Katerina's life in her parents' house (A. Ostrovsky's play "The Storm")

The play of A. Ostrovsky "The Thunderstorm" was presented a year before the abolition of serfdom in 1859. Particularly distinguished in this story is the life of Katerina in the parental home. The image of the main character changes with each chapter, she is vulnerable and tender.

What is the play about?

The action takes place in the fictional city of Kalinov. The drama unfolds in one of the merchant houses on the bank of the Volga. The mistress of the house of merchant Marfa Ignatyevna Kabanova is an authoritative and self-willed person. She holds everyone in her arms. No one can resist it. But her zeal to subordinate everyone and everything leads to the conquest of more and more new souls.

The red line between the lines of the play is the theme of the conflict of generations. And for today this problem is actual and modern. The embodiment of tyranny and the desire to rule the world in the image of Marfa Kabanova personifies the system established by the older generation. But especially reveals the image of Katerina, her spiritual tragedy does not leave anyone indifferent.

Katerina's life in her mother-in-law's house

The appearance of Kabanov's new family member, Katerina, switches the merchant's attention to a new victim. Katerina Kabanova, daughter-in-law of the powerful Martha Ignatyevna, appeared in the house not at the behest of her heart, but because of the circumstances. She was forcibly married to the son of merchant Tikhon, whose will is enslaved by her mother. The life of Katerina in her parents' home was also not joyful and happy.

The appearance of Katerina introduces a special meaning to the atmosphere of the play, contrasting the light image of the spiritual and devout girl with the "gray" existence of the merchant class of the middle of the 19th century. The image of the girl impresses the reader with its simplicity, sincerity, she is ready to give the world her kindness and can do it. Its image is the only one that is called "the ray of light in the dark kingdom".

Such strict limits

But the framework of merchant society does not allow her soul to reveal itself. Her bright dreams and thoughts, which she shares with her husband's sister Varya, are not necessary to anybody and are incomprehensible. In a merchant's environment there is no place for sincerity and love, freedom of the soul and purity of thoughts.

Since childhood, Katya has become accustomed to the gratuitous love of her mother, to the joyful world of freedom and ecclesiastical wisdom. A girl can not breathe in a merchant's house, she is alien to the resourcefulness and lies that reign in society. Her soul as a free bird can fly only in dreams that have become so rare with the onset of marriage. A detailed description of the image of Catherine in the "Thunderstorm". Her experiences and mental anguish are briefly presented.

Seeking Salvation in Love

A sip of fresh air for Katerina becomes a love for Boris, a nephew as greedy as Kabanikh and a pompous merchant of Wild. Because she has to spend her days locked up in the kingdom of her mother-in-law, Katerina is looking for an outlet for her feelings in her affection for Boris. While the husband of Katerina is away, secret visits of lovers help her realize that her love for Dhykh's nephew is not really that love, from which one can fly to the stars. Katerina's life in a strange house turns into flour.

She understands that the desperation of her situation pushed her to an imaginary beloved, who is not so perfect in her thoughts as she would have liked. It turned out she invented it herself. She needed someone who could share her bright thoughts with her, with whom she could realize her dreams of a happy and free life. Katerina's life in her parents' home makes the main character believe in ghostly love.

Immortal soul, not bowed his head

Merchant widow Martha Kabanova, in her thirst for power, was never able to obtain from the daughter-in-law the recognition of her supremacy. Katherine calls her mother-in-law to "you", thereby letting her know how much she considers them equal. Her husband regrets, realizing that he can never break free from his mother's arms, and his mother will not allow it. His complaints about life are nothing but the recognition of his infantility and habit of being led by a strong leader.

And Martha, like a poisonous spider, wove its nets, sticky and strong, which it was easy to get to those who lived in a society where fraud, dope and envy reigned. The appearance of a bold opponent, proud and silent, reveals a selfless desire to change something in the world around him. Impossibility alone to resist the stagnant system of government is reflected in the thunderstorm and finds its culmination in the suicide of the main character. For her, "death is not desirable, but life is unbearable."

Protest, which ends with tragedy

Her dream to fly up like a bird does not seem absurd and ridiculous. It embodied all the despair of a young girl, all the pain and unimaginable spiritual tragedy. Understanding the very essence of life in lies, unwillingness and inability to pretend and adapt lead Katerina to the edge of the cliff. Deeply believing, she was not afraid to commit suicide, thus permanently depriving her unburied soul of rest, not afraid of the wrath of God and the punishment of heaven. The protest of Katerina in Ostrovsky's play "Groza" ends in tragedy.

At that time, Katerina was cornered by circumstances. Her confession of betrayal to her husband and mother-in-law speaks about how pure and spiritual her nature was. To be honest with others, but before you, is the underside of her soul, the very bottom.

The "thunderstorm" of A. Ostrovsky astonished his contemporaries with the courage of Katerina's reasoning and admired the strength of character of such a fragile and tender soul. Silent opposition and disobedience to the will of the existing regime creates a feeling of unceasing struggle and confidence in victory, albeit not now, but certainly.

The image of Katerina prompted many young minds to get up to fighting the autocracy, to strengthen the will and spirit by trials and to find their way to light in the name of freedom and justice. The task for the "Thunderstorm" - "The Life of Katerina in the Parent's Home" is given in secondary schools. The image of the martyr girl is popular to this day.