Maxim Gorky, “Untimely Thoughts”: summary

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Russian people

In his notes, Gorky expresses his personal opinion about war, revolution, and the fate of people who are entirely dependent on culture and knowledge. His bold statements and polemics that contradicted the state apparatus of government became the reasons why the newspaper was closed. But Gorky’s words have already been written, albeit not in full, but they have sounded and continue to sound.

The first thing the author notes is the overthrow of the Romanov dynasty. This was the beginning, the first step towards complete victory. And this victory could be achieved if culture and democratized knowledge were developed. The strength of the country should be people, and their weapons should be culture and spirituality. In the summary of Gorky’s “Untimely Thoughts,” it is worth noting that he considered illiterate and socially ill-mannered people dangerous. The country, the Russian people need creative forces, which are necessary during the period of transformation, like bread and air.

Structure

Gorky’s articles “Untimely Thoughts” are today combined into one book, which consists of 66 chapters. When publishing in the newspaper, the author refused to group them in chronological order. He combined publications in accordance with the problem under consideration. So we can highlight the main topics touched upon by Gorky: the problems of revolution, the historical development of Russia and culture. In the book, the articles are not in the order in which they were published in the newspaper, but they still form a single whole. Even if you prepare a summary of Gorky’s “Untimely Thoughts” chapter by chapter, you will end up with an extensive article where excerpts from different sections are mixed.

During writing, the author often referred to another in one publication. In this way he strengthened his arguments and united scattered fragments of thoughts into a single whole. For example, in chapter 38 of the book (in the newspaper it was the 16th article) he writes about the destructive characteristics of the revolution and, saying that he does not want to list them, refers to already published publications in which they were mentioned more than once. Well, now we can begin the summary of Gorky’s “Untimely Thoughts.”

Culture

Further, in the summary of Gorky’s articles “Untimely Thoughts,” the benefits of cultural development are noted. According to the writer, it is culture that will save Russian people from stupidity. After the revolution, the proletariat had the opportunity to engage in creativity. But for now this segment of the population is still limited by relics of the past. It is in the proletariat that the author sees his dream - the triumph of justice and the formation of a cultured person.

Gorky considers books to be the main source of culture. She is a pure spring of spiritual food and knowledge. But valuable libraries in the country are being destroyed, and book printing has almost ceased. The author writes that the old government was incompetent, but the instinct of self-preservation told it that its worst enemy was the human brain. Therefore, she tried by all means to hinder the intellectual development of the country. Maxim Gorky actively encourages his readers to revive the country's intellectual, cultural and spiritual heritage.

conclusions

Maxim Gorky believes that for the social and aesthetic education of the people, these very people need to read European literature, French comedies and Greek tragedies. He knows the needs of the working class, so he offers exactly what they will understand and assimilate.

Gorky is confident that it is necessary to unite the intellectual forces of the intelligentsia with the forces of young peasants, only then will it be possible to revive the spiritual wealth of the country. This is the true path to freedom and culture, over which politics should have no power. After all, politics is always disgusting. No matter who does it, it will always be accompanied by lies, violence, and slander. The author appeals to each reader, to his good beginnings, which must defeat the darkness. Only then is democracy and freedom possible in the country.

Here they are, “Untimely Thoughts” by Maxim Gorky. He is not completely confident in his concept and has repeatedly tried to find a compromise that even the authorities will agree to. And yet he could not remain silent about many moments. His country and people suffered, and he suffered with them, trying to reach everyone with his only weapon - the word.

Sources:

https://gorkiy-kratko.ru/2019/09/29/%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0 %B5%D0%BC%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D0%B5-%D0%BC%D1%8B%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D0 %B3%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9-%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BA/ https: //briefly.ru/gorkii/nesvoevremennye_mysli/ https://www.syl.ru/article/363707/maksim-gorkiy-nesvoevremennyie-myisli-kratkoe-soderjanie

Advice

In the summary of Gorky’s “Untimely Thoughts,” it is worth mentioning the author’s advice that he gives to his compatriots. The writer says that you need to become addicted to the study of European culture. It will help the stunned average person become more humane and teach him to think independently. Analyzing revolutionary realities, the author notes that people have ceased to see the difference between criticism and slander.

The revolution gave the green light to freedom of speech, which incredibly turned into freedom of libel. More than once the question was raised in the press about who was to blame for the devastation of Russia, and every publicist was sure that his opponent was guilty. Gorky emphasizes that people have a completely undeveloped sense of personal responsibility; everyone blames their neighbor for their troubles. The author sees only culture as a path to salvation. He despises stupid ignorance and yet loves his compatriots: “The most sinful and dirty people on earth, stupid in both Good and Evil. Drunk on vodka, disfigured by violence. But still good-natured and, in the end, talented.”

Condemnation

Even in the summary of “Untimely Thoughts” by M. Gorky, one can see how the author calls on people to love their homeland. Calls for learning, because the true essence of culture lies in disgust for everything dirty, vicious and deceitful that makes a person suffer and belittles his dignity.

Gorky condemns the despotic methods of Trotsky and Lenin, which are completely rotten by power. Under them there is no freedom of speech, and the people are only a mechanism that allows them to build socialism. The leaders led both the revolution and the people to death. From books they knew how to raise a people, but they never knew the people themselves. The revolution was supposed to bring democracy, but in reality it became the epicenter of violence.

Disappointment

Later, Gorky learns that even after the overthrow of monarchism, complete lawlessness reigns in the country. For the new government, representatives of the old regime were enemies who were subject to groundless arrests and ill-treatment. As soon as the revolution ended, people began to carry out acts of looting. They emptied wine cellars, but the reserves of this drink could be sold abroad to provide the country with the necessary medicines, equipment and manufactures. Even in the summary of “Untimely Thoughts” by Maxim Gorky, a strong resentment towards his compatriots is acutely felt, and yet the author seeks excuses for them.

Gorky writes that Bolshevism did not live up to the hopes of the uncultured masses and the proletariat could not win. Bank seizures, severe famine, innocent people locked in prisons. The revolution failed to bring spiritual rebirth. “There is no poison more insidious than power over people; this must be remembered so that power does not poison us.”

Fierce enemies

In the face of a cultural and organized enemy, Russia is helpless. And the war revealed this fading of spirit. Those who spoke of saving Europe from the shackles of civilization through culture quickly fell silent. As Gorky writes: “The spirit of true culture turned out to be an ignorant stench of selfishness, laziness and carelessness.” If a people cannot refuse violence against a person, they will never become free. No matter how many times the government changes, those who practice violence will forever remain its hostages.

Truth and Atrocities

Also in Gorky’s articles “Untimely Thoughts” there are reflections on the truth. The author considers it a real art, which is so difficult to comprehend. For the average person, the truth is inconvenient and unacceptable. He will agree with the lie that suits him and will never give it up.

In the summary of Gorky’s “Untimely Thoughts,” special attention should be paid to the atrocities of war. In particular, remember that the author wrote when talented youth were taken to the battlefield. These people did not know military service and did not know how to shoot. On Monday they visited the shooting ranges for the first time, and on Wednesday they were sent to the front. These people did not know how to defend themselves, they did not go to fight, but went to the slaughter. Gorky laments the stupid decision of the tsarist authorities. Sending artists, writers, or musicians to war is like making gold horseshoes for a draft horse.

War is the senseless extermination of people, the destruction of fertile soil and a time of bloody chaos. And everyone is guilty of this. One can only imagine how much useful the killed soldiers could have done for the country. But as the author writes: “We are destroying millions of lives and colossal reserves of labor energy through murder and destruction.”