Characteristics and image of Boris in the play Grozha Ostrovsky essay. Katerina's emotional drama in the play "The Thunderstorm" Quotes from Boris from the Thunderstorm

The famous critic Apollon Grigoriev believed that the main artistic flaw of “The Thunderstorm” was “the impersonality of Boris... What was there to fall in love with? “Everyone involuntarily asked himself, but probably none of the conscientiously thinking people doubted that Katerina, due to the fatal necessity of her situation, had to fall in love with someone.”

Yes, there was something of fatal necessity in Katerina’s love, but she should have fallen in love not with anyone, but with Boris. There were quite a few young guys in Kalinov - you can even remember the same Kudryash or his comrade Shapkin. And yet we understand that Katerina, as a heroine of a tragic plan, needed another chosen one, not like any of the Kalinovites and - according to her instinctive insight - somewhat similar to her. How? Yes, the same strangeness, unusualness, that loneliness, even restlessness, which might not have caught Katerina’s eye.

In the city, Boris is a stranger to everyone, and Ostrovsky emphasizes this from the very beginning in the author’s foreshadowing: “All the faces, except Boris, are dressed in Russian.” He alone walks around in a European suit, unusual for Kalinov. The morals and customs of the provincial town are completely unfamiliar to him: something scares him, but something seems poetic and beautiful. He admires the beauty of the night, the joy of love dates. “This is so new to me, so good, so fun!”

But have you noticed that during the first date with Katerina, Boris, despite the most oathful assurances (“I love you more than anything in the world, more than myself!”), thinks first of all about the pleasures that the meeting promises him. Chi with a young and beautiful woman? At first he doesn’t even want to think about what these dates could lead to, what they threaten with the one whom he, in his own words, loves so passionately.

“...Don’t make me sad,” he turns to Katerina, who tells him about her tragic premonitions. “...Well, what to think about it, fortunately we’re good now!” And having learned that Tikhon has left for two weeks, Boris exclaims with undisguised satisfaction: “Oh, so we’ll go for a walk! There's plenty of time."

So once again the theme arises in the play time. Boris simply does not want to look beyond two weeks. For him, this time is quite enough. But in this short period of time (in fact, Tikhon returned even earlier) the fate of both Katerina and himself was decided. But he (like Tikhon) realized this only when he lost Katerina.

Doesn’t it seem strange to you that Tikhon, who has already experienced a painful internal crisis, sees in Boris not only an enemy (which is understandable), but also a deeply suffering person, and even experiences, to a certain extent, sympathy and pity for him? Remember or re-read the beginning of the fifth act, Tikhon’s conversation with Kuligin. This scene gives a lot for understanding the young Kabanov, his new way of thinking. But it also makes you look at Boris differently, about whom Kuligin asks with sympathy: “Well, what about him, sir?” Tikhon replies: “He rushes about too; crying. Just now my uncle and I attacked him, we scolded him, scolded him - he was silent. Just like he turned out to be wild. With me, she says, do whatever you want, just don’t torture her! And he also has pity for her.” The fair Kuligin concludes: “He is a good man, sir.”

You must always be attentive to the text. Why do we often diligently avoid this conversation when characterizing Boris? Because it does not correspond to the established point of view? Meanwhile, the scenes from the fifth act indicate that Boris has also changed - and changed for the better. Now he is no longer thinking about himself, but about Katerina, not about his pleasures, but about her fate. One might not believe him himself, but Tikhon speaks about this, whose objectivity is beyond doubt. Material from the site

The first and last dates of Boris and Katerina are very different. Pay attention, in particular, to the tone of Boris’s speeches. Now his words are imbued with sadness and pain: “Well, we cried together, God brought us.” And his remark: “If only they wouldn’t find us here,” which is often quoted as a reproach to Boris, must be considered in the general context of the conversation. He’s not worried about himself, but about her. And in a moment of acute emotional excitement, such folk, almost village words burst out from him: “I’m exhausted on the road, thinking about you.”

Boris is not as impersonal as A. Grigoriev once thought. At the end of the play, glimpses of sincere feeling and the ability to experience deep feelings become noticeable in him. In this he is to some extent similar to Tikhon, although, as it seems to us, Tikhon still shows greater tact, nobility and humanity in a difficult psychological situation.

And yet Boris cannot be a “free bird,” as he calls himself. Alas, he sits in a tight cage from which he will never escape. Apparently, Tikhon won’t be able to escape either. In the play, only Katerina succeeded in this - but at the cost of her life.

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On this page there is material on the following topics:

  • why is Boris from the drama The Thunderstorm not dressed in Russian style?
  • Boris Grigorievich in the play Thunderstorm
  • the image of Boris in the play by A.N. Ostrovsky thunderstorm
  • brief description of Boris in a thunderstorm
  • Katerina and Boris's first date

“The characters can be roughly divided into representatives of the “dark kingdom” and its victims. The representatives include Dikoy and Kabanikha, but among the victims they name Katerina, Tikhon and Boris. However, is it possible to say with confidence that the last of those listed is really a victim of the “dark kingdom”? Let's try to understand this issue. The characterization of Boris in the play “The Thunderstorm” can fit in one sentence: a weak-willed young man who is ready to sacrifice his moral principles in order to get money. And indeed it is. But does that make him a victim?

Little has been said about the appearance of Boris from the play “The Thunderstorm”. This is a young man who came from Moscow. He is dressed differently than the residents of Kalinov, in a capital style, in a foreign way. Boris differs from the Kalinovites in his perception of the world, but he himself seems to be proud of it. Of course, the fact that Boris received an education adds a share of snobbery. But here, in Kalinov, no one is interested in this. His motives for coming to the city, actions in life situations and attitude towards others become much more important and revealing.

Boris Grigorievich, Dikiy’s nephew, did not come to the city because he missed his relative. Boris, like everyone else in the city, just needs money. Dikoy, being a stingy and greedy person, does not want to give away the inheritance that is due to his nephew. And Boris, realizing that you won’t get the money legally, decides to “establish relations” with his uncle so that he will be kinder and give the amount. But neither the nephew nor the Wild have any kindred feelings. Savl Prokofievich insults and scolds Boris, and he does not want to stay in Kalinov anymore, but steps over his principles for the sake of money.

The image of Boris in the play “The Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky is associated with a love line. Boris falls in love with Katerina, at least that’s what he thinks. But with Tikhon’s arrival, several days of secret meetings with Katya pass, and here Boris’s real face, cowardly and petty, is revealed. Katerina was determined to confess her feelings to the whole family just to live honestly with Boris, but Boris thought differently. He was very afraid that Katya would talk about their walks, and tried to persuade the girl to remain silent. The young man lamented that it was all over at that moment when Katerina had not yet said anything to her husband and mother-in-law. That is, he refused to take responsibility for the girl and for his feelings; it is easier for Boris to escape from the problem and regret what was lost. Unfortunately, neither he nor Tikhon were able and could never protect Katerina from the kingdom of lies and deceit. The last conversation between Boris and Katya is especially indicative in this regard. Boris understands that something is wrong with the girl, but does not ask about her condition. Instead, Boris makes the situation worse: he needs to go to Siberia for a long time, he doesn’t want to take Katya. With similar words, he makes it clear to the girl that in fact Boris did not actually experience any deep feelings.
While he felt good and easy, he was with Katya. As soon as the problems started, he left.

The given description of the image of Boris will be useful to 10th grade students when collecting material for an essay on the topic “Characterization of Boris in the play “The Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky.”

Characteristics of Boris from the play “The Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky, an essay on the topic of the image of the hero |

“Why do living, creative, kind and decent people painfully retreat before the shapeless gray mass that fills the world?” - this phrase would become a wonderful epigraph to one of Ostrovsky’s works. The conflict of the tragedy is realized at several levels. Firstly, the playwright showed the flawed nature of the established order, the conflict between the patriarchal system and the new, free life. This aspect is realized at the level of such characters as Kuligin and Katerina. In short, the existence, and even more so the coexistence of feeling, fair people, striving for spiritual enrichment and honest work is impossible next to the angry, deprived and deceitful inhabitants of Kalinov. Moreover, it is necessary to make a reservation that Kalinov is a fictional space, which means the space becomes conditional. Secondly, Katerina’s emotional drama in “The Thunderstorm” is shown.

In this case, we are talking about conflict within the character. These types of conflicts are always interesting, because contradictions make images alive and multifaceted. Ostrovsky managed to create a character that caused completely opposite opinions among critics. Dobrolyubov called the main character of the play “a ray of light in a dark kingdom” and sincerely believed that Katerina embodied the best qualities of a Russian person. But Pisarev entered into a debate with Dobrolyubov, saying that Katerina’s problems were far-fetched and solvable. However, both critics were somehow interested in the emotional drama of Katerina Kabanova.

Katya lives with her husband, his sister and mother-in-law. The family appears on stage for the first time in this composition. The fifth phenomenon begins with a conversation between Marfa Ignatievna and her son. Tikhon supports his mother in everything, agrees even with outright lies. Katya's husband, Tikhon Kabanov, is a weak and weak-willed person. He is tired of his mother’s hysterics, but instead of expressing his opinion at least once or protecting his wife from cruelty and evil words, Tikhon goes out for a drink with Dikiy. Tikhon looks like an adult child. He loves Katya because he feels inner strength in her, but his feelings are not mutual: Katya feels only pity for Tikhon.

Varvara seems to be the only person who is at least somehow interested in Katerina. She worries about Katya and tries to help her. However, Varvara does not understand how subtly Katerina feels this world, Varvara is practical, she does not understand why it is so difficult for Katerina to learn to “tell a white lie,” why Katya wants to become a bird, why she feels approaching death.

Katya herself appreciates the moments when she manages to be alone. She regrets that she does not have children, because then she would love and care for them. The happiness of motherhood would allow Katya to realize herself as a woman, as a mother and as a person, because she would be in charge of raising her. Katya's childhood was carefree. She had everything she could have dreamed of: loving parents, going to church, freedom and a sense of life. Before her marriage, Katya felt truly alive, and now she dreams of becoming a bird in order to fly away from this place, which deprived the girl of her inner lightness.

So, Katya lives in a house with a mother-in-law who is prone to tyranny and manipulation, and a husband who obeys his mother in everything, cannot protect his wife, and loves to drink. In addition to this, there is no person around the girl with whom she could share her experiences, who would not just listen to her, but would hear her. Agree, it is quite difficult to live in such an environment, considering that education and self-esteem do not allow one to respond to aggression with aggression.

The situation gets worse with the appearance of Boris, or rather, Katya’s feelings for Boris. The girl had a huge need to love and give her love. Perhaps in Boris Katya saw someone to whom she could give unrealized feelings. Or she saw in him an opportunity to finally be herself. Most likely, both. The feelings of young people flare up suddenly and develop rapidly. It was very difficult for Katerina to decide to meet with Boris. She thought for a long time about her husband, about her feelings towards Tikhon, about what everything could lead to. Katya rushed from one extreme to another: either come to terms with an unhappy family life, forgetting Boris, or divorce Tikhon in order to be with Boris. And yet the girl decides to go out into the garden where her lover was waiting for her. “Let everyone know, let everyone see what I do! If I wasn’t afraid of sin for you, will I be afraid of human judgment?” - this was Katya’s position. She neglects the laws of Christianity, committing a sin, but the girl is firmly confident in her decision. Katya takes responsibility for her life: “Why feel sorry for me? I went for it myself.” The secret meetings, which lasted ten days, end with the arrival of Tikhon. Katya is afraid that the truth about her betrayal will soon become known to her husband and mother-in-law, so she wants to tell them herself. Boris and Varvara try to persuade the girl to remain silent. A conversation with Boris opens Katya's eyes: Boris is the same person as all those from whom she dreamed of escaping. The collapse of illusions was very painful for Katerina. In this case, it turns out that there is no way out of the “dark kingdom”, but Katya can no longer live here. Gathering all her strength, Katya decides to end her life.

The emotional drama of Katerina from Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” consists of the discrepancy between real life and desires, the collapse of hopes and illusions, the awareness of the hopelessness and immutability of the situation. Katerina could not live in a world of ignoramuses and deceivers; the girl was torn by the contradiction of duty and feelings. This conflict turned out to be tragic. 

One of the main characters of the play by the famous Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky is the nephew of the merchant Dikiy - Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a famous play and tragedy, which embodied in its plot all the originality and unbending spirit of the people of that time, and made an invaluable contribution to the history of literature, contributing to the understanding of the life of that era.

Story line

The plot is built on feelings and emotions, on relationships in the family and outside it. In those distant times, the people of a small town lived like one big family, the tragedy of one person affected everyone and was discussed by everyone. This happened with Tikhon’s family. The reason was his wife’s betrayal - a situation in which Boris’s characteristics were most clearly demonstrated. “The Thunderstorm” is a play whose main meaning lies in the tragic consequences of betrayal, but betrayal in the name of love. How will this event affect each family member, how will the true essence of the human soul manifest itself and be revealed? For example, the main character Boris, whose moral principles and inner world were at odds with the current situation, decided to abandon his loved one, stop communicating with Katerina, thereby wounding her to the very heart. Did you act like a coward or... a hero? What exactly is Boris's characteristic? A thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon that can reveal and convey the feelings, emotions and torment of all the main characters. Experiences and doubts, the correctness of actions and the correctness of choice in the face of fear and death...

Characteristics of the hero: Boris. “Thunderstorm” is a great tragedy of a small human soul

Already from the first scene of the play, it is clear that Boris, who came from Moscow, stands out from the crowd with his noble behavior, respectful attitude and good manners. He himself says that he was “trained in literacy and languages,” studied diligently and strived for the best. After the death of his parents, who tragically died from the cholera epidemic raging at that time, he had to come to his only relative - his uncle - to receive his inheritance. According to the terms of the will, he will receive it only if he is respectful to the merchant Dikiy. Well-mannered and meek, courteous and cultured - these are the characteristics of Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a work that reveals the inner world of such people in the best possible way. He was ready to harbor resentment and the understanding that he would not receive an inheritance, while continuing to play the role of a loving nephew, remaining to live in this town and putting up with his rude and impudent uncle, not wishing him harm and treating him with understanding. This characterizes him as a person with a big and bright soul, open and kind, but at the same time he becomes more and more depressed and gloomy, his feelings are written on his face.

Fateful decision

Fate cannot be deceived - it is this folk wisdom that characterizes the behavior and actions of the main characters. Boris fell in love with Katerina, a woman with whom, as he himself said, he was not destined to even talk, because his love was already married. This circumstance greatly influenced the main character, he admitted that he was crushed and killed by the mere thought of impossible intimacy with a loved one, but “the ways of the Lord are inscrutable,” and fate brought two loving hearts together, giving a spark of hope to both, because Katerina answers the young man reciprocity. At this moment, Boris’s entire characterization changed radically. Thunderstorm is an allegory that the author used in this play. It displays and conveys the emotions of all the main characters, their torment and doubts, and the impending tragedy. Katerina's husband had to leave the city. And after her husband leaves, she completely surrenders to emotions.

This happened because Katerina never loved Tikhon and was offended by his entire family for humiliation. She cannot resist the surging feelings and cheats on her husband with Boris, who also could not control himself and threw himself “into the pool headlong,” indulging in sin with a married woman. This moment may characterize him as a frivolous person, but this is far from the case. After Tikhon’s return, he refused to communicate with Katerina in the hope that her husband would forgive her, and did not destroy the family, thereby causing irreparable injury to his beloved. It was much harder for him at that moment, but he agreed to hide his feelings for the sake of the woman’s happiness. In order not to discredit her name, he asked not to confess, but she decided otherwise... We can say that Boris’s characterization (“The Thunderstorm”) manifested itself in cowardice and repentance, but this is the other side of the coin.

Quote from Boris. "Thunderstorm" - a tragedy of feelings

The most famous quote with which Boris described himself: “Harried, downtrodden, and then he foolishly decided to fall in love.” From the very beginning he did not like the bourgeois life in a small town, he was bored; Having left the big city and not finding support here, he began to feel sad, and the very first phrase shows his moral state: “I understand that all this is ours, Russian, native, but still I won’t get used to it.” Such a life was alien to him, he did not want to put up with it, at the same time, pride and selfishness manifested themselves more and more often. He pushed his beloved away, did not communicate or talk to her, and his cowardice led to tragedy - Katerina committed suicide. This is the best characteristic of Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a play that shows what indifference and playing with the feelings of another person, indecision and cowardice, untimely decisions and the bitterness of resentment can lead to.

One of the main characters of the play by the famous Russian playwright A. N. Ostrovsky is the nephew of the merchant Dikiy - Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a famous play and tragedy, which embodied in its plot all the originality and unbending spirit of the people of that time, and made an invaluable contribution to the history of literature, contributing to the understanding of the life of that era.

Story line

The plot is built on feelings and emotions, on and outside of it. In those distant times, the people of a small town lived like one big family, the tragedy of one person affected everyone and was discussed by everyone.

This happened with Tikhon’s family. The reason was a situation in which Boris’s characteristics were most clearly demonstrated. “The Thunderstorm” is a play whose main meaning lies in the tragic consequences of betrayal, but betrayal in the name of love. How will this event affect each family member, how will the true essence of the human soul manifest itself and be revealed? For example, the main character Boris, whose moral principles were at odds with the current situation, decided to abandon his loved one, stop communicating with Katerina, thereby wounding her to the very heart. Did you act like a coward or... a hero? What exactly is Boris's characteristic? A thunderstorm is a natural phenomenon that can reveal and convey the torment of all the main characters. Experiences and doubts, the correctness of actions and the correctness of choice in the face of fear and death...

Characteristics of the hero: Boris. "Thunderstorm" - a great tragedy of a small human soul

Already from the first scene of the play, it is clear that Boris, who came from Moscow, stands out from the crowd with his noble behavior, respectful attitude and good manners. He himself says that he was “trained in literacy and languages,” studied diligently and strived for the best. After the death of his parents, who tragically died from the cholera epidemic raging at that time, he had to come to his only relative - his uncle - to receive his inheritance. According to the terms of the will, he will receive it only if he is respectful to the merchant Dikiy. Well-mannered and meek, courteous and cultured - this is the characteristic of Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a work that reveals the inner world of such people in the best possible way. He was ready to harbor resentment and the understanding that he would not receive an inheritance, while continuing to play the role of a loving nephew, remaining to live in this town and putting up with his rude and impudent uncle, not wishing him harm and treating him with understanding. This characterizes him as a person with a big and bright soul, open and kind, but at the same time he becomes more and more depressed and gloomy, his feelings are written on his face.

Fateful decision

Fate cannot be deceived - it is this folk wisdom that characterizes the behavior and actions of the main characters. Boris fell in love with Katerina, a woman with whom, as he himself said, he was not destined to even talk, because his love was already married. This circumstance greatly influenced the main character, he admitted that he was crushed and killed by the mere thought of impossible intimacy with a loved one, but “the ways of the Lord are inscrutable,” and fate brought two loving hearts together, giving a spark of hope to both, because Katerina answers the young man reciprocity. At this moment, Boris’s entire characterization changed radically. Thunderstorm - which the author used in this play. It displays and conveys the emotions of all the main characters, their torment and doubts, and the impending tragedy. Katerina's husband had to leave the city. And after her husband leaves, she completely surrenders to emotions.

This happened because Katerina never loved Tikhon and was offended by his entire family for humiliation. She cannot resist the surging feelings and cheats on her husband with Boris, who also could not control himself and threw himself “into the pool headlong,” indulging in sin with a married woman. This moment may characterize him as a frivolous person, but this is far from the case. After Tikhon’s return, he refused to communicate with Katerina in the hope that her husband would forgive her, and did not destroy the family, thereby causing irreparable injury to his beloved. It was much harder for him at that moment, but he agreed to hide his feelings for the sake of the woman’s happiness. In order not to discredit her name, he asked not to confess, but she decided otherwise... We can say that Boris’s characterization (“The Thunderstorm”) manifested itself in cowardice and repentance, but this is the other side of the coin.

Quote from Boris. "Thunderstorm" - a tragedy of feelings

The most famous quote with which Boris described himself: “Harried, downtrodden, and then he foolishly decided to fall in love.” From the very beginning he did not like the bourgeois life in a small town, he was bored; Having left the big city and not finding support here, he began to feel sad, and the very first phrase shows his moral state: “I understand that all this is ours, Russian, native, but still I won’t get used to it.” Such a life was alien to him, he did not want to put up with it, at the same time, pride and selfishness manifested themselves more and more often. He pushed his beloved away, did not communicate or talk to her, and his cowardice led to tragedy - Katerina committed suicide. This is the best characteristic of Boris. “The Thunderstorm” is a play that shows what indifference and playing with the feelings of another person, indecision and cowardice, untimely decisions and bitterness of resentment can lead to.