“When it comes to the Lord, you better mind what you say” She took a deep breath and went on with added fervour. “You can think what
you like, but for me, an old woman, there’ll be nothing to turn to for support in my grief if you take the Lord God away” Her eyes filled
with tears and her fingers trembled as she washes the dishes. 63 She is impaired when her divine God is contended against Pavel and his friends’
arguments. She says “It’s beyond my strength to listen to such talk,” 63 while walking away from them and hurt. Although in the end of the story she progresses to
be indifferent about religion, her religious personality plays a significant part of making up her intricate personality. In summary, her being religious resembles
typical traditional and simple mother who seeks comfort, strength and guidance in dealing with her suffering.
4.1.2. Wise
The dynamics in Pelagea is further explored by Gorky through her depiction as a wise person. Though she feels sorry for Pavel’s and his friends’ being atheists,
she by no means stands in their way. This is again a typical personality of a mother who usually succumbs to her children’s will; a mother who does not want to strangle
the progress of her children, who does not want to boldly confront with the children’s will; and a mother who does not want to hurt her children’s feeling. Therefore, she
always wants to give comfort to her children. Pelagea, too, is a typical mother who simply lets Pavel and friends be what
they are. The rationale is that she senses a firm faith in Pavel’s heart that in some way soothes her feeling 26. For her, God is private. Interestingly, she perceives Pavel’s
and his friends’ cause, to a certain extent, resembles to that of Christ’s. This can be PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
traced from Gorky’s thought to give “direct knowledge” to the reader about what the character thinks:
The mother found that all of them were confident and persistent, and while they were highly individual, their faces seemed to merge into
one face resembling that of Christ on the road to Emmaus… 121 Her heart was warmed and caressed by their dreams of the triumph of
justice, but some reason she sighed sadly whenever she heard them talk. She was particularly touched by their utter simplicity, and by a
fine, sweeping indifference to their own welfare. 122 It is interesting to note that Christ’s taking a journey to Emmaus without even
being noticed by His followers, according to Pelagea, resembles Pavel’s movement. Although the body of Christ was not present, His idea was still firmly attached to His
followers. It is analogues to that of Pavel—although he is nonbeliever his religious belief is not present, the idea that he and his friends bring is still alive, sacred and
high, that is, to pursue justice for the working people. Given that Pelagea is able to distinguish between personal business and social movement, I am assured that
Pelagea’s realization of this contributes to her wise personality. However, her being wise is not independent from her stance of being a mother. It seems that, as a mother,
her view of letting Pavel and his comrades be and do whatever they like is natural for a mother, especially when she senses something positive in their activities.
Nevertheless, in terms of religious matter, her quality of being able to be fair in dealing with worldly cause and religiosity is a rare achievement of human kind,
since usually there is a sharp antagonism between believers and atheists. Therefore, Pelagea’s stance of letting Pavel and friends be nonbelievers pictures the immense
complexity of her personality. It is seemingly irregular to learn that a simple and PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ignorant mother can value such a high qualification. However, Gorky’s characterization tries to unravel the impossibility. And Pelagea resembles the few
ones who survive that antagonism. She is able to cope with her emotion so that her religious belief does not
constraint her relationship with Pavel and friends. Instead, Pelagea reaches the bottom line that what Pavel and friends do is for the good of working people, although their
belief is diametrically opposed to that of the mother, who maintains that God is the single most destination. As a mother she is able to be fair to her son and to give
comfort by not standing in Pavel’s way.
4.1.3. Sensitive
