M. Gorky, "The Legend of Danko": a summary

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

Romanticism, fortitude and incredible love for freedom - this 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 a lot of 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 - such is the legend of Danko, a summary of 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 about Danko, a summary of which every educated person needs to know, structurally consists of three parts. This is the story of Larry, the sonthe eagle, which has no inner core, is cold and full of pride. This is the legend of Danko, who is ready to sacrifice his life for freedom. And the third part is a story about the difficult life of the old woman Izergil herself.

Arrogance and pride

Analysis of the legend of Danko from M. Gorky's story will not be completely 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 benefits and conveniences. He wants to enjoy all the benefits, but at the same time give nothing in return to anyone. He is extremely selfish, he is overwhelmed by unbridled desires, he does not know compassion and does not know what true love is.

The daughter of one of the elders rejected his feelings, and he kills her in a fit of rage. People punished him - they expelled him 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 gain 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 from him.

The life of an old woman

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

The second part of this wonderful story is somewhat autobiographical. The old woman Izergil led a rather turbulent life, shetraveled and saw many people. She herself had insane pride and loved to play on the feelings of people, use them to achieve her goals. When she loved a man, she gave herself to this passion completely and irrevocably, she was ready for anything for this man. She could even kill a person in order to free her lover from captivity. But her feelings quickly faded away, then she turned her back on the one who until recently was 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 seminal life, when there is a beloved husband and long-awaited children nearby. Alas, life has passed, but the old woman has none of this.

Living for someone

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

Once upon a time, evil enemies decided to expel people from their native lands and sent them to live in dense forests. Nobody dared to complain. And only the young brave Danko, courageous and unconquered, 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 was running out, a thunderstorm began, and a murmur arose louder and louder in the crowd - why did we set off on this difficult path? They blamed Danko for their troubles, who persuaded them to go on the road. And in order not to go further, they decided to kill the daredevil.

What to do in this situation? Persuade? Convince? Beg to keep moving forward? No. Danko, this brave handsome man, tore his heart out of his chest, raised it above his head. He lit the way for people. And it was so amazing that people followed him. The forest is over, the goal is reached, here it is, freedom!

But people immediately forgot about Danko, as if it was not his merit that they gained their long-awaited freedom.

Moral 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 corners, where there is a place for pride, narcissism, fears, and the bright sides of the human character, when the hero is ready to sacrifice his life for the sake of a high goal.

This amazing story contains the most important thing - the wisdom of life, the purpose of man, the good 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 the people around you do not immediately appreciate it. But it is your soul's command to sacrifice yourself in order to gain freedom.

After all, in essence, the three characters - and 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.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 worst punishment - complete loneliness. Old woman Izergil, overwhelmed by passions, was ready to make sacrifices, but she cooled too quickly towards her beloved. And in search of her soulmate, she never found love or peace.

And only Danko, this brave daredevil, was not afraid to give his life for the sake of others. Freedom and independence for him stood in the first place. And in the 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 "Old Woman Izergil" does not convey all the beauty and sophistication of style. And it is worth noting that in this work Maxim Gorky appears before us as a virtuoso master of the word.

A beautiful, touching, sad and at the same time life-affirming story elevated Maxim Gorky to the literary Olympus and became a true classic of Russian literature.