The drama of A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" shows us life in the city of Kalinov, now and then violated various manifestations thunderstorms. The image of this natural phenomenon in the drama is very multifaceted: it is at the same time actor plays, and its idea.
One of the most striking manifestations of the image of a thunderstorm is the characterization of the characters in the drama. For example, we can say with confidence that the character of Kabanikha is quite similar to thunder: she also frightens the people around her, and can even destroy her. Let us recall the words of Tikhon before leaving: “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?” native son when speaking of a thunderstorm, he means tyranny in the house. A similar situation prevailed in the house of the Wild. He got angry, cursed, and sometimes even hit on me because of all sorts of little things. Curly said about him: "Shrill man!" - and for sure, the character of the Wild can pierce anyone, like an electric discharge.
But the thunderstorm in the work characterizes not only the "cruel manners" in Kalinov. It is noticeable that the most bright moments bad weather coincides with Katerina's mental anguish. Recall that when Katerina confessed to Varvara that she loved another, a thunderstorm began. But even in Katerina's soul there was restlessness; her impulsiveness made itself felt: even without doing anything wrong, but only thinking not about her husband, Katerina began to talk about imminent death, running away from home and terrible sins. Upon Kabanov's return, hurricanes raged in Katerina's soul, and, at the same time, thunder was heard on the streets, frightening the townspeople.
Also, the image of a thunderstorm appears before readers as a punishment for committed sins. Katerina spoke of a thunderstorm: "Everyone should be afraid. It's not so terrible that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins, with all your evil thoughts." We can understand that a thunderstorm for the townspeople is only suffering. The same idea is confirmed by the words of Dikoy: "The storm is sent to us as a punishment, so that we feel, and you want to defend yourself with poles and some kind of horns, God forgive me." This fear of a punishment storm characterizes Wild as an adherent of the old ways, if we consider the storm in its following image: a symbol of change.
The thunderstorm as a symbol of the new is vividly shown in Kuligin's monologue: "This is not a thunderstorm, but grace!" Kuligin, being a hero-reasoner, opens up to readers the point of view of Ostrovsky himself: changes are always for the better, they should not be feared.
Thus, it becomes obvious that A. N. Ostrovsky, skillfully wielding the image of a thunderstorm in its various manifestations, showed all aspects of life in a typical Russian provincial town, starting with the tragedy " cruel morals and ending with the personal tragedy of each.
The emotional drama of Katerina from Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" consists in the discrepancy between real life and desires, in the collapse of hopes and illusions, in the realization of hopelessness and the immutability of the situation. Katerina could not live in a world of ignoramuses and deceivers; the girl was torn apart by the contradiction of duty and feelings. This conflict turned out to be tragic.
The meaning of the name and symbolism of the play "Thunderstorm"
The realistic method of writing enriched literature with symbolic images. Griboyedov used this technique in the comedy Woe from Wit. The bottom line is that objects are endowed with a certain symbolic meaning. Images-symbols can be end-to-end, that is, repeated several times throughout the text. In this case, the meaning of the symbol becomes significant for the plot. Particular attention should be paid to those images-symbols that are included in the title of the work. That is why it is necessary to focus on the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm".
To answer the question of what the symbolism of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" contains, it is important to know why and why the playwright used this particular image. Thunderstorm in the drama appears in several forms. The first is a natural phenomenon. Kalinov and its inhabitants seem to live in anticipation of thunder and rain. The events unfolding in the play take about 14 days. All this time, from passers-by or from the main characters there are phrases that a thunderstorm is coming. The violence of the elements is the culmination of the play: it is the storm and the peals of thunder that make the heroine confess to treason. Moreover, peals of thunder accompany almost the entire fourth act. With each beat, the sound grows louder: Ostrovsky seems to be preparing readers for the highest point of conflict.
The symbolism of a thunderstorm includes another meaning. "Thunderstorm" is understood different heroes differently. Kuligin is not afraid of a thunderstorm, because he does not see anything mystical in it. Wild considers a thunderstorm a punishment and an occasion to remember the existence of God. Katerina sees in a thunderstorm a symbol of fate and fate - after the most rolling thunderclap, the girl confesses her feelings for Boris. Katerina is afraid of thunderstorms, because for her it is equivalent the Last Judgment. At the same time, the storm helps the girl to take a desperate step, after which she became honest with herself. For Kabanov, Katerina's husband, a thunderstorm has its own meaning. He talks about this at the beginning of the story: Tikhon needs to leave for a while, which means he needs to lose his maternal control and orders. “There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks, there are no shackles on my legs ...”. Tikhon compares the riot of nature with the incessant tantrums and whims of Marfa Ignatievna.
One of the main symbols in Ostrovsky's Thunderstorm can be called the Volga River. She seems to separate two worlds: the city of Kalinov, the "dark kingdom" and that ideal world that each of the characters came up with for themselves. Indicative in this respect are the words of the Lady. Twice the woman said that the river is a whirlpool that draws in beauty. From a symbol of supposed freedom, the river turns into a symbol of death.
Katerina often compares herself to a bird. She dreams of flying away, escaping from this addictive space. "I speak: why people do not fly like birds? You know, sometimes I feel like I'm a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you are drawn to fly,” says Katya to Varvara. Birds symbolize the freedom and lightness that a girl is deprived of.
The symbol of the court is not difficult to trace: it appears several times throughout the work. Kuligin, in conversations with Boris, mentions the court in the context of the "cruel morals of the city." The court appears to be a bureaucratic apparatus that is not called upon to seek the truth and punish violations. He can only take time and money. Feklusha talks about refereeing in other countries. From her point of view, only a Christian court and a court according to the laws of house building can judge righteously, while the rest are mired in sin.
Katerina, on the other hand, talks about the Almighty and about human judgment when she tells Boris about her feelings. For her, Christian laws come first, and not public opinion: “If I was not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?”
On the walls of the dilapidated gallery, past which the inhabitants of Kalinovo walk, scenes from the Holy Letter are depicted. In particular, the paintings of fiery hell. Katerina herself recalls this mythical place. Hell becomes synonymous with mustiness and stagnation, which Katya is afraid of. She chooses death, knowing that this is one of the worst Christian sins. But at the same time, through death, the girl gains freedom.
The image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play
The image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm" is symbolic and ambiguous. It includes several meanings that combine and complement each other, allowing you to show several facets of the problem. First you need to separate the concept of image-symbol from the concept of metaphor. The image-symbol is ambiguous, like a metaphor, but, unlike the latter, it implies that the reader may have many different associations that are not limited to the author's interpretation of the text. That is, the text of the work does not indicate exactly how one or another image-symbol should be deciphered and understood. The interpretation of metaphorical transfer is usually indicated by the author himself. It is the latter option that is realized in the play by Alexander Nikolayevich under consideration.
The image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama includes several author's interpretations. Thunderstorm is understood in literally i.e. as a natural phenomenon. The thunderstorm begins already in the first act and, by the fourth, periodically ceasing, gains its strength. The city of Kalinov literally lives in anticipation of a thunderstorm. The fear of the inhabitants of thunder and rain is comparable to pagan fears of the elements. The only one who is not afraid of thunderstorms is the self-taught inventor Kuligin. He is the only one who leads a righteous life in the city, strives to earn by honest work and thinks about the good of society. For him, there is nothing mysterious and mystical in a thunderstorm. Kuligin is shocked by the reaction to a thunderstorm: “After all, it is not a thunderstorm that kills, it is grace that kills!” A man does not understand that primal fear that everyone obeys. Wild even believes that God sends a thunderstorm so that sinners do not forget about him. This is a pagan, not a Christian understanding. Katerina, the main character of the play, is frightened by a thunderstorm for other reasons. By herself, Katya is a calm and quiet girl, so any burst of energy causes her a feeling of anxiety. From the first appearances of the play, the reader learns that Katerina is terribly afraid of a thunderstorm, so she tries in every possible way to hide from her as soon as possible. Even Varvara’s remark “what are you afraid of: the storm is still far away”, which can be regarded as prophetic, cannot calm the girl. Katya explains her fear from a philosophical point of view (quite in the spirit of Woland from The Master and Margarita): “it’s not so scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins, with all wicked thoughts." So it becomes clear that the image of a thunderstorm in Ostrovsky's drama is associated with the motive of death. The power of the elements reaches its climax in the fourth act - the culmination of the work. At first, as usual before a thunderstorm, it was quiet. The townspeople walked along the embankment, talked, admired the scenery. But as soon as the weather began to deteriorate, many took refuge in the gallery, on the walls of which one could discern the remains of a drawing of fiery hell, that is, hell. Again, negative symbolism is added to the image of a thunderstorm.
At the same time, the image of a thunderstorm in the play cannot be perceived as unambiguously negative. Of course, Katerina is frightened by the violence of the weather. The thunder is getting louder and the fear of falling into a lie is getting stronger. In a thunderstorm, Katya saw a symbol Supreme Court, the punishment of the Lord for those who do not live a righteous life. That is why the thunderstorm that has begun can be considered a catalyst for confession of treason. On the embankment, in front of everyone, despite the persuasion of Tikhon and Varvara, Katerina says that all the time Tikhon was away, she secretly met with Boris. This is where the real storm comes in. Katya's confession turned the life of the whole family upside down, made us think about life. Thunderstorm becomes not only an external manifestation, but also an internal conflict. The storm was in Katya's soul. She was going for a long time, the clouds became blacker with each reproach of the mother-in-law. The gap between real life and the girl's ideas was too great. Katya could not avoid the inner thunderstorm: she was brought up differently. She was taught to live honestly and righteously. And in the Kabanov family they want to teach lies and pretend. Feelings for Boris can also be compared to a thunderstorm. They develop rapidly, spontaneously. But unfortunately a priori doomed to a quick and sad ending.
The role of a thunderstorm in the play "Thunderstorm" comes down to stirring up people, shaking the space. Dobrolyubov called Kalinov a "dark kingdom", a kingdom of vices and stagnation. Limited people live here, who are made fools not by ignorance of the cultures of other countries, but by ignorance of their own culture, inability to be human. Merchant Dikoy, one of the most influential people in the city, does not know Derzhavin and Lomonosov; residents are used to lying and stealing, pretending that nothing is happening, but at the same time cheating and terrorizing their families. There is nothing human left in the inhabitants. Kuligin, Tikhon, Boris and Katya call Kalinov differently, but the meaning is the same: this is a space from which it is impossible to get out. There is no fresh air, and it sucks like a swamp. The thunderstorm, with its strength and energy, must break through the crust, break the trap, enable the new to penetrate the city of Kalinov. Unfortunately, one thunderstorm is not enough. Like Katya's death, it is not enough for people to remove the "dark kingdom" from their souls. Only Tikhon, incapable of decisive action, for the first time goes against the established rules. He blames his mother for the death of his wife, and he himself, mourning Katya, regrets that he cannot go with her to another world where one can live according to the laws of conscience.
Characters
First you need to pay attention to the actors. The main character of the work is Katerina Kabanova. Dobrolyubov calls her "a ray of light in a dark kingdom." The girl is different from the rest of the characters. She does not want to subordinate everyone to her will, like Kabaniha, she does not want to teach the old ways. Katerina wants to live honestly and freely. She does not want to humiliate herself and lie to her relatives, as her husband does. He does not want to hide and deceive, as Varvara Kabanova did. Her desire to be honest with herself and with others leads to disaster. It seems that it is impossible to get out of the vicious circle that Katya got into by the will of circumstances. But Boris, Diky's nephew, comes to town. He, like Katerina, does not want to suffocate "in this backwater", he does not accept the orders prevailing in Kalinovo, he does not want to have anything to do with the limited inhabitants of a provincial town. Boris falls in love with Katerina, and the feeling is mutual. Thanks to Boris, Katerina understands that she has the strength to fight the tyrants who dictate the laws. She thinks about a possible break with her husband, about the fact that she can leave with Boris, despite public opinion. But Boris turns out to be a little different from what Katya seems to be. He certainly does not like the hypocrisy and lies that help the people of Kalinov achieve their goals, but nevertheless Boris does exactly the same: he tries to establish relations with the person he despises in order to receive an inheritance. Boris does not hide this, he speaks openly about his intentions (conversation with Kuligin).
Criticism
Analyzing the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky, it is impossible not to mention critical appraisal works. Despite the fact that at that time the concept of "drama for reading" did not yet exist, many literary critics and writers expressed their opinion about this play. Many writers turned to criticism of Ostrovsky's "Thunderstorm". Some, for example, Apollon Grigoriev, considered the most significant folk life reflected in the work. Fyodor Dostoevsky entered into a polemic with him, arguably stating that, first of all, it is not the national component that is important, but the internal conflict of the main character. Dobrolyubov most of all appreciated the absence of the author's conclusions in the finale of the play. Thanks to this, the reader himself could "make his own conclusion." Unlike Dostoevsky, Dobrolyubov saw the conflict of the drama not in the personality of the heroine, but in Katerina's opposition to the world of tyranny and stupidity. The critic appreciated the revolutionary ideas embodied in the "thunderstorm": claims to the truth, respect for rights and respect for a person.
Pisarev responded to this play by Ostrovsky only 4 years after it was written. In his article, he entered into a controversy with Dobrolyubov, since he did not accept the latter's views on the work. Calling Katerina "Russian Ophelia", the critic puts her on a par with Bazarov, a hero who sought to break the existing order of things. Pisarev saw in Katerina's character something that could serve as a catalyst for the abolition of serfdom. However, this was on the eve of 1861. Pisarev's hopes for a revolution and for the people to be able to achieve democracy did not come true. It was through this prism that Pisarev later considered the death of Katerina - the death of hopes for improving the social situation.
A play by A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" and her main character- Katerina Kabanova - caused and still causes a lot of controversy and discussion. Often the opinions of critics and literary scholars are radically opposite. We can observe this feature in the articles of two classics of Russian literary criticism - A.N. Dobrolyubova and D.I. Pisarev.
In his article "A Ray of Light in dark kingdom”, dedicated to the image of Katerina Kabanova, Dobrolyubov examines the main conflict of the play from a revolutionary populist point of view. According to this critic, Katerina is completely new look in Russian literature of the 19th century, meeting the requirements of the time.
The environment in which the heroine exists, Dobrolyubov calls the "dark kingdom" - the dominance of the conservative, ignorant, inert, hindering progress. In the "dark kingdom" life is hard for everyone, and especially for freedom-loving, bright natures. The critic considers Katerina Kabanova just such a person, calling her "a strong Russian character."
What are the signs of such a nature? Firstly, it is distinguished by "its opposition to any self-impossible beginnings." In addition, the Russian strong 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.”
Dobrolyubov sees artistic logic in the fact that the protesting image is embodied in the play precisely in the female character. According to the critic, the strongest protest is brewing in the weakest and most bonded souls. Those in the Russian patriarchal society are precisely women. Dobrolyubov writes: “A woman who wants to go to the end in her uprising against the oppression and arbitrariness of her elders in the Russian family must be filled with heroic selflessness, she must decide on everything and be ready for everything.”
This is exactly what Katerina does, according to the critic. And in her protest she goes to the end - up to suicide. From Dobrolyubov's article, we understand that it inspires respect from critics and, in his opinion, should also inspire respect from readers.
DI. Pisarev looks at the image of Katerina Kabanova in a fundamentally different way. If Dobrolyubov's worldview was based on revolutionary populist ideas, and he considered the character of Katerina in this vein, then Pisarev's views were completely different. He based his concept on the image of a strong person, personality. It is known that this critic considered Bazarov to be a true hero in Russian literature. It is these people, according to Pisarev, who are able to change lives, to accomplish something extraordinary.
Katerina, according to the critic, belongs to a completely different type of heroes. She's just a hysterical woman, she herself is not aware of her actions.
Pisarev believes that the upbringing, the environment in which this heroine was brought up, could not develop a strong and persistent character in her. He writes: “In all the actions and feelings of Katerina, first of all, a sharp disproportion between causes and effects is noticeable.” According to the critic, the heroine reacts inadequately to everyday little things that happen in the "family chicken coop".
In general, Pisarev concludes that Katerina belongs to the category of "dwarfs and eternal children" who cannot produce anything new. Therefore, he strongly disagrees with the opinion of Dobrolyubov, who saw in Katerina a heroic Russian character.
Which critic's opinion is closest to me? One hundred percent, I think I can't agree with any of them. But, despite this, to a greater extent, I still agree with Pisarev. I do not see in Katerina a heroic character resisting the "dark kingdom". It seems to me that this woman committed suicide out of desperation, not seeing any prospects for herself in the future.
And, indeed, how would her life develop after a nationwide confession of treason? Pangs of conscience, Kabanikh's cruel bullying, Tikhon's helplessness and fear, the contempt of all Kalinovites ... I think Katerina simply realized that she could not stand it, she was frightened to some extent ...
Maybe her act was impulsive, Katerina did it under the influence of emotions. But I think it was the best solution for her.
Thus, the opinions of Dobrolyubov and Pisarev on the character of Katerina Kabanova are completely opposite. If the revolutionary democrat Dobrolyubov considers Ostrovsky's heroine a "Russian strong character”, then the individualist Pisarev attributed this character to the category of “dwarfs and eternal children”, incapable of strong conscious actions.
I think that the truth is still somewhere between these radical opinions. Katerina is a strong character, but her strength lies elsewhere - in moral purity and the strength of religious faith.
A.P. Grigoriev wrote about A.N. Ostrovsky: After all, this is done as if not an artist, but whole nation created here, which is not difficult to see and feel for yourself, only after reading this amazingly believable drama about the most important thing. He called A.N. Ostrovsky as an artist: the heroes of the work, as if alive, captivate with the versatility of their characters, forcing the reader to cry and rejoice, resent, sympathize not with book characters, but with bright personalities.
Harmoniously fitting into the canvas of the work, it complements it with a bizarre pattern of almost weightless lace. And they all serve the creation whole picture, whether it is the names of the characters, whether the place of action, its time, or even the name of the drama.
However, the latter, it seems to me, has several meanings. For some, a thunderstorm is a heavenly punishment sent to us from above, and, as can be seen from the text, it overtakes those who stumbled on their way. On the other hand, it cleanses the earth, because it is not for nothing that after a thunderstorm the air smells so sweetly of freshness. The storm also personifies spiritual throwing, that storm of feelings that sometimes takes possession of each of us. But for me personally, this is a powerful and unpredictable, but no less beautiful, element, not subject to anyone except the Creator, but before which everyone freezes in fear and admiration.
In the plot about a thunderstorm throughout (the plot), the narratives are reminiscent of the peals of thunder heard by the characters and the idea of lightning rods proposed by Kuligin.
These lightning rods are also a symbol, a chance to avoid many troubles, which, unfortunately, was abandoned, referring to the principle "what will be, will not be avoided."
Another symbol in this interweaving of destinies and characters, oddly enough, is the Volga. A flat river, it calmly carries its waters to the sea, unchanged for many years, exactly like life in Kalinovo. So in the Kabanov family for for long years the same orders and customs operate within the framework of which people live without the right to change, to freedom.
The last action of "Thunderstorm" is immersed in the evening twilight, when the outlines of objects are blurred and the division into darkness and light loses its meaning. Can this time be called day or night? Was Katerina's act good or bad? In the last act, the author does not divide actions into correct and no, everyone does this for himself. But when pronouncing a sentence, one must remember that even familiar things change in the twilight, and with unimaginable ease the outline of one object can be mistaken for another.
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Updated: 2018-02-21
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/ / / Symbolism in Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm"
Texts written in the style of realism always contain some special images. They are needed in order to create a certain atmosphere of the work. A.N. Ostrovsky uses various symbols V natural scenery, V natural phenomena, in the images of the main and secondary characters. He even makes the title of his play "" symbolic. And in order to understand everything that the author wanted to tell us, we must unite and combine all the artistic images.
An important symbol is the images of birds, which are compared with freedom. The girl often dreams of how she could flutter, from tree to tree, from flower to flower. She so wanted to fly away from the hated estate, in which lived an unbearable mother-in-law and an unloved husband.
The image of the Volga plays special meaning, because it conditionally divides the surrounding space into two worlds. That world was on the other side of the river, it was quiet and calm there, and this world is despotic, cruel and filled with petty tyrants. How often Katerina peered into the distance of the river! She recalled her childhood years of life, which passed carefree and happily. The Volga has another image. This is the image of freedom that the girl found for herself. She jumped off a cliff into deep waters and committed suicide. After that, the stormy river also becomes a symbol of death.
Especially symbolic is the image of a thunderstorm, which is interpreted differently by the main characters of the play. Kuligin considers a thunderstorm to be only electricity, then he calls it grace. Wild perceives bad weather as God's wrath, which is a warning from the Almighty.
We open the symbol of hypocrisy and secrecy in the monologues of the main characters. says that in home environment, not in front of the public, rich people are tyrannical and despotic. They oppress their family and all servants.
Reading the lines of the play, we understand and distinguish the image of injustice that manifests itself in judicial institutions. Cases are dragged out and decided in favor of rich and moneyed people.
made a special impression on me last words who notices that Katerina was able to find strength in herself and free herself from such a painful life! He himself did not have the courage to end his life like his beloved.
This is the number of symbols and images used by A.N. Ostrovsky in his play. It was the symbolism that helped him create such an exciting, emotional drama which made a huge impression on me.
One name of the play contains all the main motives for its understanding. The storm is the ideological symbol of Ostrovsky's work. In the first act, when Catherine hinted to her mother-in-law about her secret love, a thunderstorm began to approach almost immediately. The coming storm - it is a commemoration of the tragedy in the play. But she breaks out only when the main character tells her husband and mother-in-law about her sin.
The image of a thunderstorm-threat is closely connected with the feeling of fear. “Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell! Now every grass, every flower rejoices, but we hide, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune! The storm will kill! This is not a storm, but grace! Yes, grace! You all have a thunderstorm! - Kuligin shames fellow citizens, trembling at the sound of thunder. Indeed, a thunderstorm as a natural phenomenon is as necessary as sunny weather. Rain washes away dirt, cleanses the earth, promotes better plant growth. A person who sees in a thunderstorm a phenomenon natural in the cycle of life, and not a sign divine wrath does not feel fear. The attitude to the thunderstorm in a certain way characterizes the heroes of the play. The fatalistic superstition associated with a thunderstorm and widespread among the people is voiced by the tyrant Wild and a woman hiding from a thunderstorm: “A thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment so that we feel ...”; "Yes, no matter how you hide! If someone's destiny is written, then you won't go anywhere. But in the perception of Diky, Kabanikh and many others, the fear of a thunderstorm is something familiar and not a very vivid experience. “That's it, you need to live in such a way as to always be ready for anything; there would be no such fear, ”Kabanikha remarks coolly. She has no doubt that the storm is a sign of God's wrath. But the heroine is so convinced that she leads the right way of life that she does not experience any anxiety.
Only Katerina experiences the liveliest thrill before a thunderstorm in the play. We can say that this fear clearly demonstrates her mental discord. On the one hand, Katerina longs to challenge the hateful existence, to meet her love. On the other hand, she is not able to renounce the ideas inspired by the environment in which she grew up and continues to live. Fear, according to Katerina, is an integral element of life, and it is not so much the fear of death as such, but the fear of the coming punishment, of one's own spiritual failure: “Everyone should be afraid. It’s not that scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you as you are, with all your sins, with all your evil thoughts.
In the play, we also find another attitude to the storm, to the fear that it supposedly must evoke. “I'm not afraid,” say Varvara and the inventor Kuligin. The attitude to the thunderstorm also characterizes the interaction of one or another character in the play with time. Wild, Kabanikhs and those who share their view of the thunderstorm as a manifestation of heavenly displeasure, of course, are inextricably linked with the past. Internal conflict Katerina comes from the fact that she is unable to either break with ideas that are fading into the past, or keep the precepts of Domostroy in inviolable purity. Thus, she is at the point of the present, at a contradictory, critical time when a person must choose how to act. Varvara and Kuligin are looking to the future. In the fate of Varvara, this is emphasized by the fact that she leaves home no one knows where, almost like the heroes of folklore, going in search of happiness, and Kuligin is constantly in scientific search.
M.Yu. Lermontov (Hero of our time)
