A brief summary of “The lights” by Korolenko


In the deep autumn in the darkness, in which only the silhouettes of the coastal mountains appear, a boat sails along the Siberian river. The river is gloomy, but quiet and calm. The rower apathetically and monotonously leans on the oars and the boat slowly swims forward. Somewhere ahead, under the dark mountains flashed a spark of the desired shore, bright and inviting. The light of the home pier.

The passenger was glad that the lodging was already near, that very soon he would be on the ground warm and cozy with a cup of hot soup. The rower glanced over his shoulder at the bright light and declared that he was still far away. They will not soon reach their shore. Again he lay down indifferently on the oars. The passenger at first did not believe, because here he light – next to all… it’s just a stone’s throw away. As time went on, the boat kept moving forward towards the target, but the light loomed ahead, it turned out that somewhere far away. The amazing

property of these night lights is to visually shorten the distance, breaking through the darkness, time and space, to approach the intended goal, to beckon with its proximity and to promise an early end of the path.

The boat was still floating for a long time along the ink river with its passengers. Slowly emerged the coastal rocks and gorges, approached the travelers and slowly sailed away, hiding in the night shroud. The path seemed endless, and the flame, still bright and invitingly loomed ahead, winked and poured very close and infinitely far.

A lot of time has passed since that trip along the river, but the passenger constantly recalled this night adventure and that living flame, comparing it with a guiding star. When life presents difficulties and it seems that there is no way out, then somewhere in the future there will necessarily be a spark of hope ahead. And the more desperately you aspire to it, the faster all problems are solved and the adversities go to one side, they creep under the onslaught of bright light of the guiding light of hope. Life, like those dark and gloomy banks of an inky autumn river, with steep cliffs and cliffs, frightening, alien and dangerous, but behind them there is always light and yet ahead – lights.


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A brief summary of “The lights” by Korolenko