Problems in the drama “The Thunderstorm” (A. Ostrovsky)

"Columbus of Zamoskvorechye". A. N. Ostrovsky knew the merchant environment well and saw in it the focus of national life. According to the playwright, all types of characters are widely represented here. The writing of the drama “The Thunderstorm” was preceded by A. N. Ostrovsky’s expedition along the Upper Volga in 1856-1857. “The Volga gave Ostrovsky abundant food, showed him new themes for dramas and comedies and inspired him to those that constitute the honor and pride of Russian literature” (Maksimov S.V.). The plot of the drama “The Thunderstorm” was not a consequence of the real story of the Klykov family from Kostroma, as was believed for a long time. The play was written before the tragedy that occurred in Kostroma. This fact testifies to the typical nature of the conflict between the old and the new, which was increasingly declaring itself louder among the merchants. The problems of the play are quite multifaceted.

Central problem- confrontation between personality and environment (and as a special case - the powerless position of a woman, about which N.A. Dobrolyubov said: “... the strongest protest is the one that finally rises from the chests of the weakest and most patient”). The problem of confrontation between personality and environment is revealed on the basis of the central conflict of the play: there is a clash between the “warm heart” and the dead way of life of merchant society. The lively nature of Katerina Kabanova, romantic, freedom-loving, hot-tempered, is unable to tolerate the “cruel morals” of the city of Kalinov, about which in the 3rd yavl. In the first act, Kuligin narrates: “And whoever has money, sir, tries to enslave the poor so that he can make even more money from his free labors... They undermine each other’s trade, and not so much out of self-interest, but out of envy. They are at enmity with each other; they entice drunken clerks into their high mansions...” All lawlessness and cruelty are committed under the guise of piety. The heroine is unable to put up with hypocrisy and tyranny, among which Katerina’s sublime soul suffocates. And for young Kabanova, an honest and integral nature, Varvara’s principle of “survival” is completely impossible: “Do what you want, as long as it’s safe and covered.” The opposition of a “warm heart” to inertia and hypocrisy, even if the price for such a rebellion is life, will be called by the critic N. A. Dobrolyubov “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.”

The tragic state of mind and progress in a world of ignorance and tyranny. This complex issue is revealed in the play through the introduction of the image of Kuligin, who cares about the common good and progress, but encounters misunderstanding on the part of the Wild: “... I would use all the money for society, for support. Work must be given to the philistines. Otherwise, you have hands, but nothing to work with.” But those who have money, for example Dikoy, are in no hurry to part with it, and even admit their lack of education: “What kind of elitism is there! Why aren't you a robber? A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we can feel it, but you want to defend yourself with poles and some kind of rods, God forgive me.” Feklushi’s ignorance finds deep “understanding” in Kabanova: “On such a beautiful evening, rarely does anyone come out to sit outside the gate; but in Moscow there are now festivals and games, and there is a roar and a groan in the streets. Why, Mother Marfa Ignatievna, did they start harnessing the fiery serpent: everything, you see, for the sake of speed.”

Substitution of life according to the grace-filled Christian commandments for blind, fanatical, “Domostroevsky” Orthodoxy, bordering on obscurantism. The religiosity of Katerina’s nature, on the one hand, and the piety of Kabanikha and Feklushi, on the other, appear completely different. The faith of young Kabanova carries a creative principle, is filled with joy, light and selflessness: “You know: on a sunny day such a bright column goes down from the dome, and in this column there is smoke, like clouds, and I see, it used to be It’s as if angels are flying and singing in this pillar... Or I’ll go to the garden early in the morning. As soon as the sun rises, I fall on my knees, pray and cry, and I myself don’t know what I’m crying about; that's how they'll find me. And what I prayed for then, what I asked for, I don’t know; I don’t need anything, I had enough of everything.” Rigid religious and moral postulates and severe asceticism, so revered by Kabanikha, help her justify her despotism and cruelty.

The problem of sin. The theme of sin, which appears more than once in the play, is also closely related to the religious issue. Adultery becomes an unbearable burden for Katerina’s conscience, and therefore the woman finds the only possible way out for her - public repentance. But the most difficult problem is resolving the issue of sin. Katerina considers life in the “dark kingdom” to be a greater sin than suicide: “It doesn’t matter that death comes, that it itself... but you can’t live! Sin! Won't they pray? He who loves will pray..." Material from the site

The problem of human dignity. The solution to this problem is directly related to the main problem of the play. Only the main character, with her decision to leave this world, defends her own dignity and right to respect. The youth of the city of Kalinov are unable to decide to protest. Their moral “strength” is only enough for secret “outlets” that everyone finds for themselves: Varvara secretly goes for a walk with Kudryash, Tikhon gets drunk as soon as he leaves the vigilant mother’s care. And other characters have little choice. “Dignity” can only be afforded by those who have substantial capital and, as a result, power; the rest include Kuligin’s advice: “What to do, sir! We must try to please somehow!”

N. A. Ostrovsky covers a wide range of moral problems that were acute in the merchant society of his day, and their interpretation and understanding goes beyond the framework of a specific historical period and takes on a universal human meaning.

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· The problem of fathers and children

· The problem of self-realization

· The problem of power

· The problem of love

· Conflict between old and new

In literary criticism, the problematics of a work are the range of problems that are addressed in one way or another in the text. This may be one or more aspects that the author focuses on.

The play was received ambiguously by critics. Dobrolyubov saw hope for a new life in Katerina, Ap. Grigoriev noticed the emerging protest against the existing order, and L. Tolstoy did not accept the play at all. The plot of “The Thunderstorm,” at first glance, is quite simple: everything is based on a love conflict. Katerina secretly meets with a young man while her husband left for another city on business. Unable to cope with the pangs of conscience, the girl admits to treason, after which she rushes into the Volga. However, behind all this everyday, everyday life, lies much larger things that threaten to grow to the scale of space. Dobrolyubov calls the “dark kingdom” the situation described in the text. An atmosphere of lies and betrayal. In Kalinov, people are so accustomed to moral filth that their resigned consent only aggravates the situation. It becomes scary to realize that it was not the place that made people like this, it was the people who independently turned the city into a kind of accumulation of vices. And now the “dark kingdom” is beginning to influence the inhabitants. After a detailed reading of the text, you can see how widely the problems of the work “The Thunderstorm” have been developed. The problems in Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" are diverse, but at the same time they do not have a hierarchy. Each individual problem is important in its own right.

The problem of fathers and children

Here we are not talking about misunderstanding, but about total control, about patriarchal orders. The play shows the life of the Kabanov family. At that time, the opinion of the eldest man in the family was undeniable, and wives and daughters were practically deprived of their rights. The head of the family is Marfa Ignatievna, a widow. She took on male functions. This is a powerful and calculating woman. Kabanikha believes that she takes care of her children, ordering them to do as she wants. This behavior led to quite logical consequences. Her son, Tikhon, is a weak and spineless person. His mother, it seems, wanted to see him this way, because in this case it is easier to control a person. Tikhon is afraid to say anything, to express his opinion; in one of the scenes he admits that he doesn’t have his own point of view at all. Tikhon cannot protect either himself or his wife from his mother’s hysterics and cruelty. Kabanikha’s daughter, Varvara, on the contrary, managed to adapt to this lifestyle. She easily lies to her mother, the girl even changed the lock on the gate in the garden so that she could go on dates with Curly without hindrance. Tikhon is incapable of any rebellion, while Varvara, at the end of the play, runs away from her parents' house with her lover.

The problem of self-realization

When talking about the problems of “The Thunderstorm,” one cannot fail to mention this aspect. The problem is realized in the image of Kuligin. This self-taught inventor dreams of making something useful for all residents of the city. His plans include assembling a perpeta mobile, building a lightning rod, and generating electricity. But this whole dark, semi-pagan world needs neither light nor enlightenment. Dikoy laughs at Kuligin’s plans to find an honest income and openly mocks him. After a conversation with Kuligin, Boris understands that the inventor will never invent a single thing. Perhaps Kuligin himself understands this. He could be called naive, but he knows what morals reign in Kalinov, what happens behind closed doors, what those in whose hands the power is concentrated are like. Kuligin learned to live in this world without losing himself. But he is not able to sense the conflict between reality and dreams as keenly as Katerina did.

The problem of power

In the city of Kalinov, power is not in the hands of the relevant authorities, but in those who have money. Proof of this is the dialogue between the merchant Dikiy and the mayor. The mayor tells the merchant that complaints are being received against the latter. Savl Prokofievich responds rudely to this. Dikoy does not hide the fact that he is cheating ordinary men; he talks about deception as a normal phenomenon: if merchants steal from each other, then it is possible to steal from ordinary residents. In Kalinov, nominal power decides absolutely nothing, and this is fundamentally wrong. After all, it turns out that it is simply impossible to live without money in such a city. Dikoy imagines himself almost like a priest-king, deciding who to lend money to and who not. “So know that you are a worm. If I want, I’ll have mercy, if I want, I’ll crush you,” is how Dikoy answers Kuligin.

The problem of love

In "The Thunderstorm" the problem of love is realized in the couples Katerina - Tikhon and Katerina - Boris. The girl is forced to live with her husband, although she does not feel any feelings other than pity for him. Katya rushes from one extreme to another: she thinks between the option of staying with her husband and learning to love him, or leaving Tikhon. Katya's feelings for Boris flare up instantly. This passion pushes the girl to take a decisive step: Katya goes against public opinion and Christian morality. Her feelings turned out to be mutual, but for Boris this love meant much less. Katya believed that Boris, like her, was incapable of living in a frozen city and lying for profit. Katerina often compared herself to a bird; she wanted to fly away, to break out of that metaphorical cage, but in Boris Katya saw that air, that freedom that she so lacked. Unfortunately, the girl was mistaken about Boris. The young man turned out to be the same as the residents of Kalinov. He wanted to improve relations with Dikiy in order to get money, and he talked with Varvara about the fact that it was better to keep his feelings for Katya secret for as long as possible.

Without a doubt, “The Thunderstorm” (1859) is the pinnacle of Alexander Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy. The author shows, using the example of family relationships, the most important changes in the socio-political life of Russia. That is why his creation needs detailed analysis.

The process of creating the play “The Thunderstorm” is connected by many threads with past periods in Ostrovsky’s work. The author is attracted by the same issues as in the “Muscovites” plays, but the image of the family receives a different interpretation (the denial of the stagnation of patriarchal life and the oppression of Domostroi was new). The appearance of a bright, good beginning, a natural heroine is an innovation in the author’s work.

The first thoughts and sketches of “The Thunderstorm” appeared in the summer of 1859, and already in early October the writer had a clear idea of ​​the whole picture. The work was greatly influenced by the trip along the Volga. Under the patronage of the Maritime Ministry, an ethnographic expedition was organized to study the customs and morals of the indigenous population of Russia. Ostrovsky also took part in it.

The city of Kalinov is a collective image of different Volga cities, which are at the same time similar to each other, but have their own distinctive features. Ostrovsky, as an experienced researcher, entered all his observations about the life of the Russian province and the specific behavior of the inhabitants in his diary. Based on these recordings, the characters of "The Thunderstorm" were later created.

Meaning of the name

A thunderstorm is not only the rampant nature of the elements, but also a symbol of the collapse and purification of the stagnant atmosphere of a provincial town, where the medieval order of Kabanikha and Dikiy ruled. This is the meaning of the title of the play. With the death of Katerina, which occurred during a thunderstorm, the patience of many people is exhausted: Tikhon rebels against the tyranny of his mother, Varvara escapes, Kuligin openly blames the inhabitants of the city for what happened.

Tikhon first spoke about the thunderstorm during the farewell ceremony: “...For two weeks there will be no thunderstorm over me.” By this word he meant the oppressive atmosphere of his home, where an oppressive mother rules the roost. “A thunderstorm is being sent to us as punishment,” Dikoy says to Kuligin. The tyrant understands this phenomenon as punishment for his sins; he is afraid of paying for his unfair treatment of people. Kabanikha agrees with him. Katerina, whose conscience is also not clear, sees the punishment for sin in thunder and lightning. God's righteous wrath - this is another role of the thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play. And only Kuligin understands that in this natural phenomenon one can only find a flash of electricity, but his progressive views cannot yet get along in a city in need of cleansing. If you need more information about the role and significance of thunderstorms, you can read on this topic.

Genre and direction

“The Thunderstorm” is a drama, according to A. Ostrovsky. This genre defines a heavy, serious, often everyday plot, close to reality. Some reviewers mentioned a more precise formulation: domestic tragedy.

If we talk about the direction, this play is absolutely realistic. The main indicator of this, perhaps, is the description of the morals, habits and everyday aspects of the existence of residents of provincial Volga cities (detailed description). The author attaches great importance to this, carefully outlining the realities of the heroes’ lives and their images.

Composition

1. Exposition: Ostrovsky paints an image of the city and even the world in which the heroes live and future events will unfold.
2. What follows is the beginning of Katerina’s conflict with her new family and society as a whole and the internal conflict (dialogue between Katerina and Varvara).
3. After the beginning, we see the development of the action, during which the heroes strive to resolve the conflict.
4. Towards the end, the conflict reaches a point where problems require urgent resolution. The climax is Katerina’s last monologue in act 5.
5. Following it is a denouement that shows the intractability of the conflict using the example of Katerina’s death.

Conflict

Several conflicts can be distinguished in “The Thunderstorm”:

1. Firstly, this is a confrontation between tyrants (Dikay, Kabanikha) and victims (Katerina, Tikhon, Boris, etc.). This is a conflict between two worldviews - old and new, obsolete and freedom-loving characters. This conflict is highlighted.
2. On the other hand, the action exists thanks to a psychological conflict, that is, internal - in Katerina’s soul.
3. The social conflict gave rise to all the previous ones: Ostrovsky begins his work with the marriage of an impoverished noblewoman and a merchant. This trend became widespread during the time of the author. The ruling aristocratic class began to lose power, becoming poorer and ruined due to idleness, wastefulness and commercial illiteracy. But the merchants gained momentum due to unscrupulousness, assertiveness, business acumen and nepotism. Then some decided to improve matters at the expense of others: the nobles married sophisticated and educated daughters to rude, ignorant, but rich sons from the merchant guild. Because of this discrepancy, the marriage of Katerina and Tikhon is initially doomed to failure.

The essence

Brought up in the best traditions of aristocracy, noblewoman Katerina, at the insistence of her parents, married the uncouth and soft-bodied drunkard Tikhon, who belonged to a wealthy merchant family. His mother oppresses her daughter-in-law, imposing on her the false and ridiculous rules of Domostroy: to cry openly before her husband leaves, to humiliate herself in front of us in public, etc. The young heroine finds sympathy from Kabanikha’s daughter, Varvara, who teaches her new relative to hide her thoughts and feelings, secretly acquiring the joys of life. During her husband's departure, Katerina falls in love and begins dating Diky's nephew, Boris. But their dates end in separation, because the woman does not want to hide, she wants to escape with her beloved to Siberia. But the hero cannot risk taking her with him. As a result, she still repents of her sins to her visiting husband and mother-in-law and receives severe punishment from Kabanikha. Realizing that her conscience and domestic oppression do not allow her to live further, she rushes into the Volga. After her death, the younger generation rebels: Tikhon reproaches his mother, Varvara runs away with Kudryash, etc.

Ostrovsky's play combines features and contradictions, all the pros and cons of feudal Russia of the 19th century. The town of Kalinov is a collective image, a simplified model of Russian society, described in detail. Looking at this model, we see “an essential need for active and energetic people.” The author shows that an outdated worldview only gets in the way. It first spoils family relationships, and later prevents cities and the entire country from developing.

The main characters and their characteristics

The work has a clear character system into which the images of the heroes fit.

1. First, they are the oppressors. Dikoy is a typical tyrant and a rich merchant. His insults send the relatives running to the corners. Dikoy is cruel to her servants. Everyone knows that it is impossible to please him. Kabanova is the embodiment of the patriarchal way of life, the outdated Domostroy. A wealthy merchant, a widow, she constantly insists on observing all the traditions of her ancestors and herself strictly follows them. We described them in more detail in this.
2. Secondly, adaptable. Tikhon is a weak man who loves his wife, but cannot find the strength to protect her from her mother’s oppression. He does not support the old orders and traditions, but sees no point in going against the system. Such is Boris, who tolerates the machinations of his rich uncle. This is dedicated to revealing their images. Varvara is the daughter of Kabanikha. She takes it by deceit, living a double life. During the day she formally obeys conventions, at night she walks with Curly. Deceit, resourcefulness and cunning do not spoil her cheerful, adventurous disposition: she is also kind and responsive to Katerina, gentle and caring towards her beloved. An entire story is dedicated to the characterization of this girl.
3. Katerina stands apart; the characterization of the heroine is different from everyone else. This is a young intelligent noblewoman, whom her parents surrounded with understanding, care and attention. Therefore, the girl got used to freedom of thought and speech. But in marriage she faced cruelty, rudeness and humiliation. At first she tried to come to terms with Tikhon and his family, but nothing worked: Katerina’s nature resisted this unnatural union. She then took on the role of a hypocritical mask who has a secret life. This didn’t suit her either, because the heroine is distinguished by her straightforwardness, conscience and honesty. As a result, out of despair, she decided to revolt, admitting her sin and then committing a more terrible one - suicide. We wrote more about Katerina’s image in a section dedicated to her.
4. Kuligin is also a special hero. He expresses the author’s position, introducing a bit of progressiveness into the archaic world. The hero is a self-taught mechanic, he is educated and smart, unlike the superstitious inhabitants of Kalinov. We also wrote a short story about his role in the play and character.

Themes

• The main theme of the work is the life and customs of Kalinov (we dedicated a separate section to it). The author describes a provincial province to show people that they do not need to cling to the remnants of the past, they need to understand the present and think about the future. And the inhabitants of the Volga town are frozen outside of time, their life is monotonous, false and empty. It is spoiled and hampered in its development by superstition, conservatism, as well as the reluctance of tyrants to change for the better. Such a Russia will continue to vegetate in poverty and ignorance.
• Also important themes here are love and family, as throughout the narrative, problems of upbringing and generational conflict are raised. The influence of family on certain characters is very important (Katerina is a reflection of her parents’ upbringing, and Tikhon grew up so spineless because of his mother’s tyranny).
• Theme of sin and repentance. The heroine stumbled, but realized her mistake in time, deciding to correct herself and repent of what she had done. From the point of view of Christian philosophy, this is a highly moral decision that elevates and justifies Katerina. If you are interested in this topic, read our about it.

Issues

Social conflict entails social and personal problems.

1. Ostrovsky, firstly, denounces tyranny as a psychological phenomenon in the images of Dikoy and Kabanova. These people played with the destinies of their subordinates, trampling down manifestations of their individuality and freedom. And because of their ignorance and despotism, the younger generation becomes as vicious and useless as the one that has already outlived its usefulness.
2. Secondly, the author condemns weakness, obedience and selfishness using the images of Tikhon, Boris and Varvara. By their behavior they only condone the tyranny of the masters of life, although they could jointly turn the situation in their favor.
3. The problem of the contradictory Russian character, conveyed in the image of Katerina, can be called personal, although inspired by global upheavals. A deeply religious woman, in search and discovery of herself, commits adultery and then commits suicide, which contradicts all Christian canons.
4. Moral issues associated with love and devotion, education and tyranny, sin and repentance. The characters cannot distinguish one from the other; these concepts are intricately intertwined. Katerina, for example, is forced to choose between loyalty and love, and Kabanikha does not see the difference between the role of a mother and the power of a dogmatist; she is driven by good intentions, but she embodies them to the detriment of everyone.
5. Tragedy of conscience quite important. For example, Tikhon had to decide whether to protect his wife from his mother’s attacks or not. Katerina also made a deal with her conscience when she became close to Boris. You can find out more about this.
6. Ignorance. The residents of Kalinov are stupid and uneducated; they believe fortune-tellers and wanderers, and not scientists and professionals in their field. Their worldview is turned to the past, they do not strive for a better life, so there is nothing to be surprised at the savagery of morals and the ostentatious hypocrisy of the main people of the city.

Meaning

The author is convinced that the desire for freedom is natural, despite certain failures in life, and tyranny and hypocrisy are ruining the country and the talented people in it. Therefore, one must defend one’s independence, craving for knowledge, beauty and spirituality, otherwise the old orders will not go away, their falseness will simply embrace the new generation and force them to play by their own rules. This idea is reflected in the position of Kuligin, a unique voice of Ostrovsky.

The author's position in the play is clearly expressed. We understand that Kabanikha, although she preserves traditions, is wrong, just like the rebellious Katerina is wrong. However, Katerina had potential, she had intelligence, she had purity of thoughts, and the great people personified in her could still be reborn, throwing off the shackles of ignorance and tyranny. You can find out even more about the meaning of drama in this topic.

Criticism

"The Thunderstorm" became the subject of fierce debate among critics in both the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, Nikolai Dobrolyubov (article “A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom”), Dmitry Pisarev (article “Motives of Russian Drama”) and Apollon Grigoriev wrote about it from opposite positions.

I. A. Goncharov highly appreciated the play and expressed his opinion in a critical article of the same name:

In the same drama, a broad picture of national life and morals was laid out, with unparalleled artistic completeness and fidelity. Every person in drama is a typical character, snatched directly from the environment of folk life.

And N. Ostrovsky, after the appearance of his first major play, received literary recognition. Ostrovsky's dramaturgy became a necessary element of the culture of his time; he retained the position of the best playwright of the era, the head of the Russian dramatic school, despite the fact that at the same time A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin was working in this genre. M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, A. F. Pisemsky, A. K. Tolstoy and L. N. Tolstoy. The most popular critics viewed his works as a true and profound reflection of modern reality. Meanwhile, Ostrovsky, following his original creative path, often baffled both critics and readers.

Thus, the play “The Thunderstorm” came as a surprise to many. L.N. Tolstoy did not accept the play. The tragedy of this work forced critics to reconsider their views on Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy. A.P. Grigoriev noted that in “The Thunderstorm” there is a protest against the “existing”, which is terrible for its adherents. Dobrolyubov, in his article “A Ray of Light in a Dark Kingdom,” argued that the image of Katerina in “The Thunderstorm” “breathes on us with new life.”

Perhaps for the first time, scenes of family, “private” life, the arbitrariness and lawlessness that were hitherto hidden behind the thick doors of mansions and estates, were shown with such graphic power. And at the same time, this was not just an everyday sketch. The author showed the unenviable position of a Russian woman in a merchant family. The tragedy was given enormous power by the special truthfulness and skill of the author, as D.I. Pisarev rightly noted: “The Thunderstorm” is a painting from life, which is why it breathes truth.”

The tragedy takes place in the city of Kalinov, which is located among the greenery of gardens on the steep bank of the Volga. “For fifty years I have been looking at the Volga every day - I can’t get enough of everything. The view is extraordinary! Beauty! My soul rejoices,” Kuligin admires. It would seem that. and the life of the people of this city should be beautiful and joyful. However, the life and customs of the rich merchants created “a world of prison and deathly silence.” Savel Dikoy and Marfa Kabanova are the personification of cruelty and tyranny. The order in the merchant's house is based on the outdated religious dogmas of Domostroy. Dobrolyubov says about Kabanikha that she “gnaws at her sacrifice, long and relentlessly.” She forces her daughter-in-law Katerina to bow at her husband’s feet when he leaves, scolds her for “not howling” in public when seeing off her husband.

Kabanikha is very rich, this can be judged by the fact that the interests of her affairs go far beyond Kalinov; on her instructions, Tikhon travels to Moscow. She is respected by Dikoy, for whom the main thing in life is money. But the merchant's wife understands that power also brings obedience to those around her. She seeks to kill any manifestation of resistance to her power in the home. The boar is hypocritical, she only hides behind virtue and piety, in the family she is an inhuman despot and tyrant. Tikhon does not contradict her in anything. Varvara has learned to lie, hide and dodge.

The main character of the play, Katerina, is marked by a strong character; she is not used to humiliation and insults and therefore conflicts with her cruel old mother-in-law. In her mother’s house, Katerina lived freely and easily. In the Kabanov House she feels like a bird in a cage. She quickly realizes that she cannot live here for long.

Katerina married Tikhon without love. In Kabanikha’s house, everything trembles at the mere imperious cry of the merchant’s wife. Life in this house is hard for young people. And then Katerina meets a completely different person and falls in love. For the first time in her life, she experiences deep personal feeling. One night she goes on a date with Boris. Whose side is the playwright on? He is on Katerina’s side, because a person’s natural aspirations cannot be destroyed. Life in the Kabanov family is unnatural. And Katerina does not accept the inclinations of those people with whom she ended up. Hearing Varvara's offer to lie and pretend. Katerina replies: “I don’t know how to deceive, I can’t hide anything.”

Katerina’s directness and sincerity evokes respect from both the author, the reader, and the viewer. She decides that she can no longer be a victim of a soulless mother-in-law, she cannot languish behind bars. She's free! But she saw a way out only in her death. And one could argue with this. Critics also disagreed about whether it was worth paying Katerina for freedom at the cost of her life. So, Pisarev, unlike Dobrolyubov, considers Katerina’s act senseless. He believes that after Katerina’s suicide everything will return to normal, life will go on as usual, and the “dark kingdom” is not worth such a sacrifice. Of course, Kabanikha brought Katerina to her death. As a result, her daughter Varvara runs away from home, and her son Tikhon regrets that he did not die with his wife.

It is interesting that one of the main, active images of this play is the image of the thunderstorm itself. Symbolically expressing the idea of ​​the work, this image directly participates in the action of the drama as a real natural phenomenon, enters into action at its decisive moments, and largely determines the actions of the heroine. This image is very meaningful; it illuminates almost all aspects of the drama.

So. Already in the first act, a thunderstorm broke out over the city of Kalinov. It broke out as a harbinger of tragedy. Katerina already said: “I will die soon,” she confessed to Varvara her sinful love. In her mind, the mad lady's prediction that the thunderstorm would not pass in vain, and the feeling of her own sin with a real thunderclap had already been combined. Katerina rushes home: “It’s still better, everything is calmer, I’m at home - to the images and pray to God!”

After this, the storm ceases for a short time. Only in Kabanikha’s grumbling are its echoes heard. There was no thunderstorm that night when Katerina felt free and happy for the first time after her marriage.

But the fourth, climactic act, begins with the words: “The rain is falling, as if a thunderstorm is not gathering?” And after that the thunderstorm motif never ceases.

The dialogue between Kuligin and Dikiy is interesting. Kuligin talks about lightning rods (“we have frequent thunderstorms”) and provokes the wrath of Dikiy: “What other kind of electricity is there? Well, how come you’re not a robber? A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment so that we can feel it, but you want poles and some kind of horns.” then, God forgive me, defend yourself. What are you, a Tatar, or what?" And in response to the quote from Derzhavin, which Kuligin cites in his defense: “I decay with my body in dust, I command thunder with my mind,” the merchant does not find anything to say at all, except: “And for these words, send you to the mayor, so he will will ask!"

Undoubtedly, in the play the image of a thunderstorm acquires special significance: it is a refreshing, revolutionary beginning. However, reason is condemned in the dark kingdom, it is faced with impenetrable ignorance, supported by stinginess. But still, the lightning that cut through the sky over the Volga touched the long-silent Tikhon and flashed over the destinies of Varvara and Kudryash. The thunderstorm shook everyone up thoroughly. Inhuman morals will come to an end sooner or later. The struggle between the new and the old has begun and continues. This is the meaning of the work of the great Russian playwright.

Ostrovsky shows us the city of Kalinov, where all power belongs not to the mayor, but to the rich townspeople. They make money from the labors of poor people. Proof of this is the dialogue between the richest merchant in the city, Dikiy, and the mayor. The mayor tells Dikiy that he has received complaints about underpayment. To which the merchant calmly replies: “I won’t pay an extra penny per person, but this makes up thousands for me.”

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It turns out that state power in Kalinov does not decide anything. Everything is in the hands of rich people.

2) In his drama, A. N. Ostrovsky raises the problem of relationships in the family.

The whole essence of this problem is expressed in Kuligin’s monologue, where he says that rich people lock the gates and let the dogs go so that others do not see how they tyrannize their family. Behind these gates and castles, invisible and inaudible tears are shed, dark debauchery and drunkenness are happening. The main thing is that everything is sewn and covered, no one sees or recognizes anything. In Kalinov they believe that family is a secret, secret matter. Although everyone knows what domestic tyrants do: they rob orphans, relatives, nephews, they beat their families so that they don’t dare make a squeak about anything they do.

All this can be proven using the example of the Kabanov family. The boar rules over the whole family. She scolds her family and constantly tells them what to do and how to do it. But in people's eyes she is completely different. Kabanikha communicates well with her neighbors, goes to church and receives strangers.

So, patriarchal orders and tyranny reign in the families of the city of Kalinov.

This problem is expressed in the image of Kuligin. Kuligin is a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker who wants to invent a perpetual motion machine (perpetuum mobile). He is an educated, dreamy person who sees and feels the beauty of nature. Kuligin is also a very smart and insightful person; he accurately describes life and morals in the city of Kalinov. This hero stands out from the rest of the characters in the drama with his initiative and desire to change something. He invites Diky to put a clock on the boulevard and build a lightning rod. For his ideas and dreams, people in the city consider Kuligin an eccentric and make fun of him.

Updated: 2017-12-07

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