In the play "At the bottom," Gorky wanted to describe the real life of people who descended to the lowest level of society. For this, the writer visited shelters, doss houses, communicated with lost personalities. All of his characters are written off from real people, whom Gorky met while traveling in Russia. In Moscow at that time there was the Khitrov market, which was a hodgepodge of beggars, thieves, prostitutes and murderers. He became the prototype of the doss house. In the play under one roof there are people with different characters and views on life: the gullible actor, the dreamy Nastya, the deadly Anna, the hard-working Mite, the compassionate Luka, the skeptical Satin. Gorky "At the bottom" wrote to show the life of the lower classes, their hopelessness.
Mistakes of the past and no future
Previously, Satin was a very cheerful and sociable guy, he played on stage, loved to dance, to make people laugh. A smart and well-read person could have a beautiful future, but fate decreed differently. Defending his sister, Satin killed a man, for which he went to prison, crossed his entire life, because he has no need for a conviction. The hero does not consider himself alive, he simply exists in Kostylev's doss house. I drank, got addicted to cards, lost interest in life - that's how Satin came to the bottom.
Characteristic of Constantine shows how he is apathetic and passive in life. His main motto is "Do not do anything." This hero was not just dropped to the bottom, he came here himself, ruined his life with his own hands. Hide from all, hide in the basement, play cards, drink money is much more convenient and easier than trying to break your way into the world of normal people, but Constantine himself wished to stay at the bottom. Characteristic of Satin shows that this character with a special philosophy of "free man", for him, the truth is most important.
Confrontation of bitter truth and sweet lies
Konstantin Satin is an antagonist of Luke, a wanderer who pities all the dwellers of the doss house and makes up for everyone his own truth. A new resident inspires others to believe in a better future, although he himself does not believe that life can be changed in any way. Luka promises to give the actor the address of a free hospital for alcoholics, soothes the dying Anna, supports Nastya's illusions. He pities people who happened to be for some reason at the bottom. Satin, the characteristic of which gives out in him a sensible person, calls everything a "mirage". It seems that he alone understands the hopelessness of such a life and does not believe the sweet speeches of a stranger.
Truth makes a person free
From the speeches of the hero and his actions, we can conclude that it was by chance that Satin was at the bottom. Characteristic shows how kind he is in the soul, because he loved his sister, first ran to protect Natasha. The hero does not accept lies, believing that she humiliates the dignity of a person, makes him a slave. Constantine says the right speech, but it's so hard to be strong, brave and independent, because it's much easier to meet Luka and succumb to the temptation to come up with an illusory world. Human weaknesses and what they can lead to are considered in Gorky's play "At the Bottom." Satin (the characteristic speaks of him as a clever but skeptical man looking at the world) does not build an illusory world for himself, he would be glad to believe Luka, but he has no hope for a better future.