In the story of Maxim Gorky "The Old Woman Izergil" is mentioned the most beautiful legend about the son of an eagle and a simple woman. This story has a deep meaning about a person's life in society, about pride and loneliness. Larra is arrogant and cruel, he does not want to live according to the laws of people, does not accept age-old human foundations and traditions.

Characteristics of the hero

The author says that the son of the Eagle is amazingly handsome, just like his mother 20 years ago. They lived for many years high in the mountains, the Eagle grew old and threw himself down on the stones, realizing his weakness and old age. The half-man whom people called Larra was proud and unbending in his desire to live the way he wanted. The hero does not respect the elders, does not obey the laws of the tribe, does not want to realize the value of human life. Larra does not reckon with anyone: his excessive pride suggests only one way - to follow his desires.

The character created by the author is not capable of experiencing warm feelings: he believes in his superiority over others, does not seek friendship and love. Larra's pride resembles savagery, he is hot and narcissistic. Gorky sharpens all the features of this image to the extreme: irreconcilable, stubborn and cold. People perceived him as an ordinary person: "nothing better than them, only his eyes were cold and proud, like the king of birds."

What does Larra's image symbolize?

The Romanian legend, heard by Gorky from local residents, teaches wisdom and allows him to understand the meaning and value of human life. After the murder of the girl, who pushed Larra away, the hero is judged by a wise people led by elders. People come to understand that the most terrible punishment for a proud man is to remain alone, alone with himself. Gorky, understanding the nature of man as a social being, emphasizes that loneliness is the most terrible punishment for a serious crime.

Larra is a hermit, an outcast, he symbolizes excessive pride, arrogance, qualities that are incompatible with a normal existence among people. M. Gorky says that every person is obliged to pay for everything: "for everything that a person takes, he pays with himself: with his mind and strength, sometimes with his life." Larra did not want to pay such a price: "he answered that he wants to keep himself whole."

Punishment from above

Larra's cruelty, his boundless pride (Larra's name means “outcast”) are punished with complete loneliness. Years later, Larra came to people himself, seeking death, but they did not kill the proud man. He, sincerely wishing death, tried to kill himself with a dagger, but could not. Death turned away from Larra, his existence became an unbearable torture.

Our article reveals a detailed description of Larra - the main character of the legend from the story of M. Gorky "The Old Woman Izergil".

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In the 90s of the XIX century, there was a sharp acceleration of the capitalist development of the country. Millions of people, primarily peasants, find themselves landless, destitute, cut off from their homes. This process was painful, but it led to a change in the way of life of the population.

Gorky felt this breakdown of the usual foundations and the intensity of the spiritual life of man caused by them more sharply than his contemporaries. He embodied his idea of \u200b\u200ba new worldview emerging in the national environment in his romantic works. This is the story "The Old Woman Izergil", which we will analyze.

In this work, romantic legends are organically fused with contemporary folk life for Gorky. A life rich in events, passions, rebellious disagreement with the destined, with the principles of moderation and accuracy, distinguishes the main character of the story.

Her life is full of heroism, an indomitable striving for freedom. Before her eyes, soldiers of revolutionary Poland fought and died for their freedom, she knew and loved "one worthy gentleman with a hacked face" - a Pole who "fought for the Greeks", she condemned the Russians who went to beat the Magyars. " Izergil may have witnessed the bloody suppression of the revolution in Hungary by the troops of Nicholas I. Finally, the old woman tells how she herself helped the insurgent Poles escape from captivity.

Match the stories of her life and the legends that she tells the passing one. Unlike “were” Makar Chudra, where in the romantic coverage were given, albeit unusual, but still real facts of reality, Izergil's stories about Larra and Danko stand out as truly fabulous.

The exaggeration of the fact in “were” by Makar Chudra did not cross the boundaries of the possible. This, in particular, is indicated by the fact that the narrator could have shown himself to be a witness to the drama played out between Loiko and Radda. Another matter is the legends of the old woman Izergil. Exaggeration here clearly goes beyond reality, and in this case we should no longer talk about romantic illumination of reality, but about fabulousness, which is expressed primarily in the narration of events of a fantastic nature.

The first of the legends that Izergil tells tells about the tragic fate of the son of a woman and an eagle - Larra.

The image of Larra ("Old Woman Izergil")

This young man, unfamiliar with the laws of the tribe where his mother was from, and accustomed to considering himself the best, comes into conflict with the tribe, which demanded that he respect its laws and customs. But Larra himself wants to command, everywhere and in everything recognizing only his desire, his will, his right to be strong. And so he refuses to obey this demand, and as a result of a tragic collision with people, he was condemned by them to eternal loneliness. The fairness of such a court, according to Izergil, was confirmed by heaven itself. This is what pride can bring a man, and this is how God and people can punish a proud man! She wants to say.

Both the passing one and the author himself, of course, could not accept either Larra's egoism or individualism. The criticism justly noted that in the image of Larra Gorky polemicized with the philosophy of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, who preached the contempt of the superman for the crowd, the people, the right of a "strong personality" to crime, violence, lack of jurisdiction, etc. However, if you try to delve deeper into the essence of the image of the tragic Larra's conflict with the people of the tribe, then the question of the polemic will appear in all its complexity. The writer challenged not only the reactionary ideas of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer, but also many inert popular notions about life, about the hero, which the old woman Izergil follows.

Condemning Larra, Izergil concludes that he was amazed for his pride. Naturally, the writer was not inclined to unconditionally agree with the condemnation of a person for pride. After all, pride in the character of a character could be combined with his love for freedom, respect for the rights to freedom of others. Polemising with Izergil, the writer (and with him passing by) would like to say: Larra was amazed not for pride in general, but for the pride of an individualist and an egoist.

The old woman Izergil did not understand the essence of Larra's character, condemning him for pride (for pride in general!). And if we take into account that pride was inherent in herself, then the words of the author, said by him about the old woman, become quite understandable: “And for some reason it became terribly sorry for her. She led the end of the story in such a lofty, threatening tone, but still, in this tone a fearful, slavish note sounded. " Indeed, having understood the reasons for Larra's tragedy in her own way and condemning him for striving to be independent, proud, she condemned herself. It is natural to ask: why did this happen? The answer to this is given by the story of Izergil's life following the legend, which the old woman tells to the passing one.

The image of the old woman Izergil

The criticism has already spoken in sufficient detail about the love of freedom of the Gorky heroine, her ability to "sacrifice herself." But this is not the whole truth, oddly enough, with all the love for independence, freedom, with all the condemnation of the person passing away from people, Izergil herself was selfish in her spirit and was internally little connected with the people among whom she lived ...

She is always attracted to strong, heroic natures, her sympathies are entirely on the side of these freedom fighters. But, being herself proud, beautiful and strong, she appreciates other people, first of all, for these qualities. The same political ideals for which her loved ones fought were much less interested in her. This, I think, can explain the fact that Izergil could fall in love not only with the "worthy Pan" who fought against the "Turkish tyranny" for the freedom of the Greeks, but also with the despotic rich Turk.

The ideal of life for the Gorky heroine was free love, which she puts above all else. And with those who tried to infringe on her rights in this, Izergil dealt decisively and severely. So it was with the "little Pole", who told her a "proud, insulting word", for which the angry woman threw him off the bridge into the river, so it was with Pan Arkadek, whom she "gave ... a kick and would hit him in the face, but he recoiled, "- because he wanted to love Izergil in gratitude for deliverance from captivity.

However, Izergil herself turned out to be selfish in her love. Her kisses often brought people suffering, led them to death. But Izergil looks at this as something ordinary, of little interest to her, every now and then forgetting to finish the sad story of the fate of her former lover to the passing one. And it is understandable, for in love she "only wants will for herself."

Unlike legends, the story of Izergil's life is quite real, but it is given in a romantic light. Like Makar Chudra, an old woman does not skimp on praising herself and her time. She, like Chudra (only to a greater extent), exaggerates the fact. This is served by the sublime rhetorical style of Izergil's narration with many aphorisms and lyrical and philosophical digressions, for example, a discussion of life and exploits, and a colorful description of her beloved, and silence - for the time being - about the negative that was in them.

In the whole story, and especially where Izergil herself speaks directly - and she speaks mostly alone - the elevated "philosophical" style of narration prevails.

Izergil wants to show herself as an example to follow, but her character is very contradictory. In this sense, the end of her story about her life is very indicative: “And now I have been living here for about three decades ... I had a husband, a Moldovan; died from a year then. And here I live! I live alone ... No, not alone, but over there. "

This reservation is by no means accidental. She once again speaks of the deep contradictory character of the heroine, her individualism and selfishness.

Nevertheless, a passing person, wanting to be sure of this, asks the old woman to tell the legend already known to him about Danko's burning heart. “I heard, - says a passing person, - something earlier about the origin of these sparks (from the burning heart of Danko), but I wanted to hear how old Izergil would tell about it”.

The image of Danko ("The Old Woman Izergil")

Danko is portrayed as an old woman strong, courageous, but standing, as it were, outside the team, the crowd. He looks down on his fellow tribesmen. All this, if you continue to follow the narrator, to some extent allows you to bring Danko closer to the character of another legend - Larra. As for the difference in their fates, it could again be explained by the fact that in the legend about Larra the collective was portrayed as a "mighty tribe of people", while in the legend about Danko the collective of the tribe turned out to be somehow weak, helpless in the misfortune that befell him : everyone "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, says Izergil, "Danko appeared and saved everyone alone." This "appeared" is very characteristic of her understanding of the hero. Danko definitely came from somewhere, although further Izergil explains: "Danko is one of those people ..." And then - not people who, doubting the ability of a heroic tribesman to lead them out of the darkness of forests and swamps, like animals, pounced on him , not people, but it was he - Danko "saved all alone."

The whole legend of Danko, as presented by Izergil, is sustained in one tone. For the sake of saving people, the hero sacrifices himself and dies, "without asking them for anything as a reward for himself."

But, of course, it would be wrong, based on the assessment given by Izergil, to consider Danko an individualist or a person who is contradictory in nature. The content of the legend gives grounds to speak of Danko as an integral heroic personality, loyal to the interests of his people, living with the people by the same thoughts. Attention is drawn to the fact that the tribe without hesitation chose Danko as the leader of the campaign, on which the fate of everyone depended. And not by his beauty, as the old woman Izergil believes, but by his courage and determination, Danko made people believe in him and in themselves. "I have the courage to lead, that's why I led you!" - he says to the people of the tribe. Through the harsh and condemning tone of the story of the old woman Izergil, a living folk tale involuntarily breaks through about a man who gave his life for the people, and about the people walking with him to the kingdom of light and freedom.

Functions of romantic legends

The images of romantic legends are significant in and of themselves. But Gorky needs them, first of all, to characterize the attitude of a real person. The admiration with which Izergil tells about exploits, selflessness, love of freedom, selflessness and activity, and the indignation that permeates her attitude to inglorious vegetation, selfishness, slavery, testifies to her own desire for freedom, shows what is in her soul a person lives a thirst for the new, the beautiful, that this person does not feel like a passive victim of circumstances.

The romantic attitude of the heroes is manifested not only in what they tell, but also in the way they tell. From the standpoint of the ideal, they view the world as a ratio of only two categories: the sublime and the low. However, they are not inclined to objective perception and presentation of facts. Going to exaggeration, to the extreme, they defend what they think is beautiful, and in the same way, going to the extreme, to exaggeration, they deny what appears to be ugly. Therefore, the images of the legends are marked with the stamp of poetic convention, singularity and one-sidedness: each embodies one kind of beginning in its exclusive expression. So, Larra is a symbol of egoism, raised to such an extreme degree that the hero is able to kill a girl who neglected his desire. He is opposed to Danko, a hero who is the embodiment of love for people, love so selfless that she makes him sacrifice his life. This concludes the analysis of the story "The Old Woman Izergil".

An instructive story makes the reader reconsider his life position, relations with the people around him.

Description

Larra is an unusual character. His father is a free eagle, his mother is a mortal woman. A stately handsome young man stands out among the young people of the tribe. A repulsive impression is created by the look of cold contemptuous eyes. The reader understands: Larra is the negative character of the legend.

Twenty years ago, a proud eagle stole a young girl, making him a wife. They had a son, Larra, a half-bird, half-human. The eagle crashed against the rocks - the woman decided to return home. The twenty-year-old boy followed.

Becoming a member of the tribe, he was obliged to abide by the existing laws: respect women, respectfully treat the elders. However, the young man acts differently.

The first meeting of the eagle's son and his fellow tribesmen ended in tragedy. At first, he shows a disrespectful attitude towards the elders. Then he brutally kills the girl he liked, who refused to become the property of the handsome narcissist. The young man believes that he is free to do as he wants. He is indifferent to the opinion of the elders. He is deprived of the ability to sympathize, compassion. Larra loves no one, considering herself the center of the universe. The reason for this is exorbitant pride, selfishness, narcissism. The qualities that the royal father endowed him with is an eagle.

Horrified people tried to understand the reason for the terrible murder, but Larra did not feel remorse. He thought he was right.

For a long time they could not come up with a punishment commensurate with the crime. A quick death seemed too easy a payback.

Finally, they decided to leave the young man free. The punishment of loneliness is the worst test.

Larra, proud, independent, unconquered, retired away. A few years later I realized how hard it is to exist alone. Death was the only escape. Trying to provoke people to aggressive actions, Larra was looking for death. But no one wanted to kill him. The elders drove him away again.

Becoming a shadow, losing his mind, Larra wanders everywhere. His image reminds us of how important it is to observe the laws of human existence. Thinking only about his own well-being, a person condemns himself to loneliness.

Eternal lonely life, immortality, which is more terrible than death, is the payment for proud contempt.

Read the passage below and complete tasks B1-B7; C1-C2.

We talked to him for a long time and finally saw that he considered himself the first on earth and saw nothing but himself. Everyone even felt scared when they realized what loneliness he had doomed himself to. He had no tribe, no mother, no cattle, no wife, and he did not want any of this.

When the people saw this, they again began to judge how to punish him. But now they did not speak for long, - the wise one, who did not interfere with their judgment, spoke himself:

- Stop! There is a punishment. This is a terrible punishment; you will not invent such a thing in a thousand years! The punishment for him is in himself! Let him go, let him be free. Here is his punishment!

And then something great happened. Thunder struck from the heavens, although there were no clouds on them. It was the powers of heaven that confirmed the speech of the wise. All bowed and dispersed. And this young man, who now received the name Laappa, which means: outcast, thrown out - the young man laughed loudly after the people who had thrown him, laughed, remaining alone, free, like his father. But his father was not a man ... And this one was a man. And so he began to live, free, like a bird. He came to the tribe and kidnapped cattle, girls - whatever he wanted. They shot at him, but the arrows could not pierce his body, which was covered by the invisible cover of the highest punishment. He was dexterous, predatory, strong, cruel and did not meet people face to face. They saw him only from afar. And for a long time he, alone, hovered around people, for a long time - not a dozen years. But one day he came close to the people and when they rushed at him, he did not move and did not show anything that he would defend himself. Then one of the people guessed and shouted loudly:

- Don't touch him. He wants to die!

And everyone stopped, not wanting to alleviate the fate of the one who did them evil, not wanting to kill him. They stopped and laughed at him. And he trembled hearing this laughter, and kept looking for something on his chest, grabbing it with his hands. And suddenly he rushed at the people, lifting a stone. But they, evading his blows, did not inflict a single one on him, and when he fell to the ground with a melancholy cry, exhausted, they stepped aside and watched him. So he got up and, picking up the knife lost by someone in the fight with him, he hit himself in the chest. But the knife broke - as if they had hit a stone with it. And again he fell to the ground and beat his head against it for a long time. But the ground pulled away from him, deepening from the blows of his head.

- He can't die! - people said with joy. And they left, leaving him behind. He lay upside down and saw mighty eagles swimming in black dots high in the sky. There was so much longing in his eyes that he could have poisoned all the people of the world with it. So, from that time on he was left alone, free, awaiting death. And now he walks, walks everywhere ... You see, he has already become like a shadow and will be like that forever! He does not understand any speech of people, or their actions - nothing. And everything is looking for, walking, walking ...

He has no life, and death does not smile at him. And there is no place for him among people ... This is how the man was struck for pride! "

The old woman sighed, fell silent, and her head dropped to her chest and swayed strangely several times.

M. Gorky "The Old Woman Izergil"