One of the main characters in the play "Thunderstorm" is Kabanov Tikhon Ivanovich. He is the son of Kabanikh and at the same time the husband of Katerina. It is on the example of this character that the destructive and crippling power of the "dark kingdom", which turns a person into a shadow of himself, is most accurately shown.
The image of contradictions
We can say that the image of Tikhon in the play "Thunderstorm" is full of contradictions. On the one hand, he is so obedient and respectful son that he completely disappeared into the personality of his mother, and on the other - a man with his thoughts, opinions, desires.
Tikhon seems to love his wife Katerina, but at the same time she cannot fully understand her, is not able to do anything for her to protect her from bad thoughts, and cannot provide her emotional support.
This hero is already used to living in the "dark kingdom", but he is very happy when he gets the opportunity to leave his home on business. He rejoices that at least for a while he can rest from the tyranny of his mother.
What a Tikhon husband
Consider from this point of view the image of Tikhon. From the play “Thunderstorm”, one can judge that he cannot correspond to the role of her husband in a family where a patriarchal mood reigns. Being a sovereign, protector and support in the family is not his part. Tikhon is a weak man; he is not cruel and good-natured. All he can do is rush between maternal demands and compassion for his wife. He used to be subordinate, used to being led.
Tikhon loves his wife, but not as much as men with a strong character love , but calmly and apathetically. His love does not bring Katerina emotions. And this leads to the fact that she is fond of another man. Tikhon does not arouse love in Katerina, he evokes pity, which she herself admits to Barbara.
Joy of Tikhon
But when a man breaks out from maternal custody, a completely new image of Tikhon is revealed to the reader. In the play "The Storm", the author showed Tikhon soft and good-natured, but at the same time an amateur drink. We see that as soon as Tikhon has the opportunity to leave the house for a while, he immediately takes advantage of this opportunity, and his short-term vacation does not pass without alcohol. Only in this way is he able to block the void within himself and the heaviness on his soul. Alcohol alone helps him forget all the suffering his mother caused him. Humiliated after maternal reproaches and instructions, the main character can break down on his wife. And only his sister Varvara is able to calm the situation in the house, secretly letting his brother visit, where he can drink.
Tikhon's attitude to cheating on his wife
Leaving for a while from home, Tikhon says goodbye to his wife and mother. Katerina wants to give her husband a goodbye oath of allegiance. What he reacts negatively to. Both Tikhon and his mother, pronouncing a ritual order, tell Katerina not to look at strangers, but our hero speaks this phrase arbitrarily, not even suspecting that his wife is capable of treason.
But it is precisely the soft nature of Tikhon that is a flaw in Katerina’s eyes. And she falls in love with Boris. Later, Katerina herself tells her husband and mother-in-law about her betrayal, since she is no longer able to keep this secret in herself. Tikhon perceives the news non-aggressively. He objects to his mother when she gives him advice to execute Katerina by burying her alive in the ground. He loves his wife and cannot be aggressive towards her.
Katerina did not immediately give herself up to a new feeling, she still tried in every possible way to become related to her husband, to regain her love for him, to find in herself those feelings that previously united them. At this moment, the image of Tikhon in the play "The Storm" seems even more spineless. He still had a chance to change everything, but because of his weakness, he could not fully understand his wife, protect her from the torture of her mother-in-law. He could be simple-minded, but could not become that stone wall, beyond which a woman needs to feel safe.
And only when Katerina puts her hands on herself, Tikhon, standing above her corpse, stands up against her mother. He publicly accuses her of the death of his wife, thereby inflicting a terrible blow to Kabanikha.
This is the whole characterization of the hero. Tikhon ("Thunderstorm", Ostrovsky A.N.) - an image with the help of which the author showed male kindness, but at the same time male weakness. As you can see, this can sometimes lead to disastrous consequences.
Characteristic of Tikhon in Ostrovsky’s play “The Storm”
It can be said very briefly that this protagonist is a weak and non-independent person, he is simple-minded and quite kindly, but very weak-willed. But under extreme circumstances, this man is capable of public rebellion, even if only for a short time.
The play ends tragically and ambiguously. In the final, good does not triumph, but evil does not triumph. The collapse of the family resolves the external conflict, but the internal conflict that arose as a result of emotional struggle in the heart of the protagonist remains forever. This mental situation recalls the aftermath of a terrible thunderstorm that brings death and destruction.
The image of Tikhon in the play "Thunderstorm" is able to attract the reader with his kindness, but at the same time also alienate him with his inaction and lack of character, which is why he can be called contradictory.