Has Lushkoff become a beggar by circumstance or by choice?
Lushkoff was a middle aged man who belonged to a Russian choir. On being found in a state of drunkenness, he was sacked. This made him resort to begging. His face was dull and he wore torn clothes. Sometimes he introduced himself as a student and sometimes as a teacher.
According to me, he had become a beggar by choice and not by circumstances. It is not a person’s circumstances which force him to drink and leave work. Had the realization dawned upon him that it was his drunkenness which made his life worse he would have never made such a decision.
What reasons does he give to Sergei for his telling lies?
Sergei had met the beggar earlier and he had introduced himself as a student. When Sergei met the man again, he introduced himself as a teacher. This made Sergei suspect him. After a while of confrontation, the man accepted that he was lying. He told Sergei about getting thrown out of the Russian choir due to his drunkenness. He further told him that he had no other option but to lie and beg because nobody gave him any work. He lied because he knew that telling the truth to people would not get him any help.
Is Lushkoff a willing worker? Why then, does he agree to chop wood for Sergei?
Lushkoff was a middle aged man with frail health. His strength and stamina had left him. He agreed to chop wood for Sargai because he was caught in a vicious circle of his own words that nobody gave him work. It was also his pride and shame that made him agree to work.
Sergei says, “I am happy that my words have taken effect?” Why does he say so? Is he right in saying this?
In the latter part of the story, Sergei found Lushkoff doing well in life. He was earning 35 Russian roubles. While leaving the house, Sergei referred Lushkoff for a copying work and advised him to give up on drinking in order to lead a successful life. On seeing him do well in his life, Sergei felt happy that he had made a difference in someone’s life and that his words moved Lushkoff and he gave up on bad things and worked hard to earn his bread.
In his view, Sergei was right in saying so. However, it was only later in the story that Lushkoff unfolded the truth.
Lushkoff is earning thirty five roubles a month. How is he obliged to Sergei for this?
When Lushkoff came often to Sargai’s place for chopping woods Sargai assumed that Lushkoff was a laborious man and he deserved some cleaner employment. Sargai referred Lushkoff for a copying job and advised him to give up on drinking. It was Sargai’s kindness to have offered a beggar some work. Hence, Lushkoff was obliged for his act of kindness.
During their conversation Lushkoff reveals that Sergei's cook, Olga, is responsible for the positive change in him. How has Olga saved Lushkoff?
When Sergei said that he was happy that his words had made an effect, Lushkoff told him that it was Olga, Sergei’s cook who had brought about a change in Lushkoff’s life and that he would never ever be able to thank her enough for all that she did for him. He revealed that whenever he came to Sergei for chopping wood it was not him but Olga who would always chop the wood and let Lushkoff take the payment. She would always scold him for his sloth and drunkenness like a mother. She cursed him that he would go to hell but still helped him every time he came. Her selfless help changed Lushkoff’s outlook towards life and he started toiling hard for earning his bread and butter.
How can we help beggars/abolish begging?
To beg which means to spread one’s hands in front of others with the sole purpose of expecting some help from the other person is not only an obligation for some but it has also become a fashion in the contemporary world. Many beggars can be seen at every nook and corner. Some people have taken to begging just because they do not want to work or because they are forced by someone else to beg and earn. It is a matter of grave concern that people earn their bread and butter by taking the sympathy of the people who work hard for that money.
However, we should not hate the beggars but the act of begging. Some people do resort to begging because of circumstance. It is because we show sympathy to people that people ask for our sympathy. We can help abolish begging and beggars from our society my being helping those who are really in need. We should make little contributions in organizations which work for the betterment of these people. We can always help people we meet at various places by paying them not out of sympathy but by making them do little errands for us like cleaning our vehicle, polishing our shoes, helping pick us bags etc.
We must never use harsh words and should understand if they really have some major issue in life which has made them beg.