The city of Kalinov on the banks of the Volga. Brief description of the city of Kalinova (Ostrovsky A
The plot of the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" takes place in the city of Kalinov off the banks of the Volga. Here the author reveals many characters with a wide variety of personalities. As events unfold, new sides of their personalities are revealed to us, most often not the most pleasant.
The central place in the work is given to the Kabanov family - the mother of the family Kabanikha, her son Tikhon, daughter Varvara, daughter-in-law Katerina. Relationships in the family are built in the most complex way, each member is concentrated only on himself and cannot find mutual language with no one else. A more detailed description should begin with main character plays by Katerina Kabanova.
The girl Katerina grew up in a loving family, and from childhood she was surrounded by the care and kindness of her parents. She often remembers that happy time and often talks about it. She prays a lot, just like she used to do in parental home, and as he sees fit. Having married Tikhon, she did not find the happiness and love she dreamed of. Tikhon's husband does not take her into account, does not protect her and does not show any kindness on his part. The boar constantly humiliates, clings to the poor girl, does not let her live. And yet, despite these sorrows, she still believes in goodness and remains just as pure and naive. This must have contributed to her falling in love with Dikiy’s visiting nephew.
Boris, just like Katerina, strives to be free from the shackles that society imposes. He does not accept the practices that are accepted in Kalinov, denies them with all his might and wants to remain untouched by the hypocrisy that lives in this city. But despite this, it turned out that Boris himself was not far from the local residents, since, as he himself admitted, he came only for his uncle’s inheritance. He falls in love with Katerina, but was not ready to do anything for love like she did. The inheritance of the merchant uncle still remained more significant for him. Boris leaves, and despite Katerina’s requests to take her with him, he leaves alone so as not to anger Dikiy.
Tikhon Kabanov himself, as a person, is of no interest. He is rather a shadow of his authoritarian mother, who suppressed all the masculinity in this puny man with her pressure. He is incapable of making independent decisions, does not show any emotions, is cold towards his wife and never protects her from Kabanikha’s attacks, showing cowardice that is unforgivable for a man. This is not because he is emotionless, but rather simply because he is stupid and spineless. As he himself admits, he is not smart, and therefore obeys his mother in everything. Because of his stupidity, Tikhon is not able to admit any guilt after the death of his wife - he blames his mother for everything.
A guy with a girl. Kabanikha is perhaps the main antagonist in this story - a rich merchant’s wife who is accustomed to the fact that all her orders and wishes are immediately carried out. She terrorizes her entire family, not giving them a free breath, especially strangling Katerina with her despotism. Kabanikha’s masculine character is not capable of making anyone happy, not even himself. Her callousness was the cause of many tragic events in the play.
Varvara Kabanova, the daughter of Kabanikha, showed herself to be a resourceful person. She learned to cope with her mother's oppression and adapt to all the tension and bad atmosphere that lingered in their home. She, if she wishes, goes on dates with Kudryash, who works for Dikiy, and eventually runs away with him. She arranged meetings for Katerina and Boris, guessing that Katerina was in love. Unlike honest Katerina, Varvara has long been accustomed to lying, hiding and constantly dodging, and therefore suffered the least loss in this story.
The rest of the characters in the play - Dikoy, Kudryash, and others - fully correspond to the picture presented by Ostrovsky. The city of Kalinov is a place where light and goodness do not coexist; on the contrary, they are crushed and trampled, as if completely unnecessary. Its inhabitants - one worth another - demonstrate an example of hopeless existence without purpose and values, bringing with it cold and gloominess, which fully justifies the title of the play - “The Thunderstorm”.
The city of Kalinov on the Volga is a fictional place with all the features inherent provincial cities Russia. Ostrovsky borrowed part of the plot while on vacation in the Kostroma province. The author, represented by Kuligin, shows that people do not see the natural beauty of this city at all, noticing only its blackness. Ostrovsky in his work shows Kalinov in a state of deep discord among its inhabitants. The division in the city shows the diversity of characters and behavior of the characters in the play.
There are also old townspeople who do not want to break the traditions of their ancestors. Among them: Kabanikha, Dikoy, Feklusha. Many citizens are not happy with the current state of affairs in the city. Most other provincial cities are developing and becoming more in demand. And in the city of Kalinov, the old interferes with the new, life here looks dull and monotonous. And therefore, people of the new generation (such as Varvara, Kudryash, Tikhon, Boris) resist the old generation, dreaming of escaping from this “Dark Kingdom”. The depressing situation is shown by Katerina Kabanova, who feels like she’s in a cage in the city. As a child, she lived for her own pleasure, and upon arriving in Kalinov, she realized that her free life would soon end. The city worsens the heroine's mood, and she jumps off a cliff.
Ostrovsky in his work “The Thunderstorm” wanted to show all the isolation of the fictional city, and that Kalinov will not change until the people who live in it change.
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Cruel morals in our city, cruel...
A.N. Ostrovsky, "The Thunderstorm".
The city of Kalinov, in which the action of “The Thunderstorm” takes place, is outlined by the author very vaguely. Such a place could be any town in any corner of vast Russia. This immediately increases and generalizes the scale of the events described.
Preparations for the reform to abolish serfdom are in full swing, which affects the life of all of Russia. Outdated orders give way to new ones, previously unknown phenomena and concepts arise. Therefore, even in remote towns like Kalinov, ordinary people are worried when they hear the steps of a new life.
What is this “city on the banks of the Volga”? What kind of people live there? The stage nature of the work does not allow the writer to directly answer these questions with his thoughts, but it is still possible to get a general idea about them.
Externally, the city of Kalinov is a “blessed place.” It stands on the banks of the Volga, from the steepness of the river an “extraordinary view” opens. But most local residents “have either taken a closer look or don’t understand” this beauty and speak disdainfully about it. Kalinov seems to be separated by a wall from the rest of the world. They don’t know anything here about what’s going on in the world. Residents of Kalinov are forced to draw all information about the world around them from the stories of “wanderers” who “they themselves have not walked far, but have heard a lot.” This satisfaction of curiosity leads to ignorance of the majority of citizens. They talk quite seriously about the lands “where people have dog heads” and that “Lithuania fell from the sky.” Among the residents of Kalinov there are people who “don’t give an account to anyone” for their actions; ordinary people, accustomed to such lack of accountability, lose the ability to see logic in anything.
Kabanova and Dikoy, living according to the old order, are forced to give up their positions. This embitters them and makes them even more furious. Dikoy attacks everyone he meets with abuse and “doesn’t want to know anyone.” Aware internally that there is nothing to respect him for, he, however, reserves the right to deal with the “little people” like this:
If I want, I will have mercy, if I want, I will crush.
Kabanova relentlessly pesters her family with ridiculous demands that contradict common sense. She is scary because she reads instructions “under the guise of piety,” but she herself cannot be called pious. This can be seen from Kuligin’s conversation with Kabanov:
Kuligin: We must forgive our enemies, sir!
Kabanov: Go and talk to your mother, what will she say to you about this.
Dikoy and Kabanova still seem strong, but they begin to realize that their strength is coming to an end. They have “nowhere to rush,” but life moves forward without asking their permission. That’s why Kabanova is so gloomy, she can’t imagine “how the light will stand” when her ways are forgotten. But those around, not yet feeling the powerlessness of these tyrants, are forced to adapt to them,
Tikhon, deep down a kind person, came to terms with his situation. He lives and acts as “mama ordered,” having finally lost the ability to “live with his own mind.”
His sister Varvara is not like that. Tyrant oppression did not break her will, she is bolder and much more independent than Tikhon, but her conviction “if only everything was sewn and covered” suggests that Varvara was unable to fight her oppressors, but only adapted to them.
Vanya Kudryash, a daring and strong character, has become accustomed to tyrants and is not afraid of them. The Wild One needs him and knows this, he will not “slave in front of him.” But the use of rudeness as a weapon of struggle means that Kudryash can only “take an example” from the Wild One, defending himself from him with his own techniques. His reckless daring reaches the point of self-will, and this already borders on tyranny.
Katerina is, as the critic Dobrolyubov put it, “a ray of light in a dark kingdom.” Original and lively, she is not like any of the characters in the play. What gives her inner strength is her folk character. But this strength is not enough to withstand Kabanova’s relentless attacks. Katerina is looking for support - and does not find it. Exhausted, unable to further resist oppression, Katerina still did not give up, but left the fight, committing suicide.
Kalinov can be located in any corner of the country, and this allows us to consider the action of the play on a scale throughout Russia. Tyrants are living out their days everywhere; weak people still suffer from their antics. But life moves tirelessly forward, no one can stop its rapid flow. A fresh and strong stream will sweep away the dam of tyranny... Characters freed from oppression will spill out in all their breadth - and the sun will break out in the “dark kingdom”!
Lesson 33. Topic: Drama "Storm". The city of Kalinov and its inhabitants. Depiction of the “cruel morals” of the “dark kingdom”.
The purpose of the lesson:
Describe the city of Kalinov, find out how people live here,
Answer the question: “Is Dobrolyubov right in calling this city a “dark kingdom”?”
During the classes
1.Checking the assignment: memorize the passage.
2. Image of the city of Kalinov.
We enter the city of Kalinov from the side of the public garden. Let's pause for a minute and look at the Volga, on the banks of which there is a garden. Beautiful! Eye-catching! So Kuligin also says: “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices!” People probably live here peaceful, calm, measured and kind. Is it so? How is the city of Kalinov shown?
Tasks for the analysis of two monologues by Kuligin
(action 1, phenomenon 3; action 3, phenomenon 3)
1. Highlight the words that especially vividly characterize life in the city.
"Cruel morals"; “rudeness and naked poverty”; “You can never earn more than your daily bread through honest work”; “trying to enslave the poor”; “to make even more money from free labor”; “I won’t pay a penny extra”; “trade is undermined out of envy”; “they are at enmity”, etc. - these are the principles of life in the city.
2. Highlight the words that especially clearly characterize life in the family.
“They made the boulevard, but they don’t walk”; “the gates are locked and the dogs are unleashed”; “so that people don’t see how they eat their family and tyrannize their family”; “tears flow behind these constipations, invisible and inaudible”; “behind these castles there is dark debauchery and drunkenness”, etc. - these are the principles of family life.
Conclusion. If it’s so bad in Kalinov, then why is the wonderful view of the Volga shown at the beginning? Why is the same beautiful nature shown in the scene of the meeting between Katerina and Boris? It turns out that the city of Kalinov is contradictory. On the one hand, this is a wonderful place, on the other, life in this city is terrible. Beauty is preserved only in that it does not depend on the owners of the city; they cannot subjugate the beautiful nature. Only poetic people capable of sincere feelings see it. People’s relationships are ugly, their lives “behind bars and gates.”
Issues for discussion
1. How can you evaluate Feklushi’s monologues (act 1, scene 2; act 3, scene 1)? How does the city appear in her perception? (Bla-alepye, wondrous beauty, promised land, paradise and silence.)
2. What technique does the author use when talking about life in the city? (Reception of contrast.)
3. What are the people like who live here? (The residents are ignorant and uneducated, they believe Feklusha’s stories, which show her darkness and illiteracy: a story about a fiery snake; about someone with a black face; about time that is becoming shorter (act 3, scene 1); about other countries (action 2, phenomenon 1). The Kalinovites believe that Lithuania fell from the sky (act 4, phenomenon 1), they are afraid of thunderstorms (act 4, phenomenon 4).)
4. How is it different from the residents of the city of Kuligin? (An educated man, a self-taught mechanic, his surname resembles the surname of the Russian inventor Kulibin. The hero subtly senses the beauty of nature and aesthetically stands above other characters: he sings songs, quotes Lomonosov. Kuligin advocates for the improvement of the city, tries to persuade Dikiy to give money for a sundial, for lightning rod, tries to influence the residents, educate them, explaining the thunderstorm as a natural phenomenon. Thus, Kuligin personifies the best part of the city's residents, but he is alone in his aspirations, so he is considered an eccentric. He is embodied in the image of the hero eternal motive burning from my mind.)
5. Who can we consider “masters of the city”? How do these heroes appear on stage? (The playwright uses the stage technique of a prepared appearance - first others talk about the characters, and then they themselves go on stage.)
6. Who prepares their appearance? (Kudryash introduces Dikiy, Feklush introduces Kabaniha.)
7. How are the characters of Wild and Kabanikha revealed in their speech characteristics?
Wild | Kabanikha |
About him: | About her: |
Himself: | She herself: |
Conclusion. Dikoy - scolder, rude, tyrant; feels his power over people | Conclusion. Kabanikha is a prude, does not tolerate will and insubordination, acts out of fear |
General conclusion. The Boar is more terrible than the Wild One, since her behavior is hypocritical. Dikoy is a scolder, a tyrant, but all his actions are open. Kabanikha, hiding behind religion and concern for others, suppresses the will. She is most afraid that someone will live in their own way, by their own will.
The results of the actions of these heroes:
- the talented Kuligin is considered an eccentric and says: “There is nothing to do, we must submit!”;
- kind, but weak-willed Tikhon drinks and dreams of breaking out of the house: “... and with this kind of bondage you will run away from whatever beautiful wife you want”; he is completely subordinate to his mother;
- Varvara adapted to this world and began to deceive: “And I wasn’t a deceiver before, but I learned when it became necessary”;
- educated Boris is forced to adapt to the tyranny of the Wild in order to receive an inheritance.
So it breaks " dark kingdom"not bad people, forcing them to endure and remain silent.
3. Getting ready for the Unified State Exam
Why, judging by Katerina’s stories, is the world in which she grew up so different from Kalinov’s? Which answer options do you prefer?
1) As is usually typical for a person, Katerina idealizes the past and her parents’ home.
2) Ostrovsky introduces a story about Katerina’s childhood in order to further highlight the painful atmosphere of her present life, life in Kalinov in general.
3) Ostrovsky wants to show that Russia is going through a time of historical breakdown; patriarchal, conflict-free relationships are a thing of the past; the time has come when human personality strives for freedom.
Lesson summary. The city of Kalinov is a typical second city in Russia half of the 19th century V. Most likely, A. N. Ostrovsky saw something similar during his travels along the Volga. Life in the city is a reflection of a situation where the old does not want to give up its positions and seeks to maintain power by suppressing the will of those around them. Money gives the “masters of life” the right to dictate their will to the “victims”. In a truthful display of such a life, there is the position of the author, calling for it to be changed.
Homework
Describe Katerina;
answer the question: what is the heroine protesting against and how is her protest expressed?
In his works, A. N. Ostrovsky explored various topics: merchants, bureaucrats, nobility, etc. In The Thunderstorm, the playwright turned to the consideration of the provincial town of Kalinov and its inhabitants, which was very unusual for the theater of that time, because the focus was usually on larger cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg.
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"The Thunderstorm", written in 1859, is a work of the pre-reform era. The fates of the heroes reflected the “pre-storm” state of Russian society. Indeed, two years after the release of the drama, serfdom was abolished, radically changing the fate of people.
The structure of city life in some respects coincides with the structure modern society. For example, some mothers often destroy their children with their care. These children grow up to be dependent and unprepared for life, just like Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov.
Returning to the city of Kalinov, it is necessary to say about unspoken laws full of injustice. Life is built according to Domostroy, “he who has money has power”...
These laws were established by the “dark kingdom,” namely Dikoy and Kabanikha. Enemies of everything new, they personify oppressive, unjust power.
Dikoy, Savel Prokofich - merchant, significant person in the city. Dikoy appears as an arrogant, domineering and vile person. He ruins people's lives not only with his speech, which is impossible to imagine without curses, but also with his desire to find material gain in everything, without thinking about the lives of other people.
Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, Kabanikha - a rich merchant's wife, widow. He ruins his son’s life by telling him how to act and live in general. Prude for daughter-in-law. Unlike the Wild One, Kabanikha does not express her thoughts and feelings in front of all people.
All other heroes are victims" dark kingdom". People are oppressed, without the right to free life.
Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov, son of Kabanikha. Slave, flexible. He obeys his mother in everything.
Boris Grigorievich, nephew of Dikiy. He ended up in the city because of an inheritance left by his grandmother, which Dikoy must pay. Boris, like Tikhon, is depressed by the life of the city.
Varvara, Tikhon’s sister, and Kudryash, Dikiy’s clerk, are people who have adapted to city life. “Do whatever you want, as long as it’s safe and covered,” says Varvara.
But not all the heroes finally “gave up” and succumbed to the flow of city life. One Kuligin, a tradesman, a self-taught watchmaker, is trying to fix and improve the life of the city. He sees injustice in the life of the city and is not afraid to speak out about it. “And whoever has money, sir, tries to enslave the poor so that he can make even more money from his free labors.”
And perhaps the most controversial and a kind of hero dramas - Katerina. "Beam of light" or "defeat of darkness"? It is worth noting that feelings arose between Boris and Katerina. But one thing hampered the development of their relationship - Katerina was married to Tikhon. They met only once, but the heroine’s morality haunted her. She found no other way out but to rush into the Volga. Katerina can in no way be called a “defeat of darkness,” because she destroyed outdated moral principles. Not a “ray of light”, but a “ray of freedom” - this is the best way to describe Katerina. Having lost her life, albeit in Ostrovsky’s drama, she gave people hope for the opportunity to be free. Let people at first not know what to do with this freedom, but later they will begin to realize that each of them is capable of much and should not put up with unjust laws hometown or obey your mother's every word.