The title of the play Thunderstorm has as a direct. The meaning of the title of the play Thunderstorm Ostrovsky composition

The title of a work very often reflects either its essence, or gives the reader at least a little understanding of what will be discussed. This does not apply to the texts of the late XX and early XXI century, but this provision can be fully applied to the texts of the era of realism. For example, F. Dostoyevsky's "Poor People" really tells about poor people, and "Childhood. Adolescence. Youth ”L. Tolstoy shows precisely these stages of a person’s life. The same can be said about plays. One of Ostrovsky's dramas, which will be discussed, was written in 1859, at a time of acute social controversy. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is not limited to characterization natural phenomenon.

In order to most accurately answer the question of why Ostrovsky called the drama "Thunderstorm", you need to consider this image in more detail.

As you know, sentimentalists introduced the image of nature into literature, conveying the feelings and emotions of the characters with the help of the landscape. Thunder and lightning in Ostrovsky's play perform the same functions. Initially, the author describes the pre-storm time. This applies not only to the weather (some characters notice that it may soon begin to rain), but also to the social situation. Before a thunderstorm, it is usually very stuffy - just the same in the city of Kalinov. It is impossible for people who do not like lies and hypocrisy to breathe in such an environment. Talk about money, drinking and judgment are concentrated to such an extent that disaster becomes inevitable. In order for this state of affairs to change, a push, a blow, a catalyst were needed, which is what thunder with a thunderstorm acts in the text of the play.

The storm is one of the main characters in the fourth act, namely in the scene of a walk along the embankment. Kuligin draws attention to the gathering rain, admiring the power of nature. He thinks that a lightning rod would be useful to all the inhabitants of the city, but Dikoy does not share his ideas. In act No. 4, the author's remarks that a thunderclap is heard are repeatedly repeated. These sounds become auditory framing climactic scene, increasing the semantic load and intensifying the severity of the unfolding tragedy. It is the thunderstorm that frightens Katerina, makes her nervous and weak. The girl, hearing the peals of thunder, confesses her betrayal to her husband and Kabanikh, and with the next lightning strike she falls unconscious.

As already indicated earlier, there are several meanings for the title of the play "Thunderstorm". There is another aspect that needs to be considered in more detail. Thunderstorm appears before the reader not only as a manifestation of the elements, but also as a separate character. The storm is represented by fate, which hangs over all the heroes. It is no coincidence that Tikhon, before leaving, says that there will be “no thunderstorms” over him for two weeks. By the word "thunderstorm" Kabanov means all that unhealthy atmosphere that reigns in their family. This mainly concerns the moralizing of Marfa Ignatievna, because for two whole weeks the mother will not get into the life of her son.
Kuligin, for example, is not afraid of thunderstorms. On the contrary, he calls on the inhabitants to come to their senses from unreasonable anxiety: “It is not a thunderstorm that kills!

... kills grace! Perhaps Kuligin is the only character who does not have an inner feeling of a thunderstorm. There is no premonition of impending misfortune. Wild believes that "a thunderstorm is sent as punishment." The merchant thinks that people should be afraid of a thunderstorm, even though it frightens the Wild One himself. Katerina considers the storm to be God's punishment. The girl is also afraid of her, but not in the same way as Wild. There is a significant difference between the concepts of “punishment” and “punishment”: punishment is rewarded only for sins, but you can punish just like that. Katerina considers herself a sinner because she betrayed her husband. In her soul, just like in nature, a thunderstorm begins. Doubts accumulate gradually, Katerina is torn between the desire to live her life and independently manage her fate and stay in familiar environment, trying to forget about feelings for Boris. There can be no compromise between these contradictions.

Another of the meanings of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm" can be called a plot-forming factor. The storm becomes the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. How internal contradiction the main character, and the conflict between the representatives of " dark kingdom" and educated people XIX century. Katerina was frightened by the words of the half-witted Lady about beauty, which certainly leads to a whirlpool, but only after a thunderclap, Katerina confesses to treason.

The relationship between Boris and Katya can also be compared to a thunderstorm. They have a lot of decisive, passionate, spontaneous. But, like a thunderstorm, this relationship would not last long.
So, what is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky? The thunderstorm appears as a natural phenomenon, framing the work with an auditory frame; as a separate image; as a symbol of fate and punishment; as a kind of generalized display of the social catastrophe that hung over Russia XIX century.

The given versions of the title of Ostrovsky's drama are intended to answer the popular question “why was the thunderstorm called a thunderstorm”, this information can help 10th grade students in revealing the corresponding topic in the essay “The meaning of the title of the play“ Thunderstorm ”by Ostrovsky”.

Artwork test

Where are you, thunderstorm - a symbol of freedom?

A. S. Pushkin

A play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm" was written under the impression of the writer from a trip in 1856 along the Volga River. When the play was printed and staged in the theatre, contemporaries saw in it a call for the renewal of life, for freedom, because it was published in 1860, when everyone was waiting for the abolition of serfdom.

At the center of the play acute conflict between the masters of life, representatives of the "dark kingdom", and their victims. Against the backdrop of a beautiful landscape, Ostrovsky draws an unbearable life common people. Ostrovsky often correlates the state of nature with the state of the soul of the characters. At the beginning of the play, nature is quiet, calm and serene, the life of the Kabanov merchant family seems the same to us. But gradually nature becomes different: clouds roll in, thunder is heard somewhere. A thunderstorm is coming, but is it only in nature? No. A storm is also expected in society, in this realm of despotism. What is a thunderstorm at Ostrovsky?

This name is ambiguous. The first to speak about the thunderstorm is the son of Kabanikha Tikhon: “There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks.” Tikhon is afraid and does not love his mother, he is also an unfortunate person. The storm is perceived by the heroes as a punishment, they are afraid of it and expect it at the same time, because then it will become easier. “The storm is sent to us as a punishment,” Dikoy Kuligina teaches. The power of this fear extends to many heroes of the drama and does not even pass by Katerina.

The image of Katerina is the most vivid image in Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm". ON THE. Dobrolyubov, analyzing in detail the image of Katerina, called her "a ray of light in dark kingdom". Katerina is very sincere, real, freedom-loving. She believes in God, therefore she considers her love for Boris a sin. She sincerely thinks that she deserves punishment and should repent: “I didn’t know that you were so afraid of thunderstorms,” Varvara tells her. “How, girl, do not be afraid! Katherine answers. - Everyone should be afraid. It’s not that it’s scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins.

If in nature a thunderstorm has already begun, then in life it is only approaching. Thunderstorm is a symbol of liberation from the "dark kingdom", which has already begun. Shakes the old foundations of the mind and common sense of the inventor Kuligin; Katerina protests, although unconsciously, she does not want to put up with such living conditions and decides her own fate. She rushes into the Volga in order to preserve the right to freedom in life and in love. So she wins moral victory over the "dark realm". In all this lies the main meaning of a realistic symbol - the symbol of a thunderstorm.

However, it is not only positive. There is something spontaneous, natural in Katerina's love for Boris, just like in a thunderstorm. Love should bring joy, but this is not the case with Katerina, because she is married.

The storm also manifests itself in the very nature of the heroine - she is not subject to any conventions and restrictions. She herself says that even as a child, when someone offended her, she ran away from home and sailed away alone in a boat along the Volga. Dreamy, honest, sincere, kind Katerina takes the oppressive atmosphere of philistine society especially hard. Her act, like a thunderstorm, disturbed the peace of a provincial town, brought freedom and renewal of life.

Contemporaries saw in the play a protest against the oppression of the individual under the conditions of serfdom, for them the social implication was important. However, the meaning of the name is deeper. Ostrovsky protests against any insult to the individual, against the suppression of freedom.

The topical meaning of the drama is gone, but the play "Thunderstorm" has remained relevant in our days, because the image of Katerina, no doubt, evokes sympathy from readers and viewers.

The title of a work very often reflects either its essence, or gives the reader at least a little understanding of what will be discussed. This does not apply to the texts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but this provision can be fully applied to the texts of the era of realism. For example, F. Dostoyevsky's "Poor People" really tells about poor people, and "Childhood. Adolescence. Youth ”L. Tolstoy shows precisely these stages of a person’s life. The same can be said about plays. One of Ostrovsky's dramas, which will be discussed, was written in 1859, at a time of acute social controversy. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is not limited to a description of a natural phenomenon.

In order to most accurately answer the question of why Ostrovsky called the drama "Thunderstorm", you need to consider this image in more detail.

As you know, sentimentalists introduced the image of nature into literature, conveying the feelings and emotions of the characters with the help of the landscape. Thunder and lightning in Ostrovsky's play perform the same functions. Initially, the author describes the pre-storm time. This applies not only to the weather (some characters notice that it may soon begin to rain), but also to the social situation. Before a thunderstorm, it is usually very stuffy - just the same in the city of Kalinov. It is impossible for people who do not like lies and hypocrisy to breathe in such an environment. Talk about money, drinking and judgment are concentrated to such an extent that disaster becomes inevitable. In order for this state of affairs to change, a push, a blow, a catalyst were needed, which is what thunder with a thunderstorm acts in the text of the play.

The storm is one of the main characters in the fourth act, namely in the scene of a walk along the embankment. Kuligin draws attention to the gathering rain, admiring the power of nature. He thinks that a lightning rod would be useful to all the inhabitants of the city, but Dikoy does not share his ideas. In act No. 4, the author's remarks that a thunderclap is heard are repeatedly repeated. These sounds become the auditory design of the climactic scene, increasing the meaning and intensifying the severity of the unfolding tragedy. It is the thunderstorm that frightens Katerina, makes her nervous and weak. The girl, hearing the peals of thunder, confesses her betrayal to her husband and Kabanikh, and with the next lightning strike she falls unconscious.

As already indicated earlier, there are several meanings for the title of the play "Thunderstorm". There is another aspect that needs to be considered in more detail. Thunderstorm appears before the reader not only as a manifestation of the elements, but also as a separate character. The storm is represented by fate, which hangs over all the heroes. It is no coincidence that Tikhon, before leaving, says that there will be “no thunderstorms” over him for two weeks. By the word "thunderstorm" Kabanov means all that unhealthy atmosphere that reigns in their family. This mainly concerns the moralizing of Marfa Ignatievna, because for two whole weeks the mother will not get into the life of her son.
Kuligin, for example, is not afraid of thunderstorms. On the contrary, he calls on the inhabitants to come to their senses from unreasonable anxiety: “It is not a thunderstorm that kills!

... kills grace! Perhaps Kuligin is the only character who does not have an inner feeling of a thunderstorm. There is no premonition of impending misfortune. Wild believes that "a thunderstorm is sent as punishment." The merchant thinks that people should be afraid of a thunderstorm, even though it frightens the Wild One himself. Katerina considers the storm to be God's punishment. The girl is also afraid of her, but not in the same way as Wild. There is a significant difference between the concepts of “punishment” and “punishment”: punishment is rewarded only for sins, but you can punish just like that. Katerina considers herself a sinner because she betrayed her husband. In her soul, just like in nature, a thunderstorm begins. Doubts accumulate gradually, Katerina is torn between the desire to live her own life and independently manage her own destiny and stay in her usual surroundings, trying to forget about her feelings for Boris. There can be no compromise between these contradictions.

Another of the meanings of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm" can be called a plot-forming factor. The storm becomes the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. Both the internal contradiction of the main character, and the conflict between representatives of the "dark kingdom" and educated people of the 19th century. Katerina was frightened by the words of the half-witted Lady about beauty, which certainly leads to a whirlpool, but only after a thunderclap, Katerina confesses to treason.

The relationship between Boris and Katya can also be compared to a thunderstorm. They have a lot of decisive, passionate, spontaneous. But, like a thunderstorm, this relationship would not last long.
So, what is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky? The thunderstorm appears as a natural phenomenon, framing the work with an auditory frame; as a separate image; as a symbol of fate and punishment; as a kind of generalized reflection of the social catastrophe that hung over Russia in the 19th century.

The given versions of the title of Ostrovsky's drama are intended to answer the popular question “why was the thunderstorm called a thunderstorm”, this information can help 10th grade students in revealing the corresponding topic in the essay “The meaning of the title of the play“ Thunderstorm ”by Ostrovsky”.

Artwork test

The meaning of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm"

The name of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm" plays a big role in understanding this play. The image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama is unusually complex and ambiguous. On the one hand, a thunderstorm is a direct participant in the action of the play, on the other hand, it is a symbol of the idea of ​​this work. In addition, the image of a thunderstorm has so many meanings that it illuminates almost all facets of the tragic collision in the play.
The storm plays an important role in the composition of the drama. In the first act the plot of the work: Katerina tells Varvara about her dreams and hints at her secret love. Almost immediately after this, a thunderstorm is approaching: “... there is no way the thunderstorm is setting ...”
At the beginning fourth act a dream is also gathering, foreshadowing a tragedy: “Remember my words that this thunderstorm will not pass in vain ...”
A thunderstorm breaks out only in the scene of Katerina's confession at the climax of the play, when the heroine speaks about her sin to her husband and mother-in-law, not ashamed of the presence of other townspeople.
Thunderstorm is directly involved in the action as a real natural phenomenon. It affects the behavior of the characters: after all, it is during a thunderstorm that Katerina confesses her sin. They even talk about a thunderstorm as if it were alive (“It’s raining, no matter how the thunderstorm gathers?”, “And it’s crawling on us, it’s crawling like it’s alive!”).
But the storm in the play also has figurative meaning. For example, Tikhon calls the swearing, scolding and antics of his mother a thunderstorm: “Yes, as I know now that there will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs, so am I up to my wife?”
The following fact is also noteworthy: Kuligin is a supporter of the peaceful eradication of vices (he wants to ridicule bad morals in the book: “I used to want to depict all this in verse ...”). And it is he who offers Diky to make a lightning rod (“a copper plate”), which serves here as an allegory, because soft and peaceful opposition to vices by denouncing them in books is a kind of lightning rod.
In addition, a thunderstorm is perceived differently by all characters. So, Dikoy says: “Thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment.” Wild declares that people should be afraid of thunderstorms, and yet his power and tyranny are based precisely on people's fear of him. Evidence of this is the fate of Boris. He is afraid of not receiving an inheritance and therefore submits to the Wild. So, this fear is beneficial for the Wild. He wants everyone to be afraid of thunderstorms, just like him.
But Kuligin treats a thunderstorm differently: “Now every blade of grass, every flower rejoices, but we hide, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune!” He sees a life-giving force in a thunderstorm. It is interesting that not only the attitude to a thunderstorm, but also the principles of Dikoy and Kuligin are different. Kuligin condemns the way of life of Dikoy, Kabanova and their morals: “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel! ..”
So the image of a thunderstorm turns out to be connected with the disclosure of the characters of the characters in the drama.
Katerina is also afraid of thunderstorms, but not in the same way as Dikoy. She sincerely believes that the storm is God's punishment. Katerina does not talk about the benefits of a thunderstorm, she is not afraid of punishment, but of sins. Her fear is connected to a deep, strong faith and high moral ideals. Therefore, in her words about the fear of a thunderstorm, there is not complacency, like that of Diky, but rather repentance: “It’s not scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins, with all evil thoughts ...”
The heroine herself also resembles a thunderstorm. Firstly, the theme of a thunderstorm is connected with Katerina's feelings and state of mind. In the first act, a thunderstorm gathers, as if a harbinger of tragedy and as an expression of the heroine's troubled soul. It was then that Katerina confesses to Varvara that she loves another not her husband.
The storm did not disturb Katerina during her meeting with Boris, when she suddenly felt happy. A thunderstorm appears whenever storms rage in the soul of the heroine herself: the words “With Boris Grigorievich!” (in the scene of Katerina's confession) and again, according to the author's note, a “thunderclap” is heard.
Secondly, the recognition of Katerina and her suicide was a challenge to the forces of the "dark kingdom" and its principles ("closed-closed"). Love itself, which Katerina did not hide,
her desire for freedom is also a protest, a challenge that thundered over the forces of the "dark kingdom" like a thunderstorm. Katerina's victory in that there will be rumors about Kabanikh, about her role in the suicide of her daughter-in-law, will not be able to hide the truth. Even Tikhon begins to weakly protest. “You ruined her! You! You!" he shouts to his mother.
So, Ostrovsky's Thunderstorm, despite its tragedy, produces a refreshing, encouraging impression, about which Dobrolyubov spoke: “... the end (of the play) ... seems to us encouraging, it is easy to understand why: it presents a terrible challenge to self-foolish power. ..”
Katerina does not adapt to the principles of Kabanova, she did not want to lie and listen to someone else's lies: “You are talking about me, mother, in vain you say this ...”
A thunderstorm is also not subject to anything and anyone - it happens both in summer and in spring, not limited to the season, like precipitation. It is not for nothing that in many pagan religions the main god is the Thunderer, the lord of thunder and lightning (thunderstorms).
As in nature, a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play combines destructive and creative power: "Thunderstorm will kill!", "This is not a thunderstorm, but grace!"
So, the image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama is multi-valued and not one-sided: while symbolically expressing the idea of ​​the work, at the same time it directly participates in the action. The image of a thunderstorm illuminates almost all facets of the play's tragic collision, which is why the meaning of the title becomes so important for readers to understand the play.

So what is this symbol that Ostrovsky displays in the title - a thunderstorm?

For people XIX century, ignorant of electricity and physical laws, a thunderstorm was a terrible, frightening act. Lightning flashed in the sky, sometimes they reached the ground and killed people, burned buildings and trees. Everywhere there was an indescribable roar. However, even now thunderstorms on earth are exactly the same as 150 years ago. Only they are not so scary anymore, because we know how they happen. But our ancestors endowed this natural phenomenon with a mysterious meaning.

So, on the one hand, a belief about the wrath of the Lord was associated with a thunderstorm. She falls on people to scare and remind of the day doomsday where sinners will pay for their crimes against God. On the other hand, thunderstorms are a herald of renewal, since they are mainly associated with the onset of spring. Heavy rains with thunder purify the air, wash the ground, foliage. Before a thunderstorm it is usually stuffy, and after it it becomes easy and fun to breathe. Fear passes, and joyful renewal comes. Nature and people begin to live again, but only in a pure world.

Thus, a thunderstorm in the human mind is associated both with a positive beginning, becoming a symbol of new life, and with a negative one. In the second case, the thunderstorm becomes the embodiment of a just, well-deserved and terrible punishment.

In his play, Ostrovsky masterfully uses both of these meanings. He introduces into the text of the narrative both the thunderstorm itself as part of nature, and its symbolic expression Katerina, who plays the role of a purifying force in the life of the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov.

But why can Katerina be called a thunderstorm? What did this fragile girl do that could be compared with a strong natural phenomenon?

This image receives full compliance with its symbolic sound at the end of the play. The death, or rather, the suicide of the heroine, was a truly terrible event for the city. It stirred the hearts of people, turned their familiar world upside down and made them think. No wonder Tikhon, Katerina's husband, standing over the lifeless body of his wife, will reproach her mother for being the one to blame for this terrible death. He will reproach his mother, whom he previously could not say a word across. This is truly a breakthrough. And it was Katerina's death, her self-sacrifice and liberation that gave rise to this breakthrough.

It is no coincidence that critic Dobrolyubov called Katerina Kabanova "a ray of light in a dark kingdom." But a ray of light maybe it is lightning?..

But, as was said, there is another meaning of this symbol deserved punishment. Here, Katerina has nothing to do with it. She is not a tool, but a cause. This means that the thunderstorm itself as a natural phenomenon appeared here actor, which reminded the heroine of her crime - adultery to her husband.

It is also necessary to say that Katerina and the thunderstorm have another similarity. As conceived by the author, they play the role of antithesis in relation to the reality surrounding them. The heroine confronts the stuffy society of the city of Kalinov, and a thunderstorm destroys the stuffiness of the air.

In the text of the work, a thunderstorm like rain with lightning and thunder and the thunderous meaning of Katerina's suicide coincide in a strong culmination. Ostrovsky puts an end to the play's conflict. With one stroke of the pen, he solves the problem of confrontation between Katerina and Kabanikh, instantly makes the girl a winner and punishes those responsible for what happened.

This is how the title of Ostrovsky's play contained both the problems, the theme, and the idea of ​​the work, and also explained the meaning of the image of the main character.

The storm is also present in the lives of other residents of the city. For Kabanova and wild thunderstorm appears in the face of Kuligin and Katerina. These heroes testify to the fact that changes are coming, which Kalinov's inert people refuse to accept.

A.N. Ostrovsky is not just a writer-playwright. He is rightfully considered the father of Russian drama. After all, before him in the literature of the 19th century theatrical art developed very poorly. Ostrovsky's plays were new, fresh and interesting. It was thanks to this author that people again reached out to theaters. One of the most famous plays- "Thunderstorm".

History of creation

A.N. Ostrovsky was sent on a special mission to central Russia. Here the writer was able to see provincial life in all its glory. Like any other writer, in the first place, Ostrovsky paid attention to the life and life of the Russian merchants, petty bourgeois, noble people of the province. He was looking for characters and plots. As a result of the trip, the play "Thunderstorm" was written. And a little while later, a similar incident occurred in one of them. Ostrovsky was able to predict the events that took place in the future. Characteristics of the play "Thunderstorm" as a holistic work shows that the author is not just an insightful person, but also a talented writer-playwright.

Artistic originality of drama

The play has a number artistic features. It should be said that Ostrovsky was at the same time a novelist in dramaturgy and supported the tradition. To understand, it is necessary to analyze the genre, the main characters, the conflict and the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm".

Genre

There are three dramaturgic tragedy and drama. Of these, the oldest - then comedy follows, but drama as a genre appears only in the 19th century. Its founder in Russia was A.N. Ostrovsky. The play "Thunderstorm" is fully consistent with its canons. In the center of the image - ordinary people, not historical figures, not These are people with their own shortcomings and virtues, in whose souls feelings, attachments, likes and dislikes develop. The situation is also common. However, there is an acute life conflict in it, most often unresolvable. Katerina (the main character of the drama) falls into such life situation from which there is no way out. The meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm" is multifaceted (this will be discussed below), one of the interpretation options is the inevitability of something, the predestination and tragedy of the situation.

main characters

The main characters of the play: Kabanikha, her son Tikhon, Katerina (Kabanova's daughter-in-law), Boris (her lover), Varvara (Tikhon's sister), Wild, Kuligin. There are other characters, each of which has its own semantic load.

Kabanikha and Wild personify everything negative that is in the city of Kalinov. malice, tyranny, the desire to lead everyone, greed. Tikhon Kabanov is an example of resigned worship of his mother, he is spineless and stupid. Barbara is not like that. She understands that her mother is wrong in many ways. She, too, wants to free herself from her pressure, and she does it in her own way: she simply deceives her. But such a path is impossible for Katerina. She cannot lie to her husband, cheating for her is a big sin. Katerina, against the background of others, looks more thinking, feeling and alive. Only one hero stands aside - Kuligin. He plays the role of a reasoning hero, that is, a character into whose mouth the author puts his attitude to the situation.

The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm"

The symbolic title is one of the ways to express the ideological intent of the work. Contained in one word great value, it is multi-layered.

Firstly, a thunderstorm occurs twice in the city of Kalinov. Each character reacts differently. Kuligin, for example, sees physical phenomena in a thunderstorm, so it does not cause much fear in him. Of course, the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is not only that this phenomenon is present in the text. The thunderstorm symbol is closely related to main character- Katerina. For the first time, this natural phenomenon catches the heroine on the street when she is talking to Varvara. Katerina was very frightened, but not of death. Her horror is justified by the fact that lightning can kill suddenly, and she will suddenly appear before God with all her sins. But she has one gravest sin - falling in love with Boris. Education, conscience do not allow Katerina to completely surrender to this feeling. Going on a date, she begins to experience great torment. The heroine also makes a confession during a thunderstorm. Hearing a thunderclap, she can't stand it.

Depends on the level of interpretation. On a formal level, this is the beginning and climax of the drama. But on a symbolic level, this is the fear of the punishment of the Lord, retribution.

We can say that the "thunderstorm" hung over all the inhabitants of the city. Outwardly, these are the attacks of Kabanikh and Dikiy, but on the existential level it is the fear of answering for one's sins. Perhaps that is why she causes horror not only in Katerina. Even the word "thunderstorm" is pronounced in the text not only as the name of a natural phenomenon. Tikhon leaves home, rejoicing that his mother will no longer bother him, that she will no longer order him. Katerina is not able to get away from this "thunderstorm". She was cornered.

The image of Katerina

The heroine commits suicide, and because of this, her image is very contradictory. She is pious, she is afraid of "gehena fiery", but at the same time she commits such a grave sin. Why? Apparently, moral suffering, moral torment is stronger than her thoughts about hell. Most likely, she simply stopped thinking about suicide as a sin, seeing in it a punishment for her sin (betrayal to her husband). Some of the critics see her exclusively strong personality, who challenged society, the "dark kingdom" (Dobrolyubov). Others believe that voluntary death is not a challenge, but, on the contrary, a sign of weakness.

How to regard this act of the heroine, it is impossible to say unambiguously. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" emphasizes that in the society that has developed in Kalinov, such cases are not surprising, because it is a ossified, backward city, it is ruled by petty tyrants, such as Dikoi and Kabanikha. As a result, sensitive natures (Katerina) suffer without feeling support from anyone.

Conclusions. Features and meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm" (briefly)

1. Drama has become a prime example life of provincial cities, exposing one of the main problems of Russia - tyranny.

2. Drama complies with the canons of the genre (there is a reasoning hero, there is negative characters), but at the same time it is innovative (it is symbolic).

3. "Thunderstorm", made in the title of the play, is not just composite element, this is a symbol of God's punishment, repentance. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky brings the play to a symbolic level.