejected by people, has since walked in sadness wherever they live. “This is how the man was struck for his pride!”

“Old Woman Izergil”, chapter 2 – summary

Then Izergil began to tell Gorky about her life. In her youth she lived in Moldova. When she was 15 years old, a cheerful, black-moustached fisherman sailed up to their house in a boat. Izergil looked out the window and gave him wine, “and four days later she gave him all of herself.” I rode a boat with him at night, running away from home.

But the fisherman only sang and kissed, and she began to get tired of it. A gang of Hutsul robbers also walked in those places. Izergil met one of them, a redhead. “And he was so sad, sometimes affectionate, and sometimes, like an animal, he roared and fought. Once he hit me in the face... And I, like a cat, jumped on his chest and sank my teeth into his cheek... From then on, there was a dimple on his cheek, and he loved it when I kissed it..."

A fisherman also came to the Hutsuls. Then they, along with the redhead, were caught and hanged. “The fisherman went to execution, pale and crying, and the Hutsul smoked his pipe. He saw me, took out his phone and shouted: “Goodbye!” I felt sorry for him for a whole year.”

Then Izergil was in the harem of an elderly Turk, along with eight other women. But she got tired of the harem, and she ran away with the 16-year-old son of a Turk. However, this boy, either from love or from homesickness, soon began to dry out - and died.

Then Izergil had a little Pole. Asking for love, he fawned over her like a cat, and amidst quarrels, he cracked hurtful words like a whip. Having argued with him one day, Izergil threw the Pole from the bank into the river and left, without looking at what happened to him.

Soon Izergil was bought by a Jew to trade it. He sold her love to rich gentlemen. One of them once showered her with coins from a bag: he sold all his lands and houses for this. But Izergil loved not this well-fed pig, but another, courageous gentleman with a face chopped up by Turkish sabers in the war for the Greeks. “He loved exploits. And when a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and will find where it is possible. There is always room for exploits in life.” This gentleman died later.

Izergil was already about 40 years old when she fell in love with a young, handsome nobleman, Arcadek. Now it was no longer because of her that the man’s head was clouded, but she herself fell into a love frenzy. Arrogant, spoiled by women, Arcadek then left to fight the Russians. And after the rebellion was pacified, they took him prisoner.

Izergil came to the barn where Arcadek was being held under arrest. She persuaded the Russian guard: “Let me look at him, maybe he will die soon!” This soldier was small and weak. Seizing the moment, Izergil pounced on him, threw him into the mud and pressed his head into the puddle with her hands until the sentry suffocated. Then she rushed to the barn and released the Poles. Arcadek, smiling, knelt in front of her: “My queen.” But Izergil realized that these words were false: in fact, he did not love her. She kicked Arcadek in the chest and left.

Izergil returned to her homeland, decided to settle down and start a family. She married a Moldovan, but he died a year ago. Left alone, she began to walk with the workers through the vineyards. She loved the young and cheerful, although it seemed to the old woman that during her own youth there was more strength and fire in the person, and life was more fun and better.

Having finished the story, Izergil looked thoughtfully into the steppe, where small blue lights flashed in the distance. “These sparks are from Danko’s burning heart,” she told Gorky.

“Old Woman Izergil”, chapter 3 – summary

The old woman told an old legend about Danko. One tribe lived on the outskirts of the forest, near the steppe. But another people came and drove him deep into the thicket, where the sky could not be seen, and the stinking water of the swamps poisoned the people. Going back to fight the enemies was certain death, but those who were dying did not dare move through the forest. Everyone fell into grief and fear, but the handsome young Danko came out in front of the others and said: “I will lead you through the forest!”

The relatives agreed and followed this undaunted brave man. But the path turned out to be very long. No matter how much they walked, the forest and darkness did not end. People began to grumble against Danko, surrounded him and were going to kill him.

Bitter. Old Isergil. The Legend of Danko. Soviet cartoon

But he suddenly tore open his chest, took out his heart, which was burning brighter than the sun, raised it above him and, illuminating the way with it, again rushed forward through the swamp.

People ran after him. Finally, the forest parted; A free steppe in a sea of ​​sunlight and clean air opened before my eyes. Having joyfully surveyed her, Danko laughed proudly - fell and died.

“People, joyful and full of hope, did not notice his death and did not see that his brave heart was still burning next to Danko’s corpse. Only one cautious person noticed this and, fearing something, stepped on the proud heart with his foot... And then it, scattered into sparks, died out...”

A summary of Gorky's “Old Woman Izergil” can be read in just 5-10 minutes. This makes it possible to quickly familiarize yourself with the work in conditions of acute lack of time (for example, before an exam), but does not eliminate the need to still read it in full later.
Gorky's story "Old Woman Izergil" is compositionally structured in such a way that a connection is established between reality and legends. There are two of them in the work. They highlight completely opposite ideas about life. The summary of Gorky’s “Old Woman Izergil”, of course, will not allow you to fully experience this. But nevertheless, it can serve as good additional material before reading the work in full. The image of the old woman on whose behalf the story is told is quite contradictory. She only tells about herself what she remembers for the rest of her life. The events are also narrated on behalf of the author himself.

M. Gorky “Old Woman Izergil”: summary of Chapter I

Once the author had the opportunity to work in Bessarabia. When the Moldovans dispersed and only the ancient old woman Izergil remained, she told him a legend about how people were punished by God for pride. The event took place in a rich, distant country. During a general feast, the eagle suddenly carried away the girl. The search was unsuccessful and soon everyone forgot about her. But two decades later, exhausted, she returned home with her son from the eagle. The young man was very proud and behaved arrogantly even with the elders of the tribe. Having been refused by the daughter of one of them, Larra beats the girl, steps on her chest and she dies. It seems to the inhabitants of the tribe that no punishment is worthy of him. Even the mother does not want to stand up for her son. In the end, he was doomed to freedom and loneliness. Thunder sounded from the sky and Larra became immortal. Since then, he wandered the earth for so long that he already dreamed of dying. But no one touched him, and he couldn’t kill himself either. So Larra continues to wander around the world, waiting for death. And there is no place for him either among the living or among the dead.

A beautiful song comes from somewhere. Izergil, hearing her, smiles and remembers his youth. During the day she weaved carpets, and at night she ran to her loved ones. When she was 15 years old, she began dating a handsome sailor. But soon she got bored with the monotonous relationship, and a friend introduces her to a Hutsul. He was a cheerful, affectionate and ardent young man. Soon both the sailor and the Hutsul were executed. Then Izergil fell in love with a Turk and lived in a harem. True, the girl could not stand it for more than a week. She fled to Bulgaria with the 16-year-old son of a Turk, but he soon died, either from melancholy or from love. One woman became jealous of Izergil’s husband and stabbed her right in the chest. She was nursed by a Polish woman in a monastery. She had a monk brother, with whom Izergil later went to his homeland. After the first insult, she drowned him. It was not easy for her in Poland, since she did not know how to do anything and simply moved from one man to another. When she was 40 years old, she met a wonderful nobleman who quickly abandoned her. Izergil realized that she had grown old. Shlyakhtich went to war with the Russians. She went after him. Having learned that he is in captivity, Izergil saves him. In gratitude, the nobleman promises to love her always. Now Izergil pushes him away. After this, she finally gets married and has been living in Bessarabia for 30 years. A year ago, Izergil became a widow. Seeing the lights of a fire far in the steppe, she says that these are the sparks of Danko’s heart.

The woman immediately goes on to tell a story about cheerful, kind people who were driven by other tribes into the depths of the forest, where there was never sun and the stench of the swamp was reeking. People began to die one after another. They decide to leave the forest, but don't know which road to take. The brave guy Danko volunteered to help them. During the journey, a thunderstorm began. Everyone began to grumble at Danko and reproach him. He replied that he was leading them because he was the only one who dared to do so, and the rest were following him like a herd. People became completely furious and decided to kill Danko. Then, out of great love and pity for everyone, he tore his chest, took out his heart and raised it above his head. Lighting their way, Danko led the people of his tribe out of the forest. Seeing the space, he dies, but no one notices. Only one person accidentally stepped on the young man’s heart, it crumbled into sparks and went out. The old woman falls asleep immediately after the story, and the author continues to reflect on what he heard.

A very brief summary (in a nutshell)

The old woman Izergil told a legend story to a random narrator. Many years ago, an eagle kidnapped a girl from one tribe, who returned 20 years later with a son from an eagle named Larra. He was very arrogant, so the tribe did not accept him, telling him to leave. Then the eagle's son approached one of the beautiful girls and wanted to take her with him, but she refused, and for this he killed her. The tribe already wanted to kill him, but one of the wise men offered to let Larra go, deciding that this would be the greatest punishment for him. And so it happened, and to this day Larra’s shadow walks around the world and cannot find peace.

In the second story, the old woman Izergil told about her turbulent life. At the age of 15, she began dating men, having experienced numerous love affairs and dramas. He was thrown around the world, she was in the harem of a Turk, and was wounded with a knife from a jealous woman, and even sold her body. Only at the age of 40 did she calm down and settle down in this place, where she grew old.

In the third story, Old Woman Izergil told the legend of Danko. In ancient times, one of the camps had to go into the swamp, as strong people came to their lands. The swamp was surrounded by impassable forest on three sides. In the swamp, they began to slowly die and then Danko decided to lead people out of the swamp through the forest wilds. They walked for a long time, people began to lose hope, and they wanted to kill Danko. Then he tore his flaming heart out of his chest, illuminated the dense forest with it and led the people into the valley. But they didn’t even notice his death after leaving the forest, and one even, just in case, stepped on his heart.

Maxim Gorky’s story “Old Woman Izergil” was written in 1894, and a few months later it first appeared in print in the periodical “Samara Gazeta”. The first part was published in No. 80 (dated April 16, 1895), the second in No. 89 (dated April 23, 1895), and the third in No. 95 (dated April 27, 1895).

Old woman Izergil is the author’s interlocutor. The story begins with an old woman narrating her life and the men she once loved. Izergil is sure that you need to be able to enjoy life and get pleasure from it in all possible ways. One of the main joys of life is love, not only sublime, platonic, but also, above all, carnal. Without carnal pleasures, without the opportunity to receive pleasure from the body of a loved one, existence loses its charm.

The Legend of Larra

Suddenly Izergil notices a column of dust on the horizon. This is Larra coming. Then the old woman tells a terrible legend about a proud man who was destroyed by the desire to stand out from his own kind and disrespect for his neighbors.

The Story of a Proud Man

Larra's mother was once kidnapped by an eagle. He took the girl to his home. After some time, she returned to her family, bringing with her her son - half man, half eagle. The young man inherited his mother's beauty and his father's pride. He considers himself better than everyone else and disdains his elders.

Larra tried to take possession of one of the girls, but she refused him, fearing her father’s displeasure. Angry, Larra killed the unfortunate woman. Fellow villagers wanted to execute the young man. However, the punishment from above turned out to be even worse: Larra was cursed, becoming neither alive nor dead.

People abandoned the proud man and expelled him from their society. Left alone, Larra realized how wrong he was. The young man wants to die, but he fails. Since then, for many years, Larra has been wandering restless, turning into a shadow.

Seeing strange sparks, Izergil says that this is all that remains of the burning heart of Danko, a man who gave his life for those who were dear to him.

The Danko tribe lived in the steppe from time immemorial. But one day conquerors came and occupied their native land, evicting Danko and his fellow tribesmen into the forest. People cannot return home, but they cannot stay in the forest either - it is too dangerous. The only way out is to go forward. Behind the forest another steppe awaits. Danko volunteers to become a guide.

The road was not easy. People died in poisonous swamps, died of hunger, but continued to move forward. In the end, the tribesmen lost faith in their guide and that they would ever be able to get out of the impenetrable thicket. People decided to kill Danko. Not knowing how else to help them, Danko tore out the flaming heart from his chest and, with its help, illuminated the path for his fellow tribesmen. The people believed the guide again and followed him again. The difficulties have not diminished. Exhausted, tired wanderers still died, but faith no longer left their souls.

The survivors still managed to reach the steppe. Danko did not have to rejoice along with the others. He fell and died. No one noticed the conductor's death. Only one of the tribesmen discovered the heart, which continued to burn near Danko, and crushed it, as if afraid of something. The heart went out, but sparks from it can be seen even now, many years after the events described.

Characteristics

In the image of Larra, the author embodied all anti-human qualities. The origin of the young man is not accidental: he has the appearance of a man, but his behavior is completely asocial. The eagle is a proud, independent bird. It was these character traits that Larra inherited. Pride and independence cannot be called shortcomings. These qualities characterize a courageous, self-confident person who is not afraid of difficulties. Every person should know their own worth and not allow others to humiliate themselves. Pride and independence become flaws when they go beyond the individual.

Larra tries to gain the respect and admiration of her fellow villagers by putting herself above others. In his opinion, he found the easiest and most correct path to honor. The young man's claims are unfounded. He didn't do anything for which he could be loved or simply respected. Beauty is one of Larra’s few advantages. However, even external attractiveness gradually melts away against the background of the ugliness of the soul. Years later, the beautiful body of the eagle's son turned to dust, revealing a "rotten" essence.

The image of the proud Larra is contrasted in the story with the image of Danko. These characters are in no way related to each other, but the author considers it necessary to mention them within one story. As a result, one character becomes a foil to the other.

Danko is a brave, courageous man who possessed the same character traits as Larra: pride and independence. But unlike the eagle's son, Danko's best qualities do not cross the boundaries of his personality. He directs them not against his fellow tribesmen, but for their benefit. Danko invites people to show pride and independence towards the invaders of their homeland. There is no need to ask the occupiers for mercy. We need to find empty land and thereby show our superiority. Danko becomes a guide not because he considers himself somehow better than others. He sees the despair of his fellow tribesmen and takes care of them, realizing that at least one person must remain who has not lost his composure and hope.

The author regretfully mentions human ingratitude. People were not grateful to their guide on the path to happiness, despite the fact that Danko did everything in his power for them. But this was not enough. Then the guide gave away the last thing he had - his heart, which became the only source of light in the most difficult days of the journey. Even after a new homeland was found, the tribesmen did not feel gratitude to their savior. The death of a hero who gave his life for the common good was not noticed. And one of the tribesmen simply destroyed the last thing that was left of the guide.

Analysis of the work

The symbols in the story “Old Woman Izergil” cannot escape the reader’s attention. Danko’s burning heart is a symbol of faith and hope for a better life. Even after the death of the main character, his heart continued to burn with love for people. The ungrateful foot that stepped on the source of light could not destroy it. The sparks remaining from the heart did not disappear or go out. In the same way, good deeds done by those who fought for human happiness, devoting their lives to it, do not disappear or fade away.

People like Larra also leave a lot behind. Their heritage is as antisocial as they themselves are antisocial. Antiheroes who committed crimes against humanity have not faded into obscurity. They are remembered and cursed by many generations who come into this world after their departure, not personally affected by the heinous acts of the criminals. An unkind memory remained about the proud son of the eagle, the symbol of which was a column of dust that did not evoke a good response in any human heart.