The play "Thunderstorm" by Alexander Ostrovsky presents a vivid picture of the serf society of the late 18th century. The playwright introduces us to the world of the Russian Volga city Kalinov, who has been living for centuries for the same patriarchal measured life. This is the world of philistines and merchants. Is he so good? How much light is there in the Russian patriarchal pre-bourgeois society?
From everywhere.
On whom does the "dark kingdom" rest?
Depriving the positive vector of development, the urban community of the time of the expansion of serfdom is socially ill to such an extent that Nikolai Dobrolubov calls it the “dark kingdom” .. He, calling Ostrovsky “an expert on Russian life,” actually confirms the typical character of the images presented by the playwright. The Wild and the Boar in the play "The Storm" really benefit directly from the suffering of others and in every possible way support the suffocating, antisocial atmosphere in society. The meaning of the “dark kingdom” they preserve is obvious: the transformation of human suffering into their personal wealth, into the capital of the merchants - the world-eaters. Both of the above negative images in Russian literature are considered classic. They are revealed by the author with great artistic power. The theme of our article is the character of the merchant Savely Prokofich Dikogo. Unfortunately, many critics emphasize its primitiveness. In our opinion, this is not true. In particular, it is noteworthy that Savel Prokofich is both the sovereign and the victim of the county “dark kingdom”.
The specifics of the image of the Wild merchant
The image of the Wild in the play "Thunderstorm" is typical of Russian society. This is a man who “made” a huge fortune, rising from the bottom. The author does not give us direct comment on this matter, but a thoughtful reader will discover this. According to the psychotype of the merchant. Let’s explain our version. The proverb “There is no worse than a pan for your Ivan” used to exist among the people. The image of the Wild in the play "Thunderstorm" is a clear illustration of the justice of this thought. Savel Prokofievich, even becoming the main tycoon in the city of Kalinov, cannot stop in his inertia of such a cyborg for making money by any means.
Syndrome Savel Prokofich
Our task is to understand the image of the Wild in the play "Thunderstorm". Imagine that you are an actor "entering into this role." How to do this in the shortest way? What do you recommend? Suppose you are chronically deprived of mercy. Imagine: having caused a person suffering and even ruining it, you do not experience any moral remorse. “Entering the image”, pretend that you don’t know the sense of responsibility towards society ... Did you feel this?
You must admit that the terrible, destructive image of the Wild in the play "The Storm" is typical and often found in our society, only in other forms ... In his rapid and continuous enrichment, he has one strange advantage over other people - he is not tormented by conscience. Savel Prokofich aggressively expands his living space, stopping only before two factors: before the Force and before the Power. Consider the above brief description in more detail ...
Mercy of the Wild Mercy
As we already mentioned, the image of the Wild in Ostrovsky’s play “Thunderstorm” is not even the type of person who makes a deal with conscience (Savel Prokofich simply does not have it). His moral principles are very vague, and following the rites of the Orthodox Church is more like a deal with God for the remission of sins than a sincere desire to harmonize himself and his relations with society and with his family.
Every day his wife prays visitors: do not anger him. After all, Wild in a rage does not control herself, even home from him hide in the attics and closets.
Reflex rage
Manipulating a person through fear is his comfortable state, which he is embarrassed to say openly. (Aloud, he says: “I have such a heart!”) The image of the Wild from the play “Thunderstorm” is a dangerous type of person receiving material benefits while in an inadequate state bordering on schizophrenia.
It is in a state of consciousness altered by fury that he creates things that he often cannot explain later. Let us recall at least his story to Kuma Martha Kabanova about the unfortunate peasant petitioner, who was nearly "beaten to death."
The episode attracts attention when it talks about its uncontrollable rage Wild in the play of Ostrovsky's “Thunderstorm”. A characteristic given to himself is evil. Everything is understandable: his rabies seizures are initially self-serving, they bring him money. After all, when he underpays with a humiliated cry for hired people for work, the principle works in his favor: “money saved - money earned!” Daily seizures guarantee a daily extra profit.
Danger of Mental Disorder
What worries him is something else. Deprived of all spirituality, the image of Dikov in the play “The Storm” falls into a peculiar vicious circle, reminiscent of the Tolkien’s lying ring of omnipotence. He understands that the reflex “rabies initiation - gaining profit” developed by him for decades can play a cruel joke with him: to completely drive one crazy and ruin him. It is about this that he expresses his anxiety about his kuma - the tradeswoman Kabanikh. Savel Prokofich himself does not notice when a mechanism is activated in it, including insanity ...
Why is the image of the Wild presented occasionally?
A man terrorizing a city ... The image of the Wild in Ostrovsky’s play “Thunderstorm” was deliberately uncovered by Ostrovsky. In the course of action, he only appears three times in front of the viewer of the play. And that is understandable. It’s quite risky even to expose the classics to their contemporaries - the powers that be.
What features, not revealed by the author, may be inherent in Savel Prokofich? Most adult readers can easily conceive of such a characteristic themselves. We will provide only two key thoughts to this argument. Is it typical of modern powerful people to have a psychotype of the main merchant of the city of Kalinov? Does a modern average resident have real rights in court? ...
Conclusion
This, of course, is sad truth, but in front of us in the media every day a host of modern unscrupulous merchants of the Wild, apologists for the inversion of serfdom, flashes. These are modern feudal lords who prosper among entire layers of society (as Pelevin aptly says, working “for food”).
So, what features can complement the modernized image of the Wild in Ostrovsky’s play “The Storm”? This practice, by the way, is demonstrated by the theaters of Israel, where the modernized version of Gogol's “The Examiner” is going on with a bang. Let's “turn on the fantasy. In modern society, what can help the character of the Wild by "raising turbidity in the water", make money more efficiently and plant your own "ego"?
We will answer briefly. Talent to incite hatred between people and people of different nationalities. Lack of moral brakes in authorizing killing (or killing). The desire to rake in heat with the wrong hands, using, as an instrument, your money.
Concluding our discussion, we note that such sociopathy really poisons the harmony of society, turning relations in it into a "dark kingdom."