Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel!
A.N. Ostrovsky
In Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" the problems of morality are widely raised. Using the example of the provincial town of Kalinov, the playwright showed the truly prevailing cruel morals. The personification of these morals is the Kabanovs' house.
Let's meet its representatives.
Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova is a champion of the old world. The name itself paints a picture of an overweight woman with a difficult character, and the nickname “Kabanikha” complements this unpleasant picture. Kabanikha lives the old fashioned way, in accordance with strict order. But she only observes the appearance of this order, which she supports in public: a kind son, an obedient daughter-in-law. He even complains: “They don’t know anything, no order... What will happen, how the old people will die, how the light will remain, I don’t even know. Well, at least it’s good that I won’t see anything.” There is real arbitrariness in the house. The boar is despotic, rude to the peasants, “eats” the family and does not tolerate objections. Her son is completely subordinate to her will, and she expects this from her daughter-in-law.
Next to Kabanikha, who day after day “sharpenes all her household like rusting iron,” stands the merchant Dikoy, whose name is associated with wild force. Dikoy not only “sharpenes and saws” his family members. The men whom he deceives during payments suffer from it, and, of course, the customers, as well as his clerk Kudryash, a rebellious and impudent guy, ready to teach a “scold” a lesson in a dark alley with his fists.
Ostrovsky described the character of the Wild One very accurately. For the Wild, the main thing is money, in which he sees everything: power, glory, worship. This is especially striking in the small town where he lives. He can easily “pat on the shoulder” the mayor himself.
The images of Tikhon and Boris are slightly developed. Dobrolyubov in a well-known article says that Boris can be attributed more to the setting than to the heroes. In the remark, Boris stands out only in his clothes: “All faces, except Boris, are dressed in Russian.” This is the first difference between him and the residents of Kalinov. The second difference is that he studied at a commercial academy in Moscow. But Ostrovsky made him Dikiy’s nephew, and this suggests that, despite some differences, he belongs to the people of the “dark kingdom.” This is also confirmed by the fact that he is not able to fight this kingdom. Instead of lending a helping hand to Katerina, he advises her to submit to her fate. Tikhon is the same. Already on the list characters it is said about him that he is “her son,” that is, the son of Kabanikha. He really is more likely just Kabanikha’s son than a person. Tikhon has no willpower. The only wish this person - to break away from his mother's care in order to take the whole year off. Tikhon is also unable to help Katerina. Both Boris and Tikhon leave her alone with their inner experiences.
If Kabanikha and Dikoy belong to the old way of life, Kuligin carries the ideas of enlightenment, then Katerina is at a crossroads. Growing up and brought up in a patriarchal spirit, Katerina fully follows this way of life. Cheating here is considered unforgivable, and having cheated on her husband, Katerina sees this as a sin before God. But her character is naturally proud, independent and free. Her dream of flying means breaking free from the power of her oppressive mother-in-law and from the stuffy world of the Kabanovs' house. As a child, she once, offended by something, went to the Volga in the evening. The same protest can be heard in her words addressed to Varya: “And if I’m really tired of being here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I’ll throw myself out the window, throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, I won’t do this, even if you cut me!” In Katerina’s soul there is a struggle between the pangs of conscience and the desire for freedom. She does not know how to adapt to life, to be a hypocrite and pretend, as Kabanikha does, she does not know how to look at the world as easily as Varya.
The morals of the Kabanov house drive Katerina to suicide.
Kabanova, or as she is called, Kabanikha, is one of the main characters in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”. Marfa Ignatievna is a rich merchant's wife and also a widow. She has two children: son Tikhon and daughter Varvara. Her son Tikhon lives in her house with his wife Katerina.
Kabanikha is presented as an angry, envious and hypocritical woman who seemingly hates everything around her. Her favorite hobby- this is reading morals to a son and daughter, and she generally keeps Katerina in fear. Her very appearance is menacing and fearless.
It is not for nothing that the writer gives the head of the family such a strange nickname. It completely conveys the character of the heroine. Assessing her actions, we can confidently call her heartless.
Her greatest offense is that she raised her son to be a weak-willed and spineless man. He can't take a step without asking her. Thus, he cannot and does not even try to protect his wife from his mother-in-law’s attacks. From Kabanikha’s side, the reader sees ordinary jealousy towards her own son.
Her image is contradictory: she believes in God, but does evil, gives alms, but offends her loved ones. She skillfully plays in front of others: she pretends not to understand, calls herself old and haggard, but at the same time she is determined to teach others.
Naturally, the image of Kabanova is the prototype of Catherine, her opposite. Although, there is still something in common between them. They both respect antiquity, but understand it differently. For the mother-in-law, antiquity is what should subjugate the youth. Her attitude suggests that old people should give orders, and young people should obey unquestioningly. Katerina has other ideas. For her, antiquity is love and care for one's neighbor, it is mercy and compassion not only towards older people, but also towards everyone around. Katerina is a victim of Kabanikha, who endures bullying and abuse, while Varvara only pretends to listen to her mother, in fact adhering only to her own views.
After reading the play, the reader realizes that it was Kabanikha who contributed to the death of Katerina. She threatened to take her own life, apparently running away from her mother-in-law's attacks. Maybe Kabanikha did not want such a denouement, but the desire to break her daughter-in-law prevailed in any case. As a result, Kabanova’s family is collapsing. The daughter blamed her mother for Katerina’s death and left home, while Tikhon went on a drinking binge.
Option 2
We all know dramatic play Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm", which contains interesting heroine- Kabanikha (Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova).
Kabanikha is presented in the image of a rich merchant's wife. Marfa Ignatievna is a long-widowed woman.
This woman can be described as a lover of showing off her strength. Power and fortitude are the main features of Kabanikha’s image.
Marfa Ignatievna demands obligatory obedience from everyone, including her relatives. She is almost always unhappy with them. She scolds and educates them every day, and is especially dissatisfied with her son and Katerina. Kabanikha requires people to perform rituals and rites. She believes that it is important to keep the family order at bay.
Kabanikha likes to do different things and her main interests are expressed in following established procedures.
Kabanikha and Katerina have little similarity in that both are unable to reconcile their weak character traits. The second similarity is expressed in religiosity, both revere it, while not believing in forgiveness. This is where the similarity in their character traits ends.
The differences in characters are expressed by the fact that she is spiritual and a dreamer, the second lover of maintaining order in small things. For Katerina, love and will come first; for Kabanikha, it’s carrying out orders.
Kabanikha feels like a guardian of order, believing that with her death there will be chaos in the world and at home. No one doubts that the lady has an imperious character, which she periodically shows to everyone.
Kabanikha herself, no matter how much she scolds her children for being disobedient, never complains about them. Therefore, when the daughter-in-law openly confesses in public, this is unacceptable for her and turns out to be a terrible blow to her pride, to which was added the son’s rebellion, in addition to these troubles, another one is added - the daughter’s escape from her home.
At the end of the play, the author shows the collapse of the powerful, seemingly indestructible world of Kabanikha. It is a terrible blow for her that everything has gone out of the lady’s control. Of course, the reader does not sympathize with her, because this is her fault. What she deserved is what she got.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the image of Marfa Ignatievna personifies the patriarchal way of life. She claims that it is not her business whether it is good or bad, but it must be followed.
The outcome of the play is tragic: Katerina dies, the son rebels, the daughter runs away from home. With all the events taking place in the play, Kabanikha’s world collapses, and so does she.
Essay on the theme of Kabanikh
One of the main characters in the work “The Thunderstorm” is Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. People all called her Kabanikha. The rich merchant's wife and widow had two children, Varvara and Tikhon, who married Catherine. She was a typical representative of the older generation who loves to give instructions and lecture. For her, the most important priority in life was to comply with the customs and orders established in society. She did not love her children, kept the whole house in fear, and often offended people.
The author of the play describes his heroine as a formidable, strict, evil, cruel and heartless woman. She did not neglect to show hypocrisy. In public, she tried to behave decently. She helped the poor, but at the same time offended her own children and her daughter-in-law Ekaterina. She often left everyone to pray to God. But this did not help her live a holy life. Her children believed that the only way to survive in their mother's house was to learn to deceive. Marfa Ignatievna preferred to keep her Son in fear. She was often jealous of his young wife. In her instructions, she repeated more than once that young people respect old people. In fact, she only had herself. It wasn't so important to her that others listened. She just liked to keep everyone at bay and feel like she was in control. Kabanikha strictly observed traditions and forced young people to do the same.
The heroine was a very stern woman. You could often hear her scolding and criticizing everyone around her. In her character one could observe despotism, which was the result of her blind trust in established customs. Her severity was also expressed in her attitude towards her own daughter-in-law. She cut off every word of Catherine and made poisonous remarks. She condemned her daughter-in-law for treating her husband kindly. In her opinion, a woman should be so afraid of her husband that she feels like his slave.
As a result, with her behavior and attitude towards life, Kabanikha strangled all living things around her. Her children were unhappy. The fate of each of them is not attractive to readers. Perhaps everyone who read the play wondered whether it was worth being such a stern admirer of man-made traditions.
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky wrote his play “The Thunderstorm” in 1859. The plot centers on a confrontation between generations. The older generation has always stuck to old morals, experiences and customs. They refused to understand the young people. And those, on the contrary, never sought to follow the traditions established over centuries. Therefore, the elders tried to re-educate their will This problem, which Ostrovsky described in his play, will forever remain significant as long as fathers and sons exist. Parents want their children to be like them and follow their paths.
Several interesting essays
- Characteristics and image of Nikolai Bolkonsky in Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace essay
Prince Nikolai Bolkonsky is a very prominent character in Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace. This is one of those heroes who at first glance seems like a gloomy and “dry” person, but who gradually reveals himself
- The main characters of the fairy tale The Snow Queen by Andersen essay
The main characters of the fairy tale are the boy Kai and the girl Gerda. These are named brother and sister, very attached to each other. Children are poor, but endowed with pure hearts
- Pushkin's freedom-loving lyrics 9th grade message report essay
The concept of “freedom” is reflected in the works of many poets, including Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. Let us note that Pushkin raises it to the Absolute, he explores different types freedom, compares their content.
- The theme of love in Blok's work essay
Love is a tender feeling that cannot bypass a single person even with the most callous heart. Love lyrics is presented in many poems by Russian poets, and in them she reveals a huge palette of human feelings
- Analysis of the story Until Dawn by Bykov
Bykov wrote great amount different works. Most of his works were written about war and descriptions of people who are in these conditions. Many people think that feat is not an important element.
The life and customs of the merchants in A. N. Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" A thunderstorm is a cleansing and necessary phenomenon in nature. It brings with it freshness and coolness after the sweltering heat, life-giving moisture after dry land. It has a cleansing, renewing effect. With such a sip fresh air", A. N. Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" became a new look at life in the literature of the mid-century. The great Russian river, the original people living on it, gave the author rich creative material. The drama sounded like the tragic voice of the time, like the cry of the people's soul, not wanting to endure oppression and bondage more. In "The Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky returned to his favorite theme, to the depiction of family conflict in merchant environment. But he realized this conflict in its internal dramatic development, brought it to a decisive denouement, and thereby for the first time went beyond comedy genre. Dobrolyubov called the life of Kalinov and similar cities in Russia at that time a “dark kingdom.” Sleepy, calm, measured existence. Kalinov residents spend most of their time at home, where behind high walls and strong castles they leisurely eat, do some household chores, and sleep. “They go to bed very early, so it’s difficult for an unaccustomed person to endure such a sleepy night.” On holidays, residents leisurely and sedately stroll along the boulevard, but “they only pretend to be walking, but they themselves go there to show off their outfits.” The inhabitants of Kalinov have no desire to understand culture or science; they are not interested in new ideas and thoughts. People are superstitious, submissive, in their opinion, “and Lithuania fell from the sky.” The sources of news and rumors are pilgrims, pilgrims, and “walking kaliki.” “Because of their weakness” they did not walk far, but “to hear, they heard a lot.” The basis of relationships between people in Kalinov is material dependence. Here money is everything. The author emphasizes that because of profit, merchants spoil each other’s trade, constantly quarrel among themselves, harm their yesterday’s friends: “I’ll spend it, and it’ll cost him a pretty penny.” Boris does not dare to defend himself from the insults of the Wild, since according to the will he can receive an inheritance only if he is respectful to his uncle. The character of Dikiy is a new and significant manifestation of the internal inertia and rigidity of the Russian bourgeoisie. Wild - strength. The power of his money in conditions small town has already reached such limits that he allows himself to “pat the mayor himself on the shoulder.” In the list of characters in “Groza”, Savel Prokofievich Dikoy is called “a significant person in the city.” The same is true for Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. Masters of life, rulers and owners. Their example shows the power of money, which has reached unprecedented proportions. However, Dikoy, one of Kalinov’s richest people, himself descends to outright fraud: “I’ll underpay them by a penny per person, but I make thousands out of this, so that’s good for me!” Scolding, swearing for any reason is not only the usual way of treating people, it is his nature, his character, even more than that - the content of life. The Wild's tyranny knows no bounds. He does not allow his family to live in peace. When the owner was out of sorts, "all
They hid in attics and closets." However, in his typically tyrant logic there is one interesting point: An ardent scolder himself is not happy with his character: “You are my friend, but if you come and ask me, I will scold you.” Isn’t it true that we feel that the Wild’s tyranny is cracking? He firmly stands guard over the patriarchal, house-building orders of antiquity, jealously guards the life of his home from the fresh wind of Kabanov’s changes. Unlike Wild, she never swears, she has her own methods of intimidation: she, “like rusting iron,” sharpens her loved ones, hiding behind religious dogmas and regrets about trampled antiquity. She will never come to terms with human weaknesses, she will never compromise. Kabanova is completely chained to the earth, all her forces are aimed at holding, gathering, defending the way of life, she is the guardian of the ossified form of the patriarchal world. Kabanova needs everyone to appear, everyone to look in accordance with her rules. She perceives life as a ceremony, and she is afraid to think that its rules have long since become obsolete. Love, filial and maternal feelings do not exist in this house; they are eradicated, trampled into the dirt by tyranny, bigotry, and malice. Kabaniha is haunted by the fact that the young people do not like her way of life, that they want to live differently. Dikoy and Kabanova have a destructive effect on those around them, poisoning their lives, destroying bright feelings in them, making them their slaves. And this is their main fault. Therefore, among the characters there is no one who does not belong to Kalinov’s world. The younger generation of "Groza" is represented by Kudryash, Varvara, Boris, Tikhon. Unlike Katerina, they all take the position of everyday compromises and do not see any drama in this. Of course, the oppression of their elders is hard for them, but they have learned to get around it, each to the best of their character. Varvara is petty in her feelings and requests. She is the most adaptable of all. Despite all her underdevelopment, she found a comfortable way of life for herself; she has the necessary reserves of energy and willpower to bypass the straightforward prohibitions of the Domostroevsky world in her love for Kudryash. Tikhon is gentle and weak person, he is torn between the harsh demands of his mother and compassion for his wife. He loves Katerina in his own way, but not at all in the way that the norms of ideal patriarchal morality require. Varvara and Kudryash lead a riotous life, Tikhon finds rest with an extra glass of vodka, but they maintain outward respect for their elders. From outside world there is only Boris in the play. He does not belong to the Kalinovsky world by birth and upbringing, he is not like other residents of the city in appearance and manners, but in the way he behaves, he is completely Kalinovsky. According to Dobrolyubov, Boris relates “more to the situation”, without violating the isolation of Kalinov’s world. But life does not stand still, tyrants feel that their power is being limited. Dobrolyubov notes: “Everything seems to be as before, everything is fine: Dikoy scolds whoever he wants... Kabanova keeps her children... daughter-in-law in fear... But everything is somehow restless, not good for them. Besides them, without asking them, another life has grown, with different beginnings, and is already sending bad visions to the dark tyranny of tyranny."
I re-read all the posts, comments, watched videos regarding the tragedy of the Kabanov family and came to disappointing conclusions. Despite the fact that numerous friends, acquaintances and acquaintances write about them (these entries contain mostly assumptions and groundless conjectures: perhaps she drank, perhaps he beat her, did not want to work), one thing is obvious and indisputable: having many children , the young family strived for well-being and stability and grabbed every opportunity, including playing roulette, doing their own restaurant business, opening a loan of money at interest. Having an apartment, they did not rent it out, but in order to have a decent income and a decent standard of living, they sold it and invested the entire amount in the business, using correct principle : money must work. In the restaurant, to increase the popularity of the establishment, flash mobs were organized with expensive snacks, but free wine. All this suggests that the couple had a good prospect thanks to their ingenuity and irrepressible activity.
The couple did not remain indifferent to what was happening in the country, took part in rallies and protests... at the same time, having three children, they managed to keep them and their home in order, trying their best to create the appearance of well-being. Why did their lives go downhill and lead to complete collapse?
Why did one business collapse, another... I’ll make a short digression with a bright sketch. Recently I had to talk to a lady, Soviet time - restaurant director. She said that after retiring, she found former employees to organize her own business and open her own restaurant with shares. because there simply weren’t any other rooms! However, everything was organized, promotion began, and the restaurant began to make a profit. And then the rent pandemonium began. The price increased every month until the establishment had to close..
What happened to the Kabanovs' business? Nobody writes about this. Why didn’t they, with their desire, youth and energy, manage to develop themselves and reach a stable level? One can only guess about this..
I don’t want to believe in the senseless cruelty of Irina’s husband; I can’t wrap my head around many facts:
1. They lived together for more than one year, but did not divorce..
2. The two of us endured many difficulties.
3. Apparently, they had common interests, tastes, views, including political ones.
4. They raised two children together and one child from Irina’s first marriage.
5. In the end, a sophisticated murder, carefully thought out steps to cover up tracks... and parts of the corpse left in the car... and evidence meekly provided to the police - all this somehow does not fit into a single picture.
In conclusion:
In the media, on TV, on the Internet they endlessly tell us: Do you want to be rich? - behave like rich and wealthy, self-confident people. This is exactly how the Kabanovs behaved. They seemed quite prosperous to numerous friends and acquaintances. Do they borrow money and not pay it back? Such a vile nature! And it never occurred to anyone that the family was truly poor and on the verge of disaster!
The image of Katerina in the play “The Thunderstorm” contrasts perfectly with the gloomy realities of Russia in the pre-reform period. At the epicenter of the unfolding drama is the conflict between the heroine, who seeks to defend her human rights, and a world in which strong, rich and powerful people rule everything.
Katerina as the embodiment of a pure, strong and bright people's soul
From the very first pages of the work, the image of Katerina in the play “The Thunderstorm” cannot but attract attention and make one feel sympathy. Honesty, the ability to feel deeply, sincerity of nature and a penchant for poetry - these are the features that distinguish Katerina herself from the representatives of “ dark kingdom" In the main character, Ostrovsky tried to capture all the beauty of the people's simple soul. The girl expresses her emotions and experiences unpretentiously and does not use distorted words and expressions common in the merchant environment. This is not difficult to notice; Katerina’s speech itself is more reminiscent of a melodic tune; it is replete with diminutive words and expressions: “sunshine”, “grass”, “rain”. The heroine shows incredible sincerity when talking about her free life in her father’s house, among icons, quiet prayers and flowers, where she lived “like a bird in the wild.”
The image of a bird is an accurate reflection of the heroine’s state of mind
The image of Katerina in the play “The Thunderstorm” perfectly resonates with the image of a bird, in folk poetry symbolizing freedom. Talking with Varvara, she repeatedly refers to this analogy and claims that she is “a free bird that is caught in an iron cage.” In captivity she feels sad and painful.
Katerina's life in the Kabanovs' house. Love of Katerina and Boris
In the Kabanovs' house, Katerina, who is characterized by dreaminess and romance, feels like a complete stranger. The humiliating reproaches of her mother-in-law, who is accustomed to keeping all household members in fear, and the atmosphere of tyranny, lies and hypocrisy oppress the girl. However, Katerina herself, who is by nature a strong, integral person, knows that there is a limit to her patience: “I don’t want to live here, I won’t, even if you cut me!” Varvara’s words that one cannot survive in this house without deception evoke sharp rejection in Katerina. The heroine resists the “dark kingdom”; its orders did not break her will to live; fortunately, they did not force her to become like the other residents of the Kabanov house and begin to be a hypocrite and lie at every step.
The image of Katerina is revealed in a new way in the play “The Thunderstorm”, when the girl makes an attempt to escape from the “disgusted” world. She does not know how and does not want to love the way the inhabitants of the “dark kingdom” do; freedom, openness, and “honest” happiness are important to her. While Boris convinces her that their love will remain a secret, Katerina wants everyone to know about it, for everyone to see. Tikhon, her husband, however, the bright feeling awakened in her heart seems to her And just at this moment the reader comes face to face with the tragedy of her suffering and torment. From this moment on, Katerina’s conflict occurs not only with the outside world, but also with herself. It is difficult for her to make a choice between love and duty; she tries to forbid herself to love and be happy. However, the fight with her own feelings is beyond the strength of the fragile Katerina.
The way of life and laws that reign in the world around the girl put pressure on her. She strives to repent of what she has done, to cleanse her soul. Having seen the painting on the wall in the church “ Last Judgment", Katerina cannot stand it, falls to her knees and begins to publicly repent of her sin. However, even this does not bring the girl the desired relief. The other heroes of Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" are not able to support her, even her loved one. Boris refuses Katerina’s requests to take her away from here. This man is not a hero, he is simply unable to protect either himself or his beloved.
The death of Katerina is a ray of light that illuminated the “dark kingdom”
Evil is falling on Katerina from all sides. Constant bullying from her mother-in-law, tossing between duty and love - all this ultimately leads the girl to tragic ending. Having managed to experience happiness and love in her short life, she is simply unable to continue living in the Kabanovs’ house, where such concepts do not exist at all. She sees the only way out in suicide: the future scares Katerina, and the grave is perceived as salvation from mental torment. However, the image of Katerina in the drama “The Thunderstorm”, in spite of everything, remains strong - she did not choose a miserable existence in a “cage” and did not allow anyone to break her living soul.
Nevertheless, the heroine’s death was not in vain. The girl won a moral victory over " dark kingdom", she managed to slightly dispel the darkness in the hearts of people, motivate them to action, and open their eyes. The life of the heroine herself became a “ray of light” that blazed in the darkness and left its glow over the world of madness and darkness for a long time.