Character history. The image and characteristics of Danko in the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky essay Brief description of Danko from the story of the old woman Izergil

Danko is the hero of Gorky's work "Old Woman Izergil". This is a strong young man who is characterized by philanthropy and self-sacrifice in the name of good goals.

The character of the hero is courageous and fearless. Danko is not afraid of his own death when it comes to the health and well-being of the people he loves. Besides this, he is very merciful and compassionate. Danko has a sporty appearance. He is handsome, young and smart. This is a person who is ready to take on a heavy burden of responsibility and lead people. The hero has charisma and is a good speaker: that is why people believe him and follow him. Being a representative of an ancient tribe, Danko honored the traditions of his ancestors and worried about the fate and future of his fellow tribesmen.

He dreamed of giving freedom to all the people he loved. His life position was this: to give all of himself in the name of salvation and a happy life for others. People believed Danko for such positive character traits: after all, even at that moment when everyone turned their backs on him, he sacrificed himself for their good. Danko’s raison d’être boiled down to the following: “What have I done, am doing and will do for people?”, “What am I willing to sacrifice for people?”

The feat he accomplished elevates Danko to the rank of a hero. For this person, true happiness lies in living and creating for others. Despite all these positive qualities, Danko is lonely and initially has a conflict with the crowd. But he sacrifices the most precious thing - life, in order to sanctify the path for people. It’s sad that the majority of people took Danko’s feat for granted. At the moment when the exhausted and dying hero falls to the ground, the people rejoice and have fun. But even dying, Danko did not regret his action at all. Self-sacrifice is his ideal and life principle, to which he remained faithful until his last breath.

In the image of Danko one can trace the revolutionary struggle characteristic of that period of history. People driven into wretched places personify the oppressed working class and peasantry, and Danko is a ray of sunshine in a dark kingdom, like a revolutionary, ready to lead the people to victories and a happy future.

Option 2

The creative legacy of Maxim Gorky is enormous. It includes a large number of diverse texts. Early romantic stories occupy a special place. In particular, the text with the title “Old Woman Izergil”. This is a text with a special composition based on the “story within a story” principle. Namely, on behalf of Izergil, the reader learns two beautiful ancient legends: about Larra and Danko.

Danko is a selfless person who does not mind giving up the most precious thing - life, in exchange for the well-being and happiness of the human race.

If you tell Danko's story briefly, it is as follows: in a certain place there lived a human tribe. At one point, they were driven out of their inhabited lands by stronger ones. The tribe went to an area unsuitable for habitation. People began to get sick and die. Then they chose Danko as their leader, because they saw in him courage and fortitude.

And Danko decided to lead the human tribe through the dense forest. But, as usually happens, Danko tried to do the best, but it turned out as always. Unrest began among the human race. Then Danko, in order to save the human tribe, tore out the heart from his own chest and illuminated the path for people with it...

Danko Gorky bestows such epithets as “strong, cheerful, brave.” Therefore, it is no wonder that such a person is capable of self-sacrifice for the sake of the happiness and well-being of others. It turned out in this situation that those whom he led gave up, namely, the road turned out to be too difficult for the tribe. In order not to take responsibility, people blamed Danko for all their failures. At the end of their journey, they exposed their bestial nature, which means they could not be loyal to their leader, whom they themselves had chosen.

The next episode once again emphasizes the ability to do a good deed for the sake of one’s people. This is when Danko feels the strength to do something bright and joyful for people. He sacrifices his heart, his life for the sake of humanity. Then a miracle happens: the darkness recedes and this means that kindness, spiritual strength triumphs over the fears and insignificance of a person before the elements.

Yes, Danko died at the end of the legend, but the blue sparks from his heart are alive. This suggests that people have hope for salvation in troubled periods of history.

Essay about Danko

In his work “The Old Woman Izergil,” Gorky tells two legends that he heard from an old storyteller. These stories contrast two different characters. Both of them are strong people. But, one of them acts only for his own satisfaction, while the other sacrifices his own life for the sake of people. This is Danko.

These events took place a very long time ago. There lived a tribe of people. But one day those who were stronger came to their land, and they drove them out. The tribe went into the forest to the swamp. There they began to get sick and die one after another, as a terrible poisonous stench emanated from the swamp.

People didn't know what to do. They could not go back and retake their land from the enemy, because they were afraid to break the covenant. And they were afraid to go forward through the terrible forest in search of a new land. And the more they thought about the upcoming hardships, the stronger their fear became, and the more their strength dried up.

And then Danko appears among them. There was fire in his eyes and he was brave. The people decided that he could lead them through the forest. He agreed. But the path was difficult. And the people began to grumble against him, and then they even wanted to kill him.

More recently, these people were afraid of the path ahead and did not find the strength to complete it. And, following Danko like a flock of sheep following a shepherd, they laid all the responsibility on him. A crowd of weak-willed people appears before the reader. The difficulties of the journey tired them so much that they would be glad to stay where they were. And, although they agreed to go on their own, they blame everything on the one who led them. No one thought that losses could not be avoided. And fear and lack of will consumed them more and more, giving rise to disbelief and powerlessness in their hearts.

This would be a good time to throw them to Danko. But he was a selfless man. Therefore, instead of abandoning those for whom he tried in vain, he sacrifices himself for their salvation. He rips his heart out of his chest.

The author describes this moment with particular delight. Danko’s heart burned, burned with strength, courage and love for people. And they, enchanted by such a spectacle, complete their journey without much difficulty. Now they no longer grumbled.

And when the people came out of the forest, they were so glad that they did not even notice that their savior was lying dead under their feet.

On the one hand, Danko’s image is an example of selflessness and love for others. But what a sad ending: the reward for the hero was only his death. And those for whom he sacrificed himself did not appreciate the feat. They saw only the end of their journey: a new land, clear skies and fresh air. But they no longer remembered how they did not dare to take this path, they no longer remember how they wanted to kill the man who led them and gave his life for them.

Essay Characteristics and image of Danko

In the story “Old Woman Izergil” there are two legends, but they are opposite to each other. Larra's story is the story of a cruel and insensitive, very evil person. But, since his story is told at the beginning, the overall impression of “Old Woman Izergil” is determined precisely by the last part, which talks about Danko.

Danko is one of the people whom the author describes as “cheerful, strong and brave.” The text mentions that they lived not in tribes, but in camps, that is, most likely they were gypsies. Gypsies, both in cinema and in literature, have long become a symbol of freedom and courage. Therefore, it is easy to imagine that for these people the behests of their ancestors were very important, and instead of dying fighting for the opportunity to live in the old place, they decided that they needed a new one, not among the swamps where enemy tribes had driven them.

And at a moment when such a wonderful people were overwhelmed with melancholy, it was Danko who came to save everyone. The old woman Izergil says about him: “Danko is one of those people, a handsome young man. Beautiful people are always brave.” After her words, a tall and stately young man, a gypsy, appears with pitch-black hair and dark eyes, in which burns that very living fire that the hearts of his people lacked. Therefore, everyone easily responds to his call - you really want to follow such a leader.

However, the road turned out to be too difficult for them - and, as happens in life, the one who does not save quickly becomes a liar and a traitor in the eyes of people. From the hardships they have experienced, those who were cheerful and strong become weaker and blame the strongest of all, Danko, for their weakness. He tries to reason with them with words, but the old woman Izergil describes them as animals - which means that they no longer have the faith that led them forward before.

Further events are more reminiscent of a fairy tale than a legend, but they are the culmination of what a person can do for his people. Surrounded, but filled with love and pity, Danko asks himself the question - “What will I do for people?” The old woman Izergil says that this voice was “stronger than thunder,” that is, even nature retreated before Danko’s fortitude. And then he rips his heart out of his chest - and the darkness is finally defeated, emphasizing the triumph of human reason, human kindness and spiritual fire over primitive fears and insignificance.

There are many repetitions in this passage of the story - they are used to draw attention to how different the journey with the torch-heart was from the previous one, how people were fascinated by Danko’s act, how incredibly significant this act was, in the end.

Danko's death, described at the end, is shocking. Having led his people through such trials, having accomplished the impossible and finding himself free, he does not have time to enjoy the feeling of long-awaited liberation and dies. This is a magnificent example of self-sacrifice, true and ardent, and here it would be more accurate to say - from a pure, ardent heart. It is all the more tragic that some person trampled what was left of Danko, turning his sincere fire into blue sparks appearing in the steppe before a thunderstorm. But even the fact that they appear before a thunderstorm is another feature of Danko’s feat - when nature comes, at this dangerous time, the echoes of the flame of his heart seem to say that there is always hope, and there is no need to be afraid of thunder and lightning.

Now you know why Danko’s image is interesting. 7th grade

The image and characteristics of Danko in the story Old Woman Izergil

In the animal kingdom, successful survival often depends on physical strength. But the human world is not so simple, therefore strength of character is also considered extremely important here.

Danko's image. A proud, “best of all” man, Danko died for the sake of people. The legend told by the old woman Izergil is based on an ancient tale about a man who saved people and showed them the way out of an impenetrable forest. Danko had a strong-willed character: the hero did not want a slave life for his tribe and at the same time understood that people would not be able to live for a long time in the depths of the forest, without the space and light they were accustomed to. Mental fortitude, inner wealth, true perfection in biblical stories were embodied in outwardly beautiful people. This is exactly how the ancient desire of a person for spiritual and physical beauty was expressed: “Danko is one of those people, a handsome young man. Beautiful people are always brave.” Danko believes in his own strength, so he doesn’t want to waste it “on thoughts and melancholy.” The hero strives to lead people from the darkness of the forest to freedom, where there is a lot of warmth and light. Having a strong-willed character, Danko takes on the role of leader, and people “unitedly all followed him - they believed in him.” The hero is not afraid of difficulties during a difficult journey, but he did not take into account the weakness of the people, who soon “began to grumble” because they did not have Danko’s stamina and did not have strong willpower. The culminating episode of the story was the scene of Danko’s trial, when people, tired from the hardship of the journey, hungry, tired and angry, began to blame their leader for everything: “You are an insignificant and harmful person for us! You led us and tired us, and for this you will die! Unable to bear the difficulties, people began to shift responsibility from themselves to Danko, wanting to find someone to blame for their misfortunes. The hero, unselfishly loving people, realizing that without him everyone would die, “teared his chest with his hands and tore out his heart from it and raised it high above his head.” Illuminating the dark path from the impenetrable forest with his heart, Danko led people out of the darkness, to where “the sun shone, the steppe sighed, the grass glittered in the diamonds of the rain and the river sparkled with gold.” Danko looked proudly at the picture that opened before him and died. The author calls his hero a proud daredevil who died for the sake of people. The final episode makes the reader think about the moral side of the hero’s act: was Danko’s death in vain, are people worthy of such a sacrifice. What is important is the image of a cautious person who appeared in the epilogue of the story, who was afraid of something and stepped “on his proud heart.” The writer characterizes Danko as the best of people. Indeed, the main character traits of the hero are mental fortitude, willpower, selflessness, and the desire to selflessly serve people. Danko sacrificed his life not only for the sake of those whom he led out of the forest, but also for himself: he could not do otherwise, the hero needed to help people. The feeling of love filled Danko’s heart and was an integral part of his nature, which is why M. Gorky calls the hero “the best of all.” Researchers note the connection between Danko’s image and Moses, Prometheus and Jesus Christ. The name Danko is associated with the same root words “tribute”, “dam”, “giving”. The most important words of a proud man in the legend: “What will I do for people?!”

Danko (Fig. 2) became a symbol of feat, a hero ready for self-sacrifice. Thus, the story is built on an antithesis, and the heroes of the work are antipodes.

Antipode(from ancient Greek “opposite” or “opposing”) - in the general sense, something opposite to something else. In a figurative sense, it can be applied to people with opposing views.

The term "antipode" was introduced by Plato in his dialogue "Timaeus" to combine the relativity of the concepts of "up" and "down".

In the story “The Old Woman Izergil,” in addition to ancient legends, the author included a story about the life of the old woman Izergil herself. Let's remember the composition of the story. Memories of the old woman Izergil are compositionally placed between two legends. The heroes of legends are not real people, but symbols: Larra is a symbol of selfishness, Danko is a symbol of altruism. As for the image of the old woman Izergil (Fig. 3), her life and fate are quite realistic. Let's talk about this in more detail.

Rice. 3. Old woman Izergil ()

Izergil is very old: “Time bent her in half, her once black eyes were dull and watery. Her dry voice sounded strange, it crunched, as if the old woman was speaking with bones.” The old woman Izergil talks about herself, about her life, about the men whom she first loved and then abandoned, and only for the sake of one of them she was ready to give her life. Her lovers did not have to be beautiful. She loved those who were capable of real action.

“...He loved exploits. And when a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and will find where it is possible. In life, you know, there is always room for exploits. And those who do not find them for themselves are simply lazy, or cowards, or do not understand life, because if people understood life, everyone would want to leave behind their shadow in it. And then life would not devour people without a trace..."

In her life, Izergil often acted selfishly. Suffice it to recall the incident when she escaped from the Sultan’s harem along with his son. The Sultan’s son soon died, which the old woman recalls as follows: “I cried over him, maybe it was I who killed him?..”. But other moments of her life, when she truly loved, she was ready for a feat. For example, to save a loved one from captivity, she risked her life.

Old woman Izergil measures people by such concepts as honesty, directness, courage, and the ability to act. These are the people she considers beautiful. Izergil despises people who are boring, weak, and cowardly. She is proud that she lived a bright and interesting life, and believes that she should pass on her life experience to young people.

That is why she tells us two legends, as if giving us the right to choose which path to follow: along the path of pride, like Larra, or along the path of pride, like Danko. Because there is one step difference between pride and pride. This could be a carelessly spoken word or an action dictated by our selfishness. We must remember that we live among people and take into account their feelings, moods, and opinions. We must remember that for every word we say, every action we take, we are responsible to others as well as to our conscience. This is exactly what Gorky wanted to make the reader think about (Fig. 4) in the story “The Old Woman Izergil.”

Rice. 4. M. Gorky ()

Pathos(from the Greek “suffering, inspiration, passion”) - the emotional content of a work of art, feelings and emotions that the author puts into the text, expecting the reader’s empathy.

In the history of literature, the term "pathos" has been used in different meanings. So, for example, in the era of Antiquity, pathos was the name of the state of a person’s soul, the passions that the hero experiences. In Russian literature, critic V.G. Belinsky (Fig. 5) proposed using the term “pathos” to characterize the work and creativity of the writer as a whole.

Rice. 5. V.G. Belinsky ()

References

1. Korovina V.Ya. Textbook on literature. 7th grade. Part 1. - 2012.
2. Korovina V.Ya. Textbook on literature. 7th grade. Part 2. - 2009.
3. Ladygin M.B., Zaitseva O.N. Textbook-reader on literature. 7th grade. - 2012.

1. Nado5.ru ().
2. Litra.ru ().
3. Goldlit.ru ().

Homework

1. Tell us what antipode and pathos are.
2. Give a detailed description of the image of the old woman Izergil and think about what features of Larra and Danko the image of the old woman embodies.
3. Write an essay on the topic: “Larra and Danko in our time.”

However, the influence of folklore is not limited to Gorky’s borrowing of individual subjects of folk art. The artistic images, thoughts and feelings expressed in these works are close to folklore, which is why the stories are perceived as legends, even fairy tales, because they reflect the ideals of the people, their dreams of beauty.

“Old Woman Izergil” is a real story, where the author includes realistic details directly into the landscape itself, accurately indicates the place of meeting with the old woman, even specifying what the narrator himself is doing in Bessarabia. The real appearance of the old woman Izergil, who has a “dry voice” and “a trembling hand with crooked fingers”, “a wrinkled nose, bent like an owl’s beak” and “dry, cracked lips”, is also given realistically.

The heroine tells her legends in a completely real setting, and this seems to bring them closer to life, emphasizing the close connection between heroic romance and real life. The three-part composition of the story helps the author embody the ideal and the anti-ideal.

The anti-ideal is expressed in the legend of Larra, the son of an eagle, who symbolizes individualism and selfishness taken to the extreme. The legend of Danko, on the contrary, embodies an ideal that expresses the highest degree of love for people - self-sacrifice. The events of the legends unfold in ancient times, as if in the time preceding the beginning of history, in the era of first creations. Therefore, in reality there are traces directly related to that era: the shadow of Larra, which only the old woman Izergil sees, the blue lights left from Danko’s heart.

Unlike Larra, who embodied an anti-human essence (it’s not for nothing that he is the son of an eagle!), Danko demonstrates an inexhaustible love for people. Even at the moment when they “were like animals,” “like wolves,” who surrounded him, “to make it easier for them to grab and kill Danko.” He was possessed by only one desire - to overcome the cruelty of people, to displace from their consciousness the darkness, the fear of the dark forest with stinking swamps.

Danko’s heart flared up and burned to dispel the darkness, not so much of the forest, but of the soul. That is why the image of Danko is revealed in Gorky with the help of an image of fire, a burning heart, the shine of the sun: “The rays of that mighty fire sparkled in his eyes.... His heart burned as brightly as the sun and brighter than the sun...”

These images of the sun and fire are intended to emphasize the heroic aspiration of the young man, giving the entire work emotional intensity. His love for people is an ardent desire to selflessly serve them, his high aspirations merge with his beauty, strength and youth. No wonder the old woman Izergil argued that “the beautiful are always brave.” Therefore, the entire legend about Danko, about his heart, burning with great love for people, is perceived by both the narrator and the readers as a bold call to heroic deeds.

The handsome young man himself is a true hero, boldly moving towards a high, noble goal, sacrificing himself for the sake of people’s happiness. Only the people he saved didn’t even pay attention to the “proud heart” that fell near them, and one cautious person, noticing it, stepped on Danko’s dying heart, as if fearing something.

What this man feared remains a mystery to the writer himself, but at different times different literary scholars gave their own interpretation of this act. The image of Danko himself has long been associated with counselors, teachers and other people who devote themselves to working with children. To lead, you need to have a truly burning heart, albeit in a metaphorical sense.

Children always sense falsehood and are unlikely to get excited about an idea that the teacher himself does not accept or does not share. It is no coincidence that every second leader detachment in a children's camp or school was called “Danko”, proving the right to lead children out of the darkness of ignorance and indifference.

The ideal of a humanist, embodied in the image of a brave young man, does not evoke a feeling of pity in the reader, since his act is a feat. Danko’s act can only evoke pride, admiration, delight, admiration, respect - in a word, such feelings that overwhelm the heart of every reader who imagines a young man with a fiery gaze, who holds in his hand a heart sparkling with love, this torch of selfless love for people.

• “Old Woman Izergil”, analysis of Gorky’s story
• “The Old Woman Izergil”, a summary of the chapters of Gorky’s story