The image of Katerina in the drama "Thunderstorm". The image of Katerina in Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" (School compositions) The image of Katerina in Ostrovsky's play

Disenfranchised and married early. Most of the marriages of that time were calculated to be profitable. If the chosen one was from a wealthy family, this could help to get a high rank. To marry, though not a beloved young man, but a wealthy and wealthy was in the order of things. There was no such thing as a divorce. Apparently, from such calculations, Katerina was married to a rich young man, a merchant's son. Married life did not bring her either happiness or love, but, on the contrary, became the embodiment of hell, filled with the despotism of her mother-in-law and the lies of the people around her.

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This image in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" is the main and at the same time the most contradictory... It differs from the inhabitants of Kalinov by strength of character and self-esteem.

Katerina's life in the parental home

The formation of her personality was greatly influenced by her childhood, which Katya loves to remember. Her father was a wealthy merchant, she felt no need, motherly love and care surrounded her from birth. Her childhood was fun and carefree.

The main features of Katerina can be called:

• kindness;
• sincerity;
• openness.

Parents took her with them to church, and then she walked and devoted her days to her beloved work. His passion for the church began in childhood with attending church services. Later, it is in the church that Boris will pay attention to it.

When Katerina was nineteen years old, she was married off. And, although, in the husband's house there is everything the same: both walks and work, this no longer gives Katya such pleasure as in childhood.

The former ease is gone, only responsibilities remain. The mother's feeling of support and love helped her to believe in the existence of higher powers. The marriage, which separated her from her mother, deprived Katya of the main thing: love and freedom.

Essay on the theme "the image of Katerina in" The Thunderstorm " would be incomplete without familiarity with her environment. It:

• husband Tikhon;
• mother-in-law Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova;
• husband's sister Varvara.

The person who causes her suffering in family life is the mother-in-law Marfa Ignatievna. Her cruelty, control over the household and submission to their will also concern her daughter-in-law. The long-awaited wedding of her son did not make her happy. But Katya manages to resist her influence thanks to the strength of her character. This scares Kabanikha. With all the power in the house, she cannot allow Katherine to influence her husband. And he reproaches his son for loving his wife more than his mother.

In conversations between Katerina Tikhon and Martha Ignatievna, when the latter openly provokes her daughter-in-law, Katya behaves extremely dignified and friendly, not allowing the conversation to develop into a skirmish, answers briefly and to the point. When Katya says that she loves her like her own mother, the mother-in-law does not believe her, calling it a pretense in front of others. Nevertheless, Katya's spirit cannot be broken. Even in communication with her mother-in-law, she turns to her on "You", showing by this that they are on the same level, while Tikhon addresses his mother exclusively on "You".

Katerina's husband cannot be ranked as either positive or negative characters. In fact, he is a child tired of the parent's control. However, his behavior and actions are not aimed at changing the situation, all his words end with complaints about his existence. Sister Barbara reproaches him for not being able to stand up for his wife.
In communication with Varvara, Katya can be sincere. Varvara warns her that life in this house is impossible without lies, and helps to arrange a meeting with her lover.

The connection with Boris fully reveals the characterization of Katerina from the play "The Thunderstorm". Their relationship is developing rapidly. Arriving from Moscow, he fell in love with Katya, and the girl reciprocates. Although the status of a married woman worries him, he is unable to refuse dating her. Katya struggles with her feelings, does not want to violate the laws of Christianity, but when her husband leaves, she goes on dates in secret.

After the arrival of Tikhon, at the initiative of Boris, the meetings are terminated, he hopes to keep them secret. But this is contrary to the principles of Katerina, she cannot lie to others or to herself. The thunderstorm that has begun pushes her to talk about her betrayal, in this she sees a sign from above. Boris wants to leave for Siberia, but refuses to take her with him at her request. Probably, he does not need her, there was no love on his part.

And for Katya, he was a breath of fresh air. Having appeared in Kalinov from an alien world, he brought with him a feeling of freedom, which she so lacked. The girl's rich imagination gave him those traits that Boris never had. And she fell in love, but not with a person, but with her idea of ​​him.

The break with Boris and the inability to connect with Tikhon end tragically for Katerina. The realization of the impossibility of living in this world prompts her to throw herself into the river. In order to violate one of the strictest Christian prohibitions, Katerina needs to have tremendous willpower, but the circumstances do not leave her a choice. read in our article.

Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" was written a year before the abolition of serfdom, in 1859. This work stands out from the rest of the playwright's plays due to the character of the main character. In The Thunderstorm, Katerina is the main character through whom the conflict of the play is shown. Katerina is not like other residents of Kalinov, she is distinguished by a special perception of life, strength of character and self-esteem. The image of Katerina from the play "The Thunderstorm" is formed due to a combination of many factors. For example, words, thoughts, surroundings, actions.

Childhood

Katya is about 19 years old, she was married early. From Katerina's monologue in the first act, we learn about Katya's childhood. Mamma "doted on her" in her. Together with her parents, the girl went to church, walked, and then did some work. Katerina Kabanova recalls all this with bright sadness. An interesting phrase of Varvara that "we have the same thing." But now Katya has no feeling of lightness, now "everything is done under duress." In fact, life before marriage was practically no different from life after: the same actions, the same events. But now Katya treats everything differently. Then she felt support, felt alive, she had amazing dreams about flights. "And they are dreaming now," but much less often. Before marriage, Katerina felt the movement of life, the presence of some higher forces in this world, she was devout: “how she loved to go to church!

»From early childhood, Katerina had everything she needed: mother's love and freedom. Now, by the will of circumstances, she is cut off from her loved one and deprived of freedom.

Environment

Katerina lives in the same house with her husband, husband's sister and mother-in-law. This circumstance alone no longer contributes to a happy family life. However, the situation is aggravated by the fact that Kabanikha, Katya's mother-in-law, is a cruel and greedy person. Greed here should be understood as a passionate desire, bordering on madness, for something. The boar wants to subordinate everyone and everything to his will. One experience with Tikhon went well with her, the next victim was Katerina. Despite the fact that Marfa Ignatievna was waiting for her son's wedding, she is unhappy with her daughter-in-law. Kabanikha did not expect that Katerina would be so strong in character that she could silently resist her influence. The old woman realizes that Katya can turn Tikhon against her mother, she is afraid of this, so she tries in every possible way to break Katya in order to avoid such a development of events. Kabanikha says that Tikhon's wife has long become dearer to her mother.

“Kabanikha: Al’s wife, or something, takes you away from me, I don’t know.
Kabanov: No, mamma!

What are you, have mercy!
Katerina: For me, mamma, everything is the same as my own mother, what you are, and Tikhon loves you too.
Kabanova: You, it seems, could have kept quiet if they didn’t ask you. Why did you jump out in your eyes to whine! To see, perhaps, how you love your husband? So we know, we know, in the eyes you prove it to everyone.
Katerina: You mean me, mamma, you are wrong to say this. With people, that without people, I am all alone, I don’t prove anything from myself ”

Katerina's answer is interesting enough for several reasons. She, unlike Tikhon, turns to Marfa Ignatievna on you, as if putting herself on a par with her. Katya draws Kabanikha's attention to the fact that she does not pretend and does not try to appear as someone she is not. Despite the fact that Katya fulfills the humiliating request to kneel before Tikhon, this does not mean her humility. Katerina is insulted by false words: "Who is pleased to endure in vain?" - with such an answer Katya not only defends herself, but also reproaches Kabanikha for lying and backbiting.

Katerina's husband in "The Thunderstorm" appears to be a gray man. Tikhon looks like an over-aged child who is tired of the care of his mother, but at the same time does not try to change the situation, but only complains about life. Even his sister, Varvara, reproaches Tikhon with the fact that he cannot protect Katya from the attacks of Marfa Ignatievna. Varvara is the only person who is even slightly interested in Katya, but still she persuades the girl to the fact that she will have to lie and wriggle in order to survive in this family.

Relationship with Boris

In The Thunderstorm, the image of Katerina is also revealed through the love line. Boris came from Moscow on business related to inheritance. Feelings for Katya flare up suddenly, as do the girl's reciprocal feelings. This is love at first sight. Boris is worried that Katya is married, but he continues to seek meetings with her. Katya, realizing her feelings, tries to give them up. Treason is contrary to the laws of Christian morality and society. Varvara helps the lovers meet. For ten whole days Katya secretly meets with Boris (while Tikhon was away). Upon learning of Tikhon's arrival, Boris refuses to meet with Katya, he asks Varvara to persuade Katya to keep quiet about their secret dates. But Katerina is not that kind of person: she needs to be honest with others and with herself. She is afraid of God's punishment for her sin, therefore she regards the raging thunderstorm as a sign from above and talks about treason. After that Katya decides to talk to Boris. It turns out that he is going to leave for Siberia for a few days, but he cannot take the girl with him. Obviously, Boris doesn't really need Katya, that he didn't love her. But Katya did not like Boris either. More precisely, she loved, but not Boris. In The Thunderstorm, the Ostrovsky image of Katerina endowed with the ability to see the good in everything, endowed the girl with a surprisingly strong imagination. Katya came up with the image of Boris, she saw in him one of his features - the rejection of Kalinov's reality - and made it the main one, refusing to see other sides. After all, Boris came to ask for money from Dikiy, just as other Kalinovites did. Boris was for Katya a person from another world, from the world of freedom, the one that the girl dreamed of. Therefore, Boris himself becomes a kind of embodiment of freedom for Katya. She does not fall in love with him, but with her ideas about him.

The drama "The Thunderstorm" ends tragically. Katya throws herself into the Volga, realizing that she cannot live in such a world. And there is no other world. The girl, in spite of her religiosity, commits one of the worst sins of the Christian paradigm. To decide on such an act requires tremendous willpower. Unfortunately, the girl had no other choice in those circumstances. Surprisingly, Katya keeps her inner purity even after committing suicide.

A detailed disclosure of the image of the main character and a description of her relationship with other characters in the play will be useful for 10 classes in preparation for the essay on the theme "The image of Katerina in the play" The Thunderstorm ".

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The image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm" contrasts perfectly with the gloomy realities of Russia in the pre-reform period. At the epicenter of the unfolding drama is the conflict between the heroine, striving to defend her human rights, and the world in which everything is ruled by strong, rich and powerful people.

Katerina as the embodiment of a pure, strong and bright folk soul

From the very first pages of the work, the image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm" cannot fail to attract attention and make you feel sympathetic. Honesty, the ability to feel deeply, sincerity of nature and a penchant for poetry - these are the features that distinguish Katerina herself from the representatives of the "dark kingdom". In the main character, Ostrovsky tried to capture all the beauty of the people's simple soul. The girl expresses her emotions and feelings unpretentiously and does not use distorted words and expressions common in the merchant environment. It is not difficult to notice, the very speech of Katerina is more reminiscent of a melodic tune, she is replete with diminutive words and expressions: "sun", "grass", "rain". The heroine shows incredible sincerity when she talks about her free life in her father's house, among icons, calm prayers and flowers, where she lived “like a bird in freedom”.

The image of a bird is an accurate reflection of the state of mind of the heroine

The image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm" echoes in the best possible way with the image of a bird, which symbolizes freedom in folk poetry. Talking to Barbara, she repeatedly refers to this analogy and claims that she is "a free bird that fell into an iron cage." In captivity, she is sad and painful.

Katerina's life in the Kabanovs' house. Love of Katerina and Boris

In the Kabanovs' house, Katerina, who is inherent in dreaminess and romance, feels like a completely stranger. The humiliating reproaches of the mother-in-law, accustomed to keeping all household members at bay, the atmosphere of tyranny, lies and hypocrisy oppress the girl. However, Katerina herself, who is by nature a strong, whole person, knows that there is a limit to her patience: “I don’t want to live here, I won’t do this, even though you cut me!” Barbara's words that it is impossible to survive in this house without deception cause strong rejection in Katerina. The heroine opposes the "dark kingdom", his orders did not break her will to live, fortunately, did not force her to become like other inhabitants of the Kabanovs' house and begin to be hypocritical and lie herself at every step.

The image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm" is revealed in a new way, when the girl makes an attempt to escape from the "hateful" world. She does not know how and does not want to love the way the inhabitants of the "dark kingdom" do, freedom, openness, "honest" happiness are important to her. While Boris convinces her that their love will remain a secret, Katerina wants everyone to know about it, so that everyone can see. Tikhon, her husband, however, the bright feeling awakened in her heart seems to her And just at this moment the reader comes face to face with the tragedy of her suffering and torment. From this moment, Katerina's conflict occurs not only with the outside world, but also with herself. It is difficult for her to make a choice between love and duty, she tries to forbid herself to love and be happy. However, the struggle with their own feelings is beyond the strength of the fragile Katerina.

The style and laws that reign in the world around the girl put pressure on her. She seeks to repent of what she has done, to purify her soul. Seeing the painting "The Last Judgment" on the wall in the church, Katerina can not stand it, falls to her knees and begins to publicly repent of her sin. However, even this does not bring the girl the desired relief. Other heroes of Ostrovsky's The Thunderstorm are not able to support her, even a loved one. Boris refuses to Katerina's requests to take her out of here. This person is not a hero, he is simply unable to protect himself or his beloved.

Death of Katerina - a ray of light that illuminated the "dark kingdom"

Evil falls on Katherine from all sides. Constant bullying by the mother-in-law, throwing between duty and love - all this ultimately leads the girl to a tragic ending. Having managed to learn happiness and love in her short life, she is simply not able to continue living in the Kabanovs' house, where such concepts do not exist at all. She sees the only way out in suicide: the future frightens Katerina, and the grave is perceived as salvation from the torment of the soul. However, the image of Katerina in the drama "The Thunderstorm", in spite of everything, remains strong - she did not choose a wretched existence in a "cage" and did not allow anyone to break her living soul.

Nevertheless, the death of the heroine was not in vain. The girl won a moral victory over the "dark kingdom", she managed to dispel a little darkness in the hearts of people, to induce them to action, to open their eyes. The life of the heroine herself became a "ray of light" that blazed in the darkness and for a long time left its glow over the world of madness and darkness.

2. The image of Katerina in the play "The Thunderstorm"

Katerina is a lonely young woman who lacks human sympathy, sympathy, and love. The need for this attracts her to Boris. She sees that outwardly he does not look like other residents of the city of Kalinov, and, not being able to find out his inner essence, considers him a man of another world. In her imagination, Boris appears as a handsome prince who will take her away from the “dark kingdom” to the fairy-tale world that exists in her dreams.

In terms of character and interests, Katerina stands out sharply from her environment. Unfortunately, the fate of Katerina is a vivid and typical example of the fate of thousands of Russian women of that time. Katerina is a young woman, the wife of the merchant's son Tikhon Kabanov. She recently left her home and moved to her husband's house, where she lives with her mother-in-law Kabanova, who is the sovereign mistress. In the family, Katerina has no rights, she is not even free to dispose of herself. With warmth and love, she recalls her parental home, her maiden life. There she lived at ease, surrounded by the affection and care of her mother .. The religious upbringing that she received in the family developed in her impressionability, daydreaming, faith in the afterlife and retribution for man's sins.

Katerina found herself in completely different conditions in her husband's house .. At every step she felt dependence on her mother-in-law, endured humiliation and insults. On the part of Tikhon, she does not meet any support, much less understanding, since he himself is under the rule of Kabanikha. By her kindness, Katerina is ready to treat Kabanikha like her own mother. "But Katerina's sincere feelings are not supported by either Kabanikha or Tikhon.

Living in such an environment changed Katerina's character. Katerina's sincerity and truthfulness collide in Kabanikha's house with lies, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, rudeness. When love for Boris is born in Katerina, it seems to her a crime, and she struggles with the feeling that has washed over her. Katerina's truthfulness and sincerity make her suffer so much that she finally has to repent before her husband. Katerina's sincerity, her truthfulness are incompatible with the life of the "dark kingdom". All this was the cause of Katerina's tragedy.

". Katerina's public repentance shows the depth of her suffering, moral greatness, determination. But after repentance, her position became unbearable. Her husband does not understand her, Boris is powerless and does not go to her aid. The situation has become hopeless - Katerina is dying. Katerina's death is not to blame. One specific person. Her death is the result of the incompatibility of morality and the way of life in which she was forced to exist. The image of Katerina was of great educational value for Ostrovsky's contemporaries and for subsequent generations. He called for the fight against all forms of despotism and oppression of the human personality. an expression of the growing protest of the masses against all forms of slavery.

Katerina, sad and cheerful, compliant and obstinate, dreamy, depressed and proud. Such different states of mind are explained by the naturalness of each mental movement of this simultaneously restrained and impetuous nature, the strength of which lies in the ability to always be itself. Katerina remained true to herself, that is, she could not change the very essence of her character.

I think that the most important character trait of Katerina is honesty before herself, her husband, the world around her; it is her unwillingness to live a lie. She does not want and cannot cheat, pretend, lie, hide. This is confirmed by the scene of Katerina's confession of treason. Not a thunderstorm, not a frightening prophecy of a crazy old woman, not a fear of the fiery hell prompted the heroine to tell the truth. “The whole heart was torn! I can’t take it any longer! ” - so she began her confession. For her honest and whole nature, the false position in which she found herself is unbearable. To live just to live is not for her. To live is to be yourself. Its most precious value is personal freedom, freedom of the soul.

With such a character, Katerina, after betraying her husband, could not remain in his house, return to a monotonous dreary life, endure constant reproaches and "moralizing" Kabanikha, lose freedom. But all patience comes to an end. It is difficult for Katerina to be where she is not understood, her human dignity is humiliated and insulted, her feelings and desires are ignored. Before her death, she says: “What is home, what is in the grave - all the same ... In the grave it is better ...” She does not want death, but life is unbearable.

Katerina is a deeply religious and God-fearing person. Since, according to the Christian religion, suicide is a great sin, then knowingly committing it, she showed not weakness, but strength of character. Her death is a challenge to the “dark force”, the desire to live in the “light kingdom” of love, joy and happiness.

The death of Katerina is the result of the collision of two historical eras. By her death, Katerina protests against despotism and tyranny, her death testifies to the approaching end of the "dark kingdom." The image of Katerina belongs to the best images of Russian fiction. Katerina is a new type of people in Russian reality in the 1860s.

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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