Luka and Satin: which of them is right?

Many of us remember the famous play by M. Gorky, in which there are two heroes: Luka and Satin. Each of them defends his point of view, and only the audience can decide which of them is right.

Consider the dispute of these characters in more detail.

The plot and main characters of the play Gorky

The play "At the bottom" was written by the author at the beginning of the last century. Her first premiere, held in 1902 in the Moscow Art Theater, made a huge impression on the audience.

It was not surprising, because the young playwright was able to create not only a touching story, but also brilliant images of the main characters.

The story was the life of the dwelling housekeepers for the poor, people who have nothing: no money, no status, no social status or even simple bread. Their fate is tragic, they do not see the meaning of their existence, their future is only death and poverty.

Among the heroes stood out two antipodes - Luka and Satin, who brought to the audience the main meaning of the play.

Luke's position

Luke, an old wanderer of about 60, appears in the play not immediately. He comes to the doss house and tries in his own way to comfort the inhabitants there.

He promises paradise bliss dying from illness to Anna for having suffered torment on the ground, robber Vaska - an opportunity to start a new life in a distant and cold Siberia, an alcoholic - a hospital in which he will be cured, a prostitute - the opportunity to find true love, etc.

Some inhabitants of this establishment begin to believe the good old man, however some of them reject his stories, considering (and deservedly considering) their lies.

Philosophy of Luke

In fact, Luke offers his listeners a primitive Christian philosophy of life: a man must endure everything, because he is sinful, he carries a deserved punishment on the earth, and after death will be rewarded for his deeds.

This philosophy, as a matter of fact, justifies evil on the earth, turns God into a powerful and ferocious master of people, who gives each one according to merit.

Therefore, Luke wants to deceive the unfortunate people who have fallen into the doss house, believing that such deception will help them cope with life's difficulties. Luka is ready to accept social injustice as a given, considering it a consequence of imperfection of human nature.

Satin's position

Satin is the only character in the doss house who tries to maintain his human dignity in the inhuman conditions of extreme poverty.

At one time he was a more significant person (although he was a sharper and gambler), but he lost his status after standing up for the honor of his sister, was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of 5 years.

Luke and Satin are very different. They are distinguished not so much by age as by convictions.

Satin is a humanist, in hard conditions he has not lost faith in people, he does not want to believe the sweet speeches of Luke, believing that every person is "the smith of his own happiness."

Satin's philosophy

The dispute between Luka and Satin begins with the fact that the latter begins to contradict the old man's words. No, Satin does not need consolation, he is looking for an active activity. His truth is not Christian philosophy. Satin is closer to the position of atheism, believing that everything is in the hands of the man himself, and does not depend on the action of the higher forces. Satin does not believe in the immortality of the human soul, he does not need God, he believes that he was "at the bottom" not because his fate was so formed, but because he acted nobly and honestly and was punished unfairly.

"True - there is a god of freedom!", Exclaims Satin. He seeks to build a new socially just society of free people who can live in harmony with themselves.

The characteristics of Satin and Luke show us that these two people demonstrate by their example two completely different positions, two different attitudes to life and an understanding of the place of man in this world.

Luke's position is compassionate, but passive, Satin's position is active, transformative, active. In the play, the actual victory in the dispute was won by Satin, because it was Luka who left the doss house.

The dispute between Luka and Satin: the reaction of contemporaries

Gorky's play was very popular among spectators because the author could feel and convey the spirit of his time in it.

Society craved for change. Luke's philosophy did not suit young people who want to transform society through new patterns. They were opposed by the more conservative part of the older generation who wanted to preserve the state and social system.

Luka and Satin just expressed a social split. They showed themselves two of these irreconcilable positions and philosophies of life.

By the way, the author of the play, of course, belonged to the latter, he shared the position of Satin, for him this hero embodied what he thought himself. All his life Gorky fought with those who tried to preach tolerance and all-forgiveness, his values were the struggle and faith in the great future of his country.

In fact, Gorky himself could be called a "revolutionary in Russian literature", which in his works vividly and vividly conveyed the atmosphere of expectation of a new life by a part of progressive youth.

People wanted to abandon the monarchical order, wanted to abandon the power of the capitalists, believed that they themselves could build a new and more just state.

As a result, the truth of Luke and Satina proved to be unequal. A revolution took place in the country, the Bolsheviks seized power, which, like Satin, decided to abandon religion as a superfluous social link.

So Gorky's play really turned out to be prophetic. And this is the genius of this work of Russian literature.