“Thunderstorm” - the most amazing
the work of the Russian, mighty,
fully mastered talent.
I, S. Turgenev
Autumn 1859. Premiere at the Moscow Maly Theater. Great actors play a play by a great playwright. Treatises will be written about this work, and N. Dobrolyubov and A. Grigoriev will come together in polemics about it. This play will take place on many stages around the world, but all this will happen later, but for now the Maly Theater is staging for the first time new play A. N. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”.
Behind the rising curtain is a panorama of the Volga, in the foreground are trees and benches. The action takes place in the city of Kalinov, surrounded by green gardens. “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices!” - these words of Kuligin are a kind of prologue to the play.
It seems that against the backdrop of such beauty, people should live beautifully and happily. However, it is not. In Kalinov there is an atmosphere of “dull aching pain..., prison deathly silence.”
“Dark Kingdom” - this is the description given to many residents of the city of Kuligin. He criticizes Kalinov’s “cruel morals”, the rudeness and deceit of its inhabitants.
Indeed, one gets the impression that in Kalinov everything has been turned upside down, everything has lost its meaning. Kindness here has become a cover for anger and cruelty. Let us remember how the same Kuligin characterizes Kabanikha: “Prudence! He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family.”
Love in this city is a crime. Any manifestation of sincere feeling is regarded as a sin. When Katerina, saying goodbye to Tikhon, throws herself on his neck, Kabanikha pulls her back: “Why are you hanging on his neck, shameless one! You are not saying goodbye to your lover! He’s your husband, your boss!” Love and marriage cannot live together here. In the Kabanov family, rudeness and deception reign, but not love. Marfa Ignatievna remembers love only when she needs to justify her cruelty: “After all, parents are strict with you out of love... Well, I don’t like that now.” Even Katerina’s death will not make Kabanikha’s cold heart shrink: “It’s a sin to cry about her!”
I think Kabanikha is smart. Ignorant, considering the locomotive a “fiery serpent”, captivated by the stories of wandering praying mantises about countries where “Saltans” rule, and people are all “dog-headed”, she is still able to appreciate what is happening. Kabanikha understands that money does not yet give complete power, she needs to enslave people, desecrating in them all the best that is in every decent person: love, loyalty, a sense of beauty, faith, finally. The main means for achieving complete dominion over people is cruelty, disguised as hypocrisy. But Kabanikha’s cruelty bears bitter fruit: Katerina dies, Varvara runs away from home, Tikhon reproaches his mother for the first time, accusing her of his wife’s death. Such a conclusion is easily drawn by the viewer or reader, but it is inaccessible to the merchant herself, because it goes beyond the rules that reign in the “dark kingdom.”
Kabanikha, in my opinion, is the most consistent defender of this kingdom, because she has a presentiment of its death: “The old man is deduced... What will happen, how the old people will die, how the light will last, I don’t know... it’s good that I won’t see anything.”
I think this feeling of the end of the way of life that was characteristic of the Russian merchants mid-19th century, Marfa Ignatievna differs from Dikiy, the richest man in Kalinov (it is noteworthy that he is named first in the list of characters).
This “shrill man” firmly believes that money has given him a free hand in communicating with people. If Kabanikha acts “under the guise of piety,” then this tyrant of the day cannot live without swearing. For him, a person is a worm: “If I want, I’ll have mercy, if I want, I’ll crush.” Is it any wonder that Dikoy deliberately commits a crime, ruining hired workers. “I won’t pay them a penny extra per person, but I have thousands from this,” he says to the mayor, who treats Dikiy’s revelations quite calmly, because he himself depends on him. This is who is at the head of Kalinov!
Dikiy's inertia and rudeness are manifested in his conversation with Kuligin. Savel Prokofievich does not want to know either about scientific discoveries or about Derzhavin. Thus, in the “dark kingdom” they die not only high feelings, but also any manifestations of creative thought.
However, Dikoy fights only with those who depend on him. When a hussar scolded him at the crossing, this militant tyrant did not dare to confront the officer, but took out all his anger on his family. “You’ve been fighting with women all your life,” Kabanikha reproaches him. And Kuligin characterizes the meaning of life in the “dark kingdom” this way: “To rob orphans, relatives, nephews, to kill the household.” How terrible are people who have chosen cruelty as the main business of their lives!
Dikoy and Kabanikha are similar in many ways: to strangle, destroy nobility, feelings that are not similar to silent obedience, to mock people who are submissive to their power - this is for them, if not the meaning of life, then no small pleasure. But Kabanikha came to this through her “hard labor”. She was just as broken and abused in her husband’s house. All this stopped for her only after she became the absolute mistress of the house. And this could only happen after the death of the previous owners. This means that this is the order in life: endure while the master is standing over you, enjoy impunity, since you yourself have become the mistress. It doesn’t even occur to her that this order can be changed, that she can treat her son, daughter-in-law, and daughter differently, with love and tenderness. There are no such concepts in her soul. She endured - let others endure too. But Kabanikha, not only strong character, but also unprincipled and indifferent, does not understand the other thing: a person can not only be broken, like Tikhon, embittered, like Varvara, but he can simply be physically destroyed if the directness of character and the tenderness of the soul cannot be overcome. This is what happened to Katerina.
It's much easier for the wild one. He does what his father, grandfather, and neighbor have done all his life. The difference is that there is more money, but less and less intelligence. After all, Dikoy doesn’t even live by the principle: money will buy everything. He doesn't want to buy anything. And why, when you can use the power of money as a battering ram, as a trap, simply as force.
The “pious wanderer” Feklusha sets off the characters of Kabanikha and Dikiy in her own way. She doesn’t just bring information about the big world to Kalinov. She justifies the life principles of the “dark kingdom”, and the characteristics of the city and its inhabitants in her mouth are no less ridiculous than the stories about overseas “Saltans”. Kalinov becomes a “promised land” for her, and the cruel Kabanikha becomes a model of piety. This is another confirmation of the meaninglessness and futility of the “dark kingdom”.
“The Thunderstorm” is the best, but not the only play by A. N. Ostrovsky, which exposes the cruel morals of the powerful. Let’s remember “Dowry Girl,” “Profitable Place,” “Mad Money” and other plays.
In 1886, Ostrovsky, having made his last trip to the Volga, according to his contemporaries, “fell ill at heart”: nothing had changed in Russia. The great playwright decided to start writing a new play for his beloved Maly Theater. However, death crossed out this plan.
Each person is a one and only world, with his own actions, character, habits, honor, morality, self-esteem.
It is precisely the problem of honor and self-esteem that Ostrovsky raises in his play “The Thunderstorm”.
In order to show the contradictions between rudeness and honor, between ignorance and dignity, the play shows two generations: people of the older generation, the so-called “dark kingdom”, and people of the new trend, more progressive, not
those who want to live according to old laws and customs.
Dikoy and Kabanova are typical representatives of the “dark kingdom”. It was in these images that Ostrovsky wanted to show the ruling class in Russia at that time.
So who are Dikoy and Kabanova? First of all, these are the richest people in the city; in their hands is the “supreme” power, with the help of which they oppress not only their serfs, but also their relatives. Kuligin said well about the life of the bourgeoisie: “...And whoever has money, sir, tries to enslave the poor so that his labors will be free more money make money...”, and again: “In the philistinism, sir, you will see nothing but rudeness...” So they live, knowing nothing but money, ruthless exploitation, immeasurable profit
at someone else's expense. It was not without intention that Ostrovsky created these two types. Dikoy is a typical merchant, and his social circle is Kabanikha.
The images of Dikiy and Kabanova are very similar: they are rude, ignorant people. They are only engaged in tyranny. The wild one is annoyed by his relatives, who accidentally caught his eye: “...I told you once, I told you twice: “Don’t you dare come across me”; you're itching for everything! Not enough space for you? Wherever you go, here you are!..” And if someone comes to ask Dikiy for money, then there will be no way around it without swearing: “I understand that; What are you going to tell me to do with myself when my heart is like this! After all, I already know what I have to give, but I can’t do everything with goodness. You are my friend, and I must give it to you, but if you come and ask me, I will scold you. I will give, give, and curse. Therefore, as soon as you mention money to me, everything inside me will be ignited; It kindles everything inside, and that’s all...”
Kabanova doesn’t like it when Katerina defends her human dignity and tries to protect her husband from unnecessary abuse. Kabanikha is disgusted that someone dares to contradict her, to do something not at her command. But there is a slight difference between Dikiy and Kabanova in relation to their relatives and the people around them. Dikoy swears openly, “as if he’s broken free from a chain,” Kabanikha, “under the guise of piety”: “I know, I know that you don’t like my words, but what can I do, I’m not a stranger to you, my heart is about you it hurts... After all, it’s out of love that your parents are strict with you, it’s out of love that they scold you, that’s all
they think to teach good things. Well, I don’t like it now. And the children will go around praising people that their mother is a grumbler, that their mother does not allow them to pass, that they are squeezing them out of the world. But God forbid, you won’t please your daughter-in-law with some word, so the conversation started that the mother-in-law was completely fed up.”
Greed, rudeness, ignorance, tyranny will always be present in these people. These qualities were not eradicated because they were raised that way, they grew up in the same environment. People like Kabanova and Dikoy will always be together, it is impossible to separate them. Where one ignorant and tyrant appeared, another will appear. Whatever the society, there will always be people who, under the guise of progressive ideas and education, hide, or rather, try to hide their stupidity, rudeness and ignorance. They tyrannize those around them, without being at all embarrassed or afraid to bear any responsibility for it. Dikoy and Kabanova are that very “dark kingdom”, relics, supporters of the foundations of this “dark kingdom”. That's who they are, these Wild and Kabanovs, stupid, ignorant, hypocritical, rude. They preach the same peace and order. This is a world of money, anger, envy and hostility. They hate everything new and progressive. A. Ostrovsky’s idea was to expose the “dark kingdom” using the images of Dikiy and Kabanova. He denounced all rich people for lack of spirituality and meanness. Mainly in secular societies Russia XIX centuries there were such Wild and Kabanovs, as the author showed us in his drama “The Thunderstorm”.
The curtain opens. And the viewer sees the high bank of the Volga, the city garden, the residents of the charming town of Kalinova walking and talking. The beauty of the landscape evokes Kuligin’s poetic delight and is in surprising harmony with the free Russian folk song. The conversation of city inhabitants flows slowly, in which Kalinov’s life, hidden from prying eyes, is already slightly revealed.
The talented, self-taught mechanic Kuligin calls his morals “cruel.” How does he see this manifested? First of all, in the poverty and rudeness that reigns in the middle class. The reason is very clear: the dependence of the working population on the power of money concentrated in the hands of the rich merchants of the city. But, continuing the story about Kalinov’s morals, Kuligin by no means idealizes the relationship between the merchant class, which, according to him, undermines each other’s trade, writes “malicious slander.” The only educated person, Kalinova, draws attention to one important detail, which clearly appears in the funny story about how Dikoy explained to the mayor about the men’s complaint against him.
Let us remember Gogol's "The Inspector General", in which the merchants did not dare to make a word in front of the mayor, but meekly put up with his tyranny and endless exactions. And in “The Thunderstorm”, in response to the remark of the main person of the city about his dishonest act, Dika
only condescendingly pats the government representative on the shoulder, not even considering it necessary to justify himself. This means that money and power have become synonymous here. Therefore, there is no justice for the Wild One, who insults the entire city. No one can please him, no one is immune from his frantic abuse. Dikoy is self-willed and tyrannical because he does not meet resistance and is confident in his own impunity. This hero, with his rudeness, greed and ignorance, personifies the main features of Kalinov’s “dark kingdom”. Moreover, his anger and irritation especially increase in cases when it comes either to money that needs to be returned, or to something inaccessible to his understanding. That's why he scolds his nephew Boris so much, because his very appearance
reminds of the inheritance, which, according to the will, must be divided with him. That’s why he attacks Kuligin, who is trying to explain to him the principle of the lightning rod’s operation. Wild is outraged by the idea of a thunderstorm as an electrical discharge. He, like all Kalinovites, is convinced that a thunderstorm is coming! people as a reminder of responsibility for their actions. This is not just ignorance and superstition, it is folk mythology passed down from generation to generation, before which the language of logical reason falls silent. This means that even in the violent, uncontrollable tyrant Dikiy this moral truth lives, forcing him to publicly bow at the feet of the peasant whom he scolded during Lent. Even if Dikiy has bouts of repentance, then at first the rich merchant widow Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova seems even more religious and pious. Unlike the Wild One, she will never raise her voice or rush at people like a chained dog. But the despotism of her nature is not at all a secret for the Kalinovites. Even before this heroine appears on stage, we hear biting and apt remarks from the townspeople addressed to her. “Prude, sir. She gives money to the poor, but completely eats up her family,” Kuligin tells Boris about her. And the very first meeting with Kabanikha convinces us of the correctness of this
characteristics. Her tyranny is limited to the sphere of the family, which she mercilessly tyrannizes. Kabanikha crippled her own son, turning him into a pathetic, weak-willed man who does nothing but justify himself to her for non-existent sins. The cruel, despotic Kabanikha turned the life of her children and daughter-in-law into hell, constantly torturing them, tormenting them with reproaches, complaints and suspicions. Therefore, her daughter Varvara! , a brave, strong-willed girl, is forced to live by the principle: “...do what you want, as long as it’s sewn and covered.” Therefore, Tikhon and Katerina cannot be happy. For Katerina, such a feeling as love is incompatible with hateful walls
Kabanovsky house, with its oppressive stuffy atmosphere. Kabanikha defends ancient customs and rituals with enviable tenacity. As an experienced director, she organizes the scene of Tikhon’s farewell, assigning Katerina the role of a silent extra. Tikhon presents a funny and pitiful spectacle here when, stuttering and embarrassed, he pronounces teachings to his wife under the dictation of his mother. After her son’s departure, Marfa Ignatievna expresses dissatisfaction with the fact that her daughter-in-law, after seeing her husband off, did not howl on the porch for an hour and a half, thereby expressing her love. Despite her absolute power over the children, Kabanikha is constantly dissatisfied with something. She feels that young people internally do not agree with her, that they want freedom and independence. She cannot even instill in her weak-willed son the simple idea that the basis of family relationships should be fear, and not love and trust. In the scene of Katerina’s public repentance, the playwright showed her inner triumph with one laconic phrase from Kabanikha: “What, son! Wherever the will leads!”
Kalinovsky's world is cruel and heartless towards those who dare to reject his morality, his moral principles. This was confirmed tragic fate Katerina, who preferred death to life in the Kabanovsky house. The story told in the drama highlights the same cruelty of Kalinovsky morals, where behind the tightly locked gates they pour
“invisible and inaudible” tears, where families are tyrannized, where orphans are robbed, drunkenness and debauchery. But the pillars on which the old order rests have already been shaken. After all, people appeared who expressed their protest against the outdated, ossified way of life. Even in the soul of the meek, uncomplaining Tikhon, indignation rises against the despotism of his mother, whom he openly blames for the death of his wife. Varvara also flees from the Kabanovsky house, not wanting to endure domestic tyranny. Kuligin tries in every possible way to soften Kalinov’s cruel morals, naively hoping to enlighten the tyrant Dikiy and direct him to the path of truth.
Thus, “The Thunderstorm” fully and deeply reflected a turbulent time, full of contradictions and disasters, when the old patriarchal world began to collapse, awakening in people hope for a better future for the country and people.
Ostrovsky is rightfully considered one of the most prominent exponents of national identity, and his dramas are called plays of life. We can say that Ostrovsky is the founder of Russian theater, a master of realistic prose. He wrote more
seventy plays. Among his plays there are practically no weak, unmemorable pieces. But “The Thunderstorm” stands apart even among the artist’s best creations. Written in one thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine, the drama reflected the processes beginning in Russia by that time.
“The Thunderstorm” is a reflection of the life of the Russian province, where patriarchal conditions are still strong. It is important to note that Ostrovsky wrote his work after traveling along the Volga. The fictional city of Kalinov has absorbed the features of the Russian hinterland. The exposition of the play takes place on the wide Volga expanse. But city dwellers do not notice nature, their souls are not sensitive to beauty. It is important to note that the play is based on
antithesis. The author contrasts the beauty of nature with the inhabitants of the city. They only care about their own good. For these people, the concept of public benefit means nothing. For example, Kuligin persuades Dikiy to give money for a lightning rod, but is met with a contemptuous refusal. Wild – typical representative this society. He is an empty person, looking for a quarrel with the first person he meets. The main goal of his life is to humiliate and trample those of lower rank. Savel Prokofievich is rich, but he made his fortune by fraud. He robs his workers without paying each one a penny extra. Wild's relatives live in constant fear, trying to please him.
Power in the city belongs not only to him, but also to Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. She is an ardent representative of the “dark kingdom”, quite a rich woman, a widow. After the death of her husband, Kabanikha took power in the house into her own hands. And since then, no one dares to contradict her, not only in the family, but throughout the city. She does not give free rein to either Tikhon, her son, or her daughter-in-law. Marfa Ignatievna is not afraid of the Wild One, objects to him and even has some power over him. “Well, don’t let your throat loose! Find me cheaper! And I am dear to you! Go your own way, where you were going... you’ve been fighting with women all your life.” In the play, she is characterized not only by her speeches, but is also discussed by other characters. Kuligin says this: “Prudence, sir! He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family.” Kabanova is a hypocritical, ignorant, patriarchal Russian merchant's wife. Only her son is dear to her; she truly loves him and wants to help him in life. Kabanikha is jealous of Tikhon towards Katerina, constantly finds fault with her, does not give her peace
live. Neither Savel Prokofievich nor Marfa Ignatyevna want to recognize anything new, but want to live in accordance with Domostroevsky orders. Such Wild and Kabanikhs represent the basis of the Russian merchants. It seems that the Middle Ages still reign in the city: the townspeople do not know about the news of science and technology, they subjugate life
the ridiculous superstitions that the wanderer Feklusha spreads. For Kalinov residents, a thunderstorm is God’s punishment. They are religious, but their faith has nothing to do with Katerina’s bright feeling. It’s not for nothing that Dobrolyubov called her “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.”
For residents of the city of Kalinov, God is a cruel judge, whom they are afraid to meet. The morals here were described by the skillful and observant Kuligin: “We have cruel morals, sir.” The strong and rich profit from the weak and dependent. And Dikoy
He doesn’t even hide his contempt for “little” people. It is more difficult for women who are deprived of their freedom upon marriage. Attitudes in the family are dictated by "Domostroy", which in the nineteenth century turned into ridiculous, forgotten and no one
unnecessary rituals. For example, Katerina cannot go for a walk because she married woman. In the meantime, my husband is away, you can’t even go near the window. Strict morality though!
less does not prevent the Kalinovites from sinning. the essence of this relationship is expressed in Varvara’s remarks: “For me, do whatever you want, as long as everything is sewn and covered.” Despite her mother's prohibition, Varvara walks with Kudryash. Katerina excites the public
indignation not because she cheated on her husband, but because she publicly repented. A wife who has sinned may even be killed by her husband; by this Ostrovsky exposes social inequality and speaks of a woman’s dependence. It is also mentioned that
male infidelity is not even punished.
Ostrovsky shows that the “dark kingdom” is still very strong. And Katerina’s duel with him ends in her death. But social processes can no longer be stopped; young people are demanding the right to build their lives according to their own wishes. Protest
Katerina is the most striking proof, but Varvara also runs away from home with Kudryash. And even the weak, submissive Tikhon accuses his mother over his wife’s body: “It’s you, Mama, who killed her.” A terrible understanding was born in him that life in the “dark kingdom” was worse
death, throwing himself on his wife’s corpse, he shouts: “Good for you, Katya! But why did I stay in the world and suffer.” By this, Ostrovsky shows how Kalinov’s laws are crumbling.
The play outlines an acute social conflict. After all, the times of the “dark kingdom” are long gone, and for some reason the drama is not outdated. Consequently, the problems of the play are not only social, but also philosophical. The human right to make one's own choice,
rebellion against generally accepted morality - these problems are classified as eternal.
The highest artistic achievement of A. N. Ostrovsky in the pre-reform years was the drama "The Thunderstorm". The action of A. N. Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" takes place in provincial town Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga. “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices!” exclaims Kuligin, one of the local residents. But against the backdrop of this beautiful landscape, a bleak picture of life is painted.
Dobrolyubov called the life of Kalinov and similar cities in Russia at that time a “dark kingdom.” A sleepy, calm, measured existence. Kalinov residents spend most of their time at home, where they live behind high walls and strong castles.
they eat leisurely, do some household chores, sleep. “They go to bed very early, so it’s difficult for an unaccustomed person to endure such a sleepy night.” On holidays, people leisurely, sedately stroll along the boulevard, but “even then they only pretend to be walking , and they themselves go there to show off their outfits.” The inhabitants of Kalinov have no desire to understand culture, 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 wanderers, pilgrims, “walking kaliki.” “Because of their weakness,” they are far away
We didn’t go, but “we heard a lot.” Behind the external calm of life lie dark thoughts, the dark life of tyrants who do not recognize human dignity.
Representatives of the “dark kingdom” are Dikoy and Kabanikha. Dikoy - a complete type of merchant-tyrant, the meaning of life
which is to accumulate capital by any means. The imperious and stern Kabanikha is an even more sinister and gloomy representative of Domostroy. She strictly observes all the customs and orders of patriarchal antiquity, eats her family, shows hypocrisy when giving gifts to the poor, and does not tolerate manifestations of personal will in anyone.
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, and harm their former friends:
“I’ll spend it, and it’ll cost him a pretty penny.” Boris does not dare to defend himself from Dokiy’s insults, since according to the will he can receive an inheritance only if he is respectful to his uncle. For example, Dikiy shows the character of a person at the mercy of money. One of the richest people in Kalinoy, Dikoy stoops to outright fraud: “I won’t pay them a penny extra 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 dealing with people, it is his nature, his character, even more than that - the content of life. The tyranny of the Wild knows no bounds. He does not allow his family to live in peace. When the host of the ball is not in the mood! "Everyone was hiding in attics and closets." However, in typical 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
Do we feel that the Wild’s tyranny is cracking?
She firmly stands guard over the patriarchal house-building orders of antiquity, jealously protects the life of her home from the fresh wind of Kabanov’s changes. Unlike Dikiy, she never swears, she has her own methods of intimidation: she, “like rusty iron,” sharpens her loved ones, hiding behind the divine dogmas and suffering about trampled antiquity.
Filial love and maternal feelings do not exist in this house, they are corroded, trampled into the dirt by arbitrariness, bigotry, and malice. The boar is haunted by the fact that the young people do not like her way of life, that they want to live differently. The main thing is that what are Dikoy and Kabanova to blame for is that they have a destructive effect on those around them, poisoning their lives, destroying bright feelings in them, making them their slaves.
There is a lot in common between Kabanikha and Dikiy. They are united by despotism, superstition, ignorance, and heartlessness, but Dikoy and Kabanikha do not repeat each other, but complement each other. Kabanikha is more cunning than Dikoy. Dikoy does not hide his tyranny. Kabanikha
hiding behind the god she supposedly serves. As disgusting as Dikoy is, Kabanikha is scarier and more harmful than him. Her authority is recognized by everyone, even Dikoy tells her: “You’re the only one in the whole city who can make me talk.” After all, Dikoy is self-willed with a secret consciousness of the lawlessness of his actions and therefore he gives in to the authority of a person who relies on the moral law, or to a strongman who boldly crushes his authority. It is impossible to “enlighten” it, but it can be “stopped”. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova succeeds in this easily. But life does not stand still, tyrants feel that their power is being limited. N. Dobrolyubov notes: “Everything, it seems,
as before, everything is fine: Dikoy scolds Koko wants...Kabanova keeps her children...daughter-in-law in fear...But everything is somehow restless, not good for them. Besides them, without washing them away, another life has grown, with others beginnings...and is already sending bad visions to the dark tyranny of tyranny."
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Russian writers
The work of A. N. Ostrovsky stands at the origins of our national drama. Fonvizin, Griboyedov and Gogol began the creation of the great Russian theater. With the advent of Ostrovsky's plays, with the flowering of his talent and skill, dramatic art rose to new heights. No wonder the critic Odoevsky noted that before Ostrovsky in Russian literature there were only 3 dramas: “The Minor”, “Woe from Wit” and “The Inspector General”. He called the play “Bankrupt” the fourth, emphasizing that it is the last missing cornerstone on which the majestic “building” of the Russian theater will be erected.
From "Bankrupt" to "Thunderstorm"
Yes, it was with the comedy “Our People - We Will Be Numbered” (the second title of “Bankrupt”) that the wide popularity of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky, a playwright who combined in his work and masterfully reworked the best traditions of the “natural” school - socio-psychological and satirical, began. Having become the “Columbus of Zamoskvorechye”, he revealed to the world a hitherto unknown layer of Russian life - the middle and small merchants and philistines, reflected its originality, showed both bright, strong, pure characters and the gloomy harsh reality of the world of commerce, hypocrisy, lack of high impulses and ideals . This happened in 1849. And already in his first significant play, the writer outlines with strokes a special type of personality that will appear in him again and again: from Samson Silych Bolshoi to Titu Titych Bruskov from “At Someone Else’s Feast a Hangover” and further, to Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova and Savel Prokopyevich Dikiy from “Thunderstorms” is a type of tyrant, named very accurately and succinctly and, thanks to the playwright, entered into our speech. This category includes people who completely violate the logical and moral standards of human society. The critic Dobrolyubov called Dika and Kabanikha, representing the “dark kingdom” in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm,” “tyrants of Russian life.”
Tyranny as a socio-typological phenomenon
Let us examine this phenomenon in more detail. Why do tyrants appear in society? First of all, from the awareness of one’s own complete and absolute power, the complete leveling of the interests and opinions of others in comparison with one’s own, the feeling of impunity and lack of resistance on the part of the victims. This is how the “dark kingdom” is shown in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”. Dikoy and Kabanova are the richest residents of the small provincial town of Kalinov, located along the banks of the Volga. Money allows them to feel personal importance and importance. They also give them power - over their own family, over strangers who are somewhat dependent on them, and more broadly - over public opinion in the city. The “Dark Kingdom” in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is scary because it destroys or distorts the slightest manifestations of protest, any trends of freedom and independence. Tyranny - reverse side slavery. It equally corrupts both the “masters of life” themselves and those who depend on them, poisoning all of Russia with its noxious breath. That is why, according to Dobrolyubov’s definition, the “dark kingdom” in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is synonymous with tyranny.
Drama Conflict
Possessing a deep understanding of reality, the writer was able to depict its most essential and significant aspects. In the pre-reform year 1859, he was impressed by his trip along the Volga in 1856-1857. creates a play that was later recognized as one of his best creations - the drama “The Thunderstorm”. What’s interesting: literally a month after the play was finished, events took place in Kostroma that seemed to reproduce the script literary work. What does this mean? About how accurately Alexander Nikolaevich felt and guessed the conflict and how realistically the “dark kingdom” was reflected in the play “The Thunderstorm”.
It was not for nothing that Ostrovsky chose the main contradiction of Russian life as the main conflict - the clash between the conservative principle, based on patriarchal traditions, formed over centuries and based on unquestioned authority, moral principles and prohibitions, on the one hand, and on the other - the rebellious, creative and living principle , the need of the individual to break stereotypes, to move forward in spiritual development. Therefore, not only Dikoy and Kabanikha embody the “dark kingdom” in the play “The Thunderstorm”. Ostrovsky makes it clear that the slightest concession to him, connivance and non-resistance automatically transfers a person to the rank of accomplices.
Philosophy of the “dark kingdom”
From the very first lines of the play, two elements burst into our consciousness: the freedom of wonderful distances, wide horizons and the stuffy, condensed atmosphere of the pre-storm, the languid expectation of some kind of shock and the thirst for renewal. Representatives of the “dark kingdom” in the play “The Thunderstorm” are horrified by natural disasters, seeing in them a manifestation of the wrath of God and future punishments for sins - obvious and imaginary. Marfa Ignatievna repeats this all the time, echoing her and Dikaya. In response to Kuligin’s request to donate money for the construction of a lightning rod for the townspeople, he reproaches: “The thunderstorm was given as punishment, and you, so and so, want to defend yourself from the Lord with a pole.” This remark clearly shows the philosophy adhered to by the representatives of the “dark kingdom” in the play “The Thunderstorm”: one cannot resist what has dominated for centuries, one cannot go against the will or punishment from above, humility and submission must remain the ethical norms of our time. What’s interesting is that Kalinov’s main tyrants themselves not only sincerely believe in this order of things, but also recognize it as the only correct one.
Hypocrisy in the guise of virtue
The “Dark Kingdom” in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” has many faces. But its pillars, first and foremost, are Dikoy and Kabanova. Marfa Ignatievna, a portly merchant's wife, the mistress of a house behind whose high fence invisible tears flow and daily humiliation occurs. human dignity and free will, is uniquely named in the play - bigot. They say about her: “She gives alms to the poor, goes to church, devoutly crosses herself, and eats her household, sharpening it like rusting iron.” She tries to observe the external laws of antiquity in everything, without particularly caring about their internal content. Kabanikha knows that younger people must obey their elders and demands blind obedience in everything. When Katerina says goodbye to Tikhon before his departure, she forces her to bow at her husband’s feet, and her son to give his wife a strict order on how to behave. There’s “don’t contradict your mother,” and “don’t look at the guys,” and many other “wishes.” Moreover, everyone present well understands the farcical nature of the situation, its falsity. And only Marfa Ignatievna revels in her mission. She also played a decisive role in Katerina’s tragedy, distorting her son’s character, ruining his family life, outraged the soul of Katerina herself and forcing her to take a fatal step from the bank of the Volga into the abyss.
Lies are the law
The “Dark Kingdom” in A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm” is tyranny in its highest manifestation. Katerina, comparing life in her own family and in her husband’s family, notices the most important difference: everything here seems to be “from under captivity.” And it is true. Either you obey the inhuman rules of the game, or you will be ground into powder. Kuligin directly states that morals in the city are “cruel.” He who is rich tries to enslave the poor in order to increase his fortune with their pennies. The same Dikoy swaggers over Boris, who is dependent on him: “If you please me, I’ll give you the inheritance!” But it is impossible to please the tyrant, and the fate of unfortunate Boris and his sister is predetermined. They will remain humiliated and insulted, powerless and defenseless. Is there a way out? Yes: lie, dodge as long as possible. This is what Tikhon’s sister, Varvara, does. It’s simple: do what you want, as long as no one notices anything, everything is “sewn and covered.” And when Katerina objects that she doesn’t know how to dissemble, cannot lie, Varvara simply tells her: “And I didn’t know how, but it became necessary - I learned!”
Kudryash, Varvara and others
And what exactly are the victims of the “dark kingdom” based on A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm”? These are people with a broken destiny, crippled souls, a disfigured moral world. The same Tikhon is a naturally kind, gentle person. His mother's tyranny killed the beginnings of his own will in him. He cannot resist her pressure, does not know how to resist, and finds solace in drunkenness. He is also unable to support his wife, take her side, or protect her from Kabanov’s tyranny. At the instigation of his mother, he beats Katerina, although he feels sorry for her. And only the death of his wife forces him to openly blame his mother, but it is clear that the fuse will pass very quickly, and everything will remain the same.
Another male character, Vanya Kudryash, is a completely different matter. He rebuffs everyone and even the “shrill” Wild one does not shy away from rudeness. However, this character is also spoiled by the deadening influence of the “dark kingdom.” Kudryash is a copy of the Wild One, only he has not yet entered into strength, has not matured. Time will pass, and he will prove worthy of his owner. Varvara, who has become a liar and suffers oppression from her mother, eventually runs away from home. Lies have become second nature to her, and therefore the heroine evokes our sympathy and compassion. Timid Kuligin rarely dares to defend himself before the impudence of the tyrants of the “dark kingdom.” In fact, no one except Katerina, who, by the way, is also a victim, has sufficient strength to challenge this “kingdom”.
Why Katerina?
The only hero of the work who has the moral determination to condemn the life and customs of the “dark kingdom” in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is Katerina. Her naturalness, sincerity, hot impetuosity, inspiration do not allow her to come to terms with arbitrariness and violence, or to accept the etiquette dictated since Domostroev times. Katerina wants to love, enjoy life, experience natural feelings, and be open to the world. Like a bird, she dreams of breaking away from the earth, from the deadening life and soaring into the sky. She is religious, but not in the Kabanov way. Her straightforward nature is torn in two by the contradiction between duty towards her husband, love for Boris and awareness of her sinfulness before God. And all this is deeply sincere, from the very depths of the heart. Yes, Katerina is also a victim of the “dark kingdom”. However, she managed to break his bonds. It shook the centuries-old foundations. And she was able to show the way out to others - not only by her death itself, but by protest in general.
Kalinov... A town on the Volga. Maybe this is Samara or Kostroma? Maybe Tver or Torzhok? Yes, this is not so important. The main thing is the merchant world that A. N. Ostrovsky so talentedly reflected in the play “The Thunderstorm”. This town is located on a high bank, from which a wonderful view opens. Kuligin says he’s lived for half a century, but he’s never seen such beauty. The Volga and open spaces are truly Levitan's places. Harmony, beauty, triumph of nature. What about in people's lives? Where is this harmony and beauty? merchant storehouses, an old church, a ruined gallery, high fences, a public garden above the river, where on holidays, having drunk tea “until the third day of melancholy,” ordinary people come for a sedate walk. How do these people live, what are they interested in?
Their ideas about nature are absurd and stupid. We learn about this from the lips of Dikiy, when he scolds Kuligin: “A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we feel, and you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some kind of rods.”
The owners of the city are rich merchants - representatives of the “dark kingdom”. “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel...” says Kuligin. Relationships in families are based on fear, tyranny and despotism. Wild tyrannizes his family, humiliates his nephew, ordinary people he doesn’t want to talk at all: “Maybe I don’t want to talk to you. You should have first known whether I was in the mood to listen to you or not. That I’m your equal, or what?”
The rich merchant Kabanikha is also one of the owners of the city. This is a powerful mistress, accustomed to unquestioning obedience. She pesters her loved ones with eternal reproaches and complaints about disrespect and disobedience. All her words have a touch of piety, but in her soul she has a rough, unbridled nature. All innovations are hostile and hateful to her. Kabanikha is a staunch defender of the “dark kingdom”.
The power of the Wild and Boars is still great, but they already feel fear, because another life is growing nearby, it is still far away, barely visible, unclear, but makes itself felt. They are already afraid when they feel pushback and resistance. But this inner weakness and cowardice indicate that the reign of the Wild Ones is coming to an end.
The drama “The Thunderstorm” made a huge impression on the reader and viewer. The play was criticized or praised, but no one was indifferent. After all, at the center of the work was the original Russian character, Katerina Kabanova, who was perceived by contemporaries as a symbolic image striving for change, for a new life. Namely, this was the atmosphere that reigned in society on the eve of the abolition of serfdom (remember that the play was written in 1859 and staged already in 1860). Two contemporaries of Ostrovsky, N.A. Dobrolyubov and D.I. Pisarev, having analyzed Ostrovsky’s drama, wrote critical articles. Critics differed in their assessment of Katerina Kabanova’s action. N.A. Dobrolyubov, in the article “A Ray of Light in a Dark Kingdom,” writes about the determination, integrity and strength of character of Katerina, who, in his opinion, although she grew up in the conditions of the “dark kingdom,” is an extraordinary nature, “breaking out” from her environment. She is sensitive, romantic, capable of real feeling. No wonder Kudryash immediately knows about whom we're talking about, when Boris tells him about the woman he saw in the church during a prayer service. Katerina is different from everyone (even from Kuligin, although these heroes have common points) of the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov. “There is nothing outwardly alien in this character,” writes Dobrolyubov, “everything somehow comes out from within him; every impression is processed in him and then grows organically with him.” Katerina Kabanova is a creative, loving, ideal character. “Rough, superstitious stories and senseless ravings of wanderers turn into golden, poetic dreams of the imagination, not frightening, but clear, kind.” But what motivates Dobrolyubov for Katerina’s decisive step, her suicide? In his opinion, Katerina had no way out of the current life situation. She could submit, become a slave, an unquestioning victim of her mother-in-law and never dare to express her desires or discontent. But this is not Katerina’s character. “...It was not then that the new type created by Russian life was reflected in it, only to be reflected in a fruitless attempt and perish after the first failure.” The heroine decided to die, but she is not afraid of death, since “she is trying to prove to us and herself that she can be forgiven, since it is very difficult for her.” As a result, Dobrolyubov writes: “In Katerina we see a protest against Kabanov’s concepts of morality, a protest brought to the end, proclaimed both under domestic torture and over the abyss into which the poor woman threw herself. She does not want to suffer, does not want to take advantage of the miserable vegetation that is given to her in exchange for her living soul" Katerina died, but her death, like a ray of sunshine, even if only for a moment, dispersed the impenetrable darkness of the old world. Her act shook the foundations of the “dark kingdom.” N.A. Dobrolyubov comes to this conclusion.
D.I. Pisarev makes completely different conclusions in his article “Motives of Russian Drama.” He agrees that “passion, tenderness and sincerity are truly the predominant properties in Katerina’s nature.” But he also sees some contradictions in this image. Pisarev asks himself and the reader the following questions. What kind of love arises from the exchange of a few glances? What kind of stern virtue is it that gives in at the first opportunity? He notices the disproportion between causes and consequences in the heroine’s actions: “The boar grumbles - Katerina languishes”; “Boris Grigorievich casts tender glances - Katerina falls in love.” He does not understand Katerina’s behavior. She was pushed to confess to her husband by quite ordinary circumstances: a thunderstorm, a crazy lady, a picture of fiery hell on the wall of the gallery. Finally, according to Pisarev, Katerina’s last monologue is illogical. She looks at the grave from an aesthetic point of view, while completely forgetting about fiery hell, to which she was previously partial. As a result, Pisarev concludes: “The cruelty of a family despot, the fanaticism of an old bigot, the unhappy love of a girl for a scoundrel, impulses of despair, jealousy, fraud, violent revelry, educational rod, educational affection, quiet daydreaming - all this motley mixture of feelings, qualities and actions.. . comes down, in my opinion, to one common source, which cannot arouse in us exactly any sensations, neither high nor low. These are all various manifestations of inexhaustible stupidity.” Pisarev does not agree with Dobrolyubov in assessing the image of Katerina. In his opinion, Katerina cannot be called “a ray of light in a dark kingdom,” since she was unable to do anything to alleviate her own and others’ suffering, to change life in the “dark kingdom.” Katerina’s action is meaningless, it did not change anything. This is a barren, not a bright phenomenon, Pisarev concludes.
What causes such opposing opinions about the same image among critics? What prompted Pisarev to argue with Dobrolyubov’s article almost three and a half years after its appearance in Sovremennik, two years after the death of the author of the article? main reason is that Pisarev evaluates the character of the heroine from the position of another historical time, filled with great events, when “ideas grew very quickly, so many things and events were accomplished in a year that in other times would not happen in ten to twenty years.”
I understand why Dobrolyubov perceives Katerina so warmly, pointing out new human phenomena in the world of tyrants, in the world of the “dark kingdom”. He saw in Katerina’s character signs of a national awakening and growth of self-awareness. Pisarev focused his main attention on something else: the thunderstorm did not start, the people did not wake up.
The opinions of critics are in many ways contradictory, but the more strongly the character is highlighted, capable of attracting the opinion of those whom we call “masters of thoughts.”
Kalinov... A town on the Volga. Maybe this is Samara or Kostroma? Maybe Tver or Torzhok? Yes, this is not so important. The main thing is the merchant world that A. N. Ostrovsky so talentedly reflected in the play “The Thunderstorm”. This town is located on a high bank, from which a wonderful view opens. Kulitin says he has lived for half a century, but has never seen such beauty. The Volga and open spaces are truly Levitan's places. Harmony, beauty, triumph of nature. What about in people's lives? Where is this harmony and beauty? ^good storehouses, an old church, a ruined gallery, high fences, a public garden above the river, where on holidays, having drunk tea “until the third day of melancholy”, ordinary people come for a sedate walk. How do these people live, what are they interested in?
Their ideas about nature are absurd and stupid. We learn about this from the lips of Dikiy, when he scolds Kuligin: “A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we feel, and you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some kind of rods.”
The owners of the city are rich merchants - representatives of the “dark kingdom”. “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel...” says Kuligin. Relationships in families are based on fear, tyranny and despotism. Dikoy tyranns his family, humiliates his nephew, he doesn’t even want to talk to ordinary people: “Maybe I don’t even want to talk to you. You should have first known whether I was in the mood to listen to you or not. Am I your equal, or what?”
The rich merchant Kabanikha is also one of the owners of the city. This is a powerful mistress, accustomed to unquestioning obedience. She pesters her loved ones with eternal reproaches and complaints about disrespect and disobedience. All her words have a touch of piety, but in her soul she has a rough, unbridled nature. All innovations are hostile and hateful to her. Kabanikha is a staunch defender of the “dark kingdom”.
The power of the Wild and Boars is still great, but they already feel fear, because another life is growing nearby, it is still far away, barely visible, unclear, but makes itself felt. They are already afraid when they feel pushback and resistance. But this inner weakness and cowardice indicate that the reign of the Wild Ones is coming to an end.
The drama “The Thunderstorm” made a huge impression on the reader and viewer. The play was criticized or praised, but no one was indifferent. After all, at the center of the work was the original Russian character, Katerina Kabanova, who was perceived by contemporaries as a symbolic image striving for change, for a new life. Namely, this was the atmosphere that reigned in society on the eve of the abolition of serfdom (remember that the play was written in 1859 and staged already in 1860). Two contemporaries of Ostrovsky, N.A. Dobrolyubov and D.I. Pisarev, having analyzed Ostrovsky’s drama, wrote critical articles. Critics differed in their assessment of Katerina Kabanova’s action. N.A. Dobrolyubov, in the article “A Ray of Light in a Dark Kingdom,” writes about the determination, integrity and strength of character of Katerina, who, in his opinion, although she grew up in the conditions of the “dark kingdom,” is an extraordinary nature, “breaking out” from her environment. She is sensitive, romantic, capable of real feeling. It is not for nothing that Kudryash immediately recognizes who he is talking about when Boris tells him about the woman he saw in the church during a prayer service. Katerina is different from everyone (even from Kuligin, although these heroes have common points) of the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov. “There is nothing outwardly alien in this character,” writes Dobrolyubov, “everything somehow comes out from within him; every impression is processed in it and then grows organically with it.” Katerina Kabanova is a creative, loving, ideal character. “Rough, superstitious stories and senseless ravings of wanderers turn into golden, poetic dreams of the imagination, not frightening, but clear, kind.” But what motivates Dobrolyubov for Katerina’s decisive step, her suicide? In his opinion, Katerina had no way out of the current life situation. She could submit, become a slave, an unquestioning victim of her mother-in-law and never dare to express her desires or discontent. But this is not Katerina’s character. “...It was not then that the new type created by Russian life was reflected in it, only to be reflected in a fruitless attempt and perish after the first failure.” The heroine decided to die, but she is not afraid of death, since “she is trying to prove to us and herself that she can be forgiven, since it is very difficult for her.” As a result, Dobrolyubov writes: “In Katerina we see a protest against Kabanov’s concepts of morality, a protest brought to the end, proclaimed both under domestic torture and over the abyss into which the poor woman threw herself. She doesn’t want to suffer, doesn’t want to take advantage of the miserable vegetation that is given to her in exchange for her living soul.” Katerina died, but her death, like a ray of sunshine, even if only for a moment, dispersed the impenetrable darkness of the old world. Her act shook the foundations of the “dark kingdom.” N.A. Dobrolyubov comes to this conclusion.
D.I. Pisarev draws completely different conclusions in his article “Motives of Russian Drama.” He agrees that “passion, tenderness and sincerity are truly the predominant properties in Katerina’s nature.” But he also sees some contradictions in this image. Pisarev asks himself and the reader the following questions. What kind of love arises from the exchange of a few glances? What kind of stern virtue is it that gives in at the first opportunity? He notices the disproportion between causes and consequences in the heroine’s actions: “The boar grumbles - Katerina languishes”; “Boris Grigorievich casts tender glances - Katerina falls in love.” He does not understand Katerina’s behavior. She was pushed to confess to her husband by quite ordinary circumstances: a thunderstorm, a crazy lady, a picture of fiery hell on the wall of the gallery. Finally, according to Pisarev, Katerina’s last monologue is illogical. She looks at the grave from an aesthetic point of view, while completely forgetting about fiery hell, to which she was previously partial. As a result, Pisarev concludes: “The cruelty of a family despot, the fanaticism of an old prude, the unhappy love of a girl for a scoundrel, impulses of despair, jealousy, fraud, violent revelry, educational rod, educational affection, quiet daydreaming - all this motley mixture of feelings, qualities and actions... . comes down, in my opinion, to one common source, which cannot arouse in us exactly any sensations, neither high nor low. These are all various manifestations of inexhaustible stupidity.” Pisarev does not agree with Dobrolyubov in assessing the image of Katerina. In his opinion, Katerina cannot be called “a ray of light in a dark kingdom,” since she was unable to do anything to alleviate her own and others’ suffering, to change life in the “dark kingdom.” Katerina’s action is meaningless, it did not change anything. This is a barren, not a bright phenomenon, Pisarev concludes.
What causes such opposing opinions about the same image among critics? What prompted Pisarev to argue with Dobrolyubov’s article almost three and a half years after its appearance in Sovremennik, two years after the death of the author of the article? The main reason is that Pisarev evaluates the character of the heroine from the perspective of another historical time, filled with great events, when “ideas grew very quickly, so many things and events were accomplished in a year that in other times would not happen in ten to twenty years.”
I understand why Dobrolyubov perceives Katerina so warmly, pointing out new human phenomena in the world of tyrants, in the world of the “dark kingdom.” He saw in Katerina’s character signs of a national awakening and growth of self-awareness. Pisarev focused his main attention on something else: the thunderstorm did not start, the people did not wake up.
The opinions of critics are in many ways contradictory, but the more strongly the character is highlighted, capable of attracting the opinion of those whom we call “masters of thoughts.”
Kalinov... A town on the Volga. Maybe this is Samara or Kostroma? Maybe Tver or Torzhok? Yes, this is not so important. The main thing is the merchant world that A. N. Ostrovsky so talentedly reflected in the play “The Thunderstorm”. This town is located on a high bank, from which a wonderful view opens. Kuligin says he’s lived for half a century, but he’s never seen such beauty. The Volga and open spaces are truly Levitan's places. Harmony, beauty, triumph of nature. What about in people's lives? Where is this harmony and beauty? merchant storehouses, an old church, a ruined gallery, high fences, a public garden above the river, where on holidays, having drunk tea “until the third day of melancholy,” ordinary people come for a sedate walk. How do these people live, what are they interested in?
Their ideas about nature are absurd and stupid. We learn about this from the lips of Dikiy, when he scolds Kuligin: “A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we feel, and you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some kind of rods.”
The owners of the city are rich merchants - representatives of the “dark kingdom”. “Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel...” says Kuligin. Relationships in families are based on fear, tyranny and despotism. Dikoy tyranns his family, humiliates his nephew, he doesn’t even want to talk to ordinary people: “Maybe I don’t want to talk to you. You should have first known whether I was in the mood to listen to you or not. That I’m your equal, or what?”
The rich merchant Kabanikha is also one of the owners of the city. This is a powerful mistress, accustomed to unquestioning obedience. She pesters her loved ones with eternal reproaches and complaints about disrespect and disobedience. All her words have a touch of piety, but in her soul she has a rough, unbridled nature. All innovations are hostile and hateful to her. Kabanikha is a staunch defender of the “dark kingdom”.
The power of the Wild and Boars is still great, but they already feel fear, because another life is growing nearby, it is still far away, barely visible, unclear, but makes itself felt. They are already afraid when they feel pushback and resistance. But this inner weakness and cowardice indicate that the reign of the Wild Ones is coming to an end.
The drama “The Thunderstorm” made a huge impression on the reader and viewer. The play was criticized or praised, but no one was indifferent. After all, at the center of the work was the original Russian character, Katerina Kabanova, who was perceived by contemporaries as a symbolic image striving for change, for a new life. Namely, this was the atmosphere that reigned in society on the eve of the abolition of serfdom (remember that the play was written in 1859 and staged already in 1860). Two contemporaries of Ostrovsky, N.A. Dobrolyubov and D.I. Pisarev, having analyzed Ostrovsky’s drama, wrote critical articles. Critics differed in their assessment of Katerina Kabanova’s action. N.A. Dobrolyubov, in the article “A Ray of Light in a Dark Kingdom,” writes about the determination, integrity and strength of character of Katerina, who, in his opinion, although she grew up in the conditions of the “dark kingdom,” is an extraordinary nature, “breaking out” from her environment. She is sensitive, romantic, capable of real feeling. It is not for nothing that Kudryash immediately recognizes who he is talking about when Boris tells him about the woman he saw in the church during a prayer service. Katerina is different from everyone (even from Kuligin, although these heroes have common points) of the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov. “There is nothing outwardly alien in this character,” writes Dobrolyubov, “everything somehow comes out from within him; every impression is processed in him and then grows organically with him.” Katerina Kabanova is a creative, loving, ideal character. “Rough, superstitious stories and senseless ravings of wanderers turn into golden, poetic dreams of the imagination, not frightening, but clear, kind.” But what motivates Dobrolyubov for Katerina’s decisive step, her suicide? In his opinion, Katerina had no way out of the current life situation. She could submit, become a slave, an unquestioning victim of her mother-in-law and never dare to express her desires or discontent. But this is not Katerina’s character. “...It was not then that the new type created by Russian life was reflected in it, only to be reflected in a fruitless attempt and perish after the first failure.” The heroine decided to die, but she is not afraid of death, since “she is trying to prove to us and herself that she can be forgiven, since it is very difficult for her.” As a result, Dobrolyubov writes: “In Katerina we see a protest against Kabanov’s concepts of morality, a protest brought to the end, proclaimed both under domestic torture and over the abyss into which the poor woman threw herself. She doesn’t want to suffer, doesn’t want to take advantage of the miserable vegetation that is given to her in exchange for her living soul.” Katerina died, but her death, like a ray of sunshine, even if only for a moment, dispersed the impenetrable darkness of the old world. Her act shook the foundations of the “dark kingdom.” N.A. Dobrolyubov comes to this conclusion.
D.I. Pisarev makes completely different conclusions in his article “Motives of Russian Drama.” He agrees that “passion, tenderness and sincerity are truly the predominant properties in Katerina’s nature.” But he also sees some contradictions in this image. Pisarev asks himself and the reader the following questions. What kind of love arises from the exchange of a few glances? What kind of stern virtue is it that gives in at the first opportunity? He notices the disproportion between causes and consequences in the heroine’s actions: “The boar grumbles - Katerina languishes”; “Boris Grigorievich casts tender glances - Katerina falls in love.” He does not understand Katerina’s behavior. She was pushed to confess to her husband by quite ordinary circumstances: a thunderstorm, a crazy lady, a picture of fiery hell on the wall of the gallery. Finally, according to Pisarev, Katerina’s last monologue is illogical. She looks at the grave from an aesthetic point of view, while completely forgetting about fiery hell, to which she was previously partial. As a result, Pisarev concludes: “The cruelty of a family despot, the fanaticism of an old bigot, the unhappy love of a girl for a scoundrel, impulses of despair, jealousy, fraud, violent revelry, educational rod, educational affection, quiet daydreaming - all this motley mixture of feelings, qualities and actions.. . comes down, in my opinion, to one common source, which cannot arouse in us exactly any sensations, neither high nor low. These are all various manifestations of inexhaustible stupidity.” Pisarev does not agree with Dobrolyubov in assessing the image of Katerina. In his opinion, Katerina cannot be called “a ray of light in a dark kingdom,” since she was unable to do anything to alleviate her own and others’ suffering, to change life in the “dark kingdom.” Katerina’s action is meaningless, it did not change anything. This is a barren, not a bright phenomenon, Pisarev concludes.
What causes such opposing opinions about the same image among critics? What prompted Pisarev to argue with Dobrolyubov’s article almost three and a half years after its appearance in Sovremennik, two years after the death of the author of the article? The main reason is that Pisarev evaluates the character of the heroine from the perspective of another historical time, filled with great events, when “ideas grew very quickly, so many things and events were accomplished in a year that in other times would not happen in ten to twenty years.”
I understand why Dobrolyubov perceives Katerina so warmly, pointing out new human phenomena in the world of tyrants, in the world of the “dark kingdom”. He saw in Katerina’s character signs of a national awakening and growth of self-awareness. Pisarev focused his main attention on something else: the thunderstorm did not start, the people did not wake up.
The opinions of critics are in many ways contradictory, but the more strongly the character is highlighted, capable of attracting the opinion of those whom we call “masters of thoughts.”