In the literature of the classical period, each character of a particular work performs a special function, the image was introduced for a reason. This applies to both main and secondary characters. The same principles apply in dramatic works. For example, through the image of Molchalin in Griboyedov's comedy Woe from Wit, the falseness and stupidity of the noble society of the 19th century is shown. But for Ostrovsky, the image of Kuligin in the play "Thunderstorm" performs somewhat different functions. When analyzing the characters of The Thunderstorm, this hero should be given special attention. The playwright Kuligin from The Thunderstorm gave a more than memorable characterization.
Kuligin is not at all such a simple character as it might seem at first glance. The characterization of Kuligin in The Thunderstorm is a bit like the characterization of the Master from Bulgakov's novel. These are dreamy natures for whom the end result will not be happiness. Happiness for them is the way to this result.
Kuligin differs from Diky and Kabanikh, from Boris and Tikhon, even from Katerina. The role of Kuligin in the play "Thunderstorm" is somewhat different. From the author's definition in the list of characters, the reader learns that Kuligin is a self-taught mechanic. That is, he learned everything himself. The image and characterization of Kuligin in The Thunderstorm is complemented by phrases from the replicas of other characters. Kuligin is 50 years old. In addition to his passion for mechanics, one can speak with confidence about the high level of general erudition. He quotes Derzhavin and Lomonosov, which means he read their works, in addition, one can talk about worldly wisdom: it is Kuligin who advises Tikhon to live by his own mind, getting rid of the influence of his mother. Kuligin has many positive qualities. He is conscientious, as evidenced by his desire to earn honest work; his disinterestedness and sincerity are manifested in conversations with Tikhon and Boris. By the way, his manner of communication differs from the habits of other residents of Kalinov. Kuligin gives advice, not orders. It does not at all have that causeless animal cruelty and anger that Wild and Boar have. And there is no hypocrisy, like Boris's, in Kuligin either. The mechanic is distinguished from Tikhon by the desire to do something, and from Katerina by the absence of active protest.
We meet Kuligin on the banks of the Volga, he is fascinated by the uniqueness of nature. Kuligin admires how everything breathes with life and beauty: “miracles, truly it must be said that miracles! Curly! Here, my brother, for fifty years I have been looking beyond the Volga every day and I can’t see enough of everything. In this phrase slips the lyricism with which Kuligin's soul is full. But what's next?
In the following actions, Kuligin talks about the "cruel morals" of the city of Kalinov. As if a tour guide, he says: “look to the left, there, behind closed doors, there are many examples of family tyranny. And here, a little further, you can see how the greedy merchant deceives ordinary people and is rude to the mayor.” After all, in fact, apart from high-sounding words and expressions, Kuligin conducts for Boris something like an excursion about the life and customs of the city. At the same time, Kuligin himself behaves somewhat aloofly. A man knows how people live, he does not like this way of existence, but at the same time he himself is not going to change anything. Kuligin is incapable of the active protest that Katerina is capable of. Adapt and lie, like Barbara, Kuligin also can not. One gets the impression that Kuligin does not care at all about the rudeness and threats of Dikoy. The episode with the beginning of a thunderstorm is a clear confirmation of this. Kuligin does not understand the fear of an ordinary natural phenomenon, so he suggests installing a lightning rod:
“Savel Prokofich, after all, this, your degree, is beneficial for all the townsfolk in general.
Wild. Go away! What a use! Who needs this benefit?
Kuligin. Yes, at least for you, your degree, Savel Prokofich.
Kuligin continues to insist on his own even after the words of the merchant that Kuligin can be "crushed like a worm."
What aspects of character does this dialogue reveal? First, Kuligin stands up for the common good. The lightning rod will be useful to the residents of the city, but from a different point of view, it will allow the mechanics to implement some of their ideas. Secondly, in order to convince the merchant of the benefits of such a structure, Kuligin fawns and behaves in the same way as those who came to ask Wild for money.
Another feature is important for the characterization of Kuligin from the play "Thunderstorm": his daydreaming. After a conversation with Kuligin, Boris realizes that all the mechanic's dreams of the Perpetual Mobile and other inventions are destined to remain only dreams. Kuligin needs to constantly be on the lookout, fantasize about chimeras and the benefits that mechanisms can bring to society. It is difficult to imagine this character as a great or recognized inventor, if only because Kuligin is already 50 years old. That is, all this time, all his life, he studied mechanics on his own, but so far he has not achieved anything special. The image of Kuligin in The Thunderstorm cannot exist without connection with inventions and dreams about them. That is, without all these thoughts, Kuligin will simply lose his inner originality.
It turned out that people do not need his work, Kalinovites do not see any practical benefit in inventions. The situation with lightning rods and electricity can be looked at differently. Kuligin wants to bring light to the "dark kingdom", but its inhabitants deliberately refuse enlightenment and progress.
There is an opinion that in the image of Kuligin from the play “Thunderstorm”, Ostrovsky wanted to show the sad situation of educated people of the 19th century, forced to live and survive in an atmosphere of outdated patriarchal orders.
Artwork test
Among the heroes of A. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" Kuligin is one of the key figures, although not the main one.
A self-taught mechanic, he really looks at the processes taking place in the town. Kuligin understands that changes are needed in life, that the foundations of the town are outdated and need to be changed, that the old world is crumbling before our eyes. But, unlike Katerina, his protest is manifested only in words. Outraged by the cruelty of rich people, hostility, hatred reigning around, he nevertheless advises to reconcile and somehow exist.
Indecision contributes to his timidity, and to Boris's proposal to openly expose the injustice taking place in Kalinov, he replies: "I already get it, sir, for my chatter."
At the same time, he is an incorrigible romantic and a dreamer. His poetic nature is manifested in his love for nature, the beauty of which brings poetic lines to him. The subtlety of his soul is evidenced by the fact that he reads poetry, sings songs, admires the surrounding beauty. His words "Delight! Miracles, beauty! The soul rejoices!" can only belong to a spiritually beautiful person. We do not know about his appearance, but the inner beauty and understanding of what is happening around him makes this image positive.
At the beginning of the work, Kuligin sits on the bank and admires the beautiful Volga. He loves his town, its inhabitants and wants to do a lot for their prosperity. He worries that there are no lightning rods in the city, and frequent thunderstorms can harm him, dreams of making a sundial in the park, as well as inventing a perpetual motion machine and directing the money earned for the invention to improve the life of the city. But Kuligin's noble impulses cannot be realized for the simple reason that he is poor, he has no money for all this, and no one wants to help him in this. They simply ridicule his ideas, considering him a strange person.
Kuligin is unable to change the life of the city for the better, because he does not have like-minded people and is afraid to openly fight the old world. But the positivity of this image is that it does not belong to the dark part of the inhabitants of the town, realizing that a new time is coming.
Essay about Kuligin
The play "Thunderstorm" written by Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky tells about the inhabitants of the small town of Kalinovo, in which the permissiveness of the nobles goes beyond. No one is watching these landowners, and they are free to do whatever they want. Many peasants simply endure this, but others openly resent their behavior, and there are those who say this to the nobleman himself in person.
The first character in the play is Kuligin, a self-taught mechanic who is over 50 years old, enterprising, but at the same time dreamy. He sits and admires the boundless Russian nature, about which he tells Kudryash and Shapkin. They do not understand his joy, as they are immersed in ordinary everyday problems and local gossip. Comrades admire him, because he does not talk about trifles and can fight back, without force, but simply with words. Kuligin loves to create and create new things, he wants to improve the life of the city and give something great, but most often such dreams lead to loss and disappointment.
If the critic Dobrolyubov wrote in his critical article that Katerina is a ray of light in this dark kingdom, then Kuligin can be said to make this “Dark Kingdom” not so gloomy. But at the same time, despite its bright beam, mechanics, like everyone else, have to endure all the city landlords and their cruel antics. If we recall Kudryash, who only verbally opposed the Wild and did not want to obey him, then Kuligin does not want to follow his example, he simply remains silent, enduring all the attacks. He rarely argues with other people above him in class, does not even try to express his personal opinion. He understands that if he gets into a fight, everything will only get worse, and if he just insults the debater, they can take him and cripple him. But most often, when Kuligin tries to resolve the dispute amicably, just in words between adults and children, his attempts remain a failure.
It is important to note what exactly he betrays, the main thoughts of the author and his opinion about certain things. It is he who says: "Cruel, sir, morals in our city, cruel! ...". He completely condemns lies and hypocrisy, selfishness. He does not understand why the nobles are so cruel to them all and do not want to help their neighbors, even to help in small things. They do everything for themselves and their loved ones, but they won’t even give a coin to their subordinates. Kuligin is not the main character of the work, the hero - the reasoner of the drama, but he can be considered one of the main characters in the entire play and drama. Just like Katerina, the main character of the drama, he fights for honor and justice, for the right of ordinary peasants. Both of them fight for love and justice and are ready to lose a lot for this, and Kuligin himself betrays all the thoughts of the author.
3 option
In the play "Thunderstorm" by A. Ostrovsky there is one interesting hero Kuligin. He is not the main character. But, despite this, his image is interesting.
The man works as a mechanic. He learned his craft on his own. He is a realist and understands what is happening in their city. Kuligin wants to change his life and the life of the town as a whole. He believes that it is necessary to move on, and not stand still. In his opinion, the old foundations, according to which the inhabitants of the city lived, have long been outdated and it is necessary to come up with something new. He protests against the established system. He was outraged by the cruelty of people and the hatred that reigns around. But, all his protests ended with only words.
He is an indecisive man. His refusal to Boris testifies to his cowardice. The man invited Kuligin to expose the injustice that is happening in the city. But, Kuligin told him that he had already talked too much, and for this he had already got it more than once. All this confirms his cowardly nature.
The man was quite romantic. He loved to dream. At heart he was a poet. Kuligin was very fond of nature. She was his muse and inspiration. He wrote poems about the beauty of nature. He has a fine mental organization. He admires everything that surrounds him. He has a kind and beautiful soul. The author decided not to describe Kuligin's appearance. In the story, much attention is paid to revealing the inner world of the hero. In general, the image can be considered positive.
He likes to dream looking at the current Volga. He wants his city to develop and become better. Kuligin is worried about the fact that there is no lightning rod in the town. He is afraid that constant thunderstorms can greatly harm the city. He dreams of making some kind of discovery, and spending the money received as a reward on the needs of the town. But these are only his wishes, which are not destined to come true. He is poor. When he talks about his ideas to other people, they just laugh at him. A man's head is filled with only pure and kind thoughts.
Kuligin alone cannot change the established life in the city for the better. He doesn't have the energy or the money to do it. In fact, he is a poor man, but he has a very rich inner world. He has no people who would be with him at the same time. Kuligin wants to find like-minded people and fight them against the established system. This is a positive character. He does not do bad deeds and does not harm anyone. Kuligin dreams of a bright future and appreciates the beauty of nature.
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The play "Thunderstorm" is the most significant work of A. N. Ostrovsky. In it, he raises the most vividly trembling questions of his time, exposes colorful characters to the reader's judgment.
The list of actors of the "Thunderstorm" is small. These are the Kabanovs and the inhabitants of their house: the family of Wild Vanya Kudryash, Shapkin, Kuligin and several minor characters.
Kuligin occupies a special place among the heroes. The reader is introduced to him at the very beginning of the play. Kuligin's image immediately attracts the reader's attention.
Kuligin is a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker, but he knows how to feel beauty, he is poetic. Looking at the Volga, the hero exclaims with rapture: “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! ”, And the fact that he has been contemplating the Volga every day for fifty years now does not prevent him from enjoying its beauties. Kudryash calls Kuligin an antique, that is, a rare, extraordinary person. For the city of Kalinov, this hero is indeed an exceptional phenomenon. He compares favorably with many characters in the play, who will hardly ever appreciate the same charm of the Volga landscape.
Of great importance for revealing the character of Kuligin are his monologues. Ku-ligin angrily falls upon the Kalinov order. His words are filled with bitterness about neglect of the poor people, about the cruel deception of honest workers, about squabbles between merchants who seek to harm a competitor by any means. The hero cruelly ridicules the inferiority of the inner world of the inhabitants of Kalinovka, who go out onto the boulevard with only one purpose: “to show outfits”. Kuligin does not spare the petty tyrants either: "They eat their own households and hurt their families." According to the hero, the main goal of the life of the Kalinovsky petty tyrant is “to rob orphans, relatives, nephews, beat up household members so that they don’t dare to utter a word about anything that he does there.”
Kuligin has a poetic talent. For him, the undoubted authority is Lomonosov, who came out of the common people and through labor and diligence paved the way for great discoveries. Kuligin is well-read. He can put his thoughts into a poetic form. It's just that he lacks courage. “They will eat them, they will swallow them alive,” he says.
Kuligin sees great potential among the people. He appreciates his craftsmanship and regrets that the philistinism "has hands, but there is nothing to work with."
The hero is looking for a perpetuum mobile, but no one in Kalinov understands his aspirations, no one wants to support him. Kuligin passionately paints Dee-whom all the benefits that his ideas can bring. He is trying to impress on those who rip off the last penny from their employees the need to donate a certain amount "for society." The hero does not see that for Dikoy this is all "nonsense", and Kuligin himself is no more than a worm, who can be pardoned, or crushed. Kuligin believes in achieving his goals, he hopes for a miracle, that in the "dark kingdom" there will still be at least one "living" soul.
Much more perspicacious than Kuligin is Boris, who, in response to the words of the hero, only sighs: “It’s a pity to disappoint him!”
In vain does the hero try to explain to the “dark” Kalinovites both the “grace” of thunderstorms, and the charm of the northern lights, and the beauty of moving comets. He quotes Lomonosov to them, throws precious beads in all directions, not realizing that all this is in vain.
Tikhon, the son of Kabanova, Kuligin says that his mother is “painfully cool”, and Katerina is “better than anyone”, and that at his age it’s time to “live with your own mind”.
Kuligin has a good heart. To the disappointed Tikho-nu, he says that it is necessary to forgive the enemies, and having found the dead Katerina, he throws words in the face of the Kabanovs about their unmercifulness towards her.
According to N. Dobrolyubov, it was still impossible to rely on the Kuligins, who believe in the enlightening way of reorganizing life and trying to influence petty tyrants by the power of persuasion. These people only logically understood the absurdity of tyranny, but were powerless in the fight against it.
In 1859 A.N. Ostrovsky wrote the play "Thunderstorm", in which he raised the problem of a turning point in public life, the problem of changing social foundations, penetrated into the very essence of the contradictions of his time, painted colorful images of petty tyrants, their way of life and customs. In opposition to tyranny, two images come forward - Katerina and Kuligin. This essay is dedicated to the second.
Kuligin is a tradesman, a self-taught mechanic. In the first act, in a conversation with Kudryash, he appears before us as a poetic connoisseur of nature, Kuligin admires the Volga, calls the unusual view a miracle. A dreamer by nature, he nevertheless understands the injustice of the system, in which everything is decided by the brute power of force and money: "Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel!" - he says to Boris Grigorievich: "And whoever has money, sir, he tries to enslave the poor, so that he can make even more money for his free labors." Kuligin himself is not at all like that, he is virtuous and dreams of the well-being of the people: “If only I, sir, could find a perpeta-mobile! .., I would use all the money for society ...”
The next time Boris meets Kuligin is in the third act on an evening walk. Kuligin again admires nature, air, silence. At the same time, he is upset that they made a boulevard in the city, and people don’t walk, he says that everyone’s gates have been locked for a long time and not from thieves: “... but so that people don’t see how they eat their household food and tyrannize their families. And what, sir, behind these locks is the debauchery of the dark and drunkenness! Kuligin seems to be outraged by all the foundations of the "dark kingdom", but immediately after his angry speech he says: "Well, God be with them!" as if retreating from his former words. His protest is almost silent, and is expressed only in objections; he is not ready, like Katerina, for an open challenge. When Boris offered to write poetry, Kuligin immediately exclaimed: “How can you, sir! Eat, swallow alive. I already get the sir for my chatter. However, it is worth giving him credit for the persistence and at the same time courtesy he asks Diky for money for materials for a sundial on the boulevard: “... for the common good, your degree. Well, what does ten rubles mean for society! God be with you, Savel Prokofich! I'm not doing any rudeness to you, sir; You have a lot of strength, your degree; If only there was a will for a good deed.”
Unfortunately, Kuligin only stumbles upon rudeness and ignorance on the part of Diky. Then he tries to persuade Saveliy Prokofich to at least take lightning rods, since thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence in their city. But having not achieved any success, Kuligin has no choice but to leave, waving his hand. dreamer protest tyranny society Kuligin is a man of science who respects nature, subtly feels its beauty. In the fourth act, he addresses the crowd with a monologue, trying to explain to people that there is no need to be afraid of thunderstorms and other natural phenomena, on the contrary, they should be admired, admired: “This is not a thunderstorm, but grace! .. one should admire and marvel at wisdom ... But people do not want to listen to him, all of them, according to old customs, continue to believe that all this is a disaster, that this is God's punishment. Kuligin is well versed in people, capable of empathy and can give the right, practical advice - he perfectly showed all these qualities in a conversation with Tikhon: “You would forgive her, but never remember ... She would be a good wife to you, sir; look - it’s better than anyone ... It’s time for you, sir, to live with your own mind ... Enemies must be forgiven, sir! It was Kuligin who pulled the dead Katerina out of the water and brought her to the Kabanovs: "Here is your Katerina. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; and the soul is not yours now; she is now before the Judge, who is more merciful than you!". After these words, Kuligin runs away, he experiences this grief in his own way and is unable to share it with the people who are responsible for the poor girl's suicide. Personally, I really like the image of Kuligin. He is like a kind of white crow in the city of Kalinov, he differs sharply from the rest of the inhabitants in the way of his thoughts, reasoning, values, aspirations. Kuligin is aware of the injustice of the foundations of the "dark kingdom", tries to fight them, dreams of improving the lives of ordinary people. He thinks about the social reconstruction of the city. And perhaps, if Kuligin had found at least a few like-minded people and material support, he would have been able to significantly change Kalinov for the better. This is what I like most about Kuligin - his desire for the well-being of the people.
The most peculiar character in Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" is Kuligin - a tradesman, watchmaker, self-taught inventor, looking for a perpetuum mobile (perpetual motion machine). This hero partially performs the functions of the author's opinion on a particular issue, but in general, Kuligin is depicted as a self-sufficient, albeit slightly unusual, even outlandish person. The name of this hero is a transparent allusion to a real person - Kulibina I.P. (1755 - 1818). Kulibin's biography was published in the Moskvityanin magazine, with which Ostrovsky collaborated.
Kuligin is a poetic and dreamy nature, this is noticeable by, for example, how he admires the beautiful Volga landscape.
The first acquaintance of the reader with him is marked by a folk song of literary origin “Among the flat valley ...” Kuligin appears singing this song, which immediately emphasizes his bookishness and education. This Kuligin differs from other characters who are associated with folklore culture. He is a bookish man, although his bookishness can be confidently called archaic: he writes poetry "in the old way"; He calls Lomonosov not a "scientist", but a "wise man", "tester of nature"; considers himself a "self-taught mechanic". His speech is more reminiscent of old moralizing stories and apocrypha than the statements of modern man. Kuligin's technical ideas are clearly outdated. The need to install a lightning rod in the city, a sundial, and similar plans are related to bygone centuries, but not to the scientific and technological progress of the second half of the 19th century.
This archaism of all Kuligin's ideas emphasizes his deep connection with his native city. He is a man of a new era, but he was formed inside Kalinov, which, of course, left a mark on his attitude and life views. The dream of creating a perpetual motion machine and getting a million from the British for this discovery is the main business of Kuligin's life. Kuligin dreams of spending the money received for the benefit of his native city: “work must be given to the bourgeoisie.” After listening to his story, the young man Boris, who received a modern commercial education, perfectly understands the utopian nature of such a plan, but he does not want to destroy the dream of a good man. In the meantime, until the dream came true, Kuligin is engaged in smaller inventions for his native city. To implement his ideas, he constantly has to beg for money from Kalinov's wealthy people. They, in turn, consider Kuligin's inventions useless, ridicule him, consider him an eccentric and crazy. For this reason, Kuligin's passion for creativity remains unfulfilled. He pities his countrymen, understands that their vices are the result of poverty and ignorance, but he cannot help in anything. So, for example, he gives humane advice to forgive Katerina and not to remember her sin anymore. But this advice is categorically not feasible in Kabanikh's house, completely different views and beliefs reign there. Thus, despite all the positive qualities of Kuligin, he was and will remain only a contemplative nature, whose beautiful thoughts will never become beautiful actions. Kuligin will forever remain a funny eccentric, a kind of Kalinov's landmark.
