An essay on the theme of love in the play; poverty is not Ostrovsky’s vice. Love in a patriarchal world in the play “Poverty is not a vice Patriarchal life in poverty is not a vice

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Love in a patriarchal world in the play “Poverty is not a vice”

“Poverty is not a vice” - a hymn to the Russian merchant class - contains all the signs of patriarchal life: the strength of family foundations, the trust of children in their parents, the inviolability of the customs that reign in this merchant environment, the integrity and clarity of the worldview, not overshadowed by any innovations.

In the comedy “Poverty is not a Vice,” the ideal love of Mitya and Lyubov Gordeevna, also patriarchal in its essence, collides with the dark, unbridled tyranny of Gordey, which, according to Ostrovsky, is only a distortion and vulgarization of the idea of parental authority, a mockery of it. It is no coincidence that it is Mitya who reminds his beloved mother of the basic principle, the basic commandment of the patriarchally understood duty of parents in relation to children: “Why are you seizing a girl’s age, giving her into bondage? Isn't this a sin? After all, tea, you will have to give God an answer for it.” Mitya reproaches her not for the fact that Lyubov Gordeevna’s fate was decided without her knowledge or consent, but for the fact that they chose a bad, cruel, terrible man as her husband. Lyubov Gordeevna does not even think of the possibility of violating her father’s will and is ready to submit to it, accepting the upcoming marriage as a feat of obedience, as a sacrifice. It is very characteristic that the daughter does not ask her father to listen to her, to follow her wishes, in despair she prays to him: “Daddy! Don’t want my misfortune for the rest of my life!.. Change your mind!..” With all this, Lyubov Gordeevna cannot be denied a kind of courage. Having made a decision, she shows firmness and does not want to torment anyone with the spectacle of her suffering. When Pelageya Egorovna, trying to sympathize with her, praises and pities Mitya, Lyubov Gordeevna decisively stops her: “Well, mummy, what can you think about, what you can’t do, just torment yourself.”

Ostrovsky sees in Lyubov Gordeevna’s behavior not slavish obedience, much less fear of the hardships that await the girl if her father’s will is violated. The heroine is held back by the thought of moral duty, as this duty is understood in her environment; “I must submit to him, such is our lot as a girl. So, you know, this is how it should be, this is how it has been established since ancient times. I don’t want to go against my father, so that people won’t talk about me or make an example of me. Even though I may have torn my heart through this, at least I know that I live according to the law, no one dares to laugh in my face.”

As patriarchal morality requires, Mitya is respectful of his elders. He treats Pelageya Yegorovna with cordial affection, who is “in disgrace” with Lyubim. Consequently, Mitya’s respect is disinterested and in no way connected with any prospects for benefits. Mitya unselfishly and selflessly loves Gordey's daughter. His conversation with Pelageya Egorovna about the upcoming marriage of Lyubov Gordeevna shows that he is in despair not only because his beloved is lost to him forever, but perhaps even more because they have married her to an evil, scary old man. Although in his main ideas about life, in his basic moral beliefs, Mitya is a man of the patriarchal world, some features due to the influence of new times are already visible in him. Already in the second act, a new shade appears, a motive that connects the love plot of the play with the main conflict - the struggle between the original, patriarchal way of life and the “obsession of fashion.” Acting in the plot as a defender of genuine patriarchal culture and the characters associated with it, We ourselves love another. Its appearance is determined by its connection with Ostrovsky’s contemporary urban culture. He alone has a certain touch of intelligence. “Zabuldyga” Lyubim is the most sensible hero in the play, he laughs at his brother’s noble pretensions, understands the dangerous power of money over shady people, appreciates the modest and honest Mitya, sees what the true happiness of his niece consists of, and knows how to save her from a terrible fate.

Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky was called the “Columbus of Zamoskvorechye,” a region of Moscow where people from the merchant class lived. He showed what intense, dramatic life goes on behind high fences, what Shakespearean passions sometimes boil in the souls of representatives of the so-called “simple class” - merchants, shopkeepers, small employees. The patriarchal laws of a world that is becoming a thing of the past seem unshakable, but a warm heart lives according to its own laws - the laws of love and goodness.

The heroes of the play “Poverty is not a vice” seem simple and understandable. Lyubov Tortsova loves Mitya, but does not dare to contradict the will of her father, who decided to give her in marriage to Afrikan Korshunov. The very name of the rich groom speaks for itself, evoking the idea of a wild, predatory nature. He is sure that money can buy everything, and cynically talks about his ex-wife, while simultaneously teaching his bride a lesson: “Love, don’t love, but look more often. They, you see, needed money, they had nothing to live on: I gave, did not refuse; but I need to be loved. Well, am I free to demand this or not? I paid money for that.” And Lyubov Gordeevna’s life would have been miserable if the great power of love had not entered the fight against patriarchal laws.

Mitya is distinguished by his gentle character and good disposition. “The guy is so simple, with a soft heart,” Pelageya Egorovna says about him. But despair at the possibility of losing his beloved forever makes him bold and daring; he wants to take Lyubov Gordeevna away on the eve of the wedding and secretly marry her. True, he asks her mother for blessings on this step. But it is impossible not to appreciate this impulse.

Lyubov Gordeevna cannot fight for her happiness. Is it fitting for a modest girl to disobey and disrespect her parents! But love also makes her bold: she confesses her love to Mitya (a blatant violation of patriarchal traditions!) and decides to ask her father for consent to her marriage to Mitya.

Heart is the key word for Ostrovsky. He values his heroes, first of all, for their ability to love and compassion, for their living souls, for their warm hearts. At the beginning of the work, Gordey Tortsov seems to us to be a narrow-minded man, bending over backwards to show his significance, modernity, even secularity. “No, tell me this,” he says to Korshunov, “is everything okay with me? In another place, a fine guy in a suit or a girl is serving at the table, but I have a waiter in thread gloves. Oh, if I lived in Moscow or in St. Petersburg, I would, it seems, imitate every fashion.” But it turns out that this desire for “education”, plebeian shame for his loved ones did not kill his best qualities in him. Love for his daughter makes him remember dignity and honor and drive Korshunov away.

It is interesting that the role of reasoner in the play is assigned to Lyubim Tortsov, who, it seems, is not at all suitable for this role. “Oh people, people! We love Tortsov the drunkard, and better than you!” - says the hero. This man is poor, but not pitiful, because he knows what the truth of life is: “But here’s another question for you: are you an honest merchant or not? If you’re honest, don’t hang out with the dishonest, don’t rub yourself near the soot, you’ll get dirty yourself... I’m not dressed cleanly, but my conscience is clean.”

The play “Poverty is not a vice” ends with the triumph of virtue, the punishment of vice, and the wedding of the main characters. The fates of Lyubov Tortsova and Mitya would have been completely different if their love had not been able to withstand the inert laws of patriarchal antiquity. The ability to love, a warm heart, Ostrovsky tells us, can work miracles.

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Students traditionally get acquainted with Ostrovsky’s work in 9th grade during literature lessons. Ostrovsky’s play “Poverty is not a vice” reflected the picture of the life of the Russian merchants contemporary to the author. Information about the topic, idea, issues and genre of the work will be useful for preparing for a lesson, test, or writing a creative work. In our article you will find a brief as well as a complete analysis of the play according to plan.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing– 1853

History of creation- the play was written to ridicule the fashion for Western trends in the way of life of the merchants, and to emphasize the truly Russian character that is represented in this class. His friendship with the Slavophiles influenced the content of the work. After reading and staging the play, Ostrovsky became recognized and famous, and the success exceeded all expectations.

Subject– the influence of money on relationships between people in society, the choice of life path, obstacles and circumstances in a person’s destiny.

Composition– three acts with a sharp unexpected ending in the last act, a richness of folklore moments ringing important scenes, parallel comparison of heroes.

Genre- a comedy in three acts.

Literary direction– critical realism and romanticism.

History of creation

Initially, the play was supposed to be called “God Resists the Proud.” The idea appeared in July 1853, in August the author began work on the work, and finished it at the end of the same year.

The roles were distributed among the actors even before its writing was completed. In 1854, on January 25, the play was first staged at the Maly Theater in Moscow. It was a huge success and was liked by a wide range of viewers.

The work was written by Ostrovsky under the influence of his Slavophile friends, so after the play was staged, many of the author’s friends recognized themselves in it. The truly Russian character of Lyubim Tortsov played a decisive role in the fate of the play. In this hero, critics saw the ideal image of a Russian person. The success of the play, even after its first readings in Moscow, exceeded all the expectations and even the dreams of the author.

It should be noted that Ostrovsky dedicated the play to his friend, the outstanding theater actor Prov Mikhalovich Sadovsky. It was he who best played the role of Lyubim Tortsov in the play. The Moscow merchants were well known to Ostrovsky, because he had to leave higher education and enter the service of the court. It was the merchant class that most often turned to the courts; here the future playwright became acquainted with native Russian characters and characters worthy of entering literature.

Subject

“Poverty is not a vice” reveals topic true Russian character, shows that link in Russian society that has preserved all the customs, traditions and inner essence of the people's soul. That is why the play is called a hymn to the Russian merchants: life, family life, rituals, habits, traditions, all this was described by the author in the work. Subjects reveals relationships between people based on their level of well-being. The author touches upon Problems choosing the future, obedience and respect for elders, the theme of love, family, sin.

A red thread runs through the entire narrative thought that a Russian person is not ideal, he makes mistakes, wastes his life on sins and dissipation, but he is able to admit mistakes and take the right path. This is the strength of the Russian person. To understand what this work teaches, you need to focus on the plot. The conclusion is obvious: no new-fangled worldviews can coexist in the Russian soul if they contradict folk wisdom, heart, and common sense. The essence of comedy Ostrovsky is that money is not always omnipotent; the honor and dignity of an intelligent person is higher than any material wealth.

Composition

Ostrovsky's comedy consists of three acts; this division also has a semantic basis. The climax of the action occurs in the last act, followed by a denouement and a happy ending. The conflict is based on the demands of fashion, the spirit of the times and their clash with Russian reality. In the understanding of Gordey Karpych, education is only the external side (a new frock coat, champagne, furs and carriages).

A feature of the composition of the play can be considered the saturation with folklore elements (proverbs, songs, jokes), they ring each action, accompany all the important moments, emphasizing and shading them in a special way. The technique of prepared appearance of heroes is widely used: at the beginning they are talked about, then they go on stage.

In the play, the characters are viewed in parallel, so their images are easier to perceive - in comparison. The author's stage directions and scenery play an important role in creating vivid scenes and the perception of what is happening. Ostrovsky is recognized as the “father of Russian theater”; it was he who created the theory of the behavior of characters on stage, taking into account the characteristics of the genre. His plays have been staged for more than a century and a half, they are immortal, which is due to the talent and genius of the author.

Main characters

Genre

In “Poverty is not a vice,” the analysis will be incomplete if we do not note the genre specificity of the work. Ostrovsky's comedy is unique for its everyday scenes, the clarity of his remarks, and the depth of the characters' monologues. Mandatory for the author were the “speaking” names of the characters, their static nature and at the same time the completeness of the images. The playwright’s satire is subtle, not caustic, but hits the mark: it’s not for nothing that many acquaintances after the production stopped communicating with Ostrovsky, recognizing themselves in the characters of the play.

Work test

Rating analysis

Average rating: 4.5. Total ratings received: 82.

Poverty is not a vice - Ostrovsky's play, which we met in class at school. The writer wrote it in 1853, and a year later the play was published as a separate book. The play, like the book, was a success. Today we became acquainted with this work. Now let’s take a look at Ostrovsky’s work: Poverty is not a vice, having examined the problems that the writer raises.

Analysis of the play Poverty is not a vice

In the play, Ostrovsky raises various problems, including the confrontation between the environment and the individual. Very often a person is treated depending on his wealth. The richer he is, the more he is respected, but spiritual and moral qualities are not taken into account.

Studying Ostrovsky and his Poverty is not a vice, and analyzing his work in 9th grade, we see the influence of money on people's destinies. The author showed us exactly how money can influence a person when a person begins to obey it and depend on it. Money comes to the fore, but caring for loved ones becomes secondary. But Ostrovsky could not allow the victory of money over human feelings and proved to readers that even wealth can be powerless. Proof of this was the love of the noblewoman Lyuba Gordeeva, whom her father wanted to marry a Moscow rich man, to the clerk Mitya. After going through trials, the loving hearts were finally reunited. And here Tortsov’s brother Gordeya Lyubim played an important role. It was he who spoke about the approaching plans of the manufacturer Korshunov, for whom Gordey wanted to give his daughter, despite the fact that she loved someone else. Africanus ruined Lyubim, and now has his sights set on Gordey. As a result, Korshunov demands an apology, and Gordey, to spite the manufacturer, gives Lyuba in marriage to Mitya. Gordey softened and was grateful to his brother for guiding him to his senses and not allowing him to make a mistake.