Russia - Maxim Gorky

Published

January 3, 2024

Maxim Gorky

Maxim Gorky (born March 16, 1868, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia—died June 14, 1936) Russian short-story writer and novelist who first attracted attention with his naturalistic and sympathetic stories of tramps and social outcasts and later wrote other stories, novels, and plays, including his famous The Lower Depths.

(He) was a Russian author considered the father of Soviet revolutionary literature and founder of the doctrine of socialist realism. After having a difficult childhood, he roamed across the Russian empire, frequently changing jobs for about fifteen years before he became a successful writer. The experiences he had during those fifteen years deeply influenced his writing. Initially, he wrote stories mainly based on the lives of tramps and social outcasts, and he became known for his naturalistic style of writing. One of his greatest works is ‘The Mother,’ which Lenin praised as “a very timely book.”

Gorky was deeply associated with fellow Russian writers, Anton Chekhov and Leo Tolstoy and later wrote memoirs on them. Gorky was not only a great writer but also an influential figure in the political thinking. He was active with the emerging Marxist social-democrat movement. Initially a Bolshevik supporter, he became a critic when Vladimir Lenin seized power. However, later Gorky served as a Soviet advocate and headed the Union of Soviet Writers. His life was marked with a number of politically forced and sometimes self-imposed exiles.

He was nominated five times for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Story

We will read Gorky’s story The Clown.

Themes

  • Being Pretentious and Being Genuine
  • Humour as way to examine Life1
  • What does a Court Jester/Stand-Up Comedian do for a living2?
  • A Joker in a pack of cards?
  • Street Events, The Bystander Effect, and Jane Jacobs’ idea “Eyes on the Street”
  • Signalling and How to Speak without Talking
  • Risk Taking for the Benefit of Society
  • Hating Oneself for Cowardice?
  • Envy / Jealousy and Anger

Additional Material

Notes and References

  1. Hingley, Ronald Francis. “Maxim Gorky”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Maxim-Gorky. Accessed 6 January 2024.
  2. Guzeva, Alexandra. Russia Beyond, March 28, 2018. 5 reasons why Soviet writer Maxim Gorky is so great. https://www.rbth.com/arts/327885-why-soviet-writer-gorky-great. Accessed 6 January 2024.
  3. Jane Jacobs. 1961. “The Death and Life of Great American Cities”. PDF.

The Death and Life of Great American Cities is a 1961 book by writer and activist Jane Jacobs. The book is a critique of 1950s urban planning policy, which it holds responsible for the decline of many city neighborhoods in the United States. The book is Jacobs’ best-known and most influential work.

Robert Kanigel’s biography of Jacobs is called Eyes on the Street, a phrase that Jacobs herself coined about the crucial importance of a vibrant street life to neighborhood safety and community.

  1. Carlheim-Gyllensköld, Monika. March 11, 2016. Lars Gustafsson’s Blog: An open letter to Roger Mogert
  2. On Not Speaking Out and the Bystander Effect

“First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me”

— PASTOR MARTIN NIEMÖLLER

  1. Is Signalling Costly? Penn DJ, Számadó S. The Handicap Principle: how an erroneous hypothesis became a scientific principle - PDF. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc.2020;95(1):267-290. doi:10.1111/brv.12563

Song(s) for the Story

  1. Perhaps, after listening to this Hindi song, we will understand why Raj Kapoor was so popular in Soviet Russia !!

https://youtu.be/OXPmxcFgXvY

  • Singer: Mukesh
  • Music Director: Shankar-Jaikishan
  • Film: Mera Naam Joker
  • Starring: Raj Kapoor, Simi Garewal, Manoj Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Dara Singh, Padmini, Rajendra Kumar.
  • Year: 1970
Hindi Lyrics English Translation
Kehta hai joker saara zamaana Says the Joker, that the whole World
Aadhi haqikat aadha fasana (is) Half Truth, Half Story
Chashma utaaro phir dekho yaaro Remove your specs, and then see, my friends
duniya nayee hai, chehra purana The World is New, the Face is Old
kehta hai joker… Says the Joker…
—– —–
( Apne pe hans kar jag ko hansaya He laughs at Himself to make the World laugh
Ban ke tamasha mele main aaya) (x2) Becoming a Show, he Comes to this gathering
mele main aaya Comes to this Gathering
(hindu na muslim, poorab na pashchim) (x2) Not Hindu not Muslim, nor East nor West
Mazhub hai apna, hansna hansaana My Religion is to Laugh and make others Laugh
kehta hai joker … Says the Joker…
—— —–
(Dhakke pe dhakka, rele pe rela Pushing and Shoving all around
Hai bheed itni, par dil akela ) (x2) Such a Crowd, but the Heart is Lonely
par dil akela but the Heart is Lonely
(gam jab sataye, seeti bajaana ) (x2) When Sadness troubles you, Whistle!!
par maskhare se dil na lagana But never Become Attached to Joker / Humour!
kehta hai joker … Says the Joker…
chasma utaro … Remove your specs,….
kehta hai joker … Says the Joker…

Writing Prompts

  1. On being funny at the “wrong time”
  2. On being a bystander in a street crime / Actions Speak Louder than Words?
  3. On the Design of an ad/campaign for the Police to prevent neighbourhood crime
  4. On a cringe-worthy act on your part (autobiographical first person writing)
  5. A discussion of jobs and professions that seem to take risks for the benefit of society
  6. Comparing this story with Peter Carey’s The Last Days of the Famous Mime.
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Footnotes

  1. Reference to the “circus life, we all need a clown” in Steve Perry/Journey’s classic rock song, Faithfully.↩︎

  2. Reference to “….When the jester sang for the king and queen, In a coat he borrowed from James Dean….Oh, and while the king was looking down, The jester stole his thorny crown, The courtroom was adjourned” in Don McClean’s rock anthem, American Pie.↩︎