The Orloff Couple, and Malva

"The Orloff Couple, and Malva" by Maxim Gorky, is a novel that pulls you into the difficult world of Grischka Orloff, a shoemaker, and his wife, Matrona, as they live in a run-down city. The book looks closely at the problems of fighting at home, feeling hopeless about life, and trying to discover meaning in the dullness of their daily lives. The story begins by presenting us to the disordered life of the Orloffs, where Grischka is often abusive, and Matrona, although she gives in to him, still hopes for something more. Their communication is full of repeats of fighting and making up as they struggle with being poor and unhappy. Gorky shows Grischka's inner battle with being violent, as well as Matrona's wish for a better future, which gets the reader ready for a story that questions the state of society and examines how complicated people's relationships can be when their surroundings keep them down. This beginning sums up the heart of their lives, predicting the individual and social battles that are on the horizon.