Who is the main character of the thunderstorm Ostrovsky. Characteristics of the heroes of the play Thunderstorm

This heroine easily adapts to the laws of the "dark kingdom", easily deceives everyone around her. It became a habit for her. V. claims that it is impossible to live otherwise: their whole house is based on deceit. “And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary.”
V. was cunning as long as it was possible. When they began to lock her up, she ran away from home, inflicting a crushing blow on Kabanikha.

D. is a typical tyrant. He feels his power over people and complete impunity, and therefore creates what he wants. “There are no elders above you, so you are swaggering,” Kabanikha explains the behavior of D.
Every morning his wife begs those around her with tears: “Fathers, don’t make me angry! Doves, don't get angry! But it's hard not to make D. angry. He himself does not know in what mood he can come in the next minute.
This "cruel scolder" and "piercing man" is not shy in expressions. His speech is filled with words like "parasite", "Jesuit", "asp".
But D. “attacks” only on people weaker than himself, on those who cannot fight back. But D. is afraid of his clerk Kudryash, who is reputed to be a rude man, not to mention Kabanikh. D. respects her, moreover, she is the only one who understands him. After all, sometimes the hero himself is not happy with his tyranny, but he cannot help himself. Therefore, Kabanikha considers D. a weak person. Kabanikha and D. are united by belonging to the patriarchal system, following its laws, and anxiety about the upcoming changes around.

This image in its own way indicates the end of the patriarchal way of life. T. no longer considers it necessary to adhere to the old ways in everyday life. But, by virtue of his nature, he cannot do as he sees fit and go against his mother. His choice is worldly compromises: “Why listen to her! She needs to say something! Well, let her talk, and you pass by your ears!
T. is a kind, but weak person, he rushes between fear of his mother and compassion for his wife. The hero loves Katerina, but not in the way that Kabanikha requires - severely, "like a man." He does not want to prove his power to his wife, he needs warmth and affection: “Why should she be afraid? It's enough for me that she loves me." But Tikhon does not receive this in the house of Kabanikhi. At home, he is forced to play the role of an obedient son: “Yes, mama, I don’t want to live by my own will! Where can I live with my will! His only outlet is business trips, where he forgets all his humiliations by drowning them in wine. Despite the fact that T. loves Katerina, he does not understand what is happening to his wife, what mental anguish she is experiencing. T.'s softness is one of his negative qualities. It is because of her that he cannot help his wife in her struggle with passion for Boris, he cannot alleviate the fate of Katerina even after her public repentance. Although he himself reacted gently to his wife’s betrayal, not being angry with her: “Here’s mother says that she must be buried alive in the ground so that she will be executed! And I love her, I'm sorry to touch her with my finger. Only over the body of his dead wife T. decides to rebel against his mother, publicly blaming her for the death of Katerina. It is this rebellion in front of people that inflicts the most terrible blow on Kabanikha.

Events in the drama of A. N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" unfold on the Volga coast, in the fictional city of Kalinov. The work gives a list of characters and their brief characteristics, but they are still not enough to better understand the world of each character and reveal the conflict of the play as a whole. There are not so many main characters in Ostrovsky's Thunderstorm.

Katerina, a girl, the main character of the play. She is quite young, she was married off early. Katya was brought up exactly according to the traditions of house building: the main qualities of a wife were respect and obedience to her husband. At first, Katya tried to love Tikhon, but she could not feel anything but pity for him. At the same time, the girl tried to support her husband, help him and not reproach him. Katerina can be called the most modest, but at the same time the most powerful character in Thunderstorm. Indeed, outwardly, Katya's strength of character is not manifested. At first glance, this girl is weak and silent, it seems that she is easily broken. But this is not true at all. Katerina is the only one in the family who resists Kabanikh's attacks. It opposes, and does not ignore them, like Barbara. The conflict is more of an internal nature. After all, Kabanikha is afraid that Katya can influence her son, after which Tikhon will no longer obey the will of his mother.

Katya wants to fly, often compares herself to a bird. She literally suffocates in the "dark kingdom" of Kalinov. Having fallen in love with a visiting young man, Katya created for herself an ideal image of love and possible liberation. Unfortunately, her ideas had little to do with reality. The girl's life ended tragically.

Ostrovsky in "Thunderstorm" makes not only Katerina the main character. The image of Katya is opposed to the image of Marfa Ignatievna. A woman who keeps the whole family in fear and tension does not command respect. The boar is strong and despotic. Most likely, she took over the “reins of government” after the death of her husband. Although it is more likely that in marriage, Kabanikha was not distinguished by humility. Most of all, Katya, her daughter-in-law, got it from her. It is Kabanikha who is indirectly responsible for the death of Katerina.

Varvara is the daughter of Kabanikhi. Despite the fact that she has learned resourcefulness and lies over the years, the reader still sympathizes with her. Barbara is a good girl. Surprisingly, deceit and cunning do not make her like the rest of the city. She does as she pleases and lives as she pleases. Barbara is not afraid of her mother's wrath, because she is not an authority for her.

Tikhon Kabanov fully lives up to his name. He is quiet, weak, inconspicuous. Tikhon cannot protect his wife from his mother, since he himself is under the strong influence of Kabanikh. His rebellion ends up being the most significant. After all, it is the words, and not Varvara's escape, that make readers think about the whole tragedy of the situation.

The author characterizes Kuligin as a self-taught mechanic. This character is a kind of guide. In the first act, he seems to be taking us around Kalinov, talking about his customs, about the families that live here, about the social situation. Kuligin seems to know everything about everyone. His estimates of others are very accurate. Kuligin himself is a kind person who is used to living by established rules. He constantly dreams of the common good, of a perpetual mobile, of a lightning rod, of honest work. Unfortunately, his dreams were not destined to come true.

Diky has a clerk, Curly. This character is interesting because he is not afraid of the merchant and can tell him what he thinks about him. At the same time, Curly, just like Wild, tries to find a benefit in everything. He can be described as a simple person.

Boris comes to Kalinov on business: he urgently needs to improve relations with Diky, because only in this case will he be able to receive the money legally bequeathed to him. However, neither Boris nor Dikoy even want to see each other. Initially, Boris seems to readers like Katya, honest and fair. In the last scenes, this is refuted: Boris is not able to take a serious step, to take responsibility, he simply runs away, leaving Katya alone.

One of the heroes of "Thunderstorm" is a wanderer and a maid. Feklusha and Glasha are shown as typical inhabitants of the city of Kalinov. Their darkness and ignorance is truly amazing. Their judgments are absurd, and their outlook is very narrow. Women judge morality and morality by some perverted, distorted concepts. “Moscow is now a place of amusement and games, but there is an Indo roar in the streets, a groan stands. Why, mother Marfa Ignatievna, they began to harness the fiery serpent: everything, you see, for the sake of speed ”- this is how Feklusha speaks of progress and reforms, and the woman calls the car a “fire serpent”. Such people are alien to the concept of progress and culture, because it is convenient for them to live in a fictional limited world of calm and regularity.

This article gives a brief description of the heroes of the play "Thunderstorm", for a deeper understanding, we recommend that you read the thematic articles about each character of the "Thunderstorm" on our website.

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The play "Thunderstorm" is the most famous creation of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Each hero of this work is a unique personality that takes its place in the system of characters. Noteworthy in this regard is the characteristic of Tikhon. The Thunderstorm, a play whose main conflict is based on the confrontation between the strong and the weak, is interesting for its oppressed heroes, including our character.

The play "Thunderstorm"

The play was written in 1859. The scene is the fictional city of Kalinov, which stands on the banks of the Volga. Time of action - summer, the whole work covers 12 days.

According to its genre, "Thunderstorm" refers to the social drama. Ostrovsky paid much attention to the description of the everyday life of the city, the characters of the work come into conflict with the established orders, which have long become obsolete, and the despotism of the older generation. Of course, Katerina (the main character) expresses the main protest, but her husband also occupies not the last place in the rebellion, which is confirmed by Tikhon's characterization.

"Thunderstorm" is a work that tells about human freedom, about the desire to break out of the shackles of outdated dogmas, religious authoritarianism. And all this is depicted against the backdrop of the failed love of the main character.

Image system

The system of images in the play is built on the opposition of tyrants who are used to commanding everyone (Kabanikha, Dikoy), and young people who want to finally find freedom and live by their own mind. Katerina leads the second camp, only she has the courage to open confrontation. However, other young characters also strive to get rid of the yoke of dilapidated and meaningless rules. But there are those who reconciled, and not the last among them is Katerina's husband (below is a detailed description of Tikhon).

"The Thunderstorm" draws the world of the "dark kingdom", only the heroes themselves can destroy it or die, like Katerina, misunderstood and rejected. It turns out that the petty tyrants who seized power and their laws are too strong, and any rebellion against them leads to tragedy.

Tikhon: characteristic

"Thunderstorm" is a work where there are no strong male characters (with the exception of Wild). So, Tikhon Kabanov appears only as a weak-willed, weak and intimidated by his mother man, unable to protect his beloved woman. The characterization of Tikhon from the play "Thunderstorm" shows that this hero is a victim of the "dark kingdom", he lacks the determination to live with his own mind. Whatever he does and wherever he goes - everything happens according to the will of the mother.

As a child, Tikhon was accustomed to follow the orders of the Kabanikh, and this habit remained in him in his mature years. Moreover, this need to obey is so ingrained that even the thought of disobedience plunges him into horror. Here is what he himself says about this: “Yes, mama, I don’t want to live by my own will.”

The characteristic of Tikhon ("Thunderstorm") speaks of this character as a person who is ready to endure all the mockery and rudeness of his mother. And the only thing he dares to do is the desire to break out of the house to have a spree. This is the only freedom and liberation available to him.

Katerina and Tikhon: characteristics

"Thunderstorm" is a play where one of the main storylines is love, but how close is it to our hero? Yes, Tikhon loves his wife, but in his own way, not in the way that Kabanikha would like. He is affectionate with her, does not want to dominate the girl, intimidate her. However, Tikhon does not understand Katerina and her mental suffering at all. His softness has a detrimental effect on the heroine. If Tikhon had been a little more courageous and possessed at least some will and ability to fight, Katerina would not have needed to look for all this on the side - in Boris.

The characterization of Tikhon from the play "Thunderstorm" puts him in a completely unsightly light. Despite the fact that he reacted calmly to his wife's betrayal, he was unable to protect her either from his mother or from other representatives of the "dark kingdom". He leaves Katerina alone despite his love for her. The non-intervention of this character was largely the cause of the final tragedy. Only realizing that he lost his beloved, Tikhon ventures into an open rebellion against his mother. He accuses her of the death of the girl, no longer fearing her tyranny and power over him.

Images of Tikhon and Boris

A comparative description of Boris and Tikhon ("Thunderstorm") allows us to conclude that they are similar in many respects, some literary critics even call them twin heroes. So, what do they have in common, and how are they different?

Not finding the necessary support and understanding from Tikhon, Katerina turns to Boris. What was it about him that attracted the heroine so much? First of all, he differs from other residents of the city: he is educated, graduated from the academy, and dresses in a European manner. But that's just the outside, what's on the inside? In the course of the story, it turns out that he depends on the Wild in the same way as Tikhon depends on the Boar. Boris is weak-willed and spineless. He says that he keeps only his inheritance, having lost it, his sister will become a dowry. But all this seems like an excuse: he endures all the humiliations of his uncle too humbly. Boris sincerely falls in love with Katerina, but he does not care that this love will destroy a married woman. He, like Tikhon, worries only about himself. In words, both of these heroes sympathize with the main character, but they do not have enough fortitude to help her, protect her.

Short description

Boris Dikoy and Tikhon Kabanov are the two characters most closely associated with the main character, Katerina: Tikhon is her husband, and Boris becomes her lover. They can be called antipodes, which stand out sharply against the background of each other. And, in my opinion, preferences in their comparison should be given to Boris, as a character who is a more active, interesting and pleasant reader, while Tikhon causes some compassion - brought up by a strict mother, he, in fact, cannot make his own decisions and defend his own opinion. In order to substantiate my point of view, below I will consider each character separately and try to analyze their characters and actions.

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BORIS AND TIKHON
Boris Dikoy and Tikhon Kabanov are the two characters most closely associated with the main character, Katerina: Tikhon is her husband, and Boris becomes her lover. They can be called antipodes, which stand out sharply against the background of each other. And, in my opinion, preferences in their comparison should be given to Boris, as a character who is a more active, interesting and pleasant reader, while Tikhon causes some compassion - brought up by a strict mother, he, in fact, cannot make his own decisions and defend his own opinion. In order to substantiate my point of view, below I will consider each character separately and try to analyze their characters and actions.

To begin with, consider Boris Grigorievich Diky. Boris came to the city of Kalinov not out of his own whim, but out of necessity. His grandmother, Anfisa Mikhailovna, disliked his father after he married a noble woman, and after her death left her entire inheritance to her second son, Savel Prokofievich Diky. And Boris would not have cared about this inheritance if his parents had not died of cholera, leaving him and his sister orphans. Savel Prokofievich Dikoi was supposed to pay part of the inheritance of Anfisa Mikhailovna to Boris and his sister, but on the condition that they would be respectful to him. Therefore, throughout the play, Boris tries in every possible way to serve his uncle, not paying attention to all the reproaches, discontent and abuse, and then he leaves for Siberia to serve. From this we can conclude that Boris not only thinks about his future, but also takes care of his sister, who is in an even less advantageous position than he is. This is expressed in his words, which he once said to Kuligin: “If I were alone, it would be nothing! I would have left everything and left.

Boris spent all his childhood in Moscow, where he received a good education and manners. It also adds positive features to his image. He is modest and, perhaps, even somewhat timid - if Katerina had not responded to his feelings, if not for the complicity of Varvara and Curly, he would never have crossed the boundaries of what is permitted. His actions are driven by love, perhaps the first, a feeling that even the most reasonable and reasonable people are unable to resist. Some timidity, but sincerity, his gentle words to Katerina make Boris a touching and romantic character, full of charm that cannot leave girlish hearts indifferent.

As a person from the metropolitan society, from secular Moscow, Boris has a hard time in Kalinov. He does not understand local customs, it seems to him that he is a stranger in this provincial city. Boris does not fit into the local society. The hero himself on this occasion says the following words: "... it's hard for me here, without a habit! Everyone looks at me wildly, as if I'm superfluous here, as if I'm disturbing them. I don't know the local customs. I understand that this is all our , Russian, native, but still I can’t get used to it in any way. Boris is overwhelmed by heavy thoughts about his future fate. Youth, the desire to live, desperately rebel against the prospect of staying in Kalinovo: "And I, apparently, will ruin my youth in this slum. I walk completely dead ...".

So, we can say that Boris in Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" is a romantic, positive character, and his rash actions can be justified by falling in love, which makes young blood boil and do completely reckless things, forgetting about how they look in the eyes of society.

Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov, on the other hand, can be considered as a more passive character, unable to make his own decisions. He is strongly influenced by his imperious mother, Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, he is under her thumb. Tikhon strives for the will, however, it seems to me that he himself does not know what exactly he wants from it. So, breaking free, the hero acts as follows: "... and as soon as I left, I went on a spree. I'm very glad that I broke free. And I drank all the way, and in Moscow I drank everything, so a bunch, what the heck! So much so that I can take a walk for a whole year. I never once thought about the house. " In his desire to escape "from captivity," Tikhon closes his eyes to other people's feelings, including the feelings and experiences of his own wife, Katerina: "..and with a sort of bondage, you will run away from whatever beautiful wife you want! Just think about it: Whatever it is, but I'm still a man; to live like this all your life, as you see, that's how you will run away from your wife. Yes, as I know now that there will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no these shackles on my legs, so up to my wife?". I believe that this is Tikhon's main mistake - he did not listen to Katerina, did not take her with him, and did not even take a terrible oath from her, as she herself asked in anticipation of trouble. In the events that followed, there is a share of his guilt.

Returning to the fact that Tikhon is not able to make his own decisions, we can give the following example. After Katerina confesses her sin, he cannot decide what to do - listen to his mother again, who calls her daughter-in-law cunning and tells everyone not to believe her, or show indulgence to his beloved wife. Katerina herself speaks about it this way: "Now he is affectionate, then he is angry, but he drinks everything." Also, in my opinion, an attempt to get away from problems with the help of alcohol also indicates Tikhon's weakness.

We can say that Tikhon Kabanov is a weak character, like a person who evokes sympathy. It is difficult to say whether he really loved his wife, Katerina, but it is safe to assume that with his character he was better suited to another life partner, more like his mother. Brought up in strictness, not having his own opinion, Tikhon needs outside control, guidance and support.

So, on the one hand, we have Boris Grigorievich Diky, a romantic, young, self-confident hero. On the other hand - Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov, a weak-willed, soft-bodied, unhappy character. Both characters, of course, are pronounced - Ostrovsky in his play managed to convey the full depth of these images, make you worry about each of them. But if we compare them with each other, Boris attracts more attention, he arouses sympathy and interest in the reader, while Kabanov wants to be sorry.

However, each reader himself chooses which of these characters to give his preference. After all, as folk wisdom says, there are no comrades for the taste and color.

BARBARA
Varvara Kabanova - daughter of Kabanikhi, sister of Tikhon. We can say that life in the house of Kabanikhi morally crippled the girl. She also does not want to live according to the patriarchal laws that her mother preaches. But, despite his strong character, V. does not dare to openly protest against them. Its principle is “Do whatever you want, as long as it’s sewn and covered.”
This heroine easily adapts to the laws of the "dark kingdom", easily deceives everyone around her. It became a habit for her. V. claims that it is impossible to live otherwise: their whole house is based on deceit. “And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary.”
V. was cunning as long as it was possible. When they began to lock her up, she ran away from home, inflicting a crushing blow on Kabanikha.
KULIGIN

Kuligin is a character who partially performs the functions of an exponent of the author's point of view and therefore is sometimes referred to as a hero-reasoner, which, however, seems to be incorrect, since in general this hero is certainly distant from the author, quite detached is depicted, as an unusual person, even somewhat outlandish. The list of actors says about him: “a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker, looking for a perpetuum mobile”. The name of the hero transparently hints at a real person - I. P. Kulibin (1755-1818), whose biography was published in the journal of the historian M. P. Pogodin "Moskvityanin", where Ostrovsky collaborated.
Like Katerina, K. is a poetic and dreamy nature (thus, it is he who admires the beauty of the Trans-Volga landscape, complains that the Kalinovs are indifferent to him). He appears, singing "Among the flat valley ...", a folk song of literary origin (to the words of A. F. Merzlyakov). This immediately emphasizes the difference between K. and other characters associated with folklore culture, he is also a bookish man, although of rather archaic bookishness: he tells Boris that he writes poetry “in the old way ... I read Lomonosov, Derzhavin after all ... The wise man was Lomonosov, the tester of nature ... ". Even the characterization of Lomonosov testifies to the erudition of K. precisely in old books: not a “scientist”, but a “sage”, “tester of nature”. “You are an antique, a chemist,” Kudryash tells him. "Self-taught mechanic," corrects K. K.'s technical ideas are also an obvious anachronism. The sundial, which he dreams of installing on Kalinovsky Boulevard, came from antiquity. Lightning rod - technical discovery of the XVIII century. If K. writes in the spirit of the classics of the 18th century, then his oral stories are sustained in even earlier stylistic traditions and resemble old moralizing stories and apocrypha (“and they will begin, sir, the court and the case, and there will be no end to the torment. They are suing, suing here, yes, they will go to the province, and there they are already waiting for them, but splashing their hands with joy ”- the picture of judicial red tape, vividly described by K., recalls stories about the torment of sinners and the joy of demons). All these features of the hero, of course, are given by the author in order to show his deep connection with the world of Kalinov: he certainly differs from the Kalinovites, we can say that he is a “new” person, but only his novelty has developed here, inside this world , which gives birth not only to its passionate and poetic dreamers, like Katerina, but also to its “rationalist” dreamers, its own special, home-grown scientists and humanists. The main business of K.'s life is the dream of inventing the Perpetu Mobile and getting a million from the British for it. He intends to spend this million on Kalinov's society - "the work must be given to the bourgeoisie." Listening to this story, Boris, who received a modern education at the Commercial Academy, remarks: “It's a pity to disappoint him! What a good man! Dreaming for himself - and happy. However, he is hardly right. K. is really a good person: kind, disinterested, delicate and meek. But he is hardly happy: his dream constantly forces him to beg for money for his inventions, conceived for the benefit of society, and it does not even occur to society that there could be any benefit from them, for them K. - a harmless eccentric, something like a city holy fool. And the main of the possible "philanthropists" - Dikoy, completely lashes out at the inventor with abuse, once again confirming both the general opinion and Kabanikhe's own admission that he is not able to part with the money. Kuligin's passion for creativity remains unquenched; he pities his countrymen, seeing in their vices the result of ignorance and poverty, but he cannot help them in anything. So, the advice that he gives (to forgive Katerina, but in such a way that he never remembers her sin) is obviously impracticable in the Kabanovs' house, and K. hardly understands this. The advice is good, humane, because it comes from humane considerations, but does not take into account the real participants in the drama, their characters and beliefs. For all his industriousness, the creative beginning of his personality, K. is a contemplative nature, devoid of any pressure. Probably, this is the only reason the Kalinovites put up with him, despite the fact that he differs from them in everything. It seems that for the same reason it was possible to entrust him with the author's assessment of Katerina's act. “Here is your Katherine. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; and the soul is no longer yours: it is now before the Judge, who is more merciful than you!”
KATERINA
But the most extensive subject for discussion is Katerina - "a Russian strong character", for whom truth and a deep sense of duty are above all else. First, let's turn to the childhood years of the main character, which we learn about from her monologues. As we can see, in this carefree time, Katerina was primarily surrounded by beauty and harmony, she “lived like a bird in the wild” among maternal love and fragrant nature. The young girl went to wash herself in the spring, listened to the stories of wanderers, then sat down to some work, and so the whole day passed. She did not yet know the bitter life in "imprisonment", but everything is ahead of her, ahead of her life in the "dark kingdom". From the words of Katerina, we learn about her childhood and adolescence. The girl did not receive a good education. She lived with her mother in the countryside. Katerina's childhood was joyful, cloudless. Her mother "did not have a soul" in her, did not force her to work on the housework. Katya lived freely: she got up early, washed herself with spring water, crawled flowers, went to church with her mother, then sat down to do some work and listened to wanderers and praying women, who were many in their house. Katerina had magical dreams in which she flew under the clouds. And how strongly the act of a six-year-old girl contrasts with such a quiet, happy life when Katya, offended by something, ran away from home to the Volga in the evening, got into a boat and pushed off the shore! We see that Katerina grew up as a happy, romantic, but limited girl. She was very pious and passionately loving. She loved everything and everyone around her: nature, the sun, the church, her house with wanderers, the poor she helped. But the most important thing about Katya is that she lived in her dreams, apart from the rest of the world. Of everything that existed, she chose only that which did not contradict her nature, the rest she did not want to notice and did not notice. Therefore, the girl saw angels in the sky, and for her the church was not an oppressive and oppressive force, but a place where everything is bright, where you can dream. We can say that Katerina was naive and kind, brought up in a completely religious spirit. But if she met on her way what. contradicted her ideals, then turned into a rebellious and stubborn nature and defended herself from that outsider, a stranger that boldly disturbed her soul. It was the same with the boat. After marriage, Katya's life changed a lot. From a free, joyful, sublime world, in which she felt her merging with nature, the girl fell into a life full of deceit, cruelty and omission. It’s not even that Katerina married Tikhon against her will: she didn’t love anyone at all and she didn’t care who she married. The fact is that the girl was robbed of her former life, which she created for herself. Katerina no longer feels such delight from attending church, she cannot do her usual business. Sad, disturbing thoughts do not allow her to calmly admire nature. Katya can only endure, while she is patient, and dream, but she can no longer live with her thoughts, because the cruel reality brings her back to earth, where there is humiliation and suffering. Katerina is trying to find her happiness in love for Tikhon: “I will love my husband. Tisha, my dear, I won’t exchange you for anyone.” But the sincere manifestations of this love are suppressed by Kabanikha: "Why are you hanging around your neck, shameless? You don’t say goodbye to your lover." Katerina has a strong sense of outward humility and duty, which is why she forces herself to love her unloved husband. Tikhon himself, because of the tyranny of his mother, cannot truly love his wife, although he probably wants to. And when he, leaving for a while, leaves Katya to work up plenty, the girl (already a woman) becomes completely alone. Why did Katerina fall in love with Boris? After all, he did not exhibit his masculine qualities, like Paratov, he did not even talk to her. Perhaps the reason was that she lacked something pure in the stuffy atmosphere of the Kabanikh's house. And love for Boris was this pure, did not allow Katerina to completely wither away, somehow supported her. She went on a date with Boris because she felt like a person with pride, elementary rights. It was a rebellion against resignation to fate, against lawlessness. Katerina knew that she was committing a sin, but she also knew that it was still impossible to live on. She sacrificed the purity of her conscience to freedom and Boris. In my opinion, taking this step, Katya already felt the approaching end and probably thought: "Now or never." She wanted to be filled with love, knowing that there would be no other chance. On the first date, Katerina told Boris: "You ruined me." Boris is the reason for the discrediting of her soul, and for Katya this is tantamount to death. Sin hangs on her heart like a heavy stone. Katerina is terribly afraid of the approaching thunderstorm, considering it a punishment for what she has done. Katerina has been afraid of thunderstorms ever since she started thinking about Boris. For her pure soul, even the thought of loving a stranger is a sin. Katya cannot live on with her sin, and she considers repentance to be the only way to at least partially get rid of it. She confesses everything to her husband and Kabanikh. Such an act in our time seems very strange, naive. “I don’t know how to deceive; I can’t hide anything” - such is Katerina. Tikhon forgave his wife, but did she forgive herself? Being very religious. Katya is afraid of God, and her God lives in her, God is her conscience. The girl is tormented by two questions: how will she return home and look into the eyes of her husband, whom she cheated on, and how will she live with a stain on her conscience. Katerina sees death as the only way out of this situation: “No, it’s all the same for me to go home or to the grave It’s better to live in the grave again? Dobrolyubov defined Katerina's character as "resolute, whole, Russian." Decisive, because she decided to take the last step, to die in order to save herself from shame and remorse. Whole, because in Katya's character everything is harmonious, one, nothing contradicts each other, because Katya is one with nature, with God. Russian, because no matter how Russian a person is, he is capable of loving like that, capable of sacrificing so, so seemingly humbly enduring all hardships, while remaining himself, free, not a slave. Although Katerina's life has changed, she has not lost her poetic nature: she is still fascinated by nature, she sees bliss in harmony with it. She wants to fly high, high, touch the blue of the sky and from there, from a height, send a big hello to everyone. The poetic nature of the heroine requires a different life than the one she has. Katerina yearns for "freedom", but not for the freedom of her flesh, but for the freedom of her soul. Therefore, she is building a different world, in which there is no lie, lack of rights, injustice, cruelty. In this world, unlike reality, everything is perfect: angels live here, “innocent voices sing, it smells of cypress, and the mountains and trees, as if not the same as usual, but as they are written on the images.” But despite this, she still has to return to the real world, full of selfish and petty tyrants. And among them she tries to find a kindred spirit. Katerina in the crowd of "empty" faces is looking for someone who could understand her, look into her soul and accept her for who she is, and not for who they want to make her. The heroine is looking for and can't find anyone. Her eyes are "cut" by the darkness and wretchedness of this "kingdom", her mind has to come to terms, but her heart believes and waits for the only one who will help her survive and fight for the truth in this world of lies and deceit. Katerina meets Boris, and her clouded heart says that this is the one she has been looking for for so long. But is it? No, Boris is far from ideal, he cannot give Katerina what she asks for, namely: understanding and protection. She cannot feel with Boris "as if behind a stone wall." And the justice of this is confirmed by Boris' vile act, full of cowardice and indecision: he leaves Katerina alone, throws her "to be eaten by wolves." These "wolves" are terrible, but they cannot frighten the "Russian soul" of Katerina. And her soul is truly Russian. And Katerina is united with the people not only by communication, but also by communion with Christianity. Katerina believes in God so much that she prays every evening in her little room. She likes to go to church, look at the icons, listen to the ringing of the bell. She, like Russian people, loves freedom. And it is precisely this love of freedom that does not allow her to come to terms with the current situation. Our heroine is not used to lying, and therefore she talks about her love for Boris to her husband. But instead of understanding, Katerina meets only a direct reproach. Now nothing holds her in this world: Boris turned out to be not the way Katerina “painted” him for herself, and life in the house of Kabanikh became even more unbearable. The poor, innocent "bird imprisoned in a cage" could not withstand captivity - Katerina committed suicide. The girl still managed to “fly up”, she stepped from the high bank into the Volga, “spread her wings” and boldly went to the bottom. By her act, Katerina resists the "dark kingdom". But Dobrolyubov calls her a “beam” in him, not only because her tragic death revealed all the horror of the “dark kingdom” and showed the inevitability of death for those who cannot come to terms with oppression, but also because Katerina’s death will not pass and will not can pass without a trace for "cruel morals." After all, anger is already being born at these tyrants. Kuligin - and he reproached Kabanikha for the lack of mercy, even the uncomplaining executor of his mother's wishes, Tikhon, publicly dared to throw an accusation in her face for the death of Katerina. Already, an ominous thunderstorm is brewing over this entire “kingdom”, capable of destroying it “to smithereens”. And this bright ray, which awakened, even for a moment, the consciousness of destitute, unrequited people who are materially dependent on the rich, convincingly showed that there must come an end to the unrestrained robbery and complacency of the Wild and the oppressive lust for power and hypocrisy of the Boars. The significance of the image of Katerina is also important today. Yes, maybe many consider Katerina an immoral, shameless traitor, but is she really to blame for this?! Most likely, Tikhon is to blame, who did not pay due attention and affection to his wife, but only followed the advice of his "mother". Katerina is only to blame for marrying such a weak-willed person. Her life was destroyed, but she tried to “build” a new one from the remains. Katerina boldly walked forward until she realized that there was nowhere else to go. But even then she took a brave step, the last step over the abyss leading to another world, perhaps a better one, and perhaps a worse one. And this courage, the thirst for truth and freedom make you bow before Katerina. Yes, she is probably not so perfect, she has her flaws, but courage makes the heroine a role model worthy of praise

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The play by Alexander Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" is a real legacy for future generations. Despite the fact that it was written almost two centuries ago, its plot touches upon the pressing problems of our turbulent times. The same problems of daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, husband and wife, mother and children... The events of the work take place on the banks of the river called the Volga, in the fictional city of Kalinovo. There, in this, at first glance, a quiet place, a real drama develops, the fault of which is ordinary people. But in order to understand what happened, you need to get acquainted with the heroes of the play and determine the role that each of them plays in the work.

Local self-taught mechanic Kuligin

This character appears from the very beginning of the play. He is a self-taught mechanic who is a kind of tour guide. By nature, Kuligin is a kind person who is used to acting according to established rules. Speaking of others and evaluating their manners, he is very precise in his judgments. He constantly dreams of the common good, of a lightning rod, of a perpetual mobile, of honest work, but, alas, his cherished desires are not destined to come true.

Vanya Kudryash - Beloved Varya

This is a minor character that the author described as kind and sincere. Despite the simple appearance, Vanya is a fighter in life and always brings what he started to the end. Any business in his hands is arguable. By nature, Ivan is not a romantic, but a practitioner, from this point of view he looks at life.

Dear readers! We suggest that you familiarize yourself with A. Ostrovsky on actions and phenomena.

He is a strong, smart, well-built guy who is loved by Varvara Kabanova. A bright and kind feeling arises between them, although in order to avoid scandals from Varvara's mother, these relations have to be carefully hidden.

Boris - Diky's nephew

Boris is the nephew of Savl Prokopich Wild, a domineering, cruel and greedy man. The author endowed this hero with a contradictory character, on the one hand describing him as young, educated, well-read, fashionable, on the other - cowardly and weak-willed, who never learned to defend his own point of view despite external circumstances. Knowing that his inheritance is in the hands of Uncle Saul the Wild, Boris tries to please him in everything, despite reproaches and ridicule.

Having fallen in love with Katya Kabanova, who has a mutual feeling for this guy, the young man does not value this relationship, and at the time when the slightest problems arise, he does not try to protect the girl, but immediately backs down, fearing that their relationship will be made public.

Thus, we can conclude that Boris is not so much a positive as a negative character in Alexander Ostrovsky's play The Thunderstorm.

Wild - a representative of the "dark kingdom"

Savl Prokofievich Wild is a wealthy merchant who is the most respected and influential person in the city. However, he is picky, angry, ignorant, and cruel. This set of negative qualities greatly outweighs the outward significance of Diky, whose last name also speaks for itself - all his behavior is wild, unnatural.

It does not matter to him what others think about this or that issue, Dikoy considers his own opinion to be the only correct one. He stops at nothing, impudently taking away with impudence what is acquired by overwork. Cursing and cursing with everyone, this hero enjoys. He yells at his employees who come for their due salary, raises his voice at family members who get the most from the character of Savl Prokofich. Knowing that the fate of his nephew is in his hands, he abuses his powers in relation to Boris, because he is ready to fulfill any of his requirements in order to receive an inheritance. On an equal footing, Dikoy can only communicate with Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, who, surprisingly, understands his nature. Savl Prokopyich personifies the customs of a small provincial town. With the help of this image, the author wanted to show the reader the need for changes in the views and behavior of society at that time.

Boar - the negative character of the play

The image of Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova is presented in the play as one of the most negative. This is a rich merchant's wife, a widow. A despotic and wayward woman, she keeps the whole house in fear, offending both her own son and daughter, and her daughter-in-law, who suffers the most. “I must do what my mother says,” she orders her weak-willed son Tikhon, and he obeys the demands of a despotic parent. Achieving order to the smallest detail, Kabanikha acts by violent means, forcing everyone to be afraid of her. You will not be afraid, and even more so me. What kind of order will it be in the house? .. ”- she is perplexed.

In addition, Marfa Ignatievna is a hypocritical and cold-blooded old woman who loves to read morality to her children, while not doing what she herself advises. Kabanova is used to getting her way only with reproaches and threats, she does not know such feelings as love and compassion. She mistakenly believes that children should honor their parents so much that their opinion is not taken into account. Indirectly, Kabanova becomes the main cause of the terrible death of her daughter-in-law Katerina, but does not realize this.

Tikhon, son of Kabanova

There is an expression "mama's boy". It is the best suited to Tikhon Kabanov, the son of Marfa Ignatievna.

Accustomed from childhood to live in complete submission to a strict mother, he grew up weak-willed and spineless.

This shows up throughout his life. Having no opinion of his own, Tikhon cannot make even the simplest decisions, being terribly afraid of the condemnation of his strict mother, who, without realizing it, brought up an infantile loser in her son, dissolving nurses at the slightest danger - and the worst thing, they lived with the conviction that such upbringing is the only correct one.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the play by A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”

Only once, at the end of the play, when a tragedy occurred with his wife Katerina, Tikhon exclaimed, reproaching his mother: “Mother, you ruined her! you, you, you…” And here it is shown that even a person driven into a dead end is able to defend his position. It’s just a pity, late he realized what a treasure and treasure his wife was for him.

Varvara - Tikhon's sister

Varvara Kabanova is the sister of Tikhon and the daughter of Marfa Ignatievna. Reading the play, the reader may notice the contrast between brother and sister. She, unlike the lack of initiative Tikhon, is lively and courageous, able to make decisions on her own. Varya managed, unlike her brother, to adapt to the character of an overly demanding and wayward mother; learned to lie, to be hypocritical, to dodge where necessary, to ignore her orders.

To eliminate obstacles to meeting her beloved, Varvara simply changed the lock. Thus, she secured herself from unnecessary outbursts of her mother's anger. As they say, both the wolves are full and the sheep are safe.

This girl is, firstly, practical, secondly, cheerful, and thirdly, smart and insightful. In addition, she is the only one in the family who supports Katerina and gives her good advice. In the work, the attitude “do what you want, the main thing is that no one finds out anything” is realized in the image of Barbara.

Katerina - the main character of the play

In A. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm", the image of Katerina is the key. This girl is going through a difficult fate, and, unfortunately, her life ends tragically. But in order to understand the character of the heroine, you need to trace the author's storyline from the very beginning.

Only childhood was happy for Katerina, when she, like a sponge, absorbed the good that was instilled by loving parents, went to church with great joy.

And then a thunderstorm struck in the girl's life. She got married. Unfortunately, unsuccessful. For a weak-willed and spineless person, for whom his mother's orders are more important than normal and healthy relationships in his own family.

All dreams of a happy and strong family collapsed, life went downhill. The fierce mother-in-law Marfa Ignatievna began to act with the girl according to her already proven methods of violence and endless reproaches, which were unacceptable to Katerina. No matter how hard the daughter-in-law tried to smooth out the situation in her family, nothing worked. The mother-in-law continued to nag with or without reason, and the weak-willed husband still obeyed his mother.

Katerina wholeheartedly opposes such hypocritical and senseless behavior, this contradicts her bright and sincere nature, but the girl cannot resist the orders established in the Kabanova family. She does not love her husband, but she regrets, and this is not enough to create a strong family. And then Katerina indulges in a feeling of love for another - Dikiy's nephew, Boris. And since then, even bigger problems have begun - pangs of conscience, haunting day or night, a constant question in the soul: “Should I confess my guilt?” “Everything is trembling, as if her fever beats; so pale, rushing around the house, just looking for what, - says the sister of her husband Varvara about the state of Katerina. - Eyes like a lunatic! This morning she began to cry, and sobs. My fathers! what should I do with her?"

And, finally, Katerina takes a decisive step, telling her mother-in-law and her husband about her sin in relation to Boris: “Mother! Tikhon! I am a sinner before God and before you! Didn't I swore to you that I wouldn't look at anyone without you! Remember, remember! And do you know what I, dissolute, did without you? On the very first night I left home ... And all ten nights I walked with Boris Grigorievich.

After that, a real tragedy plays out: the reproaches and abuse of the mother-in-law, who incites her son to beat her daughter-in-law, unbearable mental pain and, finally, the fatal decision - to rush into the Volga. Alas, Katerina's life was cut short at a young age. Some understand and do not condemn her for this act, some, on the contrary, believe that only a weak-willed person could commit suicide. But be that as it may, Katerina will remain in the eyes of many readers a positive heroine, that is, the best of all the characters in the play.