The image of the Boar in the play "Thunderstorm" is one of the main negative, forming the plot. Hence the depth of the image of his playwright Ostrovsky. The play itself shows how, in the bowels of an obsolete, yet still strong patriarchal society, the champions of the "dark kingdom" in the bud embroider the barely emerging sprouts of the new. In this case, the author of the work depicts two types supporting the foundations of the Old Testament, based on the dogmas of society. This is the widowed well-to-do merchant, Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, as well as the wealthy merchant Savel Prokofich Dikoy. No wonder they call each other cums.
Merchant Kabanova as the ideologist of the "dark kingdom"
It should be recognized that the image of the Boar in the play "The Storm" in the gradation of negative images occupies a more significant position than the character of the merchant Wild. Unlike his godfather, who oppresses others in the most primitive ways (with the help of swearing, which reaches almost beatings, humiliation), Martha Ignatievna perfectly understands what "old" is and how it should be protected. Its influence on others is more subtle. Indeed, in the course of reading the drama, the reader sees not only scenes where she peremptorily teaches homework, but also moments where she pretends to be "old and stupid." Moreover, the tradeswoman Kabanova acts in the manipulation of her fellow apologists of double morality, hypocrisy. And in this sense, the image of Kabanikh in the play "The Storm" is really classic in Russian literature.
The desire of the merchant - to subjugate others
The playwright Ostrovsky was able at the same time to deeply and clearly understand for the reader how the merchant merchant Kabanova coexists with ostentatious, insincere religiosity with an absolutely non-Christian, immoral and selfish desire to subjugate people to herself. Marfa Ignatyevna really breaks the will and characters of her neighbors, their life aspirations, crushes real, genuine spirituality. She is confronted by the image of Katerina in Ostrovsky’s play “The Storm”, her daughter-in-law.
Different understanding of antiquity by Kabanikha and Katerina
To be precise, Katerina is also a representative of the patriarchal society. This idea was expressed by the actor and literary critic Pisarev in response to the famous article by Nikolai Dobrolyubov “Ray of light in the dark kingdom”.
However, if her mother-in-law is "old" gloomy, dogmatic, subjugating people and killing their aspirations with senseless "impossible" and teachings "as it should be," then Katerina, unlike her, has completely different views on "old".
For her, there are also centuries-old traditions, but they are expressed in a completely different way: in love for others and caring for them, in a childishly enthusiastic attitude towards the world around us, in the ability to see and perceive all the good things around, in the instinctive rejection of gloomy dogmatism, in mercy . "Old" for Katerina - colorful, romantic, poetic, joyful. Thus, Katerina and Kabanikh personalize two opposite aspects of the Russian patriarchal serfdom - dark and bright.
Psychological pressure Boar on Katerina
The tragic image of Katerina in Ostrovsky’s play “The Storm” invariably evokes the sympathy and sympathy of the reader. The girl falls into the Kabanov family, marrying Tikhon, the son of a merchant. Before the appearance in the house of Katerina, her future mother-in-law completely imposed her will on all the household: her son and daughter Barbara. Moreover, if Tikhon is morally broken completely and is only able to follow the instructions of “Mama”, then Barbara only pretends to agree, but she always acts in her own way. However, under the influence of her mother, her personality was also deformed - the girl became insincere, double-minded.
The image of Boar in the play "Thunderstorm" is antagonistic to the image of Katerina throughout the play. It’s not for nothing that the daughter-in-law’s reproach sounds that her mother-in-law “eats by eating”. The boar constantly insults her with far-fetched suspicions. Exhausting the soul with senseless compulsions “to bow to her husband”, “to cut off on the nose”. Moreover, the tradeswoman appeals to quite specious principles: maintaining order in the family; harmonious (as is customary in Russian tradition) relations between relatives; the basics of the Christian faith. In fact, the influence of Martha Ignatievna on Katerina comes down to coercion - to blindly follow her dictates. The boar wants to turn her into another subject of his home "dark kingdom."
Mercy is a common trait of Wild Boar and Wild
The characterization of the image of Kabanikha in the play “Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky shows its common feature with the image of the merchant Wild, despite their obvious characteristic differences. This is mercy to people. Both of them treat their neighbors and fellow citizens not in a Christian, consumer way.
True, Savel Prokofich does this openly, and Martha Ignatyevna resorts to mimicry, imitating Christian convictions. In conversation with her neighbors, she prefers the “best defense - attack” tactic, accusing them of non-existent “sins”. She does not even hear the opposite arguments from the children and daughter-in-law. “I would believe ... if I hadn’t heard it with my own ears ... what is the veneration ...” Is it a very comfortable, practically “impenetrable” position?
The characterization and image of the Boar from the play "The Storm" by A. Ostrovsky combines hypocrisy and cruelty. Indeed, in fact, Kabanikh, who regularly goes to church and does not spare alms to the poor, turns out to be cruel and not able to forgive Katerina, who repented and confessed to treason. Moreover, she instructs her son, Tikhon, who is deprived of his own point of view, to beat her, which he does. They motivate this, again, by tradition.
Kabanikha contributed to Katerina's suicide
It is the image of Katerina Kabanova in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm”, which is constantly tortured by her mother-in-law, deprived of all rights and intercession, gives tragedy to the play of Ostrovsky. None of the readers have any doubt that her suicide is the result of the adverse effects of her mother-in-law, constant humiliation of dignity, threats, and ill-treatment.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that Katerina had previously announced that she would settle accounts with her unhappy life. Marfa Ignatievna, who was perfectly aware of everything that was going on in the house, could not have known this. Was there a direct intention on the part of the mother-in-law to bring the daughter-in-law to suicide? Unlikely. Rather, Kabanikha thought of “breaking” her, completely, as she had already done with her son. As a result, the family of the merchant is crumbling: the daughter of Barbara accuses her of directly contributing to the tragedy and leaves the house. Tikhon falls into a binge ...
However, the cruel Martha Ignatyevna does not repent even after that. For her, the "dark kingdom", manipulating people is more important than family, more important than morality. Such a conclusion can be drawn from an episode of the manifested boorishness of Kabanikh, even in this tragic setting. The merchant woman bows over and thanks the people who brought the body of the late Katerina from the Volga. However, he then declares that she cannot be forgiven. What could be more anti-Christian than not forgiving a dead person? This, perhaps, can only be done by a true apostate.
Instead of a conclusion
A negative characteristic character - the tradeswoman Kabanov - is revealed gradually in the course of the action. Does Katerina’s image in the play “Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky fully oppose him? Probably no. The girl has nothing to oppose to the suffocating atmosphere around her, she prays only for understanding. She is making a mistake. The imaginary liberation from the home "dark kingdom" of the Kabanovs - an affair with Boris - turns out to be a mirage. Katerina repents. It would seem that the morality of Kabanikhi won ... The merchant does not cost anything to turn the girl into her ally. To do this, one has only to show mercy. However, as they say, habit is second nature. Kabanikha, “offended,” treads the already unrequited, humiliated Katerina with a vengeance.
The daughter-in-law suicide brings devastating consequences for the family of Martha Ignatievna. We are now witnessing a crisis in the obedient (before Katerina’s appearance) family of the merchant, who is breaking up. The boar can no longer effectively protect the "antiquity." From the foregoing, the conclusion suggests itself that at the turn of the 19th century, the way of life of Russian society was steadily changing.
In fact, society already then demanded a liberation decree abolishing serfdom, allowing the members of the community to take up the role of education and social freedoms.