Dowry analysis of the work. The main conflict of A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry”
Psychologism of drama by A.N. Ostrovsky "Dowry"
Plot and composition of the work
Ostrovsky began the play “Dowry” in 1874, but finished it only in 1878. Such a long period of work on a piece, which is generally not typical for a playwright, gives reason to think that in this play Ostrovsky artistic form embodied his thoughts about the new, rapidly changing reality of Russian life. Ostrovsky himself considered “Dowry” one of his most successful creations. This was also recognized by the playwright’s entourage: “I have already read my play in Moscow five times, among the listeners there were people who were hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized The Dowry as the best of all my works.”
The premiere of “Dowry” took place on November 10, 1878 at the Maly Theater, Larisa was played by G. N. Fedotova. The authors of the reviews that soon appeared in print were almost unanimous: in their opinion, the play was a complete, undoubted and even final failure.
The production of the play at the Alexandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg a month later was hardly more successful.
“The playwright tired the entire audience, right down to the most naive spectators, because the audience had clearly outgrown the spectacles that Ostrovsky offered them,” wrote the popular fiction writer of that time P. Boborykin. His conclusion about the play as a whole is derogatory: “The hackneyed plot, familiar figures (from Ostrovsky’s other plays), everything is drowning in unnecessary conversations and unbearable lengths.” The work of A.N. Ostrovsky in criticism of his contemporaries / Comp. A.R. Vernitsky. - Krasnodar: Kuban, 1988, p. 40..
Such reviews cannot but surprise modern reader. Why did “Dowry”, one of Ostrovsky’s most famous plays, in which such famous Russian actresses as M. N. Ermolova, M. G. Savina, V. F. Komissarzhevskaya, M. I. Babanova shine, meet with misunderstanding of contemporaries?
Apparently, the point here is that Ostrovsky, as a true artist, looked into the depths of his time, seeing those changes in Russian life that were not yet noticeable to the majority. If in “The Thunderstorm” in the image of Katerina the soul of Russian patriarchal antiquity perished, then in “Dowry” the gentle, sublime, poetic, truly incomparable (i.e., having no similarities, repetitions) Larisa was killed by the spirit of commerce.
One more point is important. Real life“Dowryless” began in 1896, when Larisa was played by Vera Fedorovna Komissarzhevskaya. 18 years have passed since the creation of the play, another era has arrived - the turn of the century: the breaking of established worldviews, the reassessment of values, new trends in literature and art. And what Ostrovsky saw back in 1878 and wrote in his Larisa (fragility, poetry, brokenness, duality of character), Komissarzhevskaya was able to understand, although she said that she was playing “her” Larisa, and not Ostrovsky’s heroine.
Before conducting further analysis of the psychologism of the play “Dowry,” briefly consider its plot and composition, as well as the features of the conflict.
The drama consists of four acts, each of which in turn is represented by several phenomena. All the time of the action that takes place in the present (for the author) time, in big city Bryakhimov on the Volga, takes less than a day.
The conflict “Dowry” is a variation on the theme “Thunderstorms”. A young girl from a poor family, pure and loving life, artistically gifted, encounters a world of businessmen, where her beauty is desecrated. As the action in the drama develops, the discrepancy between Larisa’s romantic ideas and the prosaic, pragmatic world of the people who surround her and worship her grows. People are complex and contradictory in their own way. Thus, the conflict of this play is very relevant today - the clash of the material with the spiritual.
The main character, Larisa Ogudalova, cannot and does not want to obey immoral laws that are established and regulated only by money, in which a person is only a commodity, so the play, which begins with “chatter in a coffee shop,” ends in disaster.
Already in Act I, in the dialogue between Knurov and Vozhevatov, the leading motive of the play appears - the product and its price; the drama of the situation is that the goods in in this case is a living person - Larisa.
The beginning of the plot is the arrival of Paratov.
Larisa explains to Paratov the reason for her marriage:
Larisa. But what made me... If it’s impossible to live at home, if in times of terrible, mortal melancholy they force you to be nice, smile, impose suitors on whom you can’t look without disgust, if there are scandals in the house, if you have to run away from home and even from the city ?
Karandyshev is perceived by merchants as an insignificant person who does not deserve any attention, much less respect:
Paratov (about Karandyshev): ... He puffed up, too, like a man, he also decided to cock. Just wait, my friend, I’m making fun of you, my friend.
Further events unfolding in the play can be seen as a struggle main character for Paratov's heart. This man captivated Larisa not so much with his external brilliance as with his breadth of soul. (It is no coincidence that Ostrovsky’s note in the playbill: From the artists.) But Larisa, like any girl in love, rather sees Paratov as her loving imagination created him (“ideal man”), and not as he really is.
Karandyshev is planning a dinner to which he plans to invite representatives of the town’s “high society” in order to introduce his bride and announce the upcoming wedding. During lunch, he doesn’t seem to notice that everyone is making fun of us and making fun of us, trying to get us drunk “for more fun.” The tragedy of Karandyshev is that in his attempts to “be on top” he does not realize how ridiculous and pitiful he is. Only Larisa is tormented seeing everything that is happening. She shares her experiences with her mother, to which she replies: “Who cares that you are tormented?”
No one feels sorry for Larisa; she is only a beautiful commodity for those around her, even for her own mother and fiancé.
The culmination of the play is Larisa's singing (and in it - all her pure, poetic soul). It had a completely unexpected effect on Paratov, touched best strings his soul. He is truly sincere in his confession - love spoke again in his heart. But... Paratov himself is not deceived about himself: noble feelings are just “stirring” in his soul, but nothing more.
Paratov’s noble impulse disappears quite quickly - immediately after Larisa Dmitrievna agrees to go boating on the Volga. In this regard, the following remarks are indicative:
Vozhevatov (about departure). Not waiting for the toast?
Paratov. That's better.
Vozhevatov. But what?
Paratov. Funnier.
Act IV. Phenomenon 7 - psychological denouement. Larisa lost the fight: “dreams are out of sight, and the veil has fallen.” The “ideal man” has been debunked. But Larisa pays for her own illusions and mistakes.
In the fourth act, the main motive of the entire play - the theme of buying and selling - finally “materializes” in the sixth act: Knurov and Vozhevatov draw lots to see who will get Larisa.
Vozhevatov. I won’t take any compensation, Mokiy Parmenych.
Knurov. Why compensation? It can be done differently somehow.
Vozhevatov. Yes, this is best, (Takes a coin out of his pocket and puts it under his arm.) Heads or hash marks?
Knurov (thoughtfully). If I say: heads, then I will lose; the eagle, of course, you. (Decisively.) Lattice.
Vozhevatov (raising his hand). Yours. So, I have to go to Paris alone. I'm not at a loss; costs less.
Scene 11 is the actual denouement. The scene is very important from a psychological point of view. Before this, in scene 9, Larisa’s only desire is to “forgive and die,” but she does not dare to take the last step. Knurov’s proposal is disgusting to her: “Luxury, shine... no, no, I’m far from vanity... (Shuddering.) Debauchery... oh, no...” Karandyshev appears, and Larisa takes out all her pain on him and bitterness: the betrayal of Paratov, the cynicism of Knurov and Vozhevatov (childhood friend!), their unfulfilled hopes. It is no coincidence that Karandyshev tells her: “What are you doing, what are you doing, come to your senses!” Larisa seems to be delirious, she acts according to the principle: the worse (the sicker), the better: “...I am a thing! Finally, the word has been found for me, you have found it. Every thing has its own price... Ha ha ha... I’m too expensive for you!”
The play ends with the death of Larisa, who forgives in her last minutes everyone who, one way or another, led her to death.
As you can see, the plot of the play is quite simple: a girl leaves her groom on the eve of the wedding for her lover. The groom, driven to despair by jealousy, decides to kill his unfaithful bride. Consequently, what is important in this case is not the plot itself, but its psychological content.
Russian playwright Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky created a whole galaxy of Russian characters. They were mostly merchants: sedate, with thick beards. And if in some of the playwright’s plays one can find real “tyrants,” then there are works where Ostrovsky continued the traditions of Turgenev in depicting female characters. The “Turgenev” girl is distinguished by her determination; she can be the first to admit her feelings and will never give up her words.
In Ostrovsky’s plays “Warm Heart”, “The Thunderstorm”, “Snow Maiden”, images of similar heroines are created - decisive and courageous, but with tragic fate. Even among such bright girls with a “warm heart” we can single out one – Larisa Ogudalova, the main character of the play "Dowry". Extraordinary personality, she stands out from her environment and is strikingly different from her mother, who tries to find benefit in everything.
Her, Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova, can be understood: she raised three daughters alone. Yes, only the two eldest, given in marriage, had an unhappy fate: the first was stabbed to death by her Caucasian husband out of jealousy, the second ended up at the mercy of a swindler. Larisa – last hope mother: she sings beautifully, performs Russian romances, plays music, and dances. And the mother hopes that such a talented and beautiful daughter she will be able to marry well, so that she can live like Christ in her bosom. Therefore, she teaches: “It is better to humiliate yourself from a young age, so that later you can live like a human being.”
In the minds of a woman with gypsy name Harita, in human terms, is when there are many men in the house, wine flows like a river, compliments are heard. It is no coincidence that Larisa’s current fiancé, a poor official Yuliy Kapitonich Karandyshev, compares life in the Ogudalovs’ house with a camp. But all the mother’s tricks are in vain, because Larisa is without a dowry. And in the society that surrounds the girl, there is only room for money. The new masters of life, unlike the heroes of “The Thunderstorm,” are no longer tyrants: their power is based on money. “I have nothing treasured; If I find a profit, I’ll sell everything,” says another hero of the play, Sergei Sergeich Paratov, “a brilliant gentleman,” in the author’s assessment.
And this is true: Paratov, whom Larisa fell in love with so much that she “almost died of grief,” easily exchanged her for the “millionth” bride - the daughter of the owner of gold mines. Having left her without explanation a year ago, now that Larisa decides to marry the “first person she meets” Karandyshev, Paratov, showing up again, accuses Larisa of treason. When meeting, he reproachfully says that he would like to know “how quickly a passionately loved person is forgotten: the next day after separation from him, a week or a month later...”
And Larisa, who had already told her fiancé that “Sergei Sergeich is the ideal man,” again loses her head. She forgives her beloved, who disappeared unexpectedly a year ago, and “not a single letter.” Larisa is a romantic person, so she does not notice obvious things. She proudly tells Karandyshev how a year ago Paratov coldly shot at the watch she was holding in her hand. But this fact rather suggests that Larisa means nothing to him. In addition, Paratov is vindictive: barely having met Karandyshev, he manages to hurt the poor official’s pride, but insists that it is Yuliy Kapitonich who apologizes to him, the master of life. And then, at a dinner party, he gets him drunk in order to once again humiliate him in front of people who measure everything with money.
This is how it happened in Ostrovsky’s plays: against the backdrop of decisive and courageous heroines, men turn out to be lethargic and lifeless. In the play “The Thunderstorm,” Katerina Kabanova’s husband depends on his mother for everything, which ultimately leads to tragedy: his young wife voluntarily dies.
In “Dowryless” there is a similar situation: out of despair, having agreed to marry Karandyshev, she begs him to go to the village to start new life, which bears little resemblance to the former camp. But the petty official, who endured ridicule in the hope of waiting for reciprocity from Larisa, is now “spreading his wings.” He wants to wipe out the representatives of the upper class, and he gives a dinner in honor of Larisa Dmitrievna to say: she chose herself as her groom worthy person- him, Yulia Kapitonich. This is his revenge for the envy that he had to experience every time he saw Larisa’s beautiful and successful fans.
But by this act he attracts even more contempt from those who are accustomed to drinking champagne in the morning and having lunch in a restaurant. After all, he, a poor official, only has enough money for cheap booze, the bottles of which are carefully sealed with expensive wine labels. And if Larisa, in response to reproaches of treason from Paratov, says that her fiancé has the most important advantage - he loves her, then in the finale she experiences disappointment in him too. She says with disgust to her ex-fiancé, kneeling in front of her: “You are too insignificant for me,” and then bitterly admits: “I was looking for love and did not find it.”
It is difficult to find love in a society where everything is bought and sold. Paratov sells his favorite steamship “Swallow” because he found a profit - a bride with a million-dollar dowry. But he commits a much more vile act: having humiliated her fiancé in Larisa’s eyes, he gives hope for the future and, taking advantage of the situation, seduces the poor girl, and then confesses that he is engaged - he has “golden chains.” That's when the heroine has an epiphany. She understands that everyone around her, even birth mother, they look at it as a thing, as fun.
She does not have the courage to commit suicide, as Katerina did in “The Thunderstorm,” but she finds the strength to admit that no one has ever tried to look into her soul, she has never seen sympathy from anyone, or heard a warm word. Larisa pronounces a terrible verdict on herself: “I didn’t find love, so I’ll look for gold.” And she is really ready to go to an exhibition in Paris with the middle-aged merchant Knurov, who won her in a toss against a younger rival, she is ready to become his kept woman, that is, to sell herself at a higher price, because for her the only consolation remains: if she is to be a thing, then very Expensive.
The ending of this psychological play is a foregone conclusion. Sobered up but rejected, Karandyshev shoots Larisa, and for her this becomes salvation. Now they won’t be able to buy or sell her - she remains free and truly happy. She dies with words of forgiveness on her lips. Thus, the author shows that death is a tragic way out of the insoluble moral contradictions of time, a verdict on a society that is unable to preserve the treasure of a spiritualized personality, beauty and talent.
A.N. Ostrovsky created an amazing gallery of Russian characters. The main characters were representatives of the merchant class - from the "Domostroevsky" tyrants to real businessmen. The playwright’s female characters were no less bright and expressive. Some of them resembled the heroines of I.S. Turgenev: they were just as brave and decisive, had warm hearts and never gave up their feelings. Below is an analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry", where the main character is a bright personality, different from the people who surrounded her.
History of creation
The analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry" should begin with the history of its writing. In the 1870s, Alexander Nikolaevich was an honorary judge in one district. Participation in trials and familiarity with various matters gave him a new opportunity to search for themes for his works.
Researchers of his life and work suggest that the plot for this play was taken from his judicial practice. It was a case that caused a lot of noise in the county - murder local resident his young wife. Ostrovsky began writing the play in 1874, but work progressed slowly. And only in 1878 the play was completed.
Characters and their brief descriptions
The next point in the analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry" is a small characteristic characters plays.
Larisa Ogudalova is the main character. A beautiful and impressionable noblewoman. Despite her sensitive nature, she is a proud girl. Its main drawback is poverty. Therefore, her mother tries to find her a rich groom. Larisa is in love with Paratov, but he leaves her. Then, out of despair, she decides to marry Karandyshev.
Sergei Paratov is a nobleman who is over 30 years old. An unprincipled, cold and calculating person. Everything is measured in money. Going to marry rich girl, but does not tell Larisa about this.
Yuliy Kapitonich Karandyshev is a minor official who has little money. Vain, his the main objective- gain the respect of others and impress them. Larisa is jealous of Paratov.
Vasily Vozhevatov is a young rich merchant. I have known the main character since childhood. A cunning person without any moral principles.
Mokiy Parmenych Knurov is an elderly merchant, the richest man in the city. He likes young Ogudalova, but he - married man. Therefore, Knurov wants her to become his kept woman. Selfish, only his own interests are important to him.
Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova is Larisa’s mother, a widow. Cunningly, she tries to give her daughter away in marriage so that they don’t need anything. Therefore, he believes that any means are suitable for this.
Robinson is an actor, mediocrity, drunkard. Paratov's friend.
One of the points of analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry" is short description plot of the play. The action takes place in the Volga region town of Bryakhimov. In the first act, the reader learns from a conversation between Knurov and Vozhevatov that Sergei Paratov, a rich gentleman who loves to appear spectacularly in society, is returning to the city.
He left Bryakhimov so quickly that he did not say goodbye to Larisa Ogudalova, who was in love with him. She was in despair because of his departure. Knurov and Vozhevatov say that she is beautiful, smart and performs romances incomparably. Only her suitors avoid her because she is without a dowry.
Realizing this, her mother constantly keeps the doors of the house open, in the hope that a rich groom will woo Larisa. The girl decides to marry a minor official, Yuri Kapitonich Karandyshev. During the walk, the merchants inform them about Paratov's arrival. Karandyshev invites them to a dinner party in honor of his bride. Yuliy Kapitonich creates a scandal with his bride because of Paratov.
Meanwhile, Paratov himself, in a conversation with the merchants, says that he was going to marry the daughter of the owner of the gold mines. And Larisa is no longer interested in him, but the news about her marriage makes him think.
Larisa quarrels with her fiancé because she wants to go to the village with him as soon as possible. Karandyshev, despite the lack of funds, is going to give a dinner party. Ogudalova has an explanation with Paratov. He accuses her of cheating and asks if she loves him. The girl agrees.
Paratov decided to humiliate Larisa’s fiance in front of the guests. He gets him drunk at dinner, and then persuades the girl to go on a boat trip with him. After spending the night with her, he tells her that he has a fiancee. The girl understands that she is disgraced. She agrees to become Knurov’s kept woman, who won her in a dispute with Vozhevatov. But Yuri Karandyshev shot Larisa out of jealousy. The girl thanks him and says that she is not offended by anyone.
Image of Larisa Ogudalova
In the analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry", one should also consider the image of the main character. Larisa appeared before the reader as a beautiful, educated noblewoman, but without a dowry. And, finding herself in a society where the main criterion is money, she was faced with the fact that no one took her feelings seriously.
Possessing an ardent soul and a warm heart, she falls in love with the treacherous Paratov. But because of his feelings, he cannot see his real character. Larisa feels lonely - no one even tries to understand her, everyone uses her like a thing. But despite her delicate nature, the girl has a proud disposition. And just like all heroes, she is afraid of poverty. Therefore, she feels even more contempt for her fiancé.
In the analysis of Ostrovsky's "Dowry", it should be noted that Larisa does not have great fortitude. She does not decide to commit suicide or start living the way she wants. She accepts the fact that she is a thing and refuses to fight any further. Therefore, the groom’s shot brought her peace of mind; the girl was glad that all her suffering was over and she had found peace.
Image of Yuri Karandyshev
In the analysis of the play "Dowry" by Ostrovsky, one can also consider the image of the heroine's groom. Yuliy Kapitonich is shown to the reader as small man for whom it is important to earn the recognition of others. For him, a thing has value if rich people have it.
This proud person, who lives for show and only causes contempt from others because of his pathetic attempts to be like them. Karandyshev, most likely, did not love Larisa: he understood that all men would envy him, because she was the dream of many. And he hoped to get what he wanted so much public acceptance after their wedding. Therefore, Yuliy Kapitonich could not come to terms with the fact that she left him.
Comparison with Katerina
A comparative analysis of Ostrovsky's "The Thunderstorm" and "Dowry" helps to find not only similarities, but also differences between the works. Both heroines - bright personalities, and their chosen ones are weak and weak-willed people. Katerina and Larisa have warm hearts and fall madly in love with men who correspond to their imaginary ideal.
Both heroines feel lonely in society, and internal conflict is heating up more and more. And here the differences appear. Larisa didn't have that inner strength, which Katerina had. Kabanova could not come to terms with life in a society where tyranny and despotism reigned. She rushed into the Volga. Larisa, realizing that she is a thing for everyone, cannot decide to take such a step. And the girl doesn’t even think about fighting - she simply decides to live now like everyone else. Perhaps this is why the viewer immediately liked the heroine Katerina Kabanova.
Stage productions
In the analysis of Ostrovsky's drama "Dowry", it can be noted that, contrary to expectations, the production failed. The viewer found the story about a provincial girl who was deceived by a fan boring. Critics also didn't like actor play: She was too melodramatic for them. And only in 1896 the play was staged again. And even then the audience was able to accept and appreciate it.
An analysis of Ostrovsky's work "Dowry" allows us to show what a serious psychological subtext the play has. How detailed the characters are. And, despite the sentimental scenes, the play belongs to the genre of realism. And her characters joined the gallery of Russian characters masterfully described by A.N. Ostrovsky.
(Excerpt from the essay “From the plays of A. N. Ostrovsky” - part of the “Literary Collection” written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.)
Drama "Dowry" (1878)
Years go by, the era changes in Russia too - and Ostrovsky keeps up with it. Before us, instead of bearded, masculine merchants, here is an elderly “one of the big businessmen of recent times”, and a young Europeanized representative of a “rich trading company”, and a noble shipowner Paratov, a “brilliant gentleman”, his arrival is marked at the pier with a welcoming cannon shot. And the Volga city is no longer an ordinary one, but most likely itself Nizhny Novgorod, there are also steamships and boats. (The former merchant’s slow samovar tea drinking “until the third yearning” is only mentioned with a cursory reproach by someone.) And if they sing to us from the stage, then it will no longer folk song, and a romance, or even a gypsy choir.
However subject, the plot conflict, although in a new dress, in a new setting, has changed little. Although the title announces to us “Dowryless” for the first time - but how many homeless women have already passed through in a series of plays, all this conflict between the need true love and overwhelming monetary settlements. The plots seem to change from time to time, but the acting figures and their arrangement seem to be repeated for us. Of course: the situation is repeated in life - and how can a playwright get away from it and not repeat it. But he still has the ease of expressing characters, types, even in the smallest, briefest details - it’s both pleasant to read and lively to watch on stage.
Dowryless. Film-play 1974 based on the drama by A. Ostrovsky
A year ago, this self-confident, cheeky handsome man Paratov courted Larisa, promised to marry, then (for selfish reasons, still for the sake of a million-dollar dowry) he left, disappeared, and did not let anyone know about himself. Larisa internally tossed around, waited, waited - she finally decided to marry the insignificant official Karandyshev, whom she is ashamed of in advance - and immediately after the wedding she is eager to go further away, into the wilderness, so as not to experience the ridicule of the city. And then, the day before, the same brilliant, dazzling Paratov sailed, amid a cannon shot, the envy of the public and the jubilation of the gypsies. And in the very first minutes he went to visit his abandoned beloved (he was looking for how to have more fun).
The entire action of the play, according to the best dramatic traditions, fits into one day. Karandyshev has the misfortune of inviting rich guests to his meager dinner. The guests, first behind his back, then right to his face, mockingly ridicule him, even mock him. Larisa is tormented by the groom's pity. She met Paratov - and this is the main psychological fidelity of the author! – not with reproaches for the past, but with instant submission – the power of feeling!! After all, she is blinded by him, he is the “ideal man.” (Once he boldly took it and knocked the coin out of Larisa’s hands with a shot.) After that awkward dinner, Paratov plans a picnic across the Volga, going on boats with gypsies, contrary to all decency, he invites Larisa too - and she readily goes. (The groom is left drunk.) A little earlier we already heard a motive from her: that she is drawn to throw herself into the Volga (and this is perceived as a repeat from “The Thunderstorm”). At the end of the night, they returned from the party - she hears from her beloved that that is the end: he is already engaged. For her, there is only death, so she can throw herself from a height onto the stones below. Karandyshev, who has woken up, seeks revenge on the offender; he has a pistol. And Larisa told him: “your patronage is the gravest insult,” “it’s cold to live... I haven’t found love, so I’ll look for gold.” (Two rich men have already played for her, heads and tails, who will take her with them to an exhibition in Paris - “she was created for luxury.”) The frenzied Karandyshev shoots his bride - and she manages to thank him for the good deed, for the release, and take the shot yourself.
However: was such an obvious overkill of Ostrovsky inevitable in the plot: to introduce the petty-comedy figure of “Robinson”? There is a lot of effort to make people laugh - but it’s not funny at all and out of place, and the humor is of low quality; only knocks the genre off its intended contour - from drama to comedy, but without achieving it either.
But the Russian traditional broke through: “Are you wearing chains too?” No, “shackles, the merchant’s word of honor.” After all, this is how we lived: without written contracts and without lawyers. This old man is sweet to Ostrovsky.
Note. The premieres of “The Dowry” took place on November 10, 1878 at the Maly Theater, and on November 22 at the Alexandrinsky Theater, both were unsuccessful. Failure continued to haunt infrequent productions of the drama until, 18 years later, its popularity began to grow, which was greatly facilitated by productions in 1896 in St. Petersburg with V. Komissarzhevskaya (Larissa) and in Moscow with K. Stanislavsky (Paratov). IN Soviet time The drama was staged in many theaters across the country, and is also staged in post-Soviet theaters. The first film adaptation was made back in the days of silent films (1912, directed by Kai Hansen). Three films were released in the USSR: 1936 (dir. Yakov Protazanov), 1974 (dir. Konst. Khudyakov), 1984 (“ Cruel romance", dir. Eldar Ryazanov).
1. Calculation and feelings, their role in the development of the plot.
2. The image and fate of Larisa Ogudalova.
3. Representatives of the business world in the play.
4. The drama of injured pride: Yuliy Karandyshev.
In the play “Dowry” A. N. Ostrovsky clearly demonstrated that the main driving force in society is money. It is they who give a person the opportunity to manage others, to feel confident and independent: successful businessmen Knurov and Vozhevatov are respected people in the city, all doors are open to them, and they themselves are fully aware of all the advantages of their position: “Yes, you can do business with money, you can . It’s good for him, Vasily Danilych, who has a lot of money.” There is no “good” that cannot be purchased for money: the squandered nobleman Paratov sells his “volushka” for it, Larisa’s mother uses various tricks to fish them out from rich guests, for money Larisa herself, disappointed in love, is ready to go with Knurov, who doesn't mind having fun. The clever rogue, the actor Schastlivtsev, is trying to extract material benefits from his acquaintance with rich people, having incurred debts on their account, and the petty official Karandyshev is trying his best to catch up with the rich, whom he secretly envies. Thus, we see that, to one degree or another, money influences the behavior of all the characters in the play.
What role do feelings, especially love, play in the development of the plot? Larisa, the main character of the play, is constantly in the spotlight, people talk about her, and admire her. However true love Of all the characters, only she experienced: “I was looking for love and did not find it. They looked at me and look at me as if I was funny. No one has ever tried to look into my soul, I haven’t seen sympathy from anyone, I haven’t heard a warm, heartfelt word,” Larisa comes to this conclusion. In fact, who from her environment is capable of high feelings? “No, somehow I, Mokiy Parmenych, don’t notice this in myself at all,” says the young merchant Vozhevatov about love. “I don’t know what “sorry” is. I, Mokiy Parmenych, have nothing cherished; I’ll find a profit, so I’ll sell everything, whatever” - this is the true essence of Paratov, who for a long time seemed to Larisa the “ideal man.” And this man shamelessly lied to Larisa: “...I have no innate hucksterism; noble feelings are still stirring in my soul.” Knurov is the one at least honest: “...I am ready to offer you such enormous content that the most evil critics of other people’s morality will have to shut up and open their mouths in surprise.” And Karandyshev, who declares that he loves Larisa, treats her the same way as everyone else - as a thing, believing that he has the right to control her fate, her life: “So don’t let anyone get you!”
The internal conflict of the play lies in the fact that despite considerable attention from those around her, Larisa is actually immensely lonely. Not only that, but her concepts and aspirations do not fit into the system of prevailing values in society. Larisa is alien to calculation and pretense, and this becomes the cause of her mental suffering. But she, for all her high virtues, does not know how to evaluate people. She takes Paratov's external brilliance for genuine breadth of soul; she believes this man even after he disappeared, having previously spoken beautiful words about your love. Since there is no lie in Larisa, she does not see it in others either; indignant that “everyone loves themselves”, that everyone thinks only of themselves, she, too, in essence, does not see those around her, she measures them by her own standards. Her decision to marry Karandyshev - in highest degree an unreasonable decision: even before the wedding it is clear that she, sensitive, vulnerable and proud, will not get along with this man, in whom the base instinct of possessiveness is extremely developed and his pride is painfully aggravated. And Larisa does not want and does not know how to look at her fiancé, as well as at her loved one, soberly - she fences herself off from the present Karandyshev with ghostly pictures of the future family life, in which the girl hopes to find peace of mind. But is it possible to find spiritual harmony, being in the company of a person whom you do not like or even respect? “...You are too small, too insignificant for me,” but is this only true of Karandyshev? And Paratov? He, too, for all his brilliance, which Karandyshev so lacks, does not deserve respect.
In the play “Dowry,” Ostrovsky masterfully showed not only the character of the main character, but also the people around her. The hereditary merchants Knurov and Vozhevatov, despite the cynicism with which they cast lots as to who will take Larisa for support, still turn out to be more honest than the nobleman Paratov. “The merchant’s honest word” still has value in the ideas of Knurov and Vozhevatov: “...Having given your word, hold on; but if you don’t give, be strong!” The honesty of these practical people, although not burdened by high spiritual ideals, distinguishes them favorably from Paratov, whose immoral and cruel lies become one of the reasons for Larisa’s death.
Ostrovsky shows others character traits successful businessmen: the arrogance of Knurov, who speaks only with a select few, the witty hypocrisy of Vozhevatov, who drinks champagne as if it were tea to avoid unnecessary gossip.
Clever businessmen secretly laugh at Paratov, who pays too much attention to social gloss, likes to spend money without counting, which is why he squandered it. Ostrovsky shows the shift in value priorities that has occurred in society: if previously a nobleman enjoyed more respect than representatives of the merchant class (this theme is heard, for example, in the play “Our People - Let's Be Numbered”), now merchants allow themselves to make fun of the nobles' indiscretion and ostentatious chic: “ ...Where is he! This is not a lordly thing. You will find profit if you buy it cheap.”
A striking contrast with the self-confident entrepreneurs and the brilliant master Paratov is the image of Yuli Karandyshev, Larina’s fiancé. The desire to “glorify himself” makes this person look pitiful and ridiculous. Karandyshev’s main trouble is not even his insignificant income, but the fact that he is trying to get on friendly terms with the rich, forgetting the ancient wisdom: “A goose is not a pig’s friend.” This man has a painfully aggravated pride - deep down, aware of his own insignificance, Karandyshev suffers painfully from jealousy. He is ready to be jealous of Larisa for anyone; Wanting to somehow raise his own importance in her eyes, he inserts himself into conversations with inappropriate remarks, tries to tell Larisa how she should behave, and reproaches her for behavior that is, from his point of view, incorrect. But all these pathetic attempts to seem smart and significant suffer a crushing failure - Karandyshev increasingly reveals his personal failure. The murder of Larisa is the highest manifestation of the base emotions that engulf Karandyshev.
To sum up the above, we can say that Ostrovsky not only masterfully recreated the peculiarities of life in certain circles of society, but also showed the tragic discrepancy between the world of purity and the desire human soul To selfless love, but also showed characters who, with minor changes, still exist in society.
