“The Thunderstorm” was the pinnacle of A.N.’s creativity. Ostrovsky. In respect of artistic expression"Thunderstorm" can be compared with other large and significant works Russian and world literature.
U great artists sometimes there is a desire when creating your main work to go beyond the designated topic. So, for example, when Gogol worked on " Dead souls“, he wanted to depict “all of Rus', at least from one side.” This is nothing more than an attempt to go beyond the boundaries of a narrow topic. Likewise, in “The Thunderstorm” Ostrovsky, perhaps, unwittingly turned to a question that, in its essence, goes far beyond the events depicted.
The playwright addressed the question of how a person should behave in “stormy” conditions, what should he do if he feels the presence of bright mental strength, if he wants to join something pure, perfect, especially when he is endowed with character and does not tolerate humiliation. How can he live in this world where they dominate cruel morals, lies and submission? This is the question posed by Ostrovsky. He, as we know, did not find an answer to it, and it is not his fault. But Ostrovsky’s merit as a playwright is that he showed the drama of the tragic discrepancy between spiritual purity, conscience, and beauty with the heavy force of human tyranny, lies and moral oppression.
In the play, everything is subordinated to the disclosure of this drama not as a private case, but as an event that has a deep moral, psychological and social meaning.
The name of the play is symbolic - "The Thunderstorm". This is primarily a thunderstorm within human public relations. One goes against the other, and everyone goes against one. The law of the jungle reigns in this society - every man for himself. In principle, no one cares about what is going on around them. People become interested in their surroundings only if what is happening in one way or another concerns them.
Almost in front of the entire boulevard, Kabanikha quarrels with her son and daughter-in-law, shouts throughout the street, unfairly accusing them of almost all mortal sins. And no one cares at all about this. In Tikhon’s house, his mother runs everything, and he himself does not dare to set foot or say a word against her. Almost the same situation is observed in the house of Dikiy, who tyranls not only his relatives, but also his hired workers. Therefore, the symbol of a thunderstorm takes on a second meaning here - it is also a thunderstorm family life. In fact, Katerina’s life in her husband’s house is filled with the feeling of an approaching catastrophe. Even before she met Boris, Katerina felt that she would not stay long in this world, that thunderstorms would touch her too, that clouds were gathering over her head.
Finally, the third meaning of the play's title. A thunderstorm is also a symbol of punishment for unrighteousness, with a particular violation moral laws, life. In addition, this is Katerina’s punishment for the sin she committed. After all, whatever you say, betrayal of marital debt has always been considered a sin in Rus'. And Katerina is also very religious. Therefore, she is very tormented by her action, which constitutes a genuine and insoluble drama.
Of course, we completely understand the impulse of a young woman, the attempt of a bright personality to break through to a bright beginning. Katerina is trying to find herself in love with Boris and through this state to feel at least a piece of happiness. But this attempt strong personality defending oneself leads to sin.
Oppression from the cruel human environment gives rise to the desire of gifted natures to overcome oppression and defend their right to happiness. However, the path to achieving it turns out to be false. This is exactly the situation Katerina found herself in.
The key to unraveling the character of Katerina, and with it the symbol of the thunderstorm, is given to us by the seventh scene of the first act. Here the exposition still takes place, the very beginning of the drama.
Let us remember Katerina’s famous monologue (“Why don’t people fly...”) and the entire subsequent conversation with Varvara. This episode reveals Katerina as a poetic, beautiful nature, which in no way agrees with the world around her. And we understand that such an exalted soul will face trouble one way or another. There is a sort of premonition of a thunderstorm. This feeling is strengthened in us after Katerina’s meeting with the madwoman.
Katerina already realizes the sinfulness of her love, and then this crazy woman begins to accuse her of human dissipation, of vulgarizing beauty... Of course, we understand that her words do not apply specifically to Katerina, and earlier this scene was perceived as a characteristic of a dark , ignorant environment. But at the same time it was eclipsed symbolic meaning words of the old woman.
Beauty as a means of satisfying personal interests is not only a sin, but also the destruction of a person. Such beauty is soulless and leads to a tragic outcome.
As for Katerina, she perceives the old woman as a personification dark side fate. And so the girl decides to commit suicide before retribution befalls her. She wanted to cleanse herself, and she saw cleansing in getting closer to God.
It may seem strange that Katerina dared to do such an act - after all, suicide is no less a sin than treason. But it seems to me that a soul that loves and has suffered a lot in this life deserves forgiveness. And it turned out that with her decisive movement, her desire to go to trial, the heroine partially atoned for her sin.
Hence another meaning of the name: a thunderstorm is not only punishment, it is also cleansing. After all, after a thunderstorm, the air becomes fresher and the earth cleaner. This means that Katerina’s impulse did not go unnoticed. Perhaps it will make some of the residents of Kalinov think. And with them, us.

What is the meaning of the play "The Thunderstorm" by the great Russian playwright A. Ostrovsky?

“Thunderstorm” is, without a doubt, the most decisive work Ostrovsky; the mutual relations of tyranny and voicelessness are brought to the most tragic consequences in it... There is even something refreshing and encouraging in “The Thunderstorm”.

N. A. Dobrolyubov

A.N. Ostrovsky received literary recognition after the appearance of his first major play. Ostrovsky's dramaturgy became a necessary element of the culture of his time; he retained the position of the best playwright of the era, the head of Russian drama school, despite the fact that at the same time A.V. Sukhovo-Kobylin, M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, A.F. Pisemsky, A.K. Tolstoy and L.N. were working in this genre with him. Tolstoy. The most popular critics viewed his works as a true and profound reflection of modern reality. Meanwhile, Ostrovsky, following his original creative way, often baffled both critics and readers.

Thus, the play “The Thunderstorm” came as a surprise to many. L.N. Tolstoy did not accept the play. The tragedy of this work forced critics to reconsider their views on Ostrovsky’s dramaturgy. Ap. Grigoriev noted that in “The Thunderstorm” there is a protest against the “existing”, which is terrible for its adherents. Dobrolyubov in the article “A Ray of Light in dark kingdom” asserted. that from the image of Katerina in “The Thunderstorm” “blows on us new life”.

Perhaps for the first time, scenes of family, “private” life, the arbitrariness and lawlessness that were hitherto hidden behind the thick doors of mansions and estates, were shown with such graphic power. And at the same time, this was not just an everyday sketch. The author showed the unenviable position of the Russian woman in merchant family. Immense power The tragedy was given special truthfulness and skill by the author, as D.I. Pisarev rightly noted: “The Thunderstorm” is a painting from life, which is why it breathes truth.”

The tragedy takes place in the city of Kalinov, which is located among the greenery of gardens on the steep bank of the Volga. “For fifty years I’ve been looking across the Volga every day and I can’t get enough of it. The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices,” Kuligin admires. It would seem that the life of the people of this city should be beautiful and joyful. However, the life and customs of the rich merchants created “a world of prison and deathly silence.” Savel Dikoy and Marfa Kabanova are the personification of cruelty and tyranny. Orders in merchant's house based on the outdated religious dogmas of Domostroy. Dobrolyubov says about Kabanikha that she “gnaws at her victim... long and relentlessly.” She forces her daughter-in-law Katerina to bow at her husband’s feet when he leaves, scolds her for “not howling” in public when seeing off her husband.

Kabanikha is very rich, this can be judged by the fact that the interests of her affairs go far beyond Kalinov; on her instructions, Tikhon travels to Moscow. She is respected by Dikoy, for whom the main thing in life is money. But the merchant's wife understands that power also brings obedience to those around her. She seeks to kill any manifestation of resistance to her power in the home. The boar is hypocritical, she only hides behind virtue and piety, in the family she is an inhuman despot and tyrant. Tikhon does not contradict her in anything. Varvara learned to lie, hide and dodge.

The main character of the play, Katerina, is marked by a strong character; she is not used to humiliation and insults and therefore conflicts with her cruel old mother-in-law. In her mother’s house, Katerina lived freely and easily. In the Kabanov House she feels like a bird in a cage. She quickly realizes that she cannot live here for long.

Katerina married Tikhon without love. In Kabanikha’s house, everything trembles at the mere imperious cry of the merchant’s wife. Life in this house is difficult for young people. And then Katerina meets a completely different person and falls in love. For the first time in her life, she experiences deep personal feeling. One night she goes on a date with Boris. Whose side is the playwright on? He is on Katerina’s side, because a person’s natural aspirations cannot be destroyed. Life in the Kabanov family is unnatural. And Katerina does not accept the inclinations of those people with whom she ended up. Having heard Varvara’s offer to lie and pretend, Katerina replies: “I don’t know how to deceive, I can’t hide anything.”

Katerina's directness and sincerity evokes respect from both the author, the reader, and the viewer. She decides that she can no longer be a victim of a soulless mother-in-law, she cannot languish behind bars. She's free! But she saw a way out only in her death. And one could argue with this. Critics also disagreed about whether it was worth paying Katerina for freedom at the cost of her life. So, Pisarev, unlike Dobrolyubov, considers Katerina’s act senseless. He believes that after Katerina’s suicide everything will return to normal, life will go take its course, and the “dark kingdom” is not worth such a sacrifice. Of course, Kabanikha brought Katerina to her death. As a result, her daughter Varvara runs away from home, and her son Tikhon regrets that he did not die with his wife.

It is interesting that one of the main, active images of this play is the image of the thunderstorm itself. Symbolically expressing the idea of ​​the work, this image directly participates in the action of the drama as a real natural phenomenon, enters into action at its decisive moments, and largely determines the actions of the heroine. This image is very meaningful; it illuminates almost all aspects of the drama.

So, already in the first act a thunderstorm broke out over the city of Kalinov. It broke out like a harbinger of tragedy. Katerina already said: “I’ll die soon,” she confessed to Varvara her sinful love. In her mind, the mad lady's prediction that the thunderstorm would not pass in vain, and the feeling of her own sin with a real thunderclap had already been combined. Katerina rushes home: “It’s still better, everything is calmer, I’m at home - to the images and pray to God!”

After this, the storm ceases for a short time. Only in Kabanikha’s grumbling are its echoes heard. There was no thunderstorm that night when Katerina felt free and happy for the first time after her marriage.

But the fourth, climactic act, begins with the words: “The rain is falling, as if a thunderstorm is not gathering?” And after that the thunderstorm motif never ceases.

The dialogue between Kuligin and Dikiy is interesting. Kuligin talks about lightning rods (“we have frequent thunderstorms”) and provokes the wrath of Dikiy: “What other kind of electricity is there? Well, how come you are not a robber? A thunderstorm is sent to us as punishment, so that we can feel it, but you want to defend yourself, God forgive me, with poles and some horns. What are you, a Tatar or what?” And in response to the quote from Derzhavin, which Kuligin cites in his defense: “I decay with my body in dust, I command thunder with my mind,” the merchant does not find anything to say at all, except: “And for these words, send you to the mayor, so he will will ask!”

Undoubtedly, in the play the image of a thunderstorm acquires a special meaning: it is a refreshing, revolutionary beginning. However, the mind is condemned in the dark kingdom; it is faced with impenetrable ignorance, supported by stinginess. But still, the lightning that cut through the sky over the Volga touched the long-silent Tikhon and flashed over the destinies of Varvara and Kudryash. The thunderstorm shook everyone up thoroughly. Inhuman morals will sooner or later come to an end. The struggle between the new and the old has begun and continues. This is the meaning of the work of the great Russian playwright.

The drama “The Thunderstorm” by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was written during serious reform changes in Russia and was published in 1859. As in any literary work, the meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm” contains the theme and idea of ​​the entire work. And therefore it requires detailed consideration and analysis.

What is a play?

Before we begin to answer the question of what is the meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm,” it is necessary to define the genre of this work. So the play is literary work, intended for production on stage. Distinctive Features this will be:

• Building the entire plot on dialogues and monologues of the characters.
• Division into parts, called acts or actions, and scenes.
• Author's notes describing the setting and costumes of the characters. And also the actions of the heroes.

The originality of the drama "The Thunderstorm"

The meaning of the title of A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is directly related to genre originality works. The fact is that literary scholars still cannot agree on whether “The Thunderstorm” is a drama or a tragedy.

The tragedy of the play is associated with the image of Katerina, who is opposed to all other characters. The girl is sharply different from the people around her; she is a bright and dreamy person. Her conflict with the world is predetermined, merciless and dark - it is only capable of destroying and destroying.

The dramatic side of the play is manifested in social aspect- each hero has his own social status, which determines his actions and character. Thus, it is not possible to put an end to and attribute the play to one of the genres.

Conflict of the play

Before determining the meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm,” it is necessary to understand the main conflict of this work.

Let's start with the fact that there is not one conflict in the drama, but several. And the first one that criticism has always paid attention to is social. From this point of view, Katerina appears as the embodiment of a people who are outraged and can no longer endure the tyranny and tyranny of those in power, of which Kabanikha is a representative. Another conflict, also associated with the confrontation between Kabanikha and Katerina, is the conflict of generations.

But the main and most important confrontation in the play is Katerina’s struggle with herself. Internal conflict is much deeper than external conflict and carries with it deepest meaning. The girl is struggling with forbidden love. Unable to be a hypocrite, she finds herself under attack from the public. And in the end she has no choice but to commit suicide.

Katerina's image

The meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm” is directly related to the image main character. Katerina has become unusual female character for Ostrovsky. Compared to the writer’s previous heroines, she stands out for her subtle attitude and integrity of personality. She is a poetic and dreamy person with bright soul and lofty aspirations. Description happy life for her it looks like this: embroidery, visiting temples and prayers, communicating with praying praying women and wonderful dreams about golden temples and wonderful gardens. By this, the writer emphasizes what is above material things for Katerina.

The image of the girl is closely intertwined with the image of a bird and the motif of flight. Katerina’s desire to fly away introduces the theme of imprisonment and bondage into the narrative. And along with them the theme of death, because the soul can free itself and take off only by losing its corporeal shell.

At Katerina's a strong character, her sense of dignity is very great. It is very difficult for her to live under the same roof with Kabanikha. After all, reproaches, despotism and tyranny on the part of the mistress reign there, as well as stupidity, spinelessness and obedience of the rest of the inhabitants.

The melancholy that grips Katerina in Marfa Ignatievna’s house is mixed with the girl’s desire to know true love. The heroine cannot experience this feeling for Tikhon, since he is weak-willed, stupid, and spiritually poor. Katerina can only fall in love with a worthy, kind person who is different from those around her. And the girl seems to find this in Boris Grigorievich. It is from the moment that meetings with a young man begin that internal conflict heroines. She is torn between her feelings and her duty to her husband.

But Katerina is deceived; Boris is an ordinary person who is not able to dare to save the girl. Katerina, realizing that she cannot forgive herself and continue to live in the darkness surrounding her, decides to commit suicide. It is with this episode that the meaning of the title of Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is connected, which we will consider in more detail below.

The meaning of the play's title

There is a huge meaning hidden in the title of the drama. Tikhon utters this word for the first time when he says goodbye to his wife before leaving. The hero compares Kabanikha to an impending thunderstorm and is glad that he will get rid of her attacks, at least for a short time. Thus, answering the question of what is the symbolic meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm”, we can say that this personifies can be caused by both the tyranny of others and higher powers. And it covers all the heroes of the work. Even Katerina is susceptible to it, because she is afraid capital punishment for cheating on her husband. Even death does not frighten the girl as much as possible punishment for her sins.

The entire development of actions in the play is similar to the time before a thunderstorm, which will certainly end in a storm. It is in the fear that grows as the disaster approaches that the meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm” lies. It is better to supplement the essay with descriptions of those scenes in the play where the characters most clearly show fear.

Conclusion

The work was received with great enthusiasm by critics and had many interpretations of the conflicts, main topic and the image of Katerina. The meaning of the title of the play “The Thunderstorm” also became a symbolic riddle. Essay provided school curriculum, once again confirms that interest in this controversial creation of Ostrovsky has not yet weakened.

Drama by A.N. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm" is one of the most famous works writer. It contains many themes: love, freedom, and serfdom. And of course, the main idea, which runs like a red thread through the entire work, is reflected in the title of the play.

Thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon, and the danger hanging over the city, and the symbol of the era.

From the very beginning of the story, in the first act, we hear a conversation between two heroes about Kalinov’s morals. Kudryash and Kuligin are minor characters, but despite this they carry an important semantic load. Their conversation revolves around the Wild One. This hero is gifted by the author with a telling surname; indeed, it seems as if they are alien to him. human concepts. This hero is a kind of thunderstorm for everyone at home, as well as for the courtyard people; his sudden anger keeps the entire neighborhood in fear.

Another episode in which Dikoy and one of the heroes who first appear on stage, Kuligin, are present. In this episode, Kuligin asks Dikiy for money to build a clock and a lightning rod; the hero wants to do something useful and good, to somehow move the ossified society. But he is refused, it turns out that Dikiy’s stupidity and short-sightedness is even deeper than it might seem to us, he is categorically against the construction, because a thunderstorm, in his opinion, is sent to people as punishment, and watches are not needed at all (the author probably emphasizes the lack of watches the fact that Kalinov’s development is lagging behind, there is no education and rough serfdom still reigns).

The main character of the work, Katerina, lives with her husband in the house of his mother Kabanikha. Kabanovs, that’s their speaking surname, and it does not require further explanation. Freedom-loving Katerina languishes under the yoke of this cruel woman, a real thunderstorm for your entire home. Only Katerina's good manners and wisdom allowed her for a long time hold out under her power, but only externally; internally, the heroine always remains free.

Much in Katerina’s life is connected with thunderstorms. She is afraid of this natural phenomenon, faints, her intuition tells her that something is about to happen that will decide her fate. And she admits her actions with Boris, and understands: she cannot live in the Kabanovs’ house anymore. After all, Kabanikha became a thunderstorm not only for her, but also for her son. He runs away from home to spend a few days in freedom.

As for Katerina, she herself can be called a thunderstorm for the outdated foundations of the Kalinovites. In the finale, she seems to challenge the slavery and oppression that reigns in the city. Throughout the entire action, tension is felt, a thunderstorm hangs over Kalinov’s tyrants.

Much indicates that the power of Kabanikha and Dikiy is in danger. Kudryash refuses to obey them, and in the end disappears along with Varvara, who also only creates the appearance of subordination to Kabanikha, but in reality she does what she considers necessary.

And, of course, Kuligin’s words at the end of the play confirm the idea that the power of the Wild and Kabanovs is short-lived, a thunderstorm is approaching them. Kuligin reminds them that Katerina’s body may belong to them, but her soul is free.

The meaning of the title of this play is very significant. Many times it occurs as a natural phenomenon, is reflected in the images and characters of the characters and seems to be itself actor. The whole atmosphere of the work is reflected in the title of A.N. Ostrovsky’s wonderful and still popular and beloved play “The Thunderstorm”.

The meaning of the title, the title of Ostrovsky's play The Thunderstorm

A.N. Ostrovsky is one of the most outstanding writers of the 19th century century, his works tell us about the struggle of humanity, kindness, compassion with meanness, greed and malice. The author in each of his books shows kind, naive heroes faced with cruel reality world, which leads them to complete disappointment in life, kills everything good that is in them.

"The Thunderstorm" is the pinnacle of the playwright's creative quest. After all, this play marked the beginning of such a monumental theme, which was subsequently used more than once as the main theme in their works by various writers of contemporaries and subsequent centuries. What has impressed readers so much over three centuries?

Katerina, translated from Greek, means “pure”; Ostrovsky tells us how people around her, rotten to the very bones, oppress her and drive her into a corner, because they feel the strength in her and understand that she is the beginning of the end for them.
This fragile, naive girl cannot be called strong-willed or strong, she did not accomplish a feat, on the contrary, her act can be perceived as weakness, but the death of the heroine became a protest against the existing order, by her example she freed the hands of all the oppressed. Her image is a “ray of light”, a symbol of the fight against cruel, selfish people who ruin the lives of everyone around, that is, against the “dark kingdom”.

IN last days, weeks of her life, Katerina was terribly afraid of thunder, believing that God's punishment for her sins was falling on her head, she was so pure that she did not understand that the thunderstorm had not come to kill her, lightning and thunder were splitting into pieces the world of those who offended her, the darkness the end has come.

Katerina played the role of a soldier who runs ahead of everyone with a flag, calling to fight, the role of a soldier who awakens strength and resistance in souls. After all, after her death, everyone who had been silent and patient before protested. Kabanov finally realized and understood that his tyrant mother was to blame for what happened, but his conscience was not calm either, because he could not prevent the tragedy. Kudryash and Varvara decide to run away, to leave behind Diky and Kabanikha, whose life will become unbearable if they have no one to oppress and no one to pour their dirt on.

Storm, bringer of death to the dark kingdom, to the former terrible foundations - here main meaning and the meaning of Ostrovsky's play.

Alexander Nikolaevich shows the hackneyed and banal theme of the struggle between good and evil in a completely unique light and perceives it quite sharply. I think it's very important work, which is worth reading for everyone.

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