A brief description of the city of Kalinov in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"

The city of Kalinov is a province that lags far behind in terms of development. Here, it seems, everything is frozen, and will never move from its place - it will remain under a layer of dust and a web of ignorance.

In this web, in their "dark kingdom", tyrants and tyrants reign entirely, entangling the city with a network of deceptions and lies. They have so established their power that the second half of the inhabitants, the so-called "oppressed", do not undertake anything for their own liberation, and prefers to step aside, submit to the cruel elements.

Needless to say, the city is dominated by self-interest and greed; after all, it was with the help of money that the oppressors gained their dubious authority. Everything: the fragmentation of society, fear, greed and confidence in one's own strength - all this is due to the fault of money, of which some have a lot, and some have too little to strengthen their position. Society is rotten through and through, and it does not strive, which means it will never achieve the beauty of feelings and breadth of mind; the greater devours the lesser, and the ignorant from the "dark side" of the city pull the few who still retain some kind of sincerity to the bottom. And they dare not resist.

The only thing that has retained its pristine purity is nature, which is gaining all its strength here, and in the end bursts into violent thunderstorms, as if in protest against people hardened from within.

A.N. Ostrovsky entered Russian literature as the "Columbus" of the patriarchal merchants. Growing up in the Zamoskvorechye region and thoroughly studying the customs of Russian merchants, their worldview, philosophy of life, the playwright transferred his observations into works. In Ostrovsky's plays, the traditional life of the merchants is investigated, the changes that it undergoes under the influence of progress, the psychology of people, the features of their relationships are analyzed.

"The Thunderstorm" is one of such works of the writer. It was created by A.N. Ostrovsky in 1959 and is considered one of the most innovative plays of the playwright. The problematic of "The Thunderstorm" is connected with the early works of Ostrovsky, but here a completely new look at the patriarchal merchants is given. In this play, the writer sharply criticizes the "immobility" and inertia of the "dark kingdom", which in the play represents the provincial Volga city of Kalinov.

To describe it, the author uses the technique of contrast. The play opens with a description of the Volga landscape ("A public garden on the high bank of the Volga, a rural view beyond the Volga") and remarks by Kuligin, who admires the beauty of these places: "The view is extraordinary! The beauty! The soul rejoices. " However, this divine beauty immediately contradicts the "works of human hands" - we are witnessing yet another scandal of the Wild, who scolds his nephew Boris for no reason: "Boris Grigorich got him as a sacrifice, so he drives it."

And further, throughout the play, the author will carry out the idea that Kalinov's "dark kingdom", the psychology of its inhabitants are unnatural, ugly, scary, because they destroy the beauty of true human feelings, the human soul. Only one character in the play understands this - the eccentric Kuligin, who is in many ways an exponent of the author's point of view. Throughout the play, we hear from him sorrowful remarks: “How can you, sir! They will eat, they will swallow alive "; "Cruel manners, sir, in our city, cruel!"; "... she is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!" etc. However, seeing everything and understanding everything, this hero remains the same victim of the "dark kingdom", like all the other inhabitants of Kalinov.

What is this "dark kingdom"? What are his customs and mores?

Everything in the city is run by rich merchants - Savel Prokofievich Dikoy and his godfather Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. Wild - a typical tyrant. Everyone in the city is afraid of him, so he does atrocities not only in his house (“behind high fences”), but also within the entire Kalinov.

Dikoy considers himself entitled to humiliate people, to scoff at them in every possible way - after all, he has no control over him. This is how this hero behaves with his family ("he is at war with women"), this is how he behaves with his nephew Boris. And all the inhabitants of the city dutifully endure the Dikiy's bullying - after all, he is very rich and influential.

Only Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, or simply Kabanikha, is able to pacify the violent temper of her godfather. He is not afraid of the Wild one, because he considers himself equal to him. Indeed, Kabanikha is also a tyrant, only within his own family.

This heroine considers herself the keeper of the foundations of Domostroi. For her, patriarchal laws are the only true ones, because these are the precepts of the ancestors. And Kabanikha defends them especially zealously, seeing that a new time is coming with new orders and customs.

In the family of Marfa Ignatievna, everyone is forced to live as she says. Her son, daughter, daughter-in-law adapt, lie, break themselves - they do everything to survive in the "iron grip" of Kabanikha.

But Dikoy and Kabanikha are only the tip of the "dark kingdom". Their strength and power are supported by "subjects" - Tikhon Kabanov, Varvara, Boris, Kuligin ... All these people were brought up according to the old patriarchal laws and consider them, in spite of everything, correct. Tikhon seeks to escape from the care of his mother and feel free in another city. Varvara lives the way she likes, but secretly, dodging and deceiving. Boris, because of the opportunity to receive an inheritance, is forced to endure humiliation from the Wild. None of these people can openly live the way they want, no one is trying to become free.

Only Katerina Kabanova made such an attempt. But her fleeting happiness, freedom, flight, which the heroine was looking for in love with Boris, turned into a tragedy. For Katerina, happiness is incompatible with lies, violation of divine prohibitions. And the romance with Boris was treason, which means that it could not turn out for the pure and bright heroine to be anything but death, moral and physical.

Thus, the image of the city of Kalinov in The Thunderstorm is the image of a cruel world, inert and ignorant, destroying everything that tries to resist its laws. This world, according to Ostrovsky, has a destructive effect on human souls, crippling and destroying them, destroying the most valuable thing - hope for change, faith in a better future.

"The Thunderstorm" is a drama of the Academy of Sciences. Ostrovsky. Written in July-October 1859. First publication: the magazine "Library for Reading" (1860, vol. 158, January). The first acquaintance of the Russian public with the play caused a whole "critical storm". Prominent representatives of all directions of Russian thought considered it necessary to speak about "The Groza". It was obvious that the content of this folk drama reveals "the deepest recesses of non-Europeanized Russian life" (AI Herzen). The dispute about it turned into a controversy about the basic principles of national life. Dobrolyubov's concept of the "dark kingdom" accentuated the social content of the drama. And A. Grigoriev regarded the play as an "organic" expression of the poetry of folk life. Later, in the XX century, a point of view arose on the "dark kingdom" as the spiritual element of the Russian person (A. A. Blok), a symbolic interpretation of the drama was proposed (F. A. Stepun).

The image of the city of Kalinov

The city of Kalinov appears in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" as a kingdom of "bondage" in which living life is regulated by a strict system of rituals and prohibitions. This is a world of cruel morals: envy and self-interest, "the debauchery of dark and drunkenness", quiet complaints and invisible tears. The course of life here has remained the same as a hundred and two hundred years ago: with the languor of a hot summer day, ceremonial companionship, festive revelry, night meetings of couples in love. The completeness, originality and self-sufficiency of the Kalinovites' life does not need any going beyond their limits, - to where everything is "wrong" and "in their way everything is opposite": both the law is "unrighteous", and the judges "are also all unrighteous", and " people with dogs' heads. " Talk about the old "Lithuanian ruin" and about the fact that Lithuania "fell from heaven on us" reveal the "historiosophy of the laity"; simple-minded reasoning about the Last Judgment picture - “the theology of the simple,” primitive eschatology. "Closeness", remoteness from "big time" (MM Bakhtin's term) is a characteristic feature of the city of Kalinov.

Universal sinfulness ("It is impossible, mother, without sin: we live in the world") is an essential, ontological characteristic of the Kalinov world. The Kalinovites see the only way to combat sin and curb their willfulness in the “law of everyday life and custom” (PA Markov). "Law" has constrained, simplified, crushed under itself living life in its free impulses, aspirations and desires. "The predatory wisdom of the local world" (expression of G. Florovsky) is evident in the spiritual cruelty of Kabanikha, the dense obstinacy of the Kalinovites, the predatory grasp of Kudryash, the resourceful cleverness of Varvara, the flabby compliance of Tikhon. The appearance of the "non-possessor" and the silversmith Kuligin is marked with the stamp of social outcast. An unrepentant sin roams the city of Kalinov in the guise of a crazy old woman. The graceless world languishes under the oppressive weight of the "Law", and only the distant peals of a thunderstorm remind of the "last end." The all-encompassing image of a thunderstorm appears in action, like breakthroughs of the highest reality into the local, otherworldly reality. Under the onslaught of an unknown and formidable "will", the life of the Kalinovites "began to be belittled": the "last times" of the patriarchal world are approaching. Against their background, the time of the play is read as the "axial time" of the breakdown of the integral way of Russian life.

The image of Katerina in "The Storm"

For the heroine of the play, the disintegration of the “Russian space” becomes the “personal” time of the tragedy she is going through. Katerina is the last heroine of the Russian Middle Ages, through whose heart a crack in the "axial time" passed and revealed the formidable depth of the conflict between the human world and the Divine heights. In the eyes of the Kalinovites, Katerina is "some kind of wonderful", "some kind of tricky", incomprehensible even for those close to her. The heroine's "neotworldliness" is emphasized even by her name: Katerina (Greek - always pure, ever pure). Not in the world, but in the church, in prayerful communion with God, the true depth of her personality is revealed. “Oh, Kudryash, how she prays, if only you looked! What an angelic smile she has on her face, but from her face it seems to shine. " These words of Boris contain the key to the mystery of Katerina's image in The Storm, an explanation of the illumination and luminosity of her appearance.

Her monologues in the first act expand the framework of the plot action and take them beyond the limits of the "small world" designated by the playwright. They reveal the free, joyful and light soaring of the heroine's soul to her “heavenly homeland”. Outside the church fence, Katerina is trapped by "bondage" and complete spiritual loneliness. Her soul passionately strives to find a kindred spirit in the world, and the heroine's gaze stops on the face of Boris, who is alien to the Kalinov world not only because of his European upbringing and education, but also spiritually: “I understand that all this is Russian, dear, and everything is I won't get used to it in any way. " The motive of the voluntary sacrifice for the sister - “sorry for the sister” - is central in the image of Boris. Doomed to "sacrifice", he is forced to meekly wait for the drying up of the wild will of the Wild.

Only outwardly, the humble, hidden Boris and the passionate, decisive Katerina are opposites. Internally, in a spiritual sense, they are equally alien to this world. Having seen a few times, never having spoken, they "recognized" each other in the crowd and could no longer live as before. Boris calls his passion a "fool", realizes its hopelessness, but Katerina "does not get" out of his head. Katerina's heart rushes to Boris against her will and desire. She wants to love her husband - and cannot; seeks salvation in prayer - “he will not pray in any way”; in the scene of her husband's departure, he tries to curse fate (“I will die without repentance if I ...”) - but Tikhon does not want to understand her (“... I don’t want to listen!”).

Going on a date to Boris, Katerina commits an irreversible, “fatal” act: “After all, what am I preparing for myself. Where do I belong ... ". Exactly according to Aristotle, the heroine guesses about the consequences, foresees the coming suffering, but commits a fatal act, not knowing all its horror: “Why pity me, no one is to blame, - she went for it.<...>They say that it is even easier when one suffers for some sin here on earth. " But "unquenchable fire", "fiery hell", predicted by the mad lady, overtake the heroine during her lifetime - with pangs of conscience. The consciousness and feeling of sin (tragic guilt), as experienced by the heroine, leads to the etymology of this word: sin - to warm (Greek - heat, pain).

Katerina's public confession of what she had done is an attempt to extinguish the fire that burns her from within, to return to God and regain the lost peace of mind. The culminating events of Act IV, both in formal terms, meaningfully, and figuratively and symbolically, are associated with the feast of Elijah the Prophet, the "formidable" saint, all of whose miracles in folk legends are associated with bringing down the heavenly fire to earth and frightening sinners. A thunderstorm that had previously rumbled in the distance erupted directly over Katerina's head. In conjunction with the image of the painting of the Last Judgment on the wall of a dilapidated gallery, with the cries of the lady: "You can't get away from God!" ), it forms the tragic climax of the action.

In the last words of Kuligin about the "merciful judge" one can hear not only a reproach to the sinful world for the "cruelty of manners", but also Ostrovsky's belief that thrusting the Almighty is unthinkable outside of mercy and love. The space of Russian tragedy is revealed in The Storm as a religious space of passions and suffering.

The protagonist of the tragedy dies, and the pharisee triumphs in her righteousness ("I understand, son, where the will is leading! .."). With the Old Testament severity, Kabanikha continues to observe the foundations of the Kalinov world: "flight into the rite" is the only salvation she can conceive of from the chaos of will. The escape of Barbara and Kudryash to the open spaces of freedom, the rebellion of the previously unrequited Tikhon ("Mamma, you ruined her! You, you, you ..."), the cry of the deceased Katerina - portend the onset of a new time. The "boundary", "turning point" of the content of "The Thunderstorm" allows us to speak of it as "the most decisive work of Ostrovsky" (NA Dobrolyubov).

Performances

The first performance of The Thunderstorms took place on November 16, 1859 at the Maly Theater (Moscow). In the role of Katerina - L.P. Nikulina-Kositskaya, who inspired Ostrovsky to create the image of the main character of the play. Since 1863 G.N. Fedotov, from 1873 - M.N. Ermolova. At the Alexandrinsky Theater (St. Petersburg) the premiere took place on December 2, 1859 (in the role of Katerina - F.A.Snetkov, the role of Tikhon was brilliantly played by A.E. Martynov). In the XX century, The Thunderstorm was staged by directors: V.E. Meyerhold (Alexandrinsky Theater, 1916); AND I. Tairov (Chamber Theater, Moscow, 1924); IN AND. Nemirovich-Danchenko and I. Ya. Sudakov (Moscow Art Theater, 1934); N.N. Okhlopkov (Moscow Mayakovsky Theater, 1953); G.N. Yanovskaya (Moscow Youth Theater, 1997).

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was a master of accurate descriptions. The playwright in his works managed to show all the dark sides of the human soul. Perhaps unsightly and negative, but without which it is impossible to create a complete picture. Criticizing Ostrovsky, Dobrolyubov pointed to his "popular" attitude, seeing the main merit of the writer in the fact that Ostrovsky was able to notice those qualities in Russian people and society that are capable of hindering natural progress. The theme of the "dark kingdom" is raised in many of Ostrovsky's dramas. In the play "The Thunderstorm" the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants are shown as limited, "dark" people.

The city of Kalinov in The Thunderstorm is a fictional space. The author wanted to emphasize that the vices that exist in this city are characteristic of all cities in Russia at the end of the 19th century. And all the problems that arise in the work existed everywhere at that time. Dobrolyubov calls Kalinov a "dark kingdom". The definition of a critic fully characterizes the atmosphere described in Kalinov.
The residents of Kalinov should be viewed as inextricably linked with the city. All the inhabitants of the city of Kalinov deceive each other, rob, terrorize other family members. Power in the city belongs to those who have money, and the mayor's power is only nominal. This becomes clear from Kuligin's conversation. The governor comes to Dikiy with a complaint: the men complained about Savl Prokofievich, because he cheated them. Dikoy does not try to justify himself at all, on the contrary, he confirms the words of the mayor, saying that if merchants steal from each other, then there is nothing wrong with a merchant stealing from ordinary residents. Dikoy himself is greedy and rude. He swears and grumbles constantly. We can say that because of greed, Savl Prokofievich's character deteriorated. There was nothing human left in him. Even Gobsek from the novel of the same name by O. Balzac, the reader sympathizes with more than the Wild. There are no feelings for this character other than disgust. But in the city of Kalinov, its inhabitants indulge Dikoy themselves: they ask him for money, they humiliate themselves, they know that they will be insulted and, most likely, they will not give the required amount, but they still ask. Most of all, the merchant is annoyed by his nephew Boris, because he also needs money. Dikoy is openly rude to him, curses and demands that he leave. Savl Prokofievich is alien to culture. He does not know either Derzhavin or Lomonosov. He is only interested in the accumulation and augmentation of material wealth.

The boar is different from the Wild. “Under the guise of piety,” she tries to subordinate everything to her will. She raised an ungrateful and deceitful daughter, a spineless weak son. Through the prism of blind maternal love, Kabanikha does not seem to notice Varvara's hypocrisy, but Marfa Ignatievna perfectly understands how she made her son. Kabanikha treats her daughter-in-law worse than the others.
In relations with Katerina, Kabanikha's desire to control everyone is manifested, to instill fear in people. After all, the ruler is either loved or afraid, and there is nothing to love Kabanikha.

It should be noted the speaking surname of the Wild and the nickname of the Boar, which send readers and viewers to the wild, animal life.

Glasha and Feklusha are the lowest link in the hierarchy. They are ordinary residents who are happy to serve such masters. It is believed that every nation deserves its ruler. In the city of Kalinov, this is confirmed many times. Glasha and Feklusha are in dialogue about the fact that Moscow is now "sodom", because people there are beginning to live differently. Culture and education are alien to the inhabitants of Kalinov. They praise Kabanikha for the fact that she stands up for the preservation of the patriarchal system. Glasha agrees with Feklusha that the old order was preserved only in the Kabanov family. Kabanikha's house is heaven on earth, because in other places everything is mired in debauchery and bad manners.

The reaction to the thunderstorm in Kalinovo is more similar to the reaction to a large-scale natural disaster. People run to save themselves, trying to hide. This is because a thunderstorm becomes not just a natural phenomenon, but a symbol of God's punishment. This is how Savl Prokofievich and Katerina perceive her. However, Kuligin is not at all afraid of a thunderstorm. He urges people not to panic, tells Dikiy about the benefits of a lightning rod, but he is deaf to the requests of the inventor. Kuligin cannot actively resist the established order, he adapted to life in such an environment. Boris understands that in Kalinov, Kuligin's dreams will remain dreams. At the same time, Kuligin differs from the rest of the city's residents. He is honest, modest, plans to earn his own work, without asking the rich for help. The inventor studied in detail all the orders in which the city lives; knows what is happening behind closed doors, knows about the deceit of the Wild, but can do nothing about it.

In The Thunderstorm, Ostrovsky portrays the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants from a negative point of view. The playwright wanted to show how deplorable the situation is in the provincial cities of Russia, he emphasized that social problems require immediate solutions.

The above description of the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants will be useful to pupils of the 10th grade when preparing an essay on the topic "The city of Kalinov and its inhabitants in the play" The Thunderstorm ".

"The Thunderstorm" the city of Kalinov and its inhabitants in the pyeche - an essay on the topic |

Essay on literature.

Cruel manners in our city, cruel ...
A.N. Ostrovsky, "The Thunderstorm".

The city of Kalinov, in which the action of "The Thunderstorm" takes place, is outlined by the author rather vaguely. Such a place can be any town in any corner of immense Russia. This immediately increases and generalizes the scale of the events described.

Preparations for a reform to abolish serfdom are in full swing, which affects the life of all of Russia. Outdated orders give way to new ones, previously unknown phenomena and concepts arise. Therefore, even in remote towns like Kalinov, the inhabitants are worried when they hear the steps of a new life.

What is this "city on the banks of the Volga"? What kind of people live in it? The scenic nature of the work does not allow the writer to directly answer these questions with his thoughts, but a general idea of ​​them can still be made.

Outwardly, the city of Kalinov is a “blessed place”. It stands on the banks of the Volga, from the steepness of the river, an "extraordinary view" opens up. But the majority of local residents "looked closely or do not understand" this beauty and speak disparagingly about it. Kalinov seems to be separated from the rest of the world by a wall. They do not know anything about what is “happening in the world”. The inhabitants of Kalinov are forced to draw all information about the world around them from the stories of "wanderers" who "themselves did not go far, but heard a lot." This gratification of curiosity leads to the ignorance of most townspeople. They quite seriously talk about the lands, "where people with dogs' heads", about the fact that "Lithuania fell from the sky." Among the residents of Kalinov there are people who “do not give an account to anyone” in their actions; people accustomed to such irresponsibility lose the ability to see logic in anything.

Kabanova and Dikoy, living according to the old order, are forced to give up their positions. This embitters them and makes them rage even more. Dikoy pounces on everyone he meets and “doesn't want to know anyone”. Realizing internally that there is nothing to respect him, he, however, reserves the right to deal with the "little people" like this:

If I want - I will have mercy, if I want - I will crush.

Kabanova persistently pesters home with ridiculous demands that are contrary to common sense. She is terrible in that she reads instructions "under the guise of piety," but she herself cannot be called pious. This can be seen from the conversation between Kuligin and Kabanov:

Kuligin: The enemies must be forgiven, sir!
Kabanov: Go talk to mamma, what will she tell you about that.

Dikoy and Kabanova still seem strong, but they begin to realize that their strength is coming to an end. They "have nowhere to rush", but life moves forward without asking their permission. That is why Kabanova is gloomy, she does not imagine “how the light will stand” when her orders are forgotten. But those around, not yet feeling the powerlessness of these tyrants, is forced to adapt to them,

Tikhon, a kind person at heart, resigned himself to his position. He lives and acts as "mamma ordered", finally losing the ability to "live with his mind."

His sister Varvara is not like that. Arrogant oppression did not break her will, she is bolder and much more independent than Tikhon, but her conviction "if only everything was sewn and covered" suggests that Varvara could not fight her oppressors, but only adapted to them.

Vanya Kudryash, a daring and strong nature, got used to tyrants and is not afraid of them. The Wild one needs him and knows this; he will not “slave before him”. But the use of rudeness as a weapon of struggle means that Kudryash can only "take an example" from the Wild, defending himself against him by his own techniques. His reckless prowess reaches the point of willfulness, and this already borders on tyranny.

Katerina is, as the critic Dobrolyubov put it, "a ray of light in the dark kingdom." Original and lively, she does not look like any other hero in the play. Her national character gives her inner strength. But this strength is not enough to withstand the relentless attacks of Kabanova. Katerina seeks support - and does not find it. Exhausted, unable to further resist the oppression, Katerina still did not give up, but left the struggle, committing suicide.

Kalinov can be accommodated in any corner of the country, and this allows us to consider the action of the play on the scale of the whole of Russia. Everywhere tyrants live out their days, weak people still suffer from their antics. But life is tirelessly moving forward, no one is given to stop its rapid flow. A fresh and strong stream will sweep away the dam of tyranny ... The characters freed from oppression will spread in all their breadth - and the sun will flare up in the "dark kingdom"!