According to one version, while writing "" Ostrovsky was in love with one of the actresses of the Maly Theater. Her name was Lyubov Kositskaya. She was married and could not reciprocate the author. Later, Kositsyna played the role of Katerina and, perhaps, predicted her fate with the words of a literary work. It is worth noting that the actress to some extent repeated the fate of her heroine, having passed away early.
The image of Katerina gathered in itself all the lack of rights of a Russian woman of that era. It must be said that in the 19th century, Russian women had practically no rights. The lion's share of marriages was concluded solely for personal gain or high rank. Young girls were forced to marry older men just because they were rich or revered in high society. The institution of divorce did not exist at all. In the spirit of precisely such traditions, Katerina was married to a merchant's son. Marriage has become a real hell for the girl, because she ended up in the “dark kingdom”, where tyranny and lies rule.
An important place in the image in Katerina is occupied by a description of her childhood. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Katenka's childhood was cheerful and carefree. She could do what she loved, and no one could blame her for this. Katerina was surrounded by maternal love from birth. Little Katya was dressed up like a doll.
Since childhood, Katerina has been very interested in the church. She often attended church services, receiving spiritual pleasure from this. It was this passion for the church that played a cruel joke with Katerina, because it was in the church that Boris noticed her and immediately fell in love.
Parental education revealed in the character of the girl the best features of the Russian soul. Katerina was a sensual, open and kind person. She did not know how and did not want to deceive. At one point, all this purity and care of the parental home was replaced by the Kabanovs' home, where human relations were built on fear and unconditional obedience.
Every day the girl suffered humiliation from her mother-in-law. No one, even her husband, can protect and support her, everyone is thinking about how not to fall out of favor.
Katerina tried to treat her mother-in-law as a beloved mother, but no one needed her feelings. This atmosphere gradually "kills" her cheerful character in the girl. She fades like a flower. But the strong character of the girl does not allow her to fade completely. Katerina rebels against this despotism. She becomes the only hero of the work who is ready to fight for her life, her feelings.
Katerina's protest resulted in her love for Boris. Of course, the girl reproaches herself for this act. She realizes that she violated God's commandment and deceived her husband. Katerina can't live with it. She openly declares her act. After that, Katerina experiences terrible mental suffering, she cannot find a place for herself. Tikhon cannot support his wife, because he is afraid of his mother's curses. Boris also turns away from the girl. Unable to bear this suffering, Katerina throws herself off a cliff. But her soul remained the same strong and unconquered. Only death allowed her to escape from this "dark kingdom".
Katerina's action was not in vain. Tikhon blamed his mother for the death of his wife. Varvara, unable to withstand the tyranny of Kabanikh, fled with Kudryash from her mother's house. Katerina was able to destroy this kingdom of eternal tyranny, even at the cost of her own life.
The image of Katerina, the main character of the play, is the most vivid. Dobrolyubov, analyzing this work in detail, writes that Katerina is “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Because only Katerina, a weak woman, protested, only we can talk about her as a strong nature. Although, if we consider Katerina's actions superficially, we can say the opposite. This is a dreamer girl who regrets her childhood years, when she lived with a constant feeling of happiness, joy, and her mother did not have a soul in her. She loved to go to church and did not suspect what life awaited her.
But childhood is over. Katerina did not marry for love, she ended up in the Kabanovs' house, from which her suffering begins. The main character of the drama is a bird that has been put in a cage. She lives among the representatives of the "dark kingdom", but she cannot live like that. Quiet, modest Katerina, from whom you sometimes don’t hear a word, as a child, offended by something at home, sailed away alone in a boat along the Volga.
In the very character of the heroine, integrity and fearlessness were laid. She herself knows this and says: “I was born so hot.” In a conversation with Varvara, Katerina cannot be recognized. She utters unusual words: "Why don't people fly?", which seem strange and incomprehensible to Varvara, but mean a lot for understanding Katerina's character and her position in the boar's house. The heroine wants to feel like a free bird that can flap its wings and fly, but, alas, she is deprived of such an opportunity. With these words of a young woman, A.N. Ostrovsky shows how hard it is for her to endure captivity, the despotism of an imperious and cruel mother-in-law.
But the heroine struggles against the “dark kingdom” with all her might, and it is precisely this inability to fully reconcile herself to the boar oppression that aggravates the conflict that has long been brewing. Her words addressed to Varvara sound prophetic: “And if it gets too cold for me here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I'll throw myself out the window, I'll throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, so I won’t, even if you cut me!”
An all-consuming feeling seized Katerina when she met Boris. The heroine triumphs over herself, she discovers the ability to love deeply and strongly, sacrificing everything for the sake of her beloved, who speaks of her living soul, that Katerina's sincere feelings have not died in the boar's world. She is no longer afraid of love, is not afraid of talking: “If I am not afraid of sin for myself, will I be afraid of human shame?” The girl fell in love with a man in whom she found something different from those around her, but this was not so. We see a clear contrast between the sublime love of the heroine and the mundane, cautious passion of Boris.
But even in such a difficult situation, the girl tries to be true to herself, her life principles, she seeks to suppress love, which promises so much happiness and joy. The heroine begs her husband to take her with him, as he foresees what might happen to her. But Tikhon is indifferent to her pleas. Katerina wants to take an oath of allegiance, but even here Tikhon does not understand her. She keeps trying to get away from the inevitable. At the moment of the first meeting with Boris, Katerina hesitates. “Why have you come, my destroyer?” she says. But by the will of fate, what she was so afraid of happens.
Katerina could not live with sin, then we see her repentance. And the cries of the crazy lady, the thunderclaps, the unexpected appearance of Boris lead the impressionable heroine into unprecedented excitement, makes her repent of her deed, especially since Katerina was afraid all her life to die “with her sins” - without repenting. But this is not only weakness, but also the strength of the spirit of the heroine, who, like Varvara and Kudryash, could not live in the joys of hidden love, was not afraid of human judgment. It wasn't a thunderclap that struck down the young woman. She herself rushes into the pool, she decides her own fate, seeking liberation from the unbearable torments of such a life. She believes that going home, that to the grave, even "in the grave is better." She commits suicide. Great courage is needed for such a decision, and it is not for nothing that the remaining Tikhon envy her, dead, “to live ... and suffer.” By her act, Katerina proved her innocence, a moral victory over the “dark kingdom”.
Katerina combined in herself proud strength, independence, which Dobrolyubov regarded as a sign of deep protest against external, including social conditions of life. Katerina, who is hostile to this world with her sincerity, integrity and recklessness of feelings, undermines the “dark kingdom”. A weak woman was able to oppose him and won.
In the heroine, fidelity to ideals, spiritual purity, moral superiority over others are striking. In the image of Katerina, the writer embodied the best features - love of freedom, independence, talent, poetry, high moral qualities.
Why does the critic N.A. Dobrolyubov call Katerina a “strong character”?
In the article “A Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom”, N.A. Dobrolyubov writes that “The Thunderstorm” expresses “a strong Russian character”, which strikes “by its opposite to any self-impossible beginnings”. This character is “concentrated and resolute, unswervingly faithful to the instinct of natural truth, full of faith in new ideals and selfless, in the sense that death is better for him than life under those principles that are contrary to him.” This is how the critic saw the character of Katerina. But is this the way the reader sees it? And how does the character of the heroine manifest itself in action?
The formation of personality begins in childhood, so the author introduces Katerina's story about life in her parents' house into the play. The experiences of the heroine, her state of mind, the perception of the events that happened to her as a tragedy - all this would be incomprehensible without a description of life before marriage and after. To explain the changes that have taken place in Katerina's soul, and her inner struggle that arose as a result of her actions, the author gives pictures of the heroine's childhood and youth through memories painted in light colors (in contrast to the "dark kingdom", where she is forced to live in marriage ).
Katerina considers the atmosphere of the parental home very beneficial for her development and upbringing: “I lived, didn’t grieve about anything, ... like a bird in the wild.” The occupations of this period - needlework, gardening, going to church, singing, talking with wanderers - do not differ much from what fills the life of the heroine in the Kabanovs' house. But behind the fence of the merchant's house there is no freedom of choice, warmth and sincerity in relations between people, there is no joy and desire to sing like a bird. Everything, as in a distorted mirror, is distorted beyond recognition, and this causes dissonance in Katerina's soul. Anger, quarrelsomeness, eternal dissatisfaction, constant reproaches, moralizing and mistrust of the mother-in-law deprived Katerina of confidence in her own rightness and purity of thoughts, caused anxiety and mental pain. She longingly recalls a happy and peaceful life in girlhood, about how her parents loved her. Here, in the “dark kingdom”, the joyful expectation of happiness, the bright perception of the world, disappeared.
Cheerfulness, optimism, a feeling of purity and light in the soul were replaced by despondency, a sense of sinfulness and guilt, fear and a desire to die. This is no longer the cheerful girl that people knew her as a girl, this is a completely different Katerina. But the strength of character is manifested even in the conditions of life behind the fence, since the heroine cannot humbly endure injustice and humiliation, accept the principles of merchant hypocrisy. When Kabanova reproaches Katerina for pretense, she objects to her mother-in-law: “What with people, without people, I’m all alone, I don’t prove anything of myself ... It’s nice to endure slander!”
So no one talked to Kabanova, and Katerina was used to being sincere, and she wanted to stay like that in her husband's family. Indeed, before marriage, she was a cheerful and sensitive girl, loved nature, was kind to people. That is why N.A. Dobrolyubov had reason to call Katerina a “strong character”, which “amazes us with its opposite” in relation to the characters of the merchant class depicted in the play. Indeed, the image of the main character is the opposite of other female characters in the play "Thunderstorm".
Katerina is a sensitive and romantic nature: sometimes it seemed to her that she was standing over an abyss and someone was pushing her there, down. She seemed to have a premonition of her fall (sin and early death), so her soul is filled with fear. To love another person while married is an unforgivable sin for a believer. The girl was brought up on the principles of high morality and the fulfillment of Christian commandments, but she is used to living "by her own will", that is, to have the opportunity to choose in actions, to make decisions on her own. Therefore, she says to Varvara: “And if I get cold here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I’ll throw myself out the window, I’ll throw myself into the Volga.
Boris said about Katerina that in church she prays with an angelic smile, "but from her face it seems to glow." And this opinion confirms the peculiarity of Katerina's inner world, speaks of her difference in comparison with other heroes of the play. In her own family, where there was respect for the personality of the child, in an atmosphere of love, kindness and trust, the girl saw worthy role models. Feeling warmth and sincerity, she got used to a free life, to work without coercion. Parents did not scold her, but rejoiced, watching her behavior and actions. This gave her confidence that she was living correctly and without sin, and that God had nothing to punish her for. Her pure, immaculate soul was open to kindness and love.
In the house of the Kabanovs, as well as in the city of Kalinovo in general, Katerina finds herself in an atmosphere of bondage, hypocrisy, suspicion, where she is treated as a potential sinner, accused in advance of what she did not even think of doing. At first she made excuses, trying to prove her moral purity to everyone, she suffered and endured, but the habit of freedom and longing for sincerity in relationships with people make her go out, break out of the “dungeon”, first into the garden, then to the Volga, then to forbidden love. And a feeling of guilt comes to Katerina, she begins to think that, having crossed the borders of the "dark kingdom", she also violated her own ideas about Christian morality, about morality. It means that she has become different: she is a sinner, worthy of God's punishment.
For Katerina, feelings of loneliness, defenselessness, her own sinfulness and loss of interest in life turned out to be fatal. There are no dear people nearby, for whom it would be worth living. Caring for elderly parents or children would bring responsibility and joy into her life, but the heroine has no children, and whether her parents were alive is unknown, the play does not say.
However, it would not be entirely correct to consider Katerina a victim of an unhappy marriage, because hundreds of women patiently accepted and endured such circumstances. It is also impossible to call her repentance to her husband, an honest confession of treason, stupidity, since Katerina could not have done otherwise, thanks to her spiritual purity. And suicide was the only way out because the man she loved, Boris, could not take her with him, leaving at the request of his uncle to Siberia. Returning to the Kabanovs' house was worse for her than death: Katerina understood that they were looking for her, that she would not even have time to escape, and in the state in which the unfortunate woman was, the nearest path led her to the Volga.
All of the above arguments confirm the opinion of N.A. Dobrolyubov that Katerina became a victim of her own purity, although it is in the purity of her spiritual strength and that inner core that the merchant Kabanova could not break. The freedom-loving nature of Katerina, her principles, which did not allow her to lie, put the heroine much higher than all the characters in the play. In this situation, the decision to leave the world, where everything was contrary to her ideals, was a manifestation of strength of character. In those circumstances, only a strong person could decide to protest: Katerina felt lonely, but she rebelled against the foundations of the "dark kingdom" and significantly shook this block of ignorance.
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The question of choosing a soulmate has always been problematic for young people. Now we have the right to choose a life partner (companion) ourselves, before the final decision in marriage was made by the parents. Naturally, the parents first of all looked at the well-being of the future son-in-law, his moral character. Such a choice promised a wonderful material and moral existence for children, but the intimate side of marriage often suffered. The spouses understand that they should treat each other favorably and respectfully, but the lack of passion does not affect in the best way. There are many examples in the literature of such dissatisfaction and the search for the realization of one's intimate life.
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the play by A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
This topic is not new in Russian literature. From time to time it is raised by writers. A. Ostrovsky in the play "Thunderstorm" portrayed the unique image of the woman Katerina, who, in search of personal happiness, under the influence of Orthodox morality and the arising love feeling, comes to a standstill.
Katerina's life story
The main character of Ostrovsky's play is Katerina Kabanova. From childhood she was brought up in love and affection. Her mother felt sorry for her daughter, and sometimes freed her from all work, leaving Katerina to do what she wanted. But the girl did not grow up lazy.
After the wedding with Tikhon Kabanov, the girl lives in the house of her husband's parents. Tikhon has no father. And the mother manages all the processes in the house. The mother-in-law has an authoritarian character, she suppresses all family members with her authority: her son Tikhon, her daughter Varya and her young daughter-in-law.
Katerina finds herself in a world completely unfamiliar to her - her mother-in-law often scolds her for no reason, her husband also does not differ in tenderness and care - sometimes he beats her. Katerina and Tikhon have no children. This fact is incredibly upsetting for a woman - she likes to babysit children.
At one point, a woman falls in love. She is married and understands perfectly well that her love has no right to life, but nevertheless, over time, she succumbs to her desire while her husband is in another city.
Upon the return of her husband, Katerina experiences pangs of conscience and confesses her act to her mother-in-law and husband, which causes a wave of indignation. Tikhon beats her. The mother-in-law says that the woman needs to be buried in the ground. The situation in the family, already unhappy and tense, escalates to the point of impossibility. Seeing no other way out, the woman commits suicide by drowning herself in the river. On the last pages of the play, we learn that Tikhon still loved his wife, and his behavior towards her was provoked by his mother.
Appearance of Katerina Kabanova
The author does not provide a detailed description of the appearance of Katerina Petrovna. We learn about the appearance of a woman from the lips of other heroes of the play - most of the characters consider her beautiful and delightful. We also know little about Katerina's age - the fact that she is in the prime of her life allows us to define her as a young woman. Before the wedding, she was full of aspirations, shone with happiness.
Life in the mother-in-law's house did not affect her in the best way: she noticeably withered, but she was still pretty. Her girlish gaiety and cheerfulness quickly disappeared - their place was taken by despondency and sadness.
Relationships in the family
Katerina's mother-in-law is a very complex person, she runs everything in the house. This applies not only to household chores, but to all relationships within the family. It is difficult for a woman to cope with her emotions - she is jealous of her son for Katerina, she wants Tikhon to pay attention not to his wife, but to her, his mother. Jealousy eats the mother-in-law and does not give her the opportunity to enjoy life - she is always unhappy with something, constantly finds fault with everyone, especially the young daughter-in-law. She does not even try to hide this fact - those around her make fun of the old Kabanikha, they say that she tortured everyone in the house.
Katerina respects the old Kabanikha, despite the fact that she literally does not give her a pass with her nit-picking. The same cannot be said for other family members.
Katerina's husband, Tikhon, also loves his mother. The authoritarianism and despotism of his mother broke him, like his wife. He is torn by a feeling of love for his mother and wife. Tikhon does not try to somehow resolve the difficult situation in his family and finds solace in drunkenness and spree. The youngest daughter of Kabanikha and sister of Tikhon, Varvara, is more pragmatic, she understands that it is impossible to break through the wall with her forehead, in this case it is necessary to act with cunning and intelligence. Her respect for her mother is ostentatious, she says what her mother wants to hear, but in reality she does everything in her own way. Unable to bear life at home, Barbara runs away.
Despite the dissimilarity of the girls, Varvara and Katerina become friends. They support each other in difficult situations. Varvara incites Katerina to secret meetings with Boris, helps lovers organize dates for lovers. In these actions, Varvara does not mean anything bad - the girl herself often resorts to such dates - this is her way not to go crazy, she wants to bring at least a piece of happiness into Katerina's life, but the result is the opposite.
Katerina also has a difficult relationship with her husband. First of all, this is due to the spinelessness of Tikhon. He does not know how to defend his position, even if the mother's desire is clearly contrary to his intentions. Her husband does not have his own opinion - he is a "sissy", unquestioningly fulfilling the will of the parent. He often, at the instigation of his mother, scolds his young wife, sometimes beats her. Naturally, such behavior does not bring joy and harmony to the relationship of the spouses.
Katerina's discontent grows from day to day. She feels miserable. The understanding that nit-picking against her is far-fetched still does not allow her to live fully.
From time to time, in Katerina's thoughts, intentions arise to change something in her life, but she cannot find a way out of the situation - the thought of suicide visits Katerina Petrovna more and more often.
Character traits
Katerina has a meek and kind disposition. She doesn't know how to take care of herself. Katerina Petrovna is a soft, romantic girl. She loves to indulge in dreams and fantasies.
She has an inquisitive mind. She is interested in the most unusual things, for example, why people cannot fly. Because of this, people around her consider her a little strange.
Katerina is by nature patient and non-confrontational. She forgives the unfair and cruel treatment of her husband and mother-in-law.
In general, those around, if you do not take into account Tikhon and Kabanikha, have a good opinion of Katerina, they think that she is a sweet and lovely girl.
The pursuit of freedom
Katerina Petrovna has a peculiar concept of freedom. At a time when most people understand freedom as a physical state in which they are free to carry out those actions and actions that they prefer, Katerina prefers moral freedom, devoid of psychological pressure, allowing her to control her own destiny.
Katerina Kabanova is not so decisive as to put her mother-in-law in her place, but her desire for freedom does not allow her to live according to the rules within which she found herself - the thought of death as a way of gaining freedom appears in the text several times before Katerina's romantic relationship with Boris . The publication of information about Katerina's betrayal of her husband and the further reaction of a relative, in particular mother-in-law, become just a catalyst for her suicidal aspirations.
Religiosity of Katerina
The question of religiosity and the influence of religion on people's lives has always been quite controversial. This trend is especially open to doubt in times of active scientific and technological revolution and progress.
In relation to Katerina Kabanova, this trend does not work. A woman, not finding joy in everyday, worldly life, is imbued with a special love and reverence for religion. Strengthens her attachment to the church and the fact that her mother-in-law is religious. While the old Kabanikh's religiosity is only ostentatious (in fact, she does not adhere to the basic canons and postulates of the church that regulate human relations), Katerina's religiosity is true. She piously believes in the commandments of God, tries to always observe the laws of life.
During prayer, while in church, Katerina experiences special pleasure and relief. In those moments, she is like an angel.
However, the desire to experience happiness, true love takes precedence over religious vision. Knowing that adultery is a terrible sin, a woman still succumbs to temptation. For ten days of happiness, she pays with another, the most terrible sin in the eyes of a believing Christian - suicide.
Katerina Petrovna is aware of the gravity of her act, but the notion that her life will never change forces her to ignore this prohibition. It should be noted that the idea of such an end to her life path had already arisen, but, despite the hardships of her life, it was not carried out. Perhaps the fact that the pressure from the mother-in-law was painful for her played here, but the notion that it had no basis stopped the girl. After her relatives find out about the betrayal - reproaches against her become justified - she really tarnished her reputation and the reputation of the family. Another reason for this outcome of events could be the fact that Boris refuses a woman and does not take her with him. Katerina herself must somehow solve the current situation and she does not see a better option, how to throw herself into the river.
Katerina and Boris
Before Boris appeared in the fictitious city of Kalinovo, finding personal, intimate happiness for Katerina was not relevant. She did not try to make up for the lack of love from her husband on the side.
The image of Boris awakens in Katerina the extinguished feeling of passionate love. A woman is aware of the gravity of a love relationship with another man, so she languishes with the feeling that has arisen, but does not accept any prerequisites to turn her dreams into reality.
Varvara convinces Katerina that Kabanova needs to meet alone with her lover. The brother's sister is well aware that the feelings of young people are mutual, in addition, the coolness of the relationship between Tikhon and Katerina is not new to her, therefore she regards her act as an opportunity to show her sweet and kind daughter-in-law what true love is.
Katerina cannot make up her mind for a long time, but the water wears away the stone, the woman agrees to a meeting. Being captured by her desires, reinforced by a kindred feeling on the part of Boris, a woman cannot deny herself further meetings. The absence of her husband plays into her hands - for 10 days she lived like in paradise. Boris loves her more than life, he is affectionate and gentle with her. With him, Katerina feels like a real woman. She thinks she's finally found happiness. Everything changes with the arrival of Tikhon. No one knows about secret meetings, but Katerina is tormented by torment, she is seriously afraid of punishment from God, her psychological state reaches its climax and she confesses her sin.
After this event, the life of a woman turns into hell - the already pouring reproaches in her direction from her mother-in-law become unbearable, her husband beats her.
The woman still has hope for a successful outcome of the event - she believes that Boris will not leave her in trouble. However, her lover is in no hurry to help her - he is afraid of angering his uncle and being left without his inheritance, so he refuses to take Katerina with him to Siberia.
For a woman, this becomes a new blow, she is no longer able to survive it - death becomes her only way out.
Thus, Katerina Kabanova is the owner of the kindest and most gentle qualities of the human soul. A woman is especially sensitive to the feelings of other people. Her inability to give a sharp rebuff becomes the cause of constant ridicule and reproaches from her mother-in-law and husband, which further drives her into a dead end. Death in her case becomes an opportunity to find happiness and freedom. The realization of this fact causes the saddest feelings among readers.
2. The image of Katerina in the play "Thunderstorm"
Katerina is a lonely young woman who lacks human participation, sympathy, love. The need for this draws 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 beautiful 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. The fate of Katerina, unfortunately, 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 freely, surrounded by the caress and care of her mother.
Katerina found herself in completely different conditions in her husband's house .. At every step she felt dependent on her mother-in-law, suffered 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 Kabanikh. By her kindness, Katerina is ready to treat Kabanikha like her own mother. "But Katerina's sincere feelings do not meet with support from either Kabanikha or Tikhon.
Life in such an environment changed the character of Katerina. Katerina's sincerity and truthfulness collide in the house of Kabanikh with lies, hypocrisy, hypocrisy, and 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 to her husband. Katerina's sincerity, her truthfulness are incompatible with the life of the "dark kingdom". All this was the cause of the tragedy of Katerina.
"Katerina's public repentance shows the depth of her suffering, moral greatness, determination. But after repentance, her situation became unbearable. Her husband does not understand her, Boris is weak-willed and does not go to her aid. The situation has become hopeless - Katerina is dying. It is not the fault of Katerina's death 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 importance for Ostrovsky's contemporaries and for subsequent generations. He called for a fight against all forms of despotism and oppression of the human person. This 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 every mental movement of this at the same time restrained and impulsive 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 trait of Katerina's character is honesty towards 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 fiery hell prompted the heroine to tell the truth. “The whole heart is 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. To live just to live is not for her. To live means to be yourself. Her most precious value is personal freedom, the freedom of the soul.
With such a character, Katerina, after betraying her husband, could not remain in his house, return to a monotonous and dreary life, endure the constant reproaches and “moralizing” of Kabanikh, lose her freedom. But any patience comes to an end. It is difficult for Katerina to be where she is not understood, where 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 is all the same ... In the grave 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, by deliberately committing it, she showed not weakness, but strength of character. Her death is a challenge to the “dark force”, a desire to live in the “light kingdom” of love, joy and happiness.
The death of Katerina is the result of a collision of two historical eras. With 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 60s of the XIX century.
