The main characters of the work are people and bitter. In people. Other retellings and reviews for the reader's diary

Series: Book 2 – Gorky’s Autobiographical Trilogy

Year of publication of the book: 1916

Gorky's work "In People" is a logical continuation of Gorky's story "Childhood". This is a fairly well-known work that has received high reviews from critics and readers. It was quite successfully filmed and, despite the passing years, is still popular among modern readers. This allowed Gorky’s work “In People” to take a high place among.

Gorky's story "In People" summary

Gorky’s story “In People” is quite a large work, so its summary is best presented in chapters. At the same time, it is possible to reflect only the main episodes, which does not always allow you to create a full-fledged image of the events taking place. That is why it is better to read Gorky’s story “In People” in full on the pages of our website.

IN 14 In the chapter of Gorky’s book “In People” you will learn how Alyosha and Pashka Odintsov entertained the icon painters. So almost every evening Alyosha read Lermontov for them. In addition, they staged theatrical performances and made the artisans laugh. One day Kapendyukhin came drunk and, putting lead in his gloves, began beating everyone in the workshop. Only Sitanov managed to contrive and stun him with a stool. In general, in the workshop and outside it they talked a lot about God, but no one wanted to fix the rotten floorboard or grease the window, and when he and Pashka washed the dying Davidov, everyone laughed at them. After all, he will die soon anyway.

IN 15 In the chapter of Gorky’s work “In People,” you can read about how Alyosha was given an image of Alexei for his birthday. In general, everyone in the workshop loved him except the clerk. He constantly gave him the dirtiest work, and once he took him out and threw him face first into the snow so that Lesha could clean him. In addition, he constantly scattered money in the hope of catching Alyosha stealing. He reported the slightest offense to the owner, and when he found out that he and Sitanov were writing something down in a notebook, he began to pester him. The grandfather denied all of Alyosha’s complaints, and the grandmother told him to endure it. The main character was about to decide to flee to Persia, but he met his former owner Vasily and he invited him to come to him. Everyone took the news of Lesha’s departure badly, and the owner angrily said that she was going to kick him out anyway.

IN 16 In the chapter of M. Gorky’s story “In People” you can read about how Alyosha moved to Vasily. Just at this time, the shops that were rebuilt every year were flooded. Alyosha took the owner on a boat, and he got to hear a lot about his first love. Moreover, from how sadly it was told, Alyosha realized that these were the best days in the life of the narrator. Five young ladies and two students settled in Queen Margot's apartment. Lesha often visited them and borrowed new books. There were works here, and. Between reading, Alyosha fell in love with the young lady Ptitsina, with whom almost everyone was in love. Once I decided to ride her on a board, but she turned over, and the green mud of the river washed away all the beauty of the young lady. The owner was helped around the house by his stepfather, who ate a lot and was sick, so he worked little. The owner always accepted his practical advice, but others did not like him. Alyosha found a common language with him and often talked about the books he had read. So when he died he was very upset. Especially because he didn’t find the young lady at the funeral whom he saw at his bed.

IN 17 In the chapter of Gorky’s story “In People,” you can read about how Alyosha met builders at a fair. He had to look after them so that they did not carry building materials. These people were different, but they always tried to fool each other. Against this background, only the plasterer Gregory stood out, who did not like litter. Alyosha was ashamed to look after these people, but the carpenter Osip supported him. Since little money was given, the main character lived from hand to mouth. The workers fed him, for which he decided to read “The Carpenter's Artel” to them. Pisemsky’s work caught the attention of many and was discussed for a long time. Alyosha was only unpleasantly surprised by the fact that the thoughts of Osip and the cabman Peter from the work coincided.

IN 18 Chapter of Gorky's story "In People" in a brief summary you will learn how Osip became very important to Alyosha. He seemed to him smarter than all the people, and the main character spent a lot of time with him. Also standing out was Foma, who himself did not work very well, but knew how to make others work. Thomas first intended to become a monk, then he successfully married, but became a sex worker in a tavern. For this, his former comrades did not respect him, and then he was caught for burglary. Alyosha also developed a good relationship with the mason Alralyon, but he soon disappeared. They found him drunk on the Millionnaya Beggar Street. Alyosha went to visit him, for which he received Osip’s condemnation, but one day he found out that the bricklayer had beaten an old acquaintance, Natalya, who had drunk herself, and stopped going to see him. It was during this period that he met Odintsov, who spoke about the life of the workshop. Sitanov is drinking himself to death, Gogolev was eaten by wolves, and only Zhikharev is still with his horse. Alyosha realized how far he had moved away from the workshop and that there was no turning back.

IN 19 In the chapter of Gorky Maxim’s story “In People” you can read about how Alyosha began working in the owner’s house for the winter, because there was no work at the fair. At this time, the owner became quiet and thoughtful, and the main character tried to write poetry. Alyosha also became addicted to going to the tavern to listen to the singer Kleshchov. He was a lousy man, but no one could sing better than him. Here he met the octavist Mitropolsky, who drank a lot and said that when he was sober, he was a man of few words. One day they found a murdered man with him, and while Alyosha was running after the police, the octavist finished off the murdered man’s vodka. But he was soon arrested and sent to prison. At the same time, Alyosha brought his master to listen to the singer; he was so moved by the songs that he cried. In addition, he admitted that he fell in love with a woman who was planning to go to her husband in Siberia. Since he was a nobleman and was used to living well, she earned money in a “shameless” way. The owner admitted that if he met her again, he would throw everything to hell.

In the last 20 The chapter of Gorky’s work “In People” tells how Alyosha had already worked as a foreman for three years and watched how shopping malls were demolished in the fall and built in the spring. By this time he already felt like a man tired of life, and his work was stupid, like his whole life. However, when he saw a brothel janitor abusing a drunken girl, he saved her. But since then the relationship with the janitor has been bad. Once he even killed a cat in front of the main character, for which Alyosha rushed into a fight and almost killed him. Having also met Yakov, I immediately remembered Gypsy. Now Yakov is broke and lives on his son’s income. After this, the main character realized that if he did not leave, this life would swallow him. Therefore, I decided to go to study in Kazan.

Gorky's story "In People" on the Top books website

It is not for nothing that Maxim Gorky ranks high among our ratings, because many of his works are also presented on the pages of our website. So Gorky’s story “In People” is so popular to read that the work was included in the rating and took far from the last place there. At the same time, interest in the work is quite stable, which is characteristic only of truly significant books.

Among a series of countless chapters and events, it is sometimes difficult to single out the only thing for which the work was written. Not everyone fully understands that dialogues, characters and events, although they are key factors in the narrative, cannot in themselves answer the question: “What was this work about?”

This is especially true in the works of the famous Russian writer Maxim Gorkov; it is not for nothing that his stories and novellas are studied exclusively in high school. The story “In People” is no exception to this list.

Analysis of this work causes difficulties for many people, and sometimes it becomes very difficult for them to explain: “What, exactly, was this story about?”

The work “In People” itself, throughout all its chapters, tells about the fate of an early orphaned child who was forced to work “in people” all his childhood, far from home and family. Every now and then he had to do the dirtiest and most difficult work in order to somehow feed himself.

He saw a lot of dirt and injustice in the world on his way, and only the books that he read in rare moments of leisure were able to save him from the gloom of what was happening around him and, time after time, give him the strength to wake up every new morning.

The end of this story is open, but gives hope for a better future: after long wanderings, Alyosha decides to get out of the “swamp” that surrounds him and makes the fateful decision to go to college in a big city.

What does this work tell between the lines? In fact, there are quite a lot of topics, but a number of the main ones stand out clearly. Firstly, this is, of course, the theme of the deep depravity of society of that era. This is evidenced by many episodes in the life of an orphan. These are also memories of a Cossack who tricked a certain woman out of her house, after which he brutally beat and raped her. These are also stories about the family of the owner in whose house Alyosha worked.

Stories of men and women who wasted away from boredom and whose only goal was to eat and sleep. As a child, Alyosha was perhaps the only character who could read. The small child looked around, but saw only half-people with rotten souls, capable only of violence, deception and betrayal. Alyosha's rare meetings with truly good people were extremely rare.

The second theme flows smoothly from the first: the theme of early adulthood of children and their moral education. Maxim Gorky repeatedly emphasized that at the age of 13-15, the main character felt almost like a flabby old man, tired of life. In the living conditions in which poor children found themselves, they had no chance of remaining children.

They grew up too quickly, became smart and sad beyond their years. But the Author also retains some optimism. Using the example of the main character, he shows that such difficult living conditions for strong people are not only not destructive, but also save them. After all, difficulties only strengthened Alyosha’s soul and character, making him a truly strong and kind person, capable of overcoming any hardships of life.

The third topic is the role of books in a child’s life. Think about what kept Alyosha afloat all these years? Did it not allow him to give up, forced him to go forward, made him truly wise in his thoughts and decisions, and ultimately helped him not to blend in with the fading crowd? Did it help you get out of the vicious circle? Yes, they were books. Books in which the heroes were brave and smart were the right example for Alyosha. The books that taught him to think gave him the opportunity to go to college. They played a truly huge role in Alyosha’s life.

So what is M. Gorky’s story “In People” about? It is about the impoverishment and ugliness of society, which has lost its human appearance in boredom and lack of education. It is about the early growing up of children who are faced with non-childish difficulties and about the moral education of such children. In the end, it is about the invaluable contribution of books to the life and improvement of not only a child, but every individual person.

The range of Gorky's types is wide - from tramps to scientists, from thieves to rich people, from provocateurs and detectives to leaders of the revolution. The cardinal question when studying Gorky's work is the question of the characters of his characters. Starting from the first works, with a romantic or realistic basis, the literary types in stories of different stylistics are the same. Gorky was attracted to people who strive for freedom, freedom, and who do not tolerate any violence. Loiko Zobar from the gypsy legend is not so far from Chelkash. Each of them rejects any connection - with a woman, with everyday life, with the household, with anything.

In works about M. Gorky, already in the first critical responses, the writer’s passion for Nietzsche’s ideas was noted. Without clarifying the depth of this passion (characteristic of many Russian writers at the turn of the 20th century), we note how unusual for literature were the characters on whom M. Gorky tried to test the idea of a strong personality, the possibility of human will and reason. True, the writer quickly realized that these people, attractive with their spiritual scope, independence, pride, in real life - both common and their own - would not change anything.

M. Gorky looked closely at various forms of confrontation and rebellion. By the end of the century, his search led to the first major work, where the central character was not a gypsy, not a tramp, but the son of a wealthy merchant, Foma Gordeev (1899). The merchant class was well known to the writer, but he was not a writer of everyday life or a researcher of morals, and among the merchants M. Gorky saw bright people, “breaking out” of life, in which wealth, achieved both by labor and by deception, determines social status and, in ultimately, the degree of human freedom. From the early works, the romantic readiness of the hero to confront the world, the foundations, and the determination to rebel have still been preserved. The revolt in this case is purely psychological, on a moral, not a social basis, although this is precisely what Soviet literary scholars will be looking for.

Perhaps the largest group of Gorky's heroes are characters close to the writer in life position. First of all, autobiographical characters fall into this group. In various cycles of stories, this is the type of “passing” person, a person observing life. Conversations around the fire after working together, chance meetings and random companions - the “passing person” acts as a witness and asks questions, sometimes he tries to answer them himself, but more often he prefers to listen to his interlocutors. Alexey Peshkov from the stories “Childhood” and “In People” (1913-1915) also belongs to this group of heroes.

Searching for an idea, an answer to the question - how to live? — led M. Gorky to create the story “Mother” (1906). The socialist idea discovered by intellectuals first revolutionizes the lives of the young heroes, and then the mother. Devoted service to an idea is akin to religion, hence a certain amount of fanaticism in the readiness to sacrifice everything, but to bring the “word of truth” to people. In this regard, “Mother” echoes “Confession” (1908). The hero of Confession, Matvey, is also looking for an idea that would help him find God in his soul. M. Gorky tried to combine revolutionary ideas with God-building, religion with Marxism. One cannot but agree with the English researcher I. Wyle, who, when comparing these works, emphasizes that in “Mother” sloganeering and rhetoric destroy the artistic fabric. Whereas “Confession” is more convincing precisely because of the artistic quality of the text.

Among Gorky's truth-seeking heroes are not only those who found the idea. Matvey Kozhemyakin, and he was also given by the writer the right to narrate in the first person, understands and sees a lot, but is not able to withstand the circumstances. M. Gorky focuses not so much on the result, but on the process of searching, showing “from the inside” of the Russian province with its rebels and philosophers. Loser Matvey is capable of introspection and is sensitive towards other people.

The endings of many of Gorky’s works are “open”; no answers to worldview questions have been found, although connections with people help the characters overcome confusion and come to their senses even after suicide attempts.

The peculiarity of M. Gorky's autobiographical works is in the apparent shift of the center of attention from the main character to those with whom he communicates, with whom fate brings him, who become his life teachers. The world of his soul, enriched by impressions and encounters, loses nothing, and the reader discovers the process of personality formation, recognition of life in the great diversity of human destinies. Before the reader pass “winter” people and “motley” people, boring and sociable, thoughtful and violent, clear at first glance and never solved.

The next group of literary characters are the heroes of Gorky’s works, who turned out to be insolvent, unnecessary to society; they interested the author in trying to understand why their lives failed. Among such characters who have come to terms with reality are the hero of “The Life of an Unnecessary Man,” who found his place in the service of the secret police, and Klim Samgin, who went through life as a spy, never creating a home or a family, a man of “half thoughts,” “half feelings.” ", envious of everyone who is original, independent in their judgments and actions.

However, Gorky is not interested in these heroes for the purpose of debunking them and demonstrating their inconsistency with ideals. Having polemicized with Dostoevsky throughout his creative life, it was from Dostoevsky that he adopted a craving for the spiritual underground, for revealing the duality of the soul, the discrepancy between how a person wants to look and what he is.

Having gone through a difficult life path, raising himself as an intellectual, M. Gorky had an ambivalent attitude towards the intelligentsia. Appreciating real scientists and artists, it was among the intelligentsia that he observed degenerate and worthless people, devoid of creativity. Talent and the ability to be creative—he put these qualities at the forefront, and in his thoughts about the Russian people, the determining factor was the idea of their “fantastic talent.” However, the cult of the “people” did not last long. And not only because Lenin, after the “Confession,” explained to M. Gorky the inconsistency of “God-building.”

The intellectual heroes of Gorky's works include both public figures and writers whom he portrayed in literary portraits. Among them are those whom he knew closely (L. Andreev) and with whom he communicated from time to time (N. Garin-Mikhailovsky), whom he considered his teacher (V. Korolenko) and whom he worshiped (L. Tolstoy). The undoubted success of M. Gorky in this genre is an essay about L. Tolstoy.

In literary studies, portraits of public figures (Kamo, Krasin, Morozov, etc.), as a rule, end with a consideration of an essay about Lenin, about the ideal friendship of the writer with the leader. Today this legend is dispelled, we have the opportunity to get acquainted with the first version of the essay and learn about M. Gorky’s sharply negative judgments about Lenin. The literary portrait of Lenin truly reflects the ideal of an active, active personality, capable of not just resisting circumstances, but influencing them, subjugating masses of people, and leading oneself. Another thing is what assessment M. Gorky gives to these actions. He expressed seditious thoughts about Lenin as a politician at that time, in particular about the incompatibility of politics and morality. But in the edition of the 1930 essay, which was read by schoolchildren, students and everyone who was interested in M. Gorky’s opinion about Lenin, there is not even a hint of this.

At different periods of his creative work, Gorky turned to a narrative built on a biographical principle, which made it possible to show the process of personality formation (“Foma Gordeev”, “Three”, “The Artamonov Case”). It could be a biography of people of the same generation, but different in character, or the story of several generations. While maintaining the characters' point of view, which in many ways does not coincide with the author's (The Life of Klim Samgin), the writer used various ways to supplement and correct such perception. Following what attracts Samghin’s attention, what causes his repulsion, what position he chooses for observation (“from the side,” “from the side”), we can identify the author’s attitude towards the hero and the nature of the author’s commentary in the work.

Gorky's favorite genre can be considered the story, although he also tried himself in the genre of novel, short story, essay, and memoirs. Over the years he turned to drama. He was attracted by the intensity of conflicts, the correlation of everyday situations and philosophical ideas, direct clashes of heroes without visible intervention by the author. An acute social conflict is the spring of action in the first plays created at the turn of the 20th century: “The Bourgeois” (1901), “At the Lower Depths” (1902), “Summer Residents” (1904), “Children of the Sun” (1905), “Barbarians” ( 1905), "Enemies" (1906). Of these, the most significant is “At the Bottom.” The material itself was unusual - the setting of a flophouse, people thrown out from their environment, having no future, appeared before the viewer in the role of philosophers, solving the eternal problems of the meaning of life. In the apparent clash between Luke and Satin, there was no fundamental difference in their position. Satin paid tribute to Luke and his knowledge of people (“the old man knew the truth”). He himself called for respect for a person, not to humiliate him with pity, but his lofty words were not supported by proper behavior. It was generally accepted that M. Gorky, who at first was passionate about Luke’s truth-seeking, debunked him and showed his spiritual bankruptcy. At the same time, the play is interesting not because of its exposure of “comforting lies,” but because of its real faith in a person.

M. Gorky's plays played out those ideological conflicts that were also resolved in prose. The idea of the Mother - the source of life, the beginning of beginnings - in the plays “Vassa Zheleznova”, “The Old Man”, “The Last”. The mother of a policeman and the mother of a revolutionary, grandmother and mother could not and did not want to understand each other - each had her own truth, her own love, her own faith. In the 30s, Gorky wrote the second edition of “Vassa”, in the plot of which the role of Rachel was strengthened. Vassa dies, seemingly in the prime of life, but in despair from a life lived aimlessly, if there is no heir, if his grandson is taken away.

The idea of a wasted life was also heard in “Yegor Bulychev”. The hero suddenly realized that he lived “on the wrong street.” This time the Father's power was questioned. And the father (either the father of the family, or the spiritual father) does not have it, there is no support, there is no hope for the future, and the disease is fatal. Yegor no longer has God, he has lost faith in himself and in higher powers. The tragic worldview is characteristic of the heroes of Gorky’s later works. Obviously, the pomp and external well-being of the writer’s existence did not correspond to what was in his soul. The books created in the last years of his life became an artistic reflection of spiritual dead ends.

Speaking about the place of M. Gorky in Russian literature, we first of all emphasize the high artistic level of his works. It was determined by talent, knowledge of people, sensitivity to words, the ability to hear another person, to understand a different type of consciousness. The gallery of literary heroes of Gorky's works expands our understanding of the peculiarities of the Russian national character.

Series: Book 2 – Gorky’s Autobiographical Trilogy

Year of publication of the book: 1916

Gorky's story "In People" summary

IN 1 In the chapter of Gorky’s work “In People,” you can read about how the main character Alexey Peshkov got a job in a fashion shoe store. The store was located on the main street of the city, which the owner was very proud of. Alyosha’s brother Sasha, who was slightly older than Alyosha and always tried to demonstrate his importance in the eyes of his brother, also worked here. Nevertheless, Alexey got up an hour earlier and cleaned the shoes, clothes of the owners, the clerk and Sasha. In addition, he delivered goods, carried firewood, set up the samovar and did a lot of other work. When the working day arrived, he stood at the door.

The atmosphere in the store was not the best, everyone was vilifying each other behind their backs. The episode with the actress was especially indicative in this regard. When she entered, the entire store in front of her was practically on their knees, and after leaving with the purchase, Alyosha learned all the dirtiest gossip about her. Not in debt after this, the church watchman approached Alyosha and offered to steal galoshes for him. After some hesitation, the main character agreed, but the watchman said that he was not a gentleman to wear galoshes. He also said that he shouldn’t be so simple, but promised to let him into the bell tower on Easter for his kindness.

Soon, before the eyes of Sasha and Alyosha, the cook, whom they did not really like, died. This made a strong impression on them and brought the brothers closer together. Thanks to this, Sasha showed his brother his cache with copper pins, a broken door handle and the like. In addition, he took his brother to the “chapel” where he tried to create relics from the sparrow he had strangled. Alyosha was outraged by this and he threw out the sparrow. For this, Sasha threatened him with terrible witchcraft. The witchcraft came true the very next day, when he woke up, his face was smeared with wax, and when he put his hand in his shoe, he pricked himself on the pins sprinkled there. For this he poured water on the sleeping Sasha’s head, but still decided to run away. But the escape could not be accomplished, because, lost in thought, Alyosha threw boiling cabbage soup over himself and was sent to the hospital. His grandmother took him from there.

In 2 In the summary chapter of Gorky’s story “In People,” you can read about how bad life became with his grandfather. After all, he was completely ruined. In addition, he learned that Vyakhir had died, Yazy’s legs were paralyzed, and Khabi had gone to the city. Kostroma and Churka are always fighting over a new girl, although she is lame, but very beautiful. Alyosha quickly became friends with Lyuda and began to live “almost like husband and wife, but we don’t sleep together.” Grandmother encouraged this friendship, as long as they didn’t spoil it.

During this period, everyone was occupied by a terrible story about the hunter Kalinin, who had recently died and was allegedly rising from the grave. Valek offered two hryvnia and cigarettes to those who could spend the night at his grave. Unlike Churka, Alyosha succeeded, for which he earned the affectionate surprise of his grandfather and Lyudmila.

IN 3 In the chapter of Gorky’s story “In People,” you can read about how Kolya’s younger brother died. While digging a grave for him, the grandfather accidentally opened his mother’s coffin, from which the smell was still emanating. This made a depressing impression on Alyosha. During a trip to the forest for firewood and herbs, Lesha fell into an old den and cut his side. Grandmother bandaged him with herbs and after that they often went with her to the forest, where Alyosha felt free. One day he saw a dog, but it turned out to be a wolf, and his grandmother drove him away. And one day a hunter hit him with shot, but he bravely endured the pain, for which he received a compliment from his grandfather. Soon the grandfather decided to send Alyosha to his grandmother’s sister Matryona so that he could become a draftsman. When he came to say goodbye to Lyudmila, he found out that she, too, would soon go to the city. Her father decided to cut off her bad leg.

IN 4 You can read parts of Gorky’s work “Into the People” about how Alyosha settled in the house Matryona. He knew the owner of the house, but the new house depressed the boy. After all, they drank a lot here and barely judged others. It's as if someone gave them this right. There was a lot of work, but the main character worked hard, for which he was often praised. Once he quarreled with the owner and said that he was not being taught. They started teaching Alyosha how to draw, but the grandmother was very indignant. After all, although the youngest son told her to go to hell, he was loved, and Alyoshka, in her opinion, was taking away his job. Alyoshka was not allowed to go for walks, but he was sent to church on Saturdays and Sundays. He often took her for walks, just walking around the city and looking into the windows. When it was his turn to confess, the main character was very afraid of this, but the prosphora forgave him all his sins, because he had not read forbidden books. On Easter they brought a miraculous icon of the Mother of God and instead of kissing her hand, the main character kissed her on the lips. I thought they would punish me, but it passed.

If you read Gorky’s story “Into the People” in a chapter-by-chapter summary, then 5 In the chapter you can read how Alyoshka escaped from the draftsman’s house. He didn’t want to go to his grandmother, but he needed a passport to get a job on the ship. His grandfather gave him a passport, and the main character got a job as a cook on the Dobry steamship. The main one here was the cook Smury, in addition there were his assistant Yakov, the waiter Sergei and another dishwasher Maxim. Having found out that Alyosha read, he often forced him to read aloud. Maxim, who had to work for two people, was very worried about this. But no one argued with Smury. After all, he was very strong and communicated with the captain’s wife. It was she who gave him the book “”, after reading which Smury cried. One night, drunk Maxim and Sergei pulled Alyosha to “marry” a tipsy woman. But Smury repulsed him and complained that he would disappear in this herd of pigs.

IN 6 In the chapter of Gorky’s work “In People,” you can read a brief summary about how the Vyatka soldier came to take the place of Maxim, who had paid off. His first order was to slaughter chickens, but he sent them all over the deck and some overboard. This gave the passengers a reason for a lot of jokes and even tied a spoon to his back, which greatly amused everyone. Alexei was confused and forced to think for a long time about why people are so angry. Soon something burst in the engine room, and panic arose. This happened three times over the summer, and each time the main character noticed that people were afraid not of danger, but of ignorance. The last time the thieves were caught and beaten unconscious, the sailors barely fought them off.

For advice, the main character often turned to Smury, who advised him to study and read books. One day Alyosha decided to give him a book, but he said that it was bad and threw it overboard. Alyosha bought it again and read it himself; the book really turned out to be bad. This further raised Smury’s authority in Alyosha’s eyes. But soon he was kicked out of the ship. After all, he didn’t say that Sergei sells dishes to passengers. And Smury gave him a pouch as a farewell gift.

Gorky's story "In People" on the Top books website

The work “In People,” written by the Soviet writer Maxim Gorky, is autobiographical. The narrator tells about the difficult life of poor children and teenagers before the revolution.

Alyosha and Sasha's parents died. The boys served in a shoe shop. Additionally, Alyosha performed household duties in the shop owner’s house. Life was not easy for the teenager, but he tried to do all the work honestly.

The relationship between the brothers did not work out, Alyosha decided to run away. But this idea did not come true. The teenager received severe burns and was taken to the hospital.

Then Alyosha began living in his grandfather's house again. The teenager became close to his grandmother, they often spent time together.

The family did not have enough money, and Alyosha had to get a job as a servant again. But the teenager didn’t like it there either. The work was difficult, the owners allowed him to go for walks. The teenager ran away to work on the ship. Here Alyosha saw how different book heroes are from ordinary people. This discovery saddened the teenager.

In the summer, Alyosha earned money by catching and selling birds. But with the arrival of winter, I had to give up this business and go back to work for strangers. The gray everyday life of the teenager was brightened only by communication with an adult, beautiful woman, who aroused in Alyosha not only the feeling of falling in love for the first time, but also a passion for reading poems.

Then the teenager fell ill and stopped seeing. Dependence on other people had a strong impact on Alyosha. But, fortunately, he soon recovered.

Again the teenager had to work a lot, and he saw the whole vile nature of people, how shopkeepers robbed the poor, buying expensive books and ancient icons from them for pennies.

Maxim Gorky once again reminds readers that you can remain an honest and good person even in difficult life situations.