The play "Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky wrote in 1859 at a time when a change in social foundations was ripe in Russia, on the eve of the peasant reform. Therefore, the play was perceived as an expression of the spontaneous revolutionary moods of the masses. It was not for nothing that Ostrovsky gave his play the name "Thunderstorm". The storm occurs not only as a natural phenomenon, the action unfolds to the sound of thunder, but also as an internal phenomenon - the characters are characterized through their attitude to a thunderstorm. For each hero, a thunderstorm is a special symbol, for some it is a harbinger of a storm, for others it is purification, the beginning of a new life, for others it is a "voice from above" that predicts some important events or warns against doing something.

In Katerina’s soul, an invisible thunderstorm is happening to no one, a thunderstorm for her is a punishment from heaven, the “hand of the Lord”, which should punish her for betraying her husband: “It’s not that scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly overtake you. wicked thoughts." Katerina is afraid and waiting for a thunderstorm. She loves Boris, but this depresses her. She believes that she will burn in "fiery hell" for her sinful feelings.

For the mechanic Kuligin, a thunderstorm is a crude manifestation of natural forces, consonant with human ignorance, which must be fought. Kuligin believes that by introducing mechanization and enlightenment into life, one can achieve power over the "thunder", which carries the meaning of rudeness, cruelty and immorality: "I decay in the dust with my body, I command the thunders with my mind." Kuligin dreams of building a lightning rod to save people from the fear of a thunderstorm.

For Tikhon, a thunderstorm is anger, oppression on the part of the mother. He is afraid of her, but as a son he must obey her. Leaving home on business, Tikhon says: "Yes, as far as I know, there will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs."

Dikoy believes that it is impossible and sinful to resist lightning. For him, a thunderstorm is humility. Despite his wild and vicious disposition, he dutifully obeys the Kabanikhe.

Boris fears human thunderstorms more than natural ones. Therefore, he leaves, throws Katerina alone with people's rumors. "It's scarier here!" - says Boris, running away from the place of prayer of the whole city.

The thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play symbolizes both ignorance and malice, heavenly punishment and retribution, as well as purification, insight, the beginning of a new life. This is evidenced by the conversation of two citizens of Kalinov, changes began to occur in the outlook of the inhabitants, the assessment of everything that happened began to change. Perhaps people will have a desire to overcome their fear of a thunderstorm, to get rid of the oppression of anger and ignorance that reigns in the city. After the terrible peals of thunder and lightning strikes, the sun will shine again overhead.

N.A. Dobrolyubov in the article "A ray of light in dark kingdom"The image of Katerina was interpreted as" a spontaneous protest carried to the end, "and suicide - as a force of a freedom-loving character:" such a liberation is bitter; But what to do when there is no other?

I believe that Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" was timely and contributed to the fight against the oppressors.

HISTORY OF CREATING THE PLAY

The play was started by Alexander Ostrovsky in July 1859 and finished on October 9th. The manuscript of the play is kept in the Russian State Library.

In 1848, Alexander Ostrovsky went with his family to Kostroma, to the Shchelykovo estate. The natural beauty of the Volga region struck the playwright and then he thought about the play. For a long time it was believed that the plot of the drama Thunderstorm was taken by Ostrovsky from the life of the Kostroma merchants. Kostromichi at the beginning of the 20th century could accurately point to the place of Katerina's suicide.

In his play, Ostrovsky raises the problem of a fracture public life that occurred in the 1850s, the problem of changing social foundations.

The names of the heroes of the play are endowed with symbolism: Kabanova is a heavy, heavy woman; Kuligin is a "kuliga", a swamp, some of its features and name are similar to the name of the inventor Kulibin; the name Katerina means "pure"; Barbara opposed to her - “ barbarian».

THE MEANING OF THE TITLE OF THE THUNDER DRAMA

The name of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm" plays big role in terms of this play. The image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama is unusually complex and ambiguous. On the one hand, a thunderstorm is a direct participant in the action of the play, on the other hand, it is a symbol of the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthis work. In addition, the image of a thunderstorm has so many meanings that it illuminates almost all facets of the tragic collision in the play.

Thunderstorm plays important role in drama composition. In the first act - the plot of the work: Katerina tells Varvara about her dreams and hints at her secret love. Almost immediately after this, a thunderstorm is approaching: "... the thunderstorm is setting in..." fourth act a thunderstorm is also gathering, foreshadowing a tragedy: “Remember my words that this thunderstorm will not pass in vain ...”

And a thunderstorm breaks out only in the scene of Katerina's confession - at the climax of the play, when the heroine speaks about her sin to her husband and mother-in-law, not ashamed of the presence of other townspeople. Thunderstorm is directly involved in the action as real phenomenon nature. It affects the behavior of the characters: after all, it is during a thunderstorm that Katerina confesses her sin. They even talk about a thunderstorm as if it were alive (“It’s raining, no matter how the thunderstorm gathers?”, “And it’s crawling on us, it’s crawling like it’s alive!”).

But the storm in the play also has figurative meaning. For example, Tikhon calls the swearing, scolding and antics of his mother a thunderstorm: “Yes, as I know now that there will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs, so am I up to my wife?”

The following fact is also noteworthy: Kuligin is a supporter of the peaceful eradication of vices (he wants to ridicule bad morals in the book: “I wanted to depict all this in verse ...”). And it is he who offers Diky to make a lightning rod (“copper plate”), which serves here as an allegory, because soft and peaceful opposition to vices by exposing them in books is a kind of lightning rod.

In addition, a thunderstorm is perceived differently by all characters. So, Dikoy says: "The storm is sent to us as a punishment." Wild declares that people should be afraid of thunderstorms, and yet his power and tyranny are based precisely on people's fear of him. Evidence of this is the fate of Boris. He is afraid of not receiving an inheritance and therefore submits to the Wild. So, this fear is beneficial for the Wild. He wants everyone to be afraid of thunderstorms, just like him.

But Kuligin treats a thunderstorm differently: “Now every blade of grass, every flower rejoices, but we hide, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune!” He sees a life-giving force in a thunderstorm. It is interesting that not only the attitude to a thunderstorm, but also the principles of Dikoy and Kuligin are different. Kuligin condemns the way of life of Wild, Kabanova and their morals: “ Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel! .. "

So the image of a thunderstorm turns out to be connected with the disclosure of the characters of the characters in the drama. Katerina is also afraid of thunderstorms, but not in the same way as Dikoy. She sincerely believes that the storm is God's punishment. Katerina does not talk about the benefits of a thunderstorm, she is not afraid of punishment, but of sins. Her fear is associated with deep, strong faith and high moral ideals. Therefore, in her words about the fear of a thunderstorm, it is not complacency, like that of Diky, but rather repentance: “It’s not scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins, with all evil thoughts ..."

The heroine herself also resembles a thunderstorm. Firstly, the theme of a thunderstorm is associated with experiences, state of mind Catherine. In the first act, a thunderstorm gathers, as if a harbinger of tragedy and as an expression troubled soul heroines. It was then that Katerina confesses to Varvara that she loves another - not her husband. The storm did not disturb Katerina during her meeting with Boris, when she suddenly felt happy. A thunderstorm appears whenever storms rage in the soul of the heroine herself: the words “With Boris Grigorievich!” (in the scene of Katerina's confession) - and again, according to the author's note, a "thunderclap" is heard.

Secondly, the confession of Katerina and her suicide was a challenge to the forces of the "dark kingdom" and its principles ("closed-closed"). The very love that Katerina did not hide, her desire for freedom is also a protest, a challenge that thundered over the forces of the "dark kingdom" like a thunderstorm. Katerina's victory in that there will be rumors about Kabanikh, about her role in the suicide of her daughter-in-law, will not be able to hide the truth. Even Tikhon begins to weakly protest. "You ruined her! You! You!" he shouts to his mother.

So, Ostrovsky's The Thunderstorm, despite its tragedy, produces a refreshing, encouraging impression, about which Dobrolyubov spoke: “... the end (of the play) ... seems to us encouraging, it is easy to understand why: it gives a terrible challenge to self-foolish power. ..”

Katerina does not adapt to the principles of Kabanova, she did not want to lie and listen to someone else's lies: “You are talking about me, mother, in vain you say this ...”

A thunderstorm is also not subject to anything and no one - it happens both in summer and in spring, not limited to the season, like precipitation. It is not for nothing that in many pagan religions the main god is the Thunderer, the lord of thunder and lightning (thunderstorms).

As in nature, the thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play combines destructive and creative power: "Thunderstorm will kill!", "This is not a thunderstorm, but grace!"

So, the image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama is multi-valued and not one-sided: while symbolically expressing the idea of ​​the work, at the same time it directly participates in the action. The image of a thunderstorm illuminates almost all facets of the play's tragic collision, which is why the meaning of the title becomes so important for understanding the play.

What is the meaning of the play's title "Thunderstorm"? Answering this question, it is necessary, first of all, to remember the time of its creation. It is 1859 - the time immediately preceding the cardinal changes in the life of Russia. One of the main changes is the abolition of serfdom, which was the result of the mentality in the society of that period. Without understanding their essence, it will be difficult to explain the meaning of the title of Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm". Therefore, we will briefly touch on this side of the issue.

Reflection of moods in the Russian provinces of the middle of the 19th century

Immediately before writing the play, the author traveled through small towns along the Volga. Therefore, it reflects the life and customs of provincial residents. Although the theme of serfdom is not directly addressed in The Thunderstorm, it conveys the mood of an acute public conflict- the conflict of the "dark kingdom" (serf-owning Russia) and people of a new type.

The writer associated this mood with the state of nature that happens before a thunderstorm. It is characterized by thickened clouds covering sunlight, heavy humid air and closeness. This is where the understanding of what the meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm" begins. Its action takes place in a fictional small town Kalinov, which emphasizes Ostrovsky's idea that the "pre-thunderstorm" atmosphere was characteristic of all of Russia.

Family situation

For the family, headed by Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, as well as for many other merchant families, the atmosphere of a rigid housing construction was characteristic. Having married the son of Kabanikha Tikhon, Katerina (the main character), previously surrounded by her mother's love, fell "from the fire into the frying pan."

She is alien to a forced life in an atmosphere of oppression of the individual, tyranny and constant pressure on her freedom-loving nature. Everyone knows that A.N. Dobrolyubov described Katerina as a ray of light that peeped into the dark kingdom, which also evokes an association with the rays of the sun that illuminate the sky after a storm. It's a vision of an image main character also helps to understand what the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is.

The image of a thunderstorm in nature and in the soul of the characters

Between the victims of the house-building - Katerina, her beloved Boris, husband Tikhon, his sister Varvara and representatives of the "dark kingdom" - Marfa Kabanova and Wild, a conflict is brewing, which is central to the play. The development of this conflict Ostrovsky artistically displays by parallel description of the changes taking place in nature and in people's lives.

First, a beautiful, serene nature is drawn, against which the unbearable life of the heroes of the play takes place under the yoke of tyrant merchants. Katerina cannot stand her hardships. Humiliation human dignity contrary to her character. As a witness to these spiritual torments, the author, as it were, calls on nature itself, in which the approach of a thunderstorm is clearly felt. The colors are thickening, the skies are darkening - terrible events are approaching in the lives of the heroes. And this again feels the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky.

Thunderstorm in the speech of the heroes of the play

The first time the word "thunderstorm" in the play is pronounced by Tikhon when he leaves home. He says that for two whole weeks there will be no thunderstorm over him. Tikhon wholeheartedly strives to escape from under the yoke of his mother, to inhale fresh air after the suffocating home atmosphere. He wants to take a walk for the whole coming and, as always painful, year.

For Tikhon, a thunderstorm is Kabanikh's unlimited power over him, fear of her formidable nature, as well as fear of responsibility for her sins.

The merchant Dikoy tells the self-taught mechanic Kuligin that a thunderstorm is sent to people as a punishment for their freethinking and disobedience. And the fear of punishment is inherent in all the characters, including Katerina.

She is extremely religious, considers her love for Boris a great sin, fights with it as best she can, but to no avail and awaits retribution. Here we see another facet of what the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is. This is a technique that reflects the author's idea that people, being not free, at the same time feel guilty and afraid of a new life.

What mechanic Kuligin sees in a thunderstorm

Continuing to understand the question of what is the meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm", one cannot help but consider Kuligin's attitude to the thunderstorm. He is one of all the heroes not afraid of her. He makes an attempt to counter this powerful natural phenomenon by making a lightning rod. In a thunderstorm, the mechanic sees not a terrible punishing force, but a wonderful, majestic spectacle, a powerful, cleansing force.

He, like a child, rejoices at the changes in nature, calling not to be afraid of a thunderstorm, but to admire it. He says that every blade of grass and flower welcomes a thunderstorm, and people hide from it, as if from misfortune, make a scarecrow out of it. What is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm", if we judge it based on Kuligin's attitude to this phenomenon?

It is believed that the inventor Ivan Kulibin was his prototype, which makes it possible to judge Kuligin as a bearer of new, progressive views, ready to make life around him better, to deal with difficulties, and not be afraid of them. Do not be afraid of the onset of a thunderstorm, but perceive it as the arrival of a new, bright, free life. This view contrasts with the views of the rest of the characters.

Thunderstorm as a symbol of love of Katerina and Boris

Studying the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm", it is necessary to touch on the relationship between Katerina and Boris, Diky's nephew. The storm symbolizes this side in the life of the heroine. In the love of young people, the presence of a stormy element, which they are so afraid of, is felt.

Their feeling is strong, passionate, but it does not bring joy or happiness to their souls, does not help to unite in the fight against reality. Being married, Katerina is tormented by the fact that she does not love Tikhon, although she tried to love. But he was not able to understand his wife, nor protect her from the arbitrariness of her mother-in-law.

The thirst for love, heart turmoil, which led to the emergence of feelings of affection for Boris, also evoke associations with the pre-storm state of nature. However, Boris did not understand Katerina's aspirations for personal happiness, he turned out to be not the person she needed. Thus, the development love line is a display of a growing conflict, that is, a symbol of an emerging thunderstorm.

Conclusion

The name of the work is closely connected with its content, with the images of many characters. You can even say that the thunderstorm is independent actor plays. It is present in the descriptions of nature, being an omen of the conflict between people and its resolution.

Katerina cannot live as before, she craves freedom, craves love, normal human relationships. A storm comes in her life, a thunderstorm breaks out. First, she rushes into love, as into the abyss, and then, not finding the strength to fight, into the Volga.

At the end of the play, against the background of thunderclaps, a crazy young lady appears, who predicts the imminent death of Katerina. Here the image of a thunderstorm acts as an impetus to the outcome of the conflict. Despite tragic end, Ostrovsky showed that the main character did not accept the hated reality and went against her.

The drama of Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" was written during serious reformist changes in Russia and was published in 1859. As in any literary work, the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" contains the theme and idea of ​​the whole work. And therefore it requires detailed consideration and analysis.

What is a play?

Before proceeding to answer the question, what is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm", it is necessary to define the genre of this work. So the play is literary work intended for stage performance. Distinctive features this will be:

• The construction of the entire plot on the dialogues and monologues of the characters.
• The subdivision into parts, which are called acts or actions, and scenes.
• The author's remarks describing the setting and costumes of the characters. As well as the actions of the characters.

The peculiarity of the drama "Thunderstorm"

The meaning of the title of the play by A. N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" is directly related to genre originality works. The fact is that literary critics still cannot agree on what The Thunderstorm is - a drama or a tragedy.

The tragedy of the play is associated with the image of Katerina, who is opposed to all other characters. The girl is very different from the people around her, she is a bright and dreamy person. Her conflict with the world is predetermined, ruthless and dark - it can only destroy and destroy.

The dramatic side of the play is shown in social aspect- each hero has his own social position, which determines his actions and character. Thus, to put an end to and attribute the play to one of the genres is not possible.

Play conflict

Before determining the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm", it is necessary to deal with the main conflict of this work.

To begin with, there is not one conflict in the drama, but several. And the first one, which criticism has always paid attention to, is social. From this point of view, Katerina appears as the embodiment of a people who are outraged and can no longer endure the tyranny and tyranny of those in power, represented by Kabanikha. Another conflict, also associated with the confrontation between Kabanikha and Katerina, is the conflict of generations.

But the main and most important confrontation in the play is Katerina's struggle with herself. Internal conflict is much deeper than external and carries deepest meaning. girl wrestling with forbidden love. Not knowing how to be hypocritical, she is under the blow of the public. And in the end, she has no choice but to commit suicide.

The image of Katerina

The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is directly related to the image of the main character. Katerina has become unusual female character for Ostrovsky. Against the background of the previous heroines of the writer, she stands out with her subtle attitude, the integrity of her personality. She is poetic and dreamy bright soul and lofty aspirations. Description happy life for her it looks like this: embroidery, visiting the temple and prayers, communication with pilgrims and wonderful dreams about golden temples and wonderful gardens. By this, the writer emphasizes that for Katerina it is above material things.

The image of a girl is closely intertwined with the image of a bird and the motif of flight. Katerina's desire to fly away introduces the theme of imprisonment and captivity into the narrative. And along with them, the theme of death, because the soul can free itself and take off only by losing its body shell.

At Katerina's a strong character, her sense of dignity is very great. It is very difficult for her to live under the same roof with Kabanikha. After all, reproaches, despotism and tyranny on the part of the hostess reign there, as well as stupidity, spinelessness and humility of the rest of the inhabitants.

The melancholy embracing Katerina in the house of Marfa Ignatievna is mixed with the girl’s desire to know true love. To Tikhon, the heroine cannot experience this feeling, since he is weak-willed, stupid, spiritually poor. Katerina can only fall in love with a worthy, kind person, different from others. And it seems to the girl that she finds this in Boris Grigorievich. It is from the moment of the beginning of meetings with a young man that internal conflict heroines. She is torn between her feelings and her duty to her husband.

But Katerina is deceived, Boris - common man who is not able to dare to save the girl. Katerina, realizing that she cannot forgive herself and continue to live in the darkness surrounding her, decides to commit suicide. It is with this episode that the meaning of the title of Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" is connected, which we will consider in more detail below.

Meaning of the play's title

The title of the drama has a lot of meaning. For the first time, Tikhon utters this word when he says goodbye to his wife before leaving. The hero compares Kabanikha with an impending thunderstorm and rejoices that he will get rid of her attacks at least for short term. Thus, answering the question, what is symbolic meaning the title of the play "Thunderstorm", we can say that this personifies can be caused both by the tyranny of others, and higher powers. And covers all the heroes of the work. Even Katerina is subject to him, because she is afraid higher punishment for cheating on her husband. Even death does not frighten a girl as much as a possible punishment for sins.

The whole development of actions in the play is similar to the pre-storm time, which will certainly end in a storm. It is in the fear that grows as the elements approach that the meaning of the title of the play “Thunderstorm” lies. It is better to supplement the essay with descriptions of those scenes in the play where the characters most clearly show fear.

Conclusion

The work was accepted by critics with great enthusiasm and had many interpretations of conflicts, main topic and the image of Catherine. Also, the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" became a symbolic riddle. The essay provided school curriculum, once again confirms that interest in this controversial creation of Ostrovsky has not yet weakened.

Of course, the title of Ostrovsky's play is metaphorical and bears a certain semantic load. Each of the heroes of the play Thunderstorm explained such a phenomenon as a thunderstorm in different ways, through their explanations one can judge their inner world. Kabanikha believed that this was a punishment for the sins of mankind. Curly, believed that a thunderstorm is grace, because after a thunderstorm it is fresh and light around. Feklusha said that this was Elijah the prophet in a chariot, and Katerina considered this to be retribution for sins. Kuligin called it a natural phenomenon. Tikhon considered the storm to be malice.

Kuligin wanted to fight against a thunderstorm, thought about how to protect houses from it, wanted to come up with something like a lightning rod. Kuligin is a mechanic and explains everything with scientific point vision, so he thinks that with the help of instruments it is possible to stop such a natural phenomenon. With the help of a lightning rod, he wants to rid people of the fear of a thunderstorm so that people stop being afraid of it. For him, a thunderstorm is rudeness, evil, cruelty, which must be fought.

Katerina's soul was full of experiences and suffering, there was a thunderstorm inside her, she was also very afraid of a thunderstorm, because, she believed, the thunderstorm would punish her for having cheated on her husband. Katerina sincerely loves Boris, she cannot overcome this in herself, and the feeling torments her. This feeling is a sin, as she married woman, she knows that she will be punished by the Almighty for this, and thinks about her sin.

For Tikhon, a thunderstorm personified his mother, he obeyed her in everything when she was near, and when he left, he was glad that there would be no thunderstorm over him. Thunderstorm - oppression, pressure from the mother.

For Boris, the word thunderstorm had two meanings, firstly, this is a natural phenomenon, and secondly, it is the fear that other people instilled in him, he is afraid of people's opinions, their reaction to what happened to Katerina, so he decides that it is better to leave not to hear rumors and gossip.

The storm represents a lot in this play, it is both sin and anger, retribution and purification, everyone has their own opinion about the storm. After the thunderstorm - Katerina's suicide, changes began to occur in the souls of the townspeople, they realized that they needed to protest against oppression. This play was written shortly before the abolition of serfdom, everything that happened in that society was like stuffiness, lack of air, at that moment such a play appeared that makes you fight for your rights, dignity and honor. And do not let others control you, obey them, fear the masters.