Description of Vasilisa at the bottom. M. Gorky "At the Bottom": description, characters, analysis of the play. History of the play

Gorky's dramaturgy is very interesting for its problematics and the power of its philosophical reflections. The play “At the Depths,” which represents the totality of the writer’s social and philosophical views, achieved a certain perfection in this regard.

The exhibition, with the help of extensive author's remarks and statements of the characters, depicts a “cave-like basement” in which thieves, cheaters, prostitutes, and former workers live, fight, die: locksmith Kleshch, cap maker Bubnov, telegraph operator Satin, Actor, Baron. Their situation is not much different from each other, despite the fact that some, like Kleshch, hope to “break out”, others, like Satin, want to “forget about human life.” All of them are at different stages of falling “to the bottom,” but nevertheless, they are freed from social characteristics and differences, remaining naked.

This characterization of the characters makes it possible to show social conflict from an unusual point of view. There are masters here too, but they operate on a microscopic scale. So, the “masters of life” in the work are represented by the hostel owner Kostylev, a hypocritical, cowardly, disgusting old man who squeezes profit from the living and the dead, from every breath of his victims, and his wife Vasilisa, a cruel, greedy predator who makes her way through crimes.

Kostylev, the owner of the flophouse, appears in the play in the first act. And his very first phrase can inspire hostility towards him. The old man enters the basement at the moment when the Actor is trying to take the dying Anna out into the hallway to get some fresh air. Seeing them, Kostylev declares: “Oh, what a nice couple, a ram and a little lamb.” It immediately becomes clear that we will not see a drop of sympathy in this character. A little later, the owner of the shelter promises Kleshch to throw another “fifty kopecks” onto his main payment. To this Kleshch answers him: “You throw a noose around me and crush me... You’ll die soon, but you’re still thinking about fifty dollars...” Kostylev is a disgusting character, Gorky, in order to emphasize this, gives him the opportunity to talk about kindness. What satire!.. “Can kindness of heart be compared with money? Kindness is above all good things.” And we hear these words from a man who literally crushes his inhabitants with inhuman conditions, about which he himself later says: “And I love you all... I understand, my brothers, you are unfortunate, worthless, lost...”. Socially inferior, morally, the inhabitants of the basement seem much more humane than this “master of life.” In almost every one of the basement “tramps” you can find some good qualities, albeit perverted due to such an inhuman life, but they exist. We cannot find a single positive trait in Kostylev.

Indicative in terms of the “masters of life” is the image of Kostylev’s wife Vasilisa. This woman has no morals. By marrying an old man for money and a certain social status, she showed her position in life. She is a “smart woman” and knows how to adapt to any situation.

Initially, we only learn about Vasilisa that she is the mistress of the thief Vaska Ash. But what is it? Real feelings, emotions or again cold calculation, search for permanent benefit? More likely the second. Of course, with an old husband it’s good to have a young lover, but if there is another, monetary benefit from the lover... Vasilisa knows that Vaska depends on her, understands that she can hand him over to the police at any moment and forces him to steal. How long this lasted is unknown. Gorky brings us to the moment when Ash decided to rebel: “You are beautiful, Vaska... but my heart was never in love with you... And I lived with you and that’s all... but I never liked you... “It turns out that Vaska Pepel loves Vasilisa’s younger sister. And it is impossible to love the hostess of the shelter, because she is a beautifully built monster. Behind the beautiful appearance there is a terrible, ugly essence. Ash himself speaks about her very precisely: “you have no soul, woman... A woman must have a soul... We are animals... we need... we need to be taught... and what have you taught me to do?..”. But even in this situation, Vasilisa is not lost, but invites Vasily to give up his younger sister Natasha, for which he will have to kill Kostylev. It immediately becomes clear to us that Vasilisa did not have any bright emotions for Ash. Wanting to deal with everyone in one fell swoop, she incites Vaska to commit a crime. Otherwise, she promises to completely torture her younger sister. And everything turned out exactly as Vasilisa had planned. Seeing Vaska and Natasha talking, she drives her sister home, locks herself in the room with her and begins to brutally beat her. Gorky does not show us this scene, but already knowing what this monstrous woman is capable of, it becomes scary.

The fight scene can be called the climax of the social conflict of the drama. Through negligence, Ash still kills Kostylev. Now he faces prison or hard labor. Vasilisa did her terrible job; in one fell swoop she got rid of three people at once: her husband, her lover and her sister. And it’s okay that they take her to the police station along with Vaska. She is a “smart woman” and can always get out. It is precisely such people who are capable of living in such living conditions. It’s unlikely that anything will ever bring her down; she’s too cunning and resourceful for that. And if we talk about resolving the social conflict, the murder of Kostylev was completely senseless. It did not resolve social contradictions. The inhabitants of the shelter returned to their activities. And Vasilisa will most likely act as the owner of the basement, and it is easy to imagine that life under her yoke will become completely unbearable for the “tramps.”

Thus, Gorky, through the images of Kostylev and Vasilisa, showed the moral level of the “masters of life” of the bottom. In this regard, they fell even lower than the inhabitants of the shelter, for there was nothing human left in them.

Vasilisa

Vasilisa is a character in Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”; the wife of the hostel owner Kostylev and the mistress of Vaska Pepla. Vasilisa is a cruel and domineering woman. She is 28 years younger than her husband and does not love him at all; most likely, she lives with him for the sake of money. She dreams of getting rid of him as quickly as possible and from time to time persuades the guest Vaska the Thief to rid her of her husband.

Kostylev guesses about his wife’s adventures and always wants to catch her at Vaska’s, but to no avail. Vaska, in turn, is in love with Vasilisa’s younger sister, Natasha. He dreams of leaving with her somewhere far away, for example, to Siberia and building a new life there. Natasha responds coldly to his advances, as she knows about their relationship with Vasilisa.

Vasilisa doesn't like her sister. Out of envy and anger, she constantly attacks her with her fists. She even goes so far as to pour boiling water on her. Ash gives Vasilisa the following description: “...there is no soul in you, woman... A woman must have a soul...” At the end of the work, she still achieves her goal. Vaska, in a fit of impulse, kills Kostylev, who attacked him.

Other works on this topic:

Kostylev Kostylev is a character in M. Gorky’s work “At the Lower Depths”; the owner of the flophouse in which the play takes place; husband of the cunning and treacherous Vasilisa. Kostylev is 54 years old, and...
Vaska Ash Vaska Ash is one of the characters in Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”, a guest at the shelter, a hereditary thief. He was told from childhood that he would grow up to be a thief, like...
Vasilisa is the wife of the hostel owner Kostylev, she represents the “masters of life.” She is cruel, domineering and treacherous. In life, she is only interested in money. Outwardly she is very beautiful...
Natasha Natasha is one of the female characters in Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”, the sister of the Mistress of the shelter, a kind and kind-hearted girl. Her image is noticeably different from others...
Medvedev Medvedev is one of the minor characters in M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”, Vasilisa and Natalya’s uncle, a policeman. He is the district police officer of the area where the shelter is located...
Vaska Pepel is a strong and passionate person. His whole life is a thief's luck. “Really – I’m not afraid! Even now - I will accept death! Take a knife...
Anna Anna is a character in the play “At the Lower Depths,” a woman with consumption who is living her last days, the wife of the hard worker Kleshch. She is tired of a life in which she is shaking over...
Actor Actor is one of the characters in M. Gorky’s play “At the Lower Depths”, an inhabitant of a flophouse. He does not give his real name, because he himself forgot it for the reason...

Vasilisa is the wife of the hostel owner Kostylev, she represents the “masters of life.” She is cruel, domineering and treacherous. In life, she is only interested in money.

She is very beautiful on the outside, but this cannot hide the ugliness of her soul. She doesn't love her husband. He is old, and the only reason for their marriage is Vasilisa’s desire to have money from her husband’s shelter.

Vasilisa constantly beats her sister, a kind and pure girl, especially after she found out that her young lover Vaska Pepel fell in love with her.

Is the lover of the thief Ash, threatens him with the police

And he incites him to steal, and then to kill his husband. Ash characterizes Vasilisa this way:

“... there is no soul in you, woman... A woman must have a soul...”;

"Beast! Are you boasting about your atrocity?”

After Ash refuses, Vasilisa begins beating her sister Natasha. It comes to the point that she pours boiling water on her. A fight ensues in which Kostylev is killed.

Vasilisa is arrested along with Ash, but it becomes clear that she will be able to escape punishment.

“Vasilisa will turn out! She is cunning. And Vaska will be sent to hard labor..."

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Vaska Pepel is a strong and passionate person. His whole life is a thief's luck. “Really – I’m not afraid! Even now - I will accept death! Take a knife, strike against the heart... I’ll die without a groan! Even - with joy, because - from a clean hand...” He is a hereditary thief and swindler. He occupies a privileged position in the shelter – [...]
Natasha is the sister of the hostel owner’s wife, a kind and kind-hearted girl. She suffered a difficult fate - poverty and constant bullying from her sister and her husband. And yet she managed to maintain spiritual purity and innocence. It is because of this that the thief Vaska Pepel falls in love with her. He calls her to go with him to Siberia: “I said, I’ll leave [...]
Kostylev Kostylev is a character in M. Gorky’s work “At the Lower Depths”; the owner of the flophouse in which the play takes place; husband of the cunning and treacherous Vasilisa. Kostylev is 54 years old, and his wife is only 26. She lives with him only for money and secretly dreams that he would die soon. By nature, this person is quite greedy, hypocritical and cowardly. He made his profit [...]
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Gorky's dramaturgy is very interesting for its problematics and the power of its philosophical reflections. The play “At the Depths,” which represents the totality of the writer’s social and philosophical views, achieved a certain perfection in this regard. The exhibition, with the help of extensive author's remarks and statements of the characters, depicts a “cave-like basement” in which thieves, cheaters, prostitutes, former workers live, fight, die: locksmith Kleshch, cap maker Bubnov, telegraph operator Satin, Actor, […]. ..
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The work, written by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky, not only went down in the history of literature, but also became a laureate of the Griboyedov Prize. The play “At the Bottom”, a summary of the actions of the immortal work is the purpose of our article. It is curious that Gorky initially chose between several options for titles for the play: “Without the Sun”, “At the Bottom of Life”, and the writer also thought of calling the text “Nochlezhka” or “The Bottom”. On the advice of the representative of the Silver Age, writer Leonid Andreev, Gorky settled on the title “At the Depths”.

Dear book lovers! We invite you to familiarize yourself with Maxim Gorky, where the author exposes the harsh reality of past centuries.

The play was presented to a wide audience in 1902. The genre of Gorky's work is innovative. For example, there is no traditional plot, familiar to drama, and the action is presented through the dialogues of the characters. The writer chose a rooming house as the setting for the action, where people - representatives of the social bottom - huddled.

The central idea of “At the Bottom” centers on an attempt to answer the question of what is better to choose: truth or suffering. In addition, Gorky asks the question of what a person needs more. The writer brings out many topics that he forces the reader to think about. Among them: ontological restlessness of a person and the search for a place in life, the problem of faith in people, white lies, the ability of a person to independently change the conditions of his life.

The main characters of "At the Bottom"

Among the central characters who act in the play, Gorky highlights, in particular:

Mikhail Kostylev– a 54-year-old man who runs a lodging house.
Vasilisa– Mikhail’s wife, who also cheated on her husband with Vaska Pepl; 26 year old girl.
Natasha– Vasilisa’s 20-year-old sister, who often suffered beatings from her; one day, when Vasilisa once again beat Natasha, she ended up in a hospital ward; The reader says goodbye to Natasha when, after the hospital, the heroine disappears - no one knows where.
Vaska Pepla– a 28-year-old youth who made a living as a thief; one day Vaska thinks about life, striving to change for the better; the guy's mother gave birth to a son in prison; Vaska sincerely wants to become Natasha’s husband, to get rid of Vasilisa’s pressure, because the wife of the owner of the shelter wanted Ash to kill her husband.
Luke– a 60-year-old traveler preaching lies for the greater good (as Gorky says, Luke is an adherent of “comforting lies”); the hero talks little about himself.
Andrey Mitrich Klesch– embodiment of the image of a “working man”; this is a 40-year-old man working as a mechanic who dreams of one day returning to the normal life he once led; Having lost his job, Kleshch ends up in a shelter; perhaps Andrei Mitrich is the only character in the play who did not accept the circumstances of life; the man believes that after the death of his wife he will escape from the shelter and return to his former life; The tick does not believe that he belongs among the other inhabitants of the house;
Bubnov– 45-year-old cap worker; the man is convinced that not a single person on this planet is capable of having his own place; Bubnov does not hide the fact that he loves gambling and alcohol; ends up in a shelter after his wife cheats, so as not to commit a “sin”.
Baron– a 33-year-old man who once led the life of an aristocrat; a former nobleman, the Baron said goodbye to his former life; Now the man lives with Nastya.
Satin– 40-year-old boarding house resident; the main idea that Satin “professes” is the conviction of the need for spiritual freedom for every person; in the “past”, normal life, Satin was a telegraph operator; Once Satin defended his sister’s honor, but killed a man in the process: for this offense the man was sent to prison, where he spent almost 5 years.
Actor– an image that embodies the unbridled life of creative bohemia; The actor abuses alcohol and adheres to a pessimistic worldview, believing that life cannot be changed; as a result, the Actor takes his own life; Actor's pseudonym is Sverchkov-Zavolzhsky; the character’s current life is immersed in memories of the past, of the lofty; An actor is a hero with a subtle mental organization; the reader also knows that the Actor has lost his name and reputation.

This list demonstrates the central characters of the work of Maxim Gorky.

Supporting heroes

Abram Medvedev– a 50-year-old policeman who is Natasha and Vasilisa’s uncle;
Abram– a supporter of discipline and normative human behavior, who believes that people should choose peaceful behavior.
Anna– Andrei Mitrich’s wife; This is a 30-year-old woman who is kind-hearted and calm; As a result, unfortunate Anna dies in a rooming house.
Alyoshki- a 20-year-old boy working as a shoemaker.
Crooked Zob and his friend nicknamed “Tatar” - male hookmen (hired workers who performed the work of moving goods).
Nastya– the Baron’s concubine; A 24-year-old girl engaged in prostitution, who, meanwhile, cherishes dreams of true and pure love. The profession that the girl has chosen for herself does not suit the nature of Nastya herself. The prostitute is used to being a pleasure for a huge number of men completely unknown to her. At the same time, Nastya did not “merge” with her profession and was not disappointed in the stronger sex. The girl dreams of great pure love.
Kvasni– a 40-year-old woman who makes her living selling dumplings.

Also in the play there are figures of tramps and beggars, to whom insignificant remarks belong.

Brief summary of the events of the play “At the Lower Depths” by action

First act

Early spring. The reader's imagination is concentrated on the scene of action - the lodging house. Gorky describes the shelter as a place resembling a cave. On the stage is Mite, who is busy selecting keys that fit decrepit locks. Near the man lie a small anvil and a vice - the tools with which the hero makes a living. In the center of the stage is a table, untidy and dirty. Kvashnya and the dining Baron are sitting at the table. Also next to the heroes is Nastya, reading an old, dilapidated book.

Dear lovers of the work of Maxim Gorky. We invite you to familiarize yourself with

The makeshift “dining room” is separated from the other rooms of the shelter by the same dirty curtain. Behind this partition there is a bed. Anna's cough can be heard from the "room" with the bed.

Also in the lodging house there is a stove, which the Actor occupied, and bunks where Bubnov was busy sewing a cap.

Freedom is dear to a woman. Therefore, the heroine laments that boyfriends are only bothering her. Kleshch disagrees with Kvashnya, claiming that the heroine is lying. In fact, Andrei Mitrich is sure that Kvashnya, without thinking, will agree to become Medvedev’s wife, only he does not offer this. Meanwhile, Kvashnya notices that Medvedev is cruel to his wife, beating the woman half to death.

The reader and viewer find out what kind of book Nastya is reading: snatching the book from the girl’s hands, the Baron shows the cover - “Fatal Love”. The name makes the man laugh. Anna, a sick woman on the verge of death, complains of screaming and swearing. The heroine asks for a peaceful death. However, Andrei Mitrich is angry about his dying wife. Kvashnya, on the contrary, evokes sympathy for Anna: the heroine even treats the woman to hot dumplings. Anna does not eat dumplings, giving the treat to her husband. Luka, who is the only one who calms the sick woman, seems to Anna to be kind and gentle, like a father.

The dialogue continues, only now the conversation is between Satin, Bubnov, Actor, and also Kleshch. The characters talk about what their past lives were like. Satin, for example, believes that he previously led the life of a cultured person. Bubnov’s former profession is a leather tanner. It turns out that the man once owned his own office, where he worked as a furrier. For an Actor, the main value in life is having talent, not getting an education.

Kostylev appears on stage: a man is looking for a wife. In an attempt to find his wife, the hero goes to Ash's room. The rooms in the rooming house are separated by thin partitions that look like plywood. However, Ash does not help Kostylev, driving the hero away. Here the reader understands that Vasilisa, the wife of Mikhail Kostylev, is cheating on her husband with Ash. Mikhail is sure that there is a connection between Vasilisa and Ash, that they are committing adultery. But Kostylev cannot prove this, because he has never seen his wife and Vaska together in the bedroom.

Ash borrows money from Satina. This becomes a pretext for the writer for philosophical reflection on the role and meaning of money. Gorky put this thought into Satin’s mouth. The hero is interested in the problem of work and vocation, money and freedom. Life is enjoyable if a person enjoys the work. If you have to work out of obligation, then life is like hard labor or slavery.

Satin and the Actor leave the stage where Natasha comes out. The girl is accompanied by a newcomer who has come to the shelter. The man's name is Luka. Ash shows sympathy for Natasha: it is clear that the hero is in love with the girl and demonstrates his feelings by flirting with Natasha. However, she does not accept Ash’s signs of attention.

Alyoshka, who has already drunk, appears on stage. The young man expresses bewilderment as to why no company accepts him. Alyoshka does not think that he is worse than others, so he is surprised and upset because of his loneliness.

The tick is sure that he will soon leave the shelter. Here the man is held only by his dying wife: as soon as Anna dies, Kleshch will leave. Ash believes that his friend’s hopes are in vain. Andrei Mitrich clearly separates himself from the rest of the “guests” of the shelter. Ash does not agree with this division, believing that Tick is no better or worse than any other person in the shelter. The Baron and Ash leave the stage.

Vasilisa, who appears on the stage, scolds Alyoshka, who is already quite drunk. The rest of the “guests” of the shelter also displease the girl. Vasilisa asks if Natasha communicated with Ash, and then leaves the stage.

Screams and noise are heard from the entryway: Vasilisa is beating her younger sister. Bubnov, as well as the girls’ uncle and Kvashnya who came running, try to stop the fight.

Second act

The scene has not changed. Some of the characters are playing cards at the table. Actor and Kleshch also focused attention on the game. A game of checkers is played by Medvedev and Bubnov. Luka spends time near Anna. A woman complains about the circumstances of her life, complaining about what she has to worry about. Luka tries to calm Anna down. The husband treated the woman cruelly, humiliating and beating Anna. The tick is a greedy person. Andrei Mitrich starved his wife and forced her to walk in rags. The old man tells Anna that after death a better life awaits her, rest, peace, absence of illnesses.

The actor wants to remember his profession and read a few poems for Luke, but he forgets the words of the poems. Then the hero despairs, realizing that everything good and significant in his life has already happened. The actor drank away his talent. Luka reassures the Actor, explaining that there are special hospitals that cure drunkenness. But Luka doesn’t remember the city where these hospitals are located. The Elder advises the Actor to give up alcohol and endure “withdrawal.” According to Luke, a person is capable of anything: what a person receives depends only on the efforts he puts in.

Ash appears on the scene. The hero is gloomy and melancholic. Ash starts a conversation with Vasilisa and Natasha’s uncle, Medvedev, wondering how much Natasha suffered at the hands of her sister. Medvedev, meanwhile, hesitates to answer, believing that these are intra-family matters. Then Vasily threatens to report to the police department about the tricks of the owner of the shelter with his wife. Kostylev persuaded Ash to steal some things and then sell the stolen goods.

Luka tries to separate the disputants. Vasily says that Luka is lying, that everything will be fine, asking about the reasons for this lie. The elder believes that the search for truth is a futile exercise. Instead of this empty matter, Ash should go to the gold mines in Siberia, because there Vasily will be able to start life anew.

Vasilisa enters the stage and begins a conversation with Ash. The young man says that he doesn’t love the girl, that she’s tired of him because she’s empty inside. Vasilisa wishes her husband death, inciting Vaska to kill Kostylev. The payment for the murder is Natasha, whom Ash has long dreamed of marrying. However, Luka recommends that Ash not accept Vasilisa’s offer, but simply leave here with Natasha. Here the owner of the shelter appears on the scene, trying to fight with Vasily. Luke doesn't let the men quarrel.

One of the rooming house guests looks behind the curtain separating Anna’s “room”: the woman is dead. Those present go to the bed of the unfortunate woman. Anna's death did not cause any emotions. Bubnov cynically stated: Anna’s death is for the better, since now the woman’s cough will not bother her at night.

Third act

The reader and viewer find themselves in a “wasteland”. The author calls a wasteland the yard of a rooming house, which is overgrown with thickets and bushes. Here the reader witnesses Nastya's love story. The student loved the girl. The girl’s story makes Baron and Bubnov laugh, who do not believe that Nastya really experienced real, deep feelings. The Baron notices that the student's name changes every time in Nastya's story. The taunts of men lead the girl to despair, Nastya gets upset and cries.

Luke comes to the rescue again. The elder tells Nastya that she really felt feelings of love if she believes in it. The fact that the Baron mocks the girl, according to Luke, only indicates that the man did not know true love, and therefore doubts that such feelings exist.

Luke’s position forces the “guests” of the rooming house to think about what truth and lies are. Natasha expresses the opinion that people create images, invent the life they dream about. People, special situations, events that you want to experience are also invented. Meanwhile, the girl does not know what she wants and what exactly she is waiting for. The root of this fabrication of a desired life is the unhappiness that reigns in society.

Bubnov's position differs from Natasha's opinion. The hero believes that one should not indulge oneself with illusions. The right path is the path of truth, no matter how cruel this truth is. Andrei Mitrich, who is characterized by hatred of people, is also close to Bubnov’s thoughts. Having expressed his thoughts about truth and lies, Kleshch leaves the stage.

Cinder then joins the conversation. The hero asks Luke why he tells people lies. Luke reassures all the “guests” of the shelter, convincing people that there is some kind of bright future. Vasily wonders why the man says this, because, most likely, there is no bright future. Luke says that the truth is not always a cure for the soul, so sometimes it is worth resorting to lies for the good. Lies console a person in difficult situations. The elder is also about to leave the shelter.

Vasily confesses his love for Natasha, asking the girl to run away from the rooming house together. Ash says that if Natasha agrees, he will no longer engage in theft. Ash seeks to leave this life, wanting to start over with a clean slate. The young man's goal is to achieve self-respect. Natasha thinks and doubts. The reason is a lack of trust in Ash. However, after some hesitation, the girl still trusts Vaska.

Kostylev and Vasilisa, who knew about the conversation between Vasily and Natasha, appear on the stage. Vasilisa strives to start a quarrel, involving Ash and her husband in feuds. Luke again manages to save the situation: the elder managed to keep Ash from fighting.

The owner of the shelter and Ash are talking. Kostylev is convinced that there are certain rules that a person should follow. Respectable people, for example, carry passports. Luka does not hide his thoughts and speaks openly in a conversation with Kostylev. The elder is sure that a man should think about his views on life in order to change himself for the better. But Kostylev will not be able to do this, since any change requires soil, and Mikhail is already too spoiled for change. After this conversation, the “guests” drive Luka away from the lodging house. The old man says that he will leave the shelter at night.

Bubnov’s advice: the main thing is to choose the right time to leave. The story of the hero is connected with this principle. When his wife cheated on Bubnov, he went to the shelter so as not to kill his wife out of anger and jealousy.

Satin and the Actor, in a fit of argument, end up in the basement. Satin expresses doubts that the Actor will ever be able to escape from the “bottom”. The man is interested in the words that the Actor heard from Luke. Here the reader also learns about the history of Satin. It turns out that the hero fell to the “bottom” while protecting his sister. When his sister’s honor was hurt, Satin, in a fit of anger, killed the offender. For murder, the hero went to prison, which closed the door to decent society for the man.

Anna's funeral took the last funds out of Andrei Mitrich's pocket: Kleshch even sold all the tools. Now the hero does not know how to make a living.

Screams are heard from the room occupied by Kostylev. The “guests” run to the sounds of a fight: Vasilisa again brutally beats Natasha. Satin and the Actor are trying to figure out the situation. In the noise and bustle, only broken remarks and exclamations can be heard, which make it clear that the residents of the shelter are breaking up the sisters’ fight.

Natasha was severely maimed by her sister: Vasilisa poured boiling water on the girl’s legs and beat her. With the help of Kvashnya and Nastya, the wounded Natasha ends up in the hospital. The girls are followed by the “guests” of the shelter, as well as Vasilisa and her husband. Vaska, having seen his beloved, beats the owner of the shelter. Kostylev falls to the ground from surprise and the force of the blow. Vasilisa’s screams are heard that her husband has been killed. At the same time, Vasily, whom the girl pointed out as her husband’s killer, admits that Vasilisa offered to kill her husband in exchange for her sister.

Natasha, overcome with hysterics, calls Ash a traitor and believes that the young man has conspired with his sister. Almost unconscious, the girl wants to be taken to a prison cell.

Act Four

So - the beginning of spring again. The action takes place in the basement of a rooming house. On the stage there is a table at which Andrei Mitrich, Nastya with the Baron, and Satin are located. The corner that was previously occupied by Vasily Pepel (now the room is not fenced, since the partition boards have been removed) is now occupied by Tatar.

The “guests” are overwhelmed by memories of Luka: the elder quietly left the shelter when Ash accidentally killed Kostylev and Natasha was taken to the hospital. Nastya is sure that only Luka realized and understood what was happening, seeing through people. It was not for nothing that Luka dubbed the “guests” of the shelter “rust.” Andrei Mitrich supports the girl’s position, considering Luka a good-natured, compassionate, good old man. According to Tatar, Luka adhered to the “golden rule of morality” in life.

Satin, on the contrary, had no sympathy for Luke. The hero believes that the old man only regaled the “guests” of the lodging house with illusions, and, moreover, was distinguished by his spinelessness and softness. The Baron agrees with Satin, for whom Luka is a scoundrel, a liar, a charlatan.

Nastya does not like being in the company of Baron, Satin and other “guests” of the shelter. The girl wants to leave the “bottom”, the people who are disgusting to her, the life that forces her to earn a living through prostitution. Nastya is attracted to the “end of the world” as a symbol of life from scratch. The Baron mocks and laughs at his mistress, inciting the girl with offers to go to the “end of the world” with the Actor, who is also constantly trying to leave the “bottom”.

Andrei Mitrich, continuing his thoughts about Luke, emphasized that the elder pointed to the goal, but did not show the path to this goal. Luka, Kleshch admits, was a supporter of lies rather than truth, which is logical, because life is unbearable without the truth, and even more so with the truth.

Satin is annoyed by conversations about Luke. The man gets angry and asks him to stop talking about the elder. Satin is attracted to the truth, but lies anger the hero. The man believes that Luke felt sorry for people, and that’s why he told lies, leading them into illusion. According to Satin, lies and pity are not a person’s best friends. However, Satin’s position was based on the specific influence of Luke’s reasoning on the hero’s image of the world: this image crumbled to dust because of Luke’s speeches. Satin didn't like it.

The death of Kostylev also comes to the attention of the “guests”. Natasha, who witnessed the murder of the owner of the lodging yard, disappeared after leaving the hospital. Vasilisa, a nimble and cunning girl, will be able to get away with it. The ashes, without a doubt, will end up either in prison or even in hard labor.

The conversation turns to thinking about the meaning of life. Satin is convinced that people are worthy of respect. No matter what a person is, you cannot insult, humiliate a person’s dignity, offend or feel sorry for him. Pity and respect are not compatible. The Baron, who once led the life of an aristocrat, admits that he has already experienced all the good things, and his current life is more like a dream than reality. Baron has not seen the meaning of life for a long time. After jumping from the stove, the Actor suddenly leaves the basement.

Bubnov appears on stage in the company of Medvedev. The heroes are followed by the rest of the “guests” of the “bottom”. The inhabitants of the lodging house arrange a place to sleep, others sing songs. Suddenly the Baron’s cry is heard in the basement: The actor committed suicide - he hanged himself. Satin complains that because of the Baron's screams the song is ruined.

Gorky's play is ambiguous. “At the Bottom” is depressing with the social problems that the work exposes. The play was forbidden to be staged for some time, and if it was allowed to be played, it was with banknotes.

Thus, a brief description of the content of the play “At the Lower Depths” by actions and characters helps to better understand the author’s intentions and reveal the deep meaning of Gorky’s work.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Empire was going through difficult times. Faith in old values gradually faded away. People did not seek truth from either the king or God. Both secular and ecclesiastical authorities were steadily losing their authority in the eyes of the people. The tragedy was that new values had not yet replaced the old ideals. The inhabitants of the empire have already realized that the past is not able to satisfy their needs. No one understands what should become the new guideline.

This is precisely the desperate society that Gorky portrayed. The characters in the play represent, in a way, Russia in miniature. Here the reader sees both a ruined nobleman, whom everyone calls the Baron, and an Actor who ruined his life with alcohol. There are also workers in the shelter, like Kleshch, who have not lost faith in the best and hope that with their work they can get out even from such a bottom. Elder Luke becomes a symbol of human hope.

However, at the end of the play, faith in future happiness collapses completely. After Luka leaves, everything returns to normal, and then it gets even worse. The inhabitants of the “bottom” are still in their place. Only Vasilisa Karpovna remains the winner. It is quite obvious that the author wanted to convey to the reader the idea that the time for dramatic changes has not yet come. Bloody Sunday 1905 fully confirmed this idea.