1. Analysis of 'The Children' by M. Gorky - Version 4
I. ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE TO MASTER
1. Maxim Gorky (1868 - 1936) was the pen name of Alexei Peshkov, born in Nizhny Novgorod in a poor working-class family.
He lost his father at the age of three and was raised by his grandparents. Gorky is the author of a trilogy of autobiographical novels recounting his life: 'Childhood' (1913 - 1914), 'My Apprenticeship' (1916), and 'My Universities' (1923).
2. Summary: After a week apart, three neighbor children meet again to play, inviting the character 'I' to join. In their conversation, the character asks about their mother, and noticing their sadness, comforts them by enthusiastically telling fairy tales. Suddenly, their father appears and forbids the character from playing with his children. Despite this, the children continue to play, sharing stories of joy and sorrow.
II. GUIDELINES FOR READING AND UNDERSTANDING THE TEXT
1. The passage can be divided into three parts:
- Part One: The innocent childhood friendship;
- Part Two: The forbidden friendship;
- Part Three: The friendship that persists.
The passage is rich in artistic elements that weave together these parts: the children, birds, fairy tales, the stepmother, and the kind grandmother, creating a connected, cohesive narrative that leaves a deep impression on the reader.
2. Alyosha's grandparents are neighbors to Colonel Opsianiuk's family, but the two families belong to different social classes, creating a wall between the natural relationship of the children. Alyosha observes, 'The three children wore identical gray coats and hats. They had round faces, gray eyes, and looked so alike that I could only distinguish them by their size.'
By chance, Alyosha saves the colonel's child from falling into a well, prompting the three children to invite him to play. Their shared lack of affection fosters an innocent bond of friendship.
When the children talk about their mother’s death, 'they huddled close like chicks,' a vivid and evocative image.
The shared lack of affection would stay with Gorky for many years, recalling it with deep emotion.
3. The image of the three neighbor children:
- When they speak about their mother's death, 'They huddled together like little chicks,' showing Alyosha’s sympathy for his friends.
- When the colonel appears and shouts, 'The children quietly stepped out of the car and walked into the house,' Alyosha feels a deep empathy for their suppression.
4. The passage demonstrates Gorky’s distinctive storytelling technique, blending everyday life with fairy tales. Through the mention of the 'wicked stepmother,' the children’s reference to a 'different mother' immediately connects Alyosha to the image of an evil stepmother from fairy tales. When they speak of their 'real mother,' Alyosha’s thoughts drift into an internal monologue, losing himself in a fairy-tale atmosphere. The image of the kind grandmother is also narrated in the style of a fairy tale: 'Once upon a time, long ago.'
Gorky’s storytelling style, interweaving the ordinary with fairy tales, brings this excerpt from 'The Children' and the entire novel 'Childhood' to life in a captivating way.
Illustrative image (Source: Internet)
2. Analysis of 'The Children' by M. Gorky - Version 5
I. General Overview
1. Author
Maxim Gorky
Russian writer and politician of the 20th century
Famous for his contributions to realism
2. Work
'The Children' excerpted from 'Childhood' (1913-1914)
II. Reading and Understanding 'The Children'
Question 1, page 233, 9th Grade Language Arts textbook
The structure of the text can be divided into three parts:
- Part 1: From the beginning to 'he pressed his face down': The bond between the children, their innocent friendship
- Part 2: Up to 'you're not allowed to come to my house': The prohibition of their friendship
- Part 3: The remaining part: The enduring strength of their friendship
Repeated details in the story leave a lasting impression: 'The children, the birds, the fairy tale, the stepmother, the kind grandmother.' All these details weave a tight connection throughout the narrative.
Question 2, page 233, 9th Grade Language Arts textbook
Background of Alyosha and the three children:
Alyosha is an orphan raised by his mother and grandparents.
The three children are also motherless and live with a stepmother.
All of them lack familial affection.
Family background:
The children live in an upper-class family, with their father being a colonel, while Alyosha comes from a lower social class.
Their differing social statuses are the reason why the colonel forbids the friendship between his children and Alyosha.
Question 3, page 233, 9th Grade Language Arts textbook
The image of the three children in the excerpt reflects innocence, naivety, and approachability. They are well-behaved children who always follow their parents' instructions and live in accordance with societal norms.
Although they live a privileged life, they have never experienced true happiness until they meet Alyosha, who offers them deep empathy.
Question 4, page 233, 9th Grade Language Arts textbook
Gorky's storytelling technique blends everyday life and fairy tales, particularly through details related to the mother and grandmother, combining reality and fantasy to create a harmonious structure. This interplay adds appeal to the story and creates a continuous thread that links various elements together. The two worlds are used to reflect upon each other.
Illustrative image (Source: Internet)
3. Analysis of 'The Children' by M. Gorky - Version 6
Maxim Gorky (1868 - 1936), the pen name of Alexei Peshkov, is one of Russia's most prominent writers of the 20th century. Orphaned at the age of three, he was raised by his grandparents and had to take on many jobs to survive. His pen name 'Gorky' means 'bitter' in Russian. Gorky is known for his autobiographical trilogy, which includes 'Childhood' (1913-1914), 'My Apprenticeship' (1916), 'My Universities' (1923), and his novel 'Mother' (1906-1907), which portrays the ideological transformation of a Russian mother towards socialism.
The excerpt 'The Children' comes from chapter IX of 'Childhood', a book with 13 chapters. Set in the era of the Tsar, the story follows Alyosha (Gorky’s childhood nickname), who lives with his grandparents after the death of his father and his mother's remarriage. The neighbor, Colonel Opsyannikov, lives with his second wife and three young children, all motherless, around Alyosha’s age. One day, Alyosha and two of the Colonel's children rescue a younger boy who falls into a well while playing, which leads to a close friendship, despite the father’s disapproval. The excerpt continues from this event.
Question 1: Divide the text into three parts and give each part a title. Identify recurring details between parts one and three that create a strong connection.
Answer: The text can be divided into three sections: Part 1 (from the beginning to 'his arm across his brother’s shoulders, pressing him down'): the pure and beautiful friendship of the children; Part 2 (from 'the father forbids them to play together'): the father’s disapproval; Part 3 (the rest of the story): the friendship continues despite the father's objection. Recurring details include fairy tales and birds, mentioned from the beginning through to the end, contributing to a sense of continuity and connection in the story.
Question 2: Consider the circumstances of Alyosha and the Colonel's children and the relationship between the two families. Why does the author still feel deeply moved by the childhood friendship years later?
Answer: Alyosha’s family was poor, orphaned at three, and raised by his grandparents who struggled with poverty. The Colonel’s children, on the other hand, were from a wealthier background. Despite their different social standings, both families lacked emotional warmth. Alyosha, though living with loving grandparents, longed for his mother’s affection. The Colonel’s children, though physically cared for, suffered from the emotional neglect of their parents. Their shared lack of emotional support brought them closer, creating a deep bond of trust and affection, despite the social barriers.
Question 3: Identify some images of the Colonel's children through Alyosha’s sensitive perception, and analyze them.
Answer: Several images of the Colonel's children are revealed through Alyosha's perceptions: 'They sat close together, like little chicks' conveys the children’s fragility and need for protection, and the shared silence as they listened to stories, suggesting their isolation and emotional scars. The children were described as obedient and docile, 'like geese,' when they obeyed their father’s commands, showcasing their helplessness. They would recount their mundane lives without mentioning their father or stepmother, indicating how deeply unhappy their home was. The oldest sibling often spoke of the past with a melancholic tone, remembering a time when life was brighter.
Question 4: How does Gorky blend everyday life and fairy tales in the storytelling, especially in relation to mothers and grandmothers?
Answer: Gorky skillfully interweaves everyday life with fairy tales through references to the children’s relationships with their mothers and grandmothers. Alyosha often recalls fairy tales told by his grandmother and retells them to the Colonel’s children. The image of the grandmother and her stories serve as a comforting, magical element amidst the harsh reality the children face. The stepmother, however, evokes the cruel stepmothers from fairy tales, making the children’s struggles all the more poignant. This combination of realism and fairy tale elements reflects the emotional worlds of the children and adds depth to their experiences.
Illustrative Image (Source: internet)4. "Children" by M. Gorky – Lesson 1
I. Brief Overview of the Author
- Maxim Gorky (1868-1936), a prominent 20th-century Russian writer, was born as Alexei Peshkov.
- Birthplace: He was born in the industrial city of Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga River, into a working-class family.
- Life and Career:
+ He lost his father at the age of 13.
+ From an early age, Gorky was subjected to harsh upbringing by his grandfather.
+ By 10, orphaned, he had to struggle to survive, working various jobs, even begging at times.
+ His passion for reading, along with his struggles, inspired him to pursue literature.
+ Notable works: The autobiographical trilogy: Childhood (1913-1914), My Apprenticeship (1916), My Universities (1923), and Mother (1906-1907).
II. Overview of the Work "Children"
1. Creation Context:
- "Childhood" is Gorky's first autobiographical novel, written between 1913 and 1914, consisting of 13 chapters.
- The excerpt from "Children" comes from Chapter 9 of this work.
2. Summary:
After nearly a week, three neighborhood children invite Aliosa to join them. In a conversation with the three siblings of Colonel Opsyani-Cov's family, Aliosa asks about their mother, and they share their sadness about losing her, while their father has remarried. To comfort them, Aliosa tells them fairy tales his grandmother used to tell. However, their father appears and forbids Aliosa from playing with the children again. Despite the prohibition, the children continue to find ways to meet and comfort each other with stories of joy and sorrow.
3. Structure:
- Part 1 (from "Almost a week passed" to "suddenly it bowed down"): The innocent childhood friendship between Aliosa and the three neighborhood children.
- Part 2 (from "then" to "you're not allowed to visit my house"): Friendship forbidden.
- Part 3 (the rest): Despite the ban, the children's friendship persists.
4. Content Value:
The excerpt highlights the strong friendship between Aliosa and the three children, who live without love and support, yet remain united despite social barriers.
5. Artistic Value:
The passage succeeds with its soft narrative, rich imagery, blending everyday life and fairy tales. The absence of specific names for the children gives the story a universal meaning and a fairy-tale quality.
Question 1 (Page 233, Literature 9 Textbook 1)
The passage is divided into 3 parts:
+ Part 1 (from the beginning to "suddenly it bowed down"): A story of friendship between the children.
+ Part 2 (from "then" to "you're not allowed to visit my house"): Friendship under prohibition.
+ Part 3 (the rest): Friendship that continues.
Main artistic elements: the children, birds, fairy tales, the stepmother, and the kind grandmother.
These elements create a coherent relationship, leaving a strong impression on the reader.
Question 2 (Page 233, Literature 9 Textbook 1)
Aliosa's grandparents are neighbors to Colonel Opsyani-Cov.
- The two families come from different social classes, creating a barrier to natural interaction among the children.
- Aliosa lost his father early, and his mother remarried, while the children of the Colonel are motherless and live with a cruel stepmother.
→ The unfortunate circumstances of these children, lacking affection, led to a bond between them.
Question 3 (Page 233, Literature 9 Textbook 1)
The image of the three neighborhood children:
- When the children talk about their mother’s death, "they sit close together like chicks".
→ The image of these orphaned children evokes sympathy.
- When the Colonel appears and yells at them, they "silently step out of the car and go inside"; the children are oppressed.
→ The children are forbidden, losing their freedom and the innocence of youth.
Question 4 (Page 233, Literature 9 Textbook 1)
The story blends daily life and fairy tales:
- The "stepmother" figure immediately evokes the cruel stepmother from fairy tales for Aliosa.
- Talking about "real mother" brings Aliosa into a fairy-tale atmosphere.
- The story of the kind grandmother is narrated in a fairy-tale style: "long ago, once upon a time".
→ The narrative technique of blending real life with fairy tales makes this excerpt, and the entire novel "Childhood", vivid and captivating.
Illustrative Image (Source: internet)5. "Children" by M. Gorky – Lesson 2
Answer to Question 1 (page 233, Literature 9, Volume 1):
The structure and title of the story
+ From the beginning to 'he lowered his head': A pure childhood friendship.
+ Then to 'Don’t come to my house': A friendship restricted.
+ The rest: Friendship continues regardless.
- Details that appear in both parts 1 and 3 create a strong connection:
+ The children
+ The birds
+ The fairytales
+ The stepmother
+ The kind grandmother
Answer to Question 2 (page 233, Literature 9, Volume 1):
The circumstances of the children and the relationship between the two families left a deep impression on the writer:
- A-li-ô-sa’s grandparents were neighbors with Colonel Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp, but they came from different social backgrounds. One was an ordinary citizen, the other a rich, high-ranking official, so Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp forbade his children from playing with A-li-ô-sa ('Who called him over?', 'Don’t come to my house').
- By chance, A-li-ô-sa helped save a child who fell into a well, which made three children from the Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp family realize A-li-ô-sa’s good nature and invite him to play.
- A-li-ô-sa had lost his father, and his mother remarried, making her seem almost absent, with only his kind grandmother offering love. Through their interactions, A-li-ô-sa realized that his wealthy new friends, though living in luxury, also suffered hardships: their mother had died, they lived with a cruel stepmother, and their father was forbidding and harsh.
- The shared experiences of neglect and hardship brought A-li-ô-sa closer to the children and deeply impacted Gorky, so much so that many years later he still vividly recalled and described their bond.
Answer to Question 3 (page 233, Literature 9, Volume 1):
The delicate observations and reflections
- Before becoming close, A-li-ô-sa observed the neighbors and noted: 'The three children wore the same gray shirts and trousers, and identical hats. Their round faces and gray eyes were so similar that I could only tell them apart by their size.'
- When the children talked about their deceased mother and their stepmother, whom they called 'other mother', they fell silent, and the author describes them as 'huddled together like chicks'. This accurate comparison evokes an image of chicks huddling together for warmth when sensing danger, and it also conveys A-li-ô-sa’s empathy for their misfortune.
- When Colonel Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp unexpectedly appeared and shouted 'Who called him over?', Gorky writes: 'The children quietly stepped out of the car and went inside, making me think of well-behaved geese.' This is the second time the writer uses this comparison. It reflects both their physical appearance and inner lives. The children were suppressed by their father, silently entering the house without speaking. The author recalls, 'I never heard them mention their father or stepmother.' Once again, A-li-ô-sa feels sympathy for the children’s lack of love and affection.
Answer to Question 4 (page 233, Literature 9, Volume 1):
The blending of ordinary life and fairytales
- The blending of everyday life and fairytales is evident through the detail of the stepmother. When the children mention their stepmother, whom they refer to as 'another mother', A-li-ô-sa immediately thinks of the cruel stepmothers in fairytales.
- The blending of everyday life and fairytales continues with the mention of 'real mother': 'Your real mother will come back one day, right? - She’s dead, how can she come back?' A-li-ô-sa seems to fall into a fairytale-like trance, telling himself, 'Is that impossible? Oh my, how many times have the dead come back, sometimes with just a little magic water, they come back to life; so many people thought dead were not really dead, thanks to the witches’ magic.'
- The blending of life and fairytales continues with the image of the kind grandmother. We know A-li-ô-sa’s grandmother is a very kind person. In this narrative, each time A-li-ô-sa mentions his grandmother, he recalls how she would tell him fairytales, and now, as he tells these stories, he goes back to ask her for any details he forgot. When the eldest child of Colonel Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp quips, 'Maybe all grandmothers are good, my grandmother was good, too...', we can imagine characters from fairytales coming to life in our minds. Especially when the boy says, 'It used to be, a long time ago, seems like I’ve lived for a hundred years, not just eleven.'
- A-li-ô-sa never mentions the names of his friends. Perhaps when they became close, they must have asked each other’s names, and A-li-ô-sa even knew that the eldest was eleven years old! Or perhaps the events happened so long ago that Gorky no longer remembers their names. Yet, it’s likely that the writer intentionally omitted the names to make the story of the children’s friendship—marked by a lack of love—more universal and closer to a fairytale.
Summary
A week after the little child fell into the well, the three Ôp-xi-an-ni-cốp siblings came to play with A-li-ô-sa again. They talked about many things, but suddenly, the colonel caught them and forbade his children from playing with A-li-ô-sa. However, this did not stop the children; they found secret ways to meet and continue their friendship.
Main content
This excerpt from 'The Children' vividly narrates the close bond of friendship that developed between A-li-ô-sa and the neglected children in the neighboring house, despite the social barriers and family restrictions of that time.
Illustration (Source: Internet)
6. The Essay on "The Children" by M. Gorky, Version 3
Basic Knowledge
I. Author
- Maxim Gorky (1868 – 1936), the pen name of Alexei Peshkov, is one of Russia's and the world's greatest authors of the 20th century. Peshkov lost his father at the age of three and was raised by his grandparents. He worked various jobs to support himself as he grew up.
- Gorky is known for his autobiographical trilogy, written in the first person: Childhood (1913 – 1914), My Apprenticeship (1916), and My Universities (1923).
- Another important work by him is The Mother (1906 – 1907), a novel about the transformation of a Russian mother’s thoughts toward socialism.
II. Work
- The Children is an excerpt from Chapter IX of the novel 'Childhood' (which has thirteen chapters).
- Childhood is a novel that recounts the early years of Alyosha (the nickname for Maxim Gorky), who lived with his grandparents after his father passed away and his mother remarried. His neighbor, Colonel Opsianikov, was elderly and lived with his wife and three young children, orphaned from their mother, around the same age as Alyosha. One day, Alyosha and the two older children from the Colonel's family managed to rescue a younger child who had fallen into a well, which led the children to become close friends with Alyosha, despite their father’s prohibition. This passage continues from that event.
- Structure of the excerpt:
+ Part 1: From the beginning to 'he pressed her down': A pure childhood friendship.
+ Part 2: From 'The sky was growing dark...' to '...You are forbidden from coming to my house.': A friendship that is forbidden.
+ Part 3: The remaining part: The friendship continues despite the ban.
How to Study 'The Children'
Question 1 - Page 233 Textbook
Try dividing this text into three parts and assigning titles to each. Find the details that appear in both part 1 and part 3 that create a strong connection.
Answer
The text is divided into three parts:
+ Part 1 (from the beginning to 'he pressed her down'): A pure and close childhood friendship.
+ Part 2 (continued to 'You are forbidden from coming to my house!'): A forbidden friendship.
+ Part 3 (the rest): A friendship that is maintained.
Details: The children, the birds, fairy tales, the stepmother, and the grandmother appear in both part 1 and part 3, which strongly connects the story.
Question 2 - Page 233 Textbook
Examine the circumstances of Alyosha, the three children of Colonel Opsianikov, and the relationship between the two families to explain why this pure childhood friendship left a deep impression on the author, making him remember it with great emotion more than thirty years later.
Suggestion
By chance, Alyosha and the two older children of the Colonel managed to pull a young child who had fallen into the well, and as a result, the Colonel’s children became close friends with Alyosha. The lack of love in the children’s lives created a pure bond between them.
With similar situations, they became close. In his narrative, Alyosha expressed sympathy and sorrow for the Colonel's three children. Though he was just a child, he tried to console them with the words of a child. The pure childhood friendship deeply impressed the author, so much so that more than thirty years later, he still vividly remembered and emotionally recounted the memories of his childhood.
Question 3 - Page 233 Textbook
Find some images of the three children from the neighbor’s house through Alyosha's sensitive perception; then analyze and comment on these images.
Suggestion
The images of the three neighbor children through Alyosha's sensitive perception:
- When the children talked about their mother’s death, 'they sat close to each other like little chicks.' This vivid and emotional image reflects Alyosha’s empathy for his friends.
- When the Colonel appeared and scolded them, 'immediately, all the children quietly stepped out of the car and went into the house,' which reminded me of obedient geese. This comparison not only shows the physical appearance of the children but also reflects their inner world. They were controlled by their father and restricted... Furthermore, 'I remembered that they never spoke about their father or stepmother.' The author’s narration is filled with compassion for his unfortunate childhood friends, whom he loved with innocent affection but could not console their misfortunes.
Question 4 - Page 233 Textbook
How are everyday life and fairy tales intertwined in Gorky’s storytelling through details about mothers and grandmothers in this text?
Suggestion
Everyday life and fairy tales are interwoven in Gorky’s storytelling:
- Through the detail of the 'wicked stepmother,' when the children talked about their 'other mother,' Alyosha immediately thought of the evil stepmother from fairy tales. When they spoke about their 'real mother,' Alyosha also reflected on these thoughts as if lost in a fairy tale.
- The detail about the kind grandmother is also told in the style of fairy tales: 'In the past, a long time ago, there was a time.'
Gorky’s storytelling technique, blending everyday life and fairy tales, made the passage 'The Children' as well as the novel 'Childhood' especially emotional, particularly in the final scene:
- 'Perhaps all grandmothers are very good, my grandmother from before was also very good...'
It was often said with sadness, 'In the past, a long time ago, there was a time...'
'His siblings were very lovely, I loved them very much, I always wanted to make them happy...'.
Illustration (Source: Internet)
Buzz
