What is the symbolic meaning of the drama of Ostrovsky's "thunderstorm". The meaning of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm

In 1859, the premiere took place on the stage of one of the capital's theaters. The audience saw a drama created by a young writer - Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolayevich. This work is considered unique in its kind. The drama does not follow many of the laws of the genre.

"Thunderstorm" was written in the era of realism. And this means that the work is filled with symbols and images. Therefore, in our article you will learn about the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky.

The first image of a thunderstorm

The image of a thunderstorm this work multifaceted. it a natural phenomenon both the idea and the protagonist of the drama. Why do you think Ostrovsky used the image of a thunderstorm? Let's discuss this.

Please note that this phenomenon of nature in the work appears before the reader in several guises. First, the meaning of the name and figurative symbolism drama "Thunderstorm" lies in the fact that initially the reader sees a natural phenomenon. The city of Kalinov, described in the work, as well as its inhabitants live in anticipation and expectation of a thunderstorm. Everything that happens in the play lasts about two weeks. Every now and then on the streets of the town one can hear talk that a storm is coming.

AT compositional plan the thunderstorm is also the climax! It is the powerful peals of thunder that force Katerina to confess to deceit and treason. Attentive readers will notice that act 4 is accompanied by peals. One gets the impression that the writer was preparing the reader and viewer for the apogee. But that's not all. Secondly, the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" has one more core. Let's take a look at that as well.

The second image of a thunderstorm

It turns out that each character in the work understands the storm in different ways, that is, in his own way:

• The inventor Kuligin is not afraid of it, because he does not see anything mystical in this natural phenomenon.
• Thunderstorm is perceived by Wild as a punishment, he considers it an occasion to remember the Almighty.
• The unfortunate Catherine saw in the thunderstorm the symbolism of fate and fate. So, after the most terrible roll of thunder, the young lady confessed her feelings for Boris. She fears thunderstorms because she considers them to be God's judgment. On this, the search for the meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm" by A.N. Ostrovsky do not end. This natural phenomenon helps Katerina to go on desperate step. Thanks to her, she admits to herself, becomes honest.
• Kabanov, her husband, sees a different meaning in a thunderstorm. The reader will recognize this at the very beginning of the play. He needs to leave for a while, thanks to this he will get rid of excessive maternal control, as well as her unbearable orders. He says that there will be no thunderstorm over him and no shackles. These words are a comparison natural disaster with endless tantrums Kabanikhi.

The author's interpretation of the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm"

Above, we have already said that the image of a thunderstorm is symbolic, multifaceted, and also polysemantic. This suggests that the title of the play contains many meanings that complement and combine with each other. All this allows the reader to understand the problem comprehensively.

It should be noted that the reader has great amount associations with the name. It is noteworthy that the author's interpretation of the work does not limit the reader, so we do not know exactly how to decipher the image-symbol that interests us.

Nevertheless, the author understands the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" as a natural phenomenon, the beginning of which the reader observes in the first act. And in the fourth, the storm is impulsively gaining strength.

The city lives in fear of the coming of a thunderstorm. Only Kuligin is not afraid of her. After all, he alone leads a righteous life - earns a living by honest work, and so on. He does not understand the primal fear of the townspeople.

One gets the impression that the image of a thunderstorm carries a negative symbolism. However, it is not. The role of this natural phenomenon in the play is to stir up and refresh public life and people. It's not in vain literary critic Dobrolyubov wrote that the city of Kalinov is a deaf kingdom in which the spirit of vices and stagnation lives. Man has become a fool because he does not know and does not understand own culture which means he doesn't know how to be human.

A thunderstorm phenomenon is trying to destroy the trap and penetrate the city. But one such thunderstorm will not be enough, as well as the death of Katerina. The death of the young lady led to the fact that the indecisive spouse for the first time acts as his conscience tells him.

river image

As you may have guessed, the image of a thunderstorm in this work is transparent. That is, he is embodied and appears before the reader in different guises. However, there is another equally important image in the drama, which also contains the figurative symbolism of the drama The Thunderstorm.

We are now moving on to consider the image of the Volga River. Ostrovsky depicted it as a border that separates opposite worlds - cruel kingdom the city of Kalinov and the ideal world, invented by each hero of the work. The lady repeated several times that the river draws in any beauty, as it is a whirlpool. The alleged symbol of freedom in the representation of Kabanikh turns out to be a symbol of death.

Conclusion

We have examined the work of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky - "Thunderstorm". The drama was written in the era of realism, which means that it is filled with many meanings and images.

We have seen that the meaning of the title and the figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" is relevant even today. The skill of the author lies in the fact that he was able to depict the image of a thunderstorm in different phenomena. With the help of a natural phenomenon, he showed all aspects of Russian society early XIX century, starting from wild customs and ending with the personal drama of each of the heroes.

With the advent of A. N. Ostrovsky, much has changed in Russian literature, and the main changes have occurred in dramaturgy: the writer discovered new conflict in Russian life, a new environment - the merchant class, which brought its heroes and new meaning plays, therefore, fundamentally new titles of works. These changes are clearly visible in A. N. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm".
Why did the author name his drama that way? After all, it is not about a natural phenomenon at all.
This question can be answered by considering the play itself, the conflict in it. The main character of “Thunderstorm”, Katerina, lives in the city of Kalinovo, on the banks of the Volga, where a patriarchal way of life reigns, where everything is ruled by tyrant merchants: Wild, Kabanikha and the like. The inhabitants of Kalinov live in a special state of the world - crisis, catastrophic. The foundation supporting the old order is collapsing, and with it the established way of life.
The first action introduces us into the pre-stormy atmosphere of life. Outwardly, everything is still calm, but the crisis is still ahead. The carelessness of people only increases the tension that prevails in nature and life. A thunderstorm is moving towards Kalinov...
At the beginning of the play, we get to know some of the inhabitants of Kalinovo and the main character, who lives in the Kabanikhi family and suffers from oppression, “bondage” of the patriarchal world, from humiliation and pressure from the mother of the family, the merchant’s wife. The storm is advancing not only on the city, in the soul of Katerina, too, its approach is felt. The heroine is in disarray, realizing that she does not love her husband, but another person, Boris, and is tormented: her duty to her husband makes her suffer and is torn in her choice. She realizes that she will commit a sin if she goes to meet Boris, and the punishment for this sin will come sooner or later. But Katerina decides to go on a date with her lover, walks for ten days without thinking about anything, and comes to her senses due to the unexpected arrival of her husband. She begins to repent of her deed, she is overcome by fear of the coming punishment and pangs of conscience. The heroine feels the approach of a thunderstorm and something terrible: “How ... not to be afraid! Everyone should be afraid. It’s not that it’s scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you ... with all your sins, with all your evil thoughts ... A thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment so that we feel ... ”
The situation in the play heats up because of the experiences of Katerina, because of the feeling of something inevitable. The clouds are thickening more and more, thunder is already heard. The heroine cannot stand the tension and suffering, she can no longer live in a lie, and in the midst of a natural disaster (thunderstorm), she publicly confesses everything to Kabanikh and her husband. The indignation of others is like a thunderstorm.
Katerina cannot live on, she is sick of her husband, the world, her family. She is superfluous here, because no one understands her, in this society there is no place for love. Boris is afraid to break out and take his beloved from the “dark kingdom”, since he himself is under his rule. Katerina decides to commit suicide: for her in the grave is better than at home.
Thus, society (Kalinovtsy), with its “pious” and “righteous” judgment, dooms the heroine to death, because she violated the usual foundations. The inhabitants of Kalinov do not want to notice the approaching collapse of the patriarchal world, its disintegration. He is doomed to destruction, as they have sunk into the past real goals and the values ​​that formed its basis.
A. N. Ostrovsky noticed in time the doom of the patriarchal world and decided to show it to the reader in his play. He depicted the gradual destruction of the old, familiar foundations as a thunderstorm, slowly approaching and flaring up in full force. She sweeps away everything in her path. The thunderstorm represents changes in life and society, which is why the title of the work is ambiguous and symbolic. The word "thunderstorm" is the key to the play.

Thunderstorm is one of the brightest works A. N. Ostrovsky. It was written in 1859, during the fundamental changes taking place in Russian society. And it is no coincidence that Ostrovsky chose just such a title for his play.
The word "thunderstorm" has a huge meaning. Thunderstorm is not only a natural phenomenon, but it is also a symbol of change in “ dark kingdom", in way of life that existed for several centuries in Russian life.
In the center of the play is the conflict between the representatives of the “dark kingdom” and their victims. Against the backdrop of beautiful calm nature, the unbearable life of people is drawn. And the main character - Katerina - can not stand the oppression, humiliation of her human dignity. This is also evidenced by changes in nature: the colors are thickening, a thunderstorm is approaching, the sky is darkening. Feels like a thunderstorm is coming. All this is a harbinger of some terrible events.
For the first time the word "thunderstorm" sounds in the scene of farewell to Tikhon. He says: "... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks." Tikhon really wants to escape at least for a while from the musty atmosphere of his parents' house, to escape from the power of his mother Kabanikha, to feel free, so to speak, "to take a walk for the whole year." Under the “thunderstorm” he understands the oppression of the mother, her omnipotence, fear of her, as well as fear of retribution for committed sins. “The storm is sent to us as punishment,” says Dikoy Kuligin. And this fear of retribution is inherent in all the heroes of the play, even Katerina. After all, she is religious and considers her love for Boris a great sin, but she cannot help herself.
The only one who did not become afraid of a thunderstorm was the self-taught mechanic Kuligin. He even tried to resist this natural phenomenon by building a lightning rod. Kuligin saw in a thunderstorm only a majestic and beautiful sight, a manifestation of the strength and power of nature, and not a danger to man. He tells everyone: “Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell? Now every grass, every flower rejoices, but we hide, we are afraid, as if some kind of misfortune! .. You are all in a thunderstorm! Eh, people. I'm not afraid."
So, in nature, a thunderstorm has already begun. But what happens in society? In society, too, not everything is calm - some changes are brewing. Thunderstorm in this case is an omen of the coming conflict, its resolution. Katerina is no longer able to live according to the house-building rules, she wants freedom, but she no longer has the strength to fight with those around her. It is no coincidence, by the way, the appearance of a crazy lady on the stage, which is accompanied by thunderclaps. She predicts the main character's imminent death.
Thus, the thunderstorm is the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. Katerina was very frightened by the words of the mistress, the thunderclaps, mistaking them for a sign “from above”. She was a very emotional and believing nature, so she simply could not live with sin in her soul - the sin of loving a stranger. Katerina threw herself into the abyss of the Volga, unable to endure a terrible, difficult, forced existence, which fettered the impulses of a hot heart, not reconciled with the hypocritical morality of the tyrants of the “dark kingdom”. These were the consequences of the storm for Katerina.
It should be noted that the thunderstorm is also a symbol of Katerina's love for Boris, Dikiy's nephew, because there is something spontaneous in their relationship, just like in a thunderstorm. Just like a thunderstorm, this love does not bring joy to either the heroine or her lover. Katerina - married woman, she has no right to cheat on her husband, because she took an oath of allegiance before God. But the marriage was completed, and no matter how hard the heroine tried, she could not love her lawful husband, who was neither able to protect his wife from the attacks of her mother-in-law, nor to understand her. But Katerina longed for love, and these impulses of her heart found an outlet in affection for Boris. He was the only inhabitant of the city of Kalinov who did not grow up in it. Boris was more educated than others, he studied in Moscow. He was the only one who understood Katerina, but could not help her, because he lacked determination. Did Boris really love Katerina? Probably not. Obviously it wasn't so strong feeling, for the sake of which it was possible to sacrifice everything. This is also evidenced by the fact that he leaves Katerina all alone in the city, advises her to submit to fate, foreseeing that she will die. Boris traded his love for the inheritance of the Wild, which he will never receive. Thus, Boris is also the flesh of the flesh of the Kalinovsky world, he is taken prisoner by this city.
Ostrovsky in his work was able to show the changes that took place in Russian society in the middle and second half of the 19th century. This is evidenced by the title of the play “Thunderstorm”. But if in nature, after a thunderstorm, the air becomes cleaner, a discharge occurs, then in life after a “thunderstorm” it is unlikely that anything will change, most likely, everything will remain in its place.

Ostrovsky can rightfully be called a great Russian playwright. In his works, he first showed the life and way of life of the merchant class. In the play "Thunderstorm" the writer described the state of provincial society in Russia on the eve of reforms. The playwright examines such issues as the position of a woman in the family, the modernity of Domostroy, the awakening in a person of a sense of personality and dignity, the relationship between the “old”, oppressive, and “young”, mute.
The main idea of ​​“Thunderstorm” is that a strong, gifted and courageous person with natural aspirations and desires cannot live happily in a society dominated by “cruel morals”, where Domostroy reigns, where everything is based on fear, deceit and submission .
The name "Thunderstorm" can be considered from several positions. A thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon, and nature plays an important role in the composition of the play. So, it complements the action, emphasizes the main idea, the essence of what is happening. For example, lovely night landscape corresponds to the date of Katerina and Boris. The expanses of the Volga emphasize Katerina's dreams of freedom, a picture of cruel nature opens up when describing suicide main character. Then nature contributes to the development of action, as if pushing events, stimulates the development and resolution of the conflict. So, in the scene of a thunderstorm, the elements induce Katerina to public repentance.
So, the name “Thunderstorm” emphasizes the main idea of ​​the play: self-esteem awakening in people; the desire for freedom and independence begins to threaten the existence of the old order.
The world of Kabanikhi and the Wild comes to an end, because in the “dark kingdom” a “beam of light” appeared - Katerina is a woman who cannot put up with the oppressive atmosphere that prevails in the family, in the city. Her protest was expressed in love for Boris, in an unauthorized departure from life. Katerina preferred death to existence in a world where she was “sick of everything”. She is the first lightning of that thunderstorm that will soon break out in society. The clouds over the "old" world have been gathering for a long time. Domostroy has lost its original meaning. Kabanikha and Dikoi use his ideas only to justify their tyranny and tyranny. They failed to convey to their children the true faith in the inviolability of their rules of life. Young people live according to the laws of their fathers as long as they can achieve a compromise through deceit. When oppression becomes unbearable, when deceit saves only partially, then a protest begins to awaken in a person, he develops and is able to break out at any moment.
Katerina's suicide woke up a man in Tikhon. He saw that there is always a way out of the current situation, and he, the most weak-willed of all the characters described by Ostrovsky, who unquestioningly obeyed his mother all his life, accuses her of the death of his wife in public. If Tikhon is already able to declare his protest, then the "dark kingdom" really does not have long to exist.
The storm is also a symbol of renewal. In nature, after a thunderstorm, the air is fresh and clean. In society, after the thunderstorm that began with Katerina's protest, renewal will also come: the oppressive and subjugating orders will probably be replaced by a society of freedom and independence.
But the storm occurs not only in nature, but also in Katerina's soul. She committed a sin and repents of it. Two feelings struggle in her: fear of the Boar and fear that “death will suddenly find you, as you are, with all your sins...” In the end, religiosity, fear of retribution for sin prevail, and Katerina publicly admits in sin. None of the inhabitants of Kalinovo can understand her: these people do not, like Katerina, have a rich spiritual world and high moral values; they do not feel remorse, because their morality is - if only everything was “covered”. However, recognition does not bring relief to Katerina. As long as she believes in Boris's love, she is able to live. But, realizing that Boris is no better than Tikhon, that she is still alone in this world, where everything is “embarrassing” to her, she finds no other way out than to rush into the Volga. Katerina broke the religious law for the sake of freedom. The storm also ends in renewal in her soul. The young woman completely freed herself from the shackles of the Kalinovsky world and religion.
Thus, the thunderstorm that occurs in the soul of the main character turns into a thunderstorm in society itself, and all the action takes place against the backdrop of the elements.
Using the image of a thunderstorm, Ostrovsky showed that a society that has become obsolete, based on deceit, and the old order, depriving a person of the opportunity to manifest the most high feelings doomed to destruction. It is as natural as the purification of nature through a thunderstorm. Thus, Ostrovsky expressed the hope that renewal in society would come as soon as possible.

The meaning of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm"

After the release of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm", its contemporaries saw in it a call for the renewal of life, for freedom, because it was written in 1860, when everyone was waiting for the abolition of slavery and serfdom in the country.

In the center of the play is a socio-political conflict: the masters of life, representatives of the "dark kingdom" with their victims.

Against the backdrop of a beautiful landscape, the unbearable life of ordinary people is drawn. But here the picture of nature begins to change gradually: clouds cover the sky, thunderclaps are heard. A thunderstorm is approaching, but is this phenomenon only in nature? No. So what does the author mean by a thunderstorm? Hidden in this name deep meaning. For the first time this word flashed in the scene of farewell to Tikhon. He says: "... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks." Tikhon wants to at least briefly get rid of the feeling of fear and dependence. Thunderstorm in the work means fear and liberation from it. This is the fear driven by tyrants, the fear of retribution for sins. "The storm is sent to us as a punishment," Dikoy Kuligina instructs. The power of this fear extends to many heroes of the drama and does not even pass by Katerina. Katerina is religious and considers it a sin that she fell in love with Boris. "I didn't know you were so afraid of thunderstorms," ​​Varvara tells her.

“How, girl, don’t be afraid!” answers Katerina. Everyone should be afraid. , saw in her a majestic and beautiful sight, but not at all dangerous for a person who can easily appease her destructive power with the help of a simple lightning rod. Addressing the crowd, seized with superstitious horror, Kuligin says: “Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell. Now every grass, every flower rejoices, and we are hiding, we are afraid, just like some kind of misfortune! .. You have a thunderstorm! You made yourself a scare.

Eh, people. I'm not afraid."

If in nature a thunderstorm has already begun, then in life, further events show its approach. Undermines the dark realm of the mind, the common sense of Kuligin; Katerina expresses her protest, although her actions are unconscious, but she does not want to come to terms with the painful conditions of life and decides her own fate; rushes into the Volga. In all this lies the main meaning of the realistic symbol, the symbol of the thunderstorm. However, it is not unambiguous. There is something spontaneous, natural in Katerina's love for Boris, just like in a thunderstorm. But, although, unlike a thunderstorm, love brings joy, this is not the case with Katerina, if only because she is a married woman. However, Katerina is not afraid of this love, just as Kuligin is not afraid of a thunderstorm. She says to Boris: "... If I am not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?" The storm is hidden in the very nature of the heroine, she herself says that even as a child, offended by someone, she ran away from home and sailed away alone in a boat along the Volga.

The play was perceived by contemporaries as a sharp denunciation of the existing order in the country. Dobrolyubov said this about Ostrovsky's drama: "... The Thunderstorm" is, without a doubt, Ostrovsky's most decisive work ... There is something refreshing and encouraging in The Thunderstorm. This "something" is, in our opinion , the background of the play, indicated by us and revealing the precariousness and the near end of tyranny ... " Both the playwright himself and his contemporaries believed in this.

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 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 exposing 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, it’s not complacency, like Diky’s, 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 every time when 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 mind of a person 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 reason. 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 movement 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.

The play "Thunderstorm" appeared in print in 1859, when all of Russia was expecting the abolition of serfdom. Contemporaries of the work saw in it a kind of call for the renewal of life. In his play, A.N. Ostrovsky was an innovator in the choice of plot and heroes of the work. He was one of the first to address the problems of the patriarchal "dark kingdom". Dobrolyubov said this about Ostrovsky's drama: "... Thunderstorm" is, without a doubt, Ostrovsky's most decisive work ... There is something refreshing and encouraging in "Thunderstorm". This “something is, in our opinion, the background of the play, indicated by us and revealing the precariousness and the near end of tyranny ...” The central place in the work is occupied by the conflict between the representatives of the “dark kingdom” and their victims.

The name of the play - "Thunderstorm" - is certainly very symbolic. Almost the entire fourth act of the work is devoted to this natural phenomenon. For the first time, the word "thunderstorm" flashed in the scene of farewell to Tikhon. He says: "... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks." Tikhon, leaving for the fair, seeks to get rid of fear, impotence and dependence.

A thunderstorm, a common natural phenomenon, causes natural, wild horror among the inhabitants of Kalinov. This is the fear driven by tyrants, the fear of retribution for sins. Kalinovtsy consider the thunderstorm something supernatural, given to them as a punishment. And only one self-taught mechanic Kuligin is not afraid of a thunderstorm. He is trying to reason with the crowd, saying that there is nothing supernatural in this phenomenon: “Well, what are you afraid of, tell me! Now every grass, every flower rejoices, but we are hiding, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune! ... You are all in a thunderstorm! Eh, people. I'm not afraid." In order to avoid accidents, Kuligin suggests that the townspeople make a lightning rod. But he himself is well aware that the inhabitants of Kalinov simply will not hear him - they are too accustomed to being afraid and looking for a threat and danger to themselves in everything. Wild expresses the opinion of all the inhabitants of the city: “The storm is sent to us as a punishment, so that we feel, and you want to defend yourself with poles and some kind of goads, God forgive me. What are you, a Tatar, or what?

Everyone in the city has its own thunderstorm. And Katerina is terrified of a thunderstorm, expecting it as a just punishment from God. In her opinion, the thunderstorm was a harbinger of the highest retribution for her sins: “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 ... "

Having fallen in love with Boris and cheated on her husband, Katerina, as a deeply religious person, cannot find peace. Unable to withstand the pressure of her own conscience and the oppression of those around her, she decides on the most serious sin - suicide.

Boris, Diky's nephew, sincerely fell in love with Katerina. In him, as in his beloved, there is spiritual purity. But, as a person who has come to terms with his spiritual slavery, this hero is not capable of active actions. And Katerina, as a bright, dreamy soul, cannot exist in an alien, suffocating, dark society. In my opinion, even if Boris had taken Katerina away from Kalinovo, her fate would have been tragic. She could not live under the weight of her sin.

The storm is also present in the lives of other residents of the city. For Kabanova and Dikoy, the storm appears in the person of Kuligin and Katerina. These heroes testify to the fact that changes are coming, which Kalinov's inert people refuse to accept. Dikoy and Kabanikha do not know how to hide from a thunderstorm, subconsciously fearing the coming changes. Kabanikha is the embodiment of despotism and hypocrisy. She eats her neighbors, bothers them with complaints and suspicions.
The boar does not hide that he wants to have unlimited and complete power over them. Everything old is good for her, everything young and new is bad for her. It seems to Marfa Kabanova that if the old foundations collapse, then the end of the world will come: “What will happen, how the old people will die, how the world will stand, I don’t know.”
Wild in the play is depicted as a limited tyrant who rushes at everyone like a dog. The constant scolding of this hero is a form of his self-affirmation, and, moreover, a defense against everything hostile and incomprehensible.

I think that it is impossible to exist on earth for a long time with such ideas about the world as Kalinovtsy had. Only in an ignorant, dark, uneducated society could the wanderer Feklusha be respected and honored with her stories about wonderful countries in the world, "where all the people with dog heads ... for infidelity ..."
This heroine is the protector of the "dark kingdom". Feklusha guesses the desire of the strong and asserts with flattery: “No, mother,” says Feklusha Kabanikhe, “that’s why you have silence in the city, because many people, take you for example, are decorated with virtues like flowers; that is why everything is done coolly and decently.

In the life of Tikhon Kabanov - his own thunderstorm: strong pressure and fear of his mother, betrayal and death of his wife. Love, filial and maternal feelings do not exist in Kalinov's "dark kingdom", they are corroded by arbitrariness and hypocrisy, callousness. And only at the corpse of Katerina Tikhon dares to argue with his mother and even accuses her of the death of his wife.

I believe that the name of this play gives a lot to understand the tragic nature of The Thunderstorm. The thunderstorm symbolically expresses the idea of ​​the work and directly participates in the actions of the drama as a very real natural phenomenon. Each hero of the play has his own moral "thunderstorm". Changes are coming. They are inevitable, because they are required by time and new people who have become cramped in the stuffy "dark kingdom" of petty tyrants.