Summary of Gorky’s “Thomas Gordeyev”


Ignat Gordeyev all his life dreamed of his son, but his wife, with an enviable regularity, gave birth to his daughters. Unfortunately, not one little girl has not lived up to three years. Soon, after the children, Ignat’s wife went to the next world. The man did not grieve for a long time and got married again. The second marriage did not last long. Gordeev’s wife died during childbirth, giving him a long-awaited son. Ignat named the child Foma and right after birth gave to the upbringing of Yakov Mayakin’s family. There Thomas was not offended, but his life was boring and monotonous. The only entertainment was playing with the daughter of Jacob Any. When the boy was six years old his father took him home.

Thomas loved his father and respected. Educating his son Ignat was helped by his sister Anfisa. The boy did not like the soul in the old woman, after all, she had discovered to him, a world of fairy tales unknown before. At the age of eight, Thomas was already

able to read and write.

In the same year Ignat took his son with him to the steamer. Since then, the boy started a new life, he learned a lot. Autumn has come, and with it time to go to school. A sharp mind and natural wit allowed Foma to succeed in his studies, but he saw no benefit in it. School life brought new acquaintances and new friends. After graduating five years in the district school, Foma began to delve into the course of his father’s business affairs. Ignat patiently passed on his knowledge and the secrets of the craft to his son.

Life flowed as usual. Foma turned into a handsome, handsome young man, and Ignat grew sick more often – old age crept up to him unnoticed. Soon the guy came sad news of the death of his father. This became a powerful blow for Thomas. Pain and longing absorbed the boy. The process of the funeral was engaged in the fuss Mayakin. After the death of his father Thomas completely lost interest in life, he did not see the goal in front of him. The Godfather announced his desire to give his daughter Luba for Thomas. However, the young man did not like the news.

Lyuba irritated him, and the boy did not want to marry her. As a result, the girl married a school friend of Foma Afrikan Smolin and healed a quiet family life.

Thomas increasingly drank and burned money. Somewhere in his heart he wanted to change his life, but he did not know how. Thoughts of marriage were visited by a young man, but Thomas did not see a suitable girl next to him.

Soon the son of Mayakin Taras returned to the city. The young man has experienced many things in his life: prison, Siberia, marrying a rich daughter of a gold mining owner, widowhood and the death of his own children.

The reunion of the Mayakins family painfully hurt Foma. He felt all the insignificance of his life. The inability to change what he has changed has been drowned in wine. The godfather was thinking about custody of Thomas. I decide the role in this matter was the scandalous trick of the young man at a solemn dinner with the merchant.

Three years later, Jacob Mayakin appeared before the Almighty. His condition was inherited by his daughter, son and son-in-law. About Foma there was not a long time to hear anything. People were saying that he lives beyond the Urals.

After a while, Thomas appeared in the city. His condition was deplorable – a crazy smile wandered on his face, periodically replaced by sullenness, and the constant smell of alcohol spoke for itself.


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Summary of Gorky’s “Thomas Gordeyev”