Literary criticism in the person of Dmitry Ivanovich Pisarev found a highly educated, thinking non-standard and principled adept. He could not pass by the characteristic character drama "Thunderstorm" Ostrovsky - a kind of renaissance of Russian national theatrical art in the XIX century. Deeply aware of its content, Pisarev creates "Motives of Russian drama." The brief content of this work is a critical attitude to Dobrolyubov's conclusions about the ideality of the image of Katerina. Pisarev ironically called such views "patriotic illusions."
The suffocating atmosphere of Kalinova
The fact that Kalinov, portrayed by Ostrovsky as a Privolzhsky district town, really is a "dark kingdom", Dmitry Ivanovich does not dispute. "The motives of Russian drama" show how a brazen and greedy, rude merchant, Dikaya and a prude, who pestered his neighbors, the merchant Kabanikh, impose their will on others. Merchants force others to serve themselves. The image of the caste of the Russian outback and the ugly intracaste and especially intercaste relations is dedicated to Pisarev's "Motives of Russian drama". The brief content of this work conveys the fact that the author contrasts the calculating, mundane Kabanykh with a deeply natural, acting heart, and not with the mind of Katerina, her daughter-in-law.
A fundamentally different vision of the image of Catherine
The vision of this image, central in Ostrovsky's work, is diametrically opposed by the two critics mentioned above. If Dobrolyubov saw spirituality in the main heroine of the drama, not taking into account the underdeveloped will, as well as uncontrollable emotion, then Pisarev says that to the ideal Katerina is far, despite the fact that this literary image is undoubtedly positive. In addition, Dmitry Ivanovich sees the frivolity of a married lady in agreement with the "true date" with Boris, whom she really does not know.
Disclosure of the chaotic and unconscious acts of the heroine Ostrovsky dedicates Pisarev "Motives of Russian drama." A brief summary presents the very scene of Katerina's acceptance of a fateful solution that has been confused. After all, initially the woman did not even think about taking sin at heart. Dmitry Ivanovich accentuates readers' attention on the intermediate state of Catherine's affection, caused by the association with flowers, just before the jump to the Volga.
The personality of the Kabanovs' daughter-in-law is in itself deeply contradictory, the woman does not foresee and does not calculate her actions, other people do it for her. Kabaniha grumbles - she is in hysterics, Boris looked at her - she fell in love, Varvara arranged a date - she went. Quite ironically reveals the image of the heroine Ostrovsky article "Motives of Russian drama." Pisarev at the same time calls into question the reasonableness of Dobrolyubov's position in relation to the image of Katerina, which idealizes her inner world. He characterizes the position of Dobrolyubov as a point of view of an esthete, but not a citizen, who bears for the priority maintenance of piety.
Conclusion
Why did Dmitri Ivanovich return to the description of this work four years after the deafeningly successful article by Dobrolyubov, "The Ray of Light in the Dark Realm"? He, evidently, was outraged by the exaltation of the image, devoid of "clever principle". It is for the statement of a balanced, unbiased view of one of the best Russian dramatic works Pisarev writes, "Motives of Russian drama." A brief summary patiently brings us to an understanding of what can be called "light" in human relations. A brilliant critic concludes that light in the public context is the facilitation of reducing the suffering of other people. Adherence to the idea of abolishing autocracy cost him imprisonment in the Peter and Paul Fortress. It was in prison, when Pisarev himself was allowed to write, that the article "The Motives of Russian Drama" was born.