After Katerina's death there is a thunderstorm. Causes of Katerina's death
Option I
Katerina is the main character of A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm”. N.A. Dobrolyubov defined her as the embodiment of a “strong Russian character” and called her “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” But, despite mental strength and strong character, Katerina dies. Why?
The motif of space and flight is associated with the image of Katerina in the drama. She dreams of flying like a bird. From the very beginning of the drama, she has a presentiment of her death, perhaps because she is not created for life in the “dark kingdom.”
But, on the other hand, she was born and formed in the same environment as Kabanikha, Tikhon, Dikoy and others. The story of life as a girl is one of Katerina’s most poetic monologues, the main motive of which is the permeating mutual love. “I lived, didn’t worry about anything, like a bird in the wild... I used to do whatever I wanted,” says Katerina.
The whole circle of her life is hers - Homework and religious dreams. This world is idyllic, in which the personal is connected with the general, which is the soul of the patriarchal worldview. But when the soul disappears, what remains is Kabanikha and the world, which rests on violence and coercion. It’s not for nothing that Varvara, after listening to Katerina’s story, exclaims in surprise: “But it’s the same with us.” And the sensitive Katerina answers her: “Yes, everything here seems to be out of control.”
A new feeling is born in Katerina, a new attitude towards the world, still unclear to herself: “There is something so extraordinary about me. Am I exactly starting to live again or... I don’t know,” she says.
This is a vague feeling that Katerina, of course, cannot explain rationally - an awakening sense of personality. In Katerina, a love is born and grows that does not fit into the framework of public morality. Katerina, due to her religiosity, perceives the awakened feeling of love as a terrible, indelible sin. For her, a married woman, love for Boris is a violation moral duty. Moral and religious commandments are full of meaning and meaning for her. She wants to be pure and impeccable, her moral demands on herself are limitless.
Having already realized her love for Boris, she strives with all her might to resist it, but does not find support in this struggle. “It’s as if I’m standing over an abyss and someone is pushing me there, but I have nothing to hold on to,” she admits to Varvara. And indeed, everything is collapsing around her. Tikhon leaves - the hope of finding support in her husband’s love is destroyed. Varvara gives her the key to the gate. “I wasn’t afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid human court! - she says to Boris. These words are a harbinger of death. The consciousness of sin persists even in the rapture of happiness and completely takes possession of the heroine when this happiness ends.
She sees no other outcome to her torment other than death. The lack of hope for forgiveness pushes her to suicide - an even more serious sin from the point of view of Christian morality. “I’ve already lost my soul anyway,” says Katerina. Katerina’s death is predetermined and inevitable, no matter how the people on whom she depends behave. She is inevitable, because neither her self-consciousness, nor the entire way of life in which she exists, does not allow the personal feeling that has awakened in her to break out and bloom brightly in the “dark kingdom.”
Option II
The appearance of "The Thunderstorm" was met with fierce controversy in the literary community. If Turgenev saw in Ostrovsky’s drama “the most amazing, most magnificent work Russian, powerful, completely self-mastered talent,” then others (for example, critic of the magazine “Our Time” N.F. Pavlov) declared the play immoral, not satisfying “the exactingness of enlightened demands.” Turgenev's point of view still seems more in line with reality.
The central character of the drama is Katerina, whom Dobrolyubov rightly dubbed “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Her nature is impressionable, sensitive, honest, she is suffocating in the atmosphere of anger and hatred that reigns in Kabanikha’s house (“Where to now? Should I go home? No, I’m either going home or going to the grave - it’s all the same... to the grave!” It’s better in the grave...”), in the musty atmosphere of the whole city (“To live again? No, no, don’t... not good! And the people are disgusting to me, and the house is disgusting to me, and the walls are disgusting!”).
Added to this unbearable situation is a constant and hopeless alienation in relation to the outside world, which is so unusual for her soul, which loves and strives for freedom (“ Why do people don't fly like birds? You know, sometimes it seems to me that I am a bird. When you stand on a mountain, you just feel the urge to go crazy. That’s how she would run up, raise her hands and fly..."), the only thing that is a breath of happiness for her is love for Boris, and even that she considers a grave sin, which, in her opinion, should be followed by cruel punishment
Who is to blame for Katerina's death? Boris? Tikhon? Kabanikha? I think that the entire “dark kingdom” is to blame, which destroys and strangles everything human in people, kills natural impulses and aspirations.
Katerina could not come to terms with this and turn into a soulless creature. From childhood she was accustomed to freedom, from childhood she lived without oppression.. Under these conditions, Katerina developed character traits that were natural for such an environment: kindness and willpower, dreaminess and decisiveness in actions, love of life, for everything beautiful, bright, high and at the same time, pride and self-esteem. Katerina says to Varvara: “I was born so hot! I was still six years old, no more, so I did it! They offended me with something at home, and it was late in the 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 found it, about ten miles away.”
And so Katerina finds herself in a completely different world, where everything is based on fear, envy, the blind authority of power, and the arbitrariness of her elders. Here no one needs Katerina’s tenderness or sincerity; all that is required of her is humility and obedience. In this world, the attitude towards people is different from what Katerina is used to. Here, others are treated depending on their position in society, condition, and origin. Kuligin tells Boris about the relationship between the merchants: “They undermine each other’s trade, and not so much out of self-interest, but out of envy.
They are at enmity with each other, they bring drunken clerks into their high mansions... And they, for small acts of kindness, scribble malicious slander against their neighbors on stamped sheets.” The bourgeoisie here are not considered people at all. This is clearly visible in the dialogue between Kuligin and Dikiy. Here is Dikiy’s remark: “What am I to you - equal, or what? That's how you start talking to your snout... For others, you fair man, and for me a robber, that’s all... So know that you are a worm. If I want, I’ll have mercy, if I want, I’ll crush.”
Katerina, with her nature, the bright world of her feelings, could not come to terms with the “dark kingdom”. Dobrolyubov wrote: “She lives very peacefully and is ready to submit to everything that is not contrary to her nature... But recognizing and respecting the aspirations of others, she demands the same respect for herself, and any violence, any constraint outrages her deeply, deeply. She endures until some interest speaks in her, especially close to her heart, until such a demand of her nature is insulted in her, without the satisfaction of which she cannot remain calm.” And Katerina made such a demand.
She met a man who she thought was worthy of her love. This love illuminated her life, awakened the desire for happiness, goodness, beauty, and will, inherent in childhood. And Katerina, having experienced what real happiness is, clearly saw how joyless her life was in Kabanikha’s house, and realized that she would no longer be able to return to this life. In a conversation with Varvara, she herself admits this: “If I see him even once,” she says, “I will run away from home, I will not go home for anything in the world!”
It was possible to hide your love for Boris, deceive your mother-in-law and husband. But Katerina did not want and could not do this. “If she cannot enjoy her feelings lawfully and sacredly, in the light broad daylight“, in front of all the people, if I snatch from her something that she found and that is so dear to her, then she doesn’t want anything in life, she doesn’t even want life,” Dobrolyubov noted in his article.
Did Katerina have another way out of this situation? Katerina was ready to leave with Boris. She is not afraid of distant Siberia, hard way. She asks Boris to take her with him, but is refused. Boris is weak, dependent, he cannot protect Katerina from Kabanikha’s wrath. Moreover, Tikhon is not able to protect her, who will not take a single step against his mother’s will.
So, the path to a free life is fortunately cut off. “Where to now? Should I go home? No, I don’t care whether I go home or to the grave,” says Katerina in her last monologue. “And, committing suicide, committing from the point of view of the church terrible sin, she thinks not about saving her soul, but about love. Her last word is addressed not to God, but to Boris: “My friend! My joy! Goodbye! - she exclaims.
This act posed a “terrible challenge” to the entire “dark kingdom,” which destroyed Katerina, not giving her the opportunity to live as her nature demanded, and leaving her no other way of liberation other than liberation by death.
Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm" shows the ordinary provincial life of the provincial merchant town of Kalinov. The way of life here is also the most ordinary, with its own foundations and orders, familiar to everyone. Only one person is alien to all this - Katerina. She came here as soon as she married Kabanov. Before, when she lived with her mother, she was truly happy. She remembers these times, gone forever, with sadness: “How playful I was! I’ve completely withered away from you.” “I used to get up early; If it’s summer, I’ll go to the spring, wash myself, bring some water with me, and that’s it, I’ll water all the flowers in the house.” She remembers how wonderful her life was in freedom. But, once in Kabanikha’s house, she plunged into a world of evil, greed, and deception. Kabanikha herself constantly insults and humiliates Katerina, despising her, she fears that Tikhon’s “wife is dearer than his mother.” She is jealous of him: “Since I got married, I don’t see the same love from you.” Kabanikha keeps telling her son to shout at Katerina and threaten her. From the same jealousy, she haunts her with threats and hints, although Katerina will not contradict her. Kabanikha has such a character that she can pacify the Wild One himself.
Her son Tikhon is an absolutely weak-willed person, he completely obeys his mother and, leaving her, leads a riotous lifestyle. Although he loves Katerina, he still cannot do anything to help her, because... afraid of Kabanikha. He does not understand her soul, her aspirations and does not think of protecting her, but fulfills the will of his mother, and, moreover, repeating her every word. When leaving, he does everything as Kabanikha ordered.
Tikhon’s sister Varvara has long been accustomed to all sorts of prejudices and prohibitions of Kabanikha. She set a goal for herself and achieves it no matter what. In a conversation with Varvara, Katerina tells her everything she thinks about, completely trusting her. When Varvara finds out that Katerina loves not her husband, but another person, she does not condemn her, but, on the contrary, says: “Just wait, my brother will leave tomorrow, we’ll think about it; Maybe we’ll be able to see each other again.” She believes that a person should build his own happiness: “What a desire to dry out! Even if you die of melancholy, they will feel sorry for you! Well, just wait! So what a shame it is to torture yourself!” She also arranges a meeting with Boris for Katerina, facilitating her in every possible way.
Boris may love Katerina, but he also does not understand her and cannot help her in any way. He cannot run away with her because he depends on his uncle Wild. Meeting with her secretly, he knows that all this will not lead to good and sooner or later everyone will know about their connection, all responsibility will fall on Katerina.
So who is to blame for the death of Katerina? All the people around her were either evil and cruel, or weak-willed and misunderstanding. After the previous joyful and happy life She plunged into a hopeless void, full of reproaches and resentments. In her environment, she was the only one unlike the others. And after all that these people caused her, leaving her with all her experiences, she had no choice but death.
The drama “The Thunderstorm” is the pinnacle of Ostrovsky’s creativity. In his work, the writer shows the imperfection of the patriarchal world, the influence of the system on the morals of people, he reveals to us society with all its vices and shortcomings, and at the same time he introduces into the drama a hero who is different from this community, alien to it, reveals the influence of society on this person, how the character enters the circle of these people. In “The Thunderstorm,” Katerina becomes this new hero, different from others, “a ray of light.” She belongs to the old patriarchal world, but at the same time enters into an irreconcilable conflict with him. Using her example, the writer shows how terrible it is to be in the “kingdom of despots and tyrants” for a person with such a pure soul as Katerina. A woman comes into conflict with this society, and, along with external problems, in Katerina’s soul are brewing internal contradictions, which, combined with fatal circumstances, lead Katerina to suicide.
Katerina is a woman with strong character, but meanwhile even she cannot resist the “kingdom of tyrants and despots.”
Mother-in-law (Kabanikha) is a rude, domineering, despotic, ignorant nature, she is closed to everything beautiful. Of all characters Marfa Ignatievna puts the strongest pressure on Katerina. The heroine herself admits: “If it weren’t for my mother-in-law!.. She crushed me... she made me sick of the house: the walls are even disgusting.” Kabanikha constantly accuses Katerina of almost all mortal sins, reproaches and finds fault with her with or without reason. But Kabanikha has no moral right to mock and condemn Katerina, because personal traits Her son’s wives, in their depth and purity, cannot be compared with the coarsened, callous, low soul of Marfa Ignatievna, and meanwhile Kabanikha is one of those through whose fault Katerina comes to the idea of suicide. After death main character Kuligin says: “...the soul is now not yours: it is before a judge who is more merciful than you.” Katerina cannot come to terms with the oppressive, oppressive atmosphere that prevails in Kalinov. Her soul strives for freedom at any cost, she says, “I’ll do whatever I want,” “I’ll leave, and that’s how I was.” With marriage, Katerina’s life turned into a living hell, an existence in which there are no joyful moments, and even love for Boris does not relieve her of melancholy.
In this “dark kingdom” everything is alien to her, everything oppresses her. She, according to the customs of that time, married against her will and to an unlovable man whom she would never love. Katerina soon realized how weak and pathetic her husband was; he himself could not resist his mother, Kabanikha, and, naturally, was not able to protect Katerina from constant attacks from her mother-in-law. The main character tries to convince herself and Varvara that she loves her husband, but nevertheless later admits to her husband’s sister: “I feel very sorry for him.” Pity is the only feeling she feels for her husband. Katerina herself understands perfectly well that she will never love her husband, and the words she uttered when her husband left (“how I would love you”) are words of despair. Katerina is already possessed by another feeling - love for Boris, and her attempt to grab hold of her husband in order to prevent trouble, a thunderstorm, the approach of which she feels, is futile and useless. Tisha does not listen to her, he stands next to his wife, but in his dreams he is already far from her - his thoughts are about drinking and partying outside Kalinov, but he himself says to his wife: “I won’t understand you, Katya!” Yes, how can he “disassemble” it! Inner world Katerina is too complex and incomprehensible for people like Kabanov. Not only Tikhon, but also his sister says to Katerina: “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
In the “dark kingdom” there is not a single person whose spiritual qualities would be equal to Katerina’s, and even Boris, the hero singled out by a woman from the entire crowd, is unworthy of Katerina. Her love is a stormy river, his is a small stream that is about to dry up. Boris is just going to take a walk with Katerina during Tikhon’s departure, and then... then we’ll see. He is not too concerned about how the hobby will turn out for Katerina; Boris is not stopped even by Kudryash’s warning: “You want to completely ruin her.” On last date he says to Katerina: “Who knew that we should suffer so much with you for our love,” after all, at the first meeting, the woman told him: “I ruined it, I ruined it, I ruined it.”
The reasons that prompted Katerina to commit suicide are hidden not only (and even not so much) in the society surrounding her, but in herself. Her soul is gem, and the invasion of foreign particles into it is impossible. She cannot, like Varvara, act according to the principle “as long as everything is sewn and covered,” she cannot live, keeping such a terrible secret, and even confessing to everyone does not bring her relief, she understands that she will never atone for her guilt, and cannot come to terms with it. She has taken the path of sin, but will not aggravate it by lying to herself and everyone, and understands that the only deliverance from her mental torment is death. Katerina asks Boris to take her to Siberia, but even if she runs away from this society, she is not destined to hide from herself, from remorse. To some extent, Boris perhaps understands this and says that “there is only one thing we need to ask God for, that she die as soon as possible, so that she does not suffer for a long time!” One of Katerina’s problems is that “she doesn’t know how to deceive, she can’t hide anything.” She cannot deceive or hide NK from herself, much less from others. Katerina is constantly tormented by the consciousness of her sinfulness.
Translated from greek name Catherine means “always pure,” and our heroine certainly always strives for spiritual purity. All kinds of lies and untruths are alien to her, even if she finds herself in such a degraded society, she does not betray her inner ideal, she does not want to become the same as many people in that circle. Katerina does not absorb dirt, she can be compared to a lotus flower that grows in a swamp, but, in spite of everything, blooms with unique snow-white flowers. Katerina does not live to see the full bloom, her half-bloomed flower withered, but no toxic substances penetrated into it, it died innocent.
Katerina's protest in the drama "The Thunderstorm"
A.N. Ostrovsky, author of numerous plays about the merchants, creator of the repertoire for the Russian national theater is rightfully considered a "singer" merchant life". And he sits, sculpted by the chisel of the sculptor Andreev, at the entrance to the Maly Theater, and reminds us of the past, of the dark, funny and scary world its many heroes: the Glumovs, Bolshovs, Podkhalyuzins, Dikikhs and Kabanikhs. Image of the world of Moscow and provincial merchants, with light hand Dobrolyubov called the “dark kingdom”, became main theme Ostrovsky's creativity. The drama "The Thunderstorm", published in 1860, is no exception. The plot of the play is simple and typical for that environment and era: a young married woman Katerina Kabanova, not finding a response to her feelings in her husband, fell in love with another person. Tormented by remorse and not wanting to accept the morality of the “dark kingdom” (“Do what you want, as long as everything is covered and covered”), she publicly admits her action in church. After this confession, her life becomes so unbearable that she commits suicide. The image of Katerina is the most in a bright way in Ostrovsky's play "The Thunderstorm". Dobrolyubov, analyzing in detail the image of Katerina, called her “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Katerina's life was good and carefree. parental home. Here she felt “free.” Katerina lived easily, carefree, joyfully. She loved her garden very much, in which she so often walked and admired the flowers. Later telling Varvara about his life in home, she says: “I lived, didn’t worry about anything, like a bird in the wild. Mama doted on me, dressed me up like a doll, didn’t force me to work, whatever I wanted, I used to do it.” Katerina differs from all representatives of the “dark kingdom” in the depth of her feelings, honesty, truthfulness, courage, and determination. Growing up in a good family, she retained all the wonderful traits of the Russian character. This is a pure, sincere, hot nature, open soul who does not know how to deceive. “I don’t know how to deceive; I can’t hide anything,” she says to Varvara, who claims that everything in their house is based on deception. This same Varvara calls our heroine some kind of “sophisticated”, “wonderful”. Katerina is strong, decisive, strong-willed nature. Since childhood, she was capable of bold actions. Telling Varvara about herself and emphasizing her hot nature, she says: “I was born so hot!” Katerina loved nature, its beauty, and Russian songs. Therefore, her speech - emotional, enthusiastic, musical, melodious - is imbued with high poetry and sometimes reminds us folk song. Growing up in her home, our heroine accepted all the age-old traditions of her family: obedience to elders, religiosity, submission to customs. Katerina, who did not study anywhere, loved to listen to the stories of wanderers and praying mantises and perceived all their religious prejudices, which poisoned her young life, forcing Katerina to perceive love for Boris as a terrible sin, from which she tries and cannot escape. Once in new family, where everything is under the rule of the cruel, harsh, rude, despotic Kabanikha, Katerina does not find a sympathetic attitude towards herself. Dreamy, honest, sincere, friendly to people, Katerina takes the oppressive atmosphere of this house especially hard. Gradually, life in Kabanikha’s house, which constantly insults Katerina’s human dignity, becomes unbearable for the young woman. A dull protest against the “dark kingdom”, which did not give her happiness, freedom and independence, begins to arise in her soul. This process develops... Katerina commits suicide. Thus, she proved that she was right, a moral victory over the “dark kingdom.” Dobrolyubov in his article, assessing the image of Katerina, wrote: “This is the true strength of character, which in any case you can rely on! This is the height to which our folk life in its development!" The fact that Katerina's act was typical for her time is confirmed by the fact that in Kostroma a similar incident occurred in the Klykov family of merchants. And for a long time after that, the actors playing the main roles in the play wore make-up so that they one could see the resemblance to the Klykovs.
The drama by A.N. Ostrovsky “The Thunderstorm” was recognized public play immediately after its release. And this is not surprising, because the author showed a new heroine, opposed merchant society with his house-building way of life. The fate of the main character of the play, Katerina Kabanova, is truly touching with its drama. The heroine opposed herself to the ignorance and inveterateness that reign in a society where there is no place for spiritually gifted natures. An unequal struggle with human callousness leads Katerina to voluntary death, ending dramatic fate the heroines and the course of the play itself.
On the one hand, the plot of the play is completely simple and typical for that time: a young married woman Katerina Kabanova, disillusioned with life with an unloved husband in the hostile environment of someone else's family, fell in love with another person. However, her Forbidden love does not give her peace, and, not wanting to accept the morality of the “dark kingdom” (“do what you want, as long as it is covered and covered”), he admits his betrayal publicly in the church. After this confession, life has no meaning for Katerina, and she commits suicide.
But, despite the simple plot, the image of Katerina is incredibly bright and expressive, becoming a symbol of rejection of hostile conservative society living according to the laws of house building. Not in vain in its critical article, dedicated to the play, Dobrolyubov called Katerina “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.”
Growing up in the free environment of her family, Katerina was an extremely emotional and sincere person, differing from representatives of the “dark kingdom” in the depth of her feelings, truthfulness and determination. Open to other people, Katerina did not know how to deceive and be a hypocrite, so she did not take root in her husband’s family, where even her peer Varvara Kabanova considered the main character too “sophisticated”, even strange. Varvara herself has long adapted to the rules of merchant life, her ability for hypocrisy and lies more and more reminiscent of her mother.
Katerina was different incredible strength spirit: one had to have a strong character in order to respond to the numerous insults of the elderly cruel mother-in-law. After all, in family of origin Katerina was not used to humiliation of human dignity, because she was raised differently. The author, with a feeling of deep love and respect for Katerina, tells us in what environment, under what influence a strong female character main character. It is not for nothing that Ostrovsky introduces the image of a bird several times during the course of the play, symbolizing Katerina herself. Like a caught bird, she ended up in an iron cage, the Kabanovs' house. Just as a bird yearning for freedom yearns for freedom, so Katerina, realizing the unbearable, impossible way of life for her in someone else’s family, decided to last try find freedom by finding it in love for Boris.
There is something elemental and natural in Katerina’s feelings for Boris, just like in a thunderstorm. However, unlike a thunderstorm, love should bring joy, and it leads Katerina to the abyss. After all, Boris, Dikiy’s nephew, is essentially little different from the rest of the inhabitants of the “dark kingdom,” including Katerina’s husband Tikhon. Boris failed to protect Katerina from her mental torment; one might say, he betrayed her, exchanging his love for respectful respect for his uncle in order to receive his part of the inheritance. In his lack of will, Boris also became the cause of Katerina’s disastrous despair. And yet, despite understanding the doom of her feelings, Katerina devotes herself with all the strength of her soul to love for Boris, without fear of the future. She is not afraid, just as Kuligin is not afraid of thunderstorms. And then, in my opinion, in the very title of the play, in the properties of this natural phenomenon, there is something inherent in the character of the main character, subject to the sincere spontaneous impulses of her soul.
Thus, emotional drama Katerina is precisely that, due to her character, the main character, unable to accept the beliefs of the environment in which she found herself, not wanting to pretend and deceive, does not see any other way except suicide, the voluntary departure of their life in a hypocritical and sanctimonious merchant environment city N. There is special symbolism in the episode of Katerina’s repentance, during which a thunderstorm broke out and it began to rain. In essence, rain and water are symbols of purification, but in Ostrovsky’s play, society turns out to be not as merciful as nature. " Dark Kingdom“did not forgive the heroine for such a challenge, not allowing her to go beyond the rigid boundaries of the unspoken laws of the sanctimonious provincial society. Thus, Katerina’s tormented soul found final peace in the waters of the Volga, escaping from the cruelty of people. With her death, Katerina challenged a force hostile to her, and no matter how the reader or critics view this act, one cannot deny the heroine of “The Thunderstorm” the power of a fearless spirit, which led her to liberation from the “dark kingdom”, becoming a true “ray of light” in it!
Tasks and tests on the topic “What is the reason for Katerina’s drama in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”?”
- Spelling - Important Topics to repeat the Unified State Exam in Russian
Lessons: 5 Tasks: 7
- IPS with subordinate adverbial clauses (subordinate reasons, conditions, concessions, goals, consequences) - Complex sentence 9th grade
