Essay plan
1. Introduction. Variety of symbolism in the play.
2. The main part. The motives and themes of the play, artistic anticipations, symbolism of images, phenomena, details.
— Folklore motifs as an artistic anticipation of the heroine's situation.
- Dreams of Katerina and the symbolism of images.
- A story about childhood as a compositional anticipation.
- The motive of sin and retribution in the play. Kabanova and Wild.
- The motive of sin in the images of Feklusha and the half-mad lady.
- The motive of sin in the images of Curly, Barbara and Tikhon.
— Katerina's perception of sin.
- The idea of the play.
— The symbolic meaning of the images of the play.
- The symbolism of objects.
3. Conclusion. Philosophical and poetic subtext of the play.
Symbolism in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky is diverse. The very title of the play, the theme of the thunderstorm, the motives of sin and judgment are symbolic. Landscape paintings, objects, some images are symbolic. Some motifs, themes of folk songs acquire an allegorical meaning.
At the very beginning of the play, the song “Among the Flat Valley ...” sounds (sung by Kuligin), which already at the very beginning introduces the motive of a thunderstorm and the motive of death. If we remember the entire text of the song, then there are the following lines:
Where can I rest my heart
When will the storm rise?
A gentle friend sleeps in the damp earth,
Help will not come.
The theme of loneliness, orphanhood, life without love also arises in it. All these motives seem to anticipate Katerina's life situation at the beginning of the play:
Ah, bored lonely
And the tree will grow!
Oh, bitter, bitter young man
Without a sweet life to lead!
The dreams of the heroine in The Thunderstorm also acquire symbolic meaning. So, Katerina yearns because people do not fly. “Why don’t people fly! .. I say: why don’t people fly like birds? You know, sometimes I feel like I'm a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you are drawn to fly. That's how it would have run up, raised its hands and flew. Try something now?” she says to Varvara. In the parental home, Katerina lived like a "bird in the wild." She dreams about how she flies. Elsewhere in the play, she dreams of becoming a butterfly. The theme of birds introduces the motif of captivity, cages into the narrative. Here we can recall the symbolic rite of the Slavs to release birds into the wild from cages, which is based on the belief of the Slavs in the ability of the reincarnation of the human soul. As Yu.V. Lebedev, “the Slavs believed that the human soul is capable of turning into a butterfly or a bird. In folk songs, a woman yearning on a foreign side in an unloved family turns into a cuckoo, flies into the garden to her beloved mother, complains to her about a dashing lot. But the theme of birds sets here the motive of death. Thus, in many cultures, the Milky Way is called the "Bird Road", because the souls flying along this road to heaven were represented by birds. Thus, already at the beginning of the play, we notice the motives that precede the death of the heroine.
Katerina's story about her childhood also becomes a kind of artistic anticipation: “... I was born so hot! I was still six years old, no more, so I did it! They offended me with something at home, but it was towards evening, it was already dark; I ran out to the Volga, got into the boat and pushed it away from the shore. The next morning they already found ten miles away! But Katerina's story is also a compositional preview of the play's finale. The Volga for her is a symbol of will, space, free choice. And in the end, she makes her choice.
The final scenes of "Thunderstorm" are also preceded by Kudryash's song:
Like a Don Cossack, a Cossack led a horse to water,
Good fellow, he is already standing at the gate.
Standing at the gate, he thinks himself
Duma thinks how he will destroy his wife.
As a wife prayed to her husband,
In a hurry, she bowed to him:
You, father, are you a dear friend of the heart!
You do not beat, do not ruin me from the evening!
You kill, ruin me from midnight!
Let my little kids sleep
To small children, to all close neighbors.
This song develops in the play the motive of sin and retribution, which runs through the whole story. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova constantly recalls sin: “How long to sin! A conversation close to the heart will go, well, you will sin, you will get angry, ”“ Complete, complete, do not swear! Sin!”, “What a fool and talk! There is only one sin!” Judging by these remarks, the sin for Kabanova is irritation, anger, lies and deceit. However, in this case, Marfa Ignatievna sins constantly. She is often irritated, angry at her son and daughter-in-law. Preaching religious commandments, she forgets about love for her neighbor and therefore lies to others. “The hypocrite… clothes the poor, and completely stuck with the family,” Kuligin says about her. Kabanova is far from true mercy, her faith is harsh and merciless. Dikoy also mentions sin in the play. Sin for him is his “cursing”, anger, absurdity of character. "Sins" Wild often: gets from him to his family, nephew, Kuligin, peasants.
The pilgrim Feklusha thinks thoughtfully about sin in the play: “It’s impossible, mother, without sin: we live in the world,” she says to Glasha. For Feklusha, anger, quarrel, absurdity of character, gluttony are sins. For herself, she recognizes only one of these sins - gluttony: “There is one sin for me, for sure; I myself know what it is. I love sweet food." However, at the same time, Feklusha is also prone to deceit, to suspicion, she tells Glasha to look after "the poor woman" so that she "doesn't steal anything." The motive of sin is also embodied in the image of a half-mad lady who sinned a lot from her youth. Since then, she has been prophesying a "whirlpool", "fire ... inextinguishable" to everyone.
In a conversation with Boris, Kudryash also mentions sin. Noticing Boris Grigorych near the Kabanovs’ garden and at first considering him a rival, Kudryash warns the young man: “I love you, sir, and I’m ready for any service for you, but don’t meet me on this path at night, so that, God forbid, no sin out." Knowing Curly's disposition, we can guess what kind of "sins" he has. Barbara, in the play, "sins" without talking about sin. This concept lives in her mind only in the usual way of life, but she obviously does not consider herself a sinner. Tikhon also has his sins. He himself admits this in a conversation with Kuligin: “I went to Moscow, you know? On the road, my mother read, read instructions to me, and as soon as I left, I went on a spree. I am very glad that I broke free. And he drank all the way, and in Moscow he drank everything, so it's a bunch, what the heck! So, to take a whole year off. I never thought about the house." Kuligin advises him to forgive his wife: “Themselves, tea, is also not without sin!” Tikhon unconditionally agrees: “What can I say!”.
Katerina often thinks about sin in the play. That is how she regards her love for Boris. Already in the first conversation about this with Varya, she clearly indicates her feelings: “Ah, Varya, sin is on my mind! How much I, poor thing, cried, what I did not do to myself! I can't get away from this sin. Nowhere to go. After all, this is not good, because this is a terrible sin, Varenka, that I love another? Moreover, for Katerina, not only the act as such is a sin, but also the thought of it: “I’m not afraid to die, but when I think that suddenly I will appear before God the way I am here with you, after this conversation, - that's what's scary. What's on my mind! What a sin! It's scary to say!" Katerina recognizes her sin even at the moment when she meets Boris. “If I am not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment? They say it’s even easier when you suffer for some sin here on earth.” However, then the heroine begins to suffer from the consciousness of her own sin. Her own behavior is at odds with her ideal ideas about the world, of which she herself is a particle. Katerina introduces into the narrative the motive of repentance, retribution for sins, God's punishment.
And the theme of God's punishment is connected both with the title of the play and with a thunderstorm as a natural phenomenon. Ostrovsky's theme is symbolic. However, what meaning does the playwright put into the concept of "thunderstorm"? If we remember the Bible, then the peals of thunder are likened to the voice of the Lord. Almost all Kalinovtsy relate to a thunderstorm unequivocally: it inspires them with mystical fear, reminds them of God's wrath, of moral responsibility. Wild says: "... a thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment so that we feel ...". The prophecies of the crazy lady also hint at the punishment of God: “You will have to answer for everything ... You won’t get away from God.” Katerina perceives the storm in the same way: she is convinced that this is nothing but a retribution for her sins. However, the Bible has another meaning for this phenomenon. The gospel sermon is compared with thunder here. And this, I think, is the true meaning of this symbol in the play. The storm is "designed" to crush the stubbornness and cruelty of the Kalinovites, to remind them of love and forgiveness.
This is exactly what the Kalinovtsy should have done with Katerina. The public repentance of the heroine is an attempt of her reconciliation with the world, reconciliation with herself. Biblical wisdom sounds in the subtext of the play: “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged, for by what judgment you judge, so you will be judged ...” parable.
In addition to themes and motifs, we note the symbolic meaning of some of the images of the play. Kuligin introduces the ideas and themes of enlightenment thinking into the play, and this character also introduces the image of natural harmony and grace. The image of a half-mad lady in Ostrovsky is a symbol of Katerina's sick conscience, the image of Feklusha is a symbol of the old patriarchal world, the foundations of which are crumbling.
The last times of the “dark kingdom” are also symbolized by some objects in the play, in particular, an old gallery and a key. In the fourth act, we see in the foreground a narrow gallery with an old building that is beginning to collapse. Its painting reminds of quite definite plots - “fiery hell”, the battle of Russians with Lithuania. However, now it has almost completely collapsed, everything is overgrown, after the fire it has not been corrected. The key that Varvara gives to Katerina is also a symbolic detail. The scene with the key plays a crucial role in the development of the play's conflict. In the soul of Katerina there is an internal struggle. She perceives the key as a temptation, as a sign of impending doom. But the thirst for happiness wins: “Why am I saying that I am deceiving myself? I have to die to see him. To whom am I pretending! .. Throw the key! No, not for anything! He is mine now ... Come what may, and I will see Boris! Ah, if only the night would come sooner!..” The key here becomes a symbol of freedom for the heroine; it seems to unlock her soul, languishing in captivity.
Thus, Ostrovsky's play has both poetic and philosophical overtones, expressed in motives, images and details. The storm that swept over Kalinov becomes "a cleansing storm that carried away deeply rooted prejudices, cleared the place for other" mores ".
1. Lebedev Yu.V. Russian literature of the 19th century. Second half. The book for the teacher. M., 1990, p. 169–170.
2. Lion P.E., Lokhova N.M. Decree. cit., p.255.
3. Buslakova T.P. Russian literature of the 19th century. Educational minimum for the applicant. M., 2005, p. 531.
In 1859, the premiere took place on the stage of one of the capital's theaters. The audience saw a drama created by a young writer - Ostrovsky Alexander Nikolayevich. This work is considered unique in its kind. The drama does not follow many of the laws of the genre.
"Thunderstorm" was written in the era of realism. And this means that the work is filled with symbols and images. Therefore, in our article you will learn about the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky.
The first image of a thunderstorm
The image of a thunderstorm in this work is multifaceted. This natural phenomenon is both the idea and the protagonist of the drama. Why do you think Ostrovsky used the image of a thunderstorm? Let's discuss this.
Please note that this phenomenon of nature in the work appears before the reader in several guises. Firstly, the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" lies in the fact that initially the reader sees a natural phenomenon. The city of Kalinov, described in the work, as well as its inhabitants live in anticipation and expectation of a thunderstorm. Everything that happens in the play lasts about two weeks. Every now and then on the streets of the town one can hear talk that a storm is coming.
In compositional terms, a thunderstorm is also the culmination! It is the powerful peals of thunder that force Katerina to confess to deceit and treason. Attentive readers will notice that act 4 is accompanied by peals. One gets the impression that the writer was preparing the reader and viewer for the apogee. But that's not all. Secondly, the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" has one more core. Let's take a look at that as well.
The second image of a thunderstorm
It turns out that each character in the work understands the storm in different ways, that is, in his own way:
- The inventor Kuligin is not afraid of it, because he does not see anything mystical in this natural phenomenon.
- Thunderstorm is perceived by Wild as a punishment, he considers it an occasion to remember the Almighty.
- The unfortunate Catherine saw in the thunderstorm the symbolism of fate and fate. So, after the most terrible roll of thunder, the young lady confessed her feelings for Boris. She fears thunderstorms because she considers them to be God's judgment. On this, the search for the meaning of the name of the play "Thunderstorm" by A.N. Ostrovsky do not end. This natural phenomenon helps Katerina take a desperate step. Thanks to her, she admits to herself, becomes honest.
- Kabanov, her husband, sees a different meaning in a thunderstorm. The reader will recognize this at the very beginning of the play. He needs to leave for a while, thanks to this he will get rid of excessive maternal control, as well as her unbearable orders. He says that there will be no thunderstorm over him and no shackles. In these words lies the comparison of a natural disaster with the endless tantrums of Kabanikh.
The author's interpretation of the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm"
Above, we have already said that the image of a thunderstorm is symbolic, multifaceted, and also polysemantic. This suggests that the title of the play contains many meanings that complement and combine with each other. All this allows the reader to understand the problem comprehensively.
It is worth noting that the reader has a huge number of associations with the name. It is noteworthy that the author's interpretation of the work does not limit the reader, so we do not know exactly how to decipher the image-symbol that interests us.
Nevertheless, the author understands the meaning of the title and figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" as a natural phenomenon, the beginning of which the reader observes in the first act. And in the fourth, the storm is impulsively gaining strength.
The city lives in fear of the coming of a thunderstorm. Only Kuligin is not afraid of her. After all, he alone leads a righteous life - earns a living by honest work, and so on. He does not understand the primal fear of the townspeople.
One gets the impression that the image of a thunderstorm carries a negative symbolism. However, it is not. The role of this natural phenomenon in the play is to stir up and refresh social life and people. After all, it was not in vain that the literary critic Dobrolyubov wrote that the city of Kalinov is a deaf kingdom in which the spirit of vices and stagnation lives. Man has become a fool because he does not know and does not understand his own culture, which means that he does not know how to be a Man.
A thunderstorm phenomenon is trying to destroy the trap and penetrate the city. But one such thunderstorm will not be enough, as well as the death of Katerina. The death of the young lady led to the fact that the indecisive spouse for the first time acts as his conscience tells him.
The image of the river
As you may have guessed, the image of a thunderstorm in this work is transparent. That is, he is embodied and appears before the reader in different guises. However, there is another equally important image in the drama, which also contains the figurative symbolism of the drama The Thunderstorm.
We are now moving on to consider the image of the Volga River. Ostrovsky depicted it as a border that separates opposite worlds - the cruel kingdom of the city of Kalinov and the ideal world, invented by each hero of the work. The lady repeated several times that the river draws in any beauty, as it is a whirlpool. The alleged symbol of freedom in the representation of Kabanikh turns out to be a symbol of death.
Conclusion
We have examined the work of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky - "Thunderstorm". The drama was written in the era of realism, which means that it is filled with many meanings and images.
We have seen that the meaning of the title and the figurative symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" is relevant even today. The skill of the author lies in the fact that he was able to depict the image of a thunderstorm in various phenomena. With the help of a natural phenomenon, he showed all aspects of Russian society at the beginning of the 19th century, from wild customs to the personal drama of each of the characters.
The meaning of the title of the play by A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”
The purpose of the lesson :
To trace the realization of the thunderstorm metaphor through its image (the stormy state of society,
thunderstorm in the souls of people);
Help students prepare for the miniature essay “The Meaning of the Name ...”;
Raise interest in the work of N. Ostrovsky
DURING THE CLASSES
And how did you miss the thunderstorm in the poster? After all, she is also a character.
We will not choose the name - what does this mean? This means that the idea of the play is not clear; that the plot is not properly covered ... that the very existence of the play is not justified; why was it written, what does the author want to say?
(A.N. Ostrovsky)
I. Organizational moment. Topic message.
– Read the topic of the lesson. What are we going to talk about?
II. Working with epigraphs
What are the key words in the formulation of the topic of the lesson? (Thunderstorm is a character.) So, we will talk about a thunderstorm as a character in a play. This is not enough. What does the author want to say? (Thunderstorm - idea - plot).
III. Goal setting.
So, it is necessary to find out what is the meaning of the title of the play; learn to analyze a dramatic text; prepare for the composition “The meaning of the title of the play by A. Ostrovsky “Thunderstorm”.
– Where do we start the conversation? (From the definition of the word "thunderstorm".)
I.Y. « Let's talk about the meaning
1. Individual message
– What is the meaning of the word “thunderstorm” according to the dictionary of V.I.Dal? (Fear, noise, anxiety, disturbance, crush, thunder, natural phenomenon, threat, threaten, tragedy, purification.)
– In what sense does “thunderstorm” appear in the play? (In the first meaning - “threat”, “intimidation”, “swearing”.)
2 . "Let's draw conclusions." Group work.
1 group
– What images are associated with the metaphor of a thunderstorm in the exposition? (Almost all actors.)
– What meaning of "thunderstorm" prevails in the exposition? (Fear, threat, threaten.)
Conclusion number 1. All exposition associated with the meaning of the word "thunderstorm". Ostrovsky universally realizes the metaphor of a thunderstorm.
2 group
– What images of the drama symbolize the storm from below? (Wild, Kabanova.)
– What is the storm of the Wild? (Money - power - fear.)
– What is Kabanova's thunderstorm? (Money - power under the guise of piety - fear.)
Conclusion number 2. For Kalinovites, a thunderstorm is “from above” and “from below”. From above - the punishment of God, from below - the power and money of the possessor.
3 group
– Why do they need fear in society? (Keep power.)
– Are only Dikoy and Kabanova intoxicated with power? (Review the monologue
Kuligin in the 1st act.)
Conclusion number 3. The goal of the “warrior” Wild is the lawless intoxication with power. Kabanova is a more complex version of tyranny: its goal is the legitimate intoxication with power (under the guise of piety).
4 group
– When does a thunderstorm appear as a natural phenomenon? (At the end of act 1.)
– Consider the meaning of this scene. Why did Ostrovsky introduce the half-crazy lady? To whom is she addressing? What prophesies? What is the basis of her prophecy? (“I sinned all my life from a young age.”)
– What is Varvara's reaction to her hysteria? (Smiling.)
– What is Katherine's reaction? (“I’m scared to death…”)
Conclusion number 4. Ostrovsky in a detailed composition had to show that the order of the merchant town, whose roots are Old Believers, rests on fear.
The siege war of the Boar, just like the dashing attacks of the Wild, comes from uncertainty and anxiety. Diky's anxiety is vague and unconscious, Kabanikh's fear is conscious and far-sighted: something is not going well, something is broken in the mechanism of power and subordination.
Thus, the metaphor of a thunderstorm - fear, intoxication with power, threat, threaten - runs through the entire exposition.
Group 5
– What scares Katherine? (Death will find you with sinful, evil thoughts.)
– How can you confirm that the author defined this scene as a plot? (Thunder peals sound 2 times. Katerina's fear intensifies.)
Thus, in eyeballs action involved a thunderstorm.
Conclusion number 5. Varvara has common sense, she accepts centuries-old traditions with irony. This is her protection. Barbara needs calculation and common sense against fear. Katerina has a complete lack of calculation and common sense, increased emotionality.
3. "Troubles, but not from a barrel."
1 block of questions.
– What a shock Katerina experienced in the scene of Tikhon's farewell before leaving for
Moscow? (Shocked by the humiliation.)
– Prove it with text. Pay attention to the remarks. (D.2, yavl. 3,4.)
– “ Foreshadow a bad outcome” is another meaning of the word “thunderstorm”. How is this value
played in this scene?
– “ Tisha, don’t leave…” - “Well, take me with you…” - “Fathers, I’m dying…” - “…take
an oath ... ”(D. 2, yavl.4.)
– Is Tikhon able to protect Katerina? What norms of Domostroy does Katerina violate?
(Throws herself on Tikhon's neck. - He doesn't howl: "What's the matter with making people laugh")
2 block of questions.
– How does the metaphor of a thunderstorm break into Katerina's monologue after the farewell scene?
(“…she crushed me…”) Analyze Katerina's monologue (D.2, yavl.4).
– How does Kudryash warn Boris about the possible death of Katerina? (“Only women
sitting locked up.” “So you want to ruin her completely.” - “They will eat it, drive it into the coffin.”)
The theme of the coffin breaks in, the grave, which from now on sounds stronger.
– Is Boris able to protect Katerina? Who is trying to protect the heroine? (Kuligin.)
– How? (Proposes to install a lightning rod.)
– Why do you think Dikay got so angry in a conversation with Kuligin about
lightning rod? (“Thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment ...”)
Lightning rod against the Wild himself. They experience the fear of God before the Wild himself, they are afraid of punishment from the Wild himself. Kabanikhi has the same role; breaking away from her, Tikhon rejoices that over him "there will be no thunderstorm for two weeks." Tyranny is associated with fear for one's power, so it requires constant confirmation and testing.
3 block of questions.
– When is the second time a thunderstorm breaks into a play as a natural phenomenon? Analyze this
scene. Find frightening, warning phrases of those present (“thunderstorm
will not pass in vain”, “... creeps, overlaid with a hat”).
– Why does Katerina hide screaming when the mistress appears?
– Who is the crazy lady addressing? Find frightening, key phrases in the lady’s speech (“... you don’t want to die ...” - “... Beauty is death after all ...” - “... into the pool with beauty ...” - “... you won’t leave God ...”).
– Name the set of circumstances that intensify the tragedy in Katerina's soul and lead to recognition. (The conversations of those present, the crazy lady with her prophecy, the fiery hyena.)
And Katerina's confession sounds like a thunderclap.
For Katerina, a thunderstorm (as well as for Kalinovites) is not a stupid fear, but a reminder to a person of responsibility to the higher forces of goodness and truth. “... a heavenly storm ... only harmonizes with a moral storm even more terrible. And the mother-in-law is a thunderstorm, and the consciousness of a crime is a thunderstorm. (M. Pisarev.)
Thus, there is also a thunderstorm in the climactic scene.
The storm brings cleansing. The death of Katerina, like a peal of thunder, a lightning discharge, brings purification: an awakening sense of personality and a new attitude towards the world.
4 block of questions.
– In which of the heroes, under the influence of Katerina's death, does a personality awaken? (Varvara and Kudryash ran away. - Tikhon publicly blames his mother for the first time: “you ruined her.” - Kuligin: “... the soul is now not yours, it is before a judge who is more merciful than you!”)
So, A.N. Ostrovsky universally realized the thunderstorm metaphor in the play. The title of the play is an image that symbolizes not only the elemental force of nature, but also the stormy state of society, a storm in the souls of people. The storm passes through all the elements of the composition (all the important moments of the plot are connected with the image of the storm). Ostrovsky used all the meanings of the word “thunderstorm” indicated in the dictionary by V. Dahl.
- Why did we look for the meaning of the title of Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm?".
Y. Making a plan.
Joint formulation of the introduction, thesis, conclusion, and the children work on the main part at home.
Sample plan.
I. The meaning of the word “thunderstorm” according to the dictionary of V. Dahl.
II. Ostrovsky in his drama universally realizes the metaphor of a thunderstorm.
1. Wild and Kabanikha - a “thunderstorm” for Kalinovites, an example of tyranny.
2. A premonition of misfortune and Katerina's fear after the first clap of thunder.
3. Katerina is shocked by the humiliation in the scene of Tikhon's farewell before leaving for Moscow.
4. Kuligin proposes to install a lightning rod.
5. Against the backdrop of a thunderstorm, Katerina confesses to treason.
6. Katerina is a victim of the “internal thunderstorm”, “thunderstorm of conscience”.
III. The death of Katerina, like a lightning discharge, brings purification.
VI. Homework: learn by heart an excerpt of your choice (Kuligin “We have cruel morals, sir ....” 1 act., yavl. 3,
Katerina “I say: why don’t people fly ...” 1 action, yavl. 7).
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 by different heroes in different ways. 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 to 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 say: why don’t people 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 symbolism of the drama "Thunderstorm" is developed in detail and includes several images-symbols. Using this technique, the author wanted to convey the severity and depth of the conflict that was both in society and within each person. This information will be useful for 10 classes when writing an essay on the topic "The meaning of the name and symbolism of the play" Thunderstorm "".
Artwork test
For works of a realistic direction, endowing objects or phenomena with a symbolic meaning is characteristic. This technique was first used by A. S. Griboedov in the comedy Woe from Wit, and this became another principle of realism.
A. N. Ostrovsky continues the tradition of Griboedov and endows the heroes with the meaning of natural phenomena, the words of other characters, and the landscape. But Ostrovsky's plays have their own peculiarity: through images - symbols are set in the titles of the works, and therefore, only by understanding the role of the symbol embedded in the title, we can understand the whole pathos of the work.
An analysis of this topic will help us to see the totality of symbols in the drama "Thunderstorm" and determine their meaning and role in the play.
One of the important symbols is the Volga River and the rural view on the other bank. The river as a boundary between the dependent, unbearable for many life on the bank, on which the patriarchal Kalinov stands, and the free, cheerful life there, on the other bank. The opposite bank of the Volga is associated by Katerina, the main character of the play, with childhood, with life before marriage: “What a frisky I was! I have completely withered you.” Katerina wants to be free from a weak-willed husband and despotic mother-in-law, to “fly away” from the family with Domostroy principles. “I say: why don’t people fly like birds? You know, sometimes I feel like I'm a bird. When you stand on the torus, you are drawn to fly,” says Katerina to Varvara. Katerina recalls birds as a symbol of freedom before throwing herself off a cliff into the Volga: the grass grows, so soft... the birds will fly to the tree, they will sing, they will take the children out...”
The river also symbolizes an escape towards freedom, but it turns out that this is an escape towards death. And in the words of the mistress, a half-crazy old woman, the Volga is a whirlpool that draws beauty into itself: “This is where beauty leads. Here, here, in the very pool!”
For the first time, the lady appears before the first thunderstorm and frightens Katerina with her words about disastrous beauty. These words and the thunder in Katerina's mind become prophetic. Katerina wants to escape into the house from a thunderstorm, because she sees God's punishment in her, but at the same time she is not afraid of death, but is afraid to appear before God after talking with Varvara about Boris, considering these thoughts sinful. Katerina is very religious, but this perception of the storm is more pagan than Christian.
Heroes perceive the storm in different ways. For example, Dikoy believes that a thunderstorm is sent by God as a punishment so that people remember God, that is, he perceives a thunderstorm in a pagan way. Kuligin says that a thunderstorm is electricity, but this is a very simplified understanding of the symbol. But then, calling the storm grace, Kuligin thereby reveals the highest pathos of Christianity.
Some motifs in the heroes' monologues also have a symbolic meaning. In act 3, Kuligin says that the home life of the rich people of the city is very different from the public life. Locks and closed gates, behind which “households eat food and tyrannize the family,” are a symbol of secrecy and hypocrisy.
In this monologue, Kuligin denounces the “dark kingdom” of tyrants and tyrants, whose symbol is a lock on a closed gate so that no one can see and condemn them for bullying family members.
In the monologues of Kuligin and Feklusha, the motif of the court sounds. Feklusha speaks of a trial that is unfair, albeit Orthodox. Kuligin, on the other hand, speaks of a trial between merchants in Kali-nova, but this trial cannot be considered fair either, since the main reason for the emergence of court cases is envy, and because of the bureaucracy in the judiciary, cases are dragged out, and every merchant is only glad that " Yes, and he will become a penny.” The motive of the court in the play symbolizes the injustice reigning in the "dark kingdom".
The paintings on the walls of the gallery, where everyone runs during a thunderstorm, also have a certain meaning. The paintings symbolize obedience in society, and “gehenna fiery” is hell, which Katerina, who was looking for happiness and independence, is afraid of, and is not afraid of Kabanikh, because outside the house she is a respectable Christian and she is not afraid of God's judgment.
Tikhon's last words carry another meaning: “Good for you, Katya! And why did I stay in the world and suffer!”
The point is that Katerina, through death, gained freedom in a world unknown to us, and Tikhon will never have enough strength of mind and strength of character to either fight his mother or end his life, since he is weak-willed and weak-willed.
Summing up what has been said, we can say that the role of symbolism is very important in the play.
Giving the phenomena, objects, landscape, words of the characters another, deeper meaning, Ostrovsky wanted to show how serious the conflict existed at that time not only between, but also within each of them.
