Analysis "Dowry" Ostrovsky. Characteristics of the main characters of the work The Dowry, Ostrovsky


Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky is a brilliant Russian playwright. His famous play The Dowry was written in 1878. The author worked long and hard on the work for four years. "Dowry" caused a lot of questions and controversy among critics and viewers, who were the very first to see the production of the play on stage.

As is often the case, people's recognition of "Dowry" came only a few years after the death of the author himself. The first staged performances in St. Petersburg and Moscow theaters, unfortunately, were very disastrous, critics gave poor ratings and wrote conflicting reviews. However, the play quickly and easily passed the censorship and was immediately published in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski in 1879.
It is believed that Ostrovsky wrote the drama based on real events that he had to observe in his life as a justice of the peace in Kineshma district.

The idea of ​​this work was conceived by the author in the autumn of 1874, but the work on it went on for a long time and painstakingly. During the time it was written, the author released several more works, and The Dowry finished only in January 1879. The play, which was not accepted and recognized in its time, has now become a classic and has gained real respect and immortality.

The essence of the work

To begin with, it is worth deciding who such a dowry is? So in the old days they called poor girls and those who did not have a dowry, which was supposed to enter the capital of her future family. A woman did not work in those days, therefore, a man took her as a dependent, and, apart from the money received from his parents, he had nothing to hope for, his wife could not help him in financial matters, and her children were automatically left without inheritance from one of the parties. As a rule, such girls diligently tried to win the attention of suitors with their beauty, pedigree and inner virtues.

Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky in his play describes the real inner state of an ordinary dowry woman who stubbornly seeks true, sincere love on earth, but realizes that it does not exist. No one dared to look into her soul and show sincere interest in her, so the girl becomes an ordinary thing for a rich man, she simply has no other choice and even a chance to get a decent attitude. Another option to arrange your life is to marry the miserable, selfish and unpretentious Karandyshev, a petty clerk who, again, marries Larisa for the sake of self-affirmation. But she rejects this option. The author demonstrates all the contradictions of life that surround us, using the example of the fate of the heroes. The essence of the play "Dowry" is to show the reader how mercilessly and vilely people change true love and friendship for an ordinary deal, from which one can only draw one's own benefit.

main characters

  1. The characters in the play are:
    Larisa Ogudalova is a young beautiful girl who does not have a dowry. She feels extremely humiliated in this world because of her difficult position in society. Unfortunately, few people were interested in such girls during the life of the writer. The heroine loves to dream very much, so she falls in love with a rich nobleman and hopes for happiness next to him. With Karandyshev, the girl feels like a thing, her personality becomes insignificant, she directly tells him that she cannot love him the way she loves another. She is gifted with musical and choreographic talents. Her disposition is meek and calm, but deep down she is a passionate nature, desiring mutual love. A hidden strength of will manifested itself in her character when she ran from her engagement to the risk of being disgraced and misunderstood by her surroundings. But for the sake of a sincere feeling, she is ready to sacrifice her life, shouting a farewell ultimatum to her mother: either she will become Paratov's wife, or one should look for her in the Volga. As you can see, a desperate woman is not devoid of excitement, she puts both honor and herself at stake. we analyzed in the essay.
  2. Harita Ignatievna - Mrs. Ogudalova, mother of Larisa Ogudalova, a poor noblewoman, a widow who was particularly dexterous in household affairs, but could not give her three daughters a dowry, since her fortune was not great. She herself barely makes ends meet, but manages to roll dinners and evenings to find a match for her last marriageable lady.
  3. Yuri Karandyshev - a poor official, the fiance of Larisa Ogudalova, was distinguished by excessive narcissism and obsession. A selfish eccentric who was often jealous and looked stupid. Larisa was a toy for him, which he could boast to others. He feels on himself all the contempt of the Ogudalovs' entourage, but, nevertheless, does not give up the idea of ​​proving to them that he is an equal to everyone. His ostentatious arrogance, attempts to please and win honor irritate society and the heroine herself, in comparison with the dignity and strength of Paratov, this little man hopelessly loses. He finally sinks in the eyes of the bride when he gets drunk at the engagement dinner party. Then she realizes that it is better to go to the Volga than to marry him.
  4. Sergei Paratov is a respected nobleman, a wealthy man who often threw money away for his own pleasure. He lived, caroused and looked after women beautifully, so after a gradual ruin he managed to capture the heart of a rich heiress. It is obvious that he is the same soulless egoist as Karandyshev, he simply lives in a big way and knows how to impress. The soul of the company and joker, above all, loves to have fun and throw dust in the eyes, and therefore chooses a marriage of convenience, and not sincere feelings.
  5. Vasily Vozhevatov is a friend of Larisa Ogudalova, a very rich, but immoral and vile person. The hero has never been in love and does not know what it is. He was witty and cunning. Vasily is not going to marry the girl, although he claims to take her for maintenance. He loses her in a draw, but consoles himself that he saved, which makes him an immoral and empty person. He is a merchant, a native of serfs, who achieved everything himself. For him, the most important thing is not to lose the achieved position, so he refuses to help the young woman, not wanting to violate the merchant's word given to Knurov.
  6. Mokiy Knurov is a rich man of advanced age. He shows sympathy for Larisa, although he is married. A very specific and thorough person, instead of everything, he immediately promises the girl whom he wants to make his kept woman, material benefits, stipulating: "For me, the impossible is not enough."
  7. Arkady Schastlivtsev (Robinson) is an acquaintance of Paratov, a failed actor who often liked to drink, but did not know how to control his condition.
  8. Gavrilo is a barman, runs a coffee shop on the boulevard.
  9. Ivan is a servant in a coffee shop.
  10. Main theme

    The drama of the human soul in an immoral society is the main essence of the main tragic theme in Ostrovsky's play "The Dowry", which the author widely reveals through the heroine Larisa Ogudalova. She did not receive a dowry from her mother, so she will have to suffer in this inhuman world. Grooms who are fighting for a girl do not take her seriously, she becomes for them either an object for boasting, or just a toy and a thing.

    The theme of disappointment in the world is also present in the work. The main character is waiting for a terrible end: devastation, despair, dishonor and death. The girl believed in a better and new life, believed in love and kindness, but everything that surrounded her could prove to her that there was simply no love, no hint of enlightenment. All storylines in the work affect social topics. Larisa lives in a world where everything can be bought for money, even love.

    Issues

    Of course, a tragedy cannot do without ambiguous and complex questions. The problems in the play by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky are quite extensive and multifaceted.

    1. The main issues in the work are the problems of morality: Larisa commits a dishonorable act in the eyes of society, but the background fully justifies her. A real immoral act is to deceive Karandyshev and marry without love. It's not better to be kept by merchants. Therefore, Larisa and thank the jealous groom for her death.
    2. The author raises the problems of duty and honor, the purchase of the human soul. Morality in society is ostentatious, it is enough for him to simply maintain the appearance of decency, but the dishonest bargaining of his elected members remains without condemnation and without attention.
    3. We also see in the work the problem of finding the meaning of life. The girl despaired and lost her meaning in everything, Vozhevatov and Knurov use her as a bright toy, which is not even scary to bet. Paratov reports that he will soon marry another girl because of material wealth, he betrays her and changes love for comfort. Larisa cannot understand and endure the complete absence of a soul and the indifference of those who surround her all her life. All the men who were next to her disappointed the heroine, she did not feel the respect and attitude that she deserved. For her, the meaning of life was love, and when she was gone, like respect, Larisa preferred death.

    What is the meaning of the play?

    Ostrovsky wrote a very emotional drama that will not disappoint even an experienced and fastidious reader with its ideological and thematic content. The main idea of ​​Ostrovsky's drama "Dowry" is to condemn the too high value of wealth and money in society. Material goods in life play the most important role, a person who does not have them can only be a toy in the hands of a rich man who does not have the right to sincere feelings. Poor people become the subject of sale to heartless barbarians who languished over their fortune. Around Larisa Ogudalova, everything is saturated with gross cynicism and cunning, which destroy her pure, bright soul. These qualities determined the price of a woman's life, reselling it among themselves as a faceless and soulless thing. And this price is low.

    Using the image of the heroine as an example, the writer shows how the heart of a dowry suffers, who is to blame only for the fact that she has no fortune behind her. So dishonest and unfair is fate in relation to the poor, but very bright and intelligent people. The girl loses faith in humanity, in her ideals, experiencing numerous betrayals and humiliations. What is the reason for the tragedy of the dowry? She could not come to terms with the collapse of her dream, with the destruction of her convictions, and decided to get reality to position her as she needed, as it should have happened in natural conditions. The heroine knows from the very beginning that she is taking a mortal risk, this is evidenced by her farewell remark to her mother. She set conditions for the whole world: either her dream comes true, or she passes away without stooping to marriage and cohabitation of convenience. Even if Karandyshev had not killed her, she would have fulfilled her own warning and drowned herself in the Volga. Thus, the young woman became a victim of her illusions, her pride and intransigence with the vulgarity of the environment.

    Before us is a classic clash of romantic dreams and harsh, vulgar reality. In this battle, the latter always wins, but the author does not lose hope that at least some people will come to their senses and stop creating and maintaining unfair conditions for social relations. He emphasizes true virtue and true values, which must be learned to distinguish from the vain squabbles of empty and petty scoundrels. The heroine's rebellion inspires courage to fight for her beliefs to the end.

    Genre

    Drama, as a genre, presents the reader with the fate of the hero in a contradictory and cruel world, an acute conflict between the human soul and the society in which he lives. The purpose of psychological drama is to show the dramatic position of the individual in a hostile environment. As a rule, the characters of the drama are expected by a tragic fate, spiritual suffering, internal contradictions. In a work of this type, you can find many vivid emotions and experiences that are inherent in many of us.

    So, Ostrovsky's play vividly describes the internal state of Larisa Ogudalova, who rebels against the inhuman order in society, sacrifices herself in order not to sacrifice her principles. The heroine hardly accepts the circumstances that overtake her, she endures with horror all the trials prepared for her by fate. This is Larisa's personal tragedy, which she cannot survive. The psychological drama ends with her death, which is typical of a work in this genre.

    Life and customs of the province

    Ostrovsky's play highlights the life and customs of the Russian provinces, nobles and merchants. All of them are very similar, and, at the same time, differ from each other. The heroes behave quite liberated and are not at all afraid to show their true colors to others, it doesn’t matter to them that sometimes they look rather stupid. They are not afraid not because of courage or openness of character. They simply do not realize that they look ignorant, stingy, suspicious or worthless.

    Men do not bypass open communication with women; for them, adultery is not considered shameful. For them, this is an element of status: a mistress becomes a reflection of wealth. One of the heroes of the work, Mr. Knurov, offered Larisa to become his kept woman, although he himself had been married for a long time, he did not care what the heroine felt, only his own benefit and lust were in the first place.

    A girl in the province of that time, as we have already found out, must have a good condition in order to successfully marry and live well. In such a world it is very difficult to find true love and respect, in a world where everything is saturated with the power of money and the bad customs of greedy people, an honest and intelligent woman simply could not find her rightful place. Larisa was literally ruined by the cruel and dishonest customs of her contemporaries.

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dowry

The first publication in the journal "Notes of the Fatherland" (1879, No. 1)
Genre:
Original language:
Date of writing:
Date of first publication:
in Wikisource

"Dowry"- a play by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Work on it continued for four years - from 1874 to 1878. The premiere performances of The Dowry took place in the autumn of 1878 and provoked protests from the audience and theater critics. Success came to the work after the death of the author.

The play was first published in the journal Domestic Notes (1879, No. 1).

History of creation

In the 1870s, Alexander Ostrovsky served as an honorary magistrate in the Kineshma district. Participation in the processes and familiarity with the criminal chronicle gave him the opportunity to find new topics for his works. Researchers suggest that the plot of The Dowry was suggested to the playwright by life itself: one of the high-profile cases that stirred up the entire county was the murder of his young wife by a local resident Ivan Konovalov.

Starting a new work in November 1874, the playwright made a note: "Opus 40". Work, contrary to expectations, went slowly; In parallel with The Dowry, Ostrovsky wrote and published several more works. Finally, in the fall of 1878, the play was completed. In those days, the playwright told one of the familiar actors:

I have already read my play in Moscow five times, among the listeners there were people who were hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized The Dowry as the best of all my works.

Further events also indicated that the new play was doomed to success: it easily passed the censorship, the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine began to prepare the work for publication, the troupes of the Maly and then the Alexandrinsky Theater began rehearsals. However, the premiere performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg ended in failure; reviews from critics abounded with scathing reviews. Only ten years after the death of the author, in the second half of the 1890s, the recognition of the audience came to the “Dowry”; it was associated primarily with the name of the actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya.

Characters

  • Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova - middle-aged widow, mother of Larisa Dmitrievna.
  • Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova - a young girl surrounded by admirers, but without a dowry.
  • Moky Parmenych Knurov - a big businessman, an elderly man, with a huge fortune.
  • Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov - a young man who has known Larisa since childhood; one of the representatives of a wealthy trading company.
  • Julius Kapitonych Karandyshev - poor official
  • Sergey Sergeich Paratov - a brilliant gentleman, from the shipowners, over 30 years old.
  • Robinson - provincial actor Arkady Schastlivtsev.
  • Gavrilo - club bartender and owner of a coffee shop on the boulevard.
  • Ivan - servant in a coffee shop

Plot

Act one

The action takes place on the site in front of a coffee shop located on the banks of the Volga. Local merchants Knurov and Vozhevatov are talking here. During the conversation, it turns out that the shipowner Paratov is returning to the city. A year ago, Sergei Sergeevich hastily left Bryakhimov; the departure was so swift that the master did not have time to say goodbye to Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova. She, being a “sensitive” girl, even rushed to catch up with her beloved; it was returned from the second station.

According to Vozhevatov, who has known Larisa since childhood, her main problem is the lack of a dowry. Harita Ignatievna, the girl's mother, in an effort to find a suitable groom for her daughter, keeps the house open. However, after Paratov's departure, the contenders for the role of Larisa's husband came across unenviable: an old man with gout, an eternally drunk manager of some prince and a fraudulent cashier who was arrested right in the Ogudalovs' house. After the scandal, Larisa Dmitrievna announced to her mother that she would marry the first person she met. It turned out to be a poor official Karandyshev. Listening to the story of a colleague, Knurov notices that this woman was created for luxury; she, like an expensive diamond, needs an “expensive setting”.

Soon, the mother and daughter of the Ogudalovs appear on the site, accompanied by Karandyshev. The fiance of Larisa Dmitrievna invites visitors to the coffee shop to his dinner party. Harita Ignatievna, seeing Knurov's contemptuous bewilderment, explains that "it's the same as we have dinner for Larisa." After the departure of the merchants, Julius Kapitonovich arranges a scene of jealousy for the bride; to his question, why is Paratov still good, the girl replies that she sees in Sergey Sergeevich the ideal of a man.

When a cannon shot is heard on the shore, announcing the arrival of the master, Karandyshev takes Larisa out of the coffee shop. However, the establishment is not empty for long: after a few minutes, the owner Gavrilo meets all the same merchants and Sergei Sergeevich, who arrived in Bryakhimov together with the actor Arkady Schastlivtsev, nicknamed Robinson. The name of the book hero, as Paratov explains, the actor received due to the fact that he was found on a deserted island. The conversation of old acquaintances is built around the sale of the steamer "Swallow" by Paratov - from now on, Vozhevatov will become its owner. In addition, Sergei Sergeevich reports that he is going to marry the daughter of an important gentleman, and takes gold mines as a dowry. The news of the upcoming marriage of Larisa Ogudalova makes him think. Paratov admits that he feels a little guilty towards the girl, but now "old scores are over."

Action two

The events unfolding in the second act take place in the Ogudalovs' house. While Larisa is changing clothes, Knurov appears in the room. Harita Ignatievna greets the merchant as an honored guest. Moky Parmyonych makes it clear that Karandyshev is not the best match for such a brilliant young lady as Larisa Dmitrievna; in her situation, the patronage of a rich and influential person is much more useful. Along the way, Knurov recalls that the bride's wedding attire should be exquisite, and therefore the entire wardrobe should be ordered at the most expensive store; he bears all expenses.

After the merchant leaves, Larisa informs her mother that she intends to leave immediately after the wedding with her husband to Zabolotye, a distant county, where Julius Kapitonych will run for justice of the peace. However, Karandyshev, appearing in the room, does not share the wishes of the bride: he is annoyed by Larisa's haste. In the heat of the moment, the groom delivers a long speech about how all Briakhimov has gone mad; cabbies, sex workers in taverns, gypsies - everyone rejoices at the arrival of the master, who, having squandered in revelry, is forced to sell "the last steamer".

Next comes Paratov's turn to pay a visit to the Ogudalovs. First, Sergei Sergeevich communicates sincerely with Harita Ignatievna. Later, left alone with Larisa, he wonders how long a woman is able to live apart from her loved one. The girl is tormented by this conversation; when asked if she loves Paratov, as before, Larisa answers yes.

Paratov's acquaintance with Karandyshev begins with a conflict: saying the saying that "one loves watermelon, and the other loves pork cartilage," Sergei Sergeevich explains that he studied Russian from barge haulers. These words arouse the indignation of Julius Kapitonovich, who believes that barge haulers are rude, ignorant people. The flaring quarrel is stopped by Harita Ignatievna: she orders to bring champagne. Peace has been restored, but later, in a conversation with merchants, Paratov admits that he will find an opportunity to “make fun” of the groom.

Act Three

In the house of Karandyshev - a dinner party. Yulia Kapitonovich's aunt, Efrosinya Potapovna, complains to the servant Ivan that this event takes too much effort, and the costs are too high. It's good that we managed to save on wine: the seller sold the batch at six hryvnia per bottle, re-gluing the labels.

Larisa, seeing that the guests did not touch the offered dishes and drinks, is ashamed of the groom. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Robinson, who is instructed to drink the owner to complete insensitivity, suffers loudly due to the fact that instead of the declared Burgundy he has to use some kind of "kinder-balm".

Paratov, demonstrating affection towards Karandyshev, agrees to have a drink with an opponent for brotherhood. When Sergei Sergeevich asks Larisa to sing, Julius Kapitonovich tries to protest. In response, Larisa takes the guitar and performs the romance "Do not tempt me unnecessarily." Her singing makes a strong impression on those present. Paratov confesses to the girl that he is tormented by the fact that he has lost such a treasure. Immediately he invites the young lady to go beyond the Volga. While Karandyshev proclaims a toast in honor of his bride and looks for new wine, Larisa says goodbye to her mother.

Returning with champagne, Julius Kapitonovich finds that the house is empty. The desperate monologue of the deceived groom is dedicated to the drama of a funny man who, when angry, is capable of revenge. Grabbing a gun from the table, Karandyshev rushes in search of the bride and her friends.

act four

Returning from a night walk along the Volga, Knurov and Vozhevatov discuss the fate of Larisa. Both understand that Paratov will not exchange a rich bride for a dowry. To remove the question of possible rivalry, Vozhevatov proposes to decide everything with the help of lots. A thrown coin indicates that Knurov will take Larisa to an exhibition in Paris.

Meanwhile, Larisa, rising from the pier uphill, is having a difficult conversation with Paratov. She is interested in one thing: is she now a wife to Sergei Sergeyevich or not? The news that the beloved is engaged becomes a shock for the girl.

She is sitting at a table near the coffee shop when Knurov appears. He invites Larisa Dmitrievna to the French capital, guaranteeing, in case of consent, the highest content and the fulfillment of any whims. Next comes Karandyshev. He tries to open the bride's eyes to her friends, explaining that they see in her only a thing. The found word seems to Larisa successful. Having informed her ex-fiance that he is too small and insignificant for her, the young lady passionately declares that, having not found love, she will look for gold.

Karandyshev, listening to Larisa, takes out a pistol. The shot is accompanied by the words: “So don’t get it to anyone!”. To Paratov and the merchants who ran out of the coffee shop, Larisa informs in a fading voice that she does not complain about anything and is not offended by anyone.

stage destiny. Reviews

The premiere at the Maly Theater, where the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Glikeria Fedotova, and Paratov was Alexander Lensky, took place on November 10, 1878. The excitement around the new play was unprecedented; in the hall, as reviewers later reported, "the whole of Moscow gathered, loving the Russian stage," including the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Expectations, however, did not materialize: according to a columnist for the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper, "the playwright tired the entire audience, even the most naive spectators." It was the most deafening failure in Ostrovsky's creative biography.

The first production on stage at the Alexandrinsky Theatre, starring Maria Savina, elicited fewer derogatory responses. So, the St. Petersburg newspaper Novoe Vremya admitted that the performance based on "Dowry" made a "strong impression" on the audience. However, there was no need to talk about success: a critic of the same publication, a certain K., complained that Ostrovsky spent a lot of effort creating a story of little interest to anyone about a “stupid seduced girl”:

Those who waited for a new word, new types from a venerable playwright are cruelly mistaken; instead of them, we got updated old motives, got a lot of dialogue instead of action.

Critics did not spare the actors who participated in the "Dowry". The capital's newspaper "Birzhevye Vedomosti" (1878, No. 325) noted that Glikeria Fedotova "did not understand the role at all and played badly." The journalist and writer Pyotr Boborykin, who published a note in Russkiye Vedomosti (1879, March 23), remembered only “drawing and falseness from the first step to the last word” in the work of the actress. Actor Lensky, according to Boborykin, when creating the image, made too much emphasis on white gloves, which his hero Paratov put on "unnecessarily every minute." Mikhail Sadovsky, who played the role of Karandyshev on the Moscow stage, presented, in the words of a Novoye Vremya observer, "a poorly conceived type of groom official."

In September 1896, the Alexandrinsky Theater undertook to revive the play, which had long been removed from the repertoire. The role of Larisa Ogudalova, performed by Vera Komissarzhevskaya, initially caused the familiar irritation of reviewers: they wrote that the actress "played unevenly, in the last act she hit melodrama." However, the audience understood and accepted the new stage version of "Dowry", in which the heroine was not between suitors, and above them; the play gradually began to return to the theaters of the country.

Productions

main characters

Larisa, which is included in the gallery of notable female images of literature of the second half of the 19th century, strives for independent actions; she feels like a person capable of making decisions. However, the impulses of the young heroine collide with the cynical morality of society, which perceives her as an expensive, exquisite thing.

The girl is surrounded by four admirers, each of whom is trying to get her attention. At the same time, according to researcher Vladimir Lakshin, it is by no means love that drives Larisa's boyfriends. So, Vozhevatov is not greatly distressed when the lot in the form of a thrown coin points to Knurov. He, in turn, is ready to wait until Paratov comes into play in order to later "take revenge and take the broken heroine to Paris." Karandyshev also perceives Larisa as a thing; however, unlike rivals, he does not want to see his beloved stranger thing . The simplest explanation of all the troubles of the heroine, associated with the lack of a dowry, is broken by the theme of loneliness, which young Ogudalova carries within herself; her inner orphanhood is so great that the girl looks "incompatible with the world."

Critics perceived Larisa as a kind of "continuation" of Katerina from Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" (they are united by ardor and recklessness of feelings, which led to a tragic ending); at the same time, features of other heroines of Russian literature were found in her - we are talking about some Turgenev girls, as well as Nastasya Filippovna from The Idiot and Anna Karenina from the novel of the same name:

Drawing a parallel between Karandyshev and the "humiliated" heroes of Dostoevsky, the researchers emphasize that Julius Kapitonovich is infinitely far from Makar Devushkin from the novel "Poor People" and Marmeladov from the novel "Crime and Punishment". His "literary brothers" are the hero of the story Notes from the Underground and Golyadkin from The Double.

Karandyshev's shot is a complex action in its motives and in its results. One can see here just a criminal act of the owner and egoist, obsessed with one thought: not for me, but for no one. But you can see in the shot and the answer to Larisa's secret thoughts - in a difficult way they penetrate the mind of Karandyshev, the only one of the four men who did not want to transfer her into anyone's hands.

The image of the city

If the fate of Larisa largely repeats the story of Katerina, transferred from the middle of the 19th century to the 1870s, then Bryakhimov is the development of the image of the city of Kalinov from the same Thunderstorm. Over the two decades separating one play by Ostrovsky from another, the main types of townspeople have changed: if previously the tyrant-tyrant merchant Dikoy dominated in the outback, now he has been replaced by the “dealer of a new formation” dressed in a European costume, Knurov. The Kabanikha, who poisons all life around her, also became a character of the outgoing era - she gave way to Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova, who “trades her daughters”. Passing before the realities of life, the nephew of Wild Boris, according to the trends of the times, turned into a brilliant gentleman Paratov.

At the same time, the pace of urban life has not changed. Life in Bryakhimov is subject to the usual rituals - every day there is mass, vespers and long tea parties near samovars. Then, according to the barman Gavrila, the city covers the feeling of “first melancholy”, which is removed by long walks - so, Knurov “every morning the boulevard measures back and forth, just as promised.”

All the heroes of the play are connected by a "common interest": they are unbearable in this city. Even Knurov's silence is evidence of the "conflict situation" in which he entered with the hated Briakhimov. And Vozhevatov? He is also in "conflict with Brakhimov's boredom." Larisa is oppressed not only by the situation in her house, but "the whole atmosphere of Bryakhimov".

Names and surnames of characters

Boris Kostelyanets is convinced that Ostrovsky put a special meaning into the names and surnames of his heroes. So, Knurov, according to the author's remarks, is "a man with a huge fortune." The character's surname reinforces the feeling of power coming from the "big deal": "knur"(according to Dahl) is a boar, a boar. Paratov, whom the playwright characterizes as a "brilliant gentleman", also did not accidentally find his surname on the pages of the play: "fairy" called a particularly swift, unstoppable breed of dog.

Harita Ignatievna, who knows how, if necessary, to deceive and seduce, bears the surname "Ogudalova", based on the verb "buzz", meaning "to braid", "to swindle".

Screen adaptations

  • The first film adaptation of "Dowry" took place in 1912 - the film was directed by Kai Ganzen, the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Vera Pashennaya.
  • Among the most famous film versions of the work is the film by Yakov Protazanov, released in 1936.

Larisa in the film is not endowed with the features of a tragic doom.<…>In accordance with Ostrovsky's plan, Larisa is presented by the director of the film as cheerful, up to the last minute reaching for life with all the forces of her sensitive nature. To show this particular Larisa, the authors of the film reveal her life long, a whole year before the events with which the play begins and which last only twenty-four hours.

Music

  • - ballet "Dowry" by Alexander Friedlander.
  • - opera "Dowry" by Daniil Frenkel.

Write a review on the article "Dowry"

Notes

  1. Alexander Ostrovsky.. - M .: Olma-Press Education, 2003. - S. 30-31. - 830 p. - ISBN 5-94849-338-5.
  2. Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M .: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 447.
  3. , With. 215.
  4. // Russian Vedomosti. - 1878. - No. 12 November.
  5. Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M .: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 446.
  6. Vladimir Lakshin.. - M .: Time, 2013. - 512 p. - ISBN 978-5-9691-0871-4.
  7. Lotman L. M. dramaturgy of the second half of the 19th century]. - M .: Nauka, 1991. - T. 7. - S. 71.
  8. , With. 228.
  9. , With. 229.
  10. Derzhavin K. N.. - M., L.: Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1956. - T. 8. - S. 469.
  11. Isakova I. N.. Linguistic and cultural thesaurus "Humanitarian Russia". Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  12. . Encyclopedia of national cinema. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  13. Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M .: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 451.

Literature

  • Kostelyanets B.O.. - M .: Coincidence, 2007. - 502 p. - (Theatrum Mundi). - ISBN 978-5-903060-15-3.
  • Ostrovsky A.N. Dramaturgy. - M .: Astrel, 2000. - ISBN 5-271-00300-6.

An excerpt characterizing the Dowry

The squadron drove around the infantry and the battery, which was also in a hurry to go faster, went downhill and, passing through some empty, without inhabitants, village, again climbed the mountain. The horses began to soar, the people blushed.
- Stop, equalize! - the command of the divisional was heard ahead.
- Left shoulder forward, step march! commanded ahead.
And the hussars along the line of troops went to the left flank of the position and stood behind our lancers, who were in the first line. On the right, our infantry stood in a dense column - these were reserves; Above it on the mountain, in the clear, clean air, in the morning, oblique and bright, illumination, on the very horizon, our cannons were visible. Enemy columns and cannons were visible ahead beyond the hollow. In the hollow we could hear our chain, already in action and merrily snapping with the enemy.
Rostov, as from the sounds of the most cheerful music, felt cheerful in his soul from these sounds, which had not been heard for a long time. Trap ta ta tap! - suddenly, then quickly, one after another, several shots clapped. Everything fell silent again, and again crackers seemed to crackle, on which someone walked.
The hussars stood for about an hour in one place. The cannonade began. Count Osterman and his retinue rode behind the squadron, stopped, spoke with the regimental commander, and rode off to the cannons on the mountain.
Following the departure of Osterman, a command was heard from the lancers:
- Into the column, line up for the attack! “The infantry ahead of them doubled up in platoons to let the cavalry through. The lancers set off, swaying with the weathercocks of their peaks, and at a trot went downhill towards the French cavalry, which appeared under the mountain to the left.
As soon as the lancers went downhill, the hussars were ordered to move uphill, to cover the battery. While the hussars took the place of the uhlans, distant, missing bullets flew from the chain, screeching and whistling.
This sound, which had not been heard for a long time, had an even more joyful and exciting effect on Rostov than the previous sounds of shooting. He, straightening up, looked at the battlefield that opened from the mountain, and wholeheartedly participated in the movement of the lancers. The lancers flew close to the French dragoons, something tangled in the smoke there, and after five minutes the lancers rushed back not to the place where they were standing, but to the left. Between the orange lancers on red horses and behind them, in a large bunch, blue French dragoons on gray horses were visible.

Rostov, with his keen hunting eye, was one of the first to see these blue French dragoons pursuing our lancers. Closer, closer, the uhlans moved in disordered crowds, and the French dragoons pursuing them. It was already possible to see how these people, who seemed small under the mountain, collided, overtook each other and waved their arms or sabers.
Rostov looked at what was going on in front of him as if he were being persecuted. He instinctively felt that if they now attacked the French dragoons with the hussars, they would not resist; but if you hit it, you had to do it now, this very minute, otherwise it would be too late. He looked around him. The captain, standing beside him, kept his eyes on the cavalry below in the same way.
“Andrey Sevastyanych,” said Rostov, “after all, we doubt them ...
“It would be a dashing thing,” said the captain, “but in fact ...
Rostov, without listening to him, pushed his horse, galloped ahead of the squadron, and before he had time to command the movement, the whole squadron, experiencing the same thing as he, set off after him. Rostov himself did not know how and why he did it. He did all this, as he did on the hunt, without thinking, without understanding. He saw that the dragoons were close, that they were jumping, upset; he knew that they would not stand it, he knew that there was only one minute that would not return if he missed it. The bullets squealed and whistled so excitedly around him, the horse begged forward so eagerly that he could not stand it. He touched the horse, commanded, and at the same instant, hearing the sound of the clatter of his deployed squadron behind him, at full trot, began to descend to the dragoons downhill. As soon as they went downhill, their gait of the lynx involuntarily turned into a gallop, becoming faster and faster as they approached their lancers and the French dragoons galloping after them. The dragoons were close. The front ones, seeing the hussars, began to turn back, the rear ones to stop. With the feeling with which he rushed across the wolf, Rostov, releasing his bottom in full swing, galloped across the frustrated ranks of the French dragoons. One lancer stopped, one on foot crouched to the ground so as not to be crushed, one horse without a rider got mixed up with the hussars. Almost all of the French dragoons galloped back. Rostov, choosing one of them on a gray horse, set off after him. On the way he ran into a bush; a good horse carried him over him, and, barely managing on the saddle, Nikolai saw that in a few moments he would catch up with the enemy whom he had chosen as his target. This Frenchman, probably an officer - according to his uniform, bent over, galloped on his gray horse, urging it on with a saber. A moment later, Rostov's horse struck the officer's horse with its chest, almost knocking it down, and at the same instant Rostov, without knowing why, raised his saber and hit the Frenchman with it.
At the same moment he did this, all the revival of Rostov suddenly disappeared. The officer fell not so much from a blow with a saber, which only slightly cut his arm above the elbow, but from a horse's push and from fear. Rostov, holding back his horse, looked for his enemy with his eyes in order to see whom he had defeated. A French dragoon officer jumped on the ground with one foot, the other caught in the stirrup. He, screwing up his eyes in fear, as if expecting every second of a new blow, grimaced, looked up at Rostov with an expression of horror. His face, pale and splattered with mud, blond, young, with a hole in his chin and bright blue eyes, was the most not for a battlefield, not an enemy face, but the simplest room face. Even before Rostov had decided what he would do with him, the officer shouted: "Je me rends!" [I give up!] In a hurry, he wanted and could not disentangle his leg from the stirrup and, without taking his frightened blue eyes off, looked at Rostov. The hussars jumped up and freed his leg and put him on the saddle. Hussars from different sides were busy with the dragoons: one was wounded, but, with his face covered in blood, did not give up his horse; the other, embracing the hussar, sat on the back of his horse; the third climbed, supported by a hussar, onto his horse. Ahead ran, firing, the French infantry. The hussars hastily galloped back with their prisoners. Rostov galloped back with the others, experiencing some kind of unpleasant feeling that squeezed his heart. Something obscure, confused, which he could not explain to himself in any way, was revealed to him by the capture of this officer and by the blow that he inflicted on him.
Count Osterman Tolstoy met the returning hussars, called Rostov, thanked him and said that he would present to the sovereign about his valiant deed and would ask for the St. George Cross for him. When Rostov was demanded to Count Osterman, he, remembering that his attack had been launched without orders, was fully convinced that the boss was demanding him in order to punish him for his unauthorized act. Therefore, Osterman's flattering words and the promise of a reward should have struck Rostov all the more joyfully; but the same unpleasant, vague feeling morally sickened him. “What the hell is bothering me? he asked himself as he drove away from the general. - Ilyin? No, he's whole. Did I embarrass myself with something? No. Everything is not right! Something else tormented him, like remorse. - Yes, yes, this French officer with a hole. And I remember well how my hand stopped when I picked it up.
Rostov saw the prisoners being taken away and galloped after them to see his Frenchman with a hole in his chin. He, in his strange uniform, sat on a clockwork hussar horse and looked around him uneasily. The wound on his hand was almost not a wound. He feigned a smile at Rostov and waved his hand in the form of a greeting. Rostov was still embarrassed and somehow ashamed.
All this and the next day, Rostov's friends and comrades noticed that he was not boring, not angry, but silent, thoughtful and concentrated. He drank reluctantly, tried to remain alone and kept thinking about something.
Rostov kept thinking about this brilliant feat of his, which, to his surprise, bought him the St. George Cross and even made him a reputation as a brave man - and could not understand something. “So they are even more afraid of ours! he thought. “So that’s all there is, what is called heroism?” And did I do it for the fatherland? And what is he to blame for with his hole and blue eyes? And how scared he was! He thought I would kill him. Why should I kill him? My hand trembled. And they gave me the George Cross. I don't understand anything!"
But while Nikolai was processing these questions in himself and still did not give himself a clear account of what so embarrassed him, the wheel of happiness in the service, as often happens, turned in his favor. He was pushed forward after the Ostrovnensky case, they gave him a battalion of hussars, and when it was necessary to use a brave officer, they gave him instructions.

Having received news of Natasha's illness, the countess, still not quite healthy and weak, came to Moscow with Petya and the whole house, and the entire Rostov family moved from Marya Dmitrievna to their house and completely settled in Moscow.
Natasha's illness was so serious that, to her happiness and to the happiness of her relatives, the thought of everything that had caused her illness, her act and the break with her fiancé passed into the background. She was so sick that it was impossible to think how much she was to blame for everything that happened, while she did not eat, did not sleep, noticeably lost weight, coughed and was, as the doctors made her feel, in danger. All he had to think about was helping her. Doctors went to Natasha both individually and in consultations, spoke a lot in French, German and Latin, condemned one another, prescribed the most diverse medicines for all diseases known to them; but not one of them came up with the simple thought that they could not be aware of the illness that Natasha suffered, just as no illness that a living person was possessed by could be known: for every living person has his own characteristics and always has special and its own new, complex, unknown disease to medicine, not a disease of the lungs, liver, skin, heart, nerves, etc., recorded in medicine, but a disease consisting of one of the innumerable compounds in the suffering of these organs. This simple thought could not come to doctors (just as the thought cannot come to a sorcerer that he cannot conjure) because their life's work was to heal, because they received money for that, and because they spent the best years of their lives on this business. But the main thing is that this thought could not come to the doctors because they saw that they were undoubtedly useful, and were really useful for all the Rostovs at home. They were useful not because they forced the patient to swallow mostly harmful substances (this harm was not very sensitive, because harmful substances were given in small quantities), but they were useful, necessary, inevitable (the reason is why there always are and will be imaginary healers, soothsayers, homeopaths and allopaths) because they satisfied the moral needs of the sick and people who love the sick. They satisfied that eternal human need of hope for relief, the need for sympathy and activity that a person experiences during suffering. They satisfied that eternal, human need, which is noticeable in a child in the most primitive form, to rub the place that is bruised. The child will kill himself and immediately run into the hands of the mother, the nanny in order to be kissed and rubbed on the sore spot, and it becomes easier for him when the sore spot is rubbed or kissed. The child does not believe that the strongest and wisest of him do not have the means to help his pain. And the hope of relief and the expression of sympathy while the mother rubs his bump consoles him. Doctors were useful for Natasha in that they kissed and rubbed the bobo, assuring that it would pass now if the coachman went to the Arbat pharmacy and took seven hryvnias of powders and pills in a pretty box for a ruble, and if these powders were sure to be in two hours, nothing more and no less, the patient will take in boiled water.
What would Sonya, the count and the countess do, how would they look at the weak, melting Natasha, doing nothing, if there weren’t these pills by the hour, drinking warm, chicken cutlets and all the details of life prescribed by the doctor, observing which was a lesson and comfort for others? The stricter and more complex these rules were, the more comforting it was for those around. How would the count endure the illness of his beloved daughter, if he did not know that Natasha's illness cost him thousands of rubles and that he would not spare thousands more to do her good: if he did not know that if she did not recover, he would not he will spare thousands more and take her abroad and hold consultations there; if he had not been able to tell the details about how Metivier and Feller did not understand, but Freeze understood, and Wise defined the disease even better? What would the countess do if she could not sometimes quarrel with the sick Natasha because she did not fully comply with the doctor's prescriptions?
“You’ll never get well,” she said, forgetting her grief in annoyance, “if you don’t obey the doctor and take your medicine at the wrong time!” After all, you can’t joke about this when you can get pneumonia, ”the countess said, and in the pronunciation of this one word, incomprehensible to more than her, she already found great consolation. What would Sonya do if she didn’t have the joyful consciousness that she didn’t undress for three nights at first in order to be ready to fulfill exactly all the doctor’s instructions, and that now she doesn’t sleep at night so as not to miss the clock in which it is necessary to give harmless pills from a golden box? Even Natasha herself, who, although she said that no medicines could cure her and that all this was nonsense - and she was glad to see that so many donations were made for her that she had to take medicines at certain hours, and even she was happy was that she, neglecting the fulfillment of the prescribed, could show that she did not believe in treatment and did not value her life.
The doctor went every day, felt the pulse, looked at the tongue and, not paying attention to her dead face, joked with her. But on the other hand, when he went out into another room, the countess hurriedly followed him, and, assuming a serious look and shaking his head thoughtfully, he said that, although there was danger, he hoped for the effect of this last medicine, and that we had to wait and see. ; that the disease is more moral, but ...
The countess, trying to hide this act from herself and from the doctor, put a gold piece into his hand and each time returned to the patient with a calm heart.
The signs of Natasha's illness were that she ate little, slept little, coughed, and never perked up. Doctors said that the patient should not be left without medical help, and therefore they kept her in the stuffy air in the city. And in the summer of 1812, the Rostovs did not leave for the village.
Despite the large number of swallowed pills, drops and powders from jars and boxes, from which madame Schoss, the hunter for these gizmos, gathered a large collection, despite the absence of the usual village life, youth took its toll: Natasha's grief began to be covered with a layer of impressions of her life, it such excruciating pain ceased to lie on her heart, it began to become past, and Natasha began to recover physically.

Natasha was calmer, but not more cheerful. She not only avoided all external conditions of joy: balls, skating, concerts, theater; but she never laughed so that her tears were not heard because of her laughter. She couldn't sing. As soon as she began to laugh or tried to sing alone with herself, tears choked her: tears of remorse, tears of memories of that irrevocable, pure time; tears of annoyance that so, for nothing, she ruined her young life, which could have been so happy. Laughter and singing especially seemed to her a blasphemy against her grief. She never thought of coquetry; she didn't even have to refrain. She said and felt that at that time all men were to her exactly the same as the jester Nastasya Ivanovna. The inner guard firmly forbade her any joy. And she did not have all the former interests of life from that girlish, carefree, hopeful way of life. More often and most painfully, she recalled the autumn months, the hunt, her uncle, and Christmas time spent with Nicolas in Otradnoe. What would she give to bring back even one day from that time! But it was over forever. The foreboding did not deceive her then that that state of freedom and openness to all joys would never return again. But I had to live.
It was comforting to her to think that she was not better, as she had thought before, but worse and much worse than everyone, everyone, who only exists in the world. But this was not enough. She knew this and asked herself: “What next? And then there was nothing. There was no joy in life, and life passed. Natasha, apparently, tried only not to be a burden to anyone and not to interfere with anyone, but for herself she did not need anything. She moved away from everyone at home, and only with her brother Petya was it easy for her. She liked to be with him more than with the others; and sometimes, when she was with him eye to eye, she laughed. She hardly left the house, and of those who came to see them, she was glad only for Pierre. It was impossible to treat her more tenderly, more carefully, and at the same time more seriously than Count Bezukhov treated her. Natasha Osss consciously felt this tenderness of treatment and therefore found great pleasure in his company. But she was not even grateful to him for his tenderness; nothing good on the part of Pierre seemed to her an effort. It seemed so natural for Pierre to be kind to everyone that there was no merit in his kindness. Sometimes Natasha noticed Pierre's embarrassment and awkwardness in her presence, especially when he wanted to do something pleasant for her or when he was afraid that something in the conversation would bring Natasha to painful memories. She noticed this and attributed it to his general kindness and shyness, which, according to her, the same as with her, should have been with everyone. After those inadvertent words that, if he were free, he would ask her hands and love on his knees, said at a moment of such strong excitement for her, Pierre never said anything about his feelings for Natasha; and it was obvious to her that those words, which then so comforted her, were spoken, as all sorts of meaningless words are spoken to comfort a crying child. Not because Pierre was a married man, but because Natasha felt between herself and him in the highest degree that force of moral barriers - the absence of which she felt with Kyragin - it never occurred to her that she could get out of her relationship with Pierre not only love on her part, or still less on his part, but even that kind of tender, self-confessing, poetic friendship between a man and a woman, of which she knew several examples.
At the end of the Petrovsky post, Agrafena Ivanovna Belova, the Rostovs' Otradnenskaya neighbor, came to Moscow to bow to the Moscow saints. She invited Natasha to go to bed, and Natasha seized on this idea with joy. Despite the doctor’s prohibition to go out early in the morning, Natasha insisted on fasting, and not fasting as usual in the Rostovs’ house, that is, listening to three services at home, but in order to fast as Agrafena Ivanovna used to, that is, all week without missing a single Vespers, Mass or Matins.
The countess liked Natasha's zeal; in her soul, after unsuccessful medical treatment, she hoped that prayer would help her with more medicines, and although with fear and hiding from the doctor, she agreed to Natasha's desire and entrusted her to Belova. Agrafena Ivanovna came at three o'clock in the morning to wake Natasha, and for the most part found her no longer asleep. Natasha was afraid to oversleep the time of matins. Hastily washing herself and humbly dressing in her worst dress and an old mantilla, shuddering with freshness, Natasha went out into the deserted streets, transparently lit by the morning dawn. On the advice of Agrafena Ivanovna, Natasha did not preach in her parish, but in the church, in which, according to the pious Belova, there was a priest of a very strict and high life. There were always few people in the church; Natasha and Belova took their usual place in front of the icon of the Mother of God, embedded in the back of the left choir, and Natasha’s new sense of humility in front of the great, incomprehensible, seized her when, at this unusual hour in the morning, she looked at the black face of the Mother of God, lit by candles. burning in front of him, and the light of the morning falling from the window, she listened to the sounds of the service, which she tried to follow, understanding them. When she understood them, her personal feeling with its shades joined her prayer; when she did not understand, it was still sweeter for her to think that the desire to understand everything is pride, that it is impossible to understand everything, that one must only believe and surrender to God, who at that moment—she felt—ruled her soul. She crossed herself, bowed, and when she did not understand, she only, horrified by her abomination, asked God to forgive her for everything, for everything, and have mercy. The prayers to which she devoted herself most were the prayers of repentance. Returning home at the early hour of the morning, when there were only masons going to work, janitors sweeping the street, and everyone was still sleeping in the houses, Natasha experienced a new feeling for her of the possibility of correcting herself from her vices and the possibility of a new, pure life and happiness.
During the whole week in which she led this life, this feeling grew every day. And the happiness of communion or communication, as Agrafena Ivanovna said to her joyfully playing with this word, seemed to her so great that it seemed to her that she would not live to see this blessed Sunday.
But the happy day came, and when Natasha, on that memorable Sunday, in a white muslin dress, returned from communion, for the first time after many months she felt calm and unburdened by the life that lay ahead of her.
The doctor who came that day examined Natasha and ordered to continue the last powders that he prescribed two weeks ago.
“It is imperative to continue—in the morning and in the evening,” he said, evidently himself conscientiously pleased with his success. “Just please be careful. Be calm, countess, - said the doctor jokingly, deftly picking up the golden one in the flesh of his hand, - soon he will sing again and become frisky. Very, very much in favor of her last remedy. She brightened up a lot.
The countess looked at her nails and spat, returning to the living room with a cheerful face.

At the beginning of July, more and more disturbing rumors about the course of the war spread in Moscow: they talked about the sovereign's appeal to the people, about the arrival of the sovereign himself from the army to Moscow. And since the manifesto and appeal had not been received before July 11, exaggerated rumors circulated about them and about the situation in Russia. They said that the sovereign was leaving because the army was in danger, they said that Smolensk had been surrendered, that Napoleon had a million troops, and that only a miracle could save Russia.
July 11th, Saturday, the manifesto was received but not yet printed; and Pierre, who was with the Rostovs, promised the next day, on Sunday, to come to dinner and bring a manifesto and an appeal, which he would get from Count Rostopchin.
On this Sunday, the Rostovs, as usual, went to Mass at the house church of the Razumovskys. It was a hot July day. Already at ten o'clock, when the Rostovs got out of the carriage in front of the church, in the hot air, in the cries of peddlers, in the bright and light summer dresses of the crowd, in the dusty leaves of the trees of the boulevard, in the sounds of music and the white pantaloons of the battalion that passed for divorce, in the thunder of the pavement and In the bright glare of the hot sun there was that summer languor, contentment and dissatisfaction with the present, which is especially sharply felt on a clear hot day in the city. In the church of the Razumovskys there was all the nobility of Moscow, all the acquaintances of the Rostovs (this year, as if expecting something, a lot of wealthy families, usually moving around the villages, remained in the city). Passing behind the livery footman, who was parting the crowd near her mother, Natasha heard the voice of a young man speaking in a too loud whisper about her:
- This is Rostov, the same one ...
- How thin, but still good!
She heard, or it seemed to her, that the names of Kuragin and Bolkonsky were mentioned. However, it always seemed to her. It always seemed to her that everyone, looking at her, was only thinking about what had happened to her. Suffering and dying in her soul, as always in the crowd, Natasha walked in her purple silk dress with black lace the way women know how to walk - the calmer and more majestic, the more painful and ashamed she felt in her soul. She knew and was not mistaken that she was good, but this did not please her now, as before. On the contrary, it had tormented her the most lately, and especially on this bright, hot summer day in the city. “Another Sunday, another week,” she said to herself, remembering how she had been here that Sunday, “and still the same life without life, and all the same conditions in which it used to be so easy to live before. She is good, young, and I know that now I am good, before I was bad, but now I am good, I know, she thought, but the best years pass in vain, for no one. She stood beside her mother and exchanged relations with close acquaintances. Natasha, out of habit, looked at the ladies' toilets, condemned the tenue [demeanor] and the indecent way of crossing herself with the hand in the small space of one standing close by, again thought with annoyance that they were judging her, that she was judging, and suddenly, hearing the sounds of the service, she was horrified at her vileness, horrified at the fact that her former purity was again lost by her.
The handsome, quiet old man served with that meek solemnity that has such a majestic, calming effect on the souls of those who pray. The royal doors closed, the veil slowly drew back; a mysterious quiet voice said something from there. Tears, incomprehensible to her, stood in Natasha's chest, and a joyful and agonizing feeling agitated her.
“Teach me what to do, how to improve myself forever, forever, how to deal with my life…” she thought.
The deacon went out to the pulpit, straightened his long hair out from under the surplice, with his thumb wide apart, and, placing a cross on his chest, loudly and solemnly began to read the words of the prayer:
“Let us pray to the Lord for peace.”
“In peace, all together, without distinction of class, without enmity, and united by brotherly love, we will pray,” thought Natasha.
- About the peace from above and about the salvation of our souls!
“About the world of angels and souls of all incorporeal beings that live above us,” Natasha prayed.
When they prayed for the army, she remembered her brother and Denisov. When they prayed for sailors and travelers, she remembered Prince Andrei and prayed for him, and prayed that God would forgive her the evil that she had done to him. When they prayed for those who love us, she prayed for her family, for her father, mother, Sonya, for the first time now realizing all her guilt before them and feeling all the strength of her love for them. When we prayed for those who hate us, she invented enemies and haters for herself in order to pray for them. She counted among the enemies creditors and all those who had dealt with her father, and every time, at the thought of enemies and haters, she remembered Anatole, who had done her so much evil, and although he was not a hater, she joyfully prayed for him as for enemy. Only during prayer did she feel able to clearly and calmly remember both Prince Andrei and Anatole, as people for whom her feelings were destroyed in comparison with her feeling of fear and reverence for God. When they prayed for the royal family and for the Synod, she bowed especially low and crossed herself, telling herself that if she does not understand, she cannot doubt and still loves the ruling Synod and prays for it.
Having finished the litany, the deacon crossed the orarion around his chest and said:
“Let us commit ourselves and our lives to Christ our God.”
“We will betray ourselves to God,” Natasha repeated in her soul. My God, I commit myself to your will, she thought. - I don’t want anything, I don’t want; teach me what to do, where to use my will! Yes, take me, take me! - Natasha said with touching impatience in her soul, without crossing herself, lowering her thin hands and as if expecting that an invisible force would take her and save her from herself, from her regrets, desires, reproaches, hopes and vices.
The Countess several times during the service looked back at the tender, with shining eyes, face of her daughter and prayed to God that he would help her.
Unexpectedly, in the middle and not in the order of the service, which Natasha knew well, the deacon brought out a stool, the same one on which kneeling prayers were read on Trinity Day, and placed it in front of the royal doors. The priest came out in his purple velvet skufi, straightened his hair, and with an effort knelt down. They all did the same and looked at each other in bewilderment. It was a prayer just received from the Synod, a prayer for the salvation of Russia from enemy invasion.
“Lord God of strength, God of our salvation,” the priest began in that clear, unpompous and meek voice, which only spiritual Slavic readers read and which has such an irresistible effect on the Russian heart. - Lord God of strength, God of our salvation! Look now in mercy and generosity on your humble people, and hear philanthropicly, and have mercy, and have mercy on us. Behold the enemy, confuse your land and want to lay the whole world empty, rise up on us; all the people of iniquity gathered to destroy your property, destroy your honest Jerusalem, your beloved Russia: desecrate your temples, dig up altars and desecrate our shrine. How long, Lord, how long will sinners boast? How long do you use to have legal power?
Lord Lord! Hear us praying to you: strengthen with your strength the most pious, most autocratic great sovereign of our Emperor Alexander Pavlovich; remember his righteousness and meekness, reward him according to his goodness, which is what keeps us, your beloved Israel. Bless his advice, undertakings and deeds; establish with your almighty right hand his kingdom and give him victory over the enemy, as Moses against Amalek, Gideon against Midian and David against Goliath. Save his army; put the bow of copper on the muscles that have taken up arms in your name, and gird them with strength for battle. Take up arms and a shield, and rise up to help us, let them be ashamed and put to shame who think evil to us, let them be before the faithful army, like dust before the face of the wind, and let your strong angel insult and drive them; let a net come to them, but they will not know, and catch them, but hide them, let them embrace them; let them fall under the feet of your servants, and let them be trampled under our howl. God! it will not fail you to save in many and in small; thou art a god, let no man prevail against thee.

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dowry summary, dowry read
drama

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky

Original language: Date of writing: Date of first publication: Text of the work in Wikisource

"Dowry"- a play by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Work on it continued for four years - from 1874 to 1878. The premiere performances of The Dowry took place in the autumn of 1878 and provoked protests from the audience and theater critics. Success came to the work after the death of the author.

  • 1 History of creation
  • 2 Characters
  • 3 Plot
    • 3.1 Act one
    • 3.2 Act two
    • 3.3 Act three
    • 3.4 Action four
  • 4 Stage fate. Reviews
  • 5 Artistic features
    • 5.1 Main characters
    • 5.2 Image of the city
    • 5.3 Names and surnames of characters
  • 6 Screen adaptations
  • 7 Notes
  • 8 Literature

History of creation

In the 1870s, Alexander Ostrovsky served as an honorary magistrate in the Kineshma district. Participation in the processes and familiarity with the criminal chronicle gave him the opportunity to find new topics for his works. Researchers suggest that the plot of The Dowry was suggested to the playwright by life itself: one of the high-profile cases that stirred up the entire county was the murder of his young wife by a local resident Ivan Konovalov.

Starting a new work in November 1874, the playwright made a note: "Opus 40". Work, contrary to expectations, went slowly; In parallel with The Dowry, Ostrovsky wrote and published several more works. Finally, in the fall of 1878, the play was completed. those days the playwright told one of the familiar actors:

I have already read my play in Moscow five times, among the listeners there were people who were hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized The Dowry as the best of all my works.

Further events also testified that the new play was doomed to success: it easily passed the censorship, the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine began to prepare the work for publication, the troupes of the Maly and then the Alexandrinsky Theater began rehearsals. However, the premiere performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg ended in failure; reviews from critics abounded with scathing assessments. Only ten years after the death of the author, in the second half of the 1890s, the recognition of the audience came to the “Dowry”; it was associated primarily with the name of the actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya.

Characters

In the guise of Kineshma, the features of the city of Bryakhimov are guessed
  • Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova is a middle-aged widow, mother of Larisa Dmitrievna.
  • Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova is a young girl surrounded by admirers, but without a dowry.
  • Moky Parmenych Knurov is a big businessman, an elderly man with a huge fortune.
  • Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov - a young man who has known Larisa since childhood; one of the representatives of a wealthy trading company.
  • Julius Kapitonych Karandyshev is a poor official.
  • Sergey Sergeevich Paratov - a brilliant gentleman, from the shipowners, over 30 years old.
  • Robinson - provincial actor Arkady Schastlivtsev.
  • Gavrilo is a club barman and owner of a coffee house on the boulevard.
  • Ivan is a servant in a coffee shop.
  • Ilya is a musician of the gypsy choir.
  • Efrosinya Potapovna - Karandyshev's aunt.

Plot

Act one

The action takes place on the site in front of a coffee shop located on the banks of the Volga. Local merchants Knurov and Vozhevatov are talking here. During the conversation, it turns out that the shipowner Paratov is returning to the city. A year ago, Sergei Sergeevich hastily left Bryakhimov; the departure was so swift that the master did not have time to say goodbye to Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova. She, being a “sensitive” girl, even rushed to catch up with her beloved; it was returned from the second station.

According to Vozhevatov, who has known Larisa since childhood, her main problem is the lack of a dowry. Harita Ignatieva, the girl's mother, in an effort to find a suitable groom for her daughter, keeps the house open. However, after Paratov's departure, there were unenviable applicants for the role of Larisa's husband: an old man with gout, an eternally drunk manager of some prince, and a fraudulent cashier who was arrested right in the Ogudalovs' house. After the scandal, Larisa Dmitrievna announced to her mother that she would marry the first person she met. It turned out to be a poor official Karandyshev. Listening to the story of a colleague, Knurov notices that this woman was created for luxury; she, like an expensive diamond, needs an “expensive setting”.

Soon, the mother and daughter of the Ogudalovs appear on the site, accompanied by Karandyshev. The fiance of Larisa Dmitrievna invites visitors to the coffee shop to his dinner party. Harita Ignatievna, seeing Knurov's contemptuous bewilderment, explains that "it's the same as we have dinner for Larisa." After the departure of the merchants, Julius Kapitonovich arranges a scene of jealousy for the bride; to his question, why is Paratov still good, the girl replies that she sees in Sergey Sergeevich the ideal of a man.

When a cannon shot is heard on the shore, announcing the arrival of the master, Karandyshev takes Larisa out of the coffee shop. However, the establishment is not empty for long: in a few minutes, the owner Gavrilo meets all the same merchants and Sergei Sergeevich, who arrived in Bryakhimov together with the actor Arkady Schastlivtsev, nicknamed Robinson. The name of the book hero, as Paratov explains, the actor received due to the fact that he was found on a deserted island. The conversation of old acquaintances is built around the sale of the steamer "Swallow" by Paratov - from now on, Vozhevatov will become its owner. In addition, Sergei Sergeevich reports that he is going to marry the daughter of an important gentleman, and takes gold mines as a dowry. The news of the upcoming marriage of Larisa Ogudalova makes him think. Paratov admits that he feels a little guilty towards the girl, but now "old scores are over."

Action two

The events unfolding in the second act take place in the Ogudalovs' house. While Larisa is changing clothes, Knurov appears in the room. Harita Ignatievna greets the merchant like a dear guest. Moky Parmyonych makes it clear that Karandyshev is not the best match for such a brilliant young lady as Larisa Dmitrievna; in her situation, the patronage of a rich and influential person is much more useful. Along the way, Knurov recalls that the bride's wedding attire should be exquisite, and therefore the entire wardrobe should be ordered at the most expensive store; he bears all expenses.

After the merchant leaves, Larisa informs her mother that she intends to leave immediately after the wedding with her husband for Zabolotye, a distant county where Julius Kapitonych will run for justice of the peace. However, Karandyshev, appearing in the room, does not share the wishes of the bride: he is annoyed by Larisa's haste. in the heat of the moment, the groom delivers a long speech about how all Briakhimov has gone mad; cabbies, sex workers in taverns, gypsies - everyone rejoices at the arrival of the master, who, having squandered in revelry, is forced to sell "the last steamer".

Next comes Paratov's turn to pay a visit to the Ogudalovs. First, Sergei Sergeevich communicates sincerely with Harita Ignatievna. Later, left alone with Larisa, he wonders how long a woman is able to live apart from her loved one. The girl is tormented by this conversation; when asked if she loves Paratov, as before, Larisa answers yes.

Paratov's acquaintance with Karandyshev begins with a conflict: saying the saying that "one loves watermelon, and the other loves pork cartilage," Sergei Sergeevich explains that he learned Russian from barge haulers. These words arouse the indignation of Julius Kapitonovich, who believes that barge haulers are rude, ignorant people. The flaring quarrel is stopped by Harita Ignatievna: she orders to bring champagne. Peace has been restored, but later, in a conversation with merchants, Paratov admits that he will find an opportunity to “make fun” of the groom.

Act Three

In the house of Karandyshev - a dinner party. Yulia Kapitonovich's aunt, Efrosinya Potapovna, complains to the servant Ivan that this event takes too much effort, and the costs are too high. It's good that we managed to save on wine: the seller sold the batch at six hryvnia per bottle, re-gluing the labels.

Larisa, seeing that the guests did not touch the offered dishes and drinks, is ashamed of the groom. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Robinson, who is instructed to drink the owner to complete insensitivity, suffers loudly due to the fact that instead of the declared Burgundy he has to use some kind of "kinder-balm".

Paratov, demonstrating affection for Karandyshev, agrees to have a drink with an opponent for brotherhood. When Sergei Sergeevich asks Larisa to sing, Julius Kapitonovich tries to protest. answer Larisa takes the guitar and performs the romance "Do not tempt me without need." Her singing makes a strong impression on those present. Paratov confesses to the girl that he is tormented by the fact that he has lost such a treasure. Immediately he invites the young lady to go beyond the Volga. While Karandyshev proclaims a toast in honor of his bride and looks for new wine, Larisa says goodbye to her mother.

Returning with champagne, Julius Kapitonovich finds that the house is empty. The desperate monologue of the deceived groom is dedicated to the drama of a funny man who, when angry, is capable of revenge. Grabbing a gun from the table, Karandyshev rushes in search of the bride and her friends.

act four

Alexander Lensky - the first performer of the role of Paratov on the Moscow stage

Returning from a night walk along the Volga, Knurov and Vozhevatov discuss the fate of Larisa. Both understand that Paratov will not exchange a rich bride for a dowry. To remove the question of possible rivalry, Vozhevatov proposes to decide everything with the help of lots. A thrown coin indicates that Knurov will take Larisa to an exhibition in Paris.

Meanwhile, Larisa, rising from the pier uphill, is having a difficult conversation with Paratov. She is interested in one thing: is she now a wife to Sergei Sergeyevich or not? The news that the beloved is engaged becomes a shock for the girl.

She is sitting at a table near the coffee shop when Knurov appears. He invites Larisa Dmitrievna to the French capital, guaranteeing, in case of consent, the highest content and the fulfillment of any whims. Next comes Karandyshev. He tries to open the bride's eyes to her friends, explaining that they see in her only a thing. The found word seems to Larisa successful. Having informed her ex-fiance that he is too small and insignificant for her, the young lady passionately declares that, having not found love, she will look for gold.

Karandyshev, listening to Larisa, takes out a pistol. The shot is accompanied by the words: “So don’t get it to anyone!”. To Paratov and the merchants who ran out of the coffee shop, Larisa informs in a fading voice that she does not complain about anything and is not offended by anyone.

stage destiny. Reviews

The premiere at the Maly Theater, where the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Glikeria Fedotova, and Paratov was Alexander Lensky, took place on November 10, 1878. The excitement around the new play was unprecedented; in the hall, as reviewers later reported, "the whole of Moscow gathered, loving the Russian stage," including the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Expectations, however, did not come true: according to the observer of the newspaper Russkiye Vedomosti, "the playwright tired the entire audience, even the most naive spectators." It was the most deafening failure in Ostrovsky's creative biography.

The first production on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, where Maria Savina played the main role, caused fewer derogatory responses. So, the St. Petersburg newspaper Novoe Vremya admitted that the performance based on The Dowry made a “strong impression” on the audience. However, there was no need to talk about success: a critic of the same publication, a certain K., complained that Ostrovsky spent a lot of effort on creating a little interesting story about a “stupid seduced girl”:

Those who waited for a new word, new types from a venerable playwright are cruelly mistaken; instead of them, we got updated old motives, got a lot of dialogue instead of action. Vera Komissarzhevskaya as Larisa Ogudalova

Critics did not spare the actors who participated in the "Dowry". The capital's newspaper "Birzhevye Vedomosti" (1878, No. 325) noted that Glikeria Fedotova "did not understand the role at all and played badly." The journalist and writer Pyotr Boborykin, who published a note in Russkiye Vedomosti (1879, March 23), remembered only “drawing and falsity from the first step to the last word” in the work of the actress. Actor Lensky, according to Boborykin, when creating the image, made too much emphasis on white gloves, which his hero Paratov put on "unnecessarily every minute." Mikhail Sadovsky, who played the role of Karandyshev on the Moscow stage, presented, in the words of a Novoye Vremya observer, "a poorly conceived type of official-groom."

In September 1896, the Alexandrinsky Theater undertook to revive the play, which had long been removed from the repertoire. The role of Larisa Ogudalova, played by Vera Komissarzhevskaya, initially caused the familiar irritation of reviewers: they wrote that the actress "played unevenly, in the last act she hit melodrama." However, the audience understood and accepted the new stage version of "Dowry", in which the heroine was not between her boyfriends, but above them; the play gradually began to return to the theaters of the country.

Productions

  • 1932 - Drama Theater "Comedy" (former Korsh Theatre). Fast. Vasily Sakhnovsky and Elizaveta Telesheva. Larisa - Vera Popova, Karandyshev - Anatoly Ktorov, Paratov - Nikolai Sosnin, Ogudalova - Nadezhda Borskaya, Knurov - Semyon Mezhinsky, Vozhevatov - Mikhail Bolduman, Robinson - Boris Petker, Evfrosinya Potapovna - Maria Blumenthal-Tamarina.
  • 1935 - Bolshoi Drama Theatre. Fast. Sergei Morshchikhin, art. Alexander Samokhvalov, comp. Michael Chulaki.
  • 1936 - Yaroslavl theater. Fast. Arkady Nadezhdov, art. Nikolai Medovshchikov. Larisa - Chudinova.
  • 1937 - People's Theater (Sofia). Fast. Nikolai Massalitinov, art. Milenkov and Georgiev. Larisa - Petrana Gerganova, Karandyshev - Konstantin Kisimov, Paratov - Vladimir Trandafilov.
  • 1939 - Theater. M. Azizbekova (Baku). Fast. Sharifova, art. Efimenko. Larisa - Kadri, Paratov - Afganly, Knurov - Aliyev.
  • 1940 - Theater of the Revolution. Fast. Yuri Zavadsky, art. Vladimir Dmitriev. Larisa - Maria Babanova, Karandyshev - Sergey Martinson, Paratov - Mikhail Astangov, Knurov - Osip Abdulov, Ogudalova - Anna Bogdanova.
  • 1944 - Saratov Drama Theater. Karl Marx. Fast. Andrey Efremov, art. Konstantin Kisimov; Larisa - Valentina Soboleva, Karandyshev - Ivan Slonov, Paratov - Muratov, Knurov - Karganov, Robinson - Petrov.
  • 1944 - Theater. K. A. Marjanishvili (Tbilisi). Fast. Tabliashvili, art. Sumbatashvili. Larisa - Veriko Andzhaparidze, Karandyshev - Georgy Gotsireli, Paratov - Kabakhidze, Ogudalova - Cecilia Takaishvili, Knurov - Shalva Gambashidze.
  • 1944 - Theater. Khamza (Tashkent). Larisa - Ishanturaeva, Paratov - A. Khodzhaev.
  • 1946 - Theater. G. Sundukyan (Yerevan). Fast. Gurgen Janibekyan, art. Lokshin, Larisa - Rozanna Vartanyan, Paratov - David Malyan, Ogudalova - Olga Gulazyan, Robinson - Avet Avetisyan.
  • 1948 - Maly Theatre. Fast. Konstantin Zubov, dir. Lev Prozorovsky and Boris Nikolsky, art. Vladimir Kozlinsky, music. design by S. M. Boguchevsky. Larisa - Constance Roek, Karandyshev - Alexander Afanasiev, Paratov - Boris Telegin, Ogudalova - Sofia Fadeeva, Knurov - Vladimir Vladislavsky, Robinson - Nikolai Svetlovidov, Evfrosinya Potapovna - Varvara Ryzhova.
  • 1948 - Bolshoi Drama Theatre. Fast. Ilya Shlepyanov, art. Vladimir Dmitriev. Larisa - Nina Olkhina, Karandyshev - Vitaly Politseymako, Paratov - Bruno Freindlich, Vozhevatov - Pavel Pankov, Ogudalova - Anna Nikritina, Knurov - Alexander Larikov, Robinson - Vasily Sofronov. Guitar part - Sergey Sorokin.
  • 1948 - Latvian Drama Theater (Riga). Fast. Faith Balun. Larisa - Velta Line, Knurov - Alfred Amtmanis-Brieditis.
  • 1948 - Theater. A. Lakhuti (Stalinabad).
  • 1950 - Lithuanian Drama Theater (Vilnius).
  • 1951 - Kyrgyz Drama Theater (Frunze). Larisa - Kydykeeva, Karandyshev - Sargaldaev, Knurov - Ryskulov.
  • 1952 - Bolshoi Drama Theatre. Resumption of the production by Ilya Shlepyanov. The revival is directed by Isai Zonne. Restoration artist Illarion Belitsky.
  • 1953 - Bashkir Drama Theater (Ufa). Dir. Brill, thin. Kalimullin. Larisa - Bikbulatova.
  • 1953 - Theater. K. S. Stanislavsky. Dir. Mikhail Yanshin, art. Boris Volkov. Larisa - Lilia Gritsenko, Karandyshev - Sergey Markushev, Paratov - Boris Belousov, Robinson - Boris Lifanov.
  • 1953 - Theater "Povshekhny" (Warsaw).
  • 1954 - People's Theater (Plovdiv).
  • 1973 - Odessa Drama Theatre. Fast. Matthew Osherovsky. Larisa - Svetlana Pelikhovskaya.
  • 1983 - Tatar State Academic Theater named after G. Kamal (Kazan). Dir. Marcel Salimzhanov, art. Rashit Gazeev, music. Fuat Abubakirov. Larisa - Alsu Gainullina, Ogudalova - Halima Iskanderova, Karandyshev - Rinat Tazetdinov, Paratov - Nail Dunaev, Knurov - Shaukat Biktemirov, Vozhevatov - Ildus Akhmetzyanov, Robinson - Ravil Sharafeev.
  • 1997(?) - Voronezh Drama Theatre. Fast. Anatoly Ivanov, art. Larisa and Mikhail Kurchenko.
  • 2002 - Baltic House. Staged by Anatoly Praudin, artist Alexander Mokhov.
  • 2008 - Workshop of P. Fomenko. Staged by Pyotr Fomenko, artist Vladimir Maksimov.
  • 2012 - Theater on Vasilyevsky (St. Petersburg). Staging by Denis Khusniyarov, artist Nikolai Slobodyanik, choreography by Yegor Druzhinin.
  • 2012 - Maly Theater
  • 2014 - Moscow Academic Theatre. V. Mayakovsky. Staged by Lev Ehrenburg, production designer Valery Polunovsky.

Artistic features

Literary critic Boris Kostelyanets, studying the history of "Dowry", came to the conclusion that the negative reaction of Ostrovsky's contemporaries was associated both with the "innovative nature of the play itself" and with those difficult relationships that developed between the playwright and the audience. Literary critic Alexander Skabichevsky wrote in the mid-1870s that Ostrovsky is one of the authors whose works the theater community has always studied with particular scrupulousness. "Dowry" became for Ostrovsky a "play-search"; she "as if anticipated the poetics of Chekhov's drama." The same accusations about the lack of dynamics would later be heard from critics by the author of The Seagull and Leo Tolstoy, who brought the play The Living Corpse to the public.

main characters

Larisa, which is included in the gallery of notable female images of literature of the second half of the 19th century, strives for independent actions; she feels like a person capable of making decisions. However, the impulses of the young heroine collide with the cynical morality of society, which perceives her as an expensive, exquisite thing.

The girl is surrounded by four admirers, each of whom is trying to get her attention. At the same time, according to researcher Vladimir Lakshin, it is by no means love that drives Larisa's boyfriends. So, Vozhevatov is not greatly distressed when the lot in the form of a thrown coin points to Knurov. He, in turn, is ready to wait until Paratov comes into play in order to “take revenge and take the broken heroine to Paris” later. Karandyshev also perceives Larisa as a thing; however, unlike rivals, he does not want to see his beloved as someone else's thing. The simplest explanation of all the troubles of the heroine, associated with the lack of a dowry, is broken by the theme of loneliness, which young Ogudalova carries within herself; her inner orphanhood is so great that the girl looks "incompatible with the world."

Critics perceived Larisa as a kind of "continuation" of Katerina from Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" (they are united by ardor and recklessness of feelings, which led to a tragic ending); at the same time, features of other heroines of Russian literature were found in her - we are talking about some Turgenev girls, as well as Nastasya Filippovna from The Idiot and Anna Karenina from the novel of the same name:

The heroines of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Ostrovsky are brought together by their unexpected, illogical, reckless actions dictated by emotions: love, hatred, contempt, remorse. Mikhail Sadovsky - the first performer of the role of Karandyshev in Moscow

Karandyshev, like Larisa, is poor. Against the background of the "masters of life" - Knurov, Vozhevatov and Paratov - he looks like a "little man" who can be humiliated and insulted with impunity. At the same time, unlike the heroine, Julius Kapitonovich is not a victim, but part of a cruel world. Wanting to connect his life with Larisa, he hopes to pay off former offenders, to demonstrate to them his moral superiority. Even before the wedding, he tries to dictate to the bride how to behave in society; her reciprocal protest is incomprehensible to Karandyshev, he cannot delve into the reasons for their disagreement, because he is "too busy with himself."

Drawing a parallel between Karandyshev and the "humiliated" heroes of Dostoevsky, the researchers emphasize that Yuli Kapitonovich is infinitely far from Makar Devushkin from the novel "Poor People" and Marmeladov from the novel "Crime and Punishment". His "literary brothers" are the hero of the story "Notes from the Underground" and Golyadkin from "The Double".

Karandyshev's shot is a complex action in its motives and in its results. One can see here just a criminal act of the owner and egoist, obsessed with one thought: not for me, but for no one. But you can see in the shot and the answer to Larisa's secret thoughts - in a difficult way they penetrate the mind of Karandyshev, the only one of the four men who did not want to transfer her into anyone's hands.

The image of the city

Maria Savina - the first performer of the role of Larisa on the St. Petersburg stage

If the fate of Larisa largely repeats the story of Katerina, transferred from the middle of the 19th century to the 1870s, then Bryakhimov is the development of the image of the city of Kalinov from the same Thunderstorm. Over the two decades separating one play by Ostrovsky from another, the main types of townspeople have changed: if previously the tyrant-tyrant merchant Dikoy dominated in the outback, now he has been replaced by the “dealer of a new formation” dressed in a European costume, Knurov. The Kabanikha, who poisons all life around her, also became a character of the outgoing era - she gave way to Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova, who “trades her daughters”. Passing before the realities of life, the nephew of Wild Boris, according to the trends of the times, turned into a brilliant gentleman Paratov.

At the same time, the pace of urban life has not changed. Life in Bryakhimov is subject to the usual rituals - every day there is mass, vespers and long tea parties near samovars. Then, according to the barman Gavrila, the city covers the feeling of "first melancholy", which is removed by long walks - so, Knurov "every morning the boulevard measures back and forth, just as promised."

All the heroes of the play are connected by a "common interest": they are unbearable in this city. Even Knurov's silence is evidence of the "conflict situation" in which he entered with the hated Briakhimov. And Vozhevatov? He is also in "conflict with Brakhimov's boredom." Larisa is oppressed not only by the situation in her house, but "the whole atmosphere of Bryakhimov."

Names and surnames of characters

Boris Kostelyanets is convinced that Ostrovsky put a special meaning into the names and surnames of his heroes. So, Knurov, according to the author's remarks, is "a man with a huge fortune." The character's surname enhances the feeling of power coming from the "big deal": "knur" (according to Dahl) is a boar, a boar. Paratov, whom the playwright characterizes as a “brilliant gentleman”, also did not accidentally find his surname on the pages of the play: “paraty” was called a particularly swift, unstoppable breed of dog.

Harita Ignatievna, who knows how, if necessary, to deceive and seduce, bears the surname “Ogudalova”, which is based on the verb “gut”, meaning “to braid”, “to fool”.

Screen adaptations

  • The first film adaptation of "Dowry" took place in 1912 - the film was directed by Kai Ganzen, the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Vera Pashennaya. Among the most famous film versions of the work is the film by Yakov Protazanov, which was released in 1936.
Larisa in the film is not endowed with the features of a tragic doom.<…>In accordance with Ostrovsky's plan, Larisa is presented by the director of the film as cheerful, up to the last minute reaching for life with all the forces of her sensitive nature. In order to show this particular Larisa, the authors of the film reveal her life long, a whole year before the events with which the play begins and which last only twenty-four hours.
  • The film adaptation of Eldar Ryazanov's "Cruel Romance", carried out in 1984, caused conflicting reviews from critics. In an effort to protect the director, Nina Alisova, who played the role of Larisa in the Protazanov film, recalled from the pages of Literaturnaya Gazeta that "Ostrovsky's plays are limitless, and every artist has the right to stage it in his own way."

Notes

  1. 1 2 Alexander Ostrovsky. Plays. - M.: Olma-Press Education, 2003. - S. 30-31. - 830 p. - ISBN 5-94849-338-5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kostelyanets, 2007
  3. 1 2 3 4 Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M.: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 447.
  4. 1 2 Dramaturgy, 2000, p. 215
  5. // Russian Vedomosti. - 1878. - No. 12 November.
  6. 1 2 Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M.: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 446.
  7. 1 2 3 Vladimir Lakshin. theatrical echo. - M.: Time, 2013. - 512 p. - ISBN 978-5-9691-0871-4.
  8. Lotman L. M. Ostrovsky and. - M.: Nauka, 1991. - T. 7. - S. 71.
  9. Dramaturgy, 2000, p. 228
  10. 1 2 Dramaturgy, 2000, p. 229
  11. Derzhavin K. N. Ostrovsky. - M., L.: Publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1956. - T. 8. - S. 469.
  12. Isakova I. N. Proper names in A. N. Ostrovsky's plays "Thunderstorm" and "Dowry". Linguistic and cultural thesaurus "Humanitarian Russia". Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  13. Dowry. Encyclopedia of national cinema. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
  14. Eldar Ryazanov. Unreported results. - M.: Vagrius, 2002. - S. 451.

Literature

  • Kostelyanets B.O. Drama and Action: Lectures on Theory. - M.: Coincidence, 2007. - 502 p. - (Theatrum Mundi). - ISBN 978-5-903060-15-3.
  • Ostrovsky A. N. Dramaturgy. - M.: Astrel, 2000. - ISBN 5-271-00300-6.

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Dowry Information About

"Dowry"- a play by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. Work on it continued for four years - from 1874 to 1878. The premiere performances of The Dowry took place in the autumn of 1878 and provoked protests from the audience and theater critics. Success came to the work after the death of the author.

The play was first published in the journal Domestic Notes (1879, No. 1).

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History of creation

In the 1870s, Alexander Ostrovsky served as an honorary magistrate in the Kineshma district. Participation in the processes and familiarity with the criminal chronicle gave him the opportunity to find new topics for his works. Researchers suggest that the plot of The Dowry was suggested to the playwright by life itself: one of the high-profile cases that stirred up the entire county was the murder of his young wife by a local resident Ivan Konovalov.

Starting a new work in November 1874, the playwright made a note: "Opus 40". Work, contrary to expectations, went slowly; In parallel with The Dowry, Ostrovsky wrote and published several more works. Finally, in the fall of 1878, the play was completed. In those days, the playwright told one of the familiar actors:

I have already read my play in Moscow five times, among the listeners there were people who were hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized The Dowry as the best of all my works.

Further events also testified that the new play was doomed to success: it easily passed the censorship, the Otechestvennye Zapiski magazine began to prepare the work for publication, the troupes of the Maly and then the Alexandrinsky Theater began rehearsals. However, the premiere performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg ended in failure; reviews from critics abounded with scathing reviews. Only ten years after the death of the author, in the second half of the 1890s, the recognition of the audience came to the “Dowry”; it was associated primarily with the name of the actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya.

Characters

  • Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova - middle-aged widow, mother of Larisa Dmitrievna.
  • Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova - a young girl surrounded by admirers, but without a dowry.
  • Moky Parmenych Knurov - a big businessman, an elderly man, with a huge fortune.
  • Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov - a young man who has known Larisa since childhood; one of the representatives of a wealthy trading company.
  • Julius Kapitonych Karandyshev - poor official.
  • Sergey Sergeich Paratov - a brilliant gentleman, from the shipowners, over 30 years old.
  • Robinson - provincial actor Arkady Schastlivtsev.
  • Gavrilo - club bartender and owner of a coffee shop on the boulevard.
  • Ivan - servant in a coffee shop.

Plot

Act one

The action takes place on the site in front of a coffee shop located on the banks of the Volga. Local merchants Knurov and Vozhevatov are talking here. During the conversation, it turns out that the shipowner Paratov is returning to the city. A year ago, Sergei Sergeevich hastily left Bryakhimov; the departure was so swift that the master did not have time to say goodbye to Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova. She, being a “sensitive” girl, even rushed to catch up with her beloved; it was returned from the second station.

According to Vozhevatov, who has known Larisa since childhood, her main problem is the lack of a dowry. Harita Ignatievna, the girl's mother, in an effort to find a suitable groom for her daughter, keeps the house open. However, after Paratov's departure, the contenders for the role of Larisa's husband came across unenviable: an old man with gout, an eternally drunk manager of some prince and a fraudulent cashier who was arrested right in the Ogudalovs' house. After the scandal, Larisa Dmitrievna announced to her mother that she would marry the first person she met. It turned out to be a poor official Karandyshev. Listening to the story of a colleague, Knurov notices that this woman was created for luxury; she, like an expensive diamond, needs an “expensive setting”.

Soon, the mother and daughter of the Ogudalovs appear on the site, accompanied by Karandyshev. The fiance of Larisa Dmitrievna invites visitors to the coffee shop to his dinner party. Harita Ignatievna, seeing Knurov's contemptuous bewilderment, explains that "it's the same as we have dinner for Larisa." After the departure of the merchants, Julius Kapitonovich arranges a scene of jealousy for the bride; to his question, why is Paratov still good, the girl replies that she sees in Sergey Sergeevich the ideal of a man.

When a cannon shot is heard on the shore, announcing the arrival of the master, Karandyshev takes Larisa out of the coffee shop. However, the establishment is not empty for long: after a few minutes, the owner Gavrilo meets all the same merchants and Sergei Sergeevich, who arrived in Bryakhimov together with the actor Arkady Schastlivtsev, nicknamed Robinson. The name of the book hero, as Paratov explains, the actor received due to the fact that he was found on a deserted island. The conversation of old acquaintances is built around the sale of the steamer "Swallow" by Paratov - from now on, Vozhevatov will become its owner. In addition, Sergei Sergeevich informs that he is going to marry the daughter of an important gentleman, and takes gold mines as a dowry. The news of the upcoming marriage of Larisa Ogudalova makes him think. Paratov admits that he feels a little guilty towards the girl, but now "old scores are over."

Action two

The events unfolding in the second act take place in the Ogudalovs' house. While Larisa is changing clothes, Knurov appears in the room. Harita Ignatievna greets the merchant as an honored guest. Moky Parmyonych makes it clear that Karandyshev is not the best match for such a brilliant young lady as Larisa Dmitrievna; in her situation, the patronage of a rich and influential person is much more useful. Along the way, Knurov recalls that the bride's wedding attire should be exquisite, and therefore the entire wardrobe should be ordered at the most expensive store; he bears all expenses.

After the merchant leaves, Larisa informs her mother that she intends to leave immediately after the wedding with her husband to Zabolotye, a distant county, where Julius Kapitonych will run for justice of the peace. However, Karandyshev, appearing in the room, does not share the wishes of the bride: he is annoyed by Larisa's haste. In the heat of the moment, the groom delivers a long speech about how all Briakhimov has gone mad; cabbies, sex workers in taverns, gypsies - everyone rejoices at the arrival of the master, who, having squandered in revelry, is forced to sell "the last steamer".

Next comes Paratov's turn to pay a visit to the Ogudalovs. First, Sergei Sergeevich communicates sincerely with Harita Ignatievna. Later, left alone with Larisa, he wonders how long a woman is able to live apart from her loved one. The girl is tormented by this conversation; when asked if she loves Paratov, as before, Larisa answers yes.

Paratov's acquaintance with Karandyshev begins with a conflict: saying the saying that "one loves watermelon, and the other loves pork cartilage," Sergei Sergeevich explains that he studied Russian from barge haulers. These words cause indignation of Julius Kapitonovich, who believes that barge haulers are rude, ignorant people. The flaring quarrel is stopped by Harita Ignatievna: she orders to bring champagne. Peace has been restored, but later, in a conversation with merchants, Paratov admits that he will find an opportunity to “make fun” of the groom.

Act Three

In the house of Karandyshev - a dinner party. Yulia Kapitonovich's aunt, Efrosinya Potapovna, complains to the servant Ivan that this event takes too much effort, and the costs are too high. It's good that we managed to save on wine: the seller sold the batch at six hryvnia per bottle, re-gluing the labels.

Larisa, seeing that the guests did not touch the offered dishes and drinks, is ashamed of the groom. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Robinson, who is instructed to drink the owner to complete insensitivity, suffers loudly due to the fact that instead of the declared Burgundy he has to use some kind of "kinder-balm".

Paratov, demonstrating affection towards Karandyshev, agrees to have a drink with an opponent for brotherhood. When Sergei Sergeevich asks Larisa to sing, Julius Kapitonovich tries to protest. In response, Larisa takes the guitar and performs the romance "Do not tempt me unnecessarily." Her singing makes a strong impression on those present. Paratov confesses to the girl that he is tormented by the fact that he has lost such a treasure. Immediately he invites the young lady to go beyond the Volga. While Karandyshev proclaims a toast in honor of his bride and looks for new wine, Larisa says goodbye to her mother.

Returning with champagne, Julius Kapitonovich finds that the house is empty. The desperate monologue of the deceived groom is dedicated to the drama of a funny man who, when angry, is capable of revenge. Grabbing a gun from the table, Karandyshev rushes in search of the bride and her friends.

act four

Returning from a night walk along the Volga, Knurov and Vozhevatov discuss the fate of Larisa. Both understand that Paratov will not exchange a rich bride for a dowry. To remove the question of possible rivalry, Vozhevatov proposes to decide everything with the help of lots. A thrown coin indicates that Knurov will take Larisa to an exhibition in Paris.

Meanwhile, Larisa, rising from the pier uphill, is having a difficult conversation with Paratov. She is interested in one thing: is she now a wife to Sergei Sergeyevich or not? The news that the beloved is engaged becomes a shock for the girl.

She is sitting at a table near the coffee shop when Knurov appears. He invites Larisa Dmitrievna to the French capital, guaranteeing, in case of consent, the highest content and the fulfillment of any whims. Next comes Karandyshev. He tries to open the bride's eyes to her friends, explaining that they see in her only a thing. The found word seems to Larisa successful. Having informed her ex-fiance that he is too small and insignificant for her, the young lady passionately declares that, having not found love, she will look for gold.

Karandyshev, listening to Larisa, takes out a pistol. The shot is accompanied by the words: “So don’t get it to anyone!”. To Paratov and the merchants who ran out of the coffee shop, Larisa informs in a fading voice that she does not complain about anything and is not offended by anyone.

stage destiny. Reviews

The premiere at the Maly Theater, where the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Glikeria Fedotova, and Paratov was Alexander Lensky, took place on November 10, 1878. The excitement around the new play was unprecedented; in the hall, as reviewers later reported, "the whole of Moscow gathered, loving the Russian stage," including the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Expectations, however, did not come true: according to the observer of the Russkiye Vedomosti newspaper, "the playwright tired the entire audience, even the most naive spectators." It was the most deafening failure in Ostrovsky's creative biography.

The first production on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, where Maria Savina played the main role, caused fewer derogatory responses. So, the St. Petersburg newspaper Novoe Vremya admitted that the performance based on "Dowry" made a "strong impression" on the audience. However, there was no need to talk about success: a critic of the same publication, a certain K., complained that Ostrovsky spent a lot of effort creating a story of little interest to anyone about a “stupid seduced girl”:

Those who waited for a new word, new types from a venerable playwright are cruelly mistaken; instead of them, we got updated old motives, got a lot of dialogue instead of action.

Critics did not spare the actors who participated in the "Dowry". The capital's newspaper Birzhevye Vedomosti (1878, No. 325) noted that Glikeria Fedotova "did not understand the role at all and played badly." The journalist and writer Pyotr Boborykin, who published a note in Russkiye Vedomosti (1879, March 23), remembered only “drawing and falsity from the first step to the last word” in the work of the actress. Actor Lensky, according to Boborykin, when creating the image, made too much emphasis on white gloves, which his hero Paratov put on "unnecessarily every minute." Mikhail Sadovsky, who played the role of Karandyshev on the Moscow stage, presented, according to the observer of Novoye Vremya, "a poorly conceived type of official-groom".

In September 1896, the Alexandrinsky Theater undertook to revive the play, which had long been removed from the repertoire. The role of Larisa Ogudalova, performed by Vera Komissarzhevskaya, initially caused the familiar irritation of reviewers: they wrote that the actress "played unevenly, in the last act she hit melodrama." However, the audience understood and accepted the new stage version of "Dowry", in which the heroine was not between suitors, and above them; the play gradually began to return to the theaters of the country.

Productions

main characters

Larisa, which is included in the gallery of notable female images of literature of the second half of the 19th century, strives for independent actions; she feels like a person capable of making decisions. However, the impulses of the young heroine collide with the cynical morality of society, which perceives her as an expensive, exquisite thing.

The girl is surrounded by four admirers, each of whom is trying to get her attention. At the same time, according to researcher Vladimir Lakshin, it is by no means love that drives Larisa's boyfriends. So, Vozhevatov is not greatly distressed when the lot in the form of a thrown coin points to Knurov. He, in turn, is ready to wait until Paratov comes into play in order to later "take revenge and take the broken heroine to Paris." Karandyshev also perceives Larisa as a thing; however, unlike rivals, he does not want to see his beloved stranger thing . The simplest explanation of all the troubles of the heroine, associated with the lack of a dowry, is broken by the theme of loneliness, which young Ogudalova carries within herself; her inner orphanhood is so great that the girl looks "incompatible with the world."

Critics perceived Larisa as a kind of "continuation" of Katerina from Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" (they are united by ardor and recklessness of feelings, which led to a tragic ending); at the same time, features of other heroines of Russian literature were found in her - we are talking about some of Turgenev's girls, as well as Nastasya Filippovna from The Idiot and Anna Karenina from the novel of the same name:

The heroines of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Ostrovsky are brought together by their unexpected, illogical, reckless actions dictated by emotions: love, hatred, contempt, remorse.

Karandyshev, like Larisa, is poor. Against the background of the "masters of life" - Knurov, Vozhevatov and Paratov - he looks like a "little man", who can be humiliated and insulted with impunity. At the same time, unlike the heroine, Julius Kapitonovich is not a victim, but part cruel world. Wanting to connect his life with Larisa, he hopes to pay off former offenders, to demonstrate to them his moral superiority. Even before the wedding, he tries to dictate to the bride how to behave in society; Karandyshev does not understand her reciprocal protest, he cannot delve into the reasons for their disagreement, because he is “too busy with himself”

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Alexander Ostrovsky's play "Dowry", created by the author in 1874 - 1878, is a vivid narrative concerning the problem of the "little man". Its characters are mainly people for whom earthly wealth is above all, and only Ogudalova's daughter Larisa tries to oppose generally accepted norms of behavior and thinks differently. After getting acquainted with the main characters and describing the summary, you can better understand what the author wanted to say in his work.

The main characters of the play

Larisa- the main character, a girl from a poor family who wants to get married. Betrayed by the wealthy master Paratov, she agrees to marry Karandyshev, a jealous and stupid man, although she does not love him at all. This eventually leads to tragedy.

Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova- a widow, mother of Larisa, a domineering woman, whom the girl used to obey from childhood.

Julius Kapitonovich Karandyshev- Larisa's fiancé, a selfish, jealous and vengeful person. To defend his innocence, he grabs a weapon. Makes a very bad impression.

Sergei Sergeevich Paratov- a rich gentleman, a former lover of Larisa. He preferred a bride with a large fortune to her.

Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov- Larisa's childhood friend, a rich young man.

Moky Parmenych Knurov- an elderly man, in whose hands - a huge fortune. Gives advice to Larisa's mother about her daughter's marriage to Karandyshev.

Act one: Karandyshev - Larisa's fiancé

The big city of Bryakhimov, on the Volga. On one side of the entrance to the coffee shop there is a boulevard, on the other - trees, in the depths - a low iron grate, behind which a view of the Volga opens.

The first phenomenon
On the site in front of the coffee shop, Gavrilo, the bartender, and Ivan, the servant, are having a dialogue. They talk about life, about the peculiar behavior of the rich, in particular Mokiy Parmenych Knurov, an aged man with a huge fortune, and Vasily Danilovich Vozhevatov, a young man, a representative of a wealthy trading company.

The second phenomenon
Vozhevatov and Knurov enter the coffee shop and talk to each other; Gavrilo and Ivan sometimes join the conversation. First, they are talking about buying a steamer, then, going to drink champagne and tea, they talk about these drinks and gradually move on to the topic of the marriage of Larisa Dmitrievna, daughter of Harita Ignatievna Ogudalova. Everyone present in the coffee shop believes that the groom - Julius Kapitonych Karandyshev - is absolutely not a couple for a girl.

Of course, there were those who wooed her before, but none of them could resist. For example, the girl was very discouraged when, last year, Sergey Sergeevich Piratov “traveled for two months, beat off all the suitors, and his trace caught a cold, disappeared, no one knows where.”

And Karandyshev, according to Vozhevatov and Knurov, behaves strangely.

The third phenomenon
Ogudalova Harita Ignatievna and her daughter Larisa appear among those present. The girl's mother agrees to have a cup of tea. Karandyshev invites Vasily Danilovich and Mokiy Parmenych to dinner, but the latter agrees only when he finds out that the proposal actually comes from Ogudalova, and dinner is arranged for Larisa.

Suddenly, Ivan says that a ship called the Swallow is coming, but neither Knurov nor Vozhevatov want to go down to the pier. Ogudalova, approaching Knurov, informs him that, firstly, the wedding requires many expenses, and secondly, her Larisa has a birthday tomorrow, and she does not know what to give. Moky Parmenych understands the hint and promises to drop by. Finally, Harita Ignatievna, Knurov and Vozhevatov leave the stage.

The fourth phenomenon
Larisa admires the view of the Volga and suddenly turns to Karandyshev with a request to leave for the village. However, jealousy surged up in the groom, and he asks the question: what did she talk about with Vozhevatov, and even called him simply by his first name - Vasya. Karandyshev is not interested in Larisa's excuses that she has known Vasily Danilych since childhood, that they had nothing bad. But Julius Kapitonovich declares that old habits must be abandoned. And he reproaches the bride with the past, saying that they had a "gypsy camp" in their house. The girl objects that this did not happen of her own free will, it was so necessary for her mother. She struggles to love her fiancé, and openly admits this to him, wanting support. Karandyshev suddenly realizes that he offended his beloved girl and says in embarrassment: “... I said this ...” Larisa asks him to be careful in words, because she is very impressionable and vulnerable. The girl is afraid to condemn even Sergei Sergeyevich, although everything shows that this man did not do well to her in the past - and she is trying to stop the questions that Karandyshev asks about this. But the groom is not appeased. Then Larisa openly admits: Sergey Sergeevich is better than him. And he cites as an example the story of how once he and a Caucasian officer fired pistols - first the officer shot at a glass, which Sergei Sergeevich kept on his head. And knocked him out, but turned pale. “I will shoot the girl who is dearest to me - and I will not turn pale,” Paratov said. And knocked out the coin put into Larisa's hand.

Karandyshev reluctantly agrees to recognize some of the merits of Sergei Sergeevich, because, in addition to everything, Larisa said that he helped the poor, but continues to be jealous of the bride. However, she honestly says that she does not love and will never love Yuli Kapitonych, and she continues to have feelings only for Sergei Sergeyevich. A shot is heard from a cannon in honor of Paratov. Nervous, Larisa is going home.


Fifth phenomenon
Ivan and Gavrilo rejoice at the arrival of the master - Sergei Sergeevich. Gentlemen - Paratov with Robinson, his friend, Vozhevatov and Knurov - enter the coffee shop. Ivan tries in every possible way to please Sergei Sergeyevich.

The sixth phenomenon
For his helpfulness, the servant receives a ruble from Paratov. Sergey Sergeevich reports that he sold the barges, then introduces his friend to Knurov and Vozhevatov, the actor Arkady Schastlivtsev, whom he calls Robinson, and not without reason. It turns out that he was generously picked up on the island, where he found himself with his friend, a merchant's son: they were dropped off for indecent behavior. Now the artist is in full submission to Paratov.

The seventh phenomenon
Robinson is unhappy that Vozhevatov addresses him as "you", but when he learns that he is rich, he resigns himself and says: "That's my taste." And then he offers friendship to Vasily Danilych.

Sergei Sergeevich invites friends to dinner, but both Vozhevatov and Knurov are forced to refuse, because they were invited to the house of Larisa, who is getting married. Upon learning this news, Paratov loses heart, but pretends to be sincerely happy for his former lover. As for the dinner, the interlocutors are sure that Sergei Sergeevich will be invited to it.



Act two: the attitude of others to the girl's marriage

The first phenomenon

The action takes place in Ogudalova's house. Larisa's mother is in a well-furnished room with furniture and a piano on which lies a guitar. She holds a box in her hands and calls her daughter to show a gift from Vasya. Larisa changes clothes, so she says: "I'll look later." Suddenly, Knurov enters the room.

The second phenomenon
Ogudalova is very pleased with the unexpected visit of Knurov, does not know where to put him. They begin to talk, and the main topic of conversation is Larisa's marriage. Moky Parmenych is convinced that Larisa's mother is fundamentally wrong in passing off her daughter as a poor man. Larisa, according to Knurov, was created for brilliance, and Karandyshev is not able to provide a decent existence. He advises in this case to lean on the strong shoulder of a rich man.

Then Mokiy Parmenych asks Ogudalova a question about the box she is holding in her hands.

“I wanted to give my daughter a gift,” Larisa’s mother answers. Knurov advises to provide the girl, first of all, with a good wardrobe and promises to pay for all purchases. After that, he leaves.

The third phenomenon
Larisa appears, who does not seem to share her mother's enthusiasm for Vasily's gift. Ogudalova offers to thank both Vozhevatov and Knurov, although Larisa has no idea what Moky Parmenych wants to do for her. The main desire of Larisa, about which she tells her mother, is to escape from the city to the village, walk through the forest, picking berries and mushrooms before the summer has passed ... “Is he up to the village?” - Ogudalova objects, knowing the character of Karandyshev.

The fourth phenomenon
Ilya the Gypsy enters. Larisa asks him to fix the guitar. Ilya regrets that they have many basses in the gypsy choir, but only one tenor, Anton, but he is now ill. Suddenly they report that the master has arrived, and the delighted gypsy hastily leaves.

Fifth, sixth event
Larisa is tired of being humiliated, and she tells her mother about it. When Karandyshev comes in, Ogudalova tells him that Larisa really wants to leave the city. However, the groom is absolutely not clear where she is in a hurry and why. Julius Kapitonovich assures that they will definitely live in the village, but only after they become husband and wife.

Larisa, who wants the wedding to be modest and hears objections from both her mother and Karandyshev, laments, saying that everyone plays with her like with a doll.

Julius Kapitonovich condemns the morals of the townspeople. It is incomprehensible to him that all people rejoice at the arrival of the master - Sergei Sergeyevich. Frightened Larisa, having learned that this is none other than Paratov, and now he is approaching their house, again begins to persuade Yuli Kapitonovich to leave for the village. She wants to disappear, hide from her ex-fiance.

The seventh phenomenon
Paratov enters the house and gives Ogudalova a pen. They hug and kiss. Harita Ignatievna pretends to be incredibly happy about the visit of Sergei Sergeyevich. The master says that he intends to marry profitably, but does not want to say who his chosen one is. Then he wants to see Larisa Dmitrievna. Ogudalova is calling her daughter.

The eighth phenomenon
Larisa and Sergey Sergeevich are left alone. A dialogue takes place between them, in which Larisa reproaches Paratov that she had been waiting for him before, but was already tired. Sergei Sergeevich, in turn, also makes claims to the girl, saying that she has lost a lot in his eyes. The main character objects that she is not getting married of her own free will. Paratov guesses that Larisa still loves him, but this is how the circumstances developed. In addition, the girl claims that Karandyshev has sincere feelings for her.

The ninth phenomenon
Ogudalova introduces Karandyshev and Paratov. Both of them seem to speak politely to each other, but poorly concealed jealousy comes through in the speech. The atmosphere is gradually heating up. Ogudalova is trying to reconcile the gentlemen, each of whom has a dislike for the other. Following the rules of etiquette, Karandyshev, on the advice of Kharita Ignatievna, invites Paratov to dinner. He says in a cold tone that he agrees.

The tenth phenomenon
Vozhevatov suddenly enters the room, asking permission from Larisa and Ogudalova to let Robinson in. Vasily commands Arkady strongly, and this immediately catches the eye. Karandyshev invites his friend Vasily to dinner.

The eleventh phenomenon
Vozhevatov asks Paratov if he liked Larisa's fiancé and receives a negative answer: "who can like him." Sergei Sergeevich comes up with a plan to laugh at Karandyshev.



Act three: Larisa runs away with Paratov, a former lover

The first phenomenon
The action takes place in Karandyshev's room, furnished without taste. Carpet on one wall, weapons on the other. Another character appears - Aunt Karandysheva, Evrosinya Potapovna, a domineering and greedy woman. Ivan asks her for lemons for tea, she shows displeasure and gives cranberry juice instead.

The second phenomenon
During lunch at Karandyshev's, Larisa burns with shame. But Julius Kapitonovich does not seem to notice anything, in addition, they try to solder him on purpose in order to laugh. The girl is painfully experiencing such a shame.

The third phenomenon
Evdokia Potapovna comes in, asking if dinner is over. She reproaches that in vain they transfer purchased expensive products. Larisa keenly feels the suffocating atmosphere of what is happening around and wants to run again. Efrosinya Potapovna leaves to count the silver.

The fourth phenomenon
Knurov is going to go to the club to eat, because after the so-called lunch at Karandyshev's he was left hungry. This is the first time this has happened, he said. Those present conclude that Julius Kapitonovich is a fool. But Paratov reveals the plan: Karandyshev was specially drunk to see what would come of it. But Robinson, who was also well treated to wine, seems to be all over the place.

Fifth phenomenon
Robinson becomes ill after such a violent libation. He says that he was poisoned by some strange wine. Paratov promises to cure him.

The sixth phenomenon
Robinson examines Karandyshev's room and asks about the weapons hanging on the wall. It appears to be Turkish. Julius Kapitonovich takes a pistol off the wall, but Paratov says that he still won't fire, even if he uses it now. Karandyshev objects. Then it comes to high-quality and low-quality cigars.

The seventh phenomenon
Ogudalova reproaches Karandyshev for being drunk, but he does not consider himself drunk at all. Paratov offers Yuliya Kapitonych a drink with him for brotherhood. He agrees and tells Ivan to bring cognac. Robinson perks up when he hears that the owner of the house has a drink that he knows how to handle.

The eighth phenomenon
Robinson declares that they finished off Karandyshev by drinking: he started, and Sergey Sergeevich will finish.

The ninth phenomenon
Ilya the gypsy who appeared offers to go with them, everyone is ready and waiting on the boulevard. Paratov, Knurov and Vozhevatov agree, but they do not want to take Robinson for a walk. Vozhevatov comes up with a way to get rid of an obsessive fellow traveler.

The tenth phenomenon
Vozhevatov, in order to get rid of Robinson, pretends that he is going to Paris and takes Arkady with him, only on the way he offers to call him at home so that he can rest before the road. The cunning plan succeeds.

The eleventh phenomenon
Larissa appears. She was unwell - this is how she explains the reason why she was not with the guests. Paratov tells the girl that he and Karandyshev drank brotherhood. Sergei Sergeevich calls Ilya into their society, explaining that he is his friend. Larisa is asked to sing something, but at first she refuses, and then agrees - resisting Karandyshev, who is trying to forbid his future, as he believes, wife. Together with Ilya and Robinson, who joined in the second verse, they sing "Don't Tempt Me". Paratov and Vozhevatov are delighted with Larisa's voice.

Karandyshev now asks for champagne, but Efrosinya Potapovna flatly refuses to serve the drink. Finally, everyone disperses. Larisa stays with Sergei Sergeevich.

The twelfth phenomenon
Paratov reproaches himself for having lost such a treasure as Larisa in the past. He invites the girl to go with him to the Volga to ride boats - and receives consent.

The thirteenth phenomenon
Everyone is happy that Larisa will be in their company. Praises are sung in her address, Karandyshev declares that he is proud of his bride. Finally, they are going to go. The girl says goodbye to her mother.

The fourteenth phenomenon
Karandyshev is very upset by the flight of the bride. He did not suspect that Larisa would leave for the Volga without warning and demanded that Ogudalova report where her daughter was. Receiving no answer, in a fit of fierce anger, Yuliy Kapitonych grabs a pistol and runs away. Harita Ignatievna tells Ivan to stop him.

Act four: Karandyshev shoots the bride

The first phenomenon
Robinson invites Ivan to play with him, however, he has no money. The servant does not agree to such conditions. Arkady learns that Karandyshev was very indignant when the guests left with Larisa and chased them with a pistol. He wonders if the eccentric Julius Kapitonich wanted to kill him.

The second phenomenon
Karandyshev, who appeared, demands from Robinson an answer to the question where are all the “comrades”. Arkady invites him to wait for everyone at the pier. Enraged, Julius Kapitonovich leaves.

The third and fourth phenomenon
Gavrilo and Ivan are talking among themselves, assuming that everyone has already arrived. Ilya comes in with the gypsies. Gavrilo offers them tea.

Fifth phenomenon
Knurov and Vozhevatov argue that Larisa has an unenviable position. The poor girl again believed the man who had already deceived her once. And he is engaged to a very rich bride, and they are unlikely to succeed.

The sixth phenomenon
Robinson and Vozhevatov are talking among themselves. It turns out that when Vasily offered Arkady a trip to Paris, it was not about the capital of France, but a tavern on the square. Knurov comes up, who wants to tell Vasily Danilych something. He offers Vozhevatov to save Larisa from the arbitrariness of Karandyshev and take her to Paris (the real one).

The seventh phenomenon
Paratov asks Robinson if he is going to Paris soon. Arkady replies that he no longer trusts the merchants, but he would go on such a journey with him. Larisa asks Paratov whether he has serious intentions about getting married, but Sergey Sergeevich suggests that she first go home. The girl is very afraid and prefers not to appear in her native land at all, saying that Karandyshev is finished as a groom. The only one she wants to marry is Sergey Sergeevich. However, Paratov again betrays her, saying that he uttered the careless phrase “I am yours” just in a fit of surging feelings.

The eighth phenomenon
Robinson informs Paratov that Karandyshev was walking near the coffee shop with a gun, but Sergey Sergeevich strictly orders him to harness the carriage and take Larisa Dmitrievna home. Vozhevatov also betrays the desperate girl, who tearfully asks her childhood friend to take pity on her, to teach her what to do in such a situation. Knurov invites her to go to Paris, but upset Larisa is silent.

The ninth phenomenon
Larissa's head is spinning. She thinks about throwing herself into the Volga, but then leaves these thoughts because she is afraid. However, the girl betrayed by all wants to die - even from the fact that she gets sick.

The tenth phenomenon
Karandyshev is looking for Larisa. He wants, firstly, to take revenge on her offenders, and secondly, if necessary, to punish the bride for running away. "There she is!" Robinson exclaims when he sees the girl. Julius Kapitonovich orders to leave them alone.

The eleventh phenomenon
Larisa frankly admits that Karandyshev is disgusting to her. But he wants at all costs to avenge the insult inflicted on the girl, noticing that rich gentlemen are playing with her, as if with a thing. “If I am a thing, then it is very expensive,” the girl says and asks to call Knurov. Larisa begs Yuli Kapitonovich to leave, but he does not want to back down for anything, he even agrees to immediately leave the city with her. However, the girl is adamant! In no case does she want to belong to Yuli Kapitonych. The desperate "groom" with the words "so don't get you to anyone" shoots Larisa with a pistol.

The twelfth phenomenon
Larissa is dying. A gypsy choir sings offstage. The girl, it seems, is even glad of such an outcome. She says she loves and forgives everyone. Her voice is gradually weakening.

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Animal husbandry is a branch of agriculture that specializes in breeding domestic animals. The main purpose of the industry is...
Market share of a company How to calculate a company's market share in practice? This question is often asked by beginner marketers. However,...
First mode (wave) The first wave (1785-1835) formed a technological mode based on new technologies in textile...
§one. General data Recall: sentences are divided into two-part, the grammatical basis of which consists of two main members - ...
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia gives the following definition of the concept of a dialect (from the Greek diblektos - conversation, dialect, dialect) - this is ...