Introduction

Maxim Gorky's short story "Twenty-six Men and a Girl" is a prime example of Russian realist literature. Published during the oppressive reign of the Tsars in 1899, the story offers a stark portrayal of working-class life. This was a time when dissent was met with swift punishment, and the gap between the wealthy few and the poor masses was vast. Industrialization rapidly transformed Russia, creating harsh working conditions and fueling a growing sense of social unrest. The lives of ordinary people, like the bakers in Gorky's story, were often defined by their poverty, drudgery, and a yearning for a better future.

Plot Summary

Twenty-six bakers work in a cramped, damp cellar bakery with barred-shut windows. Their boss treats them terribly, feeding them spoiled meat and forcing them to live in squalid conditions. Monotonous labor fills their days as they shape dough from dawn until dusk in their miserable environment. The bakers are numb and withdrawn. They find comfort only in the occasional mournful songs they sing together. 

And we sang out words others wrote to our sorrow, the heavy yearnings of living men cut off the sun, the grief of slaves.

Only the arrival of Tanya, a 16-year-old seamstress, brings a ray of sunshine into the bakers' lives. Her cheerful face and friendly voice, calling "Little prisoners!" light up their dark cellar every morning. 

The bakers see themselves as her benefactors and take pride in providing Tanya with hot kringles – a daily "sacred rite" that strengthens their bond with her. They offer her unsolicited advice, which she playfully ignores, but they do not mind. They want to feel like they matter to someone, to have someone they care for and who acknowledges them as human beings.

This routine, though small, provides a welcome break from the drudgery and isolation of their lives. Tanya becomes a symbol of hope and a reminder of the world outside their cellar. They see her as their only outlet for love and need her to be a flawless object of their devotion.

Elsewhere in the bakery, a soldier is hired to replace a fired bun baker. This soldier is everything the other bakers are not: clean, healthy, well-dressed, and charismatic. He boasts about his success with women, highlighting the bakers' lack of confidence and experience.

The bakers are envious and intrigued. They try to impress the soldier with stories about the boss's cruelty. However, the soldier seems uninterested and focuses on his own physical prowess and charm. He implies that the bakers are unattractive and lack the confidence to attract women. Such statements only further reinforce their sense of inadequacy.

The bakers worry the soldier might try to seduce Tanya. They are both proud of Tanya for not falling for him and see an opportunity to distance themselves from the soldier. They warn Tanya to be careful and treat the soldier coldly.

The soldier continues to brag about his conquests with other women, which the bakers now find distasteful. Their initial admiration turns to resentment as they witness his arrogance and lack of respect for women.

The soldier challenges the bakers to name a woman who could resist his charms. They propose Tanya as a challenge to the soldier. This would be a test of their "idol's" strength. The bakers want to prove Tanya can resist him and reaffirm their faith in her.

The day of reckoning arrives. The bakers are tense and suspicious. They greet Tanya with an unusual silence. Sensing the shift, Tanya appears flustered and concerned about their strange behavior. 

Hours later, the soldier arrives, bragging about a "soldier's...