26 Men and 1 Girl by Gorky - Essay Example

Character Analysis in twenty-six men and one girl by Gorky A critical analysis of twenty-six men and one girl by Gorky reveals some interesting relationships between the characters. It is through character interactions in these relationships that the author has been able to develop and extrapolate his major themes. One of the most notable relationships is the one between Tanya and the twenty-six who has been locked up in a damp cellar. At first, it is plausible that Tanya and the men enjoy fruitful relationships.

It is noteworthy that even though the men talk coarsely about other women, they never speak bad things about Tanya. According to them, her beauty and warm demeanor brighten their otherwise dull mornings in their locked cellar. According to the narrator, the men could simply not survive without worshipping something, they found this solace in the welcoming and comforting attitude that Tanya extended to them. In fact, no other person extended them this gratitude except Tanya. In order to reciprocate the gratitude that Tanya extended to them the men would occasionally assist her in some of her daily chores, such as chopping firewood.

It is plausible that Tanya’s kind mentality towards the men is an innate feeling in her and not merely because the men demand such kind of treatment from her. In fact, when one of the men asks her to mend his shirt, the narrator states that Tanya refuses in a contemptuous way. As a result, the men opt never to ask her to do anything for them. Rather, they decide to let her humane feeling guide her into serving them of her volition. It is out of this kind of relationship that the narrator refers to Tanya as an idol to the men.

However, this idolization seems to place Tanya on an elevated pedestal from which she is likely to fall. It is interesting to note that Tanya is trying to act as human as she can. However, the men have elevated her status so high, to the point that they do everything for her “ with delight and a sense of pride” (Gorky, 1902: pp. 9). Due to the high expectations that the men place upon her, the relationship seems to suffer a great deal when Tanya fails to live up to the men’s expectations.

As a result, they are hurt by the consequences to the point of insulting her. However, the men’s attraction to her does not fade away, despite her failure to fulfill their needs. For instance, when the soldier starts making advances on Tanya, the men are interested in seeing Tanya’s response toward the soldier. However, some of the men vow that they would smash the soldier’s ribs if he tries to force himself on her. Tanya does not disappoint the men. Moreover, when he calls the soldier a “goggle-eyed calf” (Gorky, 1902: pp. 17), it shows that she is living up to the men’s expectations.

When the men discover that Tanya has finally submitted to the soldier, their interest in her diminishes as they believe that they have been ‘robbed’ of their object of love. In fact, they frame her, and this illustrates their brashness towards her has altered. It is plausible that the development of the relationship between the men and its eventual breakdown enables to development of some of the major themes that make up the story. The relationship not only allows the author to portray the situation within the enclosure but also allows the author to demonstrate the behavior of each character.