“Man with a Capital M”? Lenin’s Image and Its Metamorphoses in Gorky’s Work

Abstract

The article discusses repeated attempts of Maxim Gorky to embody the image of the leader of the Russian revolution, Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin in the verbal form, in the period from 1920 to 1930. In 1917–1918, Lenin and his allies were objects of severe criticism. In 1920, Gorky made the first attempt to represent Lenin but in fiction did it so abortively that Bolsheviks and Russian intelligentsia took it for a mockery or caricature. Right after the death of Lenin, at the beginning of 1924, Gorky wrote his famous essay “Vladimir Lenin” that for the first time, calls Lenin a man with a capital M. However, in 1930, Gorky had to considerably revise the essay under the pressure of the communist party authorities. In the second edition, the author seemingly intended to create a verbal monument to the great man, “inspirer and leader of the proletarians of all countries,” liberating his turning-into-bronze image from controversial details. In the 1930s, Lenin remained the ideal Man with a capital “M” for Gorky, but Gorky had to “correct” this ideal by adjusting it to the requirements of the time and political situation.

Keywords

• М. Gorky
• Lenin's character
• metamorphosis
• ideal person