How dobrolyubov treats the victims of the dark kingdom. Victims of the dark kingdom in the play Thunderstorm composition

"Thunderstorm", as you know, presents us with an idyll of the "dark kingdom", which little by little illuminates us with Ostrovsky's talent. The people you see here live in blessed places: the city stands on the banks of the Volga, all in greenery; from the steep banks one can see distant spaces covered with villages and fields; a fertile summer day beckons to the shore, to the air, under the open sky, under this breeze, refreshingly blowing from the Volga. And the inhabitants, it’s true, sometimes walk along the boulevard above the river, although they have already got accustomed to the beauties of the Volga views; in the evening

They sit on the rubble at the gate and engage in pious conversations; but they spend more time at home, do housework, eat, sleep - they go to bed very early, so it is difficult for an unaccustomed person to endure such a sleepy night as they ask themselves. But what should they do, how not to sleep when they are full?
Their life flows smoothly and peacefully, no interests of the world disturb them, because they do not reach them; kingdoms can collapse, new countries open up, the face of the earth can change as it pleases, the world can start a new life on new principles - the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov will exist for themselves as before in complete ignorance of the rest of the world.
From a young age they still show some curiosity, but there is nowhere for her to get food: information comes to them only from wanderers, and even those now are few, real; one has to be content with those who “themselves, due to their weakness, did not go far, but heard a lot,” like Feklusha in “Thunderstorm”. From them only the inhabitants of Kalinovo learn about what is happening in the world; otherwise they would think that the whole world is the same as their Kalinov, and that it is absolutely impossible to live otherwise than them. But the information reported by the Feklushs is such that they are not able to inspire a great desire to exchange their life for another.
Feklusha belongs to a patriotic and highly conservative party; she feels good among the pious and naive Kalinovites: she is both revered, and treated, and supplied with everything necessary; she can seriously assure that her very sins come from the fact that she is higher than other mortals: overcome them all." And they believe her. It is clear that the simple instinct of self-preservation should make her say a good word about what is being done in other lands.
And this is not at all because these people were more stupid and stupid than many others whom we meet in academies and learned societies. No, the whole point is that by their position, by their life under the yoke of arbitrariness, they have all been accustomed to see the lack of accountability and senselessness and therefore find it awkward and even daring to persistently seek out reasonable grounds for anything. Ask a question - there will be more of them; but if the answer is such that “the cannon itself, and the mortar itself,” then they no longer dare to torture further and are humbly content with this explanation. The secret of such indifference to logic lies primarily in the absence of any logic in life relationships.
The key to this mystery is given to us, for example, by the following line of Diky in Groz. Kuligin, in response to his rudeness, says: “Why, sir Savel Prokofich, would you like to offend an honest man?” Wild replies this: “A report, or something, I will give you! I don't report to anyone more important than you. I want to think about you like that, I think so! For others, you are an honest person, but I think that you are a robber - that's all. Would you like to hear it from me? So listen! I say that the robber, and the end. Well, are you going to sue, or what, will you be with me? So you know that you are a worm. If I want, I will have mercy, if I want, I will crush.”
What theoretical reasoning can stand where life is based on such principles! The absence of any law, any logic - that is the law and logic of this life. This is not anarchy, but something much worse (although the imagination of an educated European cannot imagine anything worse than anarchy).
The condition of a society subject to such anarchy (if such anarchy is possible) is indeed terrible.
In fact, no matter what you say, a man alone, left to himself, will not fool much in society and will very soon feel the need to agree and come to an agreement with others in terms of common benefit. But a person will never feel this need if he finds a vast field for exercising his whims in a multitude of his kind, and if he sees in their dependent, humiliated position a constant reinforcement of his tyranny.
But - a wonderful thing! - in their indisputable, irresponsible dark dominion, giving complete freedom to their whims, putting all sorts of laws and logic into nothing, the tyrants of Russian life begin, however, to feel some kind of discontent and fear, without knowing what and why. Everything seems to be the same, everything is fine: Dikoy scolds whomever he wants; when they say to him: “how can no one in the whole house please you!” - he smugly replies: “Here you go!” Kabanova still keeps her children in fear, forces her daughter-in-law to observe all the etiquettes of antiquity, eats her like rusty iron, considers herself completely infallible and is pleased by various Feklushas.
And everything is somehow restless, not good for them. In addition to them, without asking them, another life has grown, with other beginnings, and although it is far away, it is still not clearly visible, but it already gives itself a presentiment and sends bad visions to the dark arbitrariness of tyrants. They are fiercely looking for their enemy, ready to attack the most innocent, some Kuligin; but there is neither an enemy nor a guilty person whom they could destroy: the law of time, the law of nature and history takes its toll, and the old Kabanovs breathe heavily, feeling that there is a power higher than them, which they cannot overcome, which they cannot even approach know how.
They do not want to give in (and no one for the time being demands concessions from them), but shrink, shrink; before they wanted to establish their system of life, forever indestructible, and now they are also trying to preach; but already hope is betraying them, and they, in essence, are only busy with how it would be in their lifetime ... Kabanova talks about the fact that “the last times are coming”, and when Feklusha tells her about the various horrors of the present time - about railways etc., - she prophetically remarks: "And worse, dear, it will be." “We just don’t want to live to see it,” Feklusha replies with a sigh. “Maybe we will live,” Kabanova says again fatalistically, revealing her doubts and uncertainty. Why is she worried? People travel by railroads - what does it matter to her?
But you see: she, “even though you scree it all with gold,” will not go according to the devil’s invention; and the people travel more and more, ignoring her curses; Isn't that sad, isn't it a testament to her impotence? People have found out about electricity - it seems that there is something offensive for the Wild and Kabanovs? But, you see, Dikoi says that “a thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment, so that we feel,” but Kuligin does not feel or feels not at all, and talks about electricity. Isn't this self-will, not a disregard for the power and importance of the Wild One?
They don’t want to believe what he believes, which means that they don’t believe him either, they consider themselves smarter than him; think about what it will lead to? No wonder Kabanova remarks about Kuligin: “The time has come, what teachers have appeared! If the old man thinks like that, what can you demand from the young!” And Kabanova is very seriously upset by the future of the old order, with which she has outlived a century. She foresees their end, tries to maintain their significance, but already feels that there is no former reverence for them, that they are no longer willingly preserved, only involuntarily, and that at the first opportunity they will be abandoned. She herself had somehow lost some of her knightly fervor; no longer with the same energy she takes care of observing the old customs, in many cases she has already waved her hand, drooped before the impossibility of stopping the stream, and only looks with despair as it gradually floods the motley flower beds of her whimsical superstitions.
That is why, of course, the outward appearance of everything to which their influence extends preserves the antiquities more and seems more immovable than where people, having abandoned tyranny, are already trying only to preserve the essence of their interests and significance; but in fact, the inner significance of petty tyrants is much closer to its end than the influence of people who know how to support themselves and their principle by external concessions. That is why Kabanova is so sad, and that is why Dikoya is so furious: until the last moment they did not want to tame their broad manners and now they are in the position of a rich merchant on the eve of bankruptcy.

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1. In the atmosphere of the "dark kingdom", under the yoke of tyrannical power, living human feelings fade, wither away, the will weakens, the mind fades. If a person is endowed with energy, a thirst for life, then, applying himself to circumstances, he begins to lie, cunning, dodge. Under the pressure of this dark force, characters develop Read More ......
2. The writer Yuryev noted: Ostrovsky did not write “Thunderstorm”, Volga wrote “Thunderstorm”. The action of the play takes place in the city of Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga River. This is a fictional provincial town in which cruel customs reign. And it seems very strange, because the picturesque nature of this cozy Read More ......
3. In Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm" the problems of morality are widely posed. On the example of the provincial town of Kalinov, the playwright showed the truly cruel customs reigning there. Ostrovsky portrayed the cruelty of people living in the old way, according to Domostroy, and a new generation of young people who reject these foundations. Drama characters are divided into Read More ......
4. The play by A. N. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm” was written in 1859. In the same year, it was staged in theaters in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and for many years it has not left the stages of all theaters in the world. During this time, the play has undergone many Read More ......
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6. A. N. Ostrovsky is considered an innovator of domestic drama. Perhaps he was the first to show the world of the “dark kingdom” in his works. In his essay “Notes of a Zamoskvoretsky Resident”, the writer, as it were, “discovered” a country “until now not known in detail and by none of the travelers Read More ......
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Home building for the lesson

1. Collect material to characterize Varvara, Kudryash, Boris, Tikhon, Kuligin.
2. Be able to give an oral description.

One of the particular manifestations of the play's conflict is the clash of characters. Of course, the antithesis is found in the characters of Katerina and her mother-in-law, but we will talk about this a little later. The characters of Katerina and Tikhon are also contrasting.

Tikhon

Exercise

Describe Tikhon.

Answer

Close-minded, spineless, weak-willed, kind; crushed by the despotism of the mother; the tragic death of Katerina causes a timid protest.

Exercise

Give evidence from the text.

Answer

Tikhon appears in the play with the words: “But how can I, mother, disobey you!” D.I, yavl. V. Page 231 (quote all the words of Kabanov).

Conclusion

Everything human is crushed in him by the despotism of his mother, he becomes a submissive executor of her will, in him we see the living embodiment of the goal towards which the rulers of the "dark kingdom" are striving. They would be completely calm if they made all people the same downtrodden and weak-willed. Thanks to the efforts of "mother" Tikhon is so saturated with fear and humility that he does not even dare to think about living his mind and his will. "Yes, mother, I don't want to live by my own will. How can I live by my own will!" he assures his mother.

His resignation is underlined by the name. He is unable to truly comprehend the measure of his wife's suffering and aspirations, unable to penetrate into her spiritual world. Moreover, he cannot help her.

Question

Does the character of Tikhon correspond to his surname Kabanov?

Answer

Tikhon is a good person by nature. He is kind, sympathetic, sincerely loves and pities Katerina, and is alien to any selfish aspirations. There is in him both the ability for sound judgment, and the desire to break free from the vice in which he found himself.

Exercise

Give evidence from the text

D.V, yavl.I, p.275 (I went to Moscow ...)

And only in the finale this bruised, but internally contradictory person rises to an open condemnation of the tyranny of his mother.

D.V, yavl. VI, pp. 282–283, 284

The tragedy of Katerina makes even the humble Tikhon raise his voice of protest. If the first words of Tikhon in the play are: “But how can I, mother, disobey you!”, then at the end of it he desperately throws a passionate, angry accusation into his mother’s face: “You ruined her! You! You!”

Boris

To no lesser extent, the character of the recalcitrant Katerina is opposed by Boris. The unbearable life under the yoke of Kabanova, the longing for freedom, the desire for love and devotion - all this, which did not find a response in Tikhon, was the reason for the emergence of Katerina's feelings for Boris.

Exercise

Let's characterize this character.

Answer

Boris is not like the other inhabitants of Kalinov. He is mentally soft and delicate, simple and modest, besides, thanks to his appearance, education, manners, speech, he seems like a person from another world. Like Katerina, he is also oppressed, and this makes the young woman hope to find in him a kindred spirit who can respond to her ardent feeling.

Question

Does Boris love Katerina?

Answer

Loves. D.III, scene I, yavl.III, p.2. D.III, scene II, yavl.II, pp. 260–261.

D.III, scene II, yavl.III, pp. 262–263 (read by roles).

Question

Do you think Katerina really found a kindred spirit?

Answer

Katerina was bitterly deceived in Boris. This is a weak-willed person who is in slavish dependence on his uncle.

Question

Analyze his behavior during parting with Katerina.

Answer

D.V, yavl. III, p. 279.

Even during his last meeting with Katerina, when he clearly sees that the woman he loves is dying, Boris cannot get rid of the cowardly thought: "We shouldn't have been found here!" This prudent caution completely reveals the insignificance of Boris.

Question

Who do you think looks more emotionally attractive in the play, Boris or Tikhon?

Answer

Boris only outwardly seems better than Tikhon, but in reality he is worse than him. Like Tikhon, Boris has no will of his own and resignedly submits to all the whims of the Wild. But if Tikhon has been downtrodden since childhood and does not suspect the possibility of another life, then Boris, who has received an education and lived in a cultural environment, deliberately submits himself to tyranny for the sake of a faint hope of receiving at least an insignificant share of the inheritance due to him. Selfish calculation makes Boris endure humiliation, is the reason for his cowardice. He, like Tikhon, actually becomes an accomplice of tyrants, an accomplice in their crimes; but this is more unforgivable to Boris, since he understands the whole criminality of despotism.

barbarian

The story of Katerina's tragic love is shown next to Varvara's "festival" drawn in parallel.

Question

What is this character?

Answer

Barbara in Greek means "rough". Bold and determined. She is not superstitious, she is not afraid of thunderstorms, unlike Katerina. Does not consider obligatory strict observance of established customs.

D.I, yavl.VI-VII, p.234, yavl. X, p.239.

D.II, yavl. II, p. 243

The exceptionally truthful Katerina is opposed by the moral unpretentiousness of Barbara. Brought up on a deceitful, ostentatious morality, Varvara adheres to the rule: "Do what you want, as long as it is sewn and covered." She sympathizes with Katerina, despises her brother's spinelessness, and resents her mother's heartlessness. But Katerina's spiritual impulses are incomprehensible to her.

Exercise

Find the pages dedicated to the date of Varvara and Curly. Analyze the behavior of lovers.

Answer

D.III, yavl.IV, P.265

With bright poetry, quivering sublimity, emotional experiences of Katerina in the scene of a night meeting, the too earthy, monotonously tired, rudely erotic, somewhat insincere meeting between Varvara and her dashing clerk Kudryash contrasts. They kiss "coldly" and at the same time yawn repeatedly.

Question

Does Barbara belong to the "dark kingdom"? What is its relationship with its representatives?

Barbara adapted to the laws of the "dark kingdom". Due to her position, she cannot openly defend her rights and is forced to cheat and deceive. To Katerina’s words that she doesn’t know how to hide anything, Varvara replies: “Well, you can’t do without it! Remember where you live! Our house rests on that. And I was not a liar, but I learned when became necessary."

The escape of Varvara, which Tikhon mentions (p. 277), is contrasted with the finale of Katerina's fate.

Curly

Exercise

Describe Curly.

Answer

He grew up in Kalinov's environment. Like other Kalinovites, he does not understand Kuligin's admiration for the beauty of nature. In terms of its cultural level, it does not differ from the inhabitants of the city.

Question

Do you think Curly is a victim or a master of life?

Answer

He knows the customs of the merchant environment well. (pp. 227–228). Freedom-loving. He not only condemns the despotism of the Wild and Boar, but also knows how to stand up for himself. No matter how tyrannical Wild is, Kudryash has defended an independent position for himself. “We don’t have enough guys like me, otherwise we would wean him to be naughty.” (p. 224). He is more of a master of life than a victim.

Exercise

Watch Kudryash's remarks when he finds out about Katerina's connection with Boris.

Answer

(D.III, scene II, yavl.II, pp. 260–261)

Question

How does he feel about Barbara?

Answer

Kudryash passionately and sincerely loves Varvara: "I'm for mine ... and I don't know what I'll do! I'll cut my throat!" (D.III, scene II, yavl.II, p. 259).

And, unlike Boris, he does not stop before running away with Varvara from Kalinov and starting a new life.

Kuligin

Question

How is it different from the inhabitants of the city of Kuligin?

Answer

An educated person, a self-taught mechanic - the surname resembles the surname Kulibin. Feel the beauty of nature. Aesthetically, he stands above other heroes: he sings songs, quotes Lomonosov. He advocates for the improvement of the city, trying to persuade Wild to give money for a sundial, for a lightning rod. He tries to influence the inhabitants, to educate them, explaining the thunderstorm as a natural phenomenon. Thus, Kuligin personifies the best part of the city's inhabitants, but he is alone in his aspirations, which is why he is considered an eccentric. (The eternal motive of grief from the mind.)

Question

With which of the characters can you relate Kuligin?

Answer

With Katerina. Both of them enrich the lyrical beginning of the play. Kuligin, like Katerina, personifies in the "dark kingdom" "a different life, with different beginnings." (Dobrolyubov).

Question

What is the difference in the actions of Katerina and Kuligin?

Answer

Unlike the recalcitrant Katerina, Kuligin is a supporter of mitigating contradictions between predators and their victims, a preacher of patience and humility.

Exercise

Illustrate this idea with examples from the play.

Answer

In response to the drastic measures against Diky proposed by Kudryash, Kuligin objects: “Let’s take an example from him! Better be patient." And to the growl of the Wild, he reacts like this: “There is nothing to do, we must submit!” He does not see an active way to resist the unbridled tyrants.

In revealing the characters of the play, Ostrovsky applied the principle of contrast. In this way he succeeded in showing their complexity in relief, in highlighting their essential features, and in bringing all the characters of his drama together.

Homework

Write a letter about life in the city of Kalinov on behalf of Boris (at the lesson as a test, finish at home).

Victims of the "dark kingdom" in Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm".

The purpose of the lesson: identifying aspects of the life of the victims of the "Dark Kingdom" that did not allow or allowed them to make the right choice in life, analyze individual fragments.

During the classes.

I . Pupils tell prepared messages about Varvara and Kudryash.

Speakers need to pay attention to the following: Barbara does not protest against the foundations of the "dark kingdom", she adapts to it. It has the will and courage, but they are not aimed at fighting the orders of the Kabanikhi. Varvara defines life principles as follows: “But in my opinion: do what you want, if only everything was sewn and covered.” She sympathizes with Katerina, despises her brother’s spinelessness, is indignant at her mother’s heartlessness, but Katerina’s spiritual impulses are incomprehensible to her.

Curly is the opposite of Barbara, he is much smarter than her, the folk principle is stronger in him. This nature is gifted, kind, sensitive, but self-willed. Kudryash contrasts his prowess with mischief to the world of the "dark kingdom", his protest is personal in nature and is expressed in "revelry", smart "daring". Ostrovsky also does not accept such a position in relation to the "dark kingdom".

II .Tikhon is shown in the play as a typical representative of the merchant world, where economic and domestic despotism turns a person into an uncomplaining and submissive victim.

Find Curly's first line about Tikhon in the first act ("Her husband is ... a fool").Can we agree with this assessment?

What is Tikhon's attitude to the world, to everything that happens in the house?

From childhood, Tikhon was accustomed to obey his mother in everything, he got used to the fact that in adulthood he was afraid to act against her will. He resignedly endures all the bullying of Kabanikh, not daring to protest. "Yes, how can I, mother, disobey you!" he says, and then adds: “Yes, mama, I don’t want to live by my own will. Where can I live by my own will!”

What does Tikhon think about Katerina's act "in a little way" and in her own way? (“Here, mother says - she must be buried alive in the ground so that she is executed.” - But I love her, I’m sorry to touch her with my finger. I beat her a little, and even then mother ordered. It’s a pity for me to look at her, understand, Kuligin. she eats her, and she walks like a shadow, unanswered. She only cries and melts like wax. So I'm killing myself looking at her.") Powerless to protect his wife, forced to play the miserable role of a tool in the hands of Kabanikh, Tikhon does not deserve respect , Katerina's spiritual world is incomprehensible to him, a person not only weak-willed, but also limited, rustic.“I won’t understand you, Katya! You won’t get a word from you, let alone affection; otherwise you climb yourself,” he says to her. Nor did he understand the drama brewing in his wife's soul. Tikhon unwittingly becomes one of the culprits of her death, as he refused to support Katerina, pushed her away at the most critical moment.

According to Dobrolyubov, Tikhon is "a living corpse - not one, not an exception, but a whole mass of people subject to the pernicious influence of the Wild and Kabanovs!"

III .Boris - this character, the only one in the play, is not dressed in Russian. This is not only because Boris is more educated than others, not because Kalinov is a slum for him, and he is a stranger here. He understands the savagery and cruelty of the mores of the Kalinovites. But he is powerless, indecisive: material dependence puts pressure on him and turns him into a victim of his uncle-tyrant. "Education took away from him the power to do dirty tricks ... but did not give him the strength to resist the dirty tricks that others do," Dobrolyubov notes.

He lives in the present and does not think much about the moral consequences of his love. (“Has my husband left for a long time? ... Oh, so we’ll take a walk! Time is enough ... No one will know about our love”) Boris, not devoid of spiritual nobility, is distinguished by timidity, passivity and inconsistency of his actions. He is not able to save or pity Katerina. In the scene of the last meeting, Katerina thinks about him, and even during these minutes he cannot overcome his slavish fear. ("They wouldn't have caught us here!", "Time for me, Katya.") Boris - what he is, on the other - created by Katerina's imagination.Dobrolyubov is right, who believed that Katerina fell in love with him "more in the absence of people", in the absence of a more worthy person.

IV .Speaking of Kuligin, let's analyze the character's main lines:

How does Kuligin appear to us at the first meeting? ( Id., 1 yavl.)

What is Kuligin's attitude to the mores of the city of Kalinov?

What is the meaning of the monologue "Here is such, sir, we have a little town ..."? ( IIId., 3 rev.)

Why did Kuligin need to ask Dikiy for money? How does he want to spend them? ( IVd., 2 rev.)

How does Kuligin feel about the Kabanov family drama? ( Vd., 2 rev.)

What is Kuligin's attitude to Katerina's suicide? ( Ve, 8 sp.)

How is it different from the inhabitants of the city of Kuligin?

An educated person, a self-taught mechanic - the surname resembles the surname Kulibin. Feel the beauty of nature. Wants to improve the city, tries to persuade Wild to give money for a sundial, for a lightning rod. He tries to influence the inhabitants, to educate them, explaining the thunderstorm as a natural phenomenon. Kuligin personifies the best part of the city's inhabitants, but he is lonely, which is why he is considered an eccentric.

V .Summary of the lesson: Tikhon and Boris failed to protect and save Katerina. And the "dark kingdom", which turned them into weak-willed, downtrodden people, doomed both of them to "live and suffer." But even such weak, weak-willed, resigned to life, driven to the extreme, people like the inhabitants of Kalinov are able to condemn the despotism of petty tyrants. The death of Katerina prompted Kudryash and Varvara to search for another life, for the first time forced Kuligin to turn to petty tyrants with bitter reproach. Even the unfortunate Tikhon comes out of unconditional submission to his mother, regrets that he did not die with his wife: “It’s good for you, Katya! But why did I stay in the world and suffer!” Of course, the protest of Varvara, Kudryash, Kuligin, Tikhon has a different character than that of Katerina. But Ostrovsky showed that the "dark kingdom" was beginning to loosen up, and Dikoi and Kabanikha were showing signs of fear of new phenomena that they did not understand in the life around them.

Homework : select quotes to describe Katerina.

In the atmosphere of the "dark kingdom", under the yoke of tyrannical power, living human feelings grow dim, wither away, the will weakens, the mind fades. If a person is endowed with energy, a thirst for life, then, applying himself to circumstances, he begins to lie, cunning, dodge.

Under the pressure of this dark force, the characters of Tikhon and Barbara develop. And this force disfigures them - each in his own way.

Tikhon is depressed, pitiful, impersonal. But even the oppression of Kabanikh did not completely kill the living feelings in him. Somewhere in the depths of his timid soul, a spark glimmers - love for his wife. He does not dare to show this love, he does not understand the complex spiritual life of Katerina and is glad to leave even from her, if only to escape from the hell at home. But the fire in his soul does not go out. Confused and depressed, Tikhon shows love and pity for his wife who cheated on him. "But I love her, I'm sorry to touch her with my finger ..." - he admits to Kuligin.

His will is paralyzed, and he does not even dare to help his unfortunate Katya. However, in the last scene, love for his wife overcomes the fear of his mother, and a man awakens in Tikhon. Over the corpse of Katerina, for the first time in his life, he turns to his mother with an accusation. Here before us is a man in whom, under the influence of a terrible misfortune, the will has woken up. Curses sound all the more menacing because they come from the most downtrodden, the most timid and weak person. This means that the foundations of the "dark kingdom" are really crumbling and the power of Kabanikha is wavering, even if Tikhon spoke like that.

Other than in Tikhon, features are embodied in the image of Barbara. She does not want to endure the power of tyrannical power, does not want to live in captivity. But she chooses the path of deceit, cunning, dodging, and it becomes habitual for her - she does it easily, cheerfully, without feeling remorse. Varvara claims that it is impossible to live without lies: their whole house is based on deceit. "And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary." Her worldly philosophy is very simple: "Do whatever you want, as long as it is sewn and covered." However, Varvara was cunning as long as it was possible, but when they began to lock her up, she ran away from home. And again the old Testament ideals of Kabanikha are crumbling. The daughter "disgraced" her house, broke free from her power.

Most weak and pitiful is Diky's nephew, Boris Grigoryevich. He himself says about himself: "I walk around completely dead ... Driven, hammered ..." This is a kind, cultured person, standing out against the background of the merchant environment. However, he is not able to protect either himself or his beloved woman, in misfortune he only rushes about and cries and is unable to object to scolding.

In the scene of the last meeting with Katerina, Boris makes us contempt. To run away with the woman he loves, like Curly, he is afraid. He is even afraid to talk to Katerina ("We wouldn't be caught here"). This is exactly the case, according to the proverb, there is only one step from weakness to meanness. Boris's impotent curses sound submissive and cowardly: "Oh, if only these people knew what it's like for me to say goodbye to you! My God! God grant that someday it would be as sweet for them as it is for me now. Farewell, Katya! .. You villains "Fiends! Oh, if only there was strength!"

He does not have this strength... However, in the general chorus of protesting voices, even this impotent protest is significant.

Among the characters of the play, opposed to the Wild and the Boar, Kuligin judges the "dark kingdom" most clearly and sensibly. This self-taught mechanic has a bright mind and a broad soul, like many talented people from the people. It is no coincidence that the surname Kuligin itself resembles the surname of the remarkable self-taught inventor from Nizhny Novgorod Kulibin.

Kuligin condemns the possessive instincts of the merchants, cruel attitude towards man, ignorance, indifference to everything truly beautiful. Kuligin's opposition to the "dark kingdom" is especially expressive in the scene of the encounter with Wild.

Asking for money for a sundial, Kuligin does not care about himself, he is interested in "benefit for all the townsfolk in general." And Dikoy will not even understand what is at stake, the very concept of public interests is so alien to him. The interlocutors seem to speak different languages. Wild often simply does not understand Kuligin's words, especially when he quotes his favorite poets of the 18th century. To Kuligin's respectful remarks, decorated with quotes, Dikoy reacts in a very peculiar way: "Don't you dare be rude to me!" - and scares Kuligin with the mayor.

Kuligin is an outstanding person. But Dobrolyubov did not call him "a ray of light in a dark kingdom." Why? Yes, because Kuligin is powerless, weak in his protest. Just like Tikhon, like Boris, Kuligin is afraid of tyrannical power, bows before it. "There is nothing to do, we must submit!" he says humbly. Kuligin and others teach obedience. So, he advises Curly: "It's better to endure." He recommends the same to Boris: "What to do, sir. We must try to please somehow."

Only in the fifth act, shocked by the death of Katerina, Kuligin rises to open protest. A harsh accusation sounds in his last words: "Here is your Katerina. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; and the soul is now not yours: it is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!" With these words, Kuligin not only justifies Katerina's suicide, which freed her from oppression, but also blames the unmerciful judges who killed their victim for her death.

In A. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" life opens before us in the small town of Kalinovo. From the very first action, you can feel the tense atmosphere. Further, we understand that the blame for everything is the influence of two tyrants - Kabanova and Diky. They, like older and wiser people, keep everything in this city under their control.

Only all this control lies in attempts to influence the fate of the younger generation and teach them to live by their outdated rules. Life in this city is under the influence of the "dark kingdom", in which it is impossible to live freely and easily.

The first victims of such a life are the children of Kabanikh - Tikhon and Varvara. From childhood, they were under the pressure of this society. The influence of the mother with the same force affected both the son and the daughter, but she influenced them in different ways.

As for Tikhon, his portrait can be represented as a miserable, depressed person. He has no opinion of his own, he constantly has to do everything that his mother ordered him to do. But despite this constant pressure, Tikhon managed to keep his feelings alive. This can be seen in the timid display of love for his wife. But even in this case, he is not able to understand the emotional drama of Katerina, and is even ready to leave the city without a wife, just to escape from the "dark kingdom". Tikhon is such a weak-willed person that he cannot help Katerina avoid constant reproaches from her mother-in-law and protect her. But at the very end of the play, Tikhon managed to show his character and confront his mother when Katerina dies. He even curses her at the death of his wife: "Mama, you ruined her! You, you, you..." With this accusation, Tikhon is the first to destroy the foundations of this kingdom and shake the power of the Kabanikh.

The character of Varvara was formed differently than that of her brother. Her unwillingness to be under the constant control of her mother and her tyranny, she chooses the path of lies and deceit. Barbara is already so accustomed to performing these actions that she does it easily and cheerfully, that no one will suspect her of deceit. The girl is sure that it is impossible to survive in the Kabanovs' house, only without lies and pretense. She believes: “When the mother began to exert even more pressure on Varvara, the girl could not endure it and was forced to run away from home with her lover. Thus, the power of Kabanikha was shaken again.

Boris turned out to be even weaker in relation to the influence of the "dark kingdom". If Tikhon and Varvara were at least to a small extent able to resist this, then Boris was not. The author presents us with a wild nephew as a kind and educated person who was able to stand out among other heroes. But under the authority of his uncle, he cannot prove himself as a brave and resolute person. He cannot save Katerina by taking her with him, just like Curly did. On the one hand, he can be understood, because if he disobeyed the Wild, then not only he himself would suffer, but also his sister. But on the other hand, Boris is contemptible by many readers because of his weak character. He is not able to express even the slightest protest against the "dark kingdom" and is forced to obey their rules.

But the play is not so sad. Among the inhabitants of the city there is one person who sheds a ray of light into the darkness. This person is Kuligin - a tradesman, self-taught watchmaker, eager to invent a time machine. In his dialogues with other characters, we see his contempt for the cruel attitude towards people and his indifferent attitude towards everything beautiful. Opposition to society can be seen in his conversation with Wild. Kuligin is trying to help the whole society, for example, hang a big clock on the wall or build a lightning rod. Wild refuses all his requests, simply not understanding why to try for the good of society. Kuligin's opposition cannot be open, because he is powerless, and still cannot achieve anything. That is why he has to forever obey and please others. But in Kuligin's very last remark, we can finally hear a clear protest: "Here's your Katerina. Do what you want with her! Her body is here, take it; and now your soul is not yours: it is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!" With his statement, he simultaneously justifies the death of Katerina, and charges the "judges" who killed their victim.