Ostrovsky performed his plays at the turning point from the 1940s to the 1950s. This was a critical period in the history of the Russian stage, when it was filled with vaudeville and melodrama, partly borrowed from the West. Actually, there was no Russian folk theater that would widely reflect the life of Russia. Ostrovsky appeared in his plays primarily as a first-class realist artist. Perfectly knowing Russian life, especially the life of the merchants, Ostrovsky transferred Russian life to the stage in all its originality and naturalness. The family life of merchants with its despotism and tyranny, rudeness and ignorance in public and domestic life, the powerless position of women, the ritual side of life, prejudices and superstitions, folk dialect - all this was reflected in Ostrovsky's everyday plays.
Having finally broken with the patterns of classicism and romanticism, making his numerous works “plays of life”, Ostrovsky completed the work of Fonvizin, Griboedov, Pushkin, Gogol in dramaturgy and forever affirmed the triumph of realistic drama in Russia. The drama The Thunderstorm was written in 1859. She spoke about the tyranny of tyranny, money and old Testament authority among the merchants. The author set himself the task of exposing the economic and moral tyranny of the "dark kingdom".
Two groups from the city of Kalinov perform in the play. One of them personifies the oppressive power of the "dark kingdom". These are Wild and Boar, oppressors and enemies of everything living and new. The other includes Katerina, Kuligin, Tikhon, Boris, Kudryash and Varvara. These are the victims of the "dark kingdom", the oppressed, equally feeling the brute force pressing on them. They differently, but still express their protest against this force.
The younger generation, in turn, is divided into those in whom tyranny and despotism have suppressed glimpses of freedom and independence. And on those who managed to resist the "dark kingdom", if not externally, then internally.
The victims of the "dark kingdom" in the play are Tikhon and Boris. Tikhon from childhood was accustomed to obey his mother in everything: “But how can I, mother, disobey you!” - he says to Kabanova and then adds: “Yes, mother, I don’t want to live by my own will.” Tikhon's only cherished desire is to escape, at least for a short time, from under the care of his mother, to take a walk so that he can take a walk for a whole year. By nature, he is not only weak-willed, but also limited, rustic. For example, the spiritual world of Katerina is too high and incomprehensible for him. “I won’t understand you, Katya!” he tells her. Tikhon does not find enough strength and confidence in himself to be able to resist his mother. A mother who brought her family to complete collapse with her soulless despotism and hypocrisy. Only at the end of the play does Tikhon show something like disobedience. For the first time in his life he contradicts Kabanikhe. But this protest will remain single and will not develop into a rebellion against the "dark kingdom". Over time, he himself will become the representative of those whom he now hates so much.
Boris Grigoryevich, Dikiy's nephew, stands significantly higher than his environment in terms of his level of development. The education he received in Moscow, at a commercial academy, instilled in him progressive views. It is difficult for him to get along among the Wild and Kabanovs. But he, like Tikhon, lacks the character to break free from their enslaving power. Lacks determination to fight for his love. He advises Katerina to submit to fate, and he resigns himself - he leaves at the insistence of Diky as a clerk in Kyakhta. Boris is a kind, gentle person. But Dobrolyubov is right, noting that Katerina loved him “more on the desert”, that is, in her environment, he was the best of the worst.
Thus, both of them - both Tikhon and Boris - did not manage, and ultimately will not be able to escape from the yoke of the “dark kingdom” that enslaved them. And this happened because they did not know that it was possible to live differently, that it was possible to be happy.
The younger generation, which is trying to resist the old order, which is "a ray of light in the dark kingdom", includes Katerina and Kuligin.
Katerina is the central character in the drama Thunderstorm. In terms of character and interests, she stands out sharply from the environment in which she fell. This exclusivity is the reason for the deep life drama that the heroine had to go through in the kingdom of the Wild and Kabanovs. The girls of her society in those days were not given education. The book was replaced by stories of idle wanderers and praying mantises. Hence her dreaminess and impressionability. Dobrolyubov defined her character as "loving and ideal". Katerina at the same time has an ardent and passionate soul. “I was born so hot! she said. - I was still six years old, no more, so I did it! They offended me with something at home, but it was towards evening, it was already dark; I ran out to the Volga, got into the boat, and pushed it away from the shore.
Katerina is a woman not only with a passionate, but also with a strong character. She is the only one, of all the characters in the play, capable of a complete break with the environment and life that has disgusted her. Her suicide, as if for a moment, illuminated the deep darkness of the “dark kingdom”. In her tragic death, according to the critic, “a terrible challenge was given to self-foolish power ... In Katerina we see a protest against the boar’s concepts of morality, a protest carried to the end, proclaimed both under domestic torture and over the abyss into which the poor woman threw herself.”
As already mentioned, Kuligin can also be called a bright ray. This is a poor watchmaker, a self-taught mechanic who dreams of finding a perpetuum mobile, a perpetual motion machine. He thinks not about his own personal benefit, but about serving society, about the improvement of his native city, about the situation of the poor. This Kuligin and differs, for example, from Wild. He is simply forced to submit to the force, since he is a loner, and the force is not on his side: "They will eat it, they will swallow it alive!" But to submit outwardly does not mean to calm down inwardly. In the words of Kuligin, the author expresses his views on cruel morals and sympathy for talented people from the people, crushed by the socio-political system. Ostrovsky showed that enlightenment was beginning to penetrate into the most diverse corners and strata of Russian society.
Thus, Ostrovsky in the drama "Thunderstorm" with the help of images of the younger generation showed that the time had come for the awakening of the individual, hinting at the inevitability of the struggle against the autocratic-feudal system. And although the protest of Katerina and Kuligin is doomed to failure, the mortal wound to the "dark kingdom" has already been inflicted. And even Kabanikh begins to realize this doom. "The old days are coming to an end," she declares grimly. So, in the drama "Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky pronounced a harsh sentence on the obsolete and hated past, on the socio-political system that supported the "dark kingdom" in every possible way.
Essay text:
The play Thunderstorm was written by A.N. Ostrovsky in 1859, when the entire Russian society was in a state of expectation of upcoming changes. A social conflict was brewing in the country between the obsolete old conservative world of the patriarchal way of life and the young progressive forces born in the depths of this world. The old world of the dark kingdom is presented in the play by the rich merchant Kabanova and the merchant Diky. Their power over others is still great, but they are already beginning to feel the awakening of something new, alien and hated by them. In addition to them, without asking them, another life has grown up, with other beginnings, and although it is far away, it is still not clearly visible, but it already gives itself a presentiment and sends bad visions to the dark arbitrariness of tyrants, writes N. A. Dobrolyubov in the article Ray of Light in the dark realm. Representatives of the younger generation in Groz are Katerina, Boris, Tikhon, Kudryash and Varvara. But are all of them and to what extent capable of rebuffing the tyranny of tyrants? Can the clerk Wild Curly stand up for himself, who himself is reputed to be a rude man and does not want to be a slave to his master? I'm not afraid of him, but let him be afraid of me, - Kudryash boasts. But in his resistance, he himself is likened to the Wild, he responds to rudeness with rudeness. According to Dobrolyubov, it does not cost Kudryash anything to quarrel with Wild: both of them need each other, and, it became Syt, Kudryash does not need special heroism to present his demands. Kabanova's daughter, Varvara, also easily adapts to the morality of the dark kingdom. Not wanting to live in captivity, to endure the power of her mother, she easily takes the path of deceit, which is becoming habitual for her. She asserts that it is impossible to live otherwise: their whole house is based on deceit. And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary, the girl justifies herself. Do what you want, as long as it is covered and covered, - she teaches Katerina. However, Varvara was cunning as long as there was an opportunity, when they began to lock her up, she ran away from home, broke free from the power of Kabanikha. The son of Kabanova, Tikhon, is by nature simple-minded and gentle. He loves and pities his wife in his own way, according to Dobrolyubov, he has a conscience, a desire for good, but he constantly acts against himself and serves as a submissive tool of his mother. This weak-willed man is so exhausted by the endless reproaches, admonitions and moralizing of his despotic mother that he is ready to headlong into revelry, leaving his wife in a desperate state, unable and unwilling to understand her restless soul. But the best qualities of Tikhon, crushed under the yoke of Kabanikh, did not die completely. The death of his wife awakens them from their sleep. Freed at last from eternal fear and trembling before his mother, Tikhon dares to blame her for the first time in his life. Mother, you ruined her! You, you, you ... - he screams in despair and in response to her formidable call he repeats again: You ruined her! You! You! In the face of tragedy, a terrible understanding was born in him that life in a dark kingdom is worse than death. Throwing himself on the corpse of his wife, he shouts in a frenzy: Good for you, Katya! And why did I stay in the world and suffer! Of the younger generation, Boris, Diky's nephew, is the weakest and most miserable. In character, he is very similar to Tikhon. Boris is essentially the same, only educated. Education took away from him the power to do dirty tricks... but it did not give him the strength to resist the dirty tricks that others do, - notes the critic. Boris is unable to defend himself or the woman he loves. Realizing his impotence, he only rushes about helplessly and laments: Oh, if only people knew what it feels like to say goodbye to you!.. Oh, if only strength! This powerless, weak-willed person becomes the object of Katerina's great passion, pure, sublime, poetic nature. How different she is from other young people of Kalinov! All of them are in the bondage of the patriarchal foundations of the dark kingdom, but they stand on the position of worldly compromises, they have learned to bypass the oppression of the elders, each according to his character. But it is against the background of their unconscious and compromise position that suffering Katerina looks morally high. The suddenly awakened feeling of love is perceived by her as a terrible unforgivable sin. A young woman resists her sinful passion with all her might, but does not find support in this struggle: It is as if I am standing over an abyss, and someone is pushing me somewhere, but there is nothing to hold on to. Alien to the slightest lie and falsehood, Katerina is not capable of deceit and pretense. Let everyone know, let everyone see what I'm doing! If I am not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment? she says to Boris. Katerina does not want and cannot cheat, pretend. This is confirmed by the scene of confession of treason. Neither the storm, nor the frightening prophecy of the crazy lady, nor the fear of fiery hell prevented the heroine from telling the truth. All heart broken! I can't take it anymore! so she began her confession. For her honest and whole nature, the false position in which she found herself is unbearable. Live just to live not for her. To live means for her to be herself. Her most precious value is personal freedom, the freedom of the soul. But after public repentance of her sin, Katerina had only to submit to her mother-in-law, to become a meek slave of her husband. This freedom-loving nature could not come to terms with such a fate. She finds a way out of an unbearable situation in death. Katerina is a deeply religious and God-fearing person. Since, according to the Christian religion, suicide is a great sin, by deliberately committing it, she showed not weakness, but strength of character! Her death is a challenge to dark power, a desire to live in a bright realm of love, joy and happiness. Tragic as such an outcome may be, Dobrolyubov notes that this end seems to us gratifying...: it presents a terrible challenge to the tyrannical force... with its violent, deadly beginnings. According to the critic, the great folk idea, the idea of liberation, was embodied in the image of Katerina.
The rights to the essay "The Young Generation in the play by A. N. Ostrovsky Thunderstorm" belong to its author. When citing material, it is necessary to indicate a hyperlink to
1. Tikhon Kabanov and Boris, Diky's nephew.
2. Ivan Kudryash.
3. Katerina and Barbara.
In the drama of A. N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm", the action takes place against the backdrop of tense relationships between representatives of the older and younger generations. The tyrannical oppression of Kabanikha and Dikiy on loved ones does not weaken at the sight of outward manifestations of humility. How do representatives of the younger generation behave in similar conditions?
Tikhon Ivanych Kabanov is a wealthy merchant. He received a good inheritance from his late father, got married. It would seem that this person may well independently dispose of his house. But it was not there! In fact, his mother is in charge of everything, and Tikhon listens to her orders with a doomed look: “I, it seems, mother, not a step out of your will.”
Tikhon performs all any significant actions at the direction of his mother: she gives him orders regarding the upcoming trip to his son, at her request Tikhon got married.
Tikhon himself feels himself a deeply unhappy person, unable to please his mother in any way, so that she stops, at least for a while, scolding and teaching him. So he got married to fulfill the will of his mother, and now the mother reproaches her son: “Since I got married, I don’t see the same love from you.” However, Tikhon does not even think about expressing his indignation at maternal tyranny: “Yes, mother, I don’t want to live by my own will. Where can I live with my will! The traditions of merchant life and his own spinelessness show Tikhon a different path: in order to distract himself from the hateful problems, he now and then applies himself to drinking. The upcoming trip is a long-awaited and desired event for Tikhon: “... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs, so am I up to my wife?” In this phrase, Tikhon's infantile egoism is clearly manifested - he does not care about Katerina's feelings. He does not know how and does not try to protect his wife from the attacks of his mother, on the contrary, he reproaches her that it is because of her that he gets even more. However, as the play progresses, it becomes clear that Tikhon, despite all his shortcomings, sincerely loves his wife. He is willing to forgive her for her sin. When Katerina confesses her wrongdoing, Tikhon tries to stop her: “Don't, don't, don't speak! What you! Mother is here!” Not so much anger as compassion causes Tikhon's wife's sin. However, Tikhon is still unable to resist the pressure of his mother. He would be happy to forgive Katerina, forget everything and start a new life, but would his mother allow him to forget? “... I love her, I feel sorry for touching her with my finger. He beat me a little, and even then my mother ordered. I'm sorry to look at her ... ".
But the main trouble is that Tikhon's strongest love for his wife is manifested not in everyday life, when Katerina needed protection and support, but in fatal moments, when nothing can be changed. And even in despair, Tikhon is not able to go against the will of his mother, who forbade him to go to pull his wife out of the river. Only when he sees the dead Katerina, Tikhon repeats in a frenzy: “Mother, you ruined her!”
We see that Tikhon's spinelessness turns into a tragedy for himself, and for his wife, and, in fact, for his mother. What is the use of his obedience if everything goes to dust, and more and more Tikhon gets used to pouring wine over grief?
Boris Grigorievich, Katerina's lover, is in a position that is in no way more enviable than that of her husband. Like Tikhon, Boris is well aware of this: "And I, apparently, will ruin my youth in this slum." Like Tikhon, Boris lacks the determination to try to change his life, although it is easier for the latter. It is clear that it is difficult for Tikhon to argue with his own mother, who raised him and who, despite her lust for power, sincerely believes that she cares about the welfare of her children. Boris lives with his uncle, hoping to someday receive a share of the inheritance bequeathed by his grandmother, however, even on a superficial examination, it becomes clear that the chances of this are very small. The condition under which the inheritance can pass into the hands of Boris and his sister is too unsteady - if they are respectful to their uncle. But Wild is by no means a man of honor. In general, he hardly gives back to people what he has earned or is due for any product. “... Someone who will forbid him to say something that you are disrespectful?” Kuligin aptly remarks, reasonably believing that Boris will never receive his inheritance. It would seem that he should leave and forget than to endure uncle's antics, which are quite consistent with his last name!
On the one hand, Boris is held back by a seemingly noble feeling - caring for his sister. But on the other hand, if the case is hopeless, is it worth it to remain practically in slavery?
Having fallen in love with Katerina, Boris is also not able to decide or undertake something on his own. Their date is entirely arranged - one might even say rigged - by Varvara. Boris's attitude towards Katerina is similar to Tikhon's attitude towards her: when her husband returns earlier than expected, Boris is first of all disappointed that the nightly dates are cancelled. He does not think about Katerina's feelings. But, like Tikhon, Boris sincerely loves her: only in the moments of farewell does he understand how seriously the woman took this love, how difficult the retribution for sin became for her. Another young man in Ostrovsky's play is Ivan Kudryash, Diky's clerk. At first glance, he also depends on the tyrant merchant, since he serves with him.
But Kudryash easily relates to swearing at his employer: "... He is a word, and I am ten ... No, I will not be a slave to him." Curly's decisiveness is also manifested in love affairs: “I am for mine ... and I don’t know what I will do! I'll cut my throat!" According to rumors, Kudryash and Varvara ran away together, broke with the hateful situation. Both of them turned out to be more adapted to life, more enterprising people than other representatives of their generation in Ostrovsky's play.
Barbara, despite her youth, sensibly evaluates people and their relationships. She pities Katerina, bluntly says that there is nothing to love Tikhon for. Varvara also guesses about Katerina's love for Boris. But with all her participation in Katerina, Varvara does not understand her experiences, like everyone around her. Sister Tikhon is a person of action, reflection is alien to her. In accordance with her concepts, Varvara is ready to help Katerina - if possible, arrange a date for her with her loved one, which the girl does. Varvara understands that it is extremely difficult to exist in the hypocritical atmosphere of her home without resorting to lies. The girl calmly perceives lies as a necessity, an integral part of life. Of course, this does not decorate Varvara too much, but it should be understood that she became such under the influence of the situation.
As for Katerina, her tragedy is that she is absolutely unable and unwilling to adapt, cannot choose one line of behavior and follow it. Katerina was not able to meekly endure the reproaches of her mother-in-law - her love for Boris, in fact, is a protest against existence in an atmosphere of tyranny and hypocrisy. However, Katerina was unable to keep her passion a secret (at least from her mother-in-law), did not want to pretend at home, and when possible, still run on dates with her beloved. According to Katerina herself, her love for Boris is a terrible sin, for which she must be punished. But, knowing this in advance, Katerina did not find the strength to resist the temptation, surrendering to her love, she could not calmly accept this as a given.
Thus, we see that Katerina is not able to find herself in a way of life that is accessible to her: neither a sedate and faithful wife, a candidate for future Kabanikhs, nor an ardent lover, calmly listening to the teachings of her mother-in-law during the day - none of these paths satisfies the restless soul of Katherine. Therefore, the outcome of Ostrovsky's drama is natural - if a person is unable to come to terms with reality, he often seeks deliverance in death.
The play "Thunderstorm" was written by A.N. Ostrovsky in 1859, when the whole of Russian society was in a state of expectation of upcoming changes. A social conflict was brewing in the country between the obsolete old conservative world of the patriarchal way of life and the young progressive forces born in the depths of this world.
The old world of the "dark kingdom" is presented in the play by the rich merchant Kabanova and the merchant Diky. Their superiority over those around them is still great, but they are already beginning to feel the awakening of something new, alien and hated by them. “In addition to them, without asking them, another life has grown, with other beginnings, and although it is not yet visible well in the distance, it already gives itself a presentiment and sends bad visions to the dark arbitrariness of tyrants,” N. A. Dobrolyubov describes in the article "A ray of light in a dark kingdom."
Representatives of the younger generation in Groz are Katerina, Boris, Tikhon, Kudryash and Varvara. But are all of them, and to what extent, capable of delivering a rebuff to the tyranny of tyrants?
Can the clerk Wild Curly stand up for himself, who himself is reputed to be a rude person and does not want to "serve" before the owner? “I’m not afraid of him, but let him be afraid of me,” Kudryash boasts. But in his resistance, he himself is likened to the Wild, he responds to rudeness with rudeness. According to Dobrolyubov, "Kudryash does not have to quarrel with Dikiy: both of them need a friend to a friend, and, it became Syt, Kudryash does not need special heroism to present his demands."
Kabanova's daughter, Varvara, also easily adapts to the morality of the "dark kingdom". Not wanting to exist in captivity, to endure the upper hand of her mother, she easily takes the path of deception, which is becoming habitual for her. She claims that it is impossible to exist in a different way: all their housing is based on deceit. “And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary,” the young lady justifies herself. “Do whatever you want, as long as it’s covered and covered,” she teaches Katerina. However, Varvara was cunning, as long as there was a chance, when they began to lock her up, she ran away from home, broke free from the power of Kabanikha.
The son of Kabanova, Tikhon, is by nature simple-minded and gentle. He loves and pities his wife in his own way, according to Dobrolyubov, "he has a conscience, there is a desire for good, but he constantly acts against himself and serves as a submissive instrument of his mother." This weak-willed man is so exhausted by the endless reproaches, admonitions and moralizing of his despotic mother that he is ready to rush headlong into revelry, leaving his wife in a desperate state, unable and unwilling to understand her restless soul.
But the best qualities of Tikhon, crushed under the yoke of Kabanikh, did not die completely. The death of his wife awakens them from their sleep. Freed at last from eternal fear and trembling before his mother, Tikhon for the first time in his life dares to blame her. "Mamma, you ruined her! You, you, you..." he shouts in despair, and in response to her gloomy call he repeats again: "You ruined her! You! You!" In the face of tragedy, a terrible understanding was born in him that life in the "dark kingdom" is worse than death. Throwing himself on the corpse of his wife, he shouts in a frenzy: "It's good for you, Katya! And why am I left to exist in the world and suffer!"
Of the younger generation, Boris, Diky's nephew, is the weakest and most miserable. In character, he is very similar to Tikhon. “Boris is the same in essence, only “educated.” Education took away his strength to work dirty tricks ... but it did not give him the strength to resist the dirty tricks that others do,” the critic notes. Boris is not able not to offend either himself or his beloved woman. Realizing his impotence, he only rushes about helplessly and laments: "Oh, if only these people and people knew what it feels like to say goodbye to you!.. Oh, if only strength!"
This powerless, weak-willed person becomes the subject of Katerina's great passion, pure, sublime, poetic nature. How different she is from other young people of Kalinov! All of them are burdened by the bondage of the patriarchal foundations of the "dark kingdom", but they stand on the position of worldly compromises, they have learned to bypass the oppression of their elders, any according to their character. But precisely against the background of their unconscious and compromise position, suffering Katerina looks morally high.
The unexpectedly awakened feeling of love is perceived by her as a terrible unforgivable sin. The young lady resists her “sinful” passion with all her might, but does not find support in this struggle: “It’s as if I’m standing over an abyss, and someone is pushing me there, but there’s nothing to hold on to.” Alien to the slightest lie and falsehood, Katerina is not capable of deceit and pretense. "Let everyone know, let everyone see what I'm doing! If I'm not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?" she says to Boris. Katerina does not want and cannot cheat, pretend. This is confirmed by the scene of confession of treason. Neither the storm, nor the frightening prophecy of the crazy lady, nor the fear of the "fiery hell" prevented the heroine from telling the truth. "My whole heart broke! I can't take it anymore!" - 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 exist is not for her. To live means for her to be herself. Her most precious value is personal freedom, the freedom of the soul. But after public repentance of her sin, Katerina had only to submit to her mother-in-law, to become a meek slave of her husband. This freedom-loving nature could not come to terms with such a fate. She finds a way out of an unbearable situation in death.
Katerina is a strongly religious and God-fearing person. Since, according to the Christian religion, suicide is a great sin, having deliberately committed it, she showed not weakness, but strength of character! Her death is a challenge to the "dark force", the desire to exist in the "light kingdom" of love, joy and happiness.
Tragic as such an outcome may be, Dobrolyubov notes that "the same end seems to us gratifying...: it presents a terrible challenge to the tyrannical force... with its violent, deadening beginnings." According to the critic, the image of Katerina embodied the "great people's idea" - the idea of liberation.
29.03.2013 17188 0Lessons
66–67
LIFE AND MORALS OF THE "DARK KINGDOM". YOUNG
A GENERATION IN OSTROVSKY'S PLAY "THE THUNDER"
Goals: to help comprehend the images of Dikoy and Kabanova created by the author, their morality, which asserts the right of the strong, the right to tyrannize and “trample” those who are weaker and more helpless, who think and live differently; show the inevitability of the collapse of the "dark kingdom"; to note the characteristic features of the representatives of the younger generation in Ostrovsky's play.
Course of lessons
Epigraph to the lessons:
Nothing holy, nothing pure, nothing right in this dark world: the tyranny that dominates him, wild, insane, wrong, drove out of him all consciousness of honor and right ... And they cannot be where human dignity is thrown into dust and brazenly trampled by tyrants , freedom of the individual, faith in love and happiness.
N. Dobrolyubov
I. Introduction by the teacher.
Life and customs of the "dark kingdom"
The critic N. A. Dobrolyubov called the world depicted by the playwright a "dark kingdom".
Wild and Kabanikha are typical representatives of the "dark kingdom". These people are predators.
Interview with students on:
1. What did Dobrolyubov mean by the "dark kingdom"? What are its main features?
2. What does the word "tyrant" mean?
3. How does Dikoy understand the expression "go out to people"?
4. What is the cause of the unbridled arbitrariness of the Wild?
5. How does he feel about Kabanikha, Boris, Kuligin?
6. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. What is her attitude to the "new orders"?
7. How does she feel about Katerina, Tikhon, Varvara?
8. Are petty tyrants confident in the limitlessness of their power?
9. What are the similarities and differences between the characters of the Wild and Boar?
10. Describe the speech, manner of speaking, communicating with Wild and Kabanova. Give examples.
wild Savel Prokofich- "a piercing man", "swearing", "tyrant", which means wild, tough-hearted, domineering person.
The power of money is the basis of tyranny. The goal of Dikoy's life is enrichment, and there are all sorts of ways to get rich: cheating employees, robbing neighbors, not paying money by inheritance.
Rudeness, ignorance, scolding, swearing are familiar to the Wild, moreover, this is the content of his life, this is also a defense against everything incomprehensible and hostile. Kudryash about Dikoy: “How he got off the chain!” The passion for swearing is even stronger if they ask him for money.
Kabanova Marfa Ignatievna- the embodiment of despotism, covered with hypocrisy. Kuligin about her: “A hypocrite, sir! She clothes the poor, but eats the household completely.
She constantly and subtly sharpens her household. For her, there is no love, maternal feelings for her children, for her daughter-in-law Katerina. Feelings are corroded by callousness, arbitrariness and pretense. Kabanikha is a “guardian” and defender of the customs and orders of patriarchal antiquity.
N. A. Dobrolyubov writes: “The tyrants of Russian life, however, begin to feel some kind of discontent and fear, without knowing what and why. Everything, it seems, is still all right: Dikoi scolds whoever he wants ... Kabanova still keeps her children in fear, forces her daughter-in-law to observe all the etiquettes of antiquity, eats her like rusty iron, considers herself completely infallible ... But everything is somehow restless , not good for them. In addition to them, without asking them, another life grew up, with other beginnings. (From the article "A Ray of Light in the Dark Realm".)
The cruelty of Kabanikha and the tyranny of Dikoy also have concrete historical grounds for life: the more acutely they feel the fragility of their position, the more fiercely they defend their foundations, suppress those who think differently, who inspire at least some suspicion. The main "tool" of submission, suppression is fear. As the norm of life - fear elevated to the law. Law in the "dark kingdom" and fear are inseparable, should be afraid, that keeps order.
II. Students' messages about the young heroes of the play.
Tikhon, Boris, Varvara, Kuligin, Kudryash are “victims” of the “dark kingdom”.
Tikhon- kind, sincerely loves Katerina. Exhausted by the reproaches and orders of Kabanikh, he thinks how to escape from the house. But in everything obedient to his mother, Tikhon nevertheless openly accused her (!) Of the death of his wife. Here are his words after the death of his wife: “Good for you, Katya! And why did I stay to live ... ”It’s scary if the living envy the dead.
Boris- a gentle, kind person. He really understands Katerina, but he is unable to help her; indecisive, unable to fight for his happiness, Boris chooses the path of humility.
Kuligin- a talented person from the people. His last name is reminiscent of the Nizhny Novgorod inventor Kulibin. He does not enter into a decisive struggle with petty tyrants, he persuades them more, convinces them to do something for the common good. The image of the self-taught Kuligin helps to understand the main idea of the play: the idea of the inevitable death of the “dark kingdom”.
barbarian understands the senselessness of the protest, she lives by the principle: "Do what you want, if only it was sewn and covered." For Barbara, lying is the norm. She ran away from home, but did not submit.
Curly- desperate, boastful, but at the same time capable of sincere feelings. He worries about Katherine. He is not afraid of his master. “I am considered a rude man, why is he holding me? So, he needs me. Well, that means I'm not afraid of him, but let him be afraid of me.
III. Reading and discussion of the continuation of the play "Thunderstorm" ("What happened to the inhabitants of Kalinov after Katerina's suicide?")
Homework(by groups):
1st group: The story of Katerina.
(How is she different from other characters in the play? Her circle of hobbies in girlhood. Relationships with Tikhon, Boris, Varvara. Could she find happiness in the family? Under what conditions? Is the death of the heroine a defeat or a victory?)
2nd group: Evaluation of the image of Katerina by Dobrolyubov and Pisarev.
3rd group: The meaning of the title. How do you understand it?
