Essay love in a patriarchal world. Love in a patriarchal world and its influence on the heroes of Ostrovsky’s play “Poverty is not a vice”
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was called the “Columbus of Zamoskvorechye,” a region of Moscow where people from the merchant class lived. He showed what intense, dramatic life goes on behind high fences, what Shakespearean passions sometimes boil in the souls of representatives of the so-called “simple class” - merchants, shopkeepers, small employees. The patriarchal laws of a world that is becoming a thing of the past seem unshakable, but a warm heart lives according to its own laws - the laws of love and goodness.
The heroes of the play “Poverty is not a vice” seem simple and understandable. Lyubov Tortsova loves Mitya, but does not dare to contradict the will of her father, who decided to give her in marriage to Afrikan Korshunov. The very name of the rich groom speaks for itself, evoking the idea of a wild, predatory nature. He is sure that money can buy everything, and cynically talks about his ex-wife, while simultaneously teaching his bride a lesson: “Love, don’t love, but look more often. They, you see, needed money, they had nothing to live on: I gave, did not refuse; but I need to be loved. Well, am I free to demand this or not? I paid money for that.” And Lyubov Gordeevna’s life would have been miserable if the great power of love had not entered the fight against patriarchal laws.
Mitya is distinguished by his gentle character and good disposition. “The guy is so simple, with a soft heart,” Pelageya Egorovna says about him. But despair at the possibility of losing his beloved forever makes him bold and daring; he wants to take Lyubov Gordeevna away on the eve of the wedding and secretly marry her. True, he asks her mother for blessings on this step. But it is impossible not to appreciate this impulse.
Lyubov Gordeevna cannot fight for her happiness. Is it fitting for a modest girl to disobey and disrespect her parents! But love also makes her bold: she confesses her love to Mitya (a blatant violation of patriarchal traditions!) and decides to ask her father for consent to her marriage to Mitya.
Heart is the key word for Ostrovsky. He values his heroes, first of all, for their ability to love and compassion, for their living souls, for their warm hearts. At the beginning of the work, Gordey Tortsov seems to us to be a narrow-minded man, bending over backwards to show his significance, modernity, even secularity. “No, tell me this,” he says to Korshunov, “is everything okay with me? In another place, a fine guy in a suit or a girl is serving at the table, but I have a waiter in thread gloves. Oh, if I lived in Moscow or in St. Petersburg, I would, it seems, imitate every fashion.” But it turns out that this desire for “education”, plebeian shame for his loved ones did not kill his best qualities in him. Love for his daughter makes him remember dignity and honor and drive Korshunov away.
It is interesting that the role of reasoner in the play is assigned to Lyubim Tortsov, who, it seems, is not at all suitable for this role. “Oh people, people! We love Tortsov the drunkard, and better than you!” - says the hero. This man is poor, but not pitiful, because he knows what the truth of life is: “But here’s another question for you: are you an honest merchant or not? If you’re honest, don’t hang out with the dishonest, don’t rub yourself near the soot, you’ll get dirty yourself... I’m not dressed cleanly, but my conscience is clean.”
The play “Poverty is not a vice” ends with the triumph of virtue, the punishment of vice, and the wedding of the main characters. The fates of Lyubov Tortsova and Mitya would have been completely different if their love had not been able to withstand the inert laws of patriarchal antiquity. The ability to love, a warm heart, Ostrovsky tells us, can work miracles.
- The love story of clerk Mitya and Lyuba Tortsova unfolds against the backdrop of life in a merchant's house. Ostrovsky once again delighted his fans with his remarkable knowledge of the world and amazingly vivid language. Unlike the earlier plays, this comedy contains not only the soulless manufacturer Korshunov and Gordey Tortsov, who boasts of his wealth and power. They are contrasted with simple and sincere people dear to the hearts of the Pochvenniks - the kind and loving Mitya and the squandered drunkard Lyubim Tortsov, who remained, despite his fall, […]
- The focus of the writers of the 19th century is on a person with a rich spiritual life and a changeable inner world. The new hero reflects the state of the individual in an era of social transformation. The authors do not ignore the complex conditioning of the development of the human psyche by the external material environment. The main feature of the depiction of the world of heroes of Russian literature is psychologism , that is, the ability to show a change in the hero’s soul. In the center of different works we see “extra […]
- In The Thunderstorm, Ostrovsky, using a small number of characters, managed to reveal several problems at once. Firstly, this is, of course, a social conflict, a clash between “fathers” and “children”, their points of view (and if we resort to generalization, then two historical eras). Kabanova and Dikoy belong to the older generation, who actively express their opinions, and Katerina, Tikhon, Varvara, Kudryash and Boris to the younger generation. Kabanova is sure that order in the house, control over everything that happens in it, is the key to a healthy life. Correct […]
- The critical history of "The Thunderstorm" begins even before its appearance. To argue about “a ray of light in a dark kingdom,” it was necessary to open the “Dark Kingdom.” An article under this title appeared in the July and September issues of Sovremennik for 1859. It was signed with the usual pseudonym of N. A. Dobrolyubov - N. - bov. The reason for this work was extremely significant. In 1859, Ostrovsky summed up the interim result of his literary activity: his two-volume collected works appeared. "We consider it the most [...]
- Katerina is the main character of Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm”, Tikhon’s wife, Kabanikha’s daughter-in-law. The main idea of the work is the conflict of this girl with the “dark kingdom”, the kingdom of tyrants, despots and ignoramuses. You can find out why this conflict arose and why the end of the drama is so tragic by understanding Katerina’s ideas about life. The author showed the origins of the heroine's character. From Katerina's words we learn about her childhood and adolescence. Here is an ideal version of patriarchal relations and the patriarchal world in general: “I lived, not about [...]
- Whole, honest, sincere, she is incapable of lies and falsehood, which is why in a cruel world where wild and wild boars reign, her life turns out so tragically. Katerina's protest against Kabanikha's despotism is a struggle of the bright, pure, human against the darkness, lies and cruelty of the “dark kingdom”. It is not for nothing that Ostrovsky, who paid great attention to the selection of names and surnames of the characters, gave this name to the heroine of “The Thunderstorm”: translated from Greek “Ekaterina” means “eternally pure”. Katerina is a poetic person. IN […]
- In general, the history of the creation and concept of the play “The Thunderstorm” is very interesting. For some time there was an assumption that this work was based on real events that occurred in the Russian city of Kostroma in 1859. “In the early morning of November 10, 1859, Kostroma bourgeois Alexandra Pavlovna Klykova disappeared from her home and either rushed into the Volga herself, or was strangled and thrown there. The investigation revealed the silent drama that played out in an unsociable family living narrowly with commercial interests: […]
- The play “The Thunderstorm” by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky is historical for us, as it shows the life of the philistinism. "The Thunderstorm" was written in 1859. It is the only work of the “Nights on the Volga” series conceived but not realized by the writer. The main theme of the work is a description of the conflict that arose between two generations. The Kabanikha family is typical. The merchants cling to their old morals, not wanting to understand the younger generation. And since young people do not want to follow traditions, they are suppressed. I'm sure, […]
- Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was endowed with great talent as a playwright. He is deservedly considered the founder of the Russian national theater. His plays, varied in theme, glorified Russian literature. Ostrovsky's creativity had a democratic character. He created plays that showed hatred of the autocratic serfdom regime. The writer called for the protection of the oppressed and humiliated citizens of Russia and longed for social change. Ostrovsky’s enormous merit is that he opened the enlightened [...]
- In the drama “The Thunderstorm,” Ostrovsky created a very psychologically complex image - the image of Katerina Kabanova. This young woman charms the viewer with her huge, pure soul, childish sincerity and kindness. But she lives in the musty atmosphere of the “dark kingdom” of merchant morals. Ostrovsky managed to create a bright and poetic image of a Russian woman from the people. The main storyline of the play is a tragic conflict between the living, feeling soul of Katerina and the dead way of life of the “dark kingdom”. Honest and [...]
- The drama takes place in the Volga city of Bryakhimov. And in it, as everywhere else, cruel orders reign. The society here is the same as in other cities. The main character of the play, Larisa Ogudalova, is a homeless woman. The Ogudalov family is not rich, but, thanks to the persistence of Kharita Ignatievna, they make acquaintance with the powers that be. The mother inspires Larisa that, although she does not have a dowry, she should marry a rich groom. And Larisa for the time being accepts these rules of the game, naively hoping that love and wealth […]
- A special hero in Ostrovsky’s world, who belongs to the type of poor official with self-esteem, is Yuliy Kapitonovich Karandyshev. At the same time, his pride is hypertrophied to such an extent that it becomes a substitute for other feelings. Larisa for him is not just his beloved girl, she is also a “prize” that gives him the opportunity to triumph over Paratov, a chic and rich rival. At the same time, Karandyshev feels like a benefactor, taking as his wife a dowry-free woman, partly compromised by the relationship […]
- In “The Thunderstorm,” Ostrovsky shows the life of a Russian merchant family and the position of women in it. Katerina’s character was formed in a simple merchant family, where love reigned and the daughter was given complete freedom. She acquired and retained all the wonderful traits of the Russian character. This is a pure, open soul that does not know how to lie. “I don’t know how to deceive; I can’t hide anything,” she tells Varvara. In religion, Katerina found the highest truth and beauty. Her desire for the beautiful and the good was expressed in prayers. Coming out […]
- Let's start with Katerina. In the play "The Thunderstorm" this lady is the main character. What is the problem with this work? The problematic is the main question that the author asks in his work. So the question here is who will win? The dark kingdom, which is represented by the bureaucrats of a provincial town, or the bright beginning, which is represented by our heroine. Katerina is pure in soul, she has a tender, sensitive, loving heart. The heroine herself is deeply hostile to this dark swamp, but is not fully aware of it. Katerina was born […]
- A conflict is a clash between two or more parties that do not coincide in their views and worldviews. There are several conflicts in Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm,” but how can you decide which one is the main one? In the era of sociology in literary criticism, it was believed that social conflict was the most important in the play. Of course, if we see in the image of Katerina a reflection of the spontaneous protest of the masses against the constraining conditions of the “dark kingdom” and perceive Katerina’s death as the result of her collision with her tyrant mother-in-law, one should […]
- “The Thunderstorm” by A. N. Ostrovsky made a strong and deep impression on his contemporaries. Many critics were inspired by this work. However, even in our time it has not ceased to be interesting and topical. Elevated to the category of classical drama, it still arouses interest. The tyranny of the “older” generation lasts for many years, but some event must occur that could break the patriarchal tyranny. Such an event turns out to be the protest and death of Katerina, which awakened other […]
- Dramatic events of the play by A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" takes place in the city of Kalinov. This town is located on the picturesque bank of the Volga, from the high cliff of which the vast Russian expanses and boundless distances open up to the eye. “The view is extraordinary! Beauty! The soul rejoices,” enthuses local self-taught mechanic Kuligin. Pictures of endless distances, echoed in a lyrical song. Among the flat valleys,” which he sings, are of great importance for conveying the feeling of the immense possibilities of the Russian […]
- Katerina Varvara Character Sincere, sociable, kind, honest, pious, but superstitious. Tender, soft, and at the same time, decisive. Rough, cheerful, but taciturn: “... I don’t like to talk a lot.” Decisive, can fight back. Temperament Passionate, freedom-loving, courageous, impetuous and unpredictable. She says about herself, “I was born so hot!” Freedom-loving, intelligent, prudent, courageous and rebellious, she is not afraid of either parental or heavenly punishment. Upbringing, […]
- “The Thunderstorm” was published in 1859 (on the eve of the revolutionary situation in Russia, in the “pre-storm” era). Its historicism lies in the conflict itself, the irreconcilable contradictions reflected in the play. It responds to the spirit of the times. "The Thunderstorm" represents the idyll of the "dark kingdom". Tyranny and silence are brought to the extreme in her. A real heroine from the people's environment appears in the play, and it is the description of her character that receives the main attention, while the little world of the city of Kalinov and the conflict itself are described more generally. "Their life […]
- D. I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” which is separated from us by two centuries, still excites us today. In the comedy, the author raises the problem of the true education of a real citizen. This is the 21st century, and many of its problems are relevant, the images are alive. The work made me think about a lot of things. Serfdom was abolished long ago. But aren’t there parents now who don’t care about raising their child, but only about food? Are the parents who indulge their child’s every whim, leading to disaster, gone? […]
The love story of clerk Mitya and Lyuba Tortsova unfolds against the backdrop of life in a merchant's house. Ostrovsky once again delighted his fans with his remarkable knowledge of the world and amazingly vivid language. Unlike the earlier plays, this comedy contains not only the soulless manufacturer Korshunov and Gordey Tortsov, who boasts of his wealth and power. They are contrasted with simple and sincere people dear to the hearts of the Pochvenniks - the kind and loving Mitya and the squandered drunkard Lyubim Tortsov, who, despite his fall, remained a good person. It is characteristic that the comedy, like most plays of this time, ends with the happy union of lovers and the victory of good over evil. Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov considered “Poverty is not a vice” to be a weak play, and its happy ending was not a celebration of people’s generosity and kindness, but an embellishment of the real, much darker reality. The innovation of Ostrovsky's play was clearly manifested in the production of the Maly Theater, in particular, in the performance of the role of Lyubim Tortsov by the famous actor Prov Sadovsky. At the same time, both among the readers, and among the spectators, and even among the actors, there were people who were shocked and repulsed by the excessive vitality of the playwright’s work. The great actor M.S. Shchepkin, although he highly appreciated Ostrovsky’s talent, objected to staging the play at the Maly Theater, considering, in particular, the role of the drunkard and drunkard Lyubim Tortsov to be too “dirty.” Many joined this opinion, believing that the world of merchants and clerks, crooks and drunkards is not worthy of stage embodiment, even by the most talented.
At the very end of his reign. Nicholas I Ostrovsky creates a kind of patriarchal utopia in the plays of the Muscovite period. Muscovites were characterized by a focus on the idea of national identity, which they developed mainly in the field of art theory, especially manifested in their interest in folk songs, as well as in the pre-Petrine forms of Russian life, which were still preserved among the peasantry and patriarchal merchants. The patriarchal family was presented as a model of an ideal social structure, where relations between people would be harmonious, and the hierarchy would be based not on coercion and violence, but on recognition of the authority of seniority and everyday experience. The Muscovites did not have a consistently formulated theory or, especially, a program. However, in literary criticism they invariably defended patriarchal forms and contrasted them with the norms of a “Europeanized” noble society, not only as primordially national, but also as more democratic.
Even during this period, Ostrovsky sees the social conflict in the life he depicts and shows that the idyll of a patriarchal family is fraught with drama.
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was called the “Columbus of Zamoskvorechye,” a region of Moscow where people from the merchant class lived. He showed what intense, dramatic life goes on behind high fences, what Shakespearean passions sometimes boil in the souls of representatives of the so-called “simple class” - merchants, shopkeepers, small employees. The patriarchal laws of a world that is becoming a thing of the past seem unshakable, but a warm heart lives according to its own laws - the laws of love and goodness.
The heroes of the play “Poverty is not a vice” seem simple and understandable. Lyubov Tortsova loves Mitya, but does not dare to contradict the will of her father, who decided to give her in marriage to Afrikan Korshunov. The very name of the rich groom speaks for itself, evoking the idea of a wild, predatory nature. He is sure that money can buy everything, and cynically talks about his ex-wife, while simultaneously teaching his bride a lesson: “Love, don’t love, but look more often. They, you see, needed money, they had nothing to live on: I gave, did not refuse; but I need to be loved. Well, am I free to demand this or not? I paid money for that.” And Lyubov Gordeevna’s life would have been miserable if the great power of love had not entered the fight against patriarchal laws.
Mitya is distinguished by his gentle character and good disposition. “The guy is so simple, with a soft heart,” Pelageya Egorovna says about him. But despair at the possibility of losing his beloved forever makes him bold and daring; he wants to take Lyubov Gordeevna away on the eve of the wedding and secretly marry her. True, he asks her mother for blessings on this step. But it is impossible not to appreciate this impulse.
Lyubov Gordeevna cannot fight for her happiness. Is it fitting for a modest girl to disobey and disrespect her parents! But love also makes her bold: she confesses her love to Mitya (a blatant violation of patriarchal traditions!) and decides to ask her father for consent to her marriage to Mitya.
Heart is the key word for Ostrovsky. He values his heroes, first of all, for their ability to love and compassion, for their living souls, for their warm hearts. At the beginning of the work, Gordey Tortsov seems to us to be a narrow-minded man, bending over backwards to show his significance, modernity, even secularity. “No, tell me this,” he says to Korshunov, “is everything okay with me? In another place, a fine guy in a suit or a girl is serving at the table, but I have a waiter in thread gloves. Oh, if I lived in Moscow or in St. Petersburg, I would, it seems, imitate every fashion.” But it turns out that this desire for “education”, plebeian shame for his loved ones did not kill his best qualities in him. Love for his daughter makes him remember dignity and honor and drive Korshunov away.
It is interesting that the role of reasoner in the play is assigned to Lyubim Tortsov, who, it seems, is not at all suitable for this role. “Oh people, people! We love Tortsov the drunkard, and better than you!” - says the hero. This man is poor, but not pitiful, because he knows what the truth of life is: “But here’s another question for you: are you an honest merchant or not? If you’re honest, don’t hang out with the dishonest, don’t rub yourself near the soot, you’ll get dirty yourself... I’m not dressed cleanly, but my conscience is clean.”
The play “Poverty is not a vice” ends with the triumph of virtue, the punishment of vice, and the wedding of the main characters. The fates of Lyubov Tortsova and Mitya would have been completely different if their love had not been able to withstand the inert laws of patriarchal antiquity. The ability to love, a warm heart, Ostrovsky tells us, can work miracles.
