“Mercy and compassion are how we can become like God, and when we don’t have this, we have nothing.”
John Chrysostom.

"And know the truth, and the truth will set you free"
(John 8:32)

Reading Maxim Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths” I seriously thought about this question - what is really better for a person - compassion for him, empathy, sharing his sadness, or the truth without embellishment, the truth in its real form?
We observed the actions of one of the main characters of Gorky's work - Luke and Satin. Each is interesting in its own way: the first wanderer, striking with his kindness and humanism (even to the point of obvious untruth) the inhabitants of the shelter, the second is a lumpen who finds himself at the very “bottom” of public life, but draws everyone’s attention to himself with his categoricalness and the idea of ​​“a person as a person.” the only truth." Which one is right? In this case, I am convinced that Luke is more relevant than Satin with his maxim “Truth is the God of a free man.”
I'll explain why.
While reading the play, you can see that each character is dependent and weak in his own way. There are no free people here. Everyone is burdened with their own problems and experiences. What can we say about Satin, he is a drunkard and a cheater. His thought “God is dead” - a direct quote from Nietzsche's nihilistic writings - directly proves that Constantine is apathetic, passive and embittered towards his life. “I’ll give you one piece of advice: don’t do anything! Just burden the earth” is his advice to everyone. This is a protest, a riot. I am sure that Satin is a desperate person who, even more than anyone else, needs consolation. And therefore, he is burdened with slavery of the spirit more than anyone else. Satin does not believe in anything, and this is his main problem. Therefore, it cannot be called free.
Luke is another matter. Yes, he's lying. Yes, he is not telling the truth. He's playing tricks on his ears by painting fabulous realities of another life for people living in a shelter. And most importantly, the wanderer is well aware of the unrealizability of the prospects that he portrays to others. But what's important? This lie... it has no self-interest. The old man has nothing to do with the fact that he does this; on the contrary, initially, Luke’s idea is the idea of ​​compassion and mercy, because the people around him are weak. They don't know joy. They need, I emphasize, they need at least a drop of pity. Satin’s opinion that compassion humiliates a person is incorrect; no, it helps to overcome mental anguish, it gives hope, and this is the main thing! And hope is a consequence of faith and hope for the best. And I believe that Luke’s special idea, said to Ashes, is very important: “If you believe, it is; If you don’t believe, no... What you believe in is what it is...” - that’s the truth. This is the main truth of Luke - the old man keeps within himself the most important idea of ​​the essence of everything in life - the idea of ​​​​believing in something.
I am convinced that people need compassion more than sometimes undeniable truth, since sympathy and mercy give rise to hope, and hope gives mental strength to continue to fight difficulties without giving up. By hoping for the best and acting, people get what they believe in; the main thing is to have at least some goal and strive for it, because “the road appears under the steps of the one who walks.”

At first glance, it seems that truth and compassion are completely two different concepts that are difficult to compare with each other. But in the play M.A. Gorky they oppose each other. What is better - to tell the truth or to show compassion? In my opinion, it is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. Let's try to find the answer in the play "At the Bottom."

The drama “At the Bottom” presents people with completely different pasts, but the same present.

They are all mired in poverty and misery. The heroes do not live, but only exist, spending their lives in a dark, dirty closet. Satin stands out from all the inhabitants of the shelter. In the past, he was fond of reading interesting books and worked as a telegraph operator. But one day, while defending his sister, he went to prison for almost 5 years. And after prison I ended up in this shelter. Satin's life is not going well: he loves to drink and play cards. But despite all these shortcomings, he knows how to express his thoughts subtly, clearly and philosophically. Satin proclaims the cult of man. He claims that a person is capable of much, admires his power and potential. Satin is a fighter for the truth. The hero believes that every person deserves to know the truth, no matter how difficult it may be, and that only strong individuals can accept it. Only the truth can make a person realize and understand the horror of his situation, can push him to move on, overcoming obstacles, improve and change his life for the better, and compassion only inspires false hopes. Truth makes a person strong and confident. As the hero himself stated: “Lies are the religion of slaves.” This is precisely the point of view that the author of the play, Maxim Gorky, himself adheres to. In particular, the hero Satin speaks through his lips.

As a contrast to Satin, Luka, who unexpectedly appeared in the rooming house, is presented. His worldview differs from Satin's. Luke is a wanderer who has come from nowhere and is heading to nowhere. By nature, he is a kind, sensitive, sympathetic person. Luke showed compassion, took pity, gave hope and consoled. He, like no one else, was able to influence these low people. His speeches awakened in people the desire to live and improve their lives. But his compassion is sometimes associated with lies and deception. And as he himself believes, his lies are for the good. Luke only instills deceptive illusions in the souls of vulnerable people. In my opinion, only weak individuals will fall for these illusions.

Both truth and compassion did not force the heroes to take action to change their lives, but only awakened a desire. Perhaps this is because people are so exhausted and weak that they are not able to correct their bad situation. They resigned themselves to hopelessness. This means that, analyzing this work, it is impossible to accurately answer the question we asked earlier: “What is better - truth or compassion?” Each person will have their own point of view on this situation. Personally, I agree with Satin. It seems to me that compassion mixed with lies does not lead to good.

What is better - truth or compassion? It is impossible to give a definite answer. “At the Bottom” touches on and reveals to readers several problems: lies and truth, merciful deception and bitter truth. In my opinion, compassion is still better, because it is what gives hope for life to any of the characters in the play “At the Bottom.”

Each of them: Satin, Bubnov, Nastya, Actor, Kleshch found themselves “at the bottom of life” through their own fault. A person chooses his own destiny, he must have a goal, a dream, in order to have something to strive for. But the heroes don’t have this... They don’t live, they only exist, spending the rest of their lives in a dark, dirty shelter. Day after day the same thing: darkness, emptiness in the soul, complete indifference to everyone and everything... But it was like that until a certain moment. . .

With the appearance of a new character - Luka, it seemed that now everything would get better: people would get out of this hole on their own - they just needed a push. It is Luke who shows compassion, gives hope, and consoles. He, like no one else, has influence on these low people. Being near death, Anna listens to the old man, believes in his words of compassion, they help her - the woman dies with the hope that in the other world everything will be fine for her: no suffering, no poverty. Luke’s words did not go unnoticed by the Actor: a man who has lost all hope suddenly understands the meaning of life, that not all is lost, that everything can still be corrected and a fresh start. But, alas, this will not be... Just as instantly you gain hope, just as quickly you can lose it. Compassion is not just words that have an impact as long as you hear them - it is a spiritual revolution, a constant desire for aspiration and change.

It would be a mistake to say that it was Luke who was to blame for the death of the Actor, that it was words of compassion that ruined the man. He helped people. What if he did not console the inhabitants of the “bottom”, but, on the contrary, once again showed the truth of their lives, the place they occupy in society? This would not change anything for the better, it would only push him to take the “extreme step” of solving all problems - suicide.

The author does not accept a naive belief in miracles, but it is precisely the miraculous that the characters in this drama imagine, some in a marble hospital, others in honest work, others in love happiness. Luke’s speeches were effective because they “fell on the fertile soil of cherished illusions.”

The characters in the work, of course, touched the truth, but did not overcome the feeling of hopelessness. Their circle of existence has closed: from indifference to an unattainable dream, and from it to death and emptiness.

115517 people have viewed this page. Register or log in and find out how many people from your school have already copied this essay.

“The arrival of Luke only for a minute accelerates the pulse of a dying life, but he can neither save nor raise anyone” (I.F. Annensky) (based on M. Gorky’s play “At the Depths”)

The meaning of the image of Luke in Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”

What is better - truth or compassion? (based on the works of M. Gorky)

Which is better, truth or compassion? (based on A.M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”)

/ Works / Gorky M. / At the bottom / What is better - truth or compassion?

See also the work "At the Bottom":

We will write an excellent essay according to your order in just 24 hours. A unique essay in a single copy.

What is better - truth or compassion? based on the play At the Lower Depths (Gorky A. M.)

If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and click Ctrl+Enter.

By doing so, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.

Thank you for your attention.

Is it really necessary for a person to know the absolute truth, or can remaining in illusions and fantasies be much better and even more saving for him? This question is asked by the great Russian writer and playwright Maxim Gorky in his play “At the Depths”.

The heroes of Gorky’s work are ordinary people who, by the will of fate, are forced to fight for their survival, saving every penny they earn through labor and sweat in order to somehow make ends meet. Among them there are both once famous or noble people (Actor, Baron), and those who starved all their lives (Anna). But, despite the dirt and lawlessness that surrounds them, they still try to remain human and adhere to moral guidelines. In their conversations, they raise problems that sharply contrast with the disgusting conditions of their living with their sublimity and originality.

The purpose of their dialogues is to search for some universal truth of life, and each of the characters in the play sees it in their own way.

The first position is accepting the disappointing truth as it is, without softening embellishment. On the side of this position is Bubnov, once the owner of a dyeing workshop. This hero is skeptical, cynical and cruel, there is not a drop of compassion in him - even to the request of the dying Anna to behave more quietly, he replies: “Noise is not a hindrance to death...”

The second position in this matter is the position of the eccentric wanderer Luke. He is trying to show the need for pity for every person. He consoles the dying Anna with the words that after death she will finally find peace. Luke tells the actor about a free hospital where he is treated for drunkenness. Some inhabitants of the shelter take Luka's words with hostility, accusing him of giving people only empty hopes, completely turning a blind eye to the true state of affairs. But is this truth so good? And is it worth blaming the wanderer for his sincere desire to help the inhabitants of the shelter, at least with a kind word?

A saving lie is sometimes necessary. Anna needs her - her days are numbered, she is dying, and Bubny’s cruel truth would only make her death more painful. But then, do the other heroes of the play really need false hopes and compassion, and didn’t they lead some of the heroes to an even more tragic death? Even though the majority of the inhabitants of the shelter are not to blame for their fate, they are weak-willed on their own and do not want to correct the situation. The actor, who after Luka’s disappearance decided that there was no salvation, commits suicide; Bubnov still does not move beyond bilious and cynical reasoning. All heroes are united by their inability to do anything to rise from the social bottom.

We can say that only one character in the play is truly right - Satin. He doesn’t see the point in once again “chewing” obvious things, in illusions and blind consolation. Neither compassion nor any truth is worth anything without the desire to act, to fight the difficulties of life, without a person’s strong self-confidence.

The site is for informational and educational purposes only. All materials are taken from open sources, all rights to the texts belong to their authors and publishers, the same applies to illustrative materials. If you are the copyright holder of any of the submitted materials and do not wish them to appear on this site, they will be removed immediately.

“Which is better: truth or compassion?” - essay based on the play “At the Lower Depths”

Maxim Gorky's play “At the Depths” asks fundamental questions, answers to which humanity is still looking for today. One such question goes like this:

“WHAT IS BETTER: COMPASSION OR TRUTH?”

The heroes of the work, the inhabitants of the shelter, are people with different beliefs, ideals and backgrounds. Some dream of freedom, others of love, and still others no longer believe in anything at all. But they are all united by the search for the meaning of their worthless existence.

Luke's appearance gives hope to the desperate inhabitants of the shelter. These people, without a present or a future, gain faith thanks to Luke's sweet lies.

Luke himself is well aware that he is deceiving these unfortunate people, however, he does this with good intentions. His position is conscious and thoughtful. Luke strives to console people in any way. It doesn’t matter to him whether these words are true or false, the main thing is the result. After all, the bitter truth can finally finish off a person who finds himself at the bottom of his life, pushing him to commit suicide.

Luke's main opponent is Satin, who prefers to accept the truth, no matter how bitter it is, to accept all the absurdity of the world around him.

For him, living a lie is tantamount to a loss of self-respect, tantamount to recognizing oneself as weak and defeated. And Satin strives to hold out until the end, remaining a strong person.

The ending of the play is dramatic. The philosophy of compassion fails. Everyone whom Luke tried to help could not find a way out of their life’s dead ends. The preaching of compassion did not change the lives of the heroes.

However, Satin’s philosophy, which did not develop into concrete actions and actions, as a result is no different from empty promises of a better life. The world of the shelter's inhabitants is filled with a feeling of hopelessness. Nothing has changed in the lives of the heroes. Truth and compassion alone cannot bring the desired relief.

One should strive to find a middle ground, when the blade of truth becomes not a weapon of merciless murder, but an instrument of merciful healing of the human soul.

Essay "At the bottom - Gorky" "What is better: truth or compassion?" - essay based on the play “At the Lower Depths”

What is truth? Truth (in my understanding) is absolute truth, that is, the truth that is the same for all cases and for all people. I think that such truth cannot be. Even a fact, a seemingly obvious unambiguous event, is perceived differently by different people. So, for example, news of death can be understood as news of another, new life. Often the truth cannot be absolute, the same for everyone, because words are ambiguous, because the meaning of the same word is understood differently. Therefore, I would begin to talk not about truth - an unattainable concept - but about truth, which is designed for the “average” person.

The juxtaposition of truth and compassion gives the word “truth” a certain connotation of harshness. Truth is the hard and cruel truth. Souls are wounded by the truth and therefore need compassion.

It cannot be said that the heroes of the play “At the Lower Depths” represent a more or less homogeneous mass of people - impersonal, characterless. Each of the characters feels, dreams, hopes or remembers. More precisely, they carry something precious and sacred inside them, but since the world in which they live is heartless and cruel, they are forced to hide all their dreams as far as possible. Although a dream, which would have at least some proof in harsh real life, could help weak people - Nastya, Anna, Actor. They - these weak people - are depressed by the hopelessness of real life. And in order to live, just live, they need a saving and wise lie about the “righteous land.” As long as people believe and strive for the best, they will find the strength and desire to live. Even the most pitiful of them, even those who have lost their name, can be cured and even partially resurrected with pity and compassion. If only the people around him knew about it! Maybe then, out of self-deception, even a weak person would build a better life for himself, one that would be acceptable to him? But those around him don’t think about it, they expose the dream, and the man... “went home and hanged himself!..”

Is it worth accusing an old man of lying, who is the only one of the inhabitants of the shelter who thinks not about himself, not about money, not about drink, but about people? He tries to caress (“It is never harmful to caress a person”), he inspires hope with calmness and pity. It was he who, in the end, changed all the people, all the inhabitants of the shelter... Yes, the Actor hanged himself. But not only Luke is guilty of this, but also those who did not spare, but cut the heart with the truth.

There is some stereotype regarding the truth. It is often believed that the truth is always good. Of course, it is valuable if you always live in truth, in reality, but then dreams are impossible, and after them - a different vision of the world, poetry in the broad sense of the word. It is a special view of life that gives birth to beauty and serves as the basis for art, which in the end also becomes a part of life.

How do stronger people perceive compassion? Here is Bubnov, for example. Bubnov, in my opinion, is the toughest and most cynical of all the inhabitants of the shelter. Bubnov “mumbles” all the time, stating naked, heavy truths: “no matter how you paint yourself, everything will be erased,” he doesn’t need a conscience, he is “not rich”... Bubnov, without hesitation, calmly calls Vasilisa a fierce woman, and in In the middle of the conversation he says that the threads are rotten. Usually no one specifically talks to Bubnov, but from time to time he inserts his comments into a variety of dialogues. And the same Bubnov, Luka’s main opponent, sad and cynical, in the finale treats everyone to vodka, growls, screams, and offers to “take your soul away”! And only the drunken, generous and talkative Bubnov, according to Alyosha, “looks like a person.” Apparently, Luka also touched Bubnov with kindness, showed him that life is not in the despondency of everyday melancholy, but in something more cheerful, hopeful - in dreams. And Bubnov dreams!

The appearance of Luka rallied the “strong” inhabitants of the shelter (Satin, Kleshch, Bubnov in the first place), and even a solid general conversation arose. Luke is a man who had compassion, pity and love, and managed to influence everyone. Even the Actor remembered his favorite poems and his name.

Human feelings and dreams, his inner world are the most precious and valuable of all, because a dream does not limit, a dream develops. The truth does not give hope, the truth does not believe in God, and without faith in God, without hope, there is no future.

The play begins with a description of the gloomy life of the Kostylev flophouse, which is depicted by Gorky as the embodiment of social evil. The author describes this shelter for the poor and orphaned. A cave-like basement. The ceiling is heavy, stone vaults, smoked, with crumbling plaster. Different people have gathered here: men and women, old and young, healthy and sick. These people have a terrible present and no future. And of all these overnight stayers, Gorky singles out two: Satin and the wanderer Luke - these are two opposing philosophies.

With the appearance of Luka in the shelter, a lot has changed. In response to Anna’s admiration for his kindness, the wanderer said about himself: they crushed him a lot, that’s why he was soft. His difficult life experience and homeless wanderings determined the main features of his psychology. Among them is a keen interest and compassion for people. I want to understand human affairs,” Luka defines his main desire. He understands all the inhabitants of the shelter and each one individually. Attentive to the troubles and suffering of overnight shelters. Is it any wonder that the inhabitants of Kostylev’s basement are drawn to the wanderer! Luke seems to them the only protector of the unfortunate. He believes that a person is worthy of pity, that people do not need the truth. Luka calms you down and inspires hope with his tales of better things. The lie in this shelter is connected with the name of Luka. Desperate people are drawn to the old man for a warm word, and he offers them an illusory way out. Almost every homeless person receives false hope of salvation. A surge of illusions obscures the true state of affairs from the unfortunate. Luka manages to talk to almost everyone everywhere. Only three - Satin, Bubnov, Baron evade the old man's advice. The beating of Natasha by Vasilisa, the arrest of Ash, who killed Kostylev in a fight, the suicide of the Actor. It is difficult to imagine another, equally strong outcome of Luke’s dangerous activities.

The complete opposite of the wanderer was Satin. He correctly assessed the effectiveness of Luke’s beliefs and made far-reaching conclusions: Everything is in man, everything is for man! Only man exists, everything else is the work of his hands and his brain.

Maturity of judgment has always distinguished Satin; he believed that you need to face the truth, believe in yourself and change the world for the better. Satin did not forgive lies out of pity for dependent people. He brought the night shelters into contact with the truth. And reality is destructive for them, for example, an Actor ends his own life. And his departure from life is the result of the death of his illusions (hopes for a cure for alcoholism) - this is the step of a person who failed to realize the real truth: It seems to me that the truth should not be hidden from people, no matter what, and the death of an Actor is not because because Satin opened his eyes, but because of his weakness and gullibility. A person cannot act on the basis of his consciousness; he must be pushed to do so. And it’s better to do this without hiding the truth from him. And the actions he takes will completely depend on him. Man is the creator of his own destiny and there is no need to blame the truth.

Gorky's play “At the Lower Depths” was written in 1902, at a time of vibrant political life in Russia. Capitalism and Russian entrepreneurship developed at a rapid pace in the country. Industrial and commercial activities were reflected in literary works, sometimes not the best. Nevertheless, literature reflected reality, actual events. These were often the ugliest manifestations of developing capitalism. Gorky’s play “At the Depths” was written about this “wrong side of life.” Gorky himself noted:

That the play was the result of his almost twenty years of observations of the world of “former people.”

Drawing the inhabitants of the Kostylevskaya flophouse and emphasizing in them human traits worthy of compassion, Gorky at the same time with all decisiveness reveals in the play the powerlessness of the tramps, their unsuitability for the task of rebuilding Russia. Everyone from the shelter lives with hopes, but cannot do anything or change their deplorable situation due to a tragic combination of circumstances. And only declarations remain that “man. sounds proud." But then a new character appears in the play, from nowhere -

Luke. Along with it, a new motive appears in the play: the possibility of consolation or exposure.

Gorky himself pointed out what the main problem of the play was: “The main question that I wanted to pose is what is better, truth or compassion? What is more needed? Is it necessary to take compassion to the point of using lies, like Luke?” This phrase from Gorky was included in the title of the essay. Behind the author’s phrase there is a deep philosophical thought, or rather, the question: what is better – the truth or a white lie. Perhaps this question is as complex as life itself. Many generations have struggled to resolve it. Nevertheless, we will try to find the answer to it.

The wanderer Luke plays the role of a comforter in the play. He calms Anna down by talking about blissful silence after death. He seduces Ash with pictures of a free and free life in Siberia. He informs the unfortunate drunkard Actor about the construction of special hospitals where alcoholics are treated. So he sows words of consolation and hope everywhere. The only pity is that all his promises are based on lies. There is no free life in Siberia, there is no salvation for the Actor from his serious illness. Unhappy Anna will die, having never seen real life, tormented by the thought “so as not to eat anything else.”

Luke's intentions to help other people seem clear. He tells a parable about a man who believed in the existence of a righteous land. When a certain scientist proved that there was no such land, the man hanged himself out of grief. With this, Luke wants to once again confirm how saving a lie is sometimes for people and how unnecessary and dangerous the truth can be for them.

Gorky rejects this philosophy of justifying saving lies. Elder Luke’s lies, Gorky emphasizes, play a reactionary role. Instead of calling for a struggle against unrighteous life, he reconciles the oppressed and disadvantaged with the oppressors and tyrants. This lie, according to the author of the play, is an expression of weakness, historical impotence. The author thinks so. What do we think?

The very composition of the play, its internal movement exposes Luke's philosophy. Let us follow the author and his plan. At the beginning of the play, we see how each of the characters is obsessed with his dream, his illusion. The appearance of Luke with his philosophy of consolation and reconciliation strengthens the inhabitants of the shelter in the correctness of their obscure and illusory hobbies and thoughts. But instead of peace and silence, acute dramatic events are brewing in the Kostylevskaya shelter, which reach their climax in the scene of the murder of old man Kostylev.

Reality itself, the harsh truth of life itself, refutes Luke’s comforting lies. In the light of what is happening on stage, Luke's beneficent rantings seem false. Gorky resorts to an unusual compositional technique: long before the finale, in the third act, he removes one of the main characters of the play: Luka quietly disappears and does not appear in the last, fourth act.

Luke's philosophy is rejected by Satin, who opposes him. “Lies are the religion of slaves and masters. Truth is the god of a free man!” - he says. It does not at all follow from this that Satin is a positive hero. Satin's main advantage is that he is smart and sees lies farther than anyone else. But Satin is unsuitable for the present case.

Essays on topics:

1. Gorky’s great work, which became famous throughout the world, was created in 1902. Many people suffered from thoughts about human existence...
2. Beginning of the 19th century. The city of Kalinov, standing on the steep bank of the Volga. In the first act of the play, the reader sees a public city garden. Here...