Maxim Gorky's novel "Mother" is one of the outstanding works of the socialist realist school, which describes how an old woman gets involved in socialist struggles.

"Pelageya" is a woman who has always been oppressed and humiliated by her husband. After the death of her immoral husband, her son "Pavel" plays an important role in the family. Pavel is soon attracted to a group of socialist revolutionary youths and brings them to the slum where he lives with his mother. The comings and goings of these youths and the love that the mother has for Pavel gradually lead the mother to the path of anti-system activities. From this point until the end of the novel, we witness a gradual transformation in the mother's existence, which opens her eyes to social realities and turns her from a housewife to an active and even a leading element in the struggle against injustice.

What is interesting is that this transformation and change in the mother occurs in a completely "instinctive" way. Maxim Gorky tries in this novel to show through the mother's instinctive tendency towards socialism that this ideological school and its struggles are close to human nature and instinct. The mother does not participate in ideological discussions and does not even understand the words of the revolutionary youths very well, but in an instinctive way, she finds justice and righteousness in their activities and follows them.

This kind of connection between the mother and the youths makes her play such a special role in their group that it seems as if she is the mother of all of them. All of them love Pavel's mother and have affection for her. Pelageya loves all of them maternally as if they were her own children. These youths who have distanced themselves from their families to engage in the struggle need maternal love, and Pelageya fulfills this need for them.

Gorky has made a precise choice to show that the ideological school he defends is close to human nature. An old woman who does not have the intellectual ability to enter into ideological discussions, but by the command of nature and instinct, she finds that she must follow this school for the sake of justice.

The only place where Pelageya's nature does not go along with this school is in the matter of God. She cannot accept that these youths do not have a good belief in the existence of God.

The novel is written in two parts. The first part is about the mother's presence in the village (or the working-class suburb), and the second part is about her presence in the city after the arrest of her son Pavel.

Gorky, who wrote this novel before the victory of the Soviet revolution, well knows that for the victory of a revolution, it is necessary that the struggle takes root among different classes, and in addition to the peasants, the city dwellers should also be connected to the struggle. Therefore, he has designed the plot of the novel in such a way that the mother, as the main character, is indispensable. In the absence of her son for a while, she lives in the city secretly. The mother goes with a group of revolutionary youths in the city who have a more refined taste than the villagers. Although she loves them as much as the village youths, she suffers from some of their irresponsibilities and vulgarities, but of course, she does not complain in words.

Despite all this, the novel "Mother" also has some weaknesses in depicting the situation of the struggle. For example, the state apparatus is shown to be relatively weak and ineffective. No one is very afraid of the harsh treatment of the government. The old woman can easily move proclamations and books around. Executions are not in operation, and one can easily escape from the deportation center. The spies are like invisible shadows that can be easily passed by.

It seems that in the years when the struggle needed preparation and strengthening, the writer has tried not to paint a dark and terrifying picture.

And also, I like the translations of the late Mohammad Qazi.

Mother.

A mother like Mamatamayi nurtures her children with love and respect. Why wouldn't she? These children are made of her own flesh and blood. No mother wants an accident to happen to her child. A child soaked in a mother's love also doesn't want to cause the slightest pain to the mother's heart. This is the unwritten constitution of the mother-child relationship.

But what will happen when there is a conflict between these two things? When, in the call of the times, in various revolutionary situations, when the mother herself has to answer the call of the country's needs and her children, where the sacrifice of the smaller self for the greater self becomes necessary, what will happen to that constitution?

Can the child sacrifice his life by hurting the mother's heart in the call of the times?

Or can the mother burn her beloved child to ashes?

The power to amend that constitution lies only with the mother. Only the mother can create a revolutionary child. As we saw in Maxim Gorky's novel, the character of "Pelageya Nilovna". When she lost her husband and was raising her only son Pavel Vlasov, Pavel joined the Russian Revolution. The oppressed and ignorant mother didn't understand anything about the revolution. The absence of her son always pained her. Pavel also couldn't understand what to do. On one side was his mother, on the other side was his ideal.

In the end, the mother came forward. She started to get more involved with her son. She tried to understand her son's ideological views. Understanding the truth, she also started to help. Getting the support of his mother, Pavel was further inspired and plunged into the revolutionary work. The mother's support worked like a charm.

Nilovna, whose dream was to live with her son Pavel, never imagined in her wildest dreams that she would become the mother of so many children in her lifetime. Nilovna became the mother of all those who participated in the revolution. Just like Jahanara Imam, who is not only the mother of Rumi but also the mother of all freedom fighters.

Such a mother can give the world worthy sons who will resist injustice from generation to generation and keep the truth shining.

That's why Rabindranath Tagore said,

Release the blind-folded one from delusion.
Don't keep the awakened sentinel at the door.
Oh mother, in your love's abode,
Will you keep your child imprisoned forever?
Binding him with desires,
Feeding him with the juice of indulgence,
Will you nourish your hungry heart
By oppressing human freedom?
If one who is born after a long gestation period,
Will you keep him again in the womb of love?
Will he walk in this world always behind?
Will he be just a part, or something more?
He is not your property, mother, but the son
Of your own self, of the world, of the Almighty.

Mother, the memories of the generational struggle are now in the middle-aged period. And because of the crime of having this very book, years and years ago, it led to decades in the dictatorial prison.

For them, Paul was a hero. They should read his powerful words in the courtroom, remember him, and give an account for the other prisoners in the dark cells of the prison.

Paul's story is one of courage and perseverance in the face of great adversity. His words and actions inspired those around him and gave them hope in the midst of despair.

Even today, his story serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

We should all strive to be like Paul, to have the courage to speak out against injustice and to fight for the freedom and dignity of all people.

One of those literary works that leaves a deep mark on the soul, transforming you into a different person after you finish reading it. Maxim Gorky's portrayal of the stage on its wooden boards through which the Russian revolutionary uprisings provided a profound display in the memory of history.

Gorky was ingenious in depicting the image of the revolution with its characters, events, and scenes, from the working-class communities to the countryside and the life of the peasants to the middle class in the cities, showing that the revolution was a revolution of the entire people against the domineering bourgeoisie. Gorky's emphasis was clear on the priority of human dignity over the economic need as an incentive for the revolution. So it is no wonder, for example, that a daughter of one of the country's major bourgeoisie appears among the ranks of the revolutionaries in his novel.

It was also clear Gorky's belief in the importance of gradualism in the revolution against tyranny, starting with the education of the people's masses. Gorky emphasized that drowning the peoples in the darkness of ignorance and keeping the sources of knowledge away from them was a fundamental factor in their submission to the tyrannical rule. And at the same time, while he emphasized the existence of ripe conditions for the revolution against injustice, he warned that the revolution would not turn people into angels overnight, and as a result, the victors would reproduce the same injustices once they took power if the revolution had not built in them a different ideological and moral values from those they revolted against.

Based on that, Gorky discussed the project of violence and clearly showed his rejection of it from the beginning, even if he found a pretext for self-defense. And at the same time, he emphasized that the terror of the regime is the most abhorrent and is the source of all evils and the primary responsible for violence.

Gorky presented in more than one place the wave of apostasy that accompanied the revolution. He tried hard to reveal the truth that this apostasy was like a natural reaction to the exploitation of the authorities by the religious institution and its willingness to preserve its interests. And he showed that a true belief in the Christian values might have been hidden behind that apostasy. For those non-believing revolutionaries are closer to Christ than those who show their belief in him, in Gorky's view, because they held on more than others to what follows from belief in its impact on life even if they deviated from its rituals.

The peak of creativity in this novel, in my opinion, was represented by the vivid and influential characters that Gorky depicted in a charming way to emphasize that the revolution is not carried out by heroic figures but by ordinary people, among them the thinker, the dreamer, the passionate, the audacious, the brave, the greedy, and so on. And of course, the mother, the central character in this novel, stands at the head of those unique characters that Gorky depicted. That great and noble mother whose feelings of tenderness burst forth to embrace everyone. Perhaps Gorky wanted to use the mother as a symbol of the homeland itself, the homeland that embraces everyone, nurtures them, and raises them in all times and under all circumstances.

Maxim Gorky is one of the most important and greatest Russian writers. The events of his novel "The Mother", which he wrote in 1906, revolve around a strike by the workers of a factory against the class that owns the wealth and the factory and exploits the workers in the worst way, without any rights for them. The strike of the workers spreads to the peasants, and thus the revolution spreads everywhere in Russia.

The novel was first published in 1906 in English in "Appleton's Magazine", an American literary magazine, and then in Russian in 1907.

"The Mother" is considered the best-known literary work of Maxim Gorky. He wrote it during his trip to the United States in 1906. It dates back to the first Russian Revolution in 1905, which failed to overthrow the Tsar. The events of the novel are based on real events and tell the story of Anna Zaloumova and her son Peter Zaloumov.

The mother is named "Pelagia Nilovna" in the novel, and her son is named "Pavel Mikhailovich Vlasov" or Basha. The events of the novel took place in one of the suburbs of the Russian city of Sormovsky in 1902.

Pavel is arrested, so the mother decides to continue her son's revolutionary path, to be a witness to all the events of the revolution between the proletarian class of workers and peasants, and to participate in spreading socialist and communist ideas through the leaflets that she helps distribute among the workers and peasants.

The mother is arrested at the end of the novel to join her son.

The mother symbolizes the comrades in the revolutionary work, who are united by one goal, which is to spread justice and equality according to their belief among human beings, with their close souls, for they are the children of one mother, and this mother is "the truth", as Gorky describes on page 484 of the novel.

In conclusion, we are faced with a historical literary work, one of the most important landmarks in the history of Russian and world literature.

For everyone - all,

For all - everything.

This is how I understand you.

- Maxim Gorky

"The revolution that takes place for the sake of man - that is the mother."

"In a theoretical way, it's hitting hard" ❤️

Book: Mother [In English: mother]

Author: Maxim Gorky

#comrade

#friend

#communism

Maxim Gorky's works have had a profound impact. His words, such as those in "Mother," inspire people to think about social change and the pursuit of a better world. The concepts of comradeship and communism are central to his ideas. Gorky believed that through revolution and the struggle for the rights of the people, a more just and equal society could be achieved. His works continue to be relevant today, as we strive to create a more inclusive and harmonious world for all.

**The Book: The Mother**
**Author: Maxim Gorky**
**Pages: 493**
**Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️**
**Publisher: Al-Farabi and Al-Tanwir Publishing House**

**A Glimpse of the Book**:
Maxim Gorky attempts through his novel to highlight that revolutionary working-class stratum that is of a new type. He introduces into his novel the political experience of the years of the Russian working-class revolution.

**The Idea**:
The Russian author Maxim Gorky shows无与伦比的skill in analyzing and developing characters, and bravely explores the depths of the human soul. The author is influenced in this literary gem by his youth when he was involved in the working-class path and witnessed the exploitation of the workers by the capitalists, as well as the poverty, hunger, and hard work that afflicted the workers. The idea of the novel is taken from the phrase "Workers of the world, unite!" from the famous manifesto of the Communist Party. In this novel, Maxim not only writes about the workers but also about himself as he is involved in the working-class path. He also superbly personifies the mother through her development in the context of events. She was a weak, crying, and miserable woman, but then turned into a strong fighter and leader representing a revolutionary spirit capable of creating life.

**The Opinion**:
The novel is really excellent and exciting, and its contents are of high quality, strong, and wonderful, and have a great impact on the soul. Its ideas are attractive and close to reality, which makes it easy to interact with. It is also really enjoyable and beautiful. Despite its large volume, I did not feel the time during reading it. It was like a delicious cake that the reader enjoys tasting its sweetness. The author's style is characterized by smoothness and the sequence of events.

**The Most Beautiful Quotes**:
#The Mother
* This fear is our destruction, and those who lead us take advantage of this fear and multiply it in our veins.
* The birth of a human being in this world is an extremely difficult thing; and the hardest thing is to teach him to be noble.
* The mother always has enough tears for everything! And if you have a mother, you must know that.
* People do not want to listen to bare words - they must suffer, your words must be immersed in blood.
* They used to imprison people before because they stole, but now they imprison them because they tell the truth.
* The eyes of some are blinded by hunger, and the eyes of others are blinded by gold.
* When work is a pleasure, life is a joy; if it is a duty, it is slavery.

2020/6/7

One of the best novels that tells about the struggle of the Russian people, and the fictional struggle of any oppressed people!

I read it with great interest.

That mother who was beaten by her husband, then her son who rejected the feelings of tenderness, and who struggled to feed the oppressed in the factory with her simple meals of food and pamphlets!

Human feelings arose in my heart, sympathizing greatly with the Russian people at that time,

and angry at that church that was deceiving them, even in what pertains to "God" to the extent of what Marx said.

That mother, who in the end, was trampled by a more brutal soldier.

I finally understood that this mother is the homeland that embraces us and does not disappoint us, no matter how long the times are.

Her descriptions of the characters in the novel were very accurate and detailed, and she presented them to us as if they were painted in colors in front of us.

The thing that pleased me the most: Then there are the emotions that deprive a person of life.

Maxim Gorky is a renowned figure in Russian literature.

‏He was a writer who, in his works, passionately emphasized the harsh reality of life in contemporary Russia.

‏Despite描绘了 life's darkest aspects and the most brutal savageries, he was also one of the most optimistic writers in Russian literary history.

‏This was due in part to his great mother.

‏When Gorky was four years old, his father died, and the only good memory he had of those days was of his grandmother.

‏Despite the terrifying living environment, she maintained a kind of cheerful and affectionate nature, which taught Gorky that happiness was possible and that life, despite everything, was indeed full of joy.

‏In his teens, Gorky took on various jobs to earn a living, such as working in a shoe store, on a steamship, as a trainee draftsman, and in a bakery.

‏He worked long hours, sometimes up to fourteen hours a day, but he also discovered books and read everything he could get his hands on.

‏Eventually, he developed a keen sense of literature and a talent for writing.

‏At the age of nineteen, influenced by literature, Gorky attempted suicide.

‏His wound was serious, and in his pocket, a note was found that read: "The sin of my death lies with the German poet Heinrich Heine, who invented the toothache of the heart."

‏Nabokov once said that Gorky walked across Russia on foot to Moscow and, upon arriving, went straight to Tolstoy's house.

‏Tolstoy was not home, but his wife, Countess Tolstoy, invited Gorky into the kitchen, served him coffee and sweets, and told him that many pilgrims came to see her husband.

‏Gorky politely confirmed this.

‏This incident made Gorky fall in love with literature even more.

‏In addition to his revolutionary works, Gorky also did many kind-hearted deeds.

‏He organized a Christmas party for hundreds of the poorest children, established a daily shelter with a library and a piano for the homeless and the unemployed, and launched a campaign to send picture postcards cut from magazines to rural children.

‏When the government could no longer tolerate Gorky and decided to exile him, Lenin wrote: "The government has exiled one of the most outstanding writers in Europe, whose only weapon is freedom of expression, without a trial."

‏Although Nabokov believed that the novel "Mother" was a second-rate work, I loved it very much.

‏And 98% of my love for it is due to the paragraph that Gorky wrote in the book: "You know, first you have to arm your head and then your hands."

‏And Gorky really did this.

In the early 20th century, the events of the novel unfold. It delves into the first socialist revolution that aimed to overthrow the Tsarist rule in Russia. The revolution demanded freedom, equality, the abolition of monarchy, and the safeguarding of human dignity, while also addressing the oppression and suffering endured by the working class under the yoke of the autocratic and bourgeoisie. The novel also presents, through the lives of its protagonists, a tragic portrayal of the social, cultural, and economic realities of Russian society at that time.

The story begins when the mother, Pelageya Nilovna, notices the strange behavior of her son, Pavel. He becomes more respectful and brings books home. When asked what he is doing with the books, he replies that he wants to know the truth and that the workers must study and understand the cause of their misfortunes. Pavel starts hiding pamphlets in the house and meets with his friends every night. Since the mother is illiterate and has no political interests, she initially worries about her son's new activities, fearing that people will not accept them.

She learns that her son and his friends are printing and distributing pamphlets among the workers, knowing that they will be arrested and punished. But nothing stops them from continuing the struggle for the cause they believe in. Pavel prepares his mother for the moment when they will be arrested, and he even refuses to let her express her feelings and fears, considering it an obstacle to his noble goal. After his arrest by the Tsarist police, the mother joins his comrades in the revolutionary movement and distributes pamphlets with them, continuing her son's path with love and empathy for the workers' cause.

After moving to the city with her son's friends, the mother engages in revolutionary work with great enthusiasm and determination. At first, she fought and struggled for her son, but after understanding his dreams, goals, and the cause he believes in, she now struggles for everyone. Through the mother's presence among the revolutionaries and her distribution of pamphlets among the workers and peasants, we learn about the revolutionaries' ideas, their humanistic aspirations, their hidden hopes, and their desire to change the rural conditions they live in. We also see how they educate the other workers and peasants, teach them to read so that they can know their rights and the ways to regain them, and those who are willing to spread their ideas even if it means imprisonment and death. We also learn about their hardships and the oppression they suffer at the hands of the employers.

We see through the events that the mother's life is symbolic of the great mother, that is, Russia. The mother who suffered from the tyranny of her husband who humiliated, beat, and stole her life, and who lost her past and her dreams. She is the same Russia that was plundered and had its wealth stolen by the Tsar, the church, and the bourgeoisie. But the mother who endured and persevered when she heard and believed in her son's socialist call that changed her life and her aspirations. Every time she saw her son speak, she said, "How beautiful it is to see a person speak about the thing or the cause that he believes in with such passion!"

In this novel, Gorky emphasizes sacrifice, dedication, and hard work in the name of the revolution. But he also emphasizes the most important thing, which is patience, hardening, and bearing hardships. He believes that the revolution is inevitable, that the struggle with the authorities and the current reality is inevitable, and that victory is not important. What is important is not to surrender. The mother is a great human work. The most important thing that distinguishes this novel is the humanistic spirit it contains and the revolutionary sense that a person feels in the face of resistance and the fight against tyranny and oppression. #Finished

Of course, she was beautiful, and naturally, I liked her. However, I don't believe in the absoluteness of anything, whether it's a person or a dream.

Beauty is a subjective concept that can fade over time. What may seem appealing at one moment might not hold the same charm in the future. And liking someone based solely on their appearance is often superficial. True affection and connection go beyond physical attractiveness and involve understanding, respect, and shared values.

Similarly, dreams are important, but they are not set in stone. They can change as we grow and experience new things. We may have initially pursued a certain dream with great passion, but later realize that it doesn't bring us the fulfillment we expected. It's essential to be flexible and open to adjusting our dreams based on our evolving circumstances and inner desires.

In conclusion, while beauty and dreams can be captivating, we should not place too much emphasis on their absoluteness. Instead, we should focus on the journey of self-discovery and growth, and be willing to embrace change and uncertainty along the way.

Every time (in school) it was necessary to read this book, but it didn't interest me, and I still remember it now.

Looking back, it seems that this book was always on the required reading list. However, whenever I picked it up, I just couldn't seem to get into it. The words on the page felt dull and unappealing.

Maybe it was because the subject matter didn't resonate with me at that time. Or perhaps the writing style was not to my taste. Whatever the reason, I just couldn't bring myself to enjoy reading this particular book.

But even though I didn't like it then, it has still left an impression on me. It's one of those books that I remember, not because I loved it, but because it was a part of my educational journey.

And who knows, maybe one day, I'll pick it up again and give it another chance. Maybe I'll see it in a different light and finally understand why it was considered so important.