Summary of Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil" (by chapters)

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A summary of Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil" is read in just 5-10 minutes. This makes it possible to quickly get acquainted with the work in conditions of acute lack of time (for example, before an exam), but does not eliminate the need to read it in full later. Gorky's story "The Old Woman Izergil" a connection is established between reality and legends. There are two of them in the work. They illuminate completely opposite ideas about life. A summary of Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil", of course, will not allow you to fully experience this. Nevertheless, it can serve as a good additional material, anticipating the reading of the work in its entirety. The image of the old woman, on whose behalf the story is being told, is rather contradictory. She tells about herself only what she remembers for the rest of her life. Events are also described on behalf of the author himself.

M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil": a summary of Chapter I

Somehow the author happened towork 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 their pride. The event took place in a rich, distant country. During the general feast, the eagle suddenly carried away the girl. The search was unsuccessful and soon everyone forgot about her. But after two decades, she, all exhausted, returned home with her son from an 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 it. 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 could not kill himself either. So Larra continues to wander in anticipation of death around the world. And he has no place either among the living or among the dead.

Summary of Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil": Chapter II

A beautiful song is coming from somewhere. Izergil, hearing her, smiles and remembers his young years. During the day she weaved carpets, and at night she ran to her loved ones. When she was 15, she started dating a handsome sailor. But soon she was bored with monotonous relationships, and a friend introduces her to the Hutsul. He was a cheerful, affectionate and hot fellow. Soon both the sailor and the Hutsul were executed. Then Izergil fell in love with a Turk and lived in a harem. True, morethe girl did not last a week. She fled to Bulgaria with the 16-year-old son of a Turk, but he soon died, either from longing or from love. One woman was jealous of Izergil for her husband and stabbed her right in the chest with a knife. She was cared for 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, because she did not know how to do anything and simply passed from one man to another. When she was 40 years old, she met a wonderful nobleman who quickly abandoned her. Izergil realized that she was old. The gentry went to war with the Russians. She followed him. Upon learning that he is a prisoner, Izergil saves him. In gratitude, the gentry promises to love her always. Now Izergil pushes him away. After that, she finally gets married and has been living in Bessarabia for 30 years. A year ago, Izergil became a widow. Seeing the firelights far away in the steppe, she says that these are the sparks of Danko's heart.

Summary of Gorky's "Old Woman Izergil": Chapter III

The woman immediately proceeds to the story of cheerful, kind people who were driven by other tribes into such depths of the forest where there was never sun and the stench of the swamp was drawn. People began to die one by one. They decide to leave the forest, but do not know which path to take. The brave guy Danko volunteered to help them. On the way, a thunderstorm started. Everyone began to grumble at Danko, reproach him. He replied that he was leading them, because the only one dared to do so, and the rest followed him, asherd. People were completely furious and decided to kill Danko. Then he, out of great love and pity for everyone, tore his chest, took out his heart and raised it above his head. Lighting their path, Danko led the people of his tribe out of the forest. Seeing 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 happened to hear.