A summary of "The Old Man" by Maxim Gorky

The play was written in 1915. It is closely connected to the writer’s journalistic articles about the Karamazov rebellion, published two years earlier. The plot centers on the clash between a man building a new life after escaping from penal servitude and a vengeful righteous man who has turned the suffering he endured into a weapon for the destruction of others. The writer exposes the selfishness of people who consider past suffering an indulgence to commit evil. This book is a harsh judgment on cruelty concealed by a mask of piety.

Act One

A summer afternoon. A crowd of masons is gathered near the brick wall of a technical school under construction. Ivan Vasilyevich Mastakov — a robust, gray-haired man, a wealthy merchant and construction manager — is delivering a speech of thanks. He rejoices at the successful completion of the first phase of the work. Mastakov tells the masons that their hard work will benefit future generations. Merchant Yakim Kharitonov and his nephew Yakov interrupt the speech with mocking remarks. Kharitonov is certain that the wealthy widow, Sofya Markovna, inspired Mastakov to think so highly.

The workers thank the owner for his generosity and humane attitude. The old mason, Nikita, notes Mastakov’s high intelligence but warns him of the dangers of rushing into business. Meanwhile, a suspicious stranger wanders around the noisy construction site. He inquires about the owner’s origins and dark past. The guard, Stepanych, reports this to the nanny, Zakharovna. Zakharovna, a cheerful elderly woman, grumbles about Mastakov’s capricious stepdaughter, Tatyana, and his sullen stepson, Pavel.

Sofia Markovna emerges from the garden. Clumsy Pavel is secretly and unrequitedly in love with her, so he’s acting unnaturally. Sofia Markovna coquettishly teases the shy young man. Mastakov takes the young widow aside. He’s agitated, literally torn apart by a painful secret. The man struggles to explain himself, begs for protection, and even falls to his knees before Sofia. Sofia perceives this gesture as an inappropriate declaration of love. She hurries off to the village and promises to talk later.

Kharitonov persistently proposes his dandy nephew, Yakov, to Tatyana. Yakov is a shallow and cynical young man who delights in playing cruel jokes on the weak. Kharitonov demands a dowry of 20,000 rubles for the girl. Mastakov grows gloomy and refuses to discuss the matter. Left completely alone, the builder experiences a mystical fear. He orders his watchman, Stepanych, to immediately harness the horse, catch up with Sofya Markovna’s carriage, and bring her back.

Act II

Late in the evening, Yakov entertains Tatyana. He intimidates the old bricklayer Nikita with fabricated accusations, pretending to be a detective. The girl dislikes the young man’s cruel games. Yakov openly proposes marriage to Tatyana, promising complete freedom from moral obligations in their future marriage. Kharitonov constantly urges his nephew, demanding that the matchmaking be completed quickly for the sake of enormous financial gain. Uncle and nephew are indifferent to human feelings.

The suspicious Old Man appears from behind the gatehouse. He is accompanied by a Girl with a motionless face and dead eyes. The Old Man calls himself Pitirim. He questions Nikita in detail about Mastakov, asking how long he’s been living in these parts. The Girl emotionlessly begs for alms from Yakov and Tatyana, who are passing by. Yakov, a student dropout, attempts to make a crude joke about the vagabonds, but Pitirim quickly puts him in his place with a stern look.

Mastakov wanders away from the construction site. An old man blocks his path and calls him Gusev. It turns out the old man’s former name was Anton. Many years ago, they served hard labor together in Siberia. Mastakov recognized his former comrade in misfortune a few days ago on the cathedral porch. The builder begs Anton to tell him frankly why he’s come. The old man mocks his victim, refusing to state his demands. He promises to come back in the evening for a long talk.

Sofia Markovna returns. Mastakov confesses his true past. At the age of 20, as a drunken recruit, he was caught in a fight. Someone was killed, and the blame was pinned on him because his clothes were stained with blood. The court sentenced the young man to hard labor. Soon after, he made a daring escape. Sofia Markovna believes Ivan Vasilyevich’s innocence. She promises to hide in the room behind the curtains that evening to secretly eavesdrop on his conversation with the Old Man.

Act Three

That evening, Mastakov awaits a guest in a spacious room of the house. Sofia Markovna hides securely behind a closet. Zakharovna brings the Old Man and the Girl. The master demands that the Girl leave the room, but the old convict insists on her presence. The Old Man begins the psychological torture. He recounts with rapture how he humbly bore his cross and suffered for 12 long years. Mastakov, however, rejected the punishment, escaped, and built a prosperous life.

The Old Man doesn’t demand material benefits. He seeks only the moral destruction of the escaped prisoner. He relishes the unlimited power he wields over the successful businessman. Enraged, Mastakov lunges at his tormentor with his fists. Sofia Markovna runs out from her hiding place and separates them. She chases Mastakov and the Girl out into the corridor, leaving her alone with the Old Man.

The woman closes the door, hoping to resolve the problem diplomatically.

Sofia Markovna tries to appeal to Anton’s humanity. She asks if he really enjoys ruining other people’s lives. The old man hatefully rejects any words of conciliation. He states bluntly, "For every tear I shed, I won’t take a pound of gold from you." The woman realizes that before her stands a ruthless fanatic, intoxicated by his own malice. Anton leaves the room, promising swift reprisals.

Zakharovna, secretly eavesdropping on the conversation, offers Sofya Markovna a radical solution. The old woman is prepared to personally poison the Old Man with rat poison to save her children and her beloved master. Sofya Markovna is indescribably horrified by the idea of cold-blooded murder and forbids Zakharovna from taking action. The widow decides to bribe the Maiden. She asks her to persuade the Old Man to leave, promising money and fashionable clothes.

The girl tells her grim story. She was convicted of the death of an infant who accidentally suffocated in a cold barn. She agrees to help, eagerly accepting the promise of outfits, but remains skeptical of the rescue plan. Suddenly, Tatyana and Pavel burst into the room, arguing. The young man suspects the threat looming over the house. He notices the tense atmosphere and overhears snatches of conversations. Tatyana, however, remains naive and doesn’t understand the cause of everyone’s anxiety.

Act Four

A bright moonlit night. Zakharovna, Tatyana, and the Maiden are sitting on the porch of the house. Zakharovna talks about her distant youth, trying to distract the girls from negative thoughts. Tatyana senses trouble and is nervous. Pavel invites the Maiden to take a walk in the garden. She agrees, flirting with the young man. Zakharovna sees this as an excellent chance to distract the Old Man’s unpredictable companion from what’s happening in the house.

The old man sits motionless on a bench beneath Mastakov’s windows. The master of the house, in despair, asks his tormentor about his ultimate goal. Anton coldly replies that he rejoices at the very opportunity to trample the rich man’s decades-old stone nest in an instant. A sleepy Kharitonov appears. The old man rudely pushes him away, provoking a confrontation. The merchant retreats before the tramp’s insolence.

The girl returns from the dark garden. She tries to convince the Old Man to take a large sum of money and leave forever. She warns him of Zakharovna’s treachery and hints at the real possibility of arsenic poisoning. The Old Man only laughs mockingly.

He is absolutely confident of his complete impunity and superiority over these cowardly people.

Sofia Markovna is getting ready to leave for the city. Mastakov accompanies her to her carriage. Along the way, they encounter Kharitonov. Wanting to test his old friend’s loyalty, Mastakov openly confesses his past as a convict and his daring escape. Kharitonov’s expression instantly changes. Fearing a potential scandal, he begins muttering pathetic excuses and effectively refuses to support his comrade. Sofia Markovna is deeply outraged by Kharitonov’s cowardice.

The woman urges Mastakov to fight to the bitter end. She promises to quickly tap her connections in the prosecutor’s office, hire the capital’s best lawyers, and save his good name. Mastakov bids her farewell with deep sadness. Alone, Kharitonov discusses new business opportunities with Yakov. He advises his nephew to demand double the dowry for Tatyana, brazenly exploiting the Mastakov family’s impending disgrace.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot rings out from the garden. A terrified Tatyana screams. The watchman, Stepanych, comes running, out of breath. He delivers the terrible news: Mastakov took his old rifle under the pretext of urgent cleaning, stepped aside, and shot himself in the mouth. Panicked, Pavel demands that the horses be harnessed and the town doctor found, but the watchman confirms his stepfather’s instant death.

The Old Man and the Maiden hastily pack their travel bags. The Maiden scolds Anton for his lost profits and incredible greed. She calls him an old dog and bitterly regrets not listening to Zakharovna’s suggestions. The Old Man crosses himself, calls the deceased a heretic, and waves a gnarled stick at the house. He is absolutely certain that he has become a just instrument of God’s punishment, sweeping the rubbish of sin from the face of the earth.