Katerina's death in "Thunderstorm" - defeat or victory over the "dark kingdom"? Composition Ostrovsky A.N. Possible scenarios for the development of the plot

The death of the main character ends Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm", the genre of which could be safely described as a tragedy. The death of Katerina in The Thunderstorm is the denouement of the work and carries a special semantic load. The scene of Katerina's suicide gave rise to many questions and interpretations of this plot twist. For example, Dobrolyubov considered this act noble, and Pisarev was of the opinion that such an outcome was "completely unexpected for her (Katerina) herself." Dostoevsky de believed that Katerina's death in the play "Thunderstorm" would have occurred without despotism: "this is a victim of her own purity and her beliefs." It is easy to see that the opinions of critics differ, but each is partly true. What made the girl make such a decision, make a desperate step? What does the death of Katerina, the heroine of the play "Thunderstorm" mean?

In order to answer this question, you need to study the text of the work in detail. The reader gets to know Katerina already in the first act. Initially, we observe Katya as a silent witness to the quarrel between Kabanikha and Tikhon. This episode allows us to understand the unhealthy environment of lack of freedom and oppression in which Katya has to survive. Every day she is convinced that the old life, such as it was before marriage, will never be. All power in the house, despite the patriarchal way of life, is concentrated in the hands of the hypocritical Marfa Ignatievna. Katya's husband, Tikhon, is unable to protect his wife from tantrums and lies. His weak-willed submission to his mother shows Katerina that in this house and in this family one cannot count on help.

From childhood, Katya was taught to love life: go to church, sing, admire nature, dream. The girl "breathed deeply", feeling safe. She was taught to live according to the rules of Domostroy: to respect the word of her elders, not to argue with them, to obey her husband and love him. And now Katerina is given in marriage, the situation is radically changing. There is a huge, unbridgeable gulf between expectations and reality. The tyranny of Kabanikh knows no bounds, her limited understanding of Christian laws horrifies the believing Katerina. What about Tikhon? He is not at all the kind of man who deserves respect or even compassion. Katya feels only pity for the often drinking Tikhon. The girl admits that no matter how hard she tries to love her husband, nothing happens.

In no area can a girl fulfill herself: neither as a mistress of the house, nor as a loving wife, nor as a caring mother. The girl regards the appearance of Boris as a chance for salvation. Firstly, Boris is unlike the rest of the inhabitants of Kalinov, and he, like Katya, does not like the unwritten laws of the dark kingdom. Secondly, Katya was visited by thoughts about how to achieve a divorce and after that live honestly with Boris, without fear of condemnation from society or the church. Relations with Boris are developing rapidly. One meeting was enough for two young people to fall in love with each other. Even without being able to talk, Boris dreams of Katya. The girl is very worried about the feelings that have arisen: she is brought up differently, Katya cannot walk with another secretly; purity and honesty "prevent" Katya from hiding love, pretending that everything is "hidden" and others do not guess.

For a very long time, the girl decided on a date with Boris, and yet she went to the garden at night. The author does not describe the ten days when Katerina saw her lover. This, in fact, is not necessary. It is easy to imagine their leisure and the growing sense of warmth that was in Katerina. Boris himself said "only those ten days he lived." The arrival of Tikhon Kabanov revealed new sides in the characters' characters. It turned out that Boris did not want publicity at all, he would rather refuse Katya than involve himself in intrigues and scandals. Katya, unlike the young man, wants to tell both her husband and mother-in-law about the current situation. Being a somewhat suspicious and impressionable person, Katya, driven by the peals of thunder and the words of a crazy lady, confesses everything to Kabanov.

The scene is cut off. Further, we learn that Marfa Ignatievna has become even tougher and more demanding. She humiliates, insults the girl much more than before. Katya understands that she is not as guilty as her mother-in-law wants to convince her, because Kabanikha needs such tyranny only for self-affirmation and control. It is the mother-in-law who becomes the main catalyst for the tragedy. Tikhon, most likely, would have forgiven Katya, but he can only obey his mother and go to drink with Diky.

Imagine yourself in the place of the heroine. Imagine all the things she had to deal with every day. The way her attitude changed after the confession. A husband who cannot argue with his mother, but at every opportunity finds solace in alcohol. The mother-in-law, personifying all that dirt and abomination, from which a pure and honest person wants to stay as far away as possible. The sister of your husband, the only one who is interested in your life, but at the same time cannot fully understand. And a loved one, for whom public opinion and the possibility of receiving an inheritance turned out to be much more important than feelings for a girl.

Katya dreamed of becoming a bird, flying away forever from the dark world of tyranny and hypocrisy, breaking free, flying, being free. Catherine's death was inevitable.
However, as mentioned above, there are several different points of view on Katerina's suicide. After all, on the other hand, couldn't Katya just run away without making such desperate decisions? That's the thing, she couldn't. It wasn't for her. To be honest with yourself, to be free - this is what the girl so passionately desired. Unfortunately, all this could be obtained only at the cost of one's own life. Is Katerina's death a defeat or a victory over the "dark kingdom"? Katerina did not win, but she did not remain defeated either.

Artwork test

The comedy "Thunderstorm" is one of the most famous works of the Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky. The idea, the characters of the work can be explored forever. The images of the characters in "Thunderstorm" are quite remarkable.

Problems of the play "Thunderstorm"

All characters can be divided into 2 groups: representatives of the older and younger generations. The elder represents the Boar and Wild. They are representatives of the patriarchal world, where selfishness and poverty rule. Other characters suffer from the tyranny of the Boar and the Wild. First of all, these are Varvara, Katerina, Boris and Tikhon. Comparative characteristics of the characters show that all the heroes resigned themselves to their fate, and only Katerina is not able to go against her conscience and her desires.

The entire work "Thunderstorm" is dedicated to the history of the main character Katerina. She is one of the participants. Katerina has to choose between two men, and these men are Boris and Tikhon. These characters will help to understand in detail the behavior of the characters in the play.

The fate of Boris

Before analyzing the character of Boris, you need to familiarize yourself with his history.

Boris is not Kalinov. He gets there at the behest of his parents. Boris was supposed to get the inheritance, which for the time being is in charge of Dikoy. For good behavior and obedience, Dikoy is obliged to give the inheritance to Boris, but readers understand that because of the greed of Dikoy, this will never happen. Therefore, Boris has to stay in Kalinovo and live there according to the rules established by Diky and Kabanikha.

The fate of Tikhon

Among all the characters, he singles out two heroes, two men - these are Boris and Tikhon. Comparative characteristics of these heroes can say a lot.

Tikhon depends on Kabanikhi - his mother. He has to obey her in everything. The boar does not hesitate to get into the personal life of his son, dictating how he should treat his wife. His daughter-in-law, Katerina Kabanikha, is literally slaughtered from the world. Katerina Kabanikha constantly finds fault.

Once Tikhon is forced to leave for another city for a few days. The reader clearly sees how glad he is of the opportunity to be alone and show his independence.

Common between Boris and Tikhon

So, we have two characters - this is Boris and Tikhon. A comparative description of these heroes is impossible without an analysis of their lifestyle. So, both characters live with tyrants, both heroes are forced to obey someone else's will. Both characters lack independence. Both heroes love Katerina.

At the end of the play, both suffer greatly after Katerina's death. Tikhon is left alone with his mother, and orders Boris Dika to leave Kalinov. Of course, after the incident with Katerina, he definitely will not see the inheritance.

Boris and Tikhon: differences

There are more differences between Boris and Tikhon than they have in common. So, Boris and Tikhon are a comparative characteristic. The table below will help organize the knowledge about these heroes.

Such are Boris and Tikhon. The comparative characteristics of the characters given in the table above are quite short and capacious. It is worth noting that readers mostly sympathize with Boris than Tikhon.

The main idea of ​​the play "Thunderstorm"

The characterization of Boris and Tikhon suggests that the two men loved Katerina. However, neither one nor the other could save her. Katerina threw herself off a cliff into the river, no one stopped her. It was Boris and Tikhon, whose comparative characteristics were given above, who were supposed to save her, who were supposed to rebel against the power of Kalinov's petty tyrants. However, they did not succeed, and the lifeless body of Katerina was carried out of the river.

Kalinov is a town that lives by its own rules. Dobrolyubov called Katerina "a ray of light in a dark kingdom", and this is true. Katerina could not change her fate, but perhaps she is the whole city. Her death is the first catastrophe that violated the patriarchal way of the family. Kabanikha and Dikoy feel that the youth is getting out of their power, which means that changes are coming.

Thus, A. Ostrovsky was able to show not just a family tragedy. Before us is the tragedy of an entire city perishing in the despotism of the Wild and Boar. Kalinov is not a fictional city, but there are a lot of such "Kalinovs" throughout Russia.

Drama A.N. Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm" tells about the tragic fate of a woman who could not step over the patriarchal foundations of house building, could not fight for her love, and therefore voluntarily passed away. The scene of the explanation of the main character of the play Katerina with her beloved Boris takes place in the finale, it is a tragic denouement of the relationship between these characters.
Let's go back to this scene. What is the inner state of the characters? Remarks help the reader understand this. Boris looks around when meeting with Katerina, he is afraid that they might be noticed together. Katerina is not ashamed of her feelings, she is unable to hide it: she runs up to Boris, hugs and cries on his chest. In the house of Kabanikha, Katerina is a stranger, her mother-in-law humiliates her, and therefore love for Boris is that fleeting spark of happiness that could make her life different. She is ready to give up everything, run away from her husband and hated mother-in-law, it is not by chance that she asks Boris: “Take me with you!”
However, Wild's nephew is not capable of decisive actions. He cannot change his life, disobey the Wild, because he depends on him financially. Let's pay attention to his remark: “I'm not going of my own free will: my uncle sends ...” But only weak people fall into dependence on Wild. And the reader understands that Boris is a weak-willed person, he cannot and is afraid to change his life.
On the other hand, it is easier for Diky's nephew than for Katerina: he is a "free bird", and she is a "husband's wife." Katerina complains to Boris that her mother-in-law “torments her, locks her up,” and Tikhon is disgusted with her: “... his caress is worse for me than beating him.” We see how the weak-willed Boris cries at parting with his beloved, as if he sympathizes with her, regrets. However, Boris runs away from his love, not thinking about what it is like for Katerina to stay in the Kabanovs' house next to her unloved husband and hated mother-in-law.
The characters realize that their meetings were a mistake, and the characters' lines tell the reader about it. Katerina: “Unfortunately, I saw you. I saw little joy, but grief, grief, something that! Yes, there is still so much ahead! ”; Boris: “Who knew that it was for our love to suffer with you! I'd better run then!"
However, it is much harder for Katerina to part with Boris. It is no coincidence that she does not let him go: “Wait, wait! Let me see you one last time." And Boris strives to leave as soon as possible so as not to see Katerina again, and believes that death will be the best deliverance from suffering for her: “Only one thing you need to ask God so that she does not suffer for a long time.” However, Boris cannot save her, take her away from the hated Kabanikh. I think that his feeling for Katerina was not so strong as to disobey his uncle. And he, since the man himself is weak-willed, does not believe that the woman he loves is capable of committing suicide.
So, Katerina is left alone. After this parting scene, she decides to commit suicide. Perhaps she had already had such a way out of the situation for a long time. It is no coincidence that she asks Boris: “You will go dear, don’t miss a single beggar like that, let everyone pray for my sinful soul.” Katerina is very devout, religious. And from the point of view of the church, suicide is a grave sin, they don’t even bury a suicide. And we see how hard it is for her to take this step, however, it is the betrayal of the closest person that pushes her to commit suicide. Katerina was disappointed in her lover, she realized that he was a weak, weak-willed person. Look at how Boris behaves in the parting scene: at first he pities Katerina, and at the end he himself wishes her death. Perhaps not so terrible, but still the death of Katerina will make Boris forget her faster.
Of course, suicide can be regarded as an act of a weak character. But on the other hand, life in the house of Kabanikha is unbearable for her. And in this act is the strength of her character. If Boris runs away from his love, abandons Katerina, then what should she do, how to live on? And so she decides to commit suicide, because she cannot stop loving Boris and forgive him for his betrayal. It is no coincidence that her last words are addressed specifically to him: “My friend! My joy! Goodbye!"
The scene of Katerina's farewell to Boris brings us to the tragic finale of the play. Such an ending is a natural chain of events. But I think if Diky's nephew had decided to take Katerina away, to save his love, he would have been stronger than life's circumstances, and the ending of the play would have been different.

In 1859 A.N. Ostrovsky wrote the play "Thunderstorm", which caused a stormy public response to the courage of the main character. Why did this story become the most popular of the entire series about the "dark kingdom"? Is the reason only in the act of the heroine? Could the young woman do otherwise? Schoolchildren are invited to write an essay "Was Katerina had a different path", which discusses various options for the development of the future life of the Kabanovs.

The public significance of the play

Before you start writing the essay "Was there a different way for Katerina", it would be useful to find out the reasons for the success of this work. "Thunderstorm" was written in 1859, when all of Russia was waiting for the peasant reform. Therefore, society accepted it with enthusiasm: the play was staged a huge number of times on the stage of all theaters in Russia.

Ostrovsky created a new type of heroine, who became the personification of the struggle against the old order. Her act looked in the eyes of society as the beginning of a new period. Everyone perceived the play not as a personal drama, but as a public one. Some asked Ostrovsky to exclude Kabanikha from the characters, because in her image they found similarities with the king. "Thunderstorm" surprised readers with the strength and depth of its dramatic history, denunciation of merchant morals and challenged them.

In the essay “Did Katerina have a different path in the play“ Thunderstorm ”it is worth recalling the very plot of the work in order to better analyze the development of other versions of history. In one city, which is located on the Volga, the Kabanov family lived: Marfa Ignatievna, Tikhon, Katerina and Varvara. Kabanikha was a despotic woman, commanded her son Tikhon and humiliated her daughter-in-law Katerina. Kabanov always obeyed his mother, loved his wife in his own way, but never stood up for her. the same steep disposition, like Kabanikha.

Katerina was an honest girl, very pious, she tried to please her mother-in-law in everything, but it was hard for her among them. She could not be in such a despotic, "house-building" society. Nephew Boris, an educated young man, comes to Diky. He and Katerina fall in love with each other. But the woman could not deceive her husband and confessed everything to him. Boris Dikoy is sent away from the city, and Katerina, realizing that she can no longer live like this, commits suicide. Of course, many readers feel sorry for the girl. Therefore, the essay “Was Katerina had a different path in the play“ Thunderstorm ”was included in the school curriculum.

Possible scenarios for the development of the plot

The best way out of the situation for the young woman was to leave with Boris. That is what she hopes during their last date, that he will take her with him. But the young man was somewhat similar to Tikhon - he did not have his own opinion, he was afraid to disobey his uncle and was not ready to protect Katerina. So he leaves, leaving the poor woman behind.

What else can be written in the essay “Did Katerina have a different path in Thunderstorm?” Another option is to divorce Tikhon. But we should not forget that at that time it was almost impossible to get a divorce. Katerina would have been brought nothing but humiliation.If divorce was a long and laborious process for the nobility, then for the merchants it was practically impossible.

The third option is to go to a monastery. But married, she would have been sent back to the Kabanov family.

The fourth, most terrible, is to get rid of her husband and mother-in-law. But such an act Katerina could not go: she has a too pure, bright soul, she is very pious, so the woman would not violate the commandments.

In the essay "Was Katerina had a different path" it can be mentioned that the connection could be hidden - Varvara advised her to be cunning. But this would be contrary to the principles of a young woman - she would not be able to deceive anyone.