Childhood Lessons in the Novel by M. Gorky

Abstract

The article examines the role of family and upbringing in shaping the protagonist’s personality in Maxim Gorky’s autobiographical novel Childhood. Drawing on the text and scholarly sources, it analyzes the contradictory influences of the family — from the authoritarian cruelty of grandfather to the spiritual wisdom of grandmother — and their impact on the formation of Alyosha Peshkov’s moral compass and critical thinking. Special attention is paid to the connection between childhood trials and the hero’s early independence, as well as the relevance of these themes in the context of modern social challenges.