Maxim Gorky's Children of the Sun

Socialism as a form schizophrenia

Viewing Maxim Gorky solely as a communist mouthpiece overlooks his nuanced understanding of the Russian peasantry, whose strengths and flaws he observed with great clarity. His play Children of the Sun demonstrates this perspective brilliantly.

Directed by Leonid Pchelkin, the 1985 film adaptation serves as a direct critique of both the Russian intelligentsia and the superstitious, brutal, ungovernable peasant class.

The play shares distinct structural and thematic similarities with Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya by utilizing overlapping character archetypes, but Gorky has a different destination in mind than Chekhov.

Echoes of Uncle Vanya

The play establishes a tone and setting remarkably similar to Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, particularly through three specific characters that show direct overlap between the two works. Pavel Protasov mirrors Professor Serebryakov, since both are oblivious academics whose singular focus on their own pursuits blinds them to the emotional and physical realities of the people living under their roof. Similarly, Elena shares both a name and a narrative function with Serebryakov’s wife as the beautiful, dissatisfied spouse who becomes the center of attention and unrequited affection for other men in the estate. Finally, the veterinarian Boris Chepurnoy parallels Doctor Astrov, with both men functioning as cynical rural professionals who clearly see the stagnation of their social class while struggling with their own romantic disappointments.

While Chekhov focuses on the quiet internal decay of the educated class, Gorky introduces a severe external threat. The tragedy in Uncle Vanya remains confined to personal disappointment, rooted in how Vanya neglected his own life and failed to actualize himself out of a strict sense of duty. Conversely, in Children of the Sun, the brewing violence of the uneducated masses threatens to physically destroy the isolated intellectuals.

Yegor as the Author

Providing a sharp contrast to the educated elite, the character of the locksmith Yegor is a talented craftsman who operates as a brute and physically abuses his wife. His genuine mechanical skill highlights a wasted potential that a harsh environment has twisted into anger. Simmering with a deep class hatred, he is fully prepared to kill the master of the estate when the cholera riot breaks out because he views the privileged intellectuals as the direct cause of their daily suffering.

This character functions as a surrogate for Maxim Gorky himself. Having survived a deeply impoverished youth, Gorky uses Yegor to inject his own raw, unrefined background into the story.

The Performance of Innokenty Smoktunovsky

Innokenty Smoktunovsky plays the main character, Pavel Protasov, delivering a portrayal that is an act of absolute genius. He avoids turning the oblivious scientist into a simple caricature by grounding the character in a genuine, albeit naive, belief that art and science will elevate humanity. Through this approach, he effortlessly captures the exact mannerisms of a man who is completely detached from the impending social collapse happening right outside his laboratory doors.

His detachment abruptly breaks when Elena threatens to leave him. Smoktunovsky alters his performance during this specific confrontation. The oblivious scientist suddenly awakens from his intellectual trance and displays a frantic, desperate energy as he realizes he is about to lose his wife.

Conclusion

Gorky clearly drew inspiration from Chekhov, yet he takes the narrative to an entirely different place. His writing style is less refined but his perspective is less detached. He delivers a clear and powerful critique of a society facing imminent collapse.

Protasov’s sister suffers from schizophrenia and her illness manifests as a series of socialist slogans.

With this play Gorky tells us “the revolution is coming, but it might take us to a very very dark place,” and of course he turned out to be absolutely right.