meyers456: The Life of Klim Samgin

Episode 2, "Youth 1894", part 1

Narrator: In 1894 Russia equalled the United States in oil extraction. In cast ironing it reached the fourth position in the world. It was the first in gold mining in the world. Russia had had 38 thousand kilometres of railways, 6 thousand plants and factories. The number of proletarians was 12 mln people. A Russian worker's wage was 5 times lower than that of an American. There was the longest working day in Europe, and the most widespread use of child labour. Since 1882 a few Marxist clubs had risen, among them - the group "Emancipation of Labour" headed by G. Plekhanov, and a D. Blagoev's club.

(in the background - Klim Samgin is walking down the street, looks back at women, apologises to one of them).

(at home, Klim's father and brother are leaving the house. The father is sobbing).

Samgin-father: Well, dear Klim...

Mother: No dramatic soliloques, please.

(Varavka grunts)

Samgin-father: My business, son... my business, son, forces me to leave for a while. I shall be living in Finland, in Vyborg. That's it. Mitya is going with me. (Pause). So, farewell. Respect your mother, she is worthy... let's sit down.

(Dmitry starts crying).

Mother: Don't, my boy...

Samgin-father: Let's go!

Narrator: Upon their departure the house didn't fall empty, and in just a few days Klim recalled the unbelieving words that he heard on the river when Boris Varavka was drowning: "But was there a boy? Maybe there was no boy at all". Klim remembered Boris's death more and more seldom and merely as an unpleasant dream.

Instead of the Somovs, the Samgins house's wing was now inhabited by a new tenant: it was the writer Nestor Nikolaich Katin with his wife, a sister, and a lop-eared dog called Dream. Klim has found that at the Katins it was similar to school with that difference, however, that the truth was taught here with indubious faith in its potency. This faith lived in nearly every word, and although Klim didn't fancy it, nevertheless not only did he take away with him some thoughts and apt words, he also assessed and learnt people. Here young people received the due attention. Klim, and Lydia Varavka, and Klim's new friend Makarov, and Dronov, and Ljuba Somova and Alina Telepneva, all felt quite at home among peculiar new people.

Guest: ... by the sacred behest of the fathers: leave the city life behind you and go to the village to plough.

Another guest: And so we tried but got burnt!

Guest: Blind you, you went there for profit, preaching the evil deeds and rape. But I summon you for the deed of good and love. I say to you the sacred words of my Teacher: be simple! Be the children of the Earth! Throw away the lie that you have invented and that has blinded you!

Lydia: Why do they all shout? They look like they are about to beat one another up, and yet they also drink tea, and vodka, and swallow mushrooms. And she strokes my back, like I'm a cat. This bump of hers... I hate pregnant women. What is it all for?

Makarov: Evidently, it is with these commodities that truth is born.

Somova: You're all evil! I like these people! They are like chefs in the kitchen on the eve of a big holiday. Like Christmas or Easter.

Lydia: I don't know. It seems to me that they speak of their love to people with hatred and with love - of their hatred to the powers.