The play by Nikolai Ostrovsky, which St. Petersburg viewers saw for the first time in 1859, caused a wide resonance. Then a heated discussion followed, which concerned primarily the image of the main character. The work today deserves attention. And therefore, an essay on the theme “Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky is one of the tasks that is invariably present in the school curriculum.
Criticism
The critic Dobrolyubov subjected the play to a thorough study. His articles are a classic interpretation of the work, although they had a pronounced social bias. Later, the point of view of Dobrolyubov was partially refuted by another literary critic, saying that Katerina is not a representative of a new generation. Such a literary hero can only be Turgenevsky Bazarov. Dobrolyubov could not defend his point of view, since he was not already alive at that time. But nevertheless, in order to write a full-fledged essay on the theme of “The Storm” by Ostrovsky, one should at least superficially familiarize himself with the work of a Russian critic.
Analysis
The image of the heroine, which does not at all correspond to the traditions of the provincial merchants, is not accidental. The fate of Katerina, who dreams of sincere happiness, is the result of outdated phenomena that undermine the foundation of her life. The main background in the work was the memory of the good old days. An essay on Ostrovsky's The Storm involves a comparative analysis of Katerina’s image with other heroes.
Thunderstorm is a symbolic play, however there are folklore motifs in it. The play also has an allusion to a fairy tale story about a princess imprisoned by a terrible witch in a stone castle. However, the princess is not able to rescue the heroine. Boris is a stranger who came from a more lively city. Ostrovsky endowed him with the qualities of a thinker, but not capable of actions. Boris was able to awaken the “sleeping beauty”, but he did not dare to take with him to distant lands. An essay on the theme “Thunderstorm” by Ostrovsky can be devoted to the symbolism and motifs that are present in the work.
Kalinov
The image of the city is a symbol of the sleepy kingdom, an allusion to a terrible folk tale. Kalinov residents are closed in their geographical and spiritual representations. Symbolical is the image of a wanderer who broadcasts about the promised land and the unknown worlds, while discussing other Russian cities as something extremely distant and unattainable. One of the topics on which schoolchildren write an essay on the play "The Storm" by Ostrovsky is "Provincial Society." And when working on such a task, it is worth paying attention to the images, motives and allusions that are present in the drama.
Dark forces
In the play there are no direct culprits of the death of the heroine. Responsible all the inhabitants of the "dark kingdom". The classic theme that eighth-graders have been considering for decades in literature has been The Ray of Light in the Dark Kingdom, followed by an essay based on the play The Storm by Ostrovsky. Life in this small town is really bleak. The phrase "dark kingdom" symbolizes both the lack of spirituality of local residents and cruelty, which, however, are synonyms in this case.
Universal obedience
The characters of the play completely lack freedom. Katerina becomes the only one who does not want to obey fate. The heroine violates the usual course of events, for which she will face severe punishment. The theme of tyranny is one of the main in the work of Ostrovsky. The city is dominated by stupidity and ignorance, which are albeit indirect, but still the cause of the tragedy. Residents are in some kind of superstitious fear that fetters them. And none of the townspeople is able to take even the smallest step away from the established obsolete order.
Kabanova
In fear of her household, Katerina's mother-in-law is holding. Kabanova is the personification of the whole city. And she believes that breaking the rules and regulations is the destruction of all life. Mother fears her son, and even on the day of the death of his beloved wife, he is afraid to disobey her. This heroine gave unambiguous negative features A. Ostrovsky
School essay
On the work on the theme of "Thunderstorm" in the school curriculum there are standard topics for discussion. But when performing a creative task, one should still develop the ability to think, express one's own opinion, no matter how original it may be. When reading a classic work, no matter in which century it was created, it should be remembered that this is nothing but a reflection of reality.
How to write essays on the work "The Storm" (Ostrovsky A. N.)? To begin with, the author should remember if he had never met a stupid but powerful Kabanova in real life, who absolutely unreasonably kept others in fear. And who was to blame in this case? The one that imposed its point of view, or those who accepted it without having their own? And if an example from real life is found, then the problem of choosing a topic will disappear by itself.