How did Maxim Gorky’s travels through southern Russia influence his writing?

Maxim Gorky’s extensive wanderings through southern Russia as a young man were foundational to his literary career, as they provided him with firsthand experience of the lives of the social dregs of society.12

These travels initiated what is known as his "tramp period," during which he moved away from the objective descriptions of marginalized people common in literature at the time. Instead, Gorky began to write with deep sympathy and self-identification, focusing on the strength and determination of individual hobos and criminals. This period directly influenced his early works, such as the story "Chelkash," which blended elements of Romanticism and realism to depict a harbour thief. By documenting the harsh realities of those living on the fringes of society, Gorky established a unique voice that propelled him to fame within Russian literature, eventually earning him a reputation comparable to literary giants like Leo Tolstoy and Anton Chekhov.2