Book Review: Mother. Writer: Maxim Gorky.
A mother's love is the one of the purest things in this world. However, motherly love is not restricted only to the act of giving birth, or being re-born with the birth of the child, it is about raising the child, growing up together and a lifetime of pure, unadulterated love. The kind of love that can not only stand the test of time, but can also be one of the rare things a person can be sure about. But what about a motherhood where the mother has been abused, browbeaten, ill-treated and objectified by the father that she has natural fears about her son growing up and behaving the same way?
Pelagea Nilovna is no exception to this kind of fear. As her son Pavlov sees his father retire from work every evening, get drunk, hitting his wife to death every single day till he dies, Pavlov decides otherwise. He loves and respects his mother, and turns out to be a unique, respectable and studious young man, quite unlike his peers. Pavlov does all that he can to make his mother happy, much to Pelagea Nilovna's surprise. His voracious reading was a matter of pride for her, and Pavlov not being like his father was her joy.
Pavlov and his comrades decide to raise their voice against the exploitative upper class who exploit the labor for a pittance and fill their pockets. 'Mother' is a book about a group of dynamic young men attempting to quash crony capitalism. Russia has adopted Marxism and to see that being incorporated into a story is something that would catch the reader's attention. When something bad becomes a way of life, that is when you know that something needs to be done about it. 'Mother' expresses a conflict between capitalism and communism in a conventional way and on an 'as is' basis.
Even though the book was written long back, Gorky's vision and placement of the mother as the central character of the novel is quite striking. Her active and effective participation in changing the fate of her country is inspirational and noteworthy. As the plot thickens and the clashes between capitalist exploitation and communist accommodation grow fervent in nature, the principles, rules and desires of Pavlov can be applied to many other aspects of life as well. The workman is an intellectual, even if the scope of his intelligence is restricted.
'Mother' demonstrates the idea that everyone has a right to ask questions and that everyone is just one answer away from a completely different life. As Pavlov begins to ask questions, his life gets tougher. It would seem to the reader that being well-informed and using it for the good of the people does have a lot of repercussions which only the brave of heart and the spirited of mind can endure.
The character development of Pavlov, Pelagea and all his friends is believable and does not seem out of turn at all. The portrayal of capitalists as swindlers and abusers may seem to the contemporary reader as a bit of a cliche, but the portrayal is accurate and backed by historical precedents. The character development of Pelagea, especially is commendable. She developed much to her own surprise and led a life different and more fulfilling than the life of drudgery she had been so used to leading. The reader would definitely see a reflection of his own mother in Pelagea as she emanates wisdom with simplicity, because after all mothers are seasoned warriors with wisdom in tow.
Gorky's writing characterizes a general prevalence of zeal and thirst for knowledge among the youngsters of Russia and in a way insinuates that if this atmosphere does not exist naturally, it should be brought to exist synthetically so as to bring to book the ones who take away the basic rights in the pretext of getting richer at the cost of the ones who are nothing short of machines.
'Mother' is a vehement statement on truth, the price that some have to pay for it and the undying love that one must have for one's country. In a way, Gorky subtly outlines a difference between nationalism and patriotism. The book does not only adorn the bookshelf, but also gives the reader a new spirit, rationality and scientific temper aplenty.
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Very well written review , I always thought it is a very heavy book , but now I will definitely read it
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written. In a style, language, comments as simple as a mother herself, you have made this blog memorsblm one. Interesting indeed.
ReplyDeleteEven I thought it might be heavy... I have heard about it but never read.now I would like to read
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