What is Ostrovsky's thunderstorm?

The short, capacious title of the play immediately attracts attention. What is Ostrovsky 's thunderstorm? 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 argues with local young people (Kudryash, the clerk of the Wild, the philistine Shapkin) about the cruel character and the tyranny of the landowner, Dikoy. Then Boris's nephew appears, 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 obtaining an inheritance is a respectful attitude towards the Wild, which, according to local residents, means that Boris does not have 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 quite cruel. Further, the play "The Storm" (Ostrovsky tried to show in it not only the human tragedy, but also the Russian way of life) reveals the doors of the Kabanovs' house in front of us, where the apparent piety is really hypocrisy and intimacy. On the stage Kabanov appears with the children - Varvara and Tikhon - and Katerina, Tikhon's wife. Katerina appears as a girl who finds herself in unfavorable conditions, in a house where she is not appreciated. Casually it is mentioned that she fell in love with someone, Varvara, however, picks up the idea and proposes to arrange a date with her lover when Tikhon leaves. Katerina is frightened of this proposal, and the insane old woman prophesies misfortune from beauty, which leads to the very pool. A thunder storm is coming.

What is a thunderstorm for Katerina?

This is primarily a presentiment of an imminent disaster. In the second act Tikhon sets off, refusing Katerina to take her with her. Before the departure of the son Kabanikh severely punished his daughter-in-law, how to live, while the husband is away, than offends and humiliates the unrequited girl. Varvara, meanwhile, arranges that they spend the night in the garden, and passes the key to Katerina from the back gate. The next two actions tell how Catherine's fall occurs: she meets Boris and understands that she will not be able to hide her love for him. When Tikhon returns, Katerina publicly confesses that she has betrayed her husband. Tikhon loves his wife and is ready to forgive her, but understands that with Kabanykh it is impossible. Katerina is in a rush - she is ill with the Kabanovs, she misses Boris and does not see a way out of the situation. Boris, whom the Wild as a punishment sends to Siberia, refuses to take his beloved with him for reasons beyond his control. The result of this tragedy is the death of Katerina, during a thunder storm that dropped from the cliff into the river.

What is a thunderstorm for other characters?

Each of the heroes has its own secret or not very sad. Kuligin suffers from the non-recognition of his talent inventor, Wild and Kabanikha - from his conservatism and unwillingness to accept change, Tikhon - from his mother's unrequited character. And for each of them, a thunderstorm is a symbol: Kuligin sees in it the impossibility of experiencing a new invention, which Wild refused to give money to; Wild and Kabanikha - paying for human sins; For Tikhon it symbolizes his loneliness in life. He says this in the finale, referring to his dead wife: "It's good for you, Katya! But why should I live in the world and suffer? "

What is the "storm" today?

According to the play "Groza" the composition is written not one, many critical and literary articles have been published, but they all share one thing - understanding the diversity of the Ostrovskaya storm. The thunderstorm is a symbol not only of the stagnancy of Russian philistinism, but also of an outdated patriarchy. However, do not take the storm only from a negative point of view. It is also a symbol of purification: Katerina was lost, but by death she was atoned for the sin of betrayal. After the storm, the earth will be renewed. After the thunderstorm, the way of life in Russia will change - this is a natural, almost natural process, although not without sacrifices.