Ostrovsky thunderstorm analysis of the work theme and idea. Boris and Tikhon: comparative characteristics of these heroes. Work test

In literary criticism, the problematics of a work are the range of problems that are addressed in one way or another in the text. This may be one or more aspects that the author focuses on. In this work we will talk about the problems of Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm”. A. N. Ostrovsky received a literary vocation after his first published play. “Poverty is not a vice”, “Dowry”, “ Plum“- these and many other works are devoted to social and everyday themes, however, the issue of the problems of the play “The Thunderstorm” needs to be considered separately.

The play was received ambiguously by critics. Dobrolyubov saw in Katerina hope for new life, Ap. Grigoriev noticed the emerging protest against the existing order, and L. Tolstoy did not accept the play at all. The plot of “The Thunderstorm,” at first glance, is quite simple: everything is based on a love conflict. Katerina secretly meets with a young man while her husband left for another city on business. Unable to cope with the pangs of conscience, the girl admits to treason, after which she rushes into the Volga. However, behind all this everyday, everyday life, lies much larger things that threaten to grow to the scale of space. Dobrolyubov calls the “dark kingdom” the situation described in the text. An atmosphere of lies and betrayal. In Kalinov, people are so accustomed to moral filth that their resigned consent only aggravates the situation. It becomes scary to realize that it was not the place that made people like this, it was the people who independently turned the city into a kind of accumulation of vices. And now the “dark kingdom” is beginning to influence the inhabitants. After a detailed reading of the text, you can see how widely the problems of the work “The Thunderstorm” have been developed.

The problems in Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" are diverse, but at the same time they do not have a hierarchy. Each individual problem is important in its own right.

The problem of fathers and sons

Here we are not talking about misunderstanding, but about total control, about patriarchal orders. The play shows the life of the Kabanov family. At that time, the opinion of the eldest man in the family was undeniable, and wives and daughters were practically deprived of their rights. The head of the family is Marfa Ignatievna, a widow. She took on male functions. This is a powerful and calculating woman. Kabanikha believes that she takes care of her children, ordering them to do as she wants. This behavior led to quite logical consequences. Her son, Tikhon, is a weak and spineless person. His mother, it seems, wanted to see him this way, because in this case it is easier to control a person. Tikhon is afraid to say anything, to express his opinion; in one of the scenes he admits that he doesn’t have his own point of view at all. Tikhon cannot protect either himself or his wife from his mother’s hysterics and cruelty. Kabanikha’s daughter, Varvara, on the contrary, managed to adapt to this lifestyle. She easily lies to her mother, the girl even changed the lock on the gate in the garden so that she could go on dates with Curly without hindrance. Tikhon is incapable of any rebellion, while Varvara, at the end of the play, runs away from her parents' house with her lover.

The problem of self-realization

When talking about the problems of “The Thunderstorm,” one cannot fail to mention this aspect. The problem is realized in the image of Kuligin. This self-taught inventor dreams of making something useful for all residents of the city. His plans include assembling a perpeta mobile, building a lightning rod, and generating electricity. But this whole dark, semi-pagan world needs neither light nor enlightenment. Dikoy laughs at Kuligin’s plans to find an honest income and openly mocks him. After a conversation with Kuligin, Boris understands that the inventor will never invent a single thing. Perhaps Kuligin himself understands this. He could be called naive, but he knows what morals reign in Kalinov, what happens behind closed doors, what those in whose hands the power is concentrated are like. Kuligin learned to live in this world without losing himself. But he is not able to sense the conflict between reality and dreams as keenly as Katerina did.

The problem of power

In the city of Kalinov, power is not in the hands of the relevant authorities, but in those who have money. Proof of this is the dialogue between the merchant Dikiy and the mayor. The mayor tells the merchant that complaints are being received against the latter. Savl Prokofievich responds rudely to this. Dikoy does not hide the fact that he is cheating ordinary men; he talks about deception as a normal phenomenon: if merchants steal from each other, then it is possible to steal from ordinary residents. In Kalinov, nominal power decides absolutely nothing, and this is fundamentally wrong. After all, it turns out that it is simply impossible to live without money in such a city. Dikoy imagines himself almost like a priest-king, deciding who to lend money to and who not. “So know that you are a worm. If I want, I’ll have mercy, if I want, I’ll crush you,” is how Dikoy answers Kuligin.

The problem of love

In "The Thunderstorm" the problem of love is realized in the couples Katerina - Tikhon and Katerina - Boris. The girl is forced to live with her husband, although she does not feel any feelings other than pity for him. Katya rushes from one extreme to another: she thinks between the option of staying with her husband and learning to love him, or leaving Tikhon. Katya's feelings for Boris flare up instantly. This passion pushes the girl to take a decisive step: Katya goes against public opinion and Christian morality. Her feelings turned out to be mutual, but for Boris this love meant much less. Katya believed that Boris, like her, was incapable of living in a frozen city and lying for profit. Katerina often compared herself to a bird, she wanted to fly away, to break out of that metaphorical cage, and in Boris Katya saw that air, that freedom that she so lacked. Unfortunately, the girl was mistaken about Boris. The young man turned out to be the same as the residents of Kalinov. He wanted to improve relations with Dikiy in order to receive money, and he talked with Varvara that it was better to keep his feelings for Katya secret for as long as possible.

Conflict between old and new

It's about resistance patriarchal way of life life with a new order that implies equality and freedom. This topic was very relevant. Let us remember that the play was written in 1859, and serfdom was abolished in 1861. Social contradictions reached their climax. The author wanted to show what the lack of reforms and decisive action can lead to. Tikhon’s final words confirm this. “Good for you, Katya! Why did I stay in the world and suffer!” In such a world, the living envy the dead.

This contradiction most strongly affected the main character of the play. Katerina cannot understand how one can live in lies and animal humility. The girl was suffocating in the atmosphere that had been created by the residents of Kalinov for a long time. She is honest and pure, so her only desire was so small and so great at the same time. Katya just wanted to be herself, to live the way she was raised. Katerina sees that everything is not at all as she imagined before her marriage. She cannot even allow herself a sincere impulse - to hug her husband - Kabanikha controlled and suppressed any attempts by Katya to be sincere. Varvara supports Katya, but cannot understand her. Katerina is left alone in this world of deceit and dirt. The girl could not bear such pressure; she finds salvation in death. Death frees Katya from the burden of earthly life, turning her soul into something light, capable of flying away from the “dark kingdom.”

We can conclude that the problems raised in the drama “The Thunderstorm” are significant and relevant to this day. These are unresolved questions of human existence that will worry people at all times. It is thanks to this formulation of the question that the play “The Thunderstorm” can be called a timeless work.

Work test

The comedy "The Thunderstorm" is one of the most famous works Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky. The idea and characters of the work can be explored forever. The images of the characters in "The Thunderstorm" are quite remarkable.

Problems of the play "The Thunderstorm"

All characters can be divided into 2 groups: representatives of the elder and younger generations. The eldest represents Kabanikh and Dikoy. They are representatives patriarchal world where selfishness and poverty rule. Other characters suffer from the tyranny of Kabanikha and Wild. These are primarily Varvara, Katerina, Boris and Tikhon. A comparative description of the characters shows that all the heroes have resigned themselves to their fate, and only Katerina is not able to go against her conscience and her desires.

The entire work "The Thunderstorm" is dedicated to history main character Katerina. She is one of the participants. Katerina has to choose between two men, and these men are Boris and Tikhon. These characters will help you understand in detail the behavior of the characters in the play.

Boris's fate

Before analyzing the character of Boris, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with his history.

Boris is not Kalinova. He gets there by the will of his parents. Boris was supposed to get the inheritance, which for the time being was managed by Dikoy. For good behavior and obedience, Dikoy is obliged to give the inheritance to Boris, but readers understand that due to Dikoy’s greed this will never happen. Therefore, Boris has to stay in Kalinov and live there according to the rules established by Dikiy and Kabanikha.

Tikhon's fate

Among all the characters, two heroes stand out, two men - Boris and Tikhon. The comparative characteristics of these heroes can say a lot.

Tikhon depends on Kabanikha - his mother. He has to obey her in everything. Kabanikha does not hesitate to get involved in the personal life of her son, dictating how he should treat his wife. Kabanikha literally takes his daughter-in-law out of the world. Kabanikha constantly finds fault with Katerina.

One day Tikhon is forced to leave for another city for several days. The reader clearly sees how glad he is for the opportunity to be alone and show his independence.

What Boris and Tikhon have in common

So, we have two characters - Boris and Tikhon. A comparative description of these heroes is impossible without an analysis of their lifestyle. So, both characters live with tyrants, both heroes are forced to obey the will of others. Both heroes lack independence. Both heroes love Katerina.

At the end of the play, both suffer greatly after the death of Katerina. Tikhon is left alone with his mother, and orders Boris Dika to leave Kalinov. Of course, he definitely won’t see an inheritance after the incident with Katerina.

Boris and Tikhon: differences

There are more differences between Boris and Tikhon than they have in common. So, Boris and Tikhon - comparative characteristics. The table below will help systematize knowledge about these heroes.

Such are Boris and Tikhon. The comparative characteristics of the characters given in the table above are quite brief and succinct. It is worth noting that mostly readers sympathize with Boris rather than Tikhon.

The main idea of ​​the play "The Thunderstorm"

The characterization of Boris and Tikhon suggests that the two men loved Katerina. However, neither one nor the other could save her. Katerina threw herself off a cliff into the river, no one stopped her. It was Boris and Tikhon, whose comparative characteristics were given above, who should have saved her, who should have rebelled against the power of the Kalinovsky tyrants. However, they failed, and Katerina’s lifeless body was taken out of the river.

Kalinov is a town that lives by its own rules. Dobrolyubov called Katerina “a ray of light in dark kingdom", and this is true. Katerina could not change her fate, but perhaps she is the whole city. Her death is the first catastrophe that violated the patriarchal structure of the family. Kabanikha and Dikoy feel that young people are leaving their power, which means changes are coming.

Thus, A. Ostrovsky was able to show not only family tragedy. Before us is the tragedy of an entire city perishing under the despotism of the Wild and Kabanikha. Kalinov is not a fictional city, but there are a lot of such “Kalinovs” throughout Russia.

Ostrovsky's works are always full of sincerity. The author conveys the realities of that time through the lives of the heroes, showing all the shortcomings of that society. Many problems and topics are relevant in modern society, because classical literature and is distinguished by the fact that it will be in demand at all times. The genius of the authors is that they were able to create masterpieces that are admired by more than one generation and I hope that they will continue to be admired in the future.

The problems of Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" are diverse.

1. Fathers and sons (the problem of fathers and children or the conflict of generations - a conflict, the meaning of which is non-acceptance of each other and rejection of the foundations of both generations)

2. Moral choice( this problem presented through the main character – Katerina)

3. The position of women in the society of that time and in the family (this problem is presented in the play through Katerina, Varvara)

4. Spiritual freedom of the individual

5. Immorality and despotism in the souls of people and in power (Kabanikha and Dikoy are the masters of life)

The subject matter of the work is multifaceted. There are three areas of themes in the work - these are moral themes, social and philosophical. The first direction is love, true happiness for a person, family. The second is the infringement of human rights and the enslavement of man. The third is the fate of man, life and death, truth and faith, hope. The author examines similar topics in his other works, which can also be used as an argument for the Unified State Exam.

Updated: 2017-12-02

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Useful material on the topic

Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" is the most significant work of the famous playwright. It was written in 1860 during a period of social upsurge, when the foundations of serfdom were cracking and a storm was brewing in the stuffy atmosphere of reality. Ostrovsky's play takes us to the merchant environment, where the Domostroev order was most persistently maintained. Residents of a provincial town live a closed life alien to public interests, in ignorance of what is happening in the world, in ignorance and indifference. Their range of interests is limited to household chores. 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. The first complete type of tyrant merchant, whose meaning of life is to amass capital by any means. The main theme of the thunderstorm is the clash between new trends and old traditions, between the oppressed and the oppressors, between the desire of people for the free manifestation of their human rights, spiritual needs, and the prevailing social and family order in Russia.

If we consider “The Thunderstorm” as a social and everyday drama, then the resulting conflict looks quite simple: it is, as it were, external, social; the audience's attention is equally distributed between the characters, all of them, like checkers on a board, play almost identical roles necessary to create the plot outline, they confuse and then, flashing and rearranging, as in tag, help resolve the confusing plot. If the character system is laid out in such a way that a conflict arises and is resolved, as it were, with the help of everyone characters. Here we are dealing with an everyday drama; its conflict is simple and easy to guess.

Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” raises the problem of turning point public life that occurred in the 50s, a change in social foundations. The author cannot be absolutely impartial, but it is very difficult for him to express his position - the author's position is revealed in remarks, of which there are not very many and they are not expressive enough. There is only one option left - the author’s position is presented through a certain character, through composition, symbolism, etc.
The names in the play are very symbolic. Talking names, used in “The Thunderstorm”, are an echo of the classic theater, the features of which were preserved in the late 60s of the 19th century.
The name Kabanova vividly portrays to us an overweight woman with a difficult character, and the nickname “Kabanikha” complements this unpleasant picture.
The author characterizes the wild as a wild, unrestrained person.
The name Kuligin has many meanings. On the one hand, it is in tune with Kulibin, a self-taught mechanic. On the other hand, “kuliga” is a swamp.

For a long time in critical literature either one or the other conflict was considered. But the author gave the work more deep meaning- This is a people's tragedy.

Dobrolyubov called Katerina “a ray of light in a dark kingdom,” but later, a few years later, Ostrovsky himself gave such people the name “warm heart.” Indeed, this is a conflict between a “hot heart” and the surrounding icy environment. And a thunderstorm as a physical phenomenon is trying to melt this ice. Another meaning put by the author into a thunderstorm symbolizes the wrath of God, and everyone who is afraid of a thunderstorm is not ready to accept death and stand before the judgment of God, or they think so. But the author puts his words into Kuligin’s mouth. “The judge is more merciful than you,” he says. In this way he characterizes his attitude towards this society. And this ending expresses hope. Ostrovsky divides all his time in Kalinov, like the play, into day and night. During the day, people play the faithful, living according to “Domostroy,” and at night they take off their masks. Young people go out and have fun, and the elders turn a blind eye to it. Author's position is expressed partly in Kuligin’s monologues, partly it can be understood from the opposition of Katerina and Kabanikha. The author’s position is expressed in the composition. A special feature of the composition are two possible options for climax and denouement.

Of course, the play is written on a social and everyday theme: it is characterized by special attention the author’s focus on depicting the details of everyday life, the desire to accurately convey the atmosphere of the city of Kalinov, its “cruel morals.” The fictional city is described in detail and in many ways. The landscape concept plays an important role, but a contradiction is immediately visible here: Kuligin speaks of the beauty of the distances beyond the river, the high Volga cliff. “Nothing,” Kudryash objects to him. Pictures of night walks along the boulevard, songs, picturesque nature, Katerina’s stories about childhood - this is the poetry of Kalinov’s world, which collides with the everyday cruelty of the inhabitants, stories about “naked poverty.” The Kalinovites have preserved only vague legends about the past - Lithuania “fell from the sky to us”, news from big world The wanderer Feklusha brings them. Undoubtedly, such attention by the author to the details of the characters’ everyday life makes it possible to talk about drama as a genre of the play “The Thunderstorm”.

Another feature characteristic of drama and present in the play is the presence of a chain of intra-family conflicts. At first it is a conflict between the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law behind the locks of the house gate, then the whole city learns about this conflict, and from an everyday one it develops into a social one. The expression of conflict in the actions and words of the characters, characteristic of drama, is most clearly shown in the monologues and dialogues of the characters. So, we learn about Katerina’s life before marriage from a conversation between young Kabanova and Varvara: Katerina lived “not worried about anything,” like a “bird in the wild,” spending the whole day in pleasures and household chores. We know nothing about the first meeting of Katerina and Boris, or how their love began. In his article, N.A. Dobrolyubov considered the insufficient “development of passion” to be a significant omission, and said that this is precisely why the “struggle between passion and duty” is designated “not quite clearly and strongly” for us. But this fact does not contradict the laws of drama.

The originality of the “Thunderstorms” genre is also manifested in the fact that, despite the gloomy, tragic overall coloring, the play also contains comic and satirical scenes. Feklushi’s anecdotal and ignorant stories about the Saltans, about lands where all the people “have dog heads,” seem ridiculous to us. After the release of “The Thunderstorm,” A.D. Galakhov wrote in his review of the play that “the action and the catastrophe are tragic, although many places excite laughter.”

In 1859, and at the same time, it was staged with success on the capital's stages. The playwright's play, without losing its relevance, is performed in many modern theaters all over the world. This means that this work is still capable of arousing interest among viewers and readers. This means that the topics that Ostrovsky raised continue to concern society today.
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The action of the play takes place on the eve of turning points, literally a year and a half remains until the famous Peasant Reform of 1861, which led to the abolition of serfdom. Within society, a future turning point can already be felt, a silent protest of the enslaved part of the population against the usual patriarchal way of life, the power of merchants and landowners. This growing crisis can be compared to the atmosphere before a thunderstorm. ­
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A thunderstorm is brewing. People of the old way, ignorant and rude representatives, as the critic Dobrolyubov put it, of the “dark kingdom” perceive the impending disaster as punishment for those who decided to disobey the “slave-owning” laws by which they still live most society of the country. Progressive people, which included Ostrovsky and Dobrolyubov, see the thunderstorm as a positive sign, believing that this phenomenon should illuminate the most hidden corners of the old world. The thunderstorm should cool down the stuffy situation in the country.
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So, one of the central themes of the work is the confrontation between the “dark kingdom” and people, enslaved, dissatisfied with this state of affairs. The main characters representing old world, are the merchant's wife Kabanikha and the merchant Dikoy. The defining character traits of Kabanikha are cruelty, deceit, hypocrisy, and hypocrisy. To assert her power, she can use a variety of techniques. The main thing for her is to feel the humility of others. Moreover, for outsiders, she may seem like an example of piety and kindness. In the Wild, on the contrary, the brute force of tyranny is fully demonstrated. Money and power made him practically the king of the city. He does whatever he thinks is necessary with people, and often his actions are guided by ordinary whims. Young people rebel against the old order: Katerina, Tikhon, Kudryash, Boris, Kuligin, Varvara. But they do it alone, so for each of them such a protest ends sadly.

In addition to the fight against the “dark kingdom”, the play contains another theme - the theme of love.

The motive of Katerina’s love for Boris runs through the entire work. This love turns out to be the main character's first real feeling. Katerina never had a shortage of admirers, but she was not interested in them. As the heroine herself stated in a conversation with Varvara, she only laughed at them. Katerina married Tikhon by agreement of her parents and of her own free will - Kabanikha’s son did not cause any rejection in her. Everything was turned upside down by her meeting with a visiting young man, Boris, whose appearance, in which one could feel the capital’s education and well-groomed appearance, stood out favorably against the background of local society. But the object of her sighs turned out to be a weak-willed and timid person, who was constantly frightened by the thought that someone would find out about their romance. Ultimately, he betrayed Katerina by refusing to take her to Siberia, where his uncle Dikoy had sent him. And this act predetermined the death of the main character. Despite the betrayal, Katerina continued to love him until the very end.

If we talk about love, then we can talk about the relationship between Varvara and Kudryash. The feelings they have for each other can hardly be called passionate. Rather, they were united by a hidden protest against the patriarchal urban way of life, a desire to break out of the “dark kingdom.” In the end, they fulfill their dream and run away from the city.

In addition to the struggle with the old world and the theme of love, other problems are also addressed in the plays: the problem of relationships between generations, the problem of lies and truth, sin and repentance, etc.