| dc.description.abstract | This thesis is a study of a small selection of
Maxim Gorky's early literary works. It is limited to
the period bet ween Gorky's earliest pub Li.c at.Lon , "Makar
Chudra" (1892) and the publication of the novel, Mother
.(1906-7). My aim in this study is to trace the development
of Gorky's revolutionary consciousness that was
later to make him such an acclaimed literary representative
of the working class.
This study has been motivated by my belief that
Gorky is an important writer; he is not only a renowned
Soviet writer, but one of acknowledged world fame. He
is read and respected the world over. His contribution
to literature has been so great and influential both
in his own country and elsewhere in the world, that
I think it justifies any study on him. Moreover, Gorky
is important also in another way: his work placed him
at the centre of the ideological struggle between
capitalism and socialism that has been raging ever
since 1917 when socialism triumphed over capitalism
in Russia. Gorky's name and work are inseparably
linked to the Great October Socialist Revolution of
1917. This thesis therefore deems it important to
trace, explore and discuss the factors and circumstances
that led to the development of Gorky's
revolutionary consciousness.
Included in this thesis are some of Gorky's
early romantic short stories: "Makar Chudra" (1892),
"Old Izergil" (1894) and "Konovalov" (1896). Others
are his best known play, The Lower Depths (1892),
the novel, The Three (1899) and two of his works
belonging to the revolutionary period, the play,
Enemies (1906) and the novel,Mother (1906-7). His
autobiographical trilogy of My Childhood, My Apprenticeships
and My Universities has also been extensively
used as a reference £or details of his childhood.
The thesis consists of three chapters. The first
" chapter entitled "Gorky and his Time", discusses Gorky's
childhood and youth and describes those factors and
circumstances that influenced his personality towards
a revolutionary path. The second chapter, "The Early
Works", discusses the selection from his early works
including the short stories, the play, .The Lower
Depths and the novel The Three. This chapter aims
at establishing the influence of Gorky's early
experiences on his creative works. I have attempted
to show here that Gorky's writing career was a direct
product of, and was influenced by, the bitter experiences
of his youth. Both the romantic short stories
and the early plays and novels were a critical reflection
of a society that Gorky felt was wrong, unjust
and unfair - a society that seriously needed reorganization
and renovation along more just principles.
The third and last chapter, "The Revolutionary Works",
centres on the revolutionary play, Enemies and the
novel, Mother. In these works Gorky's revolutionary
awareness that has been manifest in the earlier works
reflects greater maturity in its ideological orientation.
This chapter illustrates this maturity and
by the proletariat along socialist lines is capable
Gorky's belief that only the revolutionary struggle
of renovating the capitalist society for the welfare
of all mankind.
The result of my study is a kind of chronological
sequence in which the development of Gorky's revolutionary
consciousness is traced from his early youth
through his early creative works to his revolutionary
works; ending with the year 1907 when Mother was
published. The conclusion drawn from this study
is that it is indeed the environmental factors and
circumstances of Gorky's capitalist Russia, together
with his wide reading and conviction that a better
world was possible, that were responsible for the
development of his revolutionary consciousness and
personality | en |
