Text based on the play by A.N. Ostrovsky "Thunderstorm"
Katerina and Varvara. Who are they - antipodes or “friends in misfortune”?
Katerina and Varvara are young women from a merchant family. They have similarities and differences.
Both of them are from the same environment; both of them were not given the opportunity to receive at least the basics, the foundations of a secular education in childhood. Their consciousness, tastes, their worldview are formed by the folk culture close to them.
Merchant, petty bourgeois population, peasantry in the 60s of the XIX century. - these were classes close in cultural level, where people often had approximate ideas about art and education, and the features of everyday life, communication, and aesthetic concepts, in their understanding, sometimes took rather simple, unpretentious forms.
Katerina is a woman gifted with both a sensitive heart and a passionate imagination. While visiting the church, she is delighted by visions of paintings where “smoke is moving in the bright sky” and “angels... are flying and singing.” She dreams of “golden temples” and “trees and mountains”, which are depicted on icons.
Her parental home, generous and rich as a merchant, was visited by many wanderers and praying mantises.
Katerina listened to their prayers, parables and endless stories, often built on crude superstitions, and believed everything without reasoning.
Her faith in goodness, her sympathetic heart, the creative principle of her soul processed these “materials” into wonderful images and visions. And the pictures of nature, the boundless Volga distances gave rise to the desire in her to “fly into the field and fly from cornflower to cornflower, like a butterfly.”
Varvara, Katerina’s relative, has the same life and upbringing as her, the main character of the play. But the lifestyle of both young Kabanovs, daughter and daughter-in-law of Marfa Ignatievna, has only superficially similar features. For Katerina, “it was so good” in her parents’ house, and in her husband’s house, “everything seemed to be out of captivity.” Old Kabanova, the young woman’s mother-in-law, creates an oppressive atmosphere in the family, imposing her own rules on the household and forcing them to live according to the laws of Domostroev’s antiquity.
The despotism and callousness of the soul of the old merchant's wife make Katerina and Varvara want to do their own thing, contrary to the will of “mama.”
For Katerina, the behavior of her mother-in-law gives rise not only to protest in itself, but also to the desire to protect herself and prove her right to be an individual, a woman worthy of respect.
A meeting with Boris, an intelligent young man from an educated environment, changes the life of a merchant's daughter-in-law. A powerful impulse of love that shook her soul sweeps away all conventions and obstacles on a woman’s path to happiness and leads to adultery. However, retribution for the “sin” had to either break the will of young Kabanova, forever disgracing her in public opinion, or destroy her physically. And Katerina deliberately chooses suicide, not coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, with the evil condemnation of others. She passes away without accepting the laws of those people with whom she was doomed to remain until the end of her days.
Varvara, like Katerina, is a strong personality. But in her soul there is no subtlety of experiences, she looks at the world very soberly and is confident that she must defend her right to happiness at any cost.
Her connection with Kudryash, the advice given to Katerina to secretly meet with Boris, the ability to lie and pretend, as well as her escape from home from her mother’s tyranny - all indicate that she has her own life line, her own truth, which differs from Katerina’s truth.
What does each of them expect in the future? Katerina wants to enjoy life and be honest before God and people.
Varvara strives to obtain happiness at any cost, even at the cost of cunning and lies.
Katerina and Varvara are not antipodes; They are brought together by living conditions in the same family and the desire for freedom, as they understand it.
In the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" Katerina can be classified as the first type, and Varvara as the second type. Katerina is a poetic person, she feels the beauty of nature. “I used to get up early in the morning, summer, so I would go to the spring, wash myself, bring some water with me and that’s it, water all the flowers in the house. I had many, many flowers,” says Katerina about her childhood. She is constantly drawn to beauty, her dreams are filled with miracles. Katerina often sees herself in the form of a bird, which emphasizes the romantic sublimity of her soul. But in the Kabanovs’ house they don’t understand her; she is constantly oppressed by the mistress.
Katerina dreams of children: “If only they were someone’s children!” Eco woe! I don’t have children: I would still sit with them and amuse them. I really like talking to children – they are angels.” What a loving mother and wife Katerina would have made in other conditions.
Katerina’s sincere religiosity is very different from the religiosity of Kabanikha and Dikiy, for whom religion is a dark force that suppresses the will of a person. For Katerina, this is the poetic world of fairy-tale images: “...I loved going to church to death! Exactly, it happened that I would enter heaven, and I didn’t see anyone, and I didn’t remember the time, and I didn’t hear when the service was over,” she recalls.
Honest, sincere and principled, she is not capable of the falsehood and deception that other residents of Kalinov live by. Her life turns out to be unbearable. But Katerina is a very strong person, and therefore she is fighting against the “dark kingdom.”
Katerina cannot get used to the cruel world of wild animals and boars; she strives to defend the freedom of her personality. The image of Katerina is similar to the image that flows, as required by her natural property. According to Dobrolyubov, her behavior reveals a “decisive, integral Russian character,” which “will withstand itself, despite any obstacles, and when there is not enough strength, it dies, but will not betray itself.”
A completely different Varvara appears before us. She is not superstitious and is not afraid of thunderstorms. Varvara does not consider it obligatory to observe customs. She was able to adapt to the behavior of the people around her. She hopes that by getting married, she will be able to escape from this “dark kingdom.” Varvara despises her brother’s spinelessness and her mother’s heartlessness, but she does not understand and support Katerina in everything.
Varvara is a child of the “dark kingdom”. She does not at all agree with his laws, but she has to put up with it and adapt to the world around her. If she, like Katerina, had not lived her whole life in the “dark kingdom,” then perhaps Varvara could also rebel against him. But still she turned out to be much weaker than Katerina. That is why the external circumstances that developed around her broke her will and destroyed her inner world.
Thus, Ostrovsky, with the help of two images of Katerina and Varvara, was able to show in his play the essence of different types of people, compare their behavior, compare their behavior, attitude to life, and bring out their weaknesses.
The playwright contrasts her with a girl who is part of the provincial world and looks at life soberly. Her soul is devoid of something sublime, not as deep and complex as Katerina’s. This is Varvara Kabanova.
The two heroines of the play differ from each other, but they are united by the realism of the image, which gives both images special significance.
Compared to the residents of the city, Katerina stands out for her spiritual qualities. Her otherness is striking. Kudryash, in a conversation with Boris, easily recognizes the heroine by two or three phrases, when Dikiy’s nephew admires Katerina and highlights her characteristic features: “...she has an angelic smile on her face, but her face seems to glow.” Thus, through the assessment of those around us, we learn about the angel-like nature of young Kabanova, her kinship with the sky, which explains Katerina’s sensitivity to thunderstorms, her painful reaction to electrical discharges that seem to pass through her. Ostrovsky’s heroine thinks she is a bird, she dreams of landscapes, “as in images.” Tikhon's wife connects the high and distant worlds, like an angel being a mediator between heaven and earth.
Katerina’s story about her childhood reveals the infantile purity of her soul. The girl is innocent and angelic, like any child. As a child she was very close to God. This is evident both in her ability to see angels and in her dreams. But such closeness is akin to the mental state of a holy fool. Katerina does not know the world, she has not been touched by sin, there is no place for Christian achievement in her life. The mother’s house was a paradise for the girl, which made the heroine a carefree “angel”, alien to the cruel everyday life.
Katerina’s unusualness is also emphasized by the fact that she lives outside of time. Its existence is eternal and not limited by any boundaries. The girl talks about the church: “...and I don’t see anyone, and I don’t remember the time, and I don’t hear when the service will end. Exactly how it all happened in one second.” Such a timeless existence is the ultimate dream of already married Katerina
: “...we’ll sit down to sew with Varvara and won’t see how time passes...” Tikhon’s sister doesn’t care about such subtleties. It is entirely connected with the sluggish current time of the city of Kalinov and the land.
This is emphasized even by the surname. The boar, one of the most down-to-earth animals, is the totem of Marfa Ignatievna’s family, and therefore Varvara’s. Childhood was unable to instill in the girl a particle of the light and warmth that Katerina radiates. Varvara was forced to be cunning and cunning. Her task is to find a way, without entering into open conflict with her mother, to disobey her.
Sister Tikhon notices the strangeness of Katerina; she feels sorry for the fading girl, but cannot explain her behavior and words. For Varvara, the life of a young wife as a child is not much different from life in Kabanikha’s house. “But it’s the same with us,” she says. Katerina physically feels the heaviness of the order in her new home, and with the relocation to which the main contradiction appears between the heroine and the city. Tikhon’s wife must subordinate her will to “Domostroy” and Kabanikha’s tyranny. But already in the first scene with Katerina’s participation, we see that she fails to do this. During Kabanikha’s “complaining,” the daughter-in-law refrains from responding as long as she can. Only extreme injustice forces Katerina to enter into a dialogue with “mama.” The very first phrases of the heroine make it clear to us that she is not at all like her weak-willed husband. “Yes, by the way, why are you offending me?” - she says to Kabanikha.
In this scene, the open and freedom-loving Katerina is clearly contrasted with her entire new family: the spineless Tikhon, the jealous Marfa Ignatievna, the cunning Varvara, whose character is revealed here quite fully. All of Tikhon’s sister’s remarks are directed “to the side.”
She has her own opinion, but prefers not to interfere, not to enter into conflict. “Shut up and covered” is her basic principle, which Varvara will talk about later. This rule helps the girl survive. In the city of Kalinov, Katerina’s real life begins, not isolated from problems. As a result, Ostrovsky’s heroine comes to realize the inevitability of death. Death is the price to pay for life. That is why young Kabanova, following a logic that only she understands, so quickly moves from memories of childhood to death, and then to a new life: “I will die soon... something bad is happening to me, some kind of miracle!.. Exactly.” I’m starting to live again..."
Katerina understands too well the inextricable connection between life and death. The whirlpool turns out to be an inevitable reality for her. Katerina foresees her future, which is why she is frightened by the lady’s spells, in whose words she hears only confirmation of her own premonitions.
In the new house, Katerina’s unhindered connection with God is interrupted. The heroine speaks about her magical dreams: “And now sometimes I dream, but rarely, and not even that.” Young Kabanova subconsciously feels the need to restore what was lost. The means of returning to God is love for Boris, a sinful, according to traditional concepts, passion. Katerina completely surrenders to this feeling. There is enormous strength in this behavior of the heroine, despite the fact that young Kabanova says: “I have no will.” Katerina herself decides to give her fate into the hands of her loved one, and this voluntary “slavery” has nothing to do with the lack of will and humiliation of other characters. But for Katerina herself, her act is a sin, so the heroine, realizing the inevitability of her own death, voluntarily chooses the abyss: “... I would keep walking... and would not look back.” Katerina has no other choice, she doesn’t want to live in such a way that everything is “tied up and covered up,” she can’t leave: Boris refuses to take Katerina with him because he lives “not of his own free will.” And are there any places where Katerina’s freedom-loving soul could be consoled?
If in the “righteous” land, where “beauty is poured out in nature,” a young woman does not find a place for herself, then what should she do there, where “Saltans rule the land” and “people with dog heads.” There is only one road left - into the pool. But at the same time, this is a road into an environment of light and air, a path to God. "To the grave... to the ground."
She can’t stand living with “mama” and Varvara. She runs with Curly. Only sister Tikhon protests only against the unpleasant, annoying grumbling. Her escape is not going to a better world, but getting rid of minor troubles. Thus, even somewhat similar actions of Varvara and Katerina even better reveal the contradictions between them. None of the heroines, of course, can evoke a sharp negative attitude in us, but none of them will become an ideal. One like Katerina can only be born; You cannot become a mediator. This calling determines the character of Tikhon’s young wife. The life of the down-to-earth Varvara, in my opinion, is too prosaic, her aspirations and worldview are too simple.
Thus, my life position cannot coincide with the positions of Ostrovsky’s heroines. I can only admire God’s chosen Katerina.
In "The Thunderstorm" Varvara and Katerina are two truly female characters. These two girls embody two different approaches to life, to the world, to the rules of the game. However, it would be a mistake to contrast the images of Katerina and Varvara in The Thunderstorm. For a number of reasons, these two heroines are best considered inextricably linked. The actions of one hero more colorfully illustrate the character of the other, as if shading it, and vice versa. These characters are interesting in themselves, but with the analysis and detailed comparative characteristics of Katerina and Varvara from Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm,” new facets of each image are revealed. By comparing the heroines of “The Thunderstorm,” you can much better understand the character traits of each character.
What can the reader say about Varvara and Katerina when he first sees the heroines in the most familiar setting: Tikhon obediently agrees with his mother, and Kabanikha blames Katerina for everything, simultaneously complaining about life? Girls behave differently. You can notice that all of Varvara’s remarks are accompanied by a remark “to herself.”
That is, the girl expresses her opinion and dissatisfaction with the current situation, but prefers that no one knows about her thoughts: “Kabanova. Elders are not very respected these days. Varvara (to herself). I won’t respect you, of course!”, “Varvara (to herself). I found a place for instructions to read.” Katerina is not afraid to speak openly about her feelings. Katya feels offended by groundless accusations of something she didn’t do: “You’re in vain saying this about me, Mama. Whether in front of people or without people, I’m still alone, I don’t prove anything of myself.”
Although it is more logical to assume that it is the daughter, that is, Varvara, who will voice complaints to her mother. Nevertheless, when Kabanikha leaves, Varvara, unlike Katerina, attacks Tikhon: what kind of husband is this who cannot protect his wife from the tyranny of her mother-in-law. Varvara is disgusted to look at Tikhon, she understands how pathetic and lack of initiative he is. She feels sorry for Katya, who is forced to live with Tikhon. It is a mistake to believe that Katya does not notice Tikhon’s shortcomings, but she is above self-pity. And it’s not pity that she needs from Varvara.
Here another side of the characters is revealed, the images of Katerina and Varvara in “The Thunderstorm” are revealed in a new way. It’s not so much about strength of character and personal qualities, but about spiritual depth. All residents of Kalinov are opposed to the image of Katerina on the principle of pettiness - breadth of soul. Varvara is different from the Kalinovites, but still it is impossible to talk about the same deep understanding of the world. Katya feels the world incredibly subtly, every breath, every ray of the sun. She is religious, so Christian images and symbols (for example, angels and singing) are of great importance in her worldview.
Varvara, who was brought up differently, cannot understand all metaphysics, she is not able to immerse herself in the sphere of the immanent, she is not allowed to feel like a free bird locked in a cage. No, Varvara does not feel the world so well, but she knows life very well. Kabanikha’s daughter has no illusions about the people around her; she decides to play by the proposed rules, while saving face. Its main principle is that everything should be “closet” and no one should find out anything. Varvara seems much older than Katerina precisely because of such a pragmatic and even somewhat cynical attitude towards life, which is not characteristic of the girl’s young age. There is a feeling that Varvara does not need sympathy, because she is able to stand up for herself. But Katerina, fragile and tender, only needs understanding, which no one is able to give her. Varvara listens, but does not hear Katya’s monologues. And life before the wedding with Kabanov seems to Varvara the same as after marriage: Varvara does not understand the tragedy of the loss of inner freedom.
Katerina tends to reflect more on the topic of relationships and feelings. Love for Boris initially frightens Katya, so the girl tries to abandon the experiences that have arisen. For Varvara, such a situation is, in principle, impossible, because if she likes a young man, she goes out with him, and if she likes another, then, accordingly, she goes out with him. She has learned to hide it, so she offers this option to Katya. But Katerina refuses. She understands the responsibility that betrayal and lies entail. It’s hard for Varvara to see the girl’s suffering, so she arranges a meeting with Boris on Katya’s behalf.
It should be mentioned that it was Varvara who came up with a way to sneak out of the house unnoticed in the evening. She changed the lock on the gate and talked the maid into it. It is unlikely that Katerina would have done so many manipulations and resorted to so many tricks. For a long time, the girl could not decide to simply go out to her lover and look him in the eyes.
Varvara tried to the last to persuade Katya not to talk about secret meetings with Boris, but Katya was determined to confess to what she had done. Girls look at this situation from different points of view. For Varvara, the main thing was her own happiness, which could have been cut short. And by keeping silent, secret meetings could continue. Katya Kabanova thought differently. For her, these were not just night walks with someone she liked. Katya had to make a difficult choice, realizing that deception and betrayal are sins both in Christianity and in society. Further lies and hiding her feelings could worsen the heroine's internal discord. The girl could not live in harmony with herself, knowing that she was deceiving everyone, including herself.
Girls strive for freedom, but for Varvara freedom of movement is more important, freedom that is realized in the material world, while Katerina strives for freedom of spirit. At the end of the play, the author removes both heroines from the work. Katerina throws herself into the Volga, thus gaining freedom. Varvara runs away from home. Why is Varvara’s path impossible for Katerina? Because it would still be a lie to oneself, not the acquisition of long-awaited freedom, but an escape. Katerina would be haunted by the ghosts of the past and would be tormented by her conscience.
Work test
The play “The Thunderstorm” begins with a wild song, sung by Kuligin, a man who deeply feels beauty and knows how to express his feelings:
Among the flat valley, On the smooth heights, the tall oak blossoms and grows in mighty beauty.
It is unlikely that the author accidentally chose this particular song, the verses of which were written at the beginning of the century. Against its background, the themes that will be developed in “The Thunderstorm” sound stronger: the beauty and ugliness of life, tyranny that arises on the basis of unlimited power, the omnipotence of house-building, protest against the humiliation of man, the substitution of moral values. A. N. Ostrovsky always respected human dignity in people and supported the bright beginning in the individual. He never shied away from difficult issues of society. His works are “plays of life”, and the characters in the plays are people of his era. They commit good and bad deeds, love, cheat, some live according to God's laws, others live immorally. These are not just signs of a bygone time, these are symptoms of a serious and protracted illness, which, unfortunately, we still have to fight today.
Two such different characters are young women Katerina and Varvara. These images still bear the stamp of straightforward assessments made long ago. Perhaps not without the influence of the words dropped by N. Dobrolyubov and D. Pisarev in their articles about the play “The Thunderstorm”. If you remove them, you can see and feel how difficult the play “The Thunderstorm” is. Katerina’s self-awareness is complex; she does not want and cannot act as those around her demand of her or as the laws of house-building dictate. Katerina’s sincerity and spontaneity cannot meet with understanding in Kabanova’s house. Katerina’s soul is cramped and difficult in an atmosphere of lies, deceit, and mistrust. Varvara is not capable, like Katerina, of analyzing the words and actions of those around her, of thinking, of distinguishing between good and evil. She has a passive acceptance of life...
Many readers, especially my peers, are convinced that Varvara’s attitude to everything that happens is common sense, this is the understanding of life. And her love is completely earthly, without torment or insight. And she doesn’t understand Katerina: “she’s kind of tricky...”. Indeed, in a world that is cruel and primitive in views and feelings, do we need people who look at the sky and ask: “Why don’t people fly like birds?” It wouldn’t even occur to Varvara...
There are different types of conflicts: external and internal. The play has both. The internal conflict occurring in Katerina’s mind, in her heart, leads to tragedy. Varvara has her own opinion about all Katerina’s experiences, a simplified one: if you love, love, if you want to go on a date, go, don’t torture yourself, don’t torment your soul. Of course, it is easier to live according to such a simplified scheme: do not ask yourself questions, do not repent, do not seek understanding from others... Kindness and forgiveness. Varvara does not think about these questions; for Katerina they are important. Who else is thinking about this in drama? Kuligin. “You would forgive her and never remember her... she would be a good wife for you, sir; look - better than any... - Kuligin says to Tikhon. “A good person, sir, is one who can and wants to feel sorry for another.” He understands how much a person needs it. Will Varvara understand? I doubt. It seems that all feelings pass her by; she has her own “arithmetic of life and feelings.” In one of the scenes, Varvara has two lines spoken “to herself”: “I won’t respect you, of course!”; “I found a place for instructions to read!” This is about Kabanova. Varvara is bolder, livelier, more cunning than Tikhon and Katerina. Her limited life experience tells her that for her own peace of mind and to avoid troubles, it is better to live according to the principle of “closet and cover,” to deceive, to deceive. And she doesn’t see anything immoral in this, she is not tormented by remorse, she tries to take everything she can from life with the least possible losses. True, her requests are small: to walk to her heart’s content with Curly and not have to account to her mother for every step she takes.
Katerina's death is predetermined by the fact that she lives surrounded by people where there is no forgiveness, where they do not know how to understand and feel sorry. And a world in which there is no mercy is doomed. Varvara simply doesn’t need this... But Katerina couldn’t live!
The drama “The Thunderstorm”, created by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky, is the most significant and thorough work, which became the result of the first half of the author’s work. In the drama, Ostrovsky resorted to his favorite themes, depicting a family conflict from the point of view of internal dramatic development, giving it a decisive denouement and, thus, for the first time he went beyond the boundaries of the comedy genre. In his work, the author portrayed a more significant character than in his previous plays.
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His Katerina is a woman who has willpower and an extraordinary character. But these same qualities are also inherent in Varvara, another heroine of the play, who cannot bypass the straightforward prohibitions of the Domostroevsky world in her love. At the same time, Varvara’s feelings and requests are too small. Katerina has not only strength, but also depth of soul, moral greatness, vague and unconscious romantic aspirations. Katerina's soul opens up in a conversation with Varvara. “Why don’t people fly like birds?” Katerina sometimes thinks she is a bird. She so wants to run up, raise her arms and fly! Katerina was characterized by her aspirations even before her marriage, when she was brought up in patriarchal merchant conditions. Her mother “doted on” her daughter; the house was always full of pilgrims and praying mantises, and there were a lot of flowers. This environment contributed to the development of the girl’s dreaminess; her dreams were religious and exalted. These conditions contributed to strengthening in Katerina’s awareness the norms of patriarchal obedience, which was supported by the indisputable authority of religion. Patriarchal house-building aroused religious and romantic dreaminess in the heroine, which became a death sentence for her. The girl’s mother believed that Katerina could love any husband, so she gave her to the Kabanovs’ house without love, but with benefit. But this was a completely different family, with different foundations - everything here happens not from the heart, but involuntarily.
Varvara was used to living in such an atmosphere. She does not hesitate to deceive her mother. Outwardly, the girl is subordinate to the power of her mother, but inside we see protest in her. At the same time, she does not think at all that her double life is shameful; she is used to it. If you can’t do without deception, then what can you do, the whole Kabanov house rests on that. Varvara and Katerina teach deception. But the atmosphere in which she has to live is alien to Katerina... She does not love Tikhon, who is narrow-minded and weak-willed; she feels only contempt for her evil and grumpy mother-in-law. Katerina’s romantic aspirations are cramped in the Kabanovs’ house, and they result in love for Boris. At first, the girl tried to suppress this sinful feeling in herself, but she could not resist it. She sincerely and deeply experiences her betrayal of her husband. Katerina is afraid of the sin she has committed, but she is not afraid of human judgment, she is afraid of God’s judgment. The thunderstorm for her is that divine punishment that should bring her death. Katerina is afraid to die without repentance, while Varvara is afraid to vegetate from boredom. Her “philosophy” is different - she wants to live a cheerful life, she has her own rules of life, which do not prohibit her from deceiving and dodging. Her mother pushed the girl on this path. Katerina confesses her sin to Tikhon, this is her desire for freedom, an attempt to escape from the Domostroev prison, at least at the cost of her life. The girl is ready to run away with Boris, but he doesn’t want it. Katerina, abandoned by her lover, prefers to die rather than return to her husband in the hated family bondage. Varvara's situation is completely different. She has no obligations, nothing connects her with her family, only unpleasant memories, she does not experience family affection or filial gratitude. This allows her to calmly leave with Curly, without thinking about the consequences.
