With the advent of A. N. Ostrovsky, much has changed in Russian literature, and the main changes occurred in drama: the writer discovered a new conflict in Russian life, a new environment - the merchant class, which brought its heroes and a new meaning to the plays, therefore, fundamentally new titles of works. These changes are clearly visible in A. N. Ostrovsky's play "Thunderstorm".
Why did the author name his drama that way? After all, it is not about a natural phenomenon at all.
This question can be answered by considering the play itself, the conflict in it. The main character of “Thunderstorm”, Katerina, lives in the city of Kalinovo, on the banks of the Volga, where a patriarchal way of life reigns, where everything is ruled by tyrant merchants: Wild, Kabanikha and the like. The inhabitants of Kalinov live in a special state of the world - crisis, catastrophic. The foundation supporting the old order is collapsing, and with it the established way of life.
The first action introduces us into the pre-stormy atmosphere of life. Outwardly, everything is still calm, but the crisis is still ahead. The carelessness of people only increases the tension that prevails in nature and life. A thunderstorm is moving towards Kalinov...
At the beginning of the play, we get to know some of the inhabitants of Kalinovo and the main character, who lives in the Kabanikhi family and suffers from oppression, “bondage” of the patriarchal world, from humiliation and pressure from the mother of the family, the merchant’s wife. The storm is advancing not only on the city, in the soul of Katerina, too, its approach is felt. The heroine is in disarray, realizing that she loves not her husband, but another person, Boris, and is tormented: her duty to her husband makes her suffer and is torn in her choice. She realizes that she will commit a sin if she goes to meet Boris, and the punishment for this sin will come sooner or later. But Katerina decides to go on a date with her lover, walks for ten days without thinking about anything, and comes to her senses due to the unexpected arrival of her husband. She begins to repent of her deed, she is overcome by fear of the coming punishment and pangs of conscience. The heroine feels the approach of a thunderstorm and something terrible: “How ... not to be afraid! Everyone should be afraid. It’s not that it’s scary that it will kill you, but that death will suddenly find you ... with all your sins, with all your evil thoughts ... A thunderstorm is sent to us as a punishment so that we feel ...”
The situation in the play heats up because of the experiences of Katerina, because of the feeling of something inevitable. The clouds are thickening more and more, thunder is already heard. The heroine cannot stand the tension and suffering, she can no longer live in a lie, and in the midst of a natural disaster (thunderstorm), she publicly confesses everything to Kabanikh and her husband. The indignation of others is like a thunderstorm.
Katerina cannot live on, she is sick of her husband, the world, her family. She is superfluous here, because no one understands her, in this society there is no place for love. Boris is afraid to break out and take his beloved from the “dark kingdom”, since he himself is under his rule. Katerina decides to commit suicide: for her in the grave is better than at home.
Thus, society (Kalinovtsy), with its “pious” and “righteous” judgment, dooms the heroine to death, because she violated the usual foundations. The inhabitants of Kalinov do not want to notice the approaching collapse of the patriarchal world, its disintegration. It is doomed to destruction, since the real goals and values that formed its basis have sunk into the past.
A. N. Ostrovsky noticed in time the doom of the patriarchal world and decided to show it to the reader in his play. He depicted the gradual destruction of the old, familiar foundations as a thunderstorm, slowly approaching and flaring up in full force. She sweeps away everything in her path. The thunderstorm represents changes in life and society, which is why the title of the work is ambiguous and symbolic. The word "thunderstorm" is the key to the play.
“Thunderstorm” is one of the brightest works of A. N. Ostrovsky. It was written in 1859, during the fundamental changes taking place in Russian society. And it is no coincidence that Ostrovsky chose just such a title for his play.
The word "thunderstorm" has a huge meaning. A thunderstorm is not only a natural phenomenon, but it is also a symbol of change in the "dark kingdom", in the way of life that has existed for several centuries in Russian life.
In the center of the play is the conflict between the representatives of the “dark kingdom” and their victims. Against the backdrop of beautiful calm nature, the unbearable life of people is drawn. And the main character - Katerina - can not stand the oppression, the humiliation of her human dignity. This is evidenced by changes in nature: the colors are thickening, a thunderstorm is approaching, the sky is darkening. Feels like a thunderstorm is coming. All this is a harbinger of some terrible events.
For the first time the word "thunderstorm" sounds in the scene of farewell to Tikhon. He says: "... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks." Tikhon really wants to escape at least for a while from the musty atmosphere of his parents' house, to escape from the power of his mother Kabanikha, to feel free, so to speak, "to take a walk for the whole year." Under the “thunderstorm” he understands the oppression of the mother, her omnipotence, fear of her, as well as fear of retribution for committed sins. “The storm is sent to us as punishment,” says Dikoy Kuligin. And this fear of retribution is inherent in all the heroes of the play, even Katerina. After all, she is religious and considers her love for Boris a great sin, but she cannot help herself.
The only one who did not become afraid of a thunderstorm was the self-taught mechanic Kuligin. He even tried to resist this natural phenomenon by building a lightning rod. Kuligin saw in a thunderstorm only a majestic and beautiful sight, a manifestation of the strength and power of nature, and not a danger to man. He tells everyone: “Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell? Now every grass, every flower is rejoicing, but we are hiding, we are afraid, just what kind of misfortune! .. You are all in a thunderstorm! .. You have made yourself a scarecrow out of everything. Eh, people. I'm not afraid."
So, in nature, a thunderstorm has already begun. But what happens in society? In society, too, not everything is calm - some changes are brewing. Thunderstorm in this case is an omen of the coming conflict, its resolution. Katerina is no longer able to live according to the house-building rules, she wants freedom, but she no longer has the strength to fight with those around her. It is no coincidence, by the way, the appearance of a crazy lady on the stage, which is accompanied by thunderclaps. She predicts the main character's imminent death.
Thus, the thunderstorm is the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. Katerina was very frightened by the words of the mistress, the thunderclaps, mistaking them for a sign “from above”. She was a very emotional and believing nature, so she simply could not live with sin in her soul - the sin of loving a stranger. Katerina threw herself into the abyss of the Volga, unable to endure a terrible, difficult, forced existence, which fettered the impulses of a hot heart, not reconciled with the hypocritical morality of the tyrants of the “dark kingdom”. These were the consequences of the storm for Katerina.
It should be noted that the thunderstorm is also a symbol of Katerina's love for Boris, Dikiy's nephew, because there is something spontaneous in their relationship, just like in a thunderstorm. Just like a thunderstorm, this love does not bring joy to either the heroine or her lover. Katerina is a married woman, she has no right to cheat on her husband, because she took an oath of allegiance before God. But the marriage was completed, and no matter how hard the heroine tried, she could not love her lawful husband, who was neither able to protect his wife from the attacks of her mother-in-law, nor to understand her. But Katerina longed for love, and these impulses of her heart found an outlet in affection for Boris. He was the only inhabitant of the city of Kalinov who did not grow up in it. Boris was more educated than others, he studied in Moscow. He was the only one who understood Katerina, but could not help her, because he lacked determination. Did Boris really love Katerina? Most likely no. Obviously, this was not such a strong feeling, for the sake of which it was possible to sacrifice everything. This is also evidenced by the fact that he leaves Katerina all alone in the city, advises her to submit to fate, foreseeing that she will die. Boris traded his love for the inheritance of the Wild, which he will never receive. Thus, Boris is also the flesh of the flesh of the Kalinovsky world, he is taken prisoner by this city.
Ostrovsky in his work was able to show the changes that took place in Russian society in the middle and second half of the 19th century. This is evidenced by the title of the play “Thunderstorm”. But if in nature, after a thunderstorm, the air becomes cleaner, a discharge occurs, then in life after a “thunderstorm” it is unlikely that anything will change, most likely, everything will remain in its place.
Ostrovsky can rightly be called a great Russian playwright. In his works, he first showed the life and way of life of the merchant class. In the play "Thunderstorm" the writer described the state of provincial society in Russia on the eve of reforms. The playwright considers such issues as the position of a woman in the family, the modernity of Domostroy, the awakening in a person of a sense of personality and dignity, the relationship between the “old”, oppressive, and “young”, mute.
The main idea of “Thunderstorm” is that a strong, gifted and courageous person with natural aspirations and desires cannot live happily in a society dominated by “cruel morals”, where Domostroy reigns, where everything is based on fear, deceit and submission .
The name "Thunderstorm" can be considered from several positions. A thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon, and nature plays an important role in the composition of the play. So, it complements the action, emphasizes the main idea, the essence of what is happening. For example, a beautiful night landscape corresponds to a date between Katerina and Boris. The expanses of the Volga emphasize Katerina's dreams of freedom, a picture of cruel nature opens up when describing the suicide of the main character. Then nature contributes to the development of action, as if pushing events, stimulates the development and resolution of the conflict. So, in the scene of a thunderstorm, the elements induce Katerina to public repentance.
So, the name “Thunderstorm” emphasizes the main idea of the play: self-esteem awakening in people; the desire for freedom and independence begins to threaten the existence of the old order.
The world of Kabanikhi and the Wild comes to an end, because in the “dark kingdom” a “beam of light” appeared - Katerina is a woman who cannot put up with the oppressive atmosphere that prevails in the family, in the city. Her protest was expressed in love for Boris, in an unauthorized departure from life. Katerina preferred death to existence in a world where she was “sick of everything”. She is the first lightning of that thunderstorm that will soon break out in society. The clouds over the "old" world have been gathering for a long time. Domostroy has lost its original meaning. Kabanikha and Dikoi use his ideas only to justify their tyranny and tyranny. They failed to convey to their children the true faith in the inviolability of their rules of life. Young people live according to the laws of their fathers as long as they can achieve a compromise through deceit. When oppression becomes unbearable, when deceit saves only partially, then a protest begins to awaken in a person, he develops and is able to break out at any moment.
Katerina's suicide woke up a man in Tikhon. He saw that there is always a way out of the current situation, and he, the most weak-willed of all the characters described by Ostrovsky, who unquestioningly obeyed his mother all his life, accuses her of the death of his wife in public. If Tikhon is already able to declare his protest, then the "dark kingdom" really does not have long to exist.
The storm is also a symbol of renewal. In nature, after a thunderstorm, the air is fresh and clean. In society, after the thunderstorm that began with Katerina's protest, renewal will also come: the oppressive and subjugating orders will probably be replaced by a society of freedom and independence.
But the storm occurs not only in nature, but also in Katerina's soul. She committed a sin and repents of it. Two feelings struggle in her: fear of the Boar and fear that “death will suddenly find you, as you are, with all your sins...” In the end, religiosity, fear of retribution for sin prevail, and Katerina publicly admits in sin. None of the inhabitants of Kalinovo can understand her: these people, like Katerina, do not have a rich spiritual world and high moral values; they do not feel remorse, because their morality is - if only everything was “covered”. However, recognition does not bring relief to Katerina. As long as she believes in Boris's love, she is able to live. But, realizing that Boris is no better than Tikhon, that she is still alone in this world, where everything is “embarrassing” to her, she finds no other way out than to rush into the Volga. Katerina broke the religious law for the sake of freedom. The storm also ends in renewal in her soul. The young woman completely freed herself from the shackles of the Kalinovsky world and religion.
Thus, the thunderstorm that occurs in the soul of the main character turns into a thunderstorm in society itself, and all the action takes place against the backdrop of the elements.
Using the image of a thunderstorm, Ostrovsky showed that a society that has become obsolete, based on deceit, and the old order, which deprives a person of the opportunity to manifest the highest feelings, is doomed to destruction. It is as natural as the purification of nature through a thunderstorm. Thus, Ostrovsky expressed the hope that renewal in society would come as soon as possible.
The drama of A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm" is one of the most famous works of the writer. It contains many themes: love, freedom, and serfdom. And, of course, the main idea that runs like a red thread through the whole work is reflected in the title of the play.
A thunderstorm is both a natural phenomenon, and danger hanging over the city, and a symbol of the era.
From the very beginning of the story, in the first act, we hear a conversation between two heroes about Kalinov's morals. Kudryash and Kuligin are minor characters, but despite this they carry an important semantic load. Their conversation is tied around Wild. This hero is gifted by the author with a speaking surname, indeed, human concepts seem to be alien to him. This hero is a kind of thunderstorm for all households, as well as for courtyard people, his sudden anger keeps the whole neighborhood in fear.
Another episode in which Dikoy is present and one of the heroes who first appear on the stage, Kuligin. In this episode, Kuligin asks Dikoy for money to build a clock and a lightning rod, the hero wants to do something useful and good, to somehow stir up an ossified society. But he gets a refusal, it turns out that Diky's stupidity and shortsightedness is even deeper than it might seem to us, he is categorically against the structure, because, in his opinion, a thunderstorm is sent to people as a punishment, and the clock is not needed at all (the author probably emphasizes the fact that the development of Kalinov lags behind, there is no education, and rough serfdom still reigns).
The main character of the work, Katerina, lives with her husband in the house of his mother Kabanikha. Kabanovs, such is their speaking surname, and it does not require further explanation. Freedom-loving Katerina is languishing under the yoke of this cruel woman, a real thunderstorm for her entire home. Only the good manners and wisdom of Katerina allowed her to stay under her rule for a long time, but only externally, internally the heroine always remains free.
Much in Katerina's life is connected with a thunderstorm. She is afraid of this natural phenomenon, faints, her intuition tells her that something must happen that will decide her fate. And she confesses her act with Boris, and understands: she can no longer live in the Kabanovs' house. After all, Kabanikha became a thunderstorm not only for her, but also for her son. He runs away from home to spend a few days at liberty.
As for Katerina, she herself can be called a thunderstorm for the outdated foundations of Kalinovites. In the finale, she seems to challenge the slavery and oppression that reigns in the city. Throughout the action, tension is felt, a thunderstorm looms over Kalinov's petty tyrants.
Much indicates that the authorities of Kabanikhi and Dikoy are in danger. Curly refuses to obey them, and in the end disappears along with Varvara, who also only creates the appearance of submission to the Kabanikhe, but in reality does what she sees fit.
And, of course, Kuligin's words at the end of the play confirm the idea that the power of the Wild and Kabanovs is short-lived, a thunderstorm is approaching them. Kuligin reminds them that Katerina's body can belong to them, but her soul is free.
The meaning of the title of this play is very meaningful. Many times it occurs as a natural phenomenon, is reflected in the images and characters of the characters, and itself seems to be a character. The whole atmosphere of the work is reflected in the title of the wonderful and still popular and beloved play by A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm".
The meaning of the title, the title of the play by Ostrovsky Thunderstorm
A.N. Ostrovsky is one of the most outstanding writers of the 19th century, his works tell us about the struggle of humanity, kindness, responsiveness with meanness, greed and malice. The author in each of his books shows kind, naive heroes who are faced with the cruel reality of the world, which leads them to utter disappointment in life, kills all the good that is in them.
"Thunderstorm" is the pinnacle of the playwright's creative quest. After all, this play laid the foundation for such a monumental theme, which later on as the main one in their works was used by various writers of contemporaries and subsequent centuries. What is it that impresses readers over the course of three centuries?
Katerina in Greek means “pure”, Ostrovsky tells us about how people around her, rotten to the very bones, oppress her and drive her into a corner, because they feel strength in her and understand that she is the beginning of the end for them.
This fragile, naive girl cannot be called strong-willed or strong, she did not accomplish a feat, on the contrary, her act can be perceived as weakness, but the death of the heroine became a protest against the existing order, by her example she untied the hands of all the oppressed. Her image is a "ray of light", a symbol of the fight against cruel, selfish people who break the lives of everyone around, that is, with the "dark kingdom".
In the last days, weeks of her life, Katerina was terribly afraid of thunder, believing that God's punishment for sins was descending on her head, she was so immaculate that she did not understand, the thunderstorm did not come to kill her, lightning and thunder split the world of those who offended her, the darkness is over.
Katerina played the role of a soldier who runs ahead of everyone with a flag, calling to fight, the role of a soldier who awakens strength and resistance in souls. After all, after her death, all who were silent and endured before protested. Kabanov finally realized and understood that his tyrant mother was to blame for what had happened, but his conscience was not at peace either, because he could not prevent the tragedy. Curly and Barbara decide to run away, to leave behind Diky and Boar, whose life will become unbearable if they have no one to oppress and no one to pour their dirt on.
A thunderstorm that brings death to the dark kingdom, the former terrible foundations - this is the main meaning and significance of Ostrovsky's play.
In Alexander Nikolayevich, the hackneyed and banal theme of the struggle between good and evil is shown in a completely unique light and is perceived quite sharply. I think this is a very important book that everyone should read.
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The title of a work very often reflects either its essence, or gives the reader at least a little understanding of what will be discussed. This does not apply to the texts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but this provision can be fully applied to the texts of the era of realism. For example, F. Dostoyevsky's "Poor People" really tells about poor people, and "Childhood. Adolescence. Youth ”L. Tolstoy shows precisely these stages of a person’s life. The same can be said about plays. One of Ostrovsky's dramas, which will be discussed, was written in 1859, at a time of acute social controversy. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is not limited to a description of a natural phenomenon.
In order to most accurately answer the question of why Ostrovsky called the drama "Thunderstorm", you need to consider this image in more detail.
As you know, sentimentalists introduced the image of nature into literature, conveying the feelings and emotions of the characters with the help of the landscape. Thunder and lightning in Ostrovsky's play perform the same functions. Initially, the author describes the pre-storm time. This applies not only to the weather (some characters notice that it may soon begin to rain), but also to the social situation. Before a thunderstorm, it is usually very stuffy - just the same in the city of Kalinov. It is impossible for people who do not like lies and hypocrisy to breathe in such an environment. Talk about money, drinking and judgment are concentrated to such an extent that disaster becomes inevitable. In order for this state of affairs to change, a push, a blow, a catalyst were needed, which is what thunder with a thunderstorm acts in the text of the play.
The storm is one of the main characters in the fourth act, namely in the scene of a walk along the embankment. Kuligin draws attention to the gathering rain, admiring the power of nature. He thinks that a lightning rod would be useful to all the inhabitants of the city, but Dikoy does not share his ideas. In act No. 4, the author's remarks that a thunderclap is heard are repeatedly repeated. These sounds become the auditory design of the climactic scene, increasing the semantic load and intensifying the severity of the unfolding tragedy. It is the thunderstorm that frightens Katerina, makes her nervous and weak. The girl, hearing the peals of thunder, confesses her betrayal to her husband and Kabanikh, and with the next lightning strike she falls unconscious.
As already indicated earlier, there are several meanings for the title of the play "Thunderstorm". There is another aspect that needs to be considered in more detail. Thunderstorm appears before the reader not only as a manifestation of the elements, but also as a separate character. The storm is represented by fate, which hangs over all the heroes. It is no coincidence that Tikhon, before leaving, says that there will be “no thunderstorms” over him for two weeks. By the word "thunderstorm" Kabanov means all that unhealthy atmosphere that reigns in their family. This mainly concerns the moralizing of Marfa Ignatievna, because for two whole weeks the mother will not get into the life of her son.
Kuligin, for example, is not afraid of thunderstorms. On the contrary, he calls on the inhabitants to come to their senses from unreasonable anxiety: “It is not a thunderstorm that kills!
... kills grace! Perhaps Kuligin is the only character who does not have an inner feeling of a thunderstorm. There is no premonition of impending misfortune. Wild believes that "a thunderstorm is sent as punishment." The merchant thinks that people should be afraid of a thunderstorm, even though it frightens the Wild One himself. Katerina considers the storm to be God's punishment. The girl is also afraid of her, but not in the same way as Wild. There is a significant difference between the concepts of “punishment” and “punishment”: punishment is rewarded only for sins, but you can punish just like that. Katerina considers herself a sinner because she betrayed her husband. In her soul, just like in nature, a thunderstorm begins. Doubts accumulate gradually, Katerina is torn between the desire to live her own life and independently manage her own destiny and stay in her usual surroundings, trying to forget about her feelings for Boris. There can be no compromise between these contradictions.
Another of the meanings of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm" can be called a plot-forming factor. The storm becomes the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. Both the internal contradiction of the main character, and the conflict between representatives of the "dark kingdom" and educated people of the 19th century. Katerina was frightened by the words of the half-witted Lady about beauty, which certainly leads to a whirlpool, but only after a thunderclap, Katerina confesses to treason.
The relationship between Boris and Katya can also be compared to a thunderstorm. They have a lot of decisive, passionate, spontaneous. But, like a thunderstorm, this relationship would not last long.
So, what is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky? The thunderstorm appears as a natural phenomenon, framing the work with an auditory frame; as a separate image; as a symbol of fate and punishment; as a kind of generalized reflection of the social catastrophe that hung over Russia in the 19th century.
The above versions of the title of Ostrovsky's drama are intended to answer the popular question “why was the thunderstorm called a thunderstorm”, this information can help 10th grade students in revealing the corresponding topic in the essay “The Meaning of the Title of Ostrovsky's The Thunderstorm”.
Artwork test
The title of a work very often reflects either its essence, or gives the reader at least a little understanding of what will be discussed. This does not apply to the texts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, but this provision can be fully applied to the texts of the era of realism. For example, F. Dostoyevsky's "Poor People" really tells about poor people, and "Childhood. Adolescence. Youth ”L. Tolstoy shows precisely these stages of a person’s life. The same can be said about plays. One of Ostrovsky's dramas, which will be discussed, was written in 1859, at a time of acute social controversy. The meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" is not limited to a description of a natural phenomenon.
In order to most accurately answer the question of why Ostrovsky called the drama "Thunderstorm", you need to consider this image in more detail.
As you know, sentimentalists introduced the image of nature into literature, conveying the feelings and emotions of the characters with the help of the landscape. Thunder and lightning in Ostrovsky's play perform the same functions. Initially, the author describes the pre-storm time. This applies not only to the weather (some characters notice that it may soon begin to rain), but also to the social situation. Before a thunderstorm, it is usually very stuffy - just the same in the city of Kalinov. It is impossible for people who do not like lies and hypocrisy to breathe in such an environment. Talk about money, drinking and judgment are concentrated to such an extent that disaster becomes inevitable. In order for this state of affairs to change, a push, a blow, a catalyst were needed, which is what thunder with a thunderstorm acts in the text of the play.
The storm is one of the main characters in the fourth act, namely in the scene of a walk along the embankment. Kuligin draws attention to the gathering rain, admiring the power of nature. He thinks that a lightning rod would be useful to all the inhabitants of the city, but Dikoy does not share his ideas. In act No. 4, the author's remarks that a thunderclap is heard are repeatedly repeated. These sounds become the auditory design of the climactic scene, increasing the semantic load and intensifying the severity of the unfolding tragedy. It is the thunderstorm that frightens Katerina, makes her nervous and weak. The girl, hearing the peals of thunder, confesses her betrayal to her husband and Kabanikh, and with the next lightning strike she falls unconscious.
As already indicated earlier, there are several meanings for the title of the play "Thunderstorm". There is another aspect that needs to be considered in more detail. Thunderstorm appears before the reader not only as a manifestation of the elements, but also as a separate character. The storm is represented by fate, which hangs over all the heroes. It is no coincidence that Tikhon, before leaving, says that there will be “no thunderstorms” over him for two weeks. By the word "thunderstorm" Kabanov means all that unhealthy atmosphere that reigns in their family. This mainly concerns the moralizing of Marfa Ignatievna, because for two whole weeks the mother will not get into the life of her son.
Kuligin, for example, is not afraid of thunderstorms. On the contrary, he calls on the inhabitants to come to their senses from unreasonable anxiety: “It is not a thunderstorm that kills!
... kills grace! Perhaps Kuligin is the only character who does not have an inner feeling of a thunderstorm. There is no premonition of impending misfortune. Wild believes that "a thunderstorm is sent as punishment." The merchant thinks that people should be afraid of a thunderstorm, even though it frightens the Wild One himself. Katerina considers the storm to be God's punishment. The girl is also afraid of her, but not in the same way as Wild. There is a significant difference between the concepts of “punishment” and “punishment”: punishment is rewarded only for sins, but you can punish just like that. Katerina considers herself a sinner because she betrayed her husband. In her soul, just like in nature, a thunderstorm begins. Doubts accumulate gradually, Katerina is torn between the desire to live her own life and independently manage her own destiny and stay in her usual surroundings, trying to forget about her feelings for Boris. There can be no compromise between these contradictions.
Another of the meanings of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm" can be called a plot-forming factor. The storm becomes the impetus for the denouement of the conflict. Both the internal contradiction of the main character, and the conflict between representatives of the "dark kingdom" and educated people of the 19th century. Katerina was frightened by the words of the half-witted Lady about beauty, which certainly leads to a whirlpool, but only after a thunderclap, Katerina confesses to treason.
The relationship between Boris and Katya can also be compared to a thunderstorm. They have a lot of decisive, passionate, spontaneous. But, like a thunderstorm, this relationship would not last long.
So, what is the meaning of the title of the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky? The thunderstorm appears as a natural phenomenon, framing the work with an auditory frame; as a separate image; as a symbol of fate and punishment; as a kind of generalized reflection of the social catastrophe that hung over Russia in the 19th century.
The above versions of the title of Ostrovsky's drama are intended to answer the popular question “why was the thunderstorm called a thunderstorm”, this information can help 10th grade students in revealing the corresponding topic in the essay “The Meaning of the Title of Ostrovsky's The Thunderstorm”.
Artwork test
The meaning of the title of the drama "Thunderstorm"
After the release of Ostrovsky's drama "Thunderstorm", the contemporaries saw in it a call for the renewal of life, for freedom, because it was written in 1860, when everyone was waiting for the abolition of slavery and serfdom in the country.
In the center of the play is a socio-political conflict: the masters of life, representatives of the "dark kingdom" with their victims.
Against the backdrop of a beautiful landscape, the unbearable life of ordinary people is drawn. But here the picture of nature begins to change gradually: clouds cover the sky, thunderclaps are heard. A thunderstorm is approaching, but is this phenomenon only in nature? No. So what does the author mean by a thunderstorm? This name has a deep meaning. For the first time this word flashed in the scene of farewell to Tikhon. He says: "... There will be no thunderstorm over me for two weeks." Tikhon wants to at least briefly get rid of the feeling of fear and dependence. Thunderstorm in the work means fear and liberation from it. This is the fear driven by tyrants, the fear of retribution for sins. "The storm is sent to us as a punishment," Dikoy Kuligina instructs. The power of this fear extends to many heroes of the drama and does not even pass by Katerina. Katerina is religious and considers it a sin that she fell in love with Boris. "I didn't know you were so afraid of thunderstorms," Varvara tells her.
“How, girl, don’t be afraid!” answers Katerina. Everyone should be afraid. , saw in her a majestic and beautiful sight, but not at all dangerous for a person who can easily appease her destructive power with the help of a simple lightning rod. Addressing the crowd, seized with superstitious horror, Kuligin says: “Well, what are you afraid of, pray tell. Now every grass, every flower rejoices, and we are hiding, we are afraid, just like some kind of misfortune! You made yourself a scare.
Eh, people. I'm not afraid."
If in nature a thunderstorm has already begun, then in life, further events show its approach. Undermines the dark realm of the mind, the common sense of Kuligin; Katerina expresses her protest, although her actions are unconscious, but she does not want to come to terms with the painful conditions of life and decides her own fate; rushes into the Volga. In all this lies the main meaning of the realistic symbol, the symbol of the thunderstorm. However, it is not unambiguous. There is something spontaneous, natural in Katerina's love for Boris, just like in a thunderstorm. But, although, unlike a thunderstorm, love brings joy, this is not the case with Katerina, if only because she is a married woman. However, Katerina is not afraid of this love, just as Kuligin is not afraid of a thunderstorm. She says to Boris: "... If I'm not afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?" The storm is hidden in the very nature of the heroine, she herself says that even as a child, offended by someone, she ran away from home and sailed away alone in a boat along the Volga.
The play was perceived by contemporaries as a sharp denunciation of the existing order in the country. Dobrolyubov said this about Ostrovsky's drama: "... The Thunderstorm" is, without a doubt, Ostrovsky's most decisive work ... There is something refreshing and encouraging in The Thunderstorm. This "something" is, in our opinion , the background of the play, indicated by us and revealing the precariousness and the near end of tyranny ... " Both the playwright himself and his contemporaries believed in this.
