The short capacious title of the play immediately attracts attention. What is a thunderstorm at Ostrovsky? Let us turn to the events of the play. The action takes place in the fictional town of Kalinov, located on the banks of the Volga. In the first act, the inventor Kuligin discusses with local young people (Kudryash, the clerk of the Wild, the tradesman Shapkin) about the difficult character and tyranny of the landowner Wild. Then comes the wild nephew Boris, who says that he himself is from Moscow, where he received a good education, and came to his uncle after the death of his parents for part of his grandmother’s inheritance. The condition for receiving the inheritance is a respectful attitude to the Wild, which, according to local residents, means that Boris cannot see the inheritance. Boris complains to Kuligin about how difficult it is for him to live in his uncle’s house, to which the inventor talks about the customs of the city of Kalinov, concluding that they are rather cruel.
Further, the play “The Storm” (Ostrovsky tried to show in it not only human tragedy, but also Russian life) opens before us the doors of the Kabanovs' house, where the apparent piety is actually hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness. Kabanova appears on the scene with her children - Barbara and Tikhon - and Katerina, Tikhon’s wife. Katerina appears as a girl who finds herself in adverse conditions, in a house where she is not appreciated. It is mentioned in passing that she fell in love with someone, while Barbara picks up the idea and offers to arrange a meeting with her lover when Tikhon leaves. Katerina is frightened of this proposal, and even the mad old woman prophesies the misfortune from beauty that leads to the pool itself. A thunderstorm is approaching.
What is a thunderstorm for Katerina?
This is primarily a foreboding of imminent trouble. In the second act, Tikhon sets off on a journey, denying Katerina to take her with her. Before leaving, the son of Kabanikh severely punished her daughter-in-law how to live while her husband is away, which offends and humiliates an unrequited girl. Barbara, meanwhile, arranges so that they spend the night in the garden, and gives Katerina the key to the back gate. The following two actions tell how Katerina’s fall occurs: she meets with Boris and realizes that she will not be able to hide her love for him. When Tikhon returns, Katerina publicly admits that she cheated on her husband. Tikhon loves his wife and is ready to forgive her, but understands that this is impossible under Kabanikh. Katerina is rushing around - she is feeling bad with the Kabanovs, she is yearning for Boris and does not see a way out of this situation. Boris, whom Wild sends to Siberia as a punishment, refuses to take his beloved with him for reasons beyond his control. The result of this tragedy is the death of Katerina, during a thunderstorm that has dropped from a cliff into a river.
What is a thunderstorm for other characters?
Each of the characters has its own secret or not so sad. Kuligin suffers from the non-recognition of his talent as an inventor, Dikoy and Kabanikh - from his conservatism and unwillingness to accept change, Tikhon - from his unrequited character to his mother. And for each of them, a thunderstorm is a symbol: Kuligin sees in it the impossibility to test a new invention, for which Wild refused to give money; Wild and Boar - the reckoning for human sins; for Tikhon, it symbolizes his loneliness in life. He says so in the finale, addressing his dead wife: “Good to you, Katya! But why did I stay to live in the world and suffer! ”
What is a Thunderstorm today?
On the basis of the play “The Storm”, the essay was written not one, many critical and literary articles were published, but all of them are united by one thing - an understanding of the versatility of the Ostrovsky thunderstorm. Thunderstorm is a symbol of not only the inertness of Russian philistinism, but also of outdated patriarchy. However, you should not perceive a thunderstorm only from a negative point of view. She is also a symbol of purification: Katerina died, but through death atoned for the sin of treason. After a thunderstorm, the earth will be renewed. After a thunderstorm, the way of life in Russia will change - this is a natural, almost natural process, although not without casualties.