Where the conflict of the drama of the thunderstorm manifests itself. The main conflict in the play "The Thunderstorm"
The old days are coming to an end!
A. Ostrovsky
The drama “The Thunderstorm” is based on Katerina’s protest against centuries-old traditions and the Old Testament way of life of the “dark kingdom.” The author shows Katerina’s deep inner drama: a passionate impulse for freedom and happiness collides with her own ideas about morality, which were formed under the influence of the same “dark kingdom” against which she “revolted.”
The play takes place in a very beautiful place on the banks of the Volga. The landscape creates a certain mood, which allows, by contrast, to more acutely feel the stuffy atmosphere of the life of the Kalinov residents. Ignorance and complete mental stagnation are characteristic of life in the city of Kalinov. Behind the external calm of life lie harsh, gloomy morals. " Cruel morals“Sir, there are cruel people in our city!” - says Kuligin. They live here according to the principle: “He who has money tries to enslave the poor.” And although in "The Thunderstorm" the attention is focused on family relationships, from individual remarks of the heroes a picture of gross tyranny, robbery and acquisitiveness emerges. Dikoy openly shortchanges the men, and when they complain about him to the mayor, he cynically declares: “Should we, your honor, talk to you about such trifles!” He is a real despot with his family: family members are hiding in attics and closets from his wrath, and he has completely persecuted his nephew.
But Kabanikha’s despotism is even more difficult in home life. The wild one will scream, swear, even beat you up in the heat of the moment, but he will immediately cool down. The boar tortures and pursues its victim day after day, eating it like rusty iron. She does not tolerate contradictions in anyone, she teaches everyone, forcing them to live according to the laws." old life" This is an imperious, stern, unyielding guardian of the foundations of the “dark kingdom”.
But Katerina does not want and cannot put up with the deceitful and cruel atmosphere of Kabanova’s house. Intended main conflict: reluctance of a bright personality to put up with the “dark kingdom”.
Katerina could not learn to lie and be a hypocrite. From the very beginning of the play, we feel her rejection of the life that is being imposed on her. She is deeply offended by the instructions of her mother-in-law, who wants to bring her to complete submission. During her husband’s departure, Katerina “stands as if in a daze.” She understands that her husband did not want to offend her, that he acted against his will, and is not angry with him. But he cannot love and respect him.
The more Katerina is humiliated, the more the desire for freedom, love, and happiness awakens in her soul. Katerina considers this desire sinful, she is afraid of herself, afraid of being left alone with her thoughts and feelings. Despair and doom can be heard in her words: “Where can I, poor thing, go? Who should I grab hold of? My fathers, I am perishing!” Katerina makes a desperate attempt to prevent trouble, to force herself to love her husband. But Tikhon is not able to understand her condition.
Katerina cannot live in deception; she considers her love a great sin. Having fallen in love with Boris, she “definitely begins to live again.” It has inner strength, determination: “I was born this way, hot!” She is ready to defend her freedom, even at the cost of death: “If I get 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!”
Katerina’s position is difficult; she was brought up on the same Domostroev morals. She is a “husband’s wife” and has nowhere to go. There were two options left: return home and submit, or die. She chose the latter. By her behavior, Katerina rejects the principles of Domostroevsky morality, strives for a new life and prefers death to life in captivity. Material from the site
Under the influence of Katerina and her tragic fate In one form or another, other heroes of the drama also express protest against the despotism of tyrants. Varvara and Kudryash flee from Kalinov, Kuligin for the first time turns with a bitter reproach to the tyrants and, finally, the resigned Tikhon, who has not yet disobeyed his mother, throws a severe accusation at her: “You ruined her! You! You!"
The death of Katerina is caused by everything that Kabanikh so fanatically defends, all those established social relations that lead a person to tragedy. But in " dark kingdom“a person capable of protest is possible. Dobrolyubov wrote about Katerina’s death: “This end seems joyful to us... it presents a terrible challenge to tyrant power... In Katerina we see a protest against Kabanov’s concepts of morality, a protest brought to the end...”
Katerina’s death confirmed the gloomy forebodings of Kabanikha and Dikiy: the end of their power is coming, new times are coming.
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- The main conflict of the drama "Thunderstorm"
Play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" was published in 1860, on the eve of the abolition of serfdom. At this difficult time, the culmination of the revolutionary situation of the 60s in Russia is observed. Even then, the foundations of the autocratic serfdom system were crumbling, but new, progressive forces capable of moving the country from its routine positions had not yet matured. Ostrovsky's drama very clearly and fully reflected the social contradictions of that era.
At the heart of "The Thunderstorm" lies a deep social conflict, which arose as a result of the irreconcilable hostility of two types of worldview: the obsolete old and the emerging new, the “dark kingdom” of tyrants and the proud protester, freedom-loving character.
Let us first consider the first type of worldview, very typical of the 50s of the 19th century and embodied in the images of the Wild One and the Kabanikha.
These characters - influential merchants - personify the power of wealth, which extends to almost all residents of a provincial town. During the creation of the play, the alignment of political and economic forces Russian society was such that wealth and privileges made it possible for people like Dikiy and Kabanikha to trample with impunity the rights and freedom of those who were lower than them in origin and social status. And the heroes use this opportunity not without success, which is clearly confirmed by the “visible and invisible tears” that flow abundantly “behind the locks and constipations.” These popular tears were then shed throughout Russia, in all the cities where the power of the “tyrants” acquired such terrifying forms. Yes, and wild boars existed then in that cruel time in almost all provincial Russian towns. Therefore, these characters can be considered generalized images of tyranny and ignorance that flourished in the country at that time.
The position of Dikiy and Kabanikha, people of narrow minds, ignorant and spiritually limited, ordered them to keep the rest of the inhabitants of Kalinov in the same darkness of ignorance, so as not to lose their influence, which was supported mainly by lack of education and ignorance. Therefore, it was beneficial for them that the Kalinovites listened to the stories of Feklusha the Wanderer about people with dog heads and the “fiery serpent”; so that, comparing another life with own existence, considered life in Kalinov to be the best and fairest.
Brought up in a centuries-old routine, Kabanikha and Dikoy are opponents of everything new and progressive. Any attempt to deviate from old, long-outdated traditions is met with hostility. “The tyrants themselves... are virtuous and even smart in their own way, within the limits prescribed to them by routine and supported by their position; but this situation is such that complete, healthy human development"- wrote N.A. Dobrolyubov.
It would seem that, being the rightful masters of their “dark kingdom,” Dikoy and Kabanikha should feel absolutely safe. But in reality this is far from the case. Appears alternate character- Katerina, whom Dobrolyubov called “a new type created by Russian life.” And indeed, Katerina’s worldview is something new, completely different from those attitudes, views, and traditions that the pillars of the “dark kingdom” adhere to. This is a person of a completely different mindset, a character that was already beginning to take shape among the people in the 50s of the 19th century.
Raised on religious foundations, Katerina lived in a narrow, isolated world, partly invented by herself and partly reflecting the patriarchal way of life of a provincial town. But, in contrast to the closed and motionless space, fenced off from the bustling external life, which was Kalinov, Katerina’s world was a kind of model of the ideal fair society, in which there is no violence against a person’s personality, there are no humiliated and exalted.
Having found herself among tyrants, Katerina, in her own way, protests against bondage, violence, cruelty, and inertia. She feels cramped within the four walls of her husband’s house, and therefore she bitterly asks: “Why don’t people fly like birds?” The heroine breaks free, breaking the age-old bonds of routine traditions on which all the power of the “dark kingdom” is based. It is precisely because of her protest, her intransigence to cruelty that Katerina is terrible for Dikoy, Kabanikha and the like, unlike other residents of the town of Kalinov - Kuligin, Shapkin, Boris, who meekly endure any antics of tyrants.
Tyrants feel that their “kingdom” is coming to an end, that new forces are emerging that can resist them. Katerina’s inner, spiritual strength is a real threat to the very existence and prosperity of wild boars. This is the meaning of the title of the drama “The Thunderstorm” and the essence of the social conflict of the play.
Katerina's psychological drama is directly determined by social contradictions. After all, Kabanikha is not just her mother-in-law, she is a representative of another world, a bearer of opposing moral and social beliefs. Using the example of Katerina, Ostrovsky shows how human drama reveals social contradictions. Therefore, we can say that the essence of the “Thunderstorm” conflict lies not only in the collision of the old world with the emerging world, but also in the collision of personal beliefs with public opinion, which pushed Katerina Kabanova to suicide.
Thus, Ostrovsky’s play makes an unusually accurate and capacious generalization characteristic features and the contradictions of serfdom Russia XIX century. The town of Kalinov is a reduced and simplified model of Russian society of the pre-reform period, looking at which we see the main feature of Russian life of that time - “the necessary need for active and energetic people.”
Ostrovsky wrote his play “The Thunderstorm” back in 1859, even before serfdom was abolished. In his work, the author shows how society eats itself from the inside, living according to an established way of life and touches on several conflicts.
Drama Thunderstorm conflict and placement of characters
In the drama "Thunderstorm", which deals with conflicts of different nature, the car made the arrangement characters, dividing them into those who live happily in patriarchal Kalinov and those who do not agree with its foundations and laws. We include Kabanikha and Dikiy among the first, who by nature are despots, tyrants, representatives of the “Dark Kingdom.” The second group includes the younger generation, where Varvara leaves home, Tikhon becomes weak-willed, and Katerina, in spite of everything, in spite of despotism, decides to commit suicide, just not to live by the rules that contradict her as an individual. The heroine with a new outlook on life does not want to accept Domodedovo morals. Thus, with the help of a small number of characters who live in Kalinov on the banks of the Volga, the author reveals several unique conflicts in the drama “The Thunderstorm,” among them a family conflict, which manifests itself in Katerina’s clash with her mother-in-law.
Social conflict in the drama The Thunderstorm
The author also touched upon the social conflict in the drama “The Thunderstorm”, which is represented by the clash different worldviews, where the old fights the new, where the merchant and the merchant's wife are generalized images of the tyranny and ignorance that flourished in those times. They are opponents of progress, everything new is perceived with hostility. They want to keep everyone on a short leash so that their “dark kingdom” does not collapse. However, the new worldview that Katerina has is an alternative to the old one. It is different from the views, foundations, traditions that are adhered to in the dark kingdom. Katerina is a generalized character of a different mindset, with a different character, which is already beginning to emerge in a rotten society and becomes a ray of light in this dark world.
What is the main conflict of the drama The Thunderstorm?
Among the social and family conflict The main conflict can also be identified. What is the main conflict of the drama "The Thunderstorm"? I believe that the main thing here is the conflict that unfolds within the heroine herself. This is a confrontation between the individual and society. Here we see that Katerina wants to be herself, free, life among violence is unacceptable to her, but in Kalinov it is impossible to do otherwise. Here it’s either this way or not at all. But the heroine does not put up with this situation, and if it is impossible to live as she wants, it is better to die. She could not kill the freedom-loving personality in herself for the sake of the established order.
Why did the author choose this title for his work? Probably because the depicted life in Kalinov is in a pre-storm state, in a state when a catastrophe is coming. This is a thunderstorm, as a harbinger of future changes, a thunderstorm, as a spontaneous feeling that arose between Katerina and Boris, a thunderstorm is a disagreement with the foundations. And to emphasize the dead life of the Kalinovites, the author uses the image and description of beautiful nature.
Conflict between old and new
Respect for elders has been revered at all times. The wisdom and experience of elders are called upon to help to the younger generation, and not subjugate it to yourself. In A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” we see how the remnants of the “old” patriarchal way of life complicate the life of the “new”, younger generation. This topic has always been relevant, but it has not always been an acute problem. The author simply conveyed the public mood of the second half of the 19th century, when old principles were painfully and slowly replaced by new ones.
The drama "The Thunderstorm" describes a small provincial town, whose inhabitants main value in life they count money and unquestioningly obey those who have it. The city is ruled by such rich merchants as Dikoy and Kabanikha. They are representatives of the older generation and are presented from the worst side. The author showed how their cruelty and despotism affected those around them. Savel Prokofievich loved to underpay his subordinates, oppress his relatives and simply commit outrages, for which people in the city called him a tyrant. For him, a person is like a worm: “if he wanted, he crushed, he wanted, he had mercy.”
The image of Kabanikha (Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova) is depicted even worse. This is a rich widow who, with her authoritarianism, has long suppressed not only the workers, but also her own children. She is only interested in unquestioning submission. In order to achieve her goals, she is ready to put on a mask of virtue and pretend to be pious. As a result, under the apparent piety and observance of old traditions, intolerance, anger and cruelty are hidden. Most of the characters described in the drama are afraid to contradict these “masters of the world.” They also prefer to pretend and be a hypocrite rather than show strength of character.
The only one strong man in this “dark kingdom” Kabanikha’s daughter-in-law, Katerina, is shown. She is the representative of the “new” in the work and the very guide who will shake the position of despots in their patriarchal environment. Even Boris, a smart and educated man, allows himself to be tyrannized by the guy. In the merchant world, cruel, misanthropic relationships become the norm. No one can break out of this vicious circle, but Katerina succeeds in the most sad way. Unable to withstand the condemnation of her household and the removal of Boris, she rushes into the Volga. Her suicide becomes a protest against the established mores of the patriarchal city.
In fact, the drama shows the conflict between the outdated old and the new, young trend and desire for freedom. Having learned about Katerina’s love for Boris, Kabanikha says to her son: “Where the will leads!” For her, the manifestation of any sincere feelings This is shamelessness, but bowing publicly at your husband’s feet and showing fake tears is an ideal to which you should strive. Kabanikha did not want and could not realize the doom of her views. Deep down, both she and Dikoy understood that their time had already passed, but they did not want to give up their positions. However, Katerina's death shook their authority in society, thus laying the foundation for a new order.
(327 words) Alexander Ostrovsky was the founding father of the Russian drama theater. He, like no one else, was able to portray the conflict tearing apart real life on different sides of the barricades, so his plays always touch a nerve. The drama “The Thunderstorm” is one of these stunning works, which displays the contradictions that affect the entire society today.
Ostrovsky contrasted the brave heroine, uncompromising in her aspirations, with an inert, petrified representative of the older generation. On the scale of one family it turned out to be fundamentally different women: Katerina personified the development and supremacy of natural feeling, Kabanikha - loyalty to tradition and all-conquering rationalism. The dramatic collision of these two worlds was not invented by the author. He used real-life material and depicted the fates of real inhabitants of Zamoskvorechye. It is no coincidence that the main antagonists are women; this gives additional poignancy to the plot and again immerses the reader in reality. Quarrels and squabbles between daughters-in-law and mother-in-law resonate in everyone’s soul family man. However, in the play the heroines are only flesh and blood of two worldviews, which still underlie the conflict between fathers and children.
If the age and family contradictions of the heroines are understandable and natural, then their social confrontation is much deeper. Kabanikha is a representative of the old patriarchal merchant class with its prejudices, ignorance and petty-bourgeois conventions. Her world is based on centuries-old traditions, cunning and calculation. Her morality is hypocrisy. That's how collective image a provincial merchant's wife - a representative of a class that was gradually replacing the less united and more wasteful nobles. While the aristocracy strived for bird's flight (spent inherited wealth, but did not know how to acquire new ones), entrepreneurs saved and grew stronger, becoming a new financial elite, which lacked one thing - authority. They acquired it through misalliances: they bought noble honors by marrying. Tikhon did the same. However, Katerina was unable to integrate into the social reality of Kalinov, and this is quite expected: her origin rebelled. She saw the world based on ideals, but the real family life in a rude and ignorant environment, she disappointed a sophisticated noblewoman, accustomed to sophistication and grace in everything that surrounded her. In her image, the nobility rebelled against the merchants, not wanting to give up their positions to the rich, but narrow-minded and prim hypocrites who were dragging the country back.
Thus, the diverse conflict in Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm” affects a wide range of social problems that still have no solution to this day.
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