The drama “The Thunderstorm” became one of the most famous in the work of Alexander Ostrovsky. In the work, the author created characters that were characteristic of that era. Dikoy and Kabanikha are representatives of the dark kingdom in the drama “The Thunderstorm”, they humiliate poor people and do whatever they want, both at home and on the streets of the city. The characteristics of these two characters will help schoolchildren when preparing for the lesson and when writing an essay on the work.
Representatives of the dark kingdom
In Ostrovsky’s “The Thunderstorm,” Dikoya and Kabanikha personify the “dark kingdom.” They consider themselves the main ones in this world, and their tyranny knows no bounds. The characters live in the city of Kalinov, in which all power belonged not to the mayor, but to the merchants. After all, using their money and connections, they were easily able to enlist the support of higher authorities. Merchants mock the townspeople and deceive the defenseless poor. The negative traits of this class are most strongly manifested in the character of Savel Prokofievich Dikiy - he keeps all the townspeople in fear , lends money only at high interest rates and profits from other merchants.
New technologies and knowledge cannot penetrate into the city. This happens because the townspeople are very dark and treat everything new with fear and distrust and are afraid even to have something new founded or built here. The majority of city residents, like Dikoy and Kabanikha, have a negative attitude towards change and this unites them.
Film adaptations
In 1933, a film adaptation of “The Thunderstorm” was released, directed by Vladimir Petrov. The role of Kabanikha was performed by Varvara Massalitinova. The film received an award at the Venice International Festival as the best film presented to the public.
In 1977, Felix Glyamshin and Boris Babochkin filmed the television play “The Thunderstorm” based on Ostrovsky’s work of the same name. The colorful film was liked by television viewers. The despotic merchant's wife was played by actress Olga Kharkova.
In 2021, directors again turned to the writer’s work. Andrey Moguchiy staged his own interpretation of “The Thunderstorm”. The teleplay combines archaism and avant-garde. The image of Kabanikha on stage was embodied by People's Artist of Russia Marina Ignatova.
- Analysis of the dialogues of the heroes of “The Thunderstorm” allows us to conclude that Kabanikha was raised in the Old Believer faith. Therefore, the woman rejects innovations, even the railway.
- In the theater, the merchant's wife is often portrayed as an elderly woman. Although the writer does not indicate the heroine's age, the character is hardly more than 40 years old.
- Ostrovsky awarded Marfa Ignatievna a telling first and last name. “Marfa means “lady,” and the surname Kabanova is common among the merchants. The woman received the nickname “Kabanikha” for her stubbornness, for which she became famous among the city residents.
Outdated character thinking
Marfa Ignatievna insists in every possible way on observing old traditions. The woman demands that people do basic things like say hello, express their emotions and communicate, just like they did when she was young. But at the same time, she is not at all concerned about the problems of people and the correspondence of these actions to the real world. For example, Kabanikha does not care about her son’s addiction to alcohol, the main thing is that he obeys her in everything.
The image of Marfa Ignatievna is characterized by external ritualism and attribution. She is used to doing everything for show. Kabanikha treats religion in a similar way. Like an exemplary Russian woman, she attends church weekly , but forgets about the basic covenants of God and that faith must come from the heart. In the minds of the representatives of the “dark kingdom,” Orthodoxy was mixed with pagan superstitions, which becomes noticeable in their attitude towards the thunderstorm. Dikiy believes that this is a punishment for people from higher powers and is not able to believe in the scientific explanation of the phenomenon.
Marfa Kabanova believes that the planet rests on those who comply with the old laws and convince the Wild One of this. From their dialogue, a certain hierarchy in their relationship becomes noticeable. Savel himself realizes that Kabanikha has a very strong character and a sharp mind, and he perfectly sees her leadership qualities. He understands that he is incapable of such manipulations that a woman subjects her family to every day.
Comparing the characters, it is impossible not to note that Dikiy’s tyranny is more aimed at the outside world, while only her relatives suffer from Kabanikha’s despotism, but in public she has gained a reputation as a good mother and housewife.
For some reason, Martha and Savel are absolutely not worried about what topics are being talked about around them and what gossip people believe in. After all, we are absolutely sure that they are right and are doing everything right. Neither of them cares about the feelings of their loved ones and they are not worried about their happiness. For them, especially for Kabanikha, relationships are built solely on fear and oppression.
Characteristics of the merchant
In Kalinov, the richest man was Savel Prokofievich Dikoy, who was a merchant. By nature, he is a powerful and stern man, accustomed to everyone around him obeying him unquestioningly and being ready to do whatever he wants. Savel perfectly feels his strength and power over other townspeople and uses it. It costs him nothing to scold, rob or push a poor person out of anywhere.
There are legends in the city about the cruel temper of the merchant. Among the residents, no one except Kudryash is able to stand up for themselves, and Dikoy takes advantage of this in every possible way. He increases his self-esteem and establishes himself in the eyes of others by mocking and humiliating people, and the feeling of permissiveness only increases cruelty. It is surprising that Dikoy pours out all his anger exclusively on weak-willed townspeople or loved ones. For example, once a hussar scolded Dikiy, but he did not say anything in his defense. But soon he took it out on his family members, so they walked toe to toe with their owner for 2 weeks.
Dikoy is a very selfish person and is ready to deceive anyone for the sake of profit. This is proven by his own quote: “I won’t pay every worker a penny extra, I make thousands out of this, so it’s good for me.” Kuligin once noted that there is no other scolder like Dikoy in the world.
Savel Prokopyevich is a dark and illiterate person. This is especially true in certain scenes:
- When Kuligin tried to explain to the merchant what a thunderstorm was, he only exclaimed in bewilderment: what kind of electricity were they telling him about? He called the self-taught mechanic a robber who does not understand that a thunderstorm is sent to people as punishment, so that they can feel where they have sinned before higher powers.
- Kuligin also asked Dikiy for money for the construction of a sundial and a lightning rod in the city, which Kalinov needed so much. But the merchant was so illiterate that he not only refused to sponsor the buildings, but also threatened to throw him in prison for freethinking. He threatened to complain to the mayor.
Despite the hero’s religiosity and his fear of angering God, he did not hesitate to mock poor people. He was so hungry for money that he neglected his own mother's will and did not give part of her inheritance to his nephew Boris. The wild one is selfish by nature.
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Marfa Kabanova
Kabanikha or Marfa Ignatieva Kabanova is the second person in the drama, who symbolizes the “dark kingdom.” By occupation, she also belonged to the Kalinovsky merchants. A woman by nature is stern and domineering, suppresses any opinion she dislikes in the family and forces her loved ones to obey her at all costs. Kuligin gives this woman a very accurate quotation description: “Prude, sir! He gives money to the poor, but completely eats up his family.”
The woman strictly follows the principles of Domostroevskaya antiquity and tries to impose them on her children. After all, in her opinion, they live according to different, completely incomprehensible and at the same time incorrect orders. Kabanikha is unable to imagine how young people will live when representatives of her generation die. She considers herself, her peers and representatives of the older generation to be all-knowing and very wise, and therefore does not understand who will stand on this white light without them. Marfa Ignatievka, like Dikoy, is dark and ignorant. When the wanderer Feklusha tells her about new amazing cars, Kabanikha criticizes her words and what she describes and considers transport something dangerous.
The woman is also very evil by nature and prone to despotism. She demands unquestioning obedience and admiration for her personality and thereby prevents Tikhon and Katerina from enjoying a calm married life and making their own decisions. Marfa Ignatievna immediately disliked her daughter-in-law so much for her love of freedom and pride that she was even glad when she died at the end of the play.
Kabanova’s domineering character is also evident at the moment when she forced Katerina to kneel in front of her son, “At your feet, at your feet!” she said. The woman finds it incredible when her son says that when he says goodbye, all he needs is a hug from his wife. According to Martha, Katerina, like any other wife, during separation, should howl, saying goodbye to her husband and throw herself at his feet. The woman regularly interferes in the relationship between her son and daughter-in-law and teaches them how to live, which adversely affects their marriage.
Comparison of heroes
The Kabanikh and the Wild are most closely united by a sense of permissiveness and a strong confidence that everything should be exactly as they see fit.
Between Savel Prokofievich and Marfa Ignatievna, despite the great similarities, there are a number of differences:
- first of all, Kabanikha is smarter than Dikiy;
- Marfa Ignatievna is more restrained and outwardly seems impassive and stern;
- the woman is nice to those around her, even though she terrorizes her loved ones, and Dikoy demands obedience from everyone around her.
Kabanova was the only person in the city whose opinion the merchant took into account. These two, as typical representatives of the “dark time,” prevented the emergence of everything new and modern.
Alexander Ostrovsky was able to skillfully portray representatives of the merchant class in the drama “The Thunderstorm”, exposing all their vices and flaws. Throughout the entire plot, the work shows the inevitable doom of the “dark kingdom” of all the Kabanovs and Wild Ones, who interfere with the formation of a democratic free life. People like them have no place in the new world, because their heroes are just a relic of the past.
History of creation
The play "The Thunderstorm" was first published in 1860. The writer was prompted to write the work by a personal drama, which was reflected in the work. In Kabanikha, Ostrovsky embodied the characteristics of a tyrant, despot and tyrant. The writer does not specifically describe the details of the heroine’s appearance so that the reader can independently, only based on the character’s inner world, create the image of the merchant’s wife.
Ostrovsky also does not indicate the exact age of the heroine. At the same time, Kabanikha relies on her own seniority and calls on the younger generation to respect:
“Don’t judge your older self! They know more than you. Old people have signs for everything. An old man won’t say a word to the wind.”
The resulting image, as well as the work as a whole, caused fierce debate among the writer's contemporaries. But, despite different points of view, “The Thunderstorm” became the anthem of the pre-reform social upsurge.
