Analysis of the legend about danko from the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky. Analysis of the legend of Danko from the story of M

In the old days, only people lived on the earth, impenetrable forests surrounded the camps of these people on three sides, and on the fourth, there was a steppe. They were cheerful, strong, daring people, And then one day a hard time came: other tribes came from somewhere and drove the former into the depths of the forest. There were swamps and darkness, because the forest was old and its branches were so densely intertwined that you could not see the sky through them, and the sun's rays could hardly pierce their way to the swamps through the dense foliage. But when its rays fell on the water of the swamps, a stench rose, and people died from it one after another. Then the wives and children of this tribe began to cry, and the fathers began to think and fell into melancholy. It was necessary to leave this forest, and for that there were two roads: one - back - there were strong and evil enemies, the other - forward - there were giant trees, tightly embracing each other with mighty branches, dropping gnarled roots deep into the tenacious mud of the swamp. These stone trees stood silently and motionless during the day in the gray gloom and moved even more densely around people in the evenings when bonfires were lit. And always, day and night, there was a ring of strong darkness around those people, it was as if it was going to crush them, but they got used to the expanse of the steppe, And it was even more terrible when the wind beat on the tops of the trees and the whole forest hummed dully, as if threatening and singing a funeral song to those people. They were still strong people, and they could go and fight to the death with those who once defeated them, but they could not die in battles, because they had covenants, and if they died, they would disappear with them from lives and covenants. And so they sat and thought in the long nights, under the dull noise of the forest, in the poisonous stench of the swamp. They sat, and the shadows from the fires jumped around them in a silent dance, and it seemed to everyone that it was not the shadows that were dancing, but the evil spirits of the forest and swamps were triumphant ... People all sat and thought. But nothing - neither work, nor women, exhausts the bodies and souls of people in the same way that melancholy thoughts exhaust them. And people weakened from thoughts ... Fear was born among them, shackled their strong hands, horror gave birth to women crying over the corpses of the dead from the stench and over the fate of the living, shackled by fear, - and cowardly words began to be heard in the forest, at first timid and quiet, and then louder and louder ... They already wanted to go to the enemy and give him their will as a gift, and no one, frightened of death, was afraid of a slave life ... But then Danko appeared and saved everyone alone.
Danko is one of those people, a young handsome man. The beautiful are always bold. And so he says to them, to his comrades:
- Do not turn a stone from the path of thought. Whoever does nothing, nothing will become of him. That we are wasting energy on thought and longing? Get up, let's go into the forest and go through it, because it has an end - everything in the world has an end! Come on! Well! Gay! ..
They looked at him and saw that he was the best of all, because a lot of strength and living fire shone in his eyes.
-Lead us! they said.
Danko led them. Amicably everyone followed him - they believed in him. It was a difficult path! It was dark, and at every step the swamp opened its greedy rotten mouth, swallowing people, and the trees blocked the road with a mighty wall. Their branches intertwined among themselves; like snakes, roots stretched everywhere, and each step cost a lot of sweat and blood to those people. They walked for a long time ... The forest became thicker and thicker, there was less and less strength! And then they began to grumble at Danko, saying that it was in vain that he, young and inexperienced, had taken them somewhere. And he walked ahead of them and was cheerful and clear.
But one day a thunderstorm struck over the forest, the trees whispered dully, menacingly. And then it became so dark in the forest, as if all the nights had gathered in it at once, how many there were in the world since the time he was born. Little people walked between large trees and in the terrible noise of lightning, they walked, and, swaying, the giant trees creaked and hummed angry songs, and lightning, flying over the tops of the forest, illuminated it for a moment with a blue, cold fire and disappeared just as quickly, as they appeared, frightening people. And the trees, illuminated by the cold fire of lightning, seemed alive, stretching out around the people who were leaving the captivity of darkness, gnarled, long arms, weaving them into a dense net, trying to stop people. And from the darkness of the branches something terrible, dark and cold looked at those walking. It was a difficult path, and people, tired of it, were discouraged. But they were ashamed to admit their powerlessness, and so they fell in anger and anger at Danko, the man who was walking in front of them. And they began to reproach him for his inability to manage them - that's how!
They stopped and amid the triumphant noise of the forest, among the trembling darkness, tired and angry, they began to judge Danko.
“You,” they said, “are an insignificant and harmful person for us! You led us and tired us, and then you will perish!
- You said: Lead! - and I led! - Danko shouted, standing against them with his chest. - I have the courage to lead, that's why I led you! And you? What have you done to help yourself? You just walked and did not know how to keep your strength on the way longer! You just walked, walked like a flock of sheep!
But these words infuriated them even more.
- You will die! You will die! they roared.
And the forest kept humming and humming, echoing their cries, and lightning tore the darkness to shreds. Danko looked at those for whom he had to work, and saw that they were like animals. Many people stood around him, but their nobility was not on their faces, and he could not expect mercy from them. Then indignation boiled in his heart, but from pity for people it went out. He loved people and thought that maybe they would die without him. And so his heart flashed with the fire of a desire to save them, to lead them to an easy path, and then the rays of that mighty fire flashed in his eyes ... And when they saw this, they thought that he was angry, which is why his eyes flared up so brightly, and they were on their guard like wolves, expecting that he will fight them, and began to surround him more closely, so that it would be easier for them to grab and kill Danko. And he already understood their thought, which is why his heart lit up even brighter in him, for this thought of theirs gave birth to melancholy in him.
And the forest still sang its gloomy song, and thunder thundered, and it was pouring rain ...
- What will I do for people !? - Danko shouted louder than thunder.
And suddenly he tore open his chest with his hands and tore his heart out of it and raised it high above his head.
It blazed as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch of great love for people, and the darkness scattered from its light and there, deep in the forest, trembling, fell into the rotten mouth of the swamp. People, amazed, became like stones.
- Let's go! - Danko shouted and rushed forward to his place, holding his burning heart high and illuminating the way for people.
They rushed after him, fascinated. Then the forest began to rustle again, shaking the peaks in surprise, but its noise was drowned out by the stomping of running people. Everyone ran quickly and boldly, carried away by the wonderful sight of a burning heart. And now they were dying, but they were dying without complaints or tears. And Danko was still ahead, and his heart was burning, burning!
And then suddenly the forest parted in front of him, parted and remained behind, dense and dumb, and Danko and all those people immediately plunged into the measure of sunlight and clean air washed by the rain. There was a thunderstorm - there, behind them, over the forest, and here the sun was shining, the steppe sighed, the grass glistened in rain diamonds and the river sparkled with gold ... It was evening, and from the rays of the sunset the river seemed red, like the blood that gushed in a hot stream from Danko's torn chest.
The proud daredevil Danko threw his gaze ahead of himself on the breadth of the steppe, - he threw a joyful gaze at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died.
The 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, being afraid of something, stepped on the proud heart with his foot ... And here it, scattering into sparks, died out ...
- That's where they come from, the blue sparks of the steppe that appear before the storm!

The time in which Gorky's early romantic works were created was difficult and uncertain: revolutionary clouds were gathering over the country, all social contradictions were aggravated to the limit. The best realist writers of that time A.P. Chekhov, I.A. Bunin, A.I. Ku-prince portrayed that period with the utmost truthfulness in their works. At the same time, Gorky declares the need to search for new ways in literature: “The task of literature is to capture in colors, in words, in sounds, in forms, what is in a person the best, handsome, honest, blissful. In particular, my task is to awaken in a person pride in himself, to tell him that he is the best, the most sacred in life ... "In 1894 he wrote his famous story" The Old Woman Izergil ", which included two wonderful legends: the legend of Larra and the legend of Danko.
The theme of a free man is the main theme of the entire work, but in the legend about Danko it is viewed from an unexpected perspective. For a writer, the concept of "freedom" is associated with the concept of "truth" and "feat". Gorky is not interested in “freedom” “from anything,” but freedom “in the name”.
Legends have been created by people since ancient times. In a vivid, figurative form, they talked about heroes and events, conveying to the listener or reader folk wisdom, folk aspirations and dreams. Gorky uses the genre of literary legend, because it was the best fit for his idea: to briefly, excitedly, vividly sing the best that can be in a person. Most of all, the writer was indignant against selfishness, greed, self-supplication and pride. In his beloved romantic hero Danko, he emphasizes, first of all, philanthropy, kindness, a desire to sacrifice oneself for the happiness of his people.
The legend begins with a kind of beginning: "In the old days, only people lived on the earth, impenetrable forests surrounded the camps of these people on three sides, and on the fourth, there was a steppe." Very similar to a fairy tale. Alarming and instructive. To show what a difficult situation people found themselves in, Gorky creates an ominous image of a dense forest through which they are forced to make their way, fleeing from enemies: - in the nights when the bonfires were lit ... And it was even more terrible when the wind beat on the tops of the trees and the whole forest hummed dully, as if threatening and singing a funeral song for those people ... "In this darkness and fear, the appearance of Danko seems especially bright and welcome. led people out of the swamps and the dead forest.
The author also raises the theme of the ungrateful, capricious crowd in the legend, because people, having fallen into the thickest darkness of the forest and the swamp of swamps, pounced on Danko with reproaches and threats. They called him "an insignificant and harmful person", they decided to kill him. However, the young man forgave people for their anger and unfair reproaches. He tore out from his chest a heart that was burning with a bright fire of love for the same people, and illuminated their path: “It (the heart) blazed as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this great torch. love for people ... ”Danko's act can be called a feat, for a feat for Gorky is the highest degree of freedom from self-love. The hero dies, but the sparks of his ardent heart still illuminate the path to truth and goodness today.
In the composition of the story "Old Woman Izergil", the legend of Danko is the third, final part. It completes the author's reflections on the meaning of human existence, gives an answer to the question: "What is it worth living and fighting for?"
This third part of the work is opposed to the first, where the image of the beloved and proud Larra is given. Danko and Larra are antipodes, they are both young, strong and beautiful. But Larra is a slave to his selfishness, and from this he is lonely and rejected by everyone. Danko lives for people, therefore he is truly immortal.
It is not by chance that Gorky introduces the image of a storyteller into the narrative. Old Rukha Izergil is the bearer and exponent of the people's truth. In addition, the writer has the opportunity to compare real life with the world of legends. The old woman Izergil, the story of whose fate occupies a central compositional place in the story, experienced in her youth both the fate of Larra and the fate of Danko. This, according to the writer, is the best evidence that in the life of every person there is a place for both individualism and heroism. The narrator of the legend about Danko is also a romantic hero, the ideal of her life is freedom. But her personal selfishness, life for a loved one and herself, makes her like Larra. And here is the finale of her life: before us is a dried, disembodied old woman with black holes in her eye sockets, but with a red rag on her head - a symbol of ardent admiration for such heroes as Danko.
In his legend, Gorky skillfully uses artistic and pictorial means: hyperbole (“It became so dark in the forest, as if all the nights had gathered in it at once…”); personification ("... giants-trees ... were angry songs buzzing", "... the swamp ... was opening its greedy rotten mouth ..."); bright epithets ("... cold fire"; "poisonous stench", "blue airy flowers"). In the text of the legend there are many exclamation points, rhetorical questions and dots, that is, omissions. All this conveys the tense and agitated tone of the story. The final words, speaking of Danko's feat, sound firm, sublime, loud.
The legend of Danko made a very big impression on me: here is not only a clear and beautiful language, not only an interesting, exciting plot, but also the depth of philosophical thought, the depth of generalization. I have no doubt that this small work is destined to touch the hearts of many generations of people, because it makes you think about the meaning of human activity, the meaning of life in general.

And an incredible love of freedom is the legend of Danko. The summary of Maxim Gorky's story "The Old Woman Izergil" most often contains a retelling of the freedom-loving Danko, although there are other interesting characters in this work.

Romance and love of freedom

All the works of Maxim Gorky, which were written in the early period of his work, contain many reflections on the meaning of life. The author appears before us as a sublime romantic who is in love with strong people. A beautiful and instructive story - this is the legend about which is given below.

Story structure

Gorky wrote this amazing story-parable in 1895. It consists of three independent parts. There are two main characters in the work - the author himself, on whose behalf the story is being told, and the old woman Izergil, who told him stories on the seashore. The legend of Danko, a brief summary of which every educated person needs to know, is structurally divided into three parts. This is a story about Larry, the son of an eagle, who has no inner core, is cold and full of pride. This is a legend about Danko, who is ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of freedom. And the third part is a story about the difficult life of the old woman Izergil herself.

Arrogance and pride

The analysis of the legend about Danko from the story of M. Gorky will not be entirely complete, if you do not first tell about the first hero of the story - Larry. He is very freedom-loving and proud, but he thinks only about his own benefit and convenience. He wants to enjoy all the benefits, but at the same time do not give anything in return to anyone. He is extremely selfish, he is overwhelmed by unbridled desires, he does not know compassion and does not know what

The daughter of one of the elders rejected his feelings, and he kills her in a fit of anger. People punished him - they drove him away from their society, doomed him to eternal wandering and loneliness. He begins to yearn, the only thing he longs for with all his soul is to find death. He is even ready to kill himself - but fate doomed him to immortality. People leave him alone in the steppe, soon only a shadow on the ground remains of him.

Old woman's life

The ability to empathize, to find in the most ordinary things an element of romance and lofty feelings - this is how early Gorky M. appears before readers. A summary of Danko, this beautiful legend, the author prefaces with a story about the life of the old woman Izergil herself.

The second part of this wonderful story is somewhat autobiographical. The old woman Izergil led a rather stormy life, she traveled a lot and saw many people. She herself possessed insane pride and loved to play on using them to achieve her goals. When she loved a man, she gave herself up to this passion completely and irrevocably, was ready for anything for the sake of this man. She could even kill a person to free her lover from captivity. But her feelings quickly faded away, then she turned her back on the one who had recently been so dear to her.

And only at the end of her life, the old woman realized that happiness is not in passions, not in strong feelings, but in a quiet seed life, when there is a beloved husband and long-awaited children nearby. Alas, life has passed, but the old woman has none of this.

Live for someone

And yet the main, the key place in this story is occupied by the legend of Danko. A.M. Gorky was able to describe this story so piercingly and sincerely that it forever entered world literature as an example of style.

Long ago, evil enemies decided to expel people from their native lands and sent them to live in. Nobody dared to murmur. And only the young brave man Danko, courageous and unsubdued, decided to lead people out of the forest. With his energy, he inspired people and led them on a difficult path. At first, people walked energetically and confidently. But their strength dried up, a thunderstorm began, and a murmur arose in the crowd louder and louder - why did we embark on this difficult path? For their troubles, they blamed Danko, who persuaded them to go on the road. And in order not to go further, they decided to kill the daredevil.

How to deal with this situation? Persuade? Convince? Begging to keep going forward? No. Danko, this brave handsome man, tore his heart out of his chest, raised it above his head. He illuminated the way for people. And it was so amazing that people followed him. The forest is over, the goal is achieved, here it is, freedom!

But people immediately forgot about Danko, as if there was no merit in the fact that they found the long-awaited freedom.

Morality and conclusion

This is just a small retelling of a beautiful romantic story, a summary. Gorky, whose legend about Danko became very popular and turned into a parable, very subtly and beautifully describes all aspects of the human soul. Its dark nooks, where there is a place for pride, narcissism, fears, and the bright sides of the human character, when for the sake of a high goal the hero is ready to sacrifice his life.

This amazing story has the most important thing - the wisdom of life, the destiny that does not always win, and the evil that dresses up in decent clothes. To live not for oneself, but for the sake of others - this is the main message of this literary work. And even if this is not appreciated by the people around you right away. But this is the command of your soul - to sacrifice yourself in order to find freedom.

Indeed, in essence, the three heroes - the old woman Izergil, and Larry, and Danko - are very similar to each other in their spiritual qualities. All of them are proud, purposeful, all live with great passions. But a lot depends on where to direct your energy, how to use your gift, how to apply your inclinations as a leader.

Larry decided to devote his life only to himself, did not accept refusal. As a result, he was expelled from society and received the most terrible punishment - complete loneliness.
The old woman Izergil, overwhelmed by passions, was ready to make sacrifices, but too quickly she cooled off to her lovers. And in search of her soul mate, she never found either love or peace.

And only Danko, this brave daredevil, was not afraid to give his life for the sake of others. Freedom and independence were in the first place for him. And as a sacrifice of these dominant concepts, he was ready to give the most precious thing - his life.

That is why the legend of Danko has become very popular. The summary of the story "The Old Woman Izergil" does not convey all the beauty and sophistication of the style. And it is worth noting that in this work Maxim Gorky appears before us as a virtuoso master of word control.

A beautiful, touching, sad and at the same time life-affirming story lifted Maxim Gorky to the literary Olympus and became a real

A young man with a kind and brave heart named Danko, at the cost of his own life, gave people a world filled with light, warmth and joy. created a romantic image that makes you wonder what is the meaning of being and the value of a person's actions.

History of creation

The early creative biography of Maxim Gorky is filled with works with romantic motives. The story "Old Woman Izergil" ranks with the stories "Chelkash" and "Maxim Chudra", in which the author's admiration for the strength of the human personality reached its climax. The creation of another work of the writer was inspired by travels across southern Bessarabia, where he found himself in the spring of 1891. "Old woman Izergil" even begins with the words

"I saw these stories near Akkerman, in Bessarabia, on the seashore."

Most likely, the birth of literary work fell on the fall of 1894. A few months later, it was presented to the reading public in the "Samarskaya Gazeta", stretching out for three issues.

The composition of the story is complex and interesting. The author mixed two legends (about Larra and about Danko), which are united by the main character - the old woman Izergil. Maxim Gorky chose a "fantastic" style of writing for the work. However, this technique, which allows the reader to evoke a sense of the realism of what is happening, he had already tried before.

An ancient old woman played the role of a heroine-storyteller, telling about legends, and at the same time about her beloved men, whom she had a chance to meet on the path of life. Two polar concepts of being, hidden in the legends, frame the ideological center of the story. The author tried to determine the value of human life, to answer questions about the boundaries of individual freedom.

The character Danko appeared thanks to the writer's passion for work. At the beginning of his career, Aleksey Maksimovich showed interest in individualistic heroes endowed with a restless spirit.

Readers accepted the work with enthusiasm. The writer was ready for such a recognition, because he himself reacted with love to "Old Woman Izergil": in a letter addressed to, the author speaks of the beauty and harmony of the story, recognizes it as the best of his works.

Plot

The first legend, told by the old woman, tells of a fairytale young man named Larra. The hero, born of an earthly woman and an eagle, is distinguished by a cold look and rebellious disposition. Larra killed the girl who rejected him and for his pride became an exile from his native tribe. Selfishness doomed the young man to eternal loneliness. However, the fairy tale traces the writer's wise thought that pride is a wonderful part of character. This quality, if developed in moderation, makes a person a person and helps not to look back at people's opinions.

The character of the second story is Danko, in whose eyes "a lot of strength and living fire shone." In the allegorical story, people imprisoned in a dark forest follow a young man who has promised them a warm place with bright sun and clean air. The tribe, lost along the way, began to blame Danko for their troubles and fatigue. But the young man did not give up - he took out a burning heart from his torn chest and, illuminating the way for them, led the travelers to the goal. No one appreciated the deed of the deceased in the name of Danko's people.

Image and prototype

Composing the characterization of Danko, Maxim Gorky contrasted the hero with the selfish character of the first tale. The author endowed him with a rich inner peace, courage and perseverance, made him the ideal of honor, courage and perfection. The ability to self-sacrifice helped defeat the darkness. Excellent qualities are complemented by a beautiful appearance. The proud daredevil, as the author himself spoke of the character, asked the main question:

"What will I do for people?"

And when he died, he made the reader think about the need for good deeds, about whether humanity is worthy of the victims of "ideal individualists."

Researchers are sure that when creating the character, Alexey Maksimovich relied on biblical motives, taking features and even. Someone suggests that the name of the hero is symbolic: Danko has one root with the words "give", "giving". In fact, the name is borrowed from the Gypsy language and means only "youngest son", "gypsy".

As for the prototypes of the character, with the naked eye, there is a connection with Greek mythology, where Prometheus gave people fire. On the other hand, the story clearly shows references to a philosopher who insisted on the rationality of fire. And Maxim Gorky, by the way, was known as a "fire-worshiper".

But all of these statements are considered assumptions. The only "confirmed" prototype is August Strindberg, the Swedish poet who captured the attention of the intelligentsia in the late 19th century. Alexey Maksimovich himself admitted that Danko is very similar to the famous Swede. The character and the writer were united by an important mission - they "illuminated the people, lost in the darkness of life's contradictions, the path to light and freedom."

Gorky was also known as a fan of the poet Pencho Slaveikov. The Bulgarian also introduced to the masses of readers the idea that the future belongs to individuals with a strong will. The list of poems of the writer includes the work "Heart of Hearts", where the deceased romantic Shelley is burned in a fire. It is easy to draw a parallel between this image and Danko with a burning heart.

• In 1967, based on the work of Gorky at the Kievnauchfilm studio, the cartoon "The Legend of the Fiery Heart" was created. Director Irina Gurvich took the legend of Danko as a basis. Two years later, the work was recognized as the best film for young people at the zonal show, which took place in the capital of Armenia.
• "Old Woman Izergil" is the second work written by Alexei Peshkov under the pseudonym Maxim Gorky. The first on the list is "Chelkash".

• The monument erected in Krivoy Rog in 1965 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maxim Gorky is dedicated to the mythical hero Danko. At first, the sculpture adorned Gorky Square, then, in connection with the reconstruction of the square, it was moved to the avenue. The monument was created by the honored artist of the Ukrainian SSR, sculptor Alexander Vasyakin.
• At the end of the 1990s, a new star by name was lit on the horizon of the Russian stage. Under the pseudonym is the singer Alexander Fadeev, whose repertoire includes such songs as "Baby", "Autumn", "You are my girl" and others.

Quotes

"Everything in the world has an end!"

“Do not turn a stone out of the way by thinking. Whoever does nothing, nothing will become of him. "

"The heart blazed as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch."

"To live, you have to be able to do something."

"We would have looked in the old days vigilantly - there all the clues will be found ... But you do not look and do not know how to live because ..."

“He loved exploits. And when a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and will find where it is possible. In life, you know, there is always a place for exploits. And those who do not find them for themselves are simply lazy or cowards, or do not understand life, because if people understood life, everyone would want to leave behind their shadow in it. And then life would not devour people without a trace ”.

“He is the best of all, because in his eyes a lot of power and living fire shone. That is why they followed him, because they "believed in him."

“Nothing wears out the body and soul of people as much as melancholy thoughts exhaust them. And people were weakened by thoughts. "

The romantic story "Old Woman Izergil" by Maxim Gorky was written in 1894. The composition of the work is “a story within a story”. The narration is conducted on behalf of the author and the heroine of the story, the old woman Izergil. Three parts are subordinated to a common idea: thinking about the true value of human life, the meaning of life, human freedom.

The story "The Old Woman Izergil" is studied in the 11th grade literature course. As an acquaintance with the works of Gorky's early work, you can read the summary of "The Old Woman Izergil" by chapters.

main characters

Old Isergil- an elderly woman, the author's interlocutor. Tells about the story of his life, the legends about Danko and Larra. He believes that "everyone is his own destiny."

Larra- the son of a woman and an eagle. He despised people. Punished by people with immortality and loneliness.

Danko- a young man who loves people, "the best of all." He saved people at the cost of his own life, illuminating their way out of the forest with a heart torn from his chest.

Other characters

The narrator- told the stories he heard, worked with Moldovans in the grape harvest.

Chapter 1

The stories that the author tells his readers, he heard in Bessarabia, working together with Moldovans in the grape harvest. One evening, having finished working, all the workers went to the sea, and only the author and an elderly woman named Izergil were left to rest in the shade of the grapes.

Evening came, shadows of clouds floated across the steppe, and Izergil, pointing to one of the shadows, called her Larra, and told the author an ancient legend.

In one country, where the land is generous and beautiful, a human tribe lived happily. People hunted, grazed herds, rested, sang and had fun. Once, during a feast, an eagle carried one of the girls away. She returned only twenty years later and brought with her a handsome and stately young man. It turned out that all the past years, the stolen tribesman lived with an eagle in the mountains, and the young man was their son. When the eagle began to grow old, he threw himself from a height on the rocks and died, and the woman decided to return home.

The son of the king of birds outwardly did not differ from people, only "the eyes were cold and proud." He talked disrespectfully with the elders, and looked down on other people altogether, saying that "there are no more like him."

The elders got angry and ordered him to go where he wanted - he had no place in the tribe. The young man approached the daughter of one of them and hugged her. But she, fearing her father's anger, pushed him away. The eagle's son hit the girl, she fell and died. The young man was seized and tied up. The tribesmen thought for a long time what punishment to choose. After listening to the sage, people realized that "the punishment is in himself" and simply let the young man go.

The hero began to be called Larra - "outcast". For many years Larra lived, freely living near the tribe: he stole cattle, stole girls. The arrows of people did not take him, covered by the "invisible veil of the highest punishment." But one day Larra approached the tribe, making it clear to the people that he would not defend himself. Some of the people guessed that Larra wanted to die - and no one began to attack him, not wanting to alleviate his fate.

Seeing that he would not die at the hands of people, the young man wanted to kill himself with a knife, but he broke down. The earth, on which Larra was beating his head, was leaving from under him. After making sure that the son of the eagle could not die, the people of the tribe rejoiced and left. Since then, left completely alone, the proud young man wanders the world, no longer understanding the language of people and not knowing what he is looking for. "He has no life, and death does not smile at him." This is how a man was punished for his exorbitant pride.

Wonderful singing was heard from the shore to the interlocutors.

Chapter 2

The old woman Izergil said that only those who are in love with life can sing so beautifully. She "had enough blood" to live up to her age precisely because love was the essence of her life. Izergil told the author about her youth. One by one the images of the old woman Izergil's beloved passed before him.

A fisherman from the Prut, the heroine's first love. Hutsul, hanged by the authorities for robbery. A wealthy Turk, with whose sixteen-year-old son Izergil fled from the harem "out of boredom" to Bulgaria. A small Pole monk, "funny and vile", whom the heroine lifted up and threw into the river for insulting words. "A worthy gentleman with a hacked face" who loved exploits (for his sake Izergil refused the love of a man who showered her with gold coins). A Hungarian who left Izergil (he was found in a field with a bullet in his head). Arkadek, a handsome nobleman, rescued by a heroine from captivity, the last love of forty-year-old Izergil.

A woman told her interlocutor about different minutes of her “greedy life”. The time came when she realized - it's time to start a family. Having left for Moldova, she got married and has been living here for about thirty years. By the time the author met her, her husband had been dead for about a year, and she was living with Moldovans - grape pickers. They need her, she is good with them.

The woman finished the story. The interlocutors sat watching the night steppe. In the distance, blue lights were visible, similar to sparks. Asking if the author sees them, Izergil said that these were the sparks of "Danko's burning heart" and began to tell another ancient legend.

CHAPTER 3

In ancient times, proud, cheerful, fearless people lived in the steppe. Their camps were surrounded on three sides by wild forests. Once alien tribes came to the land of people and drove them into the depths of the old impenetrable forest, where there were swamps and eternal darkness. From the stench rising from the swamp, people who were accustomed to the steppe expanses perished one after another.

Strong and courageous, they could go to fight with enemies, "but they could not die in battles, because they had covenants, and if they died, then their covenants would disappear with them." People sat and thought what to do - but from painful thoughts they weakened in spirit and fear settled in their hearts. They were already ready to surrender to the enemy, but their comrade Danko "saved everyone alone." Danko turned to people, urging them to go through the forest - after all, somewhere the forest had to end. There was so much living fire in the eyes of the young man that people believed and went with him.

The path was long and difficult, people had less and less strength and faith in Danko. Once, during a severe thunderstorm, people despaired. But they could not admit their weakness, instead they accused Danko of failing to take them out of the forest. Like wild beasts, they were ready to rush at him and kill him. The young man took pity on them, realizing that without him his fellow tribesmen would perish. His heart was aflame with the desire to save people - after all, he loved them. Danko tore his heart out of his chest and raised it high above his head - it blazed brighter than the sun itself. The hero walked forward and forward, lighting the road with a "torch of great love for people". Suddenly the forest ended - before the people was the vastness of the steppe. With joy Danko looked at the free land - and died.

People did not pay attention to the death of the young man, they did not see the heart, which was still burning near the hero's body. Only one person noticed the heart, and, fearing something, stepped on it with his foot. The proud heart, splashing sparks around, died out. Since then, those blue lights that the author saw appear in the steppe.

The old woman Izergil finished the story. Everything around calmed down, and it seemed to the author that even the steppe was enchanted by the nobility of the brave Danko, who did not expect a reward for a heart burnt for the sake of people.

conclusions

Like any classical work, Gorky's story leads the reader to thinking about the most important questions: why a person lives, how he should live and what life principles to follow, what is freedom. The retelling of "The Old Woman Izergil" gives an idea of ​​the plot, idea, characters of the work. Reading the full text of the story will allow the reader to plunge into the bright and expressive world of Gorky's heroes.

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Retelling rating

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