Among all types of work with the text of the play "Thunderstorm" (Ostrovsky), the composition causes particular difficulties. This is probably because the schoolchildren do not fully understand the peculiarities of Katerina's character, the peculiarity of the time in which she lived.
Let's try together to understand the issue and, based on the text, interpret the image the way the author wanted to show it.
A.N Ostrovsky. "Storm". Characteristics of Katerina
The very beginning of the nineteenth century. The first acquaintance with Katerina helps to understand the difficult environment in which she lives. The weak-willed husband who is afraid of his mother, the tyrant Kabanikha, who loves to humiliate people, strangles and oppresses Katerina. She feels her loneliness, her defenselessness, but with great love she remembers her parental home.
The characterization of Katerina ("Thunderstorm") begins with a picture of urban customs, and continues with her memories of the house where she was loved and free, where she felt like a bird. But was it all good? After all, she was given in marriage by the decision of the family, and her parents could not help but know how weak-willed her husband was, how cruel her mother-in-law was.
However, the girl, even in the stuffy atmosphere of the house-building, managed to maintain the ability to love. He falls in love with the nephew of the merchant Wild. But Katerina's character is so strong, and she herself is so pure, that the girl is afraid to even think about cheating on her husband.
The characteristic of Katerina ("Thunderstorm") stands out as a bright spot against the background of other heroes. Weak, weak-willed, contented that Tikhon will break out from under maternal control, lying by the will of circumstances Barbara - each of them struggles in his own way with unbearable and inhuman morals.
And only Katerina is fighting.
First with you. At first she does not want to hear about a meeting with Boris. Trying to "observe himself", he begs Tikhon to take her with him. Then she rebels against an inhuman society.
The characterization of Katerina ("Thunderstorm") is based on the fact that the girl is opposed to all characters. She does not secretly run to parties, as the cunning Varvara does, she is not afraid of the Kabanikha, as her son does.
The strength of Katerina's character is not that she fell in love, but that she dared to do it. And in the fact that, having failed to maintain her purity before God, she dared to accept death contrary to human and Divine laws.
The characterization of Katerina ("Thunderstorm") was created by Ostrovsky not by describing the features of her nature, but by the actions that the girl performed. Pure and honest, but infinitely lonely and infinitely loving Boris, she wanted to confess her love to the entire Kalinovsky society. He knew that she could be waiting, but she was not afraid of either the rumors or the bullying that would necessarily follow her confession.
But the tragedy of the heroine is that no one else has such a strong character. Boris abandons her, preferring an ephemeral inheritance. Varvara does not understand why she confessed: she would walk herself slowly. The husband can only sob over the corpse, saying "you are happy, Katya."
The image of Katerina, created by Ostrovsky, is an excellent example of an awakening personality who is trying to break out of the sticky networks of the patriarchal way of life.
Katerina is the wife of Tikhon Kabanov and the daughter-in-law of Kabanikhi. This is the central character of the play, with the help of which Ostrovsky shows the fate of a strong, extraordinary personality in a small patriarchal town. In Katerina, since childhood, the desire for happiness is very strong, which, with growing up, develops into a desire mutual love. Despite her religiosity, Katerina remains an earthly and lively girl, experiencing a love feeling. But how much her heart is full of love, just as much main character feels his sinfulness. She is married, and the object of her sighs is a completely foreign, alien man. Katerina tries to find peace with the help of religion, love for her lawful husband, but her free nature turns out to be stronger. Perhaps if she had felt the support of her husband at this dramatic moment in her life, then she would have been able to cope with herself. But her husband is a weak person, whose will is subordinated to his mother - Boar. And so Tikhon drives off, and the feeling, as a result of a fierce internal struggle, takes up morality: "I should at least die, but see him."
After betraying her husband, Katerina's religiosity only intensifies. The heroine, who is essentially a simple provincial girl, turns out to be unprepared for the abyss that opens before her. Katerina feels a growing fear, it seems to her that she will definitely be punished by heaven for her sins. Finally, at the moment of a thunderstorm, she repents of her betrayal in front of everyone.
Thunderstorm is not only a love drama, but also a tragedy of a strong man who, after a misdeed, does not feel sorry for himself, but, on the contrary, deliberately gives himself up to the judgment of others without hope of forgiveness. And by committing adultery, Katerina, in fact, makes a kind of existential choice in favor of her real "I". And for this choice she had to pay with her life.
Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" was written a year before the abolition of serfdom, in 1859. This work stands out among the other plays of the playwright due to the character of the main character. In The Thunderstorm, Katerina is the main character through which the conflict of the play is shown. Katerina is not like other residents of Kalinov, she is distinguished by a special perception of life, strength of character and self-esteem. The image of Katerina from the play "Thunderstorm" is formed due to the combination of many factors. For example, words, thoughts, environment, actions.
Childhood
Katya is about 19 years old, she was married early. From Katerina's monologue in the first act, we learn about Katya's childhood. Mommy "didn't have a soul" in her. Together with her parents, the girl went to church, walked, and then did some work. Katerina Kabanova recalls all this with light sadness. An interesting phrase of Varvara that "we have the same thing." But now Katya does not have a feeling of lightness, now "everything is done under duress." In fact, life before marriage practically did not differ from life after: the same actions, the same events. But now Katya treats everything differently. Then she felt supported, felt alive, she dreamed amazing dreams about flights. “And now they dream,” but only much less often. Before her marriage, Katerina felt the movement of life, the presence of certain higher powers in this world, she was pious: “how passionate she loved to go to church!
" From the early childhood Katerina had everything she needed: mother's love and freedom. Now, by the will of circumstances, she is cut off from her native person and deprived of her freedom.
Environment
Katerina lives in the same house with her husband, her husband's sister and mother-in-law. This circumstance alone does not contribute to a happy family life. However, the situation is worsened by the fact that Kabanikha, Katya's mother-in-law, is a cruel and greedy person. Greed here should be understood as a passionate, bordering on insanity, desire for something. The boar wants to subordinate everyone and everything to his will. One experience with Tikhon went well for her, the next victim was Katerina. Despite the fact that Marfa Ignatievna was waiting for her son's wedding, she is unhappy with her daughter-in-law. Kabanikha did not expect that Katerina would be so strong in character that she could silently resist her influence. The old woman understands that Katya can turn Tikhon against her mother, she is afraid of this, so she tries in every possible way to break Katya in order to avoid such a development of events. Kabanikha says that his wife has long become dearer to Tikhon than his mother.
“Boar: Al wife takes you away from me, I don’t know.
Kabanov: No, mother!What are you, have mercy!
Katerina: For me, mother, it’s all the same that your own mother, that you, and Tikhon loves you too.
Kabanova: You, it seems, could be silent if you are not asked. What did you jump out in the eyes of something to poke! To see, or what, how you love your husband? So we know, we know, in the eyes of something you prove it to everyone.
Katerina: You are talking about me, mother, in vain. With people, that without people, I’m all alone, I don’t prove anything from myself ”Katerina's answer is quite interesting for several reasons. She, unlike Tikhon, addresses Marfa Ignatievna as you, as if putting herself on a par with her. Katya draws Kabanikhi's attention to the fact that she does not pretend and does not try to seem like someone she is not. Despite the fact that Katya fulfills the humiliating request to kneel before Tikhon, this does not speak of her humility. Katerina is offended by false words: “Who cares to endure in vain?” - with this answer, Katya not only defends herself, but also reproaches the Kabanikha with lies and slander.
Katerina's husband in The Thunderstorm appears to be a gray man. Tikhon is like an overgrown child who is tired of his mother's care, but at the same time does not try to change the situation, but only complains about life. Even his sister, Varvara, reproaches Tikhon with the fact that he cannot protect Katya from the attacks of Marfa Ignatievna. Barbara is the only person who is at least a little interested in Katya, but still she inclines the girl to the fact that she will have to lie and squirm in order to survive in this family.
Relationship with Boris
In The Thunderstorm, the image of Katerina is revealed through love line. Boris came from Moscow on business related to receiving an inheritance. Feelings for Katya flare up suddenly, as do the girl's reciprocal feelings. This is love at first sight. Boris is worried that Katya is married, but he continues to look for meetings with her. Katya, realizing her feelings, tries to give them up. Treason is contrary to the laws of Christian morality and society. Barbara helps the lovers meet. For ten whole days, Katya secretly meets with Boris (while Tikhon was away). Having learned about the arrival of Tikhon, Boris refuses to meet with Katya, he asks Varvara to persuade Katya to keep quiet about their secret meetings. But Katerina is not such a person: she needs to be honest with others and herself. She is afraid of God's punishment for her sin, therefore she regards the raging thunderstorm as a sign from above and talks about betrayal. After that, Katya decides to talk to Boris. It turns out that he is going to leave for Siberia for a few days, but he cannot take the girl with him. It is obvious that Boris does not really need Katya, that he did not love her. But Katya did not like Boris either. More precisely, she loved, but not Boris. In The Thunderstorm, Ostrovsky's image of Katerina endowed her with the ability to see the good in everything, endowed the girl with a surprisingly strong imagination. Katya thought up the image of Boris, she saw in him one of his features - the rejection of Kalinov's reality - and made it the main one, refusing to see other sides. After all, Boris came to ask for money from Wild, just as other Kalinovites did. Boris was for Katya a person from another world, from the world of freedom, the one that the girl dreamed of. Therefore, Boris himself becomes a kind of embodiment of freedom for Katya. She falls in love not with him, but with her ideas about him.
The drama "Thunderstorm" ends tragically. Katya rushes into the Volga, realizing that she cannot live in such a world. And there is no other world. The girl, despite her religiosity, commits one of the worst sins of the Christian paradigm. It takes a lot of willpower to make such a decision. Unfortunately, in those circumstances, the girl had no other choice. Surprisingly, Katya maintains inner purity even after committing suicide.
A detailed disclosure of the image of the main character and a description of her relationship with others actors The play will be useful for 10 classes when preparing for an essay on the topic “The image of Katerina in the play “Thunderstorm””.
Artwork test
The story told by Ostrovsky is sad and tragic at the same time. The play depicts the fictional town of Kalinov and its inhabitants. The city of Kalinov, like its population, serves as a kind of symbol of typical provincial towns and villages in Russia in the 60s of the XIX century.
In the center of the play is the merchant family of Kabanikhi and Dikiy. Wild was cruel and the richest man in the city. An ignorant tyrant who could not live a day without swearing, and who believed that money gives him every right to mock weaker and defenseless people.
The boar, who established order in the town, adhered to traditional patriarchal customs, was charitable in public, but extremely cruel with her family. Kabanikha is a fan of domostroevshchina.
Her son Tikhon was calm and kind. Daughter Barbara is a lively girl who knows how to hide her feelings, her motto is: "Do what, but so that it is covered." Feklusha in the service of Kabanikhi.
Local - Kulibin, who accurately and vividly characterizes local residents and mercilessly criticizes the cruel customs of the townsfolk. Next comes the nephew of Wild Boris, who came to his uncle from Moscow, because he promised him part of the inheritance if he was respectful with him.
But the main place in the play is occupied by Tikhon's wife - Katerina. It is her image that has attracted attention since the creation of the play.
Katerina was from a completely different world. Her family was the exact opposite of her husband's family. She loved to dream, loved freedom, justice, and, having got into the Kabanikh family, it was as if she found herself in a dungeon, where she always had to silently obey the orders of her mother-in-law and indulge all her whims.
Outwardly, Katerina is calm, balanced, carries out almost all the instructions of Kabanikh, but inside her, a protest against cruelty, tyranny and injustice is growing and growing.
Katerina's protest reached its finale when Tikhon left on business, and she agreed to go with Boris, who she liked and was not like the other inhabitants of Kalinov. In a way, he was like her.
Varvara, the daughter of Kabanikha, arranges a meeting between Katerina and Boris. Katerina agrees, but then, tormented by remorse, she falls on her knees before her puzzled husband and confesses everything to him.
It is impossible to describe the contempt and indignation that fell upon Katerina's head after her confession. Unable to resist him, Katerina rushed into the Volga. Sad, tragic ending.
Beam of light in the dark realm
It would seem that what prevented Katerina from leading a calm, carefree life in a wealthy merchant family. Her character interfered. Outwardly, Katerina seemed to be a soft and benevolent girl.
But in fact, this is a strong and resolute nature: being completely, she, having quarreled with her parents, got into the boat and pushed off from the shore, then they found her only the next day ten miles from home.
The character of Katerina is characterized by sincerity and strength of feelings. " Why do people don't fly like birds! she exclaimed dreamily.
The heroine lived in a completely different world, invented by her, and did not want to live in the world in which the Boar lived with her household. “I don’t want to live like this and I won’t! I'll throw myself into the Volga! she often said.
Katerina was a stranger to everyone, and nothing but oppression and resentment was prepared for her by fate in the world of wild and wild boars. The great Russian critic Belinsky called it "a ray of light in dark kingdom».
The character of Katerina is also striking in its inconsistency, strength, energy and diversity. Throwing herself into the Volga was, in her opinion, the only way out of the suffocating, unbearable, intolerable hypocritical atmosphere in which she had to live.
This, no doubt, a brave act was her highest protest against cruelty, hypocrisy and injustice. Katerina sacrificed in the name of her ideal the most precious thing she had - her life.
The play "Thunderstorm" by A. N. Ostrovsky was published in 1860. brewing in Russia revolutionary situation time was quite difficult. In the summer of 1856, the writer traveled along the Volga. In the play, he conveyed his impressions of this trip, but did not describe specific cities and people, but depicted generalized, but deeply typical pictures of life in Rus'.
In general, Ostrovsky is considered a real "singer of merchant life." He is the author of numerous plays, central theme which became the image merchant world second half of XIX century.
The drama is characterized by the fact that it is based on an insoluble conflict that leads to the death of the main character. The conflict arises between Katerina Kabanova and the "dark kingdom" of the merchant world, which is represented by Kabanikha and her entourage. Katerina commits suicide - an act that is considered to be a manifestation of cowardice and weakness of character. I would like to understand this issue in more detail.
So, Katerina Kabanova is the main character of the play "Thunderstorm", Tikhon's wife and Kabanikh's daughter-in-law. The image of Katerina is endowed strong character and represents a person waking up in patriarchal conditions. The origins of Katerina's character are hidden in the conditions of her life before marriage. Talking about the girlhood of the heroine, the author draws patriarchal world in its ideal form. The main thing in this world is a huge and mutual feeling of love.
In the parental house of Katerina, the same order reigned as in the house of Kabanikh. But there, Katerina occupied the position of a beloved daughter, and in the house of Kabanikh, she was a subordinate daughter-in-law. Therefore, as a girl, Katerina did not know the coercion and violence that she had to face after marriage. For her, the patriarchal harmony of family life is moral ideal, but she does not find this harmony in her husband's house. Katerina was married very young, as her parents decided, and she meekly obeyed their will, because such is the custom. But it was submission with love and respect, and, having got into the house of her mother-in-law, Katerina was surprised to find that there was no one to respect here. After some time, a new outlook on life begins to form in her soul, a different attitude towards people and towards herself. This is manifested in her first independent choice - passionate love for Boris. Katerina is religious and the awakened strong feeling frightens her. She perceives this love as a terrible sin, resisting it in every possible way. But the heroine lacks support and inner strength. A terrible thunderstorm is growing in Katerina's soul. "Sinful" love flared up in her with incredible strength, the desire for will grew every day, but religious fear also became stronger. Katerina could no longer resist passion and cheated on her husband, and then publicly confessed her sin, not hoping for forgiveness. It was the lack of hope that pushed the heroine to an even greater sin - suicide. She could not reconcile her love for Boris with the demands of her conscience, and the thought of returning to her home prison, where Kabanikha imprisoned her, caused physical disgust. The hopelessness of this situation led Katerina to death.
The image of Katerina personifies the spiritual beauty and moral purity of a Russian woman. In one of his articles, A. N. Dobrolyubov wrote about this heroine, calling her "a ray of light in a dark kingdom." Katerina is amazingly natural, simple and sincere. The play repeatedly mentions the image of a free bird. Indeed, the heroine resembles a bird that was locked in an iron cage. She strives for freedom, because living in captivity has become simply unbearable. In my opinion, her suicide is more a protest against the "dark kingdom" and a selfless desire for freedom than a weakness of character, although there are other points of view.
Updated: 2012-08-09
Attention!
Thank you for your attention.
If you notice an error or typo, highlight the text and press Ctrl+Enter.
Thus, you will provide invaluable benefit to the project and other readers.
