"Mother is a foundational work of 'Socialist Realism' and one of the most influential political novels of the 20th century. Set in a bleak industrial town in Tsarist Russia, it tells the story of Pelageya Nilovna Vlasova, a woman who has spent her entire life enduring the abuse of her husband and the crushing weight of extreme poverty. After her husband's death, her son Pavel becomes a revolutionary leader, hosting illegal political meetings in their home.

Initially fearful, Pelageya undergoes a profound psychological and political awakening. She moves from maternal concern for her son to a broader, universal 'motherhood' for the entire working class. The novel captures the transition from despair to hope, as Pelageya begins smuggling revolutionary leaflets and participating in the underground movement. Through her eyes, the author depicts the birth of class consciousness and the belief that human dignity is worth the ultimate sacrifice, making it a powerful anthem for socio economic change."

‘The Mother’ by Maxim Gorky is a novel based on the Russian revolution. It is Gorky’s worldwide famous work  on  the  Russian Revolution. The political agenda behind the novel was that he wanted to raise the spirit of the proletarian movement after the defeat of first Russian movement in 1905. He was trying to raise the  spirit  among  the revolutionaries to battle the defeatist mood.
The novel demonstrates the plight of revolutionary factory workers at that time. It is  said  to  be  semi-autobiographical as Gorky was related to the protagonists of the story. The novel revolves around a young Russian boy – Pavel Vlasov, involved in revolutionary activities, and his mother, whose motherly concern and urge to help her son leads her to get involved in the revolution. Nilovna, despite being uneducated, overcomes her political ignorance, and becomes the true protagonist of the story.