Danko is a mythical hero. The image and characteristics of Danko in the story of the old woman Izergil Gorky essay. Composition Characteristics and image of Danko

Danko image. Proud, "the best of all" man, Danko died for the people. The legend told by the old woman Izergil is based on an ancient legend about a man who saved people and showed them the way out of the impenetrable forest. Danko had a strong-willed character: the hero did not want a slave life for his tribe, and at the same time he understood that people would not be able to live in the depths of the forest for a long time, without their usual space and light. Mental fortitude, inner wealth, true perfection in biblical tales were embodied in outwardly beautiful people. It was in this way that man's ancient desire for spiritual and physical beauty: “Danko is one of those people, a handsome young man. The beautiful are always bold. Danko believes in own forces, therefore, does not want to spend them "on thought and longing." The hero seeks to lead people out of 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 "all together followed him - they believed in him." The hero is not afraid of difficulties during the 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 the trial of Danko, when people, tired of the severity of the path, hungry, tired and angry, began to blame their leader for everything: “You are insignificant and harmful man for us! You led us and tired us, and for this you will perish! Unable to endure the difficulties, people began to shift the responsibility from themselves to Danko, wanting to find the culprit for their misfortunes. The hero, selflessly loving people, realizing that without him everyone would die, “teared his chest with his hands and pulled out his heart from it and raised it high above his head.” Lighting 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 shone in the diamonds of the rain and the river sparkled with gold." Danko proudly looked at the picture that opened before him and died. The author calls his hero a proud daredevil who died for the 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 frightened of something and stepped "on a proud heart with his foot." The writer characterizes Danko as the best of people. Indeed, the main character traits of the hero are mental stamina, willpower, selflessness, the desire to wholeheartedly 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, was an integral part of his nature, so M. Gorky calls the hero "the best of all." Researchers note the connection of the image of Danko with 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 ?!”

A young man with a kind and brave heart named Danko, at the cost of his own life, gave people a world filled with light, warmth and joy. created a romantic image that makes you wonder what is the meaning of life and the value of human actions.

History of creation

Early creative biography Maxim Gorky is filled with works with romantic motives. The story "Old Woman Izergil" stood in line with the stories "Chelkash" and "Maxim Chudra", in which the author's admiration for the power of the human personality reached its climax. The creation of the next work of the writer was inspired by travels in southern Bessarabia, where he ended up in the spring of 1891. "Old Woman Izergil" even begins with the words

"I saw these stories near Akkerman, in Bessarabia, on the seashore."

Most likely, the birth of literary work took place in the autumn of 1894. A few months later, he was presented to the reading public in the Samarskaya Gazeta, stretching for three numbers.

The composition of the story is complex and interesting. The author mixed two legends (about Larra and about Danko), which are united by the main character - the old woman Izergil. Maxim Gorky chose a "fantasy" style of writing for the work. However, this technique, which allows the reader to evoke a sense of realism of what is happening, he has already managed to test earlier.

The ancient old woman acted as a heroine-narrator, telling about legends, and at the same time about her beloved men, whom she had a chance to meet on life path. Two polar concepts of being, hidden in legends, frame the ideological center of the story. The author tried to determine the value of human life, to answer questions about the limits of individual freedom.


Danko's character appeared due to the writer's passion for work. At the beginning creative way Alexey Maksimovich showed interest in individualistic heroes endowed with a restless spirit.

Readers accepted the work with enthusiasm. The writer was ready for such recognition, because he himself reacted with love to "Old Woman Izergil": in a letter addressed to, the author speaks of the beauty and harmony of the story, recognizes it as the best of his works.

Plot

The first legend told by the old woman tells of a fabulous young man named Larra. The hero, born from an earthly woman and an eagle, is distinguished by a cold look and a rebellious disposition. Larra killed the girl who rejected him and for his pride became an exile from his native tribe. Selfishness doomed the young man to eternal loneliness. However, the tale shows the wise thought of the writer that pride is a wonderful part of character. This quality, if developed in moderation, makes a person a personality and helps not to look back at people's opinions.


The character of the second story is Danko, in whose eyes "a lot of strength and living fire shone." In the allegorical story, people imprisoned in a dark forest follow a young man who has promised them a warm place with a bright sun and clean air. The tribe that got lost along the way began to blame Danko for their troubles and fatigue. But the young man did not give up - he took out a burning heart from his torn chest and, lighting the way with it, led the travelers to the goal. No one appreciated the feat of the deceased in the name of the people of Danko.

Image and prototype

Compiling a characterization of Danko, Maxim Gorky contrasted the hero with the selfish character of the first tale. The author endowed him with a rich inner world, courage and perseverance, made him an ideal of honor, courage and perfection. The ability to self-sacrifice helped to defeat the darkness. Excellent qualities are complemented by a beautiful appearance. The proud daredevil, as the author himself spoke of the character, asked the main question:

"What will I do for people?"

And when he died, he made the reader think about the need for good deeds, about whether humanity is worthy of the victims of "ideal individualists."


The researchers are sure that Alexei Maksimovich, when creating the character, relied on biblical motives, taking features and even. Someone suggests that the hero's name is symbolic: Danko has the same root with the words "give", "giver". In fact, the name is borrowed from the gypsy language and means only “youngest son”, “gypsy”.


As for the prototypes of the character, with the naked eye, there is a connection with Greek mythology where Prometheus gave people fire. On the other hand, references to the philosopher are clearly visible in the story, who insisted on the reasonableness of fire. And Maxim Gorky, by the way, was known as a "fire-worshipper".


But all these statements are considered assumptions. The "confirmed" prototype is only August Strindberg, a Swedish poet who captured the attention of the intelligentsia in the late 19th century. Alexei Maksimovich himself admitted that Danko is very similar to the famous Swede. The character and the writer were united by an important mission - they "illuminated the people, lost in the darkness of the contradictions of life, the path to light and freedom."


Gorky was also known as a fan of the poet Pencho Slaveikov. The Bulgarian also introduced to the masses of readers the idea that the future belongs to individuals with a strong will. The list of the writer's poems includes the work "The Heart of Hearts", where the deceased romantic Shelley is burned in the fire. It is easy to draw a parallel between this image and Danko with a burning heart.

  • In 1967, based on the work of Gorky, the cartoon "The Legend of the Fiery Heart" was created at the Kievnauchfilm studio. Director Irina Gurvich took the legend of Danko as a basis. Two years later, the work was recognized best film for youth at the zonal review, which was held in the capital of Armenia.
  • "Old Woman Izergil" is the second work written by Alexei Peshkov under the pseudonym Maxim Gorky. The first on the list is Chelkash.

  • The mythical hero Danko is dedicated to a monument erected in Krivoy Rog in 1965 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maxim Gorky. At first, the sculpture adorned Gorky Square, then, in connection with the reconstruction of the square, it was moved to Prospekt. The monument was created by the Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR, sculptor Alexander Vasyakin.
  • At the end of the 1990s, a new star by name lit up in the sky of the Russian stage. The pseudonym hides the singer Alexander Fadeev, whose repertoire includes such songs as "Baby", "Autumn", "You are my girl" and others.

Quotes

"Everything in the world has an end!"
“Do not turn a stone out of the way with a thought. Whoever does nothing, nothing will happen to him."
"The heart burned as brightly as the sun, and brighter than the sun, and the whole forest fell silent, illuminated by this torch."
“In order to live, one must be able to do something.”
“We would look vigilantly into the old days - there are all the answers there ... But you don’t look and don’t know how to live because ...”
“He loved exploits. And when a person loves feats, he always knows how to do them and finds where it is possible. In life, you know, there is always a place 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.
“He is the best of all, because in his eyes a lot of strength and living fire shone. That's why they followed him, because they "believed in him."
“Nothing exhausts the body and soul of people as exhausting dreary thoughts. And people weakened from thoughts.

The plot of the legend of Danko

Bold and strong people lived in the old days, but one day other tribes came and drove them deep into the forest. They could either go back and fight to the death against their enemies, but then their covenants would die with them. They could also go forward deep into the impenetrable forest. So these people sat and thought. They were weakened by dreary thoughts, and even some offered to surrender to the enemies as slaves. But then Danko appeared, convinced them to try to go through the terrible forest and led them forward. Once a thunderstorm struck over the forest, it became so dark and scary that people got angry with Danko and wanted to kill him. Then indignation boiled up in his heart, but it went out of pity for people. He loved people and thought that maybe without him they would perish. Danko tore his chest with his hands and tore out his heart from it and raised it high above his head. It burned brighter than the sun, and the people, enchanted, followed it again. And now they were dying, but they were dying without complaints and tears. Danko led people out of the forest into the beautiful steppe. He threw a joyful look at the free land and laughed proudly. And then he fell and died. People, joyful and full of hope, did not notice his death and did not see that his brave heart was still burning next to the body of Danko. Only one cautious person noticed this and, being afraid of something, stepped on the proud heart with his foot ... And now it, crumbling into sparks, died out ... Since then, blue sparks from Danko's heart are visible in the steppe before a thunderstorm.

Analysis

Researchers note the connection of the image of Danko with Moses, Prometheus and Jesus Christ. Danko's name is associated with the same-root words "tribute", "dam", "giving" (even if we consider his name from the point of view of the gypsy language). The most important words of a proud man in the legend “What will I do for people!?”

The antipode of Danko is another character in the story "Old Woman Izergil" - the son of a woman and an eagle, "superman" Larra, who despises people, arrogant, cruel ("he considers himself the first on earth and sees nothing but himself").

This is the name in Romani language and culture

  • Danko - gypsy abbreviation of the name "Daniel"
  • Danko is the surname of one of Hungary's most famous gypsy composers, Danko Pishta; apparently, the surname comes from the name of the ancestor

Literature

  • M. Gorky Selected Writings. - M.: Fiction, 1986. - S. 20-130.
  • Khanov V. A. The story of M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil": cultural aspects // "Russian Literature". - 2003. - № 4.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010 .

See what "Danko" is in other dictionaries:

    "Danko"- ballet in 3 acts 5 scenes (based on the work of M. Gorky). Comp. V. N. Nakhabin, scene. V. Gavrilenko. December 28, 1948, Treasury im. Lysenko, ballet. V. K. Litvinenko, art. D. P. Ovcharenko, conductor P. Slavinsky; Danko - V. K. Litvinenko, Larra - ... Ballet. Encyclopedia

    - (borrowed, masculine) abbreviation for Daniel and Daniel (can be used as an independent name) Gypsy names. Meaning Dictionary... Dictionary of personal names

    DANKO- Voluntary association of non-profit organizations VOOO http://danko.ngo.ru/​ organization ... Dictionary of abbreviations and abbreviations

    In the Lipetsk region, regional subordination, district center, 86 km to northwest from Lipetsk. It is located within the Central Russian Upland, along the banks of the river. Don, at the confluence of the river. Knitting. Railway station on the line ... ... Cities of Russia

    Danko- the hero of the story by M. Gorky, Old Woman Izergil, who tore out his heart from his chest and illuminates the path to freedom for people; the image is a symbol of absolute selflessness and altruism, corresponding to the officially proclaimed values ​​of communist morality; ... ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary

    Danko is the hero of M. Gorky's story "The Old Woman Izergil" Danko (island) an island in the Antarctic Danko is the pseudonym of the singer Alexander Fadeev Danko Ivan main character film "Red Heat" Danko Pishta Hungarian violinist and ... ... Wikipedia

    Pista Danko Monument to Pista Danko in Hungary ... Wikipedia

    Pishta Danko Monument to Pishta Danko in Hungary Full name Danko Istvan Date of birth June 14, 1858 Date of death March 29, 1903 Country ... Wikipedia

    Danko Tsvetichanin Retired Light forward Height: 198 cm Weight: 90 kg Citizenship ... Wikipedia

Books

  • Higher mathematics in exercises and tasks. In 2 parts. Part 2, Danko P. E. 448 p. The content of the second part covers the following sections of the program: multiple and curvilinear integrals, series, differential equations, probability theory, theory of complex functions ...

The legend of Danko is one of the three parts of the story "Old Woman Izergil" by Maxim Gorky. The narrator meets an elderly woman during the grape harvest. She has seen a lot in her life, and she has something to tell people.

The work "Old Woman Izergil" consists of a story about the life of the woman herself and the legend of Danko. In this article you will find Danko's story ( summary).

blue sparks

Against the background of the gloomy landscape of the evening steppe, the narrator notices blue sparks appearing and disappearing. Burning with the desire to find out where they are from, he asks Izergil about it. In response, she begins her leisurely story.

brave people

Once upon a time people lived, they were strong and did not know fear. And then one day an enemy tribe attacked them and drove them from their native steppe places to the swamps, which were surrounded by a dark impenetrable forest. Despair took possession of that tribe, and fear fettered their thoughts. They had only two options: either to return and surrender to the mercy of the invaders, or to go forward through fetid swamps and dense forest. Since these people did not know fear, they wanted to rush towards the enemy and win back native land at the cost of their own lives, but they could not do it, because their covenants would perish with them. What happened next, you will find out by reading our summary.

Danko

When people completely weakened and almost went crazy, the handsome Danko suddenly appeared and called the tribe behind him. He said that everything has its end, the forest is no exception, and that one should not think, but should immediately act. And people, seeing fire in Danko's eyes, followed him. They had to endure a lot on their way, blood and death were their constant companions, all the trials and hardships of people cannot be contained in a summary. Danko did not give up. And when the forces were already running out, people suddenly began to doubt the young and hot guy. Undoubtedly, a handsome and brave man is a real romantic hero, it was this image that Maxim Gorky wanted to recreate. "Danko", a summary of which we are considering, is a work that is a worthy example of the literature of romanticism.

Thunderstorm

Suddenly a storm broke out, thunder rumbled. The trees bent their branches to the very ground, preventing people from walking and frightening them. But since people considered themselves very brave, it was difficult for them to admit their own fear and helplessness. They decided to blame their leader for everything and kill him. The brave guy stood facing his tribe, and for a second rage boiled in him, but it quickly went out, stinging overpowered it. However, people saw the strange Danko and perceived him as a threat. The article presents only a brief summary, the legend of Danko in full detail describes the climax of the work in more detail.

Heart of Danko

At that moment, when people were ready to break the brave leader, Danko pulled out a burning heart from his chest, and it dispelled the darkness. Now the path was illuminated and not at all scary. People rushed after their leader. After some time, the forest parted, the steppe spread out before them, bathed in the sun. Danko looked at the free lands for the last time and fell dead. All the experiences of the protagonist in detail reveals the full content. Burning heart Danko Gorky left as a reminder and as a kind to people.

Cautious person

People, intoxicated with happiness and freedom, did not notice what happened to their savior. And one cautious person took it and for some reason stepped on a burning heart. It shattered into thousands of blue sparks, and then went out. With these words, the story ends, the summary of which was presented to your attention. Danko died in the name of the people.

Completion of the story

The woman fell asleep, the narrator covered her and lay down next to her on the ground. And the steppe was very quiet and did not bode well. This concludes the story "Danko". The summary does not contain all the beauty of the description of nature and other details of the work. For a deeper understanding, please refer to complete version books.

The image and character of Danko (summary). Main features

It is not without reason that Gorky ends his work with the legend of Danko. Thus, he sings of the courage, kindness and self-sacrifice of the protagonist. A distinctive Danko is mercy and the ability to suppress anger in oneself. From the very beginning, the brave handsome man stands out among other members of the tribe with his sharp mind. He understands that people will not live long in such conditions, because their strength is running out, and the desire to fight is about to go out. At the same time, Danko does not want a humiliating slave life for his relatives. Therefore, he encourages them to act, not to think. It is in Danko that they are highly developed and, most importantly, people see it in his eyes. Initially, they were ready to entrust their lives to the leader and went with him voluntarily, this is what the summary boils down to. Danko was guilty without guilt.

The prototype of the brave Danko is the hero of the biblical legend Moses. He too led his people towards freedom. The only difference between these two characters is that God helped Moses, he was, and our hero acted independently, and his act came from a kind and keenly feeling the suffering of people of the heart. A summary of "Danko", or the legend of Danko, or "The Burning Heart of Danko" (many names can be given, and each one will fit with amazing accuracy), of course, cannot convey all the subtleties of the work.

The culmination of the legend is the moment when people, essentially weak-willed and evil, blamed Danko for everything. They wanted to tear him apart. But the hero, ready for self-sacrifice for the sake of his comrades, suppressed his anger, and, not thinking about himself, tore out his heart to light the way for people. Here is another point taken from biblical stories. Self-sacrifice is the main trait inherent in real heroes.

In the final episode, a fair question arises as to whether such people are worthy of the sacrifice made by Danko? None of them appreciated or even noticed the act of the hero. Moreover, one cautious person even dared, while no one saw, to step on a burning heart. However, this act was vital for Danko himself, since his heart was overflowing with love for people, and he could not live, leaving them to certain death.

"The best of all" - this is how Maxim Gorky calls his hero. "Danko" (summary) is a work in which, despite the sad end, good triumphs over evil. The real reward for Danko is the feeling of pride when looking at the free land, and he is happy because he died for the people.

However, the influence of folklore is not limited to Gorky's borrowing of individual plots of folk art. Artistic images, thoughts and feelings expressed in these works are close to folklore, therefore stories are perceived as legends, even fairy tales, because they reflect the ideals of the people, their dream 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. Realistically given is 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, chapped lips”.

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

The anti-ideal is expressed in the legend of Larre, the son of an eagle, who symbolizes individualism and selfishness taken to the extreme. The legend of Danko, on the contrary, embodies the ideal that expresses the highest degree love for people - self-sacrifice. The events of the legends unfold in ancient times, as if in a 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", which 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 darkness from their consciousness, fear of a dark forest with stinking swamps.

Danko's heart flared up and burned to dispel the darkness, not so much of the forest as of the soul. That is why the image of Danko is revealed by Gorky with the help of the image of fire, a burning heart, sunshine: “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 designed to emphasize the heroic aspirations of the young man, giving the whole work an 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 claimed that "beautiful ones are always brave." Therefore, the whole legend about Danko, about his heart, burning with great love for people, is perceived by both the narrator and readers as a bold call to heroic deeds.

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

What this man was afraid of remained a mystery to the writer himself, but in different time different literary critics gave their interpretation of this act. The image of Danko himself has long been associated with counselors, teachers and other people who have devoted themselves to working with children. To lead, you need to have a truly burning heart, albeit in a metaphorical sense.

Children always feel false and are unlikely to light up with such an idea that the teacher himself does not accept or does not share. It is no coincidence that every second group of leaders 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 arouse feelings of pity in the reader, since his act is a feat. Danko's act can only cause pride, admiration, delight, admiration, respect - in a word, such feelings that overwhelm the heart of every reader who imagines a young man with a flaming 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
  • "Old Woman Izergil", a summary of the chapters of Gorky's story