Ostrovsky’s psychological drama “Dowry,” as well as the play “The Thunderstorm,” is one of Ostrovsky’s dramatic masterpieces. It is distinguished by the acuteness of social problems, the colorfulness and brightness of the characters, sophisticated psychologism, and the interweaving of the social and individual-personal, which is rare in its expressiveness.
Almost twenty years separate “The Dowry” (1978) from “The Thunderstorm” (1859). Intensive changes in Russian life led to increased capitalization, the “triumph of the bourgeoisie.” The play takes place in the Volga region town of Bryakhimov in the “present days” (that is, in the late 70s of the 19th century). The heroes of the play are Europeanized merchants who, in the words of one of the servants, go “to Moscow, to St. Petersburg and abroad” to talk.
Cross-cutting in the play and largely determining its conflict is the motif of the omnipotence of capital. A significant part of the exposition of the drama “Dowry,” the analysis of which interests us, is occupied by the dialogue between millionaire Knurov and a representative of a wealthy trading company, Vozhevatov. Both merchants, like most of Ostrovsky’s characters, have significant surnames: “knur” - hog, boar, “vozhevaty” - polite, courteous. The merchants are discussing sensational news: the consent of the first beauty of the city, the charming and artistic Larisa Ogudalova, to marry the poor official Karandyshev, who is completely insignificant in the eyes of successful merchants. “Well, what is Karandyshev!” - Knurov says contemptuously (house 1, appearance 2).
From the dialogue of the merchants, we learn about Larisa’s relationship with her beloved Paratov, who, according to Vozhevatov, “recaptured all the suitors, and there was no trace of him, he disappeared to God knows where” (D. 1, Rev. 2). Larisa is in a hopeless situation, she is homeless, and this is the main reason for her personal misfortunes. The interlocutors also evaluate their own chances in the competition for Larisa. The struggle for it, conducted almost according to the laws of the stock exchange game, reveals in each of the rivals the entire immensity of their personal ambitions, the desire to establish themselves in the role of “hero of the day.” Whatever the merchants talk about, even about the most personal, secret things, everywhere the motive of buying and selling comes first.
Each of the characters in the play “Dowry” (Ostrovsky), the analysis of which interests us, in accordance with their ideas, strives to master the “art of life.” Among the hierarchy of life values of merchants and nobles, wealth, luxury, and exquisite pleasures come to the fore. Knurov, who has a huge fortune, behaves like a person for whom “the impossible is not enough.” “Paratov lives in style”—this is how merchants evaluate the lifestyle of the “brilliant master.” “She loves to live a cheerful life,” says the young, successful Vasya Vozhevatov, a regular at her house, about the heroine’s mother, Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova. The poor official Karandyshev, “a proud and envious man,” striving for success and comfort, appears as a parody double of Paratov. Karandyshev cannot assimilate the alien, inorganic style of behavior for him and gets confused. According to the successful expression of A.I. Zhuravleva, he cannot “get into the image.” And only the spiritually refined Larisa seems to exist “above everyday life”, longs for a spiritualized and moral life, dreams of sublimely romantic relationships. Naturally, with such different ideas about life, he and Karandyshev speak different languages.
The question naturally arises: is Karandyshev sincere in his feelings for Larisa? Without a doubt, this petty official with great ambitions loves her in his own way. But this feeling is inseparable from his hysterical ambition, the desire to show off his “capital” to his rivals. M.V. Otradin correctly notes that the relationship between Larisa and Karandyshev “immediately manifests itself as mutual claims.” Karandyshev, as soon as he becomes a groom, begins with accusations, behaves ignoblely, and reminds his bride of life “in the camp.” Larisa answers him with devastating, merciless frankness: “If I hadn’t been looking for silence, solitude, if I hadn’t wanted to run away from people, would I have married you?” (D. 1, Rev. 4). The romantically inclined Larisa does not hide from Karandyshev that her ideal man is Sergei Sergeich Paratov. She perceives Paratov in the aura of high romance associations (M.V. Otradin), sees in him a brave, generous, exceptional person in everything. Having agreed to marry Karandyshev, Larisa betrays her ideas about love and true happiness. However, Larisa’s consent to marry an unloved person allows for different interpretations. Having lost what seemed to be her newfound happiness (Paratov left and forgot about Larisa), she does not lose hope for a decent and moral life. And that is why he chooses the path of marriage. “At least marry Karandyshev,” says Vozhevatov, not without annoyance. It is noteworthy that Larisa’s mother, Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova, is much less picky about the means of achieving well-being in life. She does not rule out “warm participation” in the life of a rich man’s daughter, as evidenced by her conversation with Knurov. “It’s good how this participation will be found,” she agrees with Knurov (d. 2, appearance 2). In the eyes of the eldest Ogudalova, a daughter is a commodity, so Larisa’s marriage or the “patronage” of a sympathetic rich man are worth each other to her, her mother.
The main event in the first act is the return of Paratov to Bryakhimov. His arrival is important not only for influential people of the city. Both the tavern servants and the gypsies are happy to see him. Paratov is everyone's favorite. When he talks about the mechanics from the Swallow: “He’s a foreigner, he’s Dutch, he’s short-hearted; they have arithmetic instead of a soul” (D. 1, Rev. 6) - the reader (viewer) has the right to expect that Paratov himself is a truly Russian man with a broad soul. Paratov strives to be perceived this way. But here it is revealed that it is not difficult for him to find a common language with the merchants: “I, Mokiy Parmenych,” he turns to Knurov, “have nothing cherished; If I find a profit, I’ll sell everything, anything” (D. 1, Rev. 6). This very frank self-confession is followed by a message about marrying a girl with a very rich dowry. Ostrovsky shows that in Russian society there is a process of erasing differences between classes. The big gentleman thinks and acts quite like a merchant. The fact that Paratov, with his education and intelligence, the ability to feel the beautiful, serves the same idols as the merchants, dramatically sharpens the conflict and inevitably brings disaster closer.
It is noteworthy that in comparison with the powers that be, comic actor Arkady Schastlivtsev (his role is secondary in the plot) appears as a more natural person. His reactions to the world are more direct, but this only aggravates his position as a buffoon, with whom the enlightened Russian tyrants of the newest formation “take their breath away”. Larisa’s fiancé finds himself in a similar buffoonish position, to whom rival men are constantly trying to show his true place. Larisa herself, whom the “medicis” look at as a thing, is also related to Robinson.
During the meeting with Larisa (house 2, appearance 8) Paratov behaves like a director and an actor at the same time. His appeal to Shakespeare's Hamlet can be explained by his desire to play, change roles, and masks. Paratov is an extremely self-centered person, accustomed to excelling in everything and, above all, in love. His male vanity is flattered that Larisa is still in the grip of passionate feelings. Undoubtedly, he belongs to the “predatory” type of heroes (“paraty” is a strong, predatory beast). In response to Larisa’s request not to abuse her frankness, Paratov hypocritically declares: “I, Larisa Dmitrievna, am a person with rules, marriage for me is a sacred matter” (D. 2, Rev. 8). The truth of these words is refuted by his entire subsequent behavior, the entire course of events. For him, marriage is a profitable deal; he sells his freedom, his attraction to Larisa, and the possible prospect of happiness with her for a large dowry of his unloved metropolitan bride.
Without exaggeration, we can say that pride is the “Archimedes lever” that moves action. “Everyone loves themselves,” Larisa says bitterly.
Karandyshev, planning a dinner party, cherishes a secret desire to laugh at the rich “fanfarons” and take revenge on them. At dinner, he raises a toast to his fiancée Larisa - and pronounces a word of praise for himself. Karandyshev feels himself at the zenith of greatness, and his guests only see how funny he is. In the struggle of ambition, the strong and successful win. Paratov, mocking the host of the dinner, achieves his goal: in the eyes of Larisa, Karandyshev is humiliated, and therefore destroyed. Larisa is freed from internal obligations to the groom.
Karandyshev also does not think about the fact that for Larisa, marriage with him is a compromise, that she hopes to find solitude and peace in the family. For him, to become related to the noble Ogudalov family, to get a beautiful wife is “to play for promotion.” Therefore, he dreams of a grand, magnificent wedding, which Larisa hates.
At the center of the drama is the fate of a charming and talented homeless woman, around whom there is frank and cynical bargaining. As the action develops, the “torture of feelings” (B. Eikhenbaum’s term) of the heroine is prolonged as much as possible. Paratov, who decided to destroy Karandyshev, does not think about the pain he will cause Larisa.
The dominant motives of the play are formed and supported by the musical romance element. Larisa sings a romance based on Baratynsky’s poems “Don’t tempt me unnecessarily.” This elegy is dominated by disappointment, fatigue of the soul, and inability to seduce love. Romance can be seen as the key to the heroine's drama. Larisa's singing is the voice of a tormented soul. The girl in the play, experiencing a high romantic feeling for Paratov, tried, but could not come to terms with the role of the bride of an unloved man whom her mother kept in the house “just in case.”
In the analyzed play “Dowry” by Ostrovsky, as in the romances, there are many internal paradoxes. Larisa’s suffering, it would seem, had reached its final limit. And suddenly she heard in the words of the admiring Paratov what she had been waiting for and wanted to hear, and in her own way she perceived and interpreted his unsteady but passionate confessions. Her soul instantly responds to the loving, excited voice of her beloved. Living for Larisa means loving. Therefore, without hesitation, she agrees to go beyond the Volga with a man in whom she had already lost faith (D. 3, Rev. 12). Paratov’s remark - “She will go,” addressed to Knurov and Vozhevatov, seems to cancel out the entire previous situation (Karandyshev’s matchmaking, Larisa’s consent to marriage). Paratov always feels like the master of the situation.
For Karandyshev, the flight of the guests and the bride is a terrible blow. His monologue: “Yes, it’s funny... I’m a funny person...” (d. 3, yavl. 14) - is full of pathetic intonations. And the reader (viewer) - almost for the first time - begins to sympathize with him. The psychological characteristics of this character become noticeably more complicated, his situation is dramatized. Karandyshev is going to take revenge on his offenders, and this rebellion against them: “I will take revenge on each of them, each one, until they kill me” (D. 3, Rev. 14) - is completely natural.
In Ostrovsky’s “Dowry,” a significant place is devoted to the motive of the game, which the author developed in many ways both in the action of the play, and in the characters, and in the relationships of the characters. This is also a cruel joke with the actor Schastlivtsev, whom Paratov passes off as the foreigner Robinson and promises to send to Paris. But “Paris,” where Schastlivtsev ends up, is a Bryakhimov restaurant. This is also a play on the feelings and egos of the central characters.
This is also one of the forms of conflict embodiment. In the second act, Paratov talks with Larisa's mother. He playfully remarks: “It’s not for us, frivolous gentlemen, to start new turns!” (Revelation 7). In fact, he is far from a gentleman: a noble gloss is his mask, and behind it is the nature and interests of a businessman. Kharita Ignatievna is trying to reveal Paratov’s game, to discover his secret intentions: “I understand: do you want to marry profitably?” Marrying the dowryless Larisa is impossible for Paratov - this is a game not worth the candle: “After all, I almost married Larisa - I wish I could make people laugh! Yes, he was playing a fool” (D. 1, Rev. 7). And the relationship with Larisa itself, which awakens the passion of a player in Paratov, is a cruel, dangerous game, a completely conscious risk: “I will give up all calculations, and no force will snatch you from me; perhaps together with my life” (D. 3, Rev. 12). In the recognition scene, Paratov’s florid speeches are regarded by Larisa as a game of words: “No, no, Sergei Sergeich, you don’t tell me phrases!..” (d. 4, appearance 7). The concept of “game” is realized in the play in a metaphorical sense: “life is a game.” “I have lost more than a fortune, I have lost you; I myself suffer, and I have made you suffer” (D. 3, Rev. 12). The last act begins with a scene of a card game, and is followed by an episode of Larisa's toss, where Knurov and Vozhevatov rely on chance.
The “cruel game” of Paratov and Larisa ended with the heroine finally revealing the true Paratov, for whom calculation and benefit are above all. For Larisa, disappointment in her loved one is tantamount to losing the meaning of life. Suffering from Paratov’s betrayal, the dowry woman finds no sympathy in anyone, not even in her childhood friend, Vozhevatov. The last dialogue in the play, between Larisa and Karandyshev, takes place on strong emotional swings. The killer word “thing,” which Karandyshev finds for his ex-fiancee, becomes one of the leitmotifs of this last conversation. “I take you, I am your master,” says Karandyshev (no. 4, appearance 11). But then, shocked by Larisa’s intention to go to Knurov, he softens: “Larisa Dmitrievna! Stop! I forgive you, I forgive everything.” Karandyshev begs to make him happy and confesses his love. And then - in response to Larisa’s categorical refusal and contempt - a new emotional change follows: “So don’t let anyone get you!” Larisa's ex-fiancé, who decided to protect her and avenge her (one of all and one against all), cannot maintain this height and kills his beloved, confirming the view of her as a thing (B. O. Kostelyanets).
Larisa regards Karandyshev's shot as a blessing. She does not have the integrity of Katerina, so Larisa found herself on the verge of compromise and moral failure, although a passionate dream about the purity and beauty of human relationships is alive in her. Death allows her to maintain integrity and height, without losing her dignity. But, as A.I. Zhuravleva emphasizes, “the more gentleness and forgiveness the heroine has, the sharper the viewer’s judgment.”
The meaning of the title of the play “Dowry,” which we analyzed, is focused not only on social and everyday conflict, but also on moral and psychological conflict. “You can’t call Katerina a dowry. It is rich: behind it is the power of tradition, the power of the people's worldview and folk poetry. Larisa is beautiful, but she is on her own,” N. N. Skatov rightly noted. The heroines of Ostrovsky’s two dramatic masterpieces appear individually unique and are among the most charming female characters in Russian and world literature.
Larisa Ogudalova is the main character of A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry,” which was first published in “Notes of the Fatherland” in 1879. In Ostrovsky's dramaturgy of the 70s and 80s, the main theme becomes the power of money, property, and wealth in the era of the “triumph of the bourgeoisie.” The playwright continues to search for forces in Russian life that could resist the elements of unbridled predation, humiliation of human dignity, cold calculation and selfishness. The writer’s concern for the fate of a person “with a warm heart” is especially felt, who, even in this calculating time, continues to live by feeling, looking for love, understanding, and happiness. Such is the heroine of the play “Dowry”.
Larisa has everything - intelligence, talent, beauty, sensitivity. She is pure in soul and selfless. She reaches out to people, believes them, hopes for understanding and reciprocal feeling. But Larisa is homeless, and this predetermines her tragic fate.
Larisa's mother strives to get her daughter married at a better price; she is trying to teach Larisa to live by the rules that time dictates, forcing her daughter to lie and be nice to richer young people. But the heroine of the play cannot act according to calculation. She gives her heart to Sergei Sergeevich Paratov, handsome, smart and strong. But Paratov is a man of his time, living by the principle: “Every product has a price.” Larisa is also a commodity for him. And he is not ready to pay with his material well-being for love and happiness. Paratov marries a rich bride, or rather, the gold mines that are given to her as a dowry.
Not finding love, Larisa tries to live “like everyone else.” She decides to marry the poor official Yuli Kapitonovich Karandyshev. In her chosen one, Larisa looks for traits worthy of respect: “I should at least respect my husband,” she says. But it is difficult to respect Karandyshev. In his vain attempts to compare with Knurov and Vozhevatov, he looks ridiculous and pathetic. He does not hear Larisa’s plea to go to the village, where she hopes to find at least peace of mind. It is more important for Yuliy Kapitonovich to “in turn laugh” at those whose humiliation he endured for three years. He has no time for Larisa’s torment!
After breaking up with Karandyshev, after Paratov’s deception, Larisa seeks simple human sympathy, turning to her childhood friend Vozhevatov: “Well, at least cry with me,” she asks him. However, Vozhevatov has already lost to Knurov the opportunity to influence Larisa’s fate. “I can’t, I can’t do anything,” is Vozhevatov’s answer to Larisa. Material from the site
Having found neither love, nor respect, nor simple compassion and understanding, Larisa loses the meaning of life. She says bitterly: “They looked at me and still look at me as if I was a joke. No one ever tried to look into my soul, I didn’t see sympathy from anyone, I didn’t hear a warm, heartfelt word. But it’s cold to live like this.”
Karandyshev’s shot becomes for her a deliverance from mental anguish, from the vulgar life of a “thing”, a toy in the hands of those who can pay for it. “To die while there is still nothing to reproach yourself with” is the best thing that remains for a “hot heart” in the world of calculation and vanity.
This is Larisa’s personal tragedy. But this is also the tragedy of a society where money rules and a person’s happiness is measured only by their quantity.
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Now the triumph of the bourgeoisie... in the full sense, the golden age is coming.
A. Ostrovsky
Money, gold, and material values have at all times been of no small importance for humans and society. But there are times in history when money begins to play a primary role. They push aside all other values because everything becomes a commodity. And then “it’s good for those who have a lot of money,” as Mokiy Parmenych Knurov says in “Dowry.” Ostrovsky dedicated this play to precisely one of these periods, when a new bourgeois class was being formed in Russia and capitalist relations were being formed. “These are vile times,” according to the playwright himself. But they are inevitable in the development of the economy and are repeated at every new turn of history. Today we live in similar times. Therefore, Ostrovsky’s play is relevant and interesting for the modern reader.
The theme of money in “Dowry” is already evident in its very title. From the first pages of the play, money is the main subject of conversation. Their presence or absence determines a person’s place in society and attitude towards him. The owner of a huge fortune, Mokiy Parmenych Knurov, has no one to talk to in the city. Even the bartender Tavrilo understands that he can only speak with his equals. And there are “two or three such rich people in the city.” Among them is the young merchant Vozhevatov. Even on holidays, while walking, they talk about profitable deals and new acquisitions. They speak with the same feelings about the brilliant four horses of the rich man Chirkov, and about Larisa Dmitrievna. After all, she is also a commodity, an “expensive diamond” that people look at and ask the price of. When you read the play, you get the feeling that you are in an unusual market where everything is bought and sold: Knurov and Vozhevatov buy pleasure - with small gifts they pay for the opportunity to be in the company of a charming girl, and her mother deftly and willingly sells her daughter’s youth, talent and beauty . “You have to pay for pleasure” - this rule is accepted unconditionally, and failure to comply with it would be simply indecent. Paratov is selling not only his favorite ship, but also his will. The ship is cheap, but the shipowner valued his willow at half a million. This is the dowry of the new bride. But he almost “made people laugh” by succumbing to feelings and marrying the dowry Larisa. But a business person must know that “every product has a price,” even if we are talking about love, beauty, and happiness.
Poor official Karandyshev hates the rich and self-confident owners of his new life. But at the same time he really wants to become his own person among them. And he finds a way: to marry the dowryless Larisa with a good noble surname. But he has no intention of paying for his purchase, believing that his very act is worthy of the eternal love and gratitude of the poor bride. For him, marrying Larisa is compensation for the moral damage caused to the pride, pride and vanity of a poor man who wanted to live like a rich man.
Even the main character, despairing of finding love and understanding, decides to look for money: “If you are a thing, there is only one consolation - to be expensive, very expensive.” But when Karandyshev’s shot prevented her from carrying out her plan, she thanks him for the “good deed” that he did for her.
There will always be people who cannot fit into new social relationships. They do not want to accept other people's rules or live by moral standards that are not typical for them. And they have a choice: remain themselves or become like everyone else. And to do this, you need to “step over” your beliefs, abandon your own life values, that is, make a deal with time, which dictates its terms.
L. Tolstoy and F. Dostoevsky will write about the difficulties of choice. And Ostrovsky’s heroine leaves the stage, passes away. Now is not her time. The “Golden Age” is not for everyone.
1. What is the essence of Ostrovsky’s play?
2. Meet the heroine.
3. The moral character of merchants.
4. The tragedy of the heroine.
The essence of A. N. Ostrovsky’s dramatic work “Dowry” is to show the contradictions of the surrounding reality through the fate of the heroes. The writer, penetrating into the life of the classes described, depicts his heroes in action, revealing their characteristic features. The main theme of Ostrovsky’s work is the drama of the individual in society. All lines of the play are devoted to the disclosure of this theme. Speaking about a woman in bourgeois society, the playwright reveals to the reader the true state of affairs.
In a quiet town on the Volga there lives a girl of marriageable age, Larisa Ogudalova. There are many eligible bachelors around, but Larisa is without a dowry. Therefore, despite her spiritual qualities, she is at a disadvantage. These men claim Larisa as just a beautiful thing, talking about her as just another matter. Larisa’s lyrical nature does not understand this at first; she is looking for love. If not mutual, then at least self-love. Therefore, in the absence of other candidates, she agrees to become the wife of Karandyshev, who loves her. With this decision, she crosses out a year of empty suffering for another person - Sergei Paratov, having decided that family responsibilities will help her forget about him. But Paratov reappears in her life. He decided to say goodbye to his free single life, maybe he barely remembers Ogudalova, but Larisa is sure that Sergei Sergeevich came for her sake.
Larisa's mother, Kharita Ignatyevna, knows what awaits her daughter, and her attitude towards her is no different from the attitude of the merchants - she also wants to sell Larisa off at a profit. She talks to the poor Karandyshev with disdain, with Paratov she behaves a little familiarly, with Knurov she agrees with everything, understands that he is ready to take his daughter as a kept woman and is happy about this, having received a wardrobe for her daughter and three hundred rubles.
Larisa has self-esteem and believes that not having a dowry will not stigmatize her. The conflict of the drama is the contradiction between the girl’s expectations and harsh reality. When Larisa comes face to face with her, she rushes about, trying to maintain her self-esteem and pride. “Everyone loves themselves. When will someone love me? You will bring me to death...,” she says to her fiancé Karandyshev. Larisa cannot change her fate in any way - others decide everything in advance for her.
No matter how sad it is to realize this, but Karandyshev. Even though he is in love with Larisa, he also treats her as a beautiful, soulless thing. This is terrible for Larisa. After all, she considers love to be the main advantage of her fiancé. He is happy that she will become his wife and perceives this event as a profitable deal for himself. Now he has something to boast about in front of these rich people! There is something to hurt them! But he is jealous and also hurt, because Larisa doesn’t even hide the fact that she loves Paratov! Because she believes that she waited for her love, going through suffering.
Karandyshev has one difference from other male heroes - he acts at the behest of his heart. He tells Larisa that he is ready to be humiliated for her sake. How do others behave? What does Paratov feel for Larisa? Does she mean more to him than to others, or does he enjoy his power over the girl in love, as well as his dexterity in deceiving the groom? How honest are those around her towards Larisa?
Judging by their actions, the main “moral” quality in the merchant environment is business acumen. They talk about everything from the point of view of profitability, and feelings have no place where there should be only calculation. The merchants keep their distance from the rest of the population, and they are quite distrustful even of each other. We learn their moral character in their relationship with Larisa. The powerful and calculating Knurov is emphatically friendly with her, saying that he is obliged to take part in her fate. In fact, this means that he will take advantage of the girl’s hopeless situation.
Paratov is ready to do anything for money, and his relationship with Larisa is like a game of chance, because he believes that in life you have to try everything. Unfortunately, the girl in love does not see his selfishness. The moral character of Sergei Sergeevich Paratov appears for Larisa only when he, having seduced a girl, tells her about his impossibility of marrying her. What did he choose? A more financially advantageous marriage to millions. Everyone learns about this event at the very beginning of the play. But, seeing how Larisa is rushing about, no one tells her about this, including her childhood friend Vasya Vozhevatov. Vozhevatov is a soulless egoist who is not touched by Larisa’s fate. He cannot even offer her help in a critical situation, because he is bound by the merchant’s word of honor. He plays Larisa toss with Knurov.
Knurov is a cynical businessman, he can only tell Ogudalova for the sake of a catchphrase that “he never thought for a single minute to offer his hand,” but he is married, so he is ready to give her such allowance that all critics of morality will be forced to remain silent. That is, there are no immoral actions - there is not enough money.
Thus, human relationships, morality, love, friendship are crossed out for the sake of business relationships, for the sake of profit. This is how Larisa herself sums up her life: “I was looking for love and didn’t find it. They looked at me and look at me as if I was funny. No one ever tried to look into my soul, I didn’t see sympathy from anyone, I didn’t hear a warm, heartfelt word. But it’s cold to live like this. It’s not my fault, I was looking for love and didn’t find it... it doesn’t exist in the world... there’s nothing to look for. I haven’t found love, so I’ll look for gold.” Larisa makes a choice - she is ready to become a beautiful thing for the rich man Knurov.
As usual, the truth comes from the lips of someone whose words are not taken seriously. Robinson tells Paratov: merchants are ignorant. And this is the mildest description that can be given. Karandyshev is the first to open the bride’s eyes to her surroundings; he tells her cruel but truthful words about those whom she considers friends: “They do not look at you as a woman, as a person - a person controls his own destiny; they look at you as if you were a thing.” He believes that he is obliged to protect Larisa and punish her offenders. But a transformation also occurs with him - his love is desecrated by jealousy and revenge. He envies the merchants and also wants to feel like a master.
After everything that happened, Larisa can only become a toy for Knurov or die. Therefore, she thanks Karandyshev for accidentally fulfilling her wish: “My dear, what a good deed you have done for me!” Perhaps she herself would not have decided to take her own life, and having become Mokiy Parmenych’s kept woman, she would have lost herself. She takes the blame for her death, covering for Karandyshev, who saved her from further disappointments and suffering.
The inevitability of the tragic ending was prepared by the fact that Larisa has nothing holding her back in life. Nobody needs her love, the girl is alone in this world. She has lost harmony in her soul and does not see compassion from anyone. Larisa's drama is that she was born into a world in which only money and power are important.
Ostrovsky's drama "Dowry" shows readers the tragedy of Larisa Ogudalova, who became a weak-willed toy in the hands of those around her. Larisa Ogudalova, like Katerina Kabanova, the main character of another Ostrovsky drama, also becomes a victim. However, Larisa initially has different qualities than Katerina, who grew up in a patriarchal environment. The drama "Dowry" was written in 1879. At this time, capitalist relations had already been established in Russia. This means that patriarchal foundations are gradually losing their relevance.
Larisa Ogudalova received a good education. She is refined in a European way. Larisa dreams of love. The girl has a warm heart. She cannot allow her life to be connected with an unloved person. But Larisa’s desire for love coincides with her dream and a beautiful life. Larisa is poor, but in order to become happy, she also needs wealth.
Larisa is surrounded by petty, ignoble people. The brilliant master Paratov perceives Larisa only as a beautiful thing. This imposing, narcissistic man seems to the girl the embodiment of the ideal. But in fact, Paratov has neither nobility nor kindness. He is selfish, petty, cruel, calculating.
However, Karandyshev, who is initially not perceived as a worthy match for Larisa, is not much different from him. Larisa is young and inexperienced. She does not have the strong character to withstand the circumstances. It’s as if she’s playing by someone else’s rules, becoming a toy in someone else’s hands. Even Larisa's mother perceives her daughter only as a commodity. She is ready to sacrifice Larisa’s beauty and youth, since this makes it possible to receive material benefits and strengthen the social position of the Ogudalovs.
Everyone who surrounds Larisa thinks of her exclusively as a thing, an object of entertainment. It is no coincidence that she is being played toss. All Larisa’s best qualities, her soul, her feelings are of no interest to anyone. People only think about her external beauty. After all, this is what makes it such an attractive toy.
Karandyshev tells Larisa: “They don’t look at you as a woman, as a person... they look at you as a thing.” Ogudalova herself agrees with this: “A thing... yes, a thing! They are right, I am a thing, I am not a person...” In my opinion, the main tragedy of the girl lies precisely in the fact that Larisa has a warm heart. If she had been cold-blooded, calculating, cunning, Larisa, with her external data and ability to present herself, would have managed to get a very good job in life. However, the heroine’s ardor, emotionality, and openness make her suffer more from the role assigned to her. Larisa’s love and feelings are of no interest to anyone, she is needed solely for entertainment. At the end of the drama, the girl ends up crushed and destroyed. This leads to the fact that the desperate Larisa even agrees to accept Knurov’s conditions.
The tragic ending of "The Dowry" is a salvation for the heroine, a deliverance from humiliation. Now she belongs to no one. Death seems to be a blessing for Larisa. After all, humiliated, unhappy, she does not see any meaning in her future life. The act of Sergei Sergeevich Paratov makes the girl realize the terrible fact that the ending of her life will inevitably be tragic. Yes, now someone besides Sergei Paratov still needs her, but years will pass, her youth will fade and Larisa will simply be thrown away by one of her rich owners, like a worn-out and unnecessary thing.
The drama "Dowry" again makes us think about the place of a woman in the world. If in the play “The Thunderstorm” Katerina became a victim of the Domostroevsky way of life, then Larisa is a victim of new, capitalist relations. It is noteworthy that the rules by which society lives are changing. And the woman still remains a powerless creature. Katerina Kabanova finds the strength to protest. After all, her suicide is a clear protest against the reality4 in which the heroine had to live. Larisa does not have the courage to even attempt to protest. She remains a toy in the hands of circumstances until the very end. Perhaps the reason for this is the upbringing that Larisa Ogudalova received. If we turn again to the image of Katerina from “The Thunderstorm,” we can remember that this girl grew up in an atmosphere of parental love and care. Therefore, she was very sensitive to her current powerless situation. As for the heroine of the drama "Dowry", here, apparently, Larisa was initially prepared by her mother specifically for the role of a commodity, a toy. Hence the girl’s passivity, lack of desire to fight, to defend her rights.
Larisa's fate is regrettable. But at the same time, you can’t help but wonder why the heroine, who has an ardent heart and passionately desires to love, does not find another outlet for her passions. After all, she, who received a Europeanized upbringing, could have guessed that her lover sees in her only entertainment. However, Larisa was raised in such an atmosphere that the opportunity to profitably sell herself, her beauty and talent seemed quite acceptable. It is no coincidence that Larisa’s mother is depicted as very selfish. It’s sad that from all of Larisa’s circle there is no one who would not be so indifferent and cruel to the fate of the young girl.
