The play "The Storm" is the most famous creation of Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky. Each hero of this work is a unique person, taking his place in the character system. Noteworthy in this regard is the characteristic of Tikhon. Thunderstorm, a play whose main conflict is based on the opposition of the strong and the weak, is interesting for its oppressed heroes, including our character.
Thunderstorm
The play was written in 1859. The scene is the fictional city of Kalinov, which stands on the banks of the Volga. The duration is summer, the whole work covers 12 days.
In its genre, “Thunderstorm” refers to social drama. Ostrovsky paid a lot of attention to the description of the everyday life of the city, the characters of the work come into conflict with the established order, long obsolete, and the despotism of the older generation. Of course, the main protest is expressed by Katerina (the main character), but her husband also occupies the last place in the riot, which confirms Tikhon’s characterization.
“Thunderstorm” is a work telling about human freedom, about the desire to break free from the shackles of obsolete dogma, religious authoritarianism. And all this is portrayed against the backdrop of the failed love of the main character.
Image system
The system of images in the play is based on the opposition of tyrants who are used to commanding everything (Boar, Wild), and young people who want to finally find freedom and live their own mind. Katerina heads the second camp, only she has the courage to open confrontation. However, other young characters seek to get rid of the yoke of dilapidated and meaningless rules. But there are those who have reconciled, and not the last among them is Katerina’s husband (below is a detailed description of Tikhon).
"Thunderstorm" depicts the world of the "dark kingdom", only the heroes themselves can destroy it or die, like Katerina, misunderstood and rejected. It turns out that the tyrants seized power and their laws are too strong, and any rebellion against them leads to tragedy.
Tikhon: characteristic
Thunderstorm is a work where there are no strong male characters (with the exception of the Wild). So, Tikhon Kabanov appears only as a weak-willed, weak and frightened mother, a man unable to protect her beloved woman. The characterization of Tikhon from the play The Thunderstorm shows that this hero is a victim of the "dark kingdom", he lacks the determination to live his own mind. Whatever he does and wherever he goes, everything happens according to the will of his mother.
As a child, Tikhon was accustomed to follow the orders of Kabanikha, and this habit remained in him in his mature years. Moreover, this need to obey was so ingrained that even the thought of disobedience plunges him into horror. Here is what he himself says about this: "Yes, I, mama, and I do not want to live by my own will."
The characterization of Tikhon ("Thunderstorm") speaks of this character as a person who is ready to bear all the mockery and rudeness of his mother. And the only thing he dares to do is a desire to break out of the house in order to have a meal. This is the only freedom and liberation available to him.
Katerina and Tikhon: characteristics
Thunderstorm is a play where one of the main plot lines is love, but how close is it to our hero? Yes, Tikhon loves his wife, but in his own way, not as Kabanikh would have liked. He is affectionate with her, does not want to rule over the girl, intimidate her. However, Tikhon does not understand Katerina and her mental suffering. Its softness adversely affects the heroine. If Tikhon was a little more courageous and had at least some will and ability to fight, Katerina would not need to look for all this on the side - in Boris.
The characterization of Tikhon from the play "The Storm" exposes him in a completely unsightly light. Despite the fact that he reacted calmly to his wife’s treason, he was unable to protect her from either his mother or other representatives of the “dark kingdom”. He leaves Katerina alone, despite his love for her. The non-intervention of this character has largely led to the final tragedy. Only realizing that he had lost his beloved, Tikhon dares to open rebellion against his mother. He accuses her of the death of the girl, no longer afraid of her tyranny and power over him.
Images of Tikhon and Boris
A comparative description of Boris and Tikhon (The Storm) allows us to conclude that they are very similar in many respects; some literary scholars even call them twin heroes. So, what is common in them, and how are they different?
Not finding the necessary support and understanding from Tikhon, Katerina turns to Boris. What in him so attracted the heroine? First of all, he differs from other residents of the city: educated, graduated from the academy, dresses in the European manner. But this is only the outside, but what's inside? In the course of the story, it turns out that he depends on the Wild in the same way as Tikhon from Kabanikh. Boris is limp and spineless. He says that he only keeps his inheritance, losing which his sister will become a dowager. But all this seems to be an excuse: he too submissively takes away all the humiliations of his uncle. Boris sincerely falls in love with Katerina, but he does not care that this love will destroy a married woman. He, like Tikhon, worries only about himself. In words, both of these heroes sympathize with the main character, but they lack the strength of mind to help her and protect her.