"Mother" M. Gorky. The path from fear to compassion
Maxim Gorky wrote his novel "Mother" in 1907. In the story, Gorky defines the central character - the mother of Pavel Vlasov. Against the background of the conception of the revolutionary movement and the everyday existence of the lower strata of society, we are shown the life of a woman. It was not by chance that the author made Nilovna the heroine of the novel. What is this novel about? About the beginning of the revolutionary movement and the life of the working class? About the mother of a revolutionary or something else?
… The best will be those
who embrace the world wider with their hearts, who will love it deeper …
Maxim Gorky wrote his novel "Mother" in 1907. What is he talking about? About the beginning of the revolutionary movement and the life of the working class? About the mother of a revolutionary or something else?
In the story, Gorky defines the central character - the mother of Pavel Vlasov. Against the background of the conception of the revolutionary movement and the everyday existence of the lower strata of society, we are shown the life of a woman. It was not by chance that the author made Nilovna the heroine of the novel. On the example of the life of this woman, not only socially oppressed, but also enduring cruel oppression from her husband, who with hatred took out his grievances on her, it is more clearly seen how love and faith in the future changes a person.
Fear
Pelageya Nilovna lived in fear, and answered her son's requests not to be afraid:
- How can I not be afraid! All my life I lived in fear - my whole soul was overgrown with fear!
All her life she tried to be invisible. She was silent and was constantly in anticipation of her husband's beating. The enveloping fear did not leave even a small place in her soul for love for her son.
Gradually displacing fear from her heart, Pelageya changed her life: “fear has become different - it is anxious for everyone”.
freedom of choice
When Pavel grew up, he tried to find joy in a tavern, just like all the inhabitants of the village. But he realized that it was not for him, and began to stubbornly go in the other direction, to other people. This caused a vague sense of apprehension in the mother's soul. He changed, began to stand out from the crowd. It was difficult for Nilovna to understand him. The son's lifestyle frightened, alarmed her:
- All people are like people, but this one …
In the house of the Vlasovs, meetings of revolutionaries began to be held. The mother, overcoming her fear of these, as it seemed to her, terrible people, listened attentively to their conversations. I delved into them - the fear of people was replaced by sympathy, compassion for them.
Nilovna was the only mother of a revolutionary who sided with her son. She had the opportunity to hide, not understand, not delve into and continue to be afraid of everything, as she used to do all her forty years.
Getting to know the world
She smiled, drunk with music, feeling capable of doing something right.
After the May Day demonstration, Pavel was imprisoned, and Nilovna was brought to his town by a friend of her son. Pelageya seemed to be in another world. Previously unknown, distant, and therefore, as if not real, he opened before her and delighted her heart.
Nilovna began to read books, look at pictures, learned to listen and understand music. She began to see the beauty of her native land, and the joy of recognizing the world grew in her soul.
“Her chest was warm, quiet and thoughtful, like in a small old garden on a summer evening.”
Forces, energy
- Where do people get the strength to suffer?
- Get used to it! - Vlasova answered with a sigh.
At the beginning of the novel, Nilovna could not imagine that she would be able to overcome huge distances, find the strength to cope with difficulties. Where does such powerful energy come from at the end of the work? Nilovna began to get great pleasure from the tasks assigned to her.
She loved her new life, despite the dangers.
Nilovna began to see the future, saw what to strive for, and gained from this strength and inexhaustible energy.
Openness
Trust, openness of the soul is difficult for Nilovna, because from an early age she was used to not trusting people, being afraid of them, not showing feelings and thoughts. She taught this to her son Paul:
- Only one thing I ask you - do not talk to people without fear! People should be afraid - everyone hates each other! They live by greed, they live by envy. Everyone is happy to do evil.
By the end of the novel, she confesses that she herself feels like a stranger in their village, not like everyone else. Previously, it was difficult for her to communicate with people. Now the soul is always open.
Redemption from slavery
- Everyone loves close, but in a big heart and distant - close!
Pelageya Nilovna lived in a triple slavery: class, family and religious. It was hard for her to get out of the shackles of fear, but overcoming all difficulties, she acquired a big heart and got rid of slavery.
Nilovna and most of the villagers lived in fear that all the changes could only be for the worse. And even if there are improvements, it will be very long ago, but.
What is common between M. Gorky's novel "Mother" and the modern world
Likewise, in the modern world, fear envelops us. He follows us everywhere. We are afraid of betrayal, deception, poverty, chipping, robotization. Society is overwhelmed by anxiety, panic attacks, depression. We are in the same bondage of fear as the main character of the novel.
Just like Pelageya Nilovna, we have a choice: to stay alive in these fears or see a real colorful world. Open your heart and start feeling boundless love instead of paralyzing fear.
Rebirth of the soul
"Mother" is a novel about the rebirth of the soul. This work will be relevant at all times. After all, the path of development of the soul in past and modern times is the same.
This path from beginning to end is shown to us by the example of Pelageya Nilovna.
The world is open, and we have the opportunity to grow our soul and find the joy of living.
You can learn from your mistakes and look for answers to questions. You can take advantage of the experience of generations. Classical literature is the best textbook of life, where the writer collected this experience and passed it on to us. Life pushes us to progress through suffering or through learning. Which one will you choose?
