The contribution of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky to Russian drama is difficult to overestimate. The recognition of his services to the national theater was the scientific title of corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. His house hospitably opened the doors to Leo Nikolayevich
Tolstoy, Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, Fedor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, Peter Ivanovich Tchaikovsky. The drama "Thunderstorm" brought him fame. The subject of this article is its summary. "Thunderstorm" in action (and there are 5 in the drama) takes place in the invented city of the Kalinov Volga.
Action 1. Characteristics of the city of Kalinov
The first action takes place in a garden, broken on the Volga coast. Talking to a self-taught engineer Kuligin with the contractor of the merchant Savel Prokofich Wild - Vanya Kudryash. Later, the educated nephew of the Wild, Boris, joins their conversation. We hear from them a capacious and unpleasant characteristic of the orders in this county town. The tyranny of the Wild flourishes here, on the one hand, and the hypocritical morality of the merchant, Martha Ignatievna Kabanova (nicknamed Kabanikh), on the other. Wild, apparently, plans to appropriate part of the inheritance belonging to Boris.
Rudeness and Jesuit flourish in the city. He is preached by the most prosperous citizens. If Savel Prokofich brazenly, screaming and swearing, robbing his workers, constantly not paying them a salary, then Martha Ignatievna torments her household (daughter-in-law Katerina, son Tikhon and daughter Varvara) more subtly - with constant reproaches and teachings. At the same time, each of his attacks of Kabanikh can explain “according to concepts”: they say, it is so established, etc. Her morality is “impenetrable”. It is no coincidence that with this unflattering assessment of the foundations of the city, the Storm begins. The summary of actions in the future is entirely based on this comprehensive description.
Action 2. In the house of the Boar
We are witnessing the action in the house of the merchant Kabanikh. The wanderer Feklusha talks with the yard girl Glasha. The holy fool praises the generosity of the Kabanovs' house and tries to interest listeners with primitive inventions about the way of life in “distant lands”. Ironically portrays the quackery of Ostrovsky's play The Storm. A summary of the chapters shows us the true culprit of the tragedy.
The daughter of the merchant Barbara carelessly plays the role of a consolidator. Her sister-in-law Katerina liked Wild's nephew, Boris. Katerina Tikhon’s husband is leaving on business. His sister, whose life convictions is "everything is possible if ends meet in the water", collecting his brother on the road, at the same time persuades his wife, Katerina, to betray. To do this, she came up with a tricky "combination" with the substitution of the mother’s key for the gate.
Katerina in her own way tries to remain faithful to her husband. He asks Tikhon to take her with him. And when he refuses, then she, as usual among the people, tries to bind herself with an oath, through which she can not step over. But the narrow-minded Tikhon even interrupts her.
Step 3. Date
The meeting of Katerina and Boris is the main idea of ​​this episode of the drama, its summary. "Thunderstorm" in action takes place in different places of the provincial Kalinov. You can see the street in front of the house of Kabanikh. At first, the drunk Savel Prokofievich “mates” with the merchant. True, "one field of berries" are soon reconciled. Then they are replaced by the philosophizing Kuligin, then a kissing couple - Kudryash and Varvara. An overly proactive Varya appoints Boris on behalf of Katerina a meeting near the Kabanovs' garden in a ravine. And finally, the date takes place. Moreover, Kudryash with Varvara and Boris with Katerina appoint him in the same place. True, then the pairs diverge.
Katerina passionately confesses Boris love. However, as you can see, he has a mercantile, consumer attitude to love. He does not understand, but most likely, he cannot understand what treasure is Katerina’s soul. He did not pass the test of love, petty man. Blinded by the feeling of Katerina, of course, does not notice these nuances.
Action 4. Climax
Misconduct and retribution - this is a summary of many dramas. Thunderstorm in action brings us to its climax. Rain is falling, and Kalinov is in the grip of a thunderstorm. At the beginning of the action, the tradesman Kuligin proves to the merchant Wild the need for arranging lightning rods in the city. But a cunning stingy in a boorish way offends a self-taught engineer and puts the conversation on the fact that the storm is the punishment of the Lord. So, however, many think. Katerina, who committed adultery, is trembling from lightning. She is not reassured by Kuligin's exhortations about the nature of electricity. What happens is what Varvara was afraid of: frightened by the exhortations of the half-mad lamb that appeared like a little devil from a snuff-box, accompanied by lackeys, Katerina admits her betrayal to her husband Tikhon. Should one expect magnanimity from him? Unlikely.
Action 5. Tragedy
“Can happiness be where humiliation and hypocrisy reign?” - invisibly we hear the rhetorical question of the playwright, reading a summary. "Thunderstorm" by action carefully draws the images of the heroes, giving them an exhaustive description. Drunk Tikhon talks with Kuligin. He tells how he drank soundly during a trip to Moscow that Katerina was “slightly beaten” for treason. (So ​​my mother ordered.) I am glad that Uncle Savel Prokofich sends Boris to Siberia. From his words we learn that Varya escaped to Kudryash from tyranny of the mother of Martha Ignatyevna.
At this time, Katerina is looking for a meeting with Boris. Seeing him, he persuades her to take her on a trip to Siberia. After refusal, she meekly asks the young man to pray for her sinful soul. But even this does not penetrate a weak-willed young man. His last phase is deeply indicative: “Oh, if only power!” This is a phrase of complete moral bankruptcy. Katerina does not want to return to the disgusting house of Kabanikhi, jumps into the Volga and drowns in it. Kuligin accuses Marfa Ignatievna and Tikhon of an unmerciful attitude towards Katerina. Tikhon blames the mother, considering herself unhappy.
conclusions
Shocked by the power of the playwright’s talent, critic Dobrolyubov wrote a brilliant article on “The Storm”, “Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom”. In it, he showed that unfulfilled dreams of happiness in marriage, as well as the deplorable atmosphere in the Kabanovs' house, led Katerina to suicide. Moreover, this act in the understanding of Dobrolyubov acquired the features of a protest personality. The critic Pisarev did not agree with him, pointing to the underdevelopment of the mind, the intuitiveness and heightened emotionality of Katerina, which led her to mortal sin. However, the argument of these two prominent critics can be judged by the words of the classic Goncharov that the “good heart” is more valuable than a sophisticated mind.