The Dark Kingdom and its victims. “The Dark Kingdom” and its victims (based on the play by A

Victims of the “dark kingdom”

A. N. Ostrovsky's play “The Thunderstorm” was written in 1859. In the same year, it was staged in theaters in Moscow and St. Petersburg and for many years now has not left the stages of all theaters around the world. During this time, the play underwent many interpretations, which were sometimes strikingly different from each other. This, it seems to me, is explained by the depth and symbolism of the play.

The plot of the play centers on the conflict between the feelings of Katerina, the main character, and the way of life of the city of Kalinov. But Dobrolyubov also pointed out that readers think “not about love affair, but about the whole life." This means that the accusatory notes touched on a variety of aspects of Russian life. The drama pronounces a verdict on the “dark kingdom” and, consequently, on the socio-political system that it supported.

The drama takes place in the provincial town of Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga River. In this place, everything is so monotonous and stable that even news from other cities and from the capital does not reach here. Residents in the city are closed, distrustful, hate everything new and blindly follow the Domostroevsky way of life, which has long since become obsolete. Ostrovsky calls adherents of the old way of life the “dark kingdom,” to which Dikoy and Kabanikha belong. Another group of characters includes Katerina, Kuligin, Tikhon, Boris, Kudryash and Varvara. These are victims of the “dark kingdom”, oppressed, equally feeling the influence of the Wild and Kabanikha, but expressing their protest against them in different ways.

Wild – bright representative of the first group, Ostrovsky applies the definition of “tyrant” to him. The behavior of the Wild One is guided by unbridled arbitrariness and stupid stubbornness. He demands the unquestioning obedience of those around him, who will do anything to avoid angering him. The most important thing for Dikiy is money. For their sake, he is ready to do anything - both deception and fraud: “I have a lot of people every year... I won’t pay them an additional penny per person, but I make thousands out of this, so it’s for me.” Fine!" Dikoy gives in only to those who are able to fight back. While being transported across the Volga, he did not dare contact the passing hussar, but after that he again took out his anger at home, dispersing everyone to attics and closets. The qualities of his character are also manifested in his speech. Dikoy uses rude and offensive expressions: robber, worm, parasite, fool, etc. Despotism, ignorance, rudeness are the traits that characterize the image of this hero, typical representative"dark kingdom" But Dikoy restrains his temper in front of Kabanikha, his godfather.

Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova is another supporter of the “dark kingdom”, she is even worse than her husband. Kuligin describes her this way: “Prude, sir! He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family.” Kabanikha skillfully covers up her immoral actions with the ideals of patriarchal antiquity. She observes all the customs and orders established by the house-building. The new order seems absurd and even funny to her. She wants to force everyone to live the old fashioned way and does not tolerate manifestations of her will or initiative in anyone around her. Kabanikha is trying to give the impression of a pious and superstitious woman. But she is harsh and cruel towards her family. A woman ruins her family: Katerina voluntarily dies; Varvara leaves the house; Tikhon, kind and soft man, loses the ability to think and live independently. An enemy of everything new, Kabanikha nevertheless has a presentiment that the old days are coming to an end, that difficult times are coming for her. Kabanova’s speech contains both proverbs and expressions of folk speech. All this makes her language peculiar, but does not hide the essence of her “dark” soul.

Tyranny and despotism, suppressing freedom and independence in those around them, inevitably give rise to opportunistic people who are afraid to live by their own minds and therefore submit to the oppressors. Such victims of the “dark kingdom” in the play include Tikhon, Varvara and Boris. Since childhood, Tikhon was accustomed to obeying his mother in everything, and in mature age he is afraid to act against her will. He endures all of Kabanikha’s bullying meekly, not daring to protest: “How can I, Mama, disobey you! Yes, Mama, I don’t want to live by my own will.”

Boris Grigorievich, Dikiy’s nephew, in terms of his level of development is significantly higher than his environment. The education he received in Moscow does not allow him to get along among wild animals and wild boars. But he does not have enough character to break out from under their power. Both of them - Tikhon and Boris - failed to protect and save Katerina. And both of them were doomed to “live in the world and suffer.”

Central character In the play, “a ray of light in a dark kingdom” is Katerina. She stands out sharply from the environment in which she was born. A dreamy, impressionable, gentle nature, Katerina at the same time had an ardent and passionate soul: “I was born so hot!” she says about herself. The girl was not only passionate, but also strong character. She is capable of a complete break with the environment that has bored her. The conflict between the “dark kingdom” and the bright spiritual world of Katerina ended tragically. Without receiving support from Boris, the girl commits suicide during a thunderstorm!

Having pitted the “dark kingdom” and the “light ray” against each other, Ostrovsky expressed his protest against everything old. “It’s better not to live than to live like this!” - that’s what Katerina’s suicide meant. Before The Thunderstorm, Russian literature did not yet know a verdict on society expressed in such a tragic form. Yes, the light did not conquer the darkness, but where there is a ray, the sun will soon appear and eclipse the darkness.

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 destinies 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 that his mother ordered him.

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 then he is unable to understand emotional drama Katerina, 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 terms of 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 kind and educated person, 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 due to 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 cruel treatment towards people and an indifferent attitude towards everything beautiful. Confrontation with society can be traced through his conversation with Dikiy. Kuligin is trying to help the whole society, for example, to hang big clock on the wall or build 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.

“The Thunderstorm” was published in 1859 (on the eve of the revolutionary situation in Russia, in the “pre-storm” era). Its historicism lies in the conflict itself, the irreconcilable contradictions reflected in the play. It responds to the spirit of the times.
“The Thunderstorm” represents the idyll of the “dark kingdom”. Tyranny and silence are brought to the extreme in her. A real heroine from the people’s environment appears in the play, and it is the description of her character that receives the main attention, while the little world of the city of Kalinov and the conflict itself are described in a more general way.
“Their life flows smoothly and peacefully, no interests of the world disturb them, because they do not reach them; kingdoms can collapse, new countries open up, the face of the earth change... - the inhabitants of the town of Kalinov will continue to exist in complete ignorance of the rest of the world... The concepts and way of life they accept are the best in the world, everything new comes from evil spirits... they find it awkward and even the daring to persistently seek reasonable grounds... The information reported by the Feklushis is such that it cannot inspire great desire exchange your life for another... A dark mass, terrible in its naivety and sincerity.”
It is scary and difficult for anyone to try to go against the demands and beliefs of this dark mass. The absence of any law, any logic - this is the law and logic of this life. In their indisputable, irresponsible dark dominion, giving complete freedom to whims, not putting any laws and logic into anything, the “tyrants” of life begin to feel some kind of discontent and fear, without knowing what and why. They are fiercely looking for their enemy, ready to attack the most innocent, some Kuligin: but there is neither an enemy nor a culprit whom they could destroy: the law of time, the law of nature and history takes its toll, and the old Kabanovs are breathing heavily, feeling that there is a power above them that they cannot overcome... They do not want to give in, they are only concerned about how things will turn out in their lifetime...
Kabanova is very seriously upset by the future of the old order, with which she has outlived the century, speaking about the collapse of the established world: “And it will be worse than this, dear,” and in response to the words of the wanderer: “We just wouldn’t live to see this.” The boar confidently says: “Maybe we’ll live.” She is only consoled by the fact that somehow, with her help, the old order will survive until her death.
The Kabanovs and the wild ones are now busy only trying to continue what they were doing. They know that their willfulness will still have plenty of scope as long as everyone is timid in front of them; that's why they are so persistent.
Katerina's image - major discovery Ostrovsky - the discovery of the born patriarchal world strong folk character with an awakening sense of personality. The relationship between Katerina and Kabanikha in the play is not an everyday feud between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, their destinies expressed the clash of two historical eras, which determines the tragic nature of the conflict. In the soul of a woman who is quite “Kalinovsky” in terms of upbringing and moral ideas, a new attitude to the world is born, a feeling that is not yet clear to the heroine herself: “Something bad is happening to me, some kind of miracle!” I’m sure I’m starting to live again, or I don’t know.” Katerina perceives awakened love as a terrible, indelible sin, because love for a stranger for her is married woman, there is a violation moral duty. She wants with all her soul to be pure and impeccable; her moral demands on herself do not allow compromise. Having already realized her love for Boris, she resists it with all her might, but finds no 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.” Not only the external forms of household chores, but even prayer becomes inaccessible to her, since she felt the power of sinful passion over her. She feels fear of herself, of the desire for will that has grown in her, inseparably merging in her consciousness with love: “Of course, God forbid this to happen! And if I get really tired of it 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!”
The consciousness of sin does not leave her at the moment of intoxication with happiness and with enormous power takes possession of her when happiness is over. Katerina publicly repents without hope of forgiveness, and it is the complete lack of hope that pushes her to commit suicide, an even more serious sin: “I’ve already ruined my soul anyway.” The complete impossibility of reconciling her love with the demands of her conscience and physical disgust for the home prison and captivity kill Katerina.
Katerina is a victim not of anyone personally around her, but of the course of life. The world of patriarchal relations is dying, and the soul of this world passes away in torment and suffering, crushed by the form of everyday connections, and passes a moral verdict on itself, because the patriarchal ideal lives in it.

(No Ratings Yet)

1. In the play “The Thunderstorm,” the playwright shows us the life and customs of the Volga city of Kalinov. This is one of those places where ordinary Russian people live, and they live the same way as they have since time immemorial...
2. In 1856, Ostrovsky traveled to the Volga from the source of the river to Nizhny Novgorod. The impressions he received fueled his creativity for many years. They were also reflected in “The Thunderstorm”, which takes place in...
3. In “The Thunderstorm,” Ostrovsky shows the life of a Russian merchant family and the position of women in it. Katerina’s character was formed in a simple merchant family, where love reigned and the daughter was given complete freedom. She purchased...
4. In Ostrovsky’s tragedy “The Thunderstorm,” problems of morality were widely raised. For example provincial town Kalinov, the author showed the prevailing morals there. He depicted the cruelty of people living in the old fashioned way, according to Domostroi, and the riotousness...
5. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” raises the problem of a turning point in public life which occurred in the 50s of the 19th century, a change in social foundations, as well as the problem of the position and role of women in the family and society....
6. I wish I could die now... It’s the same as if death would come itself... but you can’t live! Sin! Won't they pray? He who loves will pray... A. N. Ostrovsky For quite a long time...
7. A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” was written based on materials from Ostrovsky’s trip in 1856 along the Volga. The playwright planned to write a series of plays about the provincial merchants under common name“Nights on the Volga”...
8. Ostrovsky's “People's Tragedy” “The Thunderstorm” refers to dramatic genre, which determines the entire composition of the work. The author touches on many important aspects the life of the philistinism and merchants of the late 50s of the 19th century and cannot...
9. Russian literature 2nd half of the 19th century centuries of Wild and Kabanikh. The main features of tyranny. (Based on the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky) The play “The Thunderstorm” became for A. N. Ostrovsky both the play-result and the play-beginning of all...
10. Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century. Severe morals of the city of Kalinov. (Based on the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky) The theme of good and evil, whether openly or hidden, is present in works of art. Literature reveals...
11. Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was endowed with great talent as a playwright. He is deservedly considered the founder of the Russian national theater. His plays, varied in theme, glorified Russian literature. Ostrovsky's creativity had a democratic character. He created...
12. Katerina – main character Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm". The main idea of ​​the work is the conflict of the heroine with the “dark kingdom”, the kingdom of tyrants, despots, and ignoramuses. Find out why this conflict arose and why the end of the drama is so...
13. Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century. The image of the “cruel world” in the dramaturgy of A. N. Ostrovsky. (Based on the play “Thunderstorm” or “Dowry”) A. N. Ostrovsky was one of central figures in the development of Russian...
14. Character consists of the ability to act on principles. A. N. Ostrovsky wrote many plays from the life of the merchants. They are so truthful and bright that Dobrolyubov called them “plays of life.” In these works...
15. In the drama “The Thunderstorm,” Ostrovsky created a very psychologically complex image - the image of Katerina Kabanova. This young woman charms the viewer with her huge, pure soul, childish sincerity and kindness. But he lives...
16. Russian literature of the 2nd half of the 19th century “To live honestly, you have to rush, get confused, fight, make mistakes... and calmness is spiritual meanness” (L. N. Tolstoy). (Based on the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky) Talking about...
17. Few people know that Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” was based on episodes from his life and his fate. If you study the biography of Alexander Ostrovsky in detail, you cannot miss the fact that...
18. A. N. Ostrovsky, the author of numerous plays about the merchants, the creator of the repertoire for the Russian national theater, is rightly considered a “singer merchant life" And he sits, sculpted by the sculptor Andreev, at the entrance to...
19. FOLK SOURCES OF THE IMAGE OF KATERINA (based on the drama “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky) “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky is not only the pinnacle of his drama, it is the largest literary and social event in Russian life on the eve of the reform of 1861...
20. Two capacious artistic symbol define and emphasize the meaning of the play “The Thunderstorm”. The first is the powerful natural cataclysm mentioned in the title, which swept through not only nature, but also the human community, and...
21. The highest artistic achievement A. N. Ostrovsky in the pre-reform years became the drama “The Thunderstorm”. The author takes us to the provincial merchant town of Kalinov, whose residents stubbornly cling to the centuries-old way of life. But...
22. A. N. Ostrovsky is rightfully considered a singer of the merchant milieu, the father of Russian everyday drama, the Russian national theater. He is the author of about 60 plays, and one of the most famous is “The Thunderstorm”. A....
23. A. N. Ostrovsky in his play “The Thunderstorm” divided people into two categories. One category is the oppressors, representatives of the “dark kingdom”, the other is the people humiliated and downtrodden by them. Representatives of the first group -...
24. Cruel morals, sir, in our city, cruel! A. N. Ostrovsky In Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm,” problems of morality are widely raised. Using the example of the provincial town of Kalinov, the playwright showed the truly prevailing cruel morals....
25. Plays by A. N. Ostrovsky “The Thunderstorm” and A. P. Chekhov “ The Cherry Orchard” are different in terms of issues, mood, and content, but artistic functions The landscapes in both plays are similar. Ta...
The play by A. N. Ostrovsky “Our people - we will be numbered” is very interesting to the modern reader. In the play, the author, with his characteristic humor, describes merchant environment with your habits and aspirations. The main characters of the work...
26. In literature classes, I came across many works that were worthy of attention and reflection on the problems that this or that author raises on the pages of the book. But the deepest mark in my life...
27. I open the drama and immediately on the first page after a small list characters I read: “The action takes place in the city of Kalinov, on the banks of the Volga, in the summer.” It is in this small picturesque town that...

1. Story line 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.” 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. 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 the ones 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 big cities, inventing all sorts of innovations like a 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's so depressed home furnishings that neither the requests of the wife he loves nor his business 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 is 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 a “tavern”. Even Kuligin, a completely independent person, prefers not to get involved with Dikiy. His dreams about technical progress, O 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 only blames 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 free choice a woman who did not want to obey the cruel laws that a hypocritical and ignorant society imposed on her.

All essays on literature for grade 10 Team of authors

1. “The Dark Kingdom” and its victims (based on the play “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky)

“The Thunderstorm” was published in 1859 (on the eve of the revolutionary situation in Russia, in the “pre-storm” era). Its historicism lies in the conflict itself, the irreconcilable contradictions reflected in the play. It responds to the spirit of the times.

"The Thunderstorm" represents the idyll of the "dark kingdom". Tyranny and silence are brought to the extreme in her. A real heroine from the people’s environment appears in the play, and it is the description of her character that receives the main attention, while the little world of the city of Kalinov and the conflict itself are described in a more general way.

“Their life flows smoothly and peacefully, no interests of the world disturb them, because they do not reach them; kingdoms can collapse, new countries open up, the face of the earth change... - the inhabitants of the town of Kalinov will continue to exist in complete ignorance of the rest of the world... The concepts and way of life they accept are the best in the world, everything new comes from evil spirits... they find it awkward and even the daring ones should persistently seek reasonable grounds... The information reported by the Feklushis is such that it is not capable of inspiring a great desire to exchange one’s life for another... A dark mass, terrible in its naivety and sincerity.” .

It is scary and difficult for anyone to try to go against the demands and beliefs of this dark mass. The absence of any law, any logic - this is the law and logic of this life. In their indisputable, irresponsible dark dominion, giving complete freedom to whims, not putting any laws and logic into anything, the “tyrants” of life begin to feel some kind of discontent and fear, without knowing what and why. They are fiercely looking for their enemy, ready to attack the most innocent, some Kuligin: but there is neither an enemy nor a culprit whom they could destroy: the law of time, the law of nature and history takes its toll, and the old Kabanovs are breathing heavily, feeling that there is a power above them that they cannot overcome... They do not want to give in, they are only concerned about how things will turn out in their lifetime...

Kabanova is very seriously upset about the future of the old order, with which she has outlived the century, speaking about the collapse of the established world: “And it will be worse than this, dear,” and in response to the words of the wanderer: “We just wouldn’t live to see this.” Kabanikha says gravely: “Maybe we’ll live.” She is only consoled by the fact that somehow, with her help, the old order will survive until her death.

The Kabanovs and the wild ones are now busy only trying to continue what they were doing. They know that their willfulness will still have plenty of scope as long as everyone is timid in front of them; that's why they are so persistent.

The image of Katerina is Ostrovsky’s most important discovery - the discovery of a strong folk character born of a patriarchal world with an awakening sense of personality. The relationship between Katerina and Kabanikha in the play is not an everyday feud between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law; their destinies expressed the collision of two historical eras, which determines the tragic nature of the conflict. In the soul of a woman who is quite “Kalinovsky” in terms of upbringing and moral ideas, a new attitude to the world is born, a feeling that is not yet clear to the heroine herself: “Something bad is happening to me, some kind of miracle! I’m sure I’m starting to live again, or I don’t know.” Katerina perceives awakened love as a terrible, indelible sin, because love for a stranger for her, a married woman, is a violation of moral duty. She wants with all her soul to be pure and impeccable; her moral demands on herself do not allow compromise. Having already realized her love for Boris, she resists it with all her might, but finds no 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.” Not only the external forms of household chores, but even prayer becomes inaccessible to her, since she felt the power of sinful passion over her. She feels fear of herself, of the desire for will that has grown in her, inseparably merging in her mind with love: “Of course, God forbid this to happen! And if I get really tired of it 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 do this, even if you cut me!”

The consciousness of sin does not leave her at the moment of intoxication with happiness and takes possession of her with enormous power when the happiness ends. Katerina publicly repents without hope of forgiveness, and it is the complete lack of hope that pushes her to commit suicide, an even more serious sin: “I’ve already ruined my soul anyway.” The complete impossibility of reconciling her love with the demands of her conscience and physical disgust for the home prison and captivity kill Katerina.

Katerina is a victim not of anyone personally around her, but of the course of life. The world of patriarchal relations is dying, and the soul of this world passes away in torment and suffering, crushed by the form of everyday connections, and passes a moral verdict on itself, because the patriarchal ideal lives in it.