I re-read all the posts, comments, watched videos related to the tragedy of the Kabanov family and came to disappointing conclusions. Despite the fact that numerous friends, acquaintances and acquaintances write about them (these entries contain mostly assumptions and groundless conjectures: perhaps she drank, perhaps he beat her, did not want to work), one thing is obvious and indisputable: having many children , the young family strived for well-being and stability and grabbed every opportunity, including playing roulette, running their own restaurant business, and opening a loan of money at interest. Having an apartment, they did not rent it out, but in order to have a decent income and a decent standard of living, they sold it and invested the entire amount in the business, using the correct principle: money should work. In the restaurant, to increase the popularity of the establishment, flash mobs were organized with expensive snacks, but free wine. All this suggests that the couple had a good prospect thanks to their ingenuity and irrepressible activity... The couple did not remain indifferent to what was happening in the country, took part in rallies and protests... at the same time, having three children, they managed to keep them and their home in order, trying their best to create the appearance of well-being.
Why did their lives go downhill and lead to complete collapse? Why did one business collapse, another...
I’ll make a short digression with a bright sketch. Recently I had to talk with one lady, in Soviet times - the director of a restaurant. She said that after retiring, she found former employees to organize her own business and open her own restaurant with shares. A native Petersburger, she was forced to sublet the premises from the Caucasians, because there were simply no other rooms! However, everything was organized, promotion began, and the restaurant began to make a profit. And then the rent pandemonium began. The price increased every month until the establishment had to close..
What happened to the Kabanovs' business? Nobody writes about this. Why didn’t they, with their desire, youth and energy, manage to develop themselves and reach a stable level? One can only guess about this..
I don’t want to believe in the senseless cruelty of Irina’s husband; I can’t wrap my head around many facts:
1. They lived together for more than one year, but did not divorce..
2. The two of us endured many difficulties.
3. Apparently, they had common interests, tastes, views, including political ones.
4. They raised two children together and one child from Irina’s first marriage.
5. In the end, a sophisticated murder, carefully thought out steps to cover up tracks... and parts of the corpse left in the car... and evidence meekly provided to the police - all this somehow does not fit into a single picture.
In conclusion:
In the media, on TV, on the Internet they endlessly tell us: Do you want to be rich? - behave like rich and wealthy, self-confident people. This is exactly how the Kabanovs behaved. They seemed quite prosperous to numerous friends and acquaintances. Do they borrow money and not pay it back? Such a vile nature! And it never occurred to anyone that the family was truly poor and on the verge of disaster!
How does this fragment reveal the dysfunction of family relations in the Kabanovs’ house?
ACT 1
Phenomenon 5
Kabanova, Kabanov, Katerina and Varvara.
Kabanova. If you want to listen to your mother, then when you get there, do as I ordered you.
Kabanov. How can I, Mama, disobey you!
Kabanova. Elders are not very respected these days.
Varvara (to herself). No respect for you, of course!
Kabanov. I, it seems, Mama, am not one step out of your will.
Kabanova. I would believe you, my friend, if I hadn’t seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears what kind of respect children show to their parents now! If only they remembered how many illnesses mothers suffer from their children.
Kabanov. I, mummy...
Kabanova. If a parent ever says something offensive, out of your pride, then, I think, it could be rescheduled! A! How do you think?
Kabanov. But when, Mama, have I ever been unable to bear being away from you?
Kabanova. The mother is old and stupid; Well, you, young people, smart ones, shouldn’t exact it from us fools.
Kabanov (sighing, to the side). Oh, my God! (To Mother.) Do we dare, Mama, to think!
Kabanova. After all, out of love, your parents are strict with you, out of love they scold you, they always think to teach you good. Well, I don’t like it now. And the children will go around praising people that the mother is a grumbler, that the mother does not give way, she is squeezing people out of the world. And, God forbid, you can’t please your daughter-in-law with some word, so the conversation started that the mother-in-law was completely fed up.
Kabanov. No, mama, who is talking about you?
Kabanova. I haven’t heard, my friend, I haven’t heard, I don’t want to lie. If only I had heard, I would have spoken to you, my dear, in a different way. (Sighs.) Oh, a grave sin! What a long time to sin! A conversation close to your heart will go well, and you will sin and get angry. No, my friend, say what you want about me. You can’t order anyone to speak; If they don’t dare to show you, they will stand behind your back.
Kabanov. Let your tongue dry.
Kabanova. Come on, come on, don't be afraid! Sin! I have seen for a long time that your wife is dearer to you than your mother. Since I got married, I don’t see the same love from you.
Kabanov. Where do you see this, Mama?
Kabanova. Yes in everything, my friend! What a mother doesn’t see with her eyes, she has a prophetic heart; she can feel with her heart. Or maybe your wife is taking you away from me, I don’t know.
Kabanov. No, mama! what are you saying, have mercy!
Katerina. For me, Mama, it’s all the same, like my own mother, like you, and Tikhon loves you too.
Kabanova. It seems like you could keep quiet if they don’t ask you. Don’t intercede, mother, I won’t offend you, I suppose! After all, he is also my son; don't forget this! Why did you jump out in front of your eyes to make jokes! So that they can see how much you love your husband? So we know, we know, in your eyes you prove it to everyone.
Varvara (to herself). I found a place for instructions to read.
Katerina. You are 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.
Kabanova. Yes, I didn’t even want to talk about you; and so, by the way, I had to.
(A.N. Ostrovsky, “The Thunderstorm.”)
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The foundation of a strong family is love and trust. In the Kabanovs' house, family relationships are based on despotism on the one hand and obedience on the other. Numerous remarks help to understand the true thoughts and feelings of the characters, hidden from others with flattering phrases: “Let your tongue dry!”, “Do we dare, Mama, to think!” Kabanova is pleased with this attitude from her family, although deep down
The play “The Thunderstorm”, written by A.N. Ostrovsky, tells about people of the 19th century and talks about the life of provincial Russia at that time. The main actions in the work take place in the town of Kalinov, which is located on the high bank of the Volga. Against the backdrop of the dazzling attractiveness of the surrounding nature and tranquility, a tragedy occurred that disrupted the quiet life of this town.
Not everything is so wonderful in Kalinov. Here, in people's homes, there are frequent assaults and screams, and hard-hidden tears are shed. Approximately in the middle of the work, the life of one of the merchant families is told. Of course, there are a lot of such families in the city, and even more in the whole of Russia. But our life is structured in such a way that all people observe certain rules and laws, and any disobedience is considered either a shame or a sin.
The most authoritative person from the Kabanov family is Marfa Ignatievna, a mother and a rich widow. It is she who commands her relatives and introduces her own rules and procedures in the family. So the last name suits her - Kabanova. This woman is stupid and uneducated, but very powerful. Martha is very cruel and stubborn, demanding that everyone follow her rules. Marfa Ignatievna is a very strong woman. She believes that family is the most important thing and requires the submission of all household members. But the woman loves her children very much - her son and daughter. Kabanikha is lenient towards her daughter Varvara, often letting the girl hang out with young people, knowing how difficult it will be for her daughter to get married. But she very often reproaches her daughter-in-law Katerina, forces the girl to live the way she wants, and controls her every breath. Perhaps the woman is simply jealous of her daughter-in-law for her son! Her son's name is Tikhon. He is a weak-willed, obedient person and greatly respects the opinion of his mother. Due to his weak character, he cannot object to his mother, he was raised in obedience, his mother’s opinion is very important to him. According to Tikhon, every family should be built on love and mutual understanding, but he cannot disobey his domineering mother, nor can he stand up for himself and his wife, so he can only seek solace in alcohol. With her domineering character, the mother kills the man in him, making him a defenseless weakling. Tikhon cannot play the role of husband and protector of his family, and does not know how to take care of family well-being. In Katerina’s eyes, he looks like a complete nonentity, not a husband. She has no love for him, she only feels sorry for him and tolerates him.
Varvara, Tikhon’s sister, is much braver and stronger than her brother. The girl goes for walks with her beloved Curly, secretly from her mother, and does not report to Marfa for her every step. Undoubtedly, life is easier for her than for Katerina. Varvara is always trying to reach Katerina and explain to her that it is impossible to survive in their house without deception. But Katerina does not know how to lie.
Katerina has always been a stranger in this house, it’s like she’s in prison here, and everything happens against her will. In her home she was surrounded by the affection and love that she deserved. And in Kabanikha’s house, Katerina lives like a bird in a cage: in captivity she is sad, she patiently endures the drunkenness of her unloved husband and the undeserved reproaches of her mother-in-law. And she has no children, she has no one to give her love and affection.
Fleeing from this horror, Katerina is looking for a person who could become her support, her protector, she is looking for true love. And because of this, the weak-willed and weak Boris, Dikiy’s nephew, became in her eyes the best man, an ideal, unlike her husband. She doesn't seem to see his shortcomings. But Boris failed to love Katerina. And we see Tikhon much better and nobler than him. Tikhon allows Katerina everything because he loves her.
Because of this, Katerina’s suicide was to be expected. She can no longer survive under Kabanikha's rule. This tragedy shook up the calm life of this city, and even the cowardly Tikhon began to go against the will of his mother.
The example of the Kabanov family shows us that family relationships cannot be built on the principle of subordinating a weak person to a strong one. Domostroev's foundations are crumbling, the power of the autocrats is passing. A weak woman challenges the wild world with her death. However, suicide is not the best way out of this situation. Katerina could have made a different choice. For example, she could go to a monastery to devote her life to God, she was very devout. However, the heroine chooses death, which becomes her strength and at the same time her weakness.
The image of the “dark kingdom” in the work “The Thunderstorm” is embodied by the provincial town of Kalinov. The poor people in it are forced to work around the clock, the rich people prefer to spend time behind high fences and “eat” everyone who is in a state of dependence on them. The mores of the patriarchal merchant class are personified by the Kabanov family.
Marfa Ignatievna, a wealthy merchant's wife, is called only “Kabanikha.” This nickname gives the impression of something unpleasant. The heroine has a difficult character. She is despotic, power-hungry. Kabanikha
He does not recognize anything new and believes in the power of rituals. She loves children in her own way, but considers them incapable of making their own choices. Marfa Ignatievna does not tolerate objections. Son Tikhon tries to be away from home as often as possible so as not to experience her influence, and daughter Varvara learns to deceive. Only Katerina, Kabanikha’s daughter-in-law, can neither pretend nor go somewhere. She believes in the best and cannot stand the cruel morals that reign in the family.
Readers can remember Tikhon only as the son of Kabanikha - this is exactly the description the author gives him at the beginning of the work. The hero has a weak character. His desire to leave
Out of control is expressed in sprees away from home. Tikhon loves his wife and does not want to hurt her. He is at odds with himself and cannot make a choice between his domineering mother and Katerina. Kabanov speaks out against Marfa Ignatievna when it is too late: his wife passes away.
The character of Varvara Kabanova can be described by her name: “barbarian, foreigner.” As long as the heroine manages to deceive her mother, she does not enter into an open conflict. “As long as everything is sewn and covered” - this rule is true for the Kabanovs’ house. As soon as the secret becomes clear and Kabanikha tries to limit her daughter’s freedom, Varvara runs away. There is no doubt that her ability to adapt to circumstances will be useful.
Katerina was never able to become part of the Kabanov family. She spends most of her time reminiscing about the past. A young woman dreams of flying like a bird and being free. Nothing can keep her in the “dark kingdom”: Boris does not pass the test of love, Tikhon does not dare to object to his mother... A thunderstorm begins in Katerina’s life. She dies, remaining proud and independent.
Thus, the Kabanov family in the play is represented by several characteristic images. Similar people can be found in different cities. Ostrovsky gives a comprehensive description of the patriarchal world and the people who live in it.
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In Ostrovsky's drama "The Thunderstorm" the problems of morality are widely raised. Using the example of the provincial town of Kalinov, the playwright showed the truly cruel customs reigning there. The embodiment of these morals is the Kabanovs' house.
Let's meet its representatives.
Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova is a champion of the old world. The name itself paints a picture of an overweight woman with a difficult character, and the nickname “Kabanikha” complements this unpleasant picture. Kabanikha lives the old fashioned way, in accordance with strict order. But she only keeps up appearances
This is the order that is maintained in public: a kind son, an obedient daughter-in-law. He even complains: “They don’t know anything, no order... What will happen, how the old people will die, how the light will stay on, I don’t even know. Well, at least it’s good that I won’t see anything.” There is real arbitrariness in the house. The boar is despotic, rude to the peasants, “eats” the family and does not tolerate objections. Her son is completely subordinate to her will, and she expects this from her daughter-in-law.
Next to Kabanikha, who day after day “sharpenes all her household like rusting iron,” stands the merchant Dikoy, whose name is associated with wild power. Dikoy not only “sharpenes and saws” members
Your family.
The men whom he deceives during payments suffer from it, and, of course, the customers, as well as his clerk Kudryash, a rebellious and impudent guy, ready to teach a “scold” a lesson in a dark alley with his fists.
Ostrovsky described the character of the Wild One very accurately. For the Wild, the main thing is money, in which he sees everything: power, glory, worship. This is especially striking in the small town where he lives. He can easily “pat on the shoulder” the mayor himself.
The images of Tikhon and Boris are slightly developed. Dobrolyubov, in a famous article, says that Boris can be attributed more to the setting than to the heroes. In the remark, Boris stands out only in his clothes: “All faces, except Boris, are dressed in Russian.” This is the first difference between him and the residents of Kalinov. The second difference is that he studied at a commercial academy in Moscow. But Ostrovsky made him Dikiy’s nephew, and this suggests that, despite some differences, he belongs to the people of the “dark kingdom.” This is confirmed by the fact that he is not able to fight this kingdom. Instead of lending a helping hand to Katerina, he advises her to submit to her fate. Tikhon is the same. Already in the list of characters it is said about him that he is “her son,” that is, the son of Kabanikha. He really is more likely just Kabanikha’s son than a person. Tikhon has no willpower. This person’s only desire is to escape from his mother’s care so that he can take a break for the whole year. Tikhon is also unable to help Katerina. Both Boris and Tikhon leave her alone with their inner experiences.
If Kabanikha and Dikoy belong to the old way of life, Kuligin carries the ideas of enlightenment, then Katerina is at a crossroads. Growing up and brought up in a patriarchal spirit, Katerina fully follows this way of life. Cheating here is considered unforgivable, and having cheated on her husband, Katerina sees this as a sin before God. But her character is naturally proud, independent and free. Her dream of flying means breaking free from the power of her oppressive mother-in-law and from the stuffy world of the Kabanovs' house. As a child, she once, offended by something, went to the Volga in the evening. The same protest can be heard in her words addressed to Varya: “And if I’m really tired of being here, they won’t hold me back by any force. I’ll throw myself out the window, throw myself into the Volga. I don’t want to live here, I won’t do this, even if you cut me!” In Katerina’s soul there is a struggle between the pangs of conscience and the desire for freedom. She does not know how to adapt to life, to be a hypocrite and pretend, as Kabanikha does, she does not know how to look at the world as easily as Varya.
The morals of the Kabanov house drive Katerina to suicide.
