Twenty-six Men and a Girl
Encyclopedia
"Twenty-six Men and a Girl" is a short story
written by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky
in 1899
, and is one of his most famous.
It is a pioneering
story of Social Realism
(the story pre-dates Soviet socialist realism), and is a story of lost ideals. Twenty-six men labor in a cellar
, making kringle
s in an effective prison
, looked down on by all around them, including the bun
bakers
. Their only seeming solace is the sixteen-year-old Tanya, who visits them every morning for kringles they give her. A new baker, a soldier, joins the bun bakers. Unlike all others they know, he befriends them, boasting of his virility
with women. He ultimately seduces
Tanya, and the men all revile her. She is never again seen.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
written by the Russian writer Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
in 1899
1899 in literature
The year 1899 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Edgar Rice Burroughs begins working in his father's business.*Rainer Maria Rilke travels to Moscow to meet Leo Tolstoy....
, and is one of his most famous.
It is a pioneering
Innovator
An innovator in a general sense, is a person or an organization who is one of the first to introduce into reality something better than before. That often opens up a new area for others and achieves an innovation.-History:...
story of Social Realism
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
(the story pre-dates Soviet socialist realism), and is a story of lost ideals. Twenty-six men labor in a cellar
Basement
__FORCETOC__A basement is one or more floors of a building that are either completely or partially below the ground floor. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system...
, making kringle
Kringle
Kringle is a Scandinavian pastry, a Nordic variety of pretzel, which arrived with Roman Catholic monks in the 13th century, especially in Denmark...
s in an effective prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
, looked down on by all around them, including the bun
Bun
A bun is a small, usually sweet, bread. Commonly they are hand-sized or smaller, domed in shape, with a flat bottom. A bun can also be a savory bread roll similar to a bap or barmcake....
bakers
Bakers
Baker's is a supermarket chain operating primarily in the metro area of Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Kroger.-History:Abraham Baker opened his first grocery store in Walnut, Iowa in 1927. His first Omaha-area store opened in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1947, and his first in Omaha itself opened in 1957...
. Their only seeming solace is the sixteen-year-old Tanya, who visits them every morning for kringles they give her. A new baker, a soldier, joins the bun bakers. Unlike all others they know, he befriends them, boasting of his virility
Virility
Virility refers to any of a wide range of masculine characteristics viewed positively. It is not applicable to women or to negative characteristics. The Oxford English Dictionary says virile is "marked by strength or force." Virility is commonly associated with vigour, health, sturdiness, and...
with women. He ultimately seduces
Seduction
In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term may have a positive or negative connotation...
Tanya, and the men all revile her. She is never again seen.