Is Katerina an original Russian character or a victim of the “Dark Kingdom”? How Dobrolyubov treats the victims of the dark kingdom. Victims of the dark kingdom in the play Thunderstorm essay Attempts to escape from the dark kingdom

The play “The Thunderstorm” by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was written in 1860. It was a time of social upsurge, when the mouths of serfdom were cracking and in the stuffy, anxious atmosphere of Russian life a thunderstorm was really brewing. For Ostrovsky, a thunderstorm is not just a majestic natural phenomenon, it is the personification of social upheaval.

The drama reflected the rise of the social movement, the sentiments that lived the leading people of the 50s and 60s. The play depicts Russian life from the 40s to the 80s, the struggle between the obsolete morality of tyrant merchants and their unrequited victims with a new morality, people in whose souls a sense of human dignity is awakening.

The play takes place in the merchant house of Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova. The setting in which the events of the play unfold is magnificent, the garden laid out on the high bank of the Volga is beautiful. But in a luxurious merchant's house, behind high fences and heavy locks, the tyranny of tyrants reigns, invisible tears are shed, human souls are crippled.

Varvara protests against arbitrariness, not wanting to live according to her mother’s will and taking the path of deception. The weak and weak-willed Boris timidly complains, who lacks the strength to protect either himself or the woman he loves. The impersonal and pathetic Tikhon protests, hurling a desperate reproach to his mother for the first time in his life: “You ruined her! You! You!" Condemns cruel morals Dikikh and Kabanov's talented craftsman Kuligin. But there is only one protest - an active challenge to the wild tyranny and morality of the “dark kingdom” - Katerina’s protest. It was her who Dobrolyubov called “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.”

Katerina’s integral and strong nature only tolerates despotism for the time being. “And if I’m really tired of being here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I’ll throw myself out the window, throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, I won’t, even if you cut me!” she says. Among the victims of the “dark kingdom,” Katerina stands out for her open character, courage and directness: “I don’t know how to deceive, I can’t hide anything.”

Katerina grew up among the free Russian nature. Her speech is expressive and emotional. In this speech there are often affectionate and diminutive words: “sun”, “water”; comparisons - as, for example, “like a dove coos.”

The love that awakens in Katerina’s soul liberates her, awakens an unbearable longing for free will and a dream of a real human life. She cannot and does not want to hide her feelings and boldly enters into an unequal struggle with the forces of the “dark kingdom”: “Let everyone see, everyone know what I am doing!”

Katerina's situation is tragic. She is not confused by distant Siberia or possible persecution. But her friend is weak and intimidated. And his departure, flight from love, cuts off Katerina’s path to happiness and a free life.

The drama ends with Katerina’s moral victory both over the external forces that fetter her freedom, and over the dark ideas that fetter her will and reason.

The role of Katerina from the Russian stage was performed by outstanding actresses. They, each in their own way, interpreted the complex image, some emphasized its religiosity. Meanwhile, Katerina’s religiosity is not Kabanikha’s hypocrisy, but rather a childish faith in fairy tales. Katerina, a subtle poetic nature, is attracted to the aesthetic side of religion: the beauty of legends, church music, icon painting. Committing suicide, she no longer thinks about saving her soul, about a terrible sin. She takes her last step in the name of great love, revealed to her. Suicide is an expression of protest against “ dark kingdom“Dikoy, Boris, Katerina, in her opinion, committed a terrible sin: a sin against God, the covenants of antiquity. Her soul could not bear this, the heroine could not follow the example of Varvara, for whom the main thing is “that everything is sewn and covered.” Katerina resorts to the ancient means of atonement for sin: to repent “publicly.” When the man whom she loved with all her soul, ardent and passionate, bright and naive, left Katerina, did not provide her with any help in difficult times, did not leave even the slightest hope, the heroine decided on an even greater sin in her opinion - suicide. Thus, in the minds of critics close to Slavophile circles, the main character of the drama “The Thunderstorm” is a person who experienced a severe mental crisis, who was unable to find within herself the strength to continue living in a world in which there was no place love and happiness.

Critics of the democratic trend perceived this image differently. For example, N.A. Dobrolyubov, in his article “A Ray of Light in a Dark Kingdom,” wrote that in the very appearance of such a heroine he sees a protest, “proclaimed both under domestic torture and over the abyss into which the poor woman has thrown herself.” The critic perceives Katerina’s death as “a terrible challenge to tyrant power.” It is the main character who is the “ray of light” that illuminates the “dark kingdom” of the Kabanovs and the Wild. Her spontaneous protest was personified for N.A. Dobrolyubov’s future victory over the forces of the “dark kingdom”. However, the assessment of the drama “The Thunderstorm” by Democratic critics was by no means unambiguous. Unlike Dobrolyubov, D.I. Pisarev believed that the true “ray of light” capable of destroying the forces of tyranny is knowledge and education. The strength of character of the main character quite rightly raised doubts among the critic, and her decision to commit suicide was for him not so much the personification of a challenge to society as evidence of weakness. And indeed, suicide is far from the best way to fight. The heroine thus resolves her own problems, for a moment awakens Tikhon’s dormant consciousness to life, but her act will probably not only not be able to change the very foundations of society, but will either be forgotten or falsely interpreted.

A. N. Ostrovsky depicted Russian life objectively, from the point of view of a humanist writer. In his work he continued the best traditions of the Russian classical literature, proclaimed sympathy for all the suffering and oppressed. This author is one of the brightest Russian playwrights; he managed to psychologically accurately reveal the worldview of the Russian person. It was these qualities of A. N. Ostrovsky’s plays that forced critics of various directions to turn to them.

In A. Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" life in the small town of Kalinov opens up before us. From the very first act you can feel the tense atmosphere. Further, we understand that the influence of two tyrants - Kabanova and Dikiy - is to blame. They, as older and wiser people, keep everything in this city under their control.

Only all this control consists of attempts to influence the destinies of the younger generation and teach them to live by their outdated rules. Life in this city is influenced by the “dark kingdom”, in which it is impossible to live freely and easily.

The first victims of such a life are the children of Kabanikha - Tikhon and Varvara. From childhood they were under the pressure of this society. The influence of the mother affected both the son and the daughter with equal force, but she influenced them differently.

As for Tikhon, his portrait can be imagined as a pitiful, depressed person. He has no actual opinion; he constantly has to do everything his mother ordered him to do. But despite this constant pressure, Tikhon managed to keep his feelings alive. This can be seen in his timid display of love for his wife. But even in this case, he is not able to understand Katerina’s spiritual drama, and is even ready to move away from the city without his wife, just to escape from the “dark kingdom.” Tikhon is such a weak-willed person that he cannot help Katerina avoid constant reproaches from her mother-in-law and protect her. But at the very end of the play, Tikhon managed to show his character and confront his mother when Katerina dies. He even curses her for the death of his wife: “Mama, you ruined her! You, you, you...” With this accusation, Tikhon is the first to destroy the foundations of this kingdom and shake the power of Kabanikha.

Varvara’s character was formed differently than her brother’s. Her reluctance to be under the constant control of her mother and her tyranny, she chooses the path of lies and deception. Varvara is already so accustomed to performing these actions that she does it easily and cheerfully, that no one will suspect her of deception. The girl is sure that it is impossible to survive in the Kabanovs’ house, only without lies and pretense. She believes: “When Varvara’s mother began to put even more pressure on her, the girl could not stand it and was forced to run away from home with her lover. Thus, Kabanikha’s power was shaken again.

Boris turned out to be even weaker in relation to the influence of the “dark kingdom”. If Tikhon and Varvara were able to resist this at least to a small extent, then Boris was not. The author introduces us to the wild nephew as a kind and educated man who was able to stand out among other heroes. But under the power of his uncle, he cannot prove himself as a brave and decisive person. He cannot save Katerina by taking her with him, just like Kudryash did. On the one hand, he can be understood, since if he had disobeyed the Wild One, then not only he himself, but also his sister would have suffered. But on the other hand, Boris evokes contempt among many readers because of his weak character. He is unable to express even the slightest protest against the “dark kingdom” and is forced to submit to their rules.

But not everything in the play is so sad. Among the city's residents, there is one person who sheds a ray of light into the darkness. This man is Kuligin - a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker, eager to invent a time machine. In his dialogues with other characters, we see his contempt for cruelty towards people and his indifference towards everything beautiful. Confrontation with society can be traced through his conversation with Dikiy. Kuligin is trying to help the whole society, for example, by hanging a large clock on the wall or building a lightning rod. Dikoy refuses all his requests, simply not understanding why he should try for the good of society. Kuligin’s confrontation cannot be open, because he is powerless, and still will not be able to achieve anything. That is why he has to always obey and please others. But in Kuligin’s very last remark we can finally hear a clear protest: “Here is your Katerina. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; but her soul is now not yours: she is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!” With his statement, he simultaneously justifies the death of Katerina and brings charges against the “judges” who killed their victim.

1. Storyline drama "The Thunderstorm".
2. Representatives of the “dark kingdom” - Kabanikha and Dikoy.
3. Protest against the foundations of sanctimonious morality.

Imagine that this same anarchic society was divided into two parts: one reserved the right to be mischievous and not know any law, and the other was forced to recognize as law every claim of the first and meekly endure all its whims and outrages.

N. A. Dobrolyubov The great Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky, the author of wonderful plays, is considered the “singer of merchant life.” Image of the world of Moscow and provincial merchants second half of the 19th century century, which N. A. Dobrolyubov called the “dark kingdom”, and is the main theme of the work of A. N. Ostrovsky.

The play "The Thunderstorm" was published in 1860. Its plot is simple. Main character Katerina Kabanova, not finding a response to her feminine feelings in her husband, fell in love with another person. Not wanting to lie, tormented by remorse, she confesses her offense publicly, in church. After this, her existence becomes so unbearable that she throws herself into the Volga and dies. The author reveals to us a whole gallery of types. Here are tyrant merchants (Dikoy), and guardians of local morals (Kabanikha), and pilgrim pilgrims telling fables, taking advantage of the lack of education of the people (Feklusha), and home-grown scientists (Kuligin). But with all the variety of types, it is not difficult to see that they all diverge along two sides, which could be called: “the dark kingdom” and “victims of the dark kingdom.”

The “Dark Kingdom” is represented by people in whose hands the power is. These are those who influence public opinion in the city of Kalinov. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova comes to the fore. She is respected in the city, her opinion is taken into account. Kabanova constantly teaches everyone how they “did it in the old days,” whether it concerns matchmaking, seeing off and waiting for a husband, or going to church. Kabanikha is the enemy of everything new. She sees him as a threat to the established course of things. She condemns young people for not having “due respect” for their elders. She does not welcome enlightenment, because she believes that learning only corrupts minds. Kabanova says that a person should live in fear of God, and a wife should also live in fear of her husband. The Kabanovs’ house is full of praying mantises and pilgrims, who are well fed here and who receive other “favors”, and in return they tell what they want to hear from them - tales about lands where people with dog heads live, about “crazy” people in large cities inventing all sorts of innovations like the steam locomotive and thereby bringing the end of the world closer. Kuligin says about Kabanikha: “Prudence. He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family...” Indeed, Marfa Ignatievna’s behavior in public differs from her behavior at home. The whole family is in fear of her. Tikhon, absolutely suppressed by his domineering mother, lives with only one simple desire - to get out, even if only for a short time, from the house to have fun. He is so oppressed by his home situation that neither the requests of his wife, whom he loves, nor his work can stop him if even the slightest opportunity is given to go away somewhere. Tikhon’s sister Varvara also experiences all the hardships family life. But she, compared to Tikhon, has a stronger character. She has the courage, albeit secretly, not to obey her mother’s harsh temper.

The head of another family shown in the play is Dikoy Savel Prokofievich. He, unlike Kabanikha, who covers up her tyranny with hypocritical reasoning, does not hide his wild disposition. Dikoy scolds everyone: neighbors, workers, family members. He gives up and doesn’t pay the workers: “I know that I have to pay, but I still can’t…”. Dikoy is not ashamed of this; on the contrary, he says that each of the workers will be missing a penny, but “for me, this makes thousands.” We know that Dikoy is the guardian of Boris and his sister, who, according to the will of their parents, should receive their inheritance from Dikoy “if they are respectful to him.” Everyone in the city, including Boris himself, understands that he and his sister will not receive an inheritance. After all, nothing and no one will stop the Wild One from declaring that they were disrespectful to him. Dikoy directly says that he is not going to part with the money, since he “has his own children.”

Tyrants rule the city behind the scenes. But this is the fault not only of the representatives of the “dark kingdom” itself, but also of its “victims”. None of them dare to openly protest. Tikhon strives to escape from home. Sister Tikhon Varvara dares to protest, but she life philosophy not much different from the views of representatives of the “dark kingdom”. Do what you want, “as long as everything is sewn and covered.” She secretly goes on dates and also lures Katerina. Varvara runs away from home with Kudryash, but her escape is just an attempt to escape from reality, like Tikhon’s desire to break out of the house and run into the “tavern”. Even Kuligin, a completely independent person, prefers not to get involved with Dikiy. His dreams of technological progress, oh better life barren and utopian. He only dreams of what he would do if he had a million. Although he does nothing to earn this money, he turns to Dikiy for money to carry out his “projects”. Of course, Dikoy does not give money and drives Kuligin away.

And in this suffocating atmosphere of resourcefulness, lies, and rudeness, love arises. It’s probably not even love, but its illusion. Yes, Katerina fell in love. I fell in love as only strong, free natures can love. But she found herself completely alone. She doesn’t know how to lie and doesn’t want to, and she can’t bear to live in such a nightmare. No one protects her: neither her husband, nor her lover, nor the townspeople who sympathize with her (Kuligin). Katerina blames only herself for her sin; she does not reproach Boris, who does nothing to help her.

Katerina’s death at the end of the work is natural - she has no other choice. She does not join those who preach the principles of the “dark kingdom,” but she cannot come to terms with her situation. Katerina’s guilt is only a guilt before herself, before her soul, because she darkened it with deception. Realizing this, Katerina does not blame anyone, but understands that it is impossible to live with a pure soul in the “dark kingdom”. She doesn’t need such a life, and she decides to part with it. Kuligin speaks about this when everyone was standing over Katerina’s lifeless body: “Her body is here, but her soul is now not yours, it is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!”

Katerina’s protest is a protest against the lies and vulgarity of human relationships. Against hypocrisy and sanctimonious morality. Katerina's voice was lonely, and no one was able to support and understand her. The protest turned out to be self-destructive, but it was the free choice of a woman who did not want to obey the cruel laws that a hypocritical and ignorant society imposed on her.

In the atmosphere of the “dark kingdom”, under the yoke of tyrant power, living human feelings fade and wither, the will weakens, the mind fades. If a person is endowed with energy and a thirst for life, then, adapting to circumstances, he begins to lie, cheat, and dodge.

Under the pressure of this dark force, the characters of Tikhon and Varvara develop. And this power disfigures them - each in its own way.

Tikhon is depressed, pitiful, impersonal. But even Kabanikha’s oppression did not completely kill the living feelings in him. Somewhere in the depths of his timid soul there glimmers a flame - love for his wife. He does not dare to show this love, he does not understand the complex spiritual life of Katerina and is glad to leave even her, just to escape from his home hell. But the fire in his soul does not go out. Confused and depressed, Tikhon shows love and pity for his wife who cheated on him. “And I love her, I feel sorry for laying a finger on her...” he confesses to Kuligin.

His will is paralyzed, and he does not even dare to help his unfortunate Katya. However, in the last scene, love for his wife overcomes fear of his mother, and a man awakens in Tikhon. Over Katerina’s corpse, for the first time in his life, he turns to his mother with accusations. Here before us is a man in whom, under the influence of terrible misfortune, the will has awakened. Curses sound all the more menacing because they come from the most downtrodden, most timid and weak person. This means that the foundations of the “dark kingdom” are really crumbling and Kabanikha’s power is wavering, if even Tikhon spoke like that.

Traits different from those in Tikhon are embodied in the image of Varvara. She does not want to endure the power of tyrant force, she does not want to live in captivity. But she chooses the path of deception, cunning, dodging, and this becomes habitual for her - she does it easily, cheerfully, without feeling remorse. Varvara claims that it is impossible to live without lies: their whole house rests on deception. “And I was not a liar, but I learned when it became necessary.” Her everyday philosophy is very simple: “Do whatever you want, as long as it’s safe and covered.” However, Varvara was cunning while she could, and when they began to lock her up, she ran away from home. And again the old Testament ideals of Kabanikha are crumbling. The daughter “disgraced” her house and broke free from her power.

The weakest and most pathetic of all is Dikiy’s nephew, Boris Grigorievich. He speaks about himself: “I’m walking around completely dead... Driven, beaten...” This is a kind, cultured person who stands out against the backdrop of the merchant environment. However, he is not able to protect either himself or the woman he loves; in misfortune, he only rushes about and cries and is unable to respond to abuse.

In the scene last date with Katerina, Boris evokes contempt in us. He is afraid to run away with the woman he loves, like Kudryash. He is afraid to even talk to Katerina (“They wouldn’t find us here”). This is exactly the case, according to the proverb, from weakness to meanness there is only one step. Boris’s powerless curses sound submissively and cowardly: “Oh, if only these people knew what it’s like for me to say goodbye to you! My God! May God grant that they may someday feel as sweet as I do now. Goodbye, Katya!.. You are villains. Monsters! Oh, if only there was strength!

He does not have this power... However, in the general chorus of protesting voices, even this powerless protest is significant.

Among the characters in the play, contrasted with the Wild and Kabanikha, Kuligin judges the “dark kingdom” most clearly and sensibly. This self-taught mechanic has a bright mind and a broad soul, like many talented people from the people. It is no coincidence that Kuligin’s surname itself resembles the surname of the remarkable self-taught inventor from Nizhny Novgorod Kulibin.

Kuligin condemns the proprietary instincts of the merchants, cruelty towards people, ignorance, and indifference to everything truly beautiful. Kuligin's opposition to the “dark kingdom” is especially expressive in the scene of his confrontation with Dikiy.

When asking for money for a sundial, Kuligin is not concerned about himself, he is interested in “the benefits for all ordinary people in general.” But Dikoy won’t even understand what we’re talking about, the very concept of public interests is so alien to him. The interlocutors seem to speak different languages. Dikoy often simply does not understand Kuligin’s words, especially when he quotes his favorite poets of the 18th century. Dikoy reacts to Kuligin’s respectful remarks, decorated with quotes, in a very unique way: “Don’t you dare be rude to me!” - and scares Kuligin with the mayor.

Kuligin is an extraordinary person. But it was not he who was called by Dobrolyubov “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Why? Yes, because Kuligin is powerless, weak in his protest. Just like Tikhon, like Boris, Kuligin is afraid of tyrant power and bows before it. “There is nothing to do, we must submit!” - he says humbly. Kuligin teaches others to be obedient. So, he advises Kudryash: “It’s better to endure it.” He recommends the same to Boris: “What should we do, sir? We must try to please somehow.”

Only in the fifth act, shocked by the death of Katerina, Kuligin rises to open protest. A harsh accusation sounds in his last words: “Here is your Katerina. Do with her what you want! Her body is here, take it; but her soul is now not yours: she is now before a judge who is more merciful than you!” With these words, Kuligin not only justifies Katerina’s suicide, which freed her from oppression, but also blames the merciless judges for her death, who killed their victim.

1. The storyline of the drama “The Thunderstorm”.
2. Representatives of the “dark kingdom” - Kabanikha and Dikoy.
3. Protest against the foundations of sanctimonious morality.

N. A. Dobrolyubov The great Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky, the author of wonderful plays, is considered the “singer of merchant life.” The depiction of the world of Moscow and provincial merchants of the second half of the 19th century, which N. A. Dobrolyubov called the “dark kingdom,” is the main theme of A. N. Ostrovsky’s work.

The play "The Thunderstorm" was published in 1860. Its plot is simple. The main character Katerina Kabanova, not finding a response to her feminine feelings in her husband, fell in love with another person. Not wanting to lie, tormented by remorse, she confesses her offense publicly, in church. After this, her existence becomes so unbearable that she throws herself into the Volga and dies. The author reveals to us a whole gallery of types. Here are tyrant merchants (Dikoy), and guardians of local morals (Kabanikha), and pilgrim pilgrims telling fables, taking advantage of the lack of education of the people (Feklusha), and home-grown scientists (Kuligin). But with all the variety of types, it is not difficult to see that they all diverge along two sides, which could be called: “the dark kingdom” and “victims of the dark kingdom.”

The “Dark Kingdom” is represented by people in whose hands the power is. These are those who influence public opinion in the city of Kalinov. Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova comes to the fore. She is respected in the city, her opinion is taken into account. Kabanova constantly teaches everyone how they “did it in the old days,” whether it concerns matchmaking, seeing off and waiting for a husband, or going to church. Kabanikha is the enemy of everything new. She sees him as a threat to the established course of things. She condemns young people for not having “due respect” for their elders. She does not welcome enlightenment, because she believes that learning only corrupts minds. Kabanova says that a person should live in fear of God, and a wife should also live in fear of her husband. The Kabanovs’ house is full of praying mantises and pilgrims, who are well fed here and who receive other “favors”, and in return they tell what they want to hear from them - tales about lands where people with dog heads live, about “crazy” people in large cities inventing all sorts of innovations like the steam locomotive and thereby bringing the end of the world closer. Kuligin says about Kabanikha: “Prudence. He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family...” Indeed, Marfa Ignatievna’s behavior in public differs from her behavior at home. The whole family is in fear of her. Tikhon, absolutely suppressed by his domineering mother, lives with only one simple desire - to get out, even if only for a short time, from the house to have fun. He is so oppressed by his home situation that neither the requests of his wife, whom he loves, nor his work can stop him if even the slightest opportunity is given to go away somewhere. Tikhon’s sister Varvara also experiences all the hardships of family life. But she, compared to Tikhon, has a stronger character. She has the courage, albeit secretly, not to obey her mother’s harsh temper.

Tyrants rule the city behind the scenes. But this is the fault not only of the representatives of the “dark kingdom” itself, but also of its “victims”. None of them dare to openly protest. Tikhon strives to escape from home. Tikhon’s sister Varvara dares to protest, but her philosophy of life is not much different from the views of representatives of the “dark kingdom.” Do what you want, “as long as everything is sewn and covered.” She secretly goes on dates and also lures Katerina. Varvara runs away from home with Kudryash, but her escape is just an attempt to escape from reality, like Tikhon’s desire to break out of the house and run into the “tavern”. Even Kuligin, a completely independent person, prefers not to get involved with Dikiy. His dreams of technical progress and a better life are fruitless and utopian. He only dreams of what he would do if he had a million. Although he does nothing to earn this money, he turns to Dikiy for money to carry out his “projects”. Of course, Dikoy does not give money and drives Kuligin away.