Chinese New Curriculum Standard Required Reading: Childhood

Author: Maxim Gorky
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-02-01
Features: The Childhood is the first part of Gorky's three autobiographical novels, written with deep emotional recollections. The author, at the age of three, lost his father and was taken by his mother to his grandmother's house. His grandfather was a selfish, greedy, and tyrannical small property owner who cruelly exploited his workers and lent money at high interest rates. However, the development of capitalism in Russia thwarted his dream of getting rich, and he eventually went bankrupt and fell into poverty. After his mother remarried, she also died of poverty and illness. At the age of one, the author was kicked out of the house by his grandfather and had to fend for himself in the world. In the book, Gorky vividly depicts his own hardships, revealing some of the ugly aspects of Russian society while also portraying many outstanding ordinary people, such as his grandmother and the little man from the circus. Persistence in seeking knowledge, fearlessness in the face of difficulties, and perseverance—these are the positive attitudes toward life that The Childhood inspires in young readers. They are also the essence of life that this book points out to us all.