Katherine's friend in a thunderstorm. The image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm

In the play "The Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky creates a completely new female type for his work, a simple, deep character. This is no longer a "poor bride", not an indifferent kind, meek young lady, not "immorality through stupidity." Katerina differs from the previously created heroines of Ostrovsky by the harmony of her personality, strength of mind, and her attitude.

This nature is light, poetic, sublime, dreamy, with a highly developed imagination. Let's remember how she tells Varvara about her life as a girl. Church visits, embroidery, prayers, pilgrims and pilgrims, wonderful dreams in which she saw "golden temples" or "extraordinary gardens" - this is what makes up Katerina's memories. Dobrolyubov notes that she "tries to comprehend and ennoble everything in her imagination ... Rough, superstitious stories turn into golden, poetic dreams with her ...". Thus, Ostrovsky emphasizes the spiritual principle in his heroine, her desire for beauty.

Katerina is religious, but her faith is largely due to her poetic outlook. Religion is closely intertwined in her soul with Slavic pagan beliefs, with folklore concepts. So, Katerina yearns that people do not fly. “Why don't people fly! .. I say: why don't people fly like birds? You know, sometimes it seems to me that I am a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you are drawn to fly. So I would have scattered, raised my hands and flew. Nothing to try now? " She says to Varvara. In her parents' house, Katerina lived like a “bird in the wild”. She dreams of how she flies. Elsewhere in the play, she dreams of becoming a butterfly.

The theme of birds introduces into the narrative the motive of bondage, cells. Here we can recall the symbolic rite of the Slavs to release birds out of their cages. This ceremony was carried out at the very beginning of spring and symbolized "the liberation of spontaneous geniuses and souls from the bondage in which they languished, imprisoned by the evil demons of winter." At the heart of this rite is the belief of the Slavs in the ability to reincarnate the human soul.

But the theme of birds also sets the motive for death here. So, in many cultures, the Milky Way is called the "bird's way", because "the souls ascending along this road to heaven appeared to be light-winged birds." Thus, already at the beginning of the play, there are motives that serve as signs of the tragic fate of the heroine.

Let's analyze the character of Katerina. This is a strong nature, possessing self-esteem. She finds it unbearable in the Kabanikha house, where “everything seems to be out of bondage,” the endless reprimands of her mother-in-law, the stupidity and weakness of her husband are unbearable. In the house of Marfa Ignatievna, everything is built on lies, deceit, obedience. Hiding behind religious commandments, she demands complete obedience from her household, their observance of all house-building norms. Under the pretext of moral sermons, Kabanikha methodically and consistently humiliates household members. But if the children of Marfa Ignatievna in their own way "adapted" to the situation in the house, finding a way out in silence and lies, then Katerina is not like that.

“I don’t know how to deceive; I can’t hide anything, ”she says to Varvara. Katerina does not want to endure unreasonable insults from her mother-in-law. "Someone is pleased to endure in vain!" - she says to Martha Ignatievna. When Tikhon leaves, Kabanikha notices that "a good wife, after seeing her husband off, howls for an hour and a half." To which Katerina replies: “There is nothing! And I don't know how. To make people laugh. "

It is possible that Kabanova's constant attacks on her daughter-in-law are also connected with the fact that subconsciously she feels in Katerina a significant, strong character, capable of resisting her mother-in-law. And in this Marfa Ignatievna is not mistaken: Katerina will endure only up to a certain point. “Eh, Varya, you don’t know my character! Of course, God forbid this to happen! And if I am very disgusted with me, they will not 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 don’t want to, even if you cut it! " - she confesses to Varvara.

She tells Varvara about a characteristic event from her childhood: “... I was born so hot! I was still six years old, no more, so I did! They offended me with something at home, but it was towards evening, it was already dark; I ran out to the Volga, got into the boat and pushed it away from the shore. The next morning they found it ten miles away! " In this story, the motives of the Slavic pagan culture are guessed. As noted by Yu.V. Lebedev, “this act of Katerina is consistent with the people's dream of truth and truth. In folk tales, the girl turns to the river with a request to save it, and the river shelters the girl in its banks. " Compositionally, Katerina's story precedes the play's finale. The Volga for the heroine is a symbol of will, space, free choice.

Longing for will merges in Katerina's soul with a thirst for true love. At first she tries to remain faithful to her husband, but there is no love in her heart, and Tikhon does not understand her, does not feel the state of his wife. She also cannot respect her husband: Tikhon is weak-willed, not particularly smart, his spiritual needs are limited to drinking and the desire to "take a walk" in the wild. But Katerina's love is a selective feeling. She loves Boris Grigorievich, Dikiy's nephew. This young man seems to her to be kind, intelligent and well-mannered, he is so different from those around him. His image is probably associated in the soul of the heroine with a different, "non-Kalinovskaya" life, with other values, to which she subconsciously strives.

And Katerina secretly meets with him while her husband is away. And then she begins to torment herself with the consciousness of a perfect sin. Here, in The Thunderstorm, an internal conflict arises, allowing critics to talk about the tragic nature of the play: Katerina's actions not only seem sinful to her from the point of view of the Orthodox religion, but also diverge from her own ideas about morality, about good and evil.

The motive of the inevitable suffering of the heroine, which arises in the context of her character and attitude, also gives the play a tragic character. On the other hand, readers see Katerina's suffering as undeserved: in her actions she realizes only the natural needs of the human person - the desire for love, respect, the right to discriminate feelings. Therefore, Ostrovsky's heroine evokes a feeling of compassion in readers and viewers.

The concept of "duality of a tragic act" (horror and pleasure) is also preserved here. On the one hand, Katerina's love seems to her to be a sin, something terrible and terrible, on the other hand, it is an opportunity for her to feel happiness, joy, fullness of life.

Tormented by the consciousness of her own guilt, the heroine publicly confesses what she had done to her husband and mother-in-law. Katerina repents in everything in the city square, during a thunderstorm. It seems to her that thunder is God's punishment. The thunderstorm in the play is a symbol of the heroine's purification, catharsis, which is also a necessary element of the tragedy.

However, the internal conflict here cannot be resolved by the recognition of Catherine. She does not receive the forgiveness of the family, the Kalinovites, does not get rid of the feeling of guilt. On the contrary, the contempt and reproaches of those around her maintain this feeling of guilt in her - she finds them just. However, if those around her forgave, pity her - the feeling of burning shame that possesses her soul would be even stronger. This is the insolubility of Katerina's internal conflict. Unable to reconcile her actions with her feelings, she decides to commit suicide, rushes into the Volga.

Suicide, from the point of view of the Orthodox religion, is a terrible sin, but the key concepts of Christianity are love and forgiveness. And this is exactly what Katerina thinks about before she dies. “It's all the same that death comes, that it itself ... but you can't live! Sin! Will they not pray? He who loves will pray ... "

Of course, external circumstances were also reflected in this act - Boris turned out to be a timid, ordinary person, he is not able to save Katerina, give her the desired happiness, in fact, he is not worthy of her love. The image of Boris Grigorievich, unlike the local inhabitants, in Katerina's mind is nothing more than an illusion. And Katerina, I think, feels it during her last meeting with him. And the stronger becomes for her the awareness of her own wrongness, bitterness and disappointment in love itself.

It is these feelings that enhance the tragic attitude of the heroine. Undoubtedly, Katerina's impressionability, exaltation, and her unwillingness to put up further with the cruelty of the surrounding world, with the tyranny of her mother-in-law, and the inability to continue to follow Kalinov's morality - to live without love, are reflected here. “If she cannot enjoy her feeling, her will completely legitimately and sacredly, in broad daylight, in front of all the people, if what she has found and what is so dear to her is torn from her, then she does not want anything in life, she and life does not want to. The fifth act of The Thunderstorm is the apotheosis of this character, so simple, deep and so close to the position and heart of every decent person in our society, ”Dobrolyubov wrote.

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 Kabanikha and Dikiy. Dikoy was the richest and richest man in the city. An ignorant tyrant who could not live a day without abuse, and who believed that money gave him every right to mock weaker and defenseless people.

Kabanikha, who established order in the town, adhered to traditional patriarchal customs, was beneficent in public, but extremely cruel with her family. Kabanikha is a fan of Domostroevschina.

Her son Tikhon was calm and kind. The daughter of Varvara is a lively girl who knows how to hide her feelings, her motto is: "Do what, but so that it is sewn-covered." Feklusha in the service of Kabanikha.

The local is Kulibin, who accurately and vividly characterizes the local residents and mercilessly criticizes the cruel customs of the inhabitants. Diky's nephew Boris appears next, who came to his uncle from Moscow, because he promised him a part of the inheritance if he would be 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 complete opposite of her husband's. She loved to dream, loved freedom, justice and, having got into the Kabanikha family, it was as if she found herself in a dungeon, where all the time she had to silently obey the orders of her mother-in-law and indulge all her whims.

Outwardly, Katerina is calm, balanced, fulfills almost all of Kabanikha's instructions, but inside her protest against cruelty, tyranny and injustice matures and grows.

Katerina's protest reached its final point when Tikhon left on business, and she agreed with Boris, whom she liked and was not like the rest of Kalinov's inhabitants. Somehow he was akin to her.

Varvara, the daughter of Kabanikha, arranges a meeting between Katerina and Boris. Katerina agrees, but then, tormented by remorse, she falls to her knees in front of her bewildered husband and confesses everything to him.

It is impossible to describe the contempt and indignation that fell on Katerina's head after her confession. Unable to resist him, Katerina rushed into the Volga. A sad, tragic ending.

A ray of light in the dark realm

It would seem that prevented Katerina from leading a calm, carefree life in a wealthy merchant family. Her character interfered. Outwardly, Katerina seemed a soft and benevolent girl.

But in fact, this is a strong and decisive nature: being completely, she, having quarreled with her parents, got into the boat and pushed off the shore, they found her only the next day, ten miles from home.

Katerina's character is characterized by sincerity and strength of feelings. "Why don't people 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 Kabanikha lived with her household. “I don’t want to live like that and I won’t! I'll throw myself into the Volga! " She often said.

Katerina was a stranger to everyone, and fate in the world of wild boars and boars had nothing but oppression and resentment in store for her. The great Russian critic Belinsky called her "a ray of light in a dark kingdom."

Katerina's character is also striking in its contradiction, strength, energy and diversity. Throwing herself into the Volga was, in her opinion, the only salvation from the suffocating, unbearable, intolerable hypocritical atmosphere in which she had to live.

This, without a doubt, a brave act was her highest protest against cruelty, bigotry and injustice. Katerina sacrificed in the name of her ideal the most precious thing she had - her life.

- this nature is not pliable, not bending. She has a highly developed personality, she has a lot of strength, energy; her rich soul demands freedom, breadth - she does not want to secretly "steal" the joy of life. She is able not to bend, but to break. (See also the article The image of Katherine in the play "The Thunderstorm" - briefly.)

A. N. Ostrovsky. Storm. Play. Series 1

Katerina received a purely national upbringing, developed by the ancient Russian pedagogy of Domostroi. She lived all her childhood and adolescence locked up, but the atmosphere of parental love softened this life - moreover, the influence of religion prevented her soul from becoming stale in suffocating solitude. On the contrary, she did not feel bondage: "she lived - she did not grieve for anything, like a bird in the wild!" Katerina often went to churches, listened to the stories of pilgrims and pilgrims, listened to the singing of spiritual verses, - she lived carefree, surrounded by love and affection ... And she grew up to be a beautiful, gentle girl, with a fine spiritual organization, a great dreamer ... , she lived exclusively in the circle of religious beliefs; her rich imagination was nourished only by those impressions that she learned from the lives of the saints, from legends, apocrypha and those moods that she experienced during the divine service ...

“... until death I loved going to church! - she later recalled her youth in a conversation with her husband's sister Varvara. - Exactly, it used to be, I would go into paradise ... And I don't see anyone, and I don't remember the time, and I don't hear when the service is over. Mamma said that everyone used to look at me, what was happening to me! And, you know, on a sunny day, such a light pillar goes down from the dome and smoke goes in this pillar, like clouds. And I see, it used to be a girl, I get up at night - we also have lamps lit everywhere - but somewhere, in a corner, I pray until morning. Or I'll go to the garden early in the morning, as soon as the sun is rising, I'll fall on my knees, pray and cry, and I myself don't know what I'm praying for and what I'm crying about! "

From this story it is clear that Katerina was not just a religious person - she knew the moments of religious "ecstasy" - that enthusiasm that the holy ascetics were rich in, and examples of which we will find in abundance in the lives of the saints ... Just like them, Katerina “visions” and wonderful dreams were ripening.

“And what dreams Varenka dreamed, what dreams! Or golden temples, or some kind of extraordinary gardens ... And everyone sings invisible voices, and they smell of cypress ... And the mountains and trees, as if not the same as usual, but as they are written on images! "

From all these stories of Katerina it is clear that she is not quite an ordinary person ... Her soul, squeezed by the old system of life, seeks space, does not find it around her and is carried away "grief", to God ... There are many such natures in the old days went into "asceticism" ...

But sometimes the energy of her soul broke through in relations with her relatives - she did not go "Against people" but indignant, protesting, she left then "from people"...

“I was born so hot! - she tells Varvara. - I was still six years old, no more, so I did! They offended me with something at home, but it was towards evening, it was already dark; I ran out to the Volga, got into the boat, and pushed it away from the shore. The next morning they found it, ten miles away! ..

Eh, Varya, you don’t know my character! Of course, God forbid this to happen! And if it makes me very disgusted 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 don’t want to, even though you cut me! ”

From these words it is clear that the calm, dreamy Katerina knows impulses that are difficult to cope with.

A. N. Ostrovsky in each of his plays created and showed multifaceted characters, whose life is interesting to watch. One of the playwright's works tells about a girl who committed suicide, unable to withstand the pressure of circumstances. The development of Katerina's character in the play "The Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky, as well as her emotional experiences are the main driving forces of the plot.

In the list of characters, Ostrovsky designates Katerina as the wife of Tikhon Kabanov. With the development of the plot, the reader gradually reveals the image of Katya, realizing that this character is not limited to the function of his wife. The character of Katerina in the drama "The Thunderstorm" can be called strong. Despite the unhealthy situation in the family, Katya managed to maintain her purity and firmness. She refuses to accept the rules of the game, living by her own. For example, Tikhon obeys his mother in everything. In one of the first dialogues, Kabanov convinces his mother that he does not have his own opinion. But soon the topic of the conversation changes - and now Kabanikha, as it were, casually accuses Katerina that Tikhon loves her more. Until this moment, Katerina did not participate in the conversation, but now she is offended by the words of her mother-in-law. The girl turns to Kabanikha on you, which can be regarded as a hidden disrespect, as well as a kind of equality. Katerina puts herself on a par with her, denying the family hierarchy. Katya politely expresses her dissatisfaction with the slander, emphasizing that in public she is the same as at home, and there is no need for her to pretend. This remark actually speaks of Katya as a strong person. In the course of the story, we learn that the tyranny of Kabanikha extends only to the family, and in society the old woman talks about the preservation of family order and proper upbringing, covers up her cruelty with words about a benefactor. The author shows that Katerina, first, is aware of her mother-in-law's behavior; secondly, I disagree with this; and, thirdly, Kabanikhe openly declares, to whom even his own son cannot object, about his views. However, Kabanikha does not abandon attempts to humiliate her daughter-in-law, forcing her to kneel in front of her husband.

Sometimes the girl remembers how she lived before. Katerina's childhood was quite carefree. The girl went with her mother to church, sang songs, walked, according to Katya's words, she did not have everything that could be. Katya compares herself to a free bird before her marriage: she was left to herself, she was in charge of her life. And now Katya often compares herself to a bird. “Why don't people fly like birds? she says to Varvara. "You know, sometimes it seems to me that I am a bird."

But such a bird cannot fly away. Once in a cage with thick rods, Katerina gradually suffocates in captivity. A freedom-loving person like Katya cannot exist within the rigid framework of the kingdom of lies and hypocrisy. Everything in Katya seems to breathe with feelings and love for the most unique - for life itself. Once in the Kabanov family, the girl loses this inner feeling. Her life is similar to her life before marriage: the same songs, the same visits to church. But now, in such a hypocritical environment, Katya feels false.

It is surprising that with such an inner strength, Katya does not oppose herself to others. She is “a martyr, a captive, deprived of the opportunity to grow and develop,” but she does not consider herself as such. She tries to pass through the "millstones of hostility and malicious envy" with dignity, without losing or vulgarizing her essence.

Katya can easily be called brave. Indeed, the girl tried to fight the feelings that flared up in her for Boris, but still decided to meet him. Katya takes responsibility for her fate and decisions. In a sense, for the time of secret meetings with Boris, Katya gains freedom. She is not afraid of "neither sin, nor human judgment." Finally, a girl can do what her heart tells.

But with the return of Tikhon, their meetings cease. Katya's desire to talk about her relationship with Dikiy's nephew does not please Boris. He hopes that the girl will remain silent, dragging her into the net of the "dark kingdom" from which Katya was so desperately trying to escape. One of the critics of the drama, Melnikov-Pechersky, remarkably aptly described Katerina: “a young woman, falling under the oppression of this old woman, experiences thousands of moral torments and at the same time realizes that God has put an ardent heart in her, that passions are raging in her young breast , not at all compatible with the seclusion of married women, which dominates in the environment where Katerina ended up. "

Neither the confession of treason, nor the conversation with Boris met Katerina's hopes. For her, the difference and inconsistency between the real world and ideas about the future turned out to be fatal. The decision to rush into the Volga was not spontaneous - Katya had long felt the approaching death. She was afraid of the impending thunderstorm, seeing in her retribution for sins and bad thoughts. Katerina's frank confession becomes like a desperate communion, a desire to be honest to the end. It is noteworthy that between the events, a confession of treason - a conversation with Boris - suicide takes some time. And all these days the girl endures the insults and curses of her mother-in-law, who wants to bury her alive in the ground.

You cannot condemn the heroine, talk about the weakness of Katerina's character in The Thunderstorm. Nevertheless, even having committed such a sin, Katya remains as pure and innocent as in the first acts of the play.

Reasoning about the strength or weakness of Katerina's character can be useful for students in grades 10 when writing an essay on the topic "The character of Katerina in the play" The Thunderstorm ".

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The play "The Thunderstorm" by A. N. Ostrovsky was published in 1860. A revolutionary situation was brewing in Russia, the 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, however, he did not describe specific cities and persons, but depicted generalized, but deeply typical pictures of life in Russia.

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In general, Ostrovsky is considered a real "singer of merchant life". He is the author of numerous plays, the central theme of which was the depiction of the merchant world of the second half of the 19th 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. A 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 "The Thunderstorm", Tikhon's wife and Kabanikha's daughter-in-law. The image of Katerina is endowed with a 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 the patriarchal world in its ideal manifestation. The main thing in this world is a huge and mutual feeling of love.

In the parental house of Katerina, the same rules reigned as in the house of Kabanikha. But there Katerina occupied the position of a beloved daughter, and in the house of Kabanikha - a subordinate daughter-in-law. Therefore, in girlhood, Katerina did not know the coercion and violence that she had to face after marriage. For her, the patriarchal harmony of family life is a 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 obediently obeyed their will, because this is the custom. But it was submission with love and respect, and when she got into her mother-in-law's house, Katerina was surprised to find that there was no one to respect. After some time, a new outlook on life, a different attitude towards people and towards herself begins to form in her soul. This is manifested in her first independent choice - passionate love for Boris. Katerina is religious and the awakened strong feeling scares 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 grows in Katerina's soul. "Sinful" love flared up in her with incredible strength, the desire for the will grew every day, but the 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 the home prison where Kabanikha had imprisoned her aroused physical disgust. The hopelessness of such a 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 the dark kingdom." Katerina is strikingly 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

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