How does Knurov’s attitude towards Larisa characterize? A.N

Knurov is a typical representative of the merchant class of the 19th century. This hero is driven by cold calculation, and the main thing in their life is money.

“Mokiy Parmenych Knurov, one of the big businessmen of recent times, an elderly man with a huge fortune.” Now about his name. According to Dahl's dictionary, "knur" is a hog, boar, boar, male pig. It turns out what kind of a human being this Knurov is.

This is a civilized “idol”, a millionaire who despises all low-income people, is closed, taciturn, and disdainful of people not in his circle, for example, the poor official Karandyshev. Explaining his rare visits to the Ogudalovs, he says: “It’s awkward; They have a lot of all sorts of rabble; then they meet, bow, and start talking. For example, Karandyshev - what an acquaintance for me!”

“Who should he talk to? There are two or three people in the city, he talks to them, but no one else; well, he is silent. He doesn’t live here for long because of this; business. And he goes to Moscow, St. Petersburg and abroad to talk, where he has more space.”

Knurov is first and foremost a businessman. He values money and a profitable business. (“It’s good for him, Vasily Danilovich, who has a lot of money”). Referring to his fortune, which can be used to buy literally everything, even the love of a beautiful woman (“For me, the impossible is not enough”).

Knurov even walks solely for exercise, to work up an appetite and eat his sumptuous lunch. He is secretive and taciturn, but Gavrilo says about him: “How do you want him to talk, if he has millions?...And he goes to Moscow, St. Petersburg and abroad to talk, where he has more space.”

Knurov is married, but would like to “take a ride to an exhibition” in Paris with Larisa. When Knurov and Vozhevatov draw lots for who should go to Paris with Larisa, Knurov wins (he doesn’t care about Larisa’s opinion).

Knurov is cunning and knows how to find an approach to people. How he cleverly won over Larisa’s mother and proposed to the girl a trip to Paris. Smart Knurov does not talk about love, but promises Larisa a luxurious life if she becomes his mistress. He promises that no one will speak ill of her as he will make her very rich.

The role of Knurov in the plot of the play

The role of Mokiy Parmenych is minimal. He is present in all significant events of the play, but does not have any important influence on them. Although the scene with the division of Larisa between Knurov and Vozhevatov played a certain role in Larisa’s fate. When Knurov invited her to go with him to Paris, she realized that she did not need to wait for some special fate, but just need to play her card - beauty and youth.

Quotes from Knurov

The warm sympathy of a strong, rich man...
In such cases, it is necessary to have a good friend, solid and durable.
I wouldn't think for one minute about offering you my hand, but I'm married
It’s good if she realizes to leave her husband as soon as possible and return to you.
Don't be afraid of shame, there will be no condemnation. There are boundaries beyond which condemnation does not cross; I can offer you such enormous content that the most evil critics of other people's morality will have to shut up and open their mouths in surprise.
I kept thinking about Larisa Dmitrievna. It seems to me that she is now in such a position that we, close people, are not only allowed, but we are even obliged to take part in her fate.
An expensive diamond requires an expensive setting.

Composition

“Dowry” (1878) is considered the best psychological drama by A. N. Ostrovsky. In this play, the playwright addresses the life of the new, bourgeois Russia. Ostrovsky focuses on the life of people of many classes: nobles, merchants, officials.

In the post-reform years, dramatic changes took place in society: nobles, even the richest, gradually went bankrupt, merchants turned into masters of life with a fortune of millions, their children became the main force of society - educated bourgeois. Against the backdrop of these events, the tragedy of the main character of the play, Larisa Ogudalova, unfolds.

At the very beginning of the drama - in the 2nd scene of Act I - we hear a conversation between Mokiy Parmenych Knurov and Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov. Knurov is “one of the big businessmen of recent times, an elderly man with a huge fortune.” Vozhevatov is “a very young man, one of the representatives of a wealthy trading company, European in dress.” During the casual conversation of these “new” people, we get to know the main characters of the play and learn about the events taking place in their lives.

At the very beginning of the conversation, the figure of Sergei Sergeevich Paratov, a rich gentleman, comes to Bryakhimov on his ship. According to the merchants, this hero lives “in style”, “wasteful”, but does not know how to run a business. It can be assumed that his financial affairs are bad: Paratov sells a steamship to Vozhevatov cheaply: “You know, he doesn’t find any benefit.”

But both Vozhevatov and Knurov see her perfectly. Their practical mind is primarily aimed at extracting benefits, making money. The heroes do this brilliantly - both of them are rich and successful. Knurov and Vozhevatov are enjoying life: they drink champagne in the morning, get ready to go to an exhibition in Paris, and dream that it would be nice to take the city’s first beauty Larisa Ogudalova with them on a trip.

This is how we meet the main character of the play. From the conversation between Knurov and Vozhevatov we learn about her fate, about her life. Larisa is going to marry a petty official, Karandyshev. The merchants are perplexed: “What nonsense! What a fantasy! Well, what is Karandyshev? He’s not a match for her...” But Larisa is homeless and finds it difficult for her to find a good groom. Therefore, the girl’s mother, Kharita Ignatievna, until recently gathered “single” people in her house. These evenings were known to all of Bryakhimov, “because they were a lot of fun: the young lady was pretty, played different instruments, sang, she was free to speak…”

Thanks to her “agility, agility and dexterity,” Kharita Ignatievna married off her two eldest daughters. But their fate is unhappy: one was allegedly stabbed to death by a jealous husband, and the other’s husband turned out to be a cheater. Thus, already at the beginning of the play, the motif of an unhappy female fate, disappointment in love appears, which will develop in the image of Larisa.

Here, in Knurov’s conversation with Vozhevatov, the leading motive of the play appears - the motive of buying and selling. It applies not only to things, but also to people: “Grooms are paid. If someone likes their daughter, then shell out..." Vozhevatov himself, who has known Larisa since childhood, buys the pleasure of visiting her house: "What can you do, you have to pay for pleasures: they don’t come for free; and it’s a great pleasure to be in their house.” Knurov, a married man, dreams: “It would be nice to go to Paris with such a young lady to an exhibition.”

Cold and calculating, these new masters of life are incapable of sincere feelings. Vozhevatov shares with Knurov: “No, somehow I... I don’t notice this in myself at all... what they call love.” For which he receives the approval of an experienced merchant: “Commendable, you will be a good merchant.” The main thing for these people is calculation, profit. Both Knurov and Vozhevatov selfishly take advantage of people. “Why should I care about her morality! I’m not a guardian…” says Vasily Danilych, whom Larisa considers her friend.

The heroine herself, according to Vozhevatov, is “simple,” “there is no cunning in her... suddenly, for no reason at all, and... the truth.” The girl sincerely expresses her feelings, does not know how to be hypocritical: “Whoever she is disposed towards, she does not hide it at all.” The young merchant says that last year Larisa was in love with Paratov: “...couldn’t look at him enough, but he traveled for a month...and there was no trace of him...” The heroine was very worried: “almost died of grief... She rushed to catch up with him ..."

After Paratov, some old man and an always drunk manager wooed Larisa, then a stealing cashier appeared, who was arrested right in the Ogudalovs’ house. The heroine was in despair. She could no longer bear all this “shame” and decided to marry the first one who wooed her. This first was Karandyshev.

In Larisa’s house, he was a “backup option”: they paid attention to him when there was no one more interesting around. And the pathetic Karandyshev, seeing this, “plays different roles, casts wild glances...”

Vozhevatov characterizes Karandyshev as “a proud, envious person.” Having achieved his goal, Yuliy Kapitonich began to “shine like an orange.” Karandyshev boasts of his “booty” - he takes Larisa to the boulevard, walking with her arm. The same motive of buying and selling is visible in his behavior: the hero is proud of Larisa as a beautiful and expensive thing that increases his prestige in society.

At the end of the conversation, the characters feel sorry for Larisa, imagining her future life with Karandyshev: “In a beggarly situation, and even with a fool of a husband, she will either die or become vulgar.”

Thus, the conversation between Knurov and Vozhevatov at the beginning of the play gives an idea of all the main characters of the drama, outlines their characters, and describes their fate. In addition, the leading motives of the play are already indicated here: the motive of buying and selling a person as a beautiful thing, the motive of an unhappy woman’s fate, disappointment in love.

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We have prepared for you a series of lessons with the general title “Navigator”. Each lesson contains brief information about a specific work of Russian literature and helps you navigate through additional materials dedicated to it. I propose to talk about Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry”.

The location of the action becomes the Volga city Bryakhimov, in the image of which one can find features of the author’s contemporary Nizhny Novgorod (in post-reform times, recreated in the play, many wealthy entrepreneurs lived there - “millionaires,” as they were called then - and it is no coincidence that the theme of money occupies such an important place in the work). The name Bryakhimov is not made up: such a city really once existed, was mentioned in the chronicles (here associations arise with antiquity, archaism - and, indeed, in Bryakhimov, despite industrial and commercial successes, conservative and sometimes dense morals reign).

Larisa Ogudalova, a girl with a good but impoverished family name, is homeless. Her nimble mother wants to marry her off to a wealthy man, but despite Larisa’s beauty, intelligence and sophistication, numerous visitors to their modest home are in no hurry to propose marriage. The rich merchant Knurov is married, his childhood friend Vozhevatov is carried away by business and is in no hurry to start a family, and the one whom Larisa herself fell in love with, the noble rake Paratov, leaves and does not give any news about himself. Tired of the uncertainty of her position, no longer wanting to be an object of obvious trade, Larisa agrees to marry the poor and unremarkable official Karandyshev. He has been in love with Larisa for a long time, and even the obvious lack of reciprocity on the part of the bride does not bother him. Shortly before the wedding, Paratov returns to the city, wanting to have a short affair and take a walk before his own profitable wedding. He deceives Larisa into believing in his passionate love. Larisa and Paratov are traveling on a ship across the Volga, Larisa’s reputation is ruined. Trampled, having lost all hope, Karandyshev shoots Larisa, and she saves her killer from trial by faking suicide.

Larisa Ogudalova famous not only for her rare, refined beauty, but also for her creative talent: she “plays various instruments, sings,” loves romances (although in this we cannot help but notice bad taste, a certain limitation, but we will not blame her). The heroine with all her soul strives to get away from the world of ordinary people, yearns for real feeling, for authenticity. “...in Larisa Dmitrievna there is no earthly, this everyday thing. Well, you know, trivial... After all, this is ether,” even the cynical Knurov admits. But this detachment from the everyday also has a downside: Larisa sometimes turns out to be blind in her assessment of other people, she sees in Paratov only the illusion he creates - free, beautiful, different life, not noticing the spiritual misery of Paratov himself. The heroine is capable of desperate acts; she boldly follows Paratov, losing everything. Karandyshev’s terrible act frees the heroine from both suicide and the fate of a kept woman. Before her death, Larisa, who never found love, says that she forgives everyone and loves everyone.

Karandyshev:-another “little man” with his complexes, anger and vanity. Sincerely in love with Larisa, much more than her peace of mind, he wants a kind of benefit for himself: triumph, public compensation for past humiliations. While verbally despising the world where money rules, Karandyshev completely obeys its laws. For Karandyshev, the murder of Larisa is not a manifestation of jealousy: he is not jealous, because he already knows that he is unloved. Karandyshev wants assign beautiful, inaccessible, internally distant from him Larisa. He can rule over her, subjugate her only in death.

Paratov:- « I... have nothing treasured; If I find a profit, I’ll sell everything, anything,” this is how the character characterizes himself. “A squandered reveler, a depraved person,” these words spoken by Karandyshev also turn out to be an accurate description of Paratov. A financial “loser,” Paratov makes another profitable deal: he sells not only his ship, but also himself to a rich bride in exchange for gold mines. At the same time, Paratov tries to cover up his base actions in the eyes of those around him with lofty reasons, to create an aura of mystery around himself.

Knurov:- a cynical man who is in love with Larisa, but does not want to destroy his family. He treats Larisa like a precious, elegant thing and offers her the role of a kept woman.

Vozhevatov:- a strange character with unclear motives. He is Larisa’s childhood friend, is interested in her, and can afford to marry. What's the matter? Looking for a rich bride? Or doesn’t want to marry someone who is in love with someone else? Or, most likely, this pragmatic person does not want any hassle, no expense, or extreme feelings. Be that as it may, he betrays Larisa in the end, playing her like a thing, in a toss with Knurov, refusing Larisa even a word of consolation.

Kharita Ogudalova:- “a lively woman”, puzzled by money. This poor widow successfully married off her two eldest daughters (and the rich suitors, as it turned out later, ruined the girls’ lives, one of them even died at the hands of a jealous husband), but the author does not show any of Kharita Ignatievna’s worries about this. But we watch how she tries, through cunning, hypocrisy, and intrigue, not to “cheap up”, selling off her beautiful daughter.

One of the central problems is the place of man in the world of purely monetary relations, where he does not exist as a person, but turns out to be a commodity. Of course, sometimes this is done implicitly, for example, under the pretext of care or admiration. Among those like Knurov and Vozhevatov, Larisa cannot find love that would not be a cover for a profitable life deal. The play, which began with a deal - the purchase of a steamship - ends with a deal when Knurov invites Larisa to sell herself to him. “If you are a thing, then there is only one consolation - to be expensive, very expensive,” Larisa herself thinks in despair.

Of course, this is a monstrous humiliation of human dignity. Subject humiliation consistently permeates the play. “We are poor people, we have to humiliate ourselves all our lives. “It’s better to humiliate yourself from a young age, so that later you can live like a human being,” says Kharita Ignatievna, thinking that subsequent wealth and acquired status will cover up the former shame. The theme of humiliation is most clearly and consistently manifested through the image of Karandyshev.

And, of course, the theme of love, which does not exist in such a system of relationships, takes on special significance. There is a desire to possess. From Knurov, Vozhevatov, Paratov, Karandyshev. But they have no understanding, no respect, no responsibility for the other. It seems that maternal love has no place here either.

The scale of the problem here is quite typical for drama: the hero’s collision with life circumstances, with society, with his immediate environment. With such a conflict, the ending can be no less bitter than tragic. That's exactly what happens here. So, before us psychological drama, revealing the catastrophe of human nature.

An exceptional role for understanding the play is played by speaking names. The name Larisa means “seagull” in Greek. The image of a bird is associated with beauty, space, freedom and vulnerability. The surname Ogudalova, in relation to Larisa’s mother, hints at Kharita Ignatievna’s prudence and cynicism: in the dialects of Central Russian provinces, the verb “ogudat” meant “to seduce, deceive, deceive, deceive.”

Another significant trick - leitmotifs. For example, the whole play is permeated money motive. Let's remember about a small detail - a coin: the exhibition tells how Paratov shoots at Larisa, who is holding a coin in her hand, and at the end of the play, Larisa herself is played with a coin, like an object. Occupies an important place in the drama sparkle motif. At the beginning of the play we encounter the epithet “brilliant (master)” - this is a characteristic of Paratov in the list of characters. “An expensive diamond is expensive and requires a setting,” says Larisa Knurov, a connoisseur of female beauty who claims to be a “jeweler.” “She is made to shine”; “You will sparkle with me like nothing has ever been seen here.” The gold mines of Paratov’s bride also evoke thoughts of brilliance... “Oh, what a brilliant idea!” - this is about the idea of getting Karandyshev drunk. And here are the words of Karandyshev: “Larisa Dmitrievna knows that not all that glitters is gold. ... She knows how to distinguish gold from tinsel. ... She was looking for a man not brilliant, but worthy...” And here are the despairing words of Larisa herself, who decided to make a “deal” with Knurov: “gold glittered before my eyes, diamonds sparkled.”

Play a significant role gypsy motifs: It is no coincidence that on the classical piano in the Ogudalovs’ house there is a guitar, a gypsy, freestyle instrument. Karandyshev mentions life in a “gypsy camp,” referring to the crowds of rich guests in the Ogudalovs’ house. In the gypsy motifs we also see some characteristics of Larisa: her world is not devoid of romance templates, this style is not of the best tone, although these are attempts to find her own personality, her own voice - it is no coincidence that Larisa sings in the play... Let us pay attention to bird motif and, in addition to the name of the heroine, let us remember the steamship “Swallow”: Paratov disposes of the “birds” like a master - he sells off first the “Swallow”, and then Larisa, the seagull of the Volga city yearning for freedom. .

We offer you various interpretations of the work, including comments from modern scientists. These materials will help you answer in class, when writing an essay, will be useful in preparing for exams and, of course, will give you the keys to understanding the text. See section. If you are interested in which other writers have thought about similar questions, with whom the writer enters into a creative dialogue, look at the section. If you liked the work and would be happy to read something similar in style and atmosphere, open the tab. If you want to think about the problems that the author touches on in the play and that have worried humanity for centuries, take a look at. Here are useful links, facts, thoughts from researchers and, most importantly, questions. Read, compare, reflect!

Knurov, Vozhevatov and Larisa

Knurov and Vozhevatov are typical representatives of the merchant class of the 19th century. These heroes are driven by cold calculation, and the main thing in their lives is money.

Knurov’s, like Vozhevatov’s, attitude towards people is determined by their financial situation. Therefore, Karandyshev’s behavior causes disapproval among the merchants, and even reaches the point of open bullying.

It is also impossible not to mention the speaking surnames, because these are brief characteristics of the heroes. “Knur” means boar, boar. Knurov even walks solely for exercise, to work up an appetite and eat his sumptuous lunch. He is secretive and taciturn, but Gavrilo says about him: “How do you want him to talk, if he has millions?...And he goes to Moscow, St. Petersburg and abroad to talk, where he has more space.” Mokiy Parmenych is also distinguished by his determination, pursuing Larisa, although his attitude towards her is swinish. In his opinion, Larisa is an “expensive diamond” that requires an expensive setting, so Knurov offers the girl the humiliating position of a kept woman.

Vozhevatov, unlike Knurov, was young and could marry Larisa. But he does not know the feeling of love, he is cold, practical and sarcastic. “What’s my brother-

anger? - says Vozhevatov. - “Sometimes I’ll pour an extra glass of champagne on the sly from my mother [Larissa’s mother], I’ll learn a song, I’ll carry novels that girls are not allowed to read.” And he adds: “I don’t force it. What should I say about her moral-

to care; I’m not her guardian.” Vasily Danilovich treats Larisa irresponsibly; she is like a toy for him. When a girl asks Vozhev for help,

tova, he says: “Larisa Dmitrievna, I respect you and would be glad... I can’t do anything. Believe my word! By the way, it is Vozhevatov who comes up with the idea to decide Larisa’s fate with the help of a toss.

So, we can say that in this work A.N. Ostrovsky wanted to show what money does to people. Even in the title of the play you can already guess what it will be about. Money kills love, conscience, and makes you look down on those people who don’t have it. The coin decides the fate of a person, literally and figuratively.

Sections: Literature

Studying the work of A.N. Ostrovsky, the first writer in the course of studying Russian literature in the 10th grade, poses a number of acute and important problems related to literary education for the teacher. Each teacher gets acquainted with the work of this writer in his own way.

I propose to study the topic “The Work of A.N. Ostrovsky” using the example of several of his works with a detailed analysis of two plays: “The Thunderstorm” and “Dowry”. In the series of lessons on studying this topic, I propose to include the topic: “The richness and diversity of the world depicted by the playwright. Issues of morality, the fight against evil, etc.” For this lesson, students are asked to read ( at their choice) one of the plays: “We Will Be Numbered”, “Forest”, “Profitable Place”, “Wolves and Sheep”, etc. Next in the lesson, students are asked to analyze what they have read with the help of the teacher. Thus, students begin to form a more general idea of the nature of A.N. Ostrovsky’s plays, the uniqueness of the conflict of these plays, their themes and features of dramaturgy. I consider such a study appropriate, because Students will be able to get not only a more general idea of the work of this writer, but also try to draw parallels with our modern life.

This methodological development offers a series of lessons on the study of A.N. Ostrovsky’s drama “Dowry”.

I suggest setting aside 8 hours to study this topic.

1st lesson. Creative history of the play “Dowry”.

2nd lesson. Life and customs of the Russian province. Images of Knurov, Vozhevatov, Paratov. Two hours are allotted for this topic, because... The issues raised in this lesson are closely related to each other and it is inappropriate to divide this topic into two separate lessons.

3rd lesson. The tragedy of the “little man”. Image of Karandyshev.

I suggest spending one hour studying this problem, because... We will return to this problem later, talking about the image of Larisa Ogudalova.

4th lesson. The tragic fate of Larisa in the world of cleanliness. “I am a thing, not a person...” I suggest setting aside two hours to study one of the main problems of the play..

Lesson 5 The play “Dowry” on stage and in cinema.

This two-hour lesson provides students with material about the stage history of the play, as well as a number of creative activities.

MATERIALS FOR LESSON 1

Lesson topic: Creative history of the play “Dowry”.

The purpose of the lesson: to familiarize students with the historical situation, with the social life of the 70s of the 19th century, which influenced and created the basis for writing a new play, with new types of characters, to show what significance this play had for the author himself.

Objective of the lesson: based on a conversation with students who were given the task for the lesson - to compile a “quoted description” of the images of Knurov, Vozhevatov and Paratov, to analyze these images of the “masters of life”.

Teacher's story. Students take notes on the teacher's story.

With the rapid and rapid development of capitalist relations, in the 70s. Great changes are taking place in the merchant world. It becomes more and more complicated and breaks ties with the old folk morality, with Domostroevsky traditions. Merchants from small traders become millionaires, establish international connections, and receive a European education. Patriarchal simplicity of morals is becoming a thing of the past. Folk song is being replaced by romance. 70s The 19th century is an atmosphere of money rush, a wolfish struggle for a place in the sun, a time of selfishness and cynicism. (F.M. Dostoevsky “Teenager”, “Crime and Punishment”, etc.).

The world of patriarchal merchants, with whom Ostrovsky says goodbye, is replaced in his later work by the kingdom of predatory, tenacious and smart businessmen. Appeal to new social phenomena leads to great changes in the artistic essence of Ostrovsky's later dramas. This evolution of the writer’s dramatic talent is especially clearly noticeable in his drama “Dowry”.

According to the author's note on the draft of "Dowry", the drama was conceived on November 4, 1874. The original plot of the play was different. In the diary of I.A. Shlyapkin there is a record of the story of M.I. Pisarev, who conveyed the following outline of the plan from the words of the playwright: “On the Volga there is an old woman with three daughters. Two are rollicking - both to ride horses and to hunt. Their mother loves them very much and gives them a dowry. The youngest is quiet, thoughtful, and without a dowry. Two people are in love. One is a villager, a homebody; have fun, have so much fun, everything works out for him. Reads “The Apostle”, goes hunting. The other one grabbed the tops, but was empty. Lives in St. Petersburg, in the village in the summer, phraser. The girl fell in love with him, drama.”

After this story, students are asked to draw parallels between Ostrovsky’s plan and how he brought it to life - i.e. with the plot of the play itself.

Teacher's question. Which of the play's characters do we recognize in this brief retelling of the play's premise?

Anticipated student response. In this condensed retelling, the contours of the characters of the future heroes of “Dowry” - “fraser” Paratov, thoughtful Larisa, etc. - are barely visible.

Teacher's word. Among the old-timers of the city of Kineshma, a legend persisted that the plot of “Dowry” was inspired by Ostrovsky’s criminal case, which was heard in the Kineshma court. The murder of his young wife by a husband out of jealousy was notable for the fact that behind the scenes of this tragic and scandalous incident stood the Volga “millionaire” Ivan Aleksandrovich Konovalov. This possible prototype of Knurov, outwardly a very representative and respectable businessman of the new century, secretly contained a whole harem. However, one can only guess to what extent this whole story influenced the formation of Ostrovsky’s plan.

The playwright had obviously been busy working on “The Dowry” since September 1875, but it entered the decisive stage in September-October 1876. “All my attention and all my strength,” wrote Ostrovsky from Shchelykov, “are directed towards the next big play, which was conceived more than a year ago and on which I worked continuously. I'm thinking of finishing it this year and I'll try to finish it as carefully as possible, because it will be fortieth my original work."

The play was completed on October 17, 1878. Ostrovsky wrote: “I have already read my play in Moscow five times, among the listeners there were people hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized “Dowry” as the best of all my works.” The hopes associated with this play, the awareness of the significance of his plan, were reflected in the inscription on the draft autograph: "OPUS 40" and in a line from a letter to the head of the repertoire of the imperial theaters Fedorov S.P., sent to St. Petersburg simultaneously with the manuscript: “With this play begins new variety my works."

The premiere at the Moscow Maly Theater took place on November 10, 1878. The first critical responses were associated with theatrical productions that preceded the publication of the play, and they were unfavorable for the author: “Is it really worth Mr. Ostrovsky to waste his energy and his time on the dramatic reproduction of a banal, old, uninteresting stories of a stupid, seduced girl? The one who expected a new word, new types from the venerable playwright was cruelly mistaken...” A new era in the stage history of “Dowry” began after Ostrovsky’s death, when on September 17, 1896, V. Komissarzhevskaya played the role of Larisa on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater. The same V. Komissarzhevskaya plays the role of Nina Zarechnaya in “The Seagull” by A.P. Chekhov, which personifies the opening of the second stage in the formation of the Russian national theater.

Explanation. This material can be offered to one of the students in advance, so that later in the lesson he can give a short report about the creative history of the play “Dowry””.

Materials for lesson 2 on the play “Dowry”

Life and customs of the Russian province.

Images of Knurov, Vozhevaty and Paratov.

In this lesson, the teacher moves with the students to a more detailed textual analysis of images.

Teacher's question. Try to determine the essence of the conflict in this play.

Suggested answer. The conflict “Dowry” is a variation on the theme “Thunderstorms”. A young girl from a poor family, pure and loving life, artistically gifted, faces the world of businessmen, where her beauty is valued in “gold”.

Question. Where does the play take place?

Student response with teacher explanation.

The action takes place in the city of Bryakhimov. This is a fictional city by Ostrovsky. The name is borrowed from the chronicle: in ancient times Bryakhimov existed in the upper reaches of the Volga, in the vicinity of the present city of Vasilsursk.

Question. Why does Ostrovsky choose the Volga and the cities on its banks as the setting for his plays?

There was already a conversation about this with the students when we talked about the initial period of the playwright’s work. (Volga is the cradle of Russian cities, a shipping route, the main trade route, etc.).

Teacher's word. The drama is based on a social theme: Larisa is poor, she has no dowry, and this determines her tragic fate. She lives in a world where everything is bought and sold, including maiden honor, love and beauty. Larisa is a romantic person. As the action progresses in the drama, the discrepancy between Larisa's romantic ideas and the prosaic world of the people who surround her and worship her grows. These people are complex and contradictory in their own way. Let's try to figure out what they are using specific examples.

Additional material.

The surnames in this play very accurately and figuratively reflect the main quality of a particular character, which is the basis for the surname. ( Analyzing the images of the characters, simultaneously touching on the anthroponymy of the play, students should come to the conclusion that most of the names, patronymics and all surnames in “Dowry” carry a significant semantic load). Over four decades of tireless creative activity (1846 - 1886), A.N. Ostrovsky used a wide variety of means to name the heroes of his works. Ostrovsky was a keen connoisseur of the riches of the Russian language and had an excellent knowledge of folk dialects.

(Students may be interested to know that the playwright carried out painstaking work on compiling a dictionary of the Russian language. The dictionary was not completed, but “Materials for the Dictionary” was included in the XIII volume of the collected works of A.N. Ostrovsky. The fact that the naming of heroes is carried out in accordance with the main qualities of their character, appearance, and demeanor will help students penetrate deeper into the essence of the character’s image, comprehensively examine it and carefully understand the sometimes unpredictable behavior of the hero, which is often so aptly reflected in his surname, first name, patronymic).

It is advisable for students to write this information in notebooks under the dictation of the teacher.

Writing in notebooks.

The surnames in this play very accurately and figuratively reflect the main quality of a particular character, which is the basis for the surname. Most of the names, patronymics and all surnames in “Dowry” carry a significant semantic load.

Write on the board and in your notebook.

Moky Parmenych Knurov

Mokiy - from Greek. mocker, mocker

Parmenych - from Greek. Parmenius- firmly standing

Knurov - from knur- hog, wild boar, boar (V.I.Dal)

Question. What do we learn about this hero from the remark?

Suggested answer.

A big businessman, “an elderly man with a huge fortune.”

Questions. Who is the first to speak about this character in the play? How is he interacting with other characters? What habits and character traits of Knurov are revealed during the action of the play? What is the attitude of the characters in the play towards Knurov?

Anticipated student responses.

With emphasized respect, the barman Gavrilo classifies him as one of the “pure public” of the city of Bryakhimov. In the conversation between the barman and the servant Ivan, some of Knurov’s habits and character traits are mentioned. Showing constant concern for his health, Knurov constantly “for exercise” “every morning the boulevard measures back and forth, exactly as promised.” “What kind of lunches does he have!” explains Gavrilo, “can you eat such a lunch without exercise?” In communicating with people, Knurov is strictly selective, keeps his distance, and does not waste words. “Who should he talk to? There are two or three people in the city, and he talks with them, but with no one else; Well, he’s silent... But he goes to Moscow, St. Petersburg, and abroad to talk, where he has more space.” Those around him are clearly aware of the power of Knurov’s influence. Vozhevatov bows “respectfully” when meeting him. Ogudalova greets Knurova with special respect, excited by the honor shown to her home: “How can I write down such happiness?.. I’m so glad, I’m really confused... I don’t know where to put you”; “We give you special happiness for your visit; It can’t be compared to anything.” If Vozhevatov is his own person for Knurov and he “gives his hand” when meeting him, then Knurov behaves completely differently with others. As noted in the remark: “Knurov, silently and without getting up from his seat, offers his hand to Ogudalova, slightly nods to Karandyshev and immerses himself in reading the newspaper,” with which he demonstratively fences himself off from unwanted interlocutors. Bound reluctantly by his promise to be at dinner with Larisa’s fiancé, Knurov was delighted at the arrival of Paratov, who belonged to the people of his circle: “I’m very glad, after all, there will be someone to say at least a word with at dinner.”

This student work is based on knowledge of the text and the ability to work in it. It is expected that students should try not to retell the text in their own words, but to find precise wording in the text to answer the questions posed. This work will help students develop skills in working with literary text.

Question. Find in the text the key phrase that Knurov pronounces and which is a characteristic of his inner world, the leitmotif of the image.

Suggested answer. Knurov is always, first of all, a businessman. He values money, a profitable business (“It’s good for him, Vasily Danilych, who has a lot of money”). Bearing in mind his fortune, which, according to his concepts, can buy everything (even the love of a beautiful woman), Knurov confidently declares: “For me, the impossible is not enough.”

Question. How does Knurov feel about Larisa Ogudalova? How does he assess what happens to Larisa in the future?

Suggested answer. Knurov highly appreciates the beauty of Larisa Ogudalova, who could significantly decorate his life and add pleasant variety to it (for a lot of money, of course). “It would be nice to go to Paris with such a young lady to an exhibition.” Vozhevatov’s story about the Ogudalov family, about Larisa’s love for Paratov, who deceived her, about the desperate situation of a beautiful homeless woman who decided to marry Karandyshev, strengthened Knurov in his desire to buy Larisa’s favor. He calls it “an expensive diamond,” but Knurov has prepared for himself the role of an artist-jeweler who will be able to process this diamond and turn it into a priceless piece of jewelry that has become his property.

Question. How does Knurov accomplish his intention?

Suggested answer. To fulfill his intention, Knurov immediately gets down to business. During a visit to the Ogudalovs, without any emotion or words, he hints to Kharita Ignatievna that he is ready to become the patron of her daughter (“I will not regret anything for Larisa Dmitrievna”). And then, in accordance with his own concepts, he calmly explains: “Perhaps you think that such proposals are not disinterested?.. Find people who will promise you tens of thousands for nothing, and then scold me.” Knurov puts his patronage into concrete forms: he promises Ogudalova to take on all the expenses for Larisa’s wedding dress (“It will be a shame to see her dressed haphazardly. So you order all this in the best store, but don’t count on it and don’t spend a penny! But the bills send it to me, I’ll pay”), gives money to Ogudalova for a gift.

Question. How does Knurov evaluate what is happening between Larisa and Paratov on the ship?

Suggested answer. Knurov perceives everything that subsequently happened to Larisa as events favorable to his plans. He understood what the trip across the Volga meant for Larisa, who had run away from her fiancé, and he understood that she again believed the words of Paratov, who treated her extremely cruelly. “It seems that the drama is beginning,” Knurov anticipates. Now that Larisa has compromised herself so much by committing such a reprehensible act in the eyes of society, and Paratov refuses her, Knurov acts decisively, accurately calculating the situation. “It seems to me that she is now in such a position that we close people are not only allowed, but we are even obliged to take part in her fate,” he tells Vozhevatov. The smart interlocutor clarifies, revealing the meaning of these words: “So you want to say that now is an opportunity to take her with you to Paris?”

Obstacles of a moral nature have already been eliminated by the situation in which Larisa, offended and having lost all hope for happiness, found herself, but a rival remained in the person of Vozhevatov. As a businessman with a businessman, Knurov conducts a conversation with him: “You keep disturbing me, and I’m bothering you.” Maybe you are not afraid of competition? I'm not very afraid either; but still awkward, restless; it’s much better when the field is clear.” And business people play Larisa like a toss. The winner, Knurov, sternly warns Vozhevatov: “You are a merchant, you must understand what the word means.”

Teacher's word. Here everything that was planned at the very beginning, in the second scene of Act I, came full circle, logically completed. Read this phenomenon again, think about its meaning. This is a skillful dramatic miniature, this is a sketch, a diagram of the performance that then played out before the eyes of the audience. And the director of this performance was Moky Parmenych Knurov. The main points of the proposed scenario were Knurov’s remarks, which students themselves must indicate in the text:

“However, her position is unenviable”;

“It would be nice to go to Paris with such a young lady to an exhibition”;

“It’s a pity for poor Larisa Dmitrievna, it’s a pity...”;

“Can’t you see that this woman is made for luxury. An expensive diamond is expensive and requires a setting.”

Vozhevatov notes: “And a good jeweler...”

It is advisable to write down in a notebook key points - Knurov’s remarks and the conclusion that the teacher and students make in the lesson.

Larisa's fate is sealed. Knurov - this idol of the modern world - has outlined a goal, and for him, we remember, nothing is impossible.

Such is life, such is the cruel reality. And its horrors become even more terrible because they touched a poetically sublime person, capable of deeply loving and even idealizing everyone around him.

Question. What kind of happiness does Knurov want to offer Larisa?

Suggested answer.

Knurov really wants to make Larisa happy in the sense in which he himself understands happiness. When the girl realized how basely and inhumanly Paratov had treated her, Knurov made her an offer to go with him to Paris, to become his kept woman for “full provision for life.” “Don’t be afraid of shame, there will be no condemnation... I can offer you such enormous content that the most evil critics of other people’s morality will have to shut up and open their mouths in surprise,” he reassures, an experienced person who knows well how they can defend in such a situation. money situations. Perhaps Knurov is not lying when he says: “I would not for one minute think about offering you my hand, but I am married.” If Larisa accepts his offer, he is ready to become her “most devoted servant,” “the most accurate fulfiller of her desires and even whims, no matter how strange and expensive they may be.” But, in essence, Knurov offers Larisa the path of debauchery, from which Karandyshev’s shot saved her.

Another “idol” of modern society, but still young

Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov

Let's turn to anthroponymy, which helps us see the essence of the hero's character.

V.I. Dahl’s dictionary gives us the following concepts:

(write in notebook)

leader - leader, one who knows how to get along with people, courteous, polite, friendly, entertaining conversationalist.

Students’ attention should again be drawn to the remarks and notes made by the author.

Questions. What is Vozhevatov like in communicating with people? Compare him with Knurov. What is the difference between them? What is his life credo? (It is necessary that students themselves find in the text the quote that answers this question.)

Suggested answer.

“I, Mokiy Parmenych, have nothing treasured, I’ll find a profit, so I’ll sell everything, whatever.” From Knurov’s conversation with Vozhevatov, it turns out that Paratov is failing in the practical, business sphere, currently needs money and therefore is selling the ship “Swallow”. “He doesn’t find any benefit,” concludes Vozhevatov, and Knurov adds: “Where is he! This is not a lord’s business... He’s a spendthrift.”

Question. When is Paratov’s name mentioned again in the play?

Suggested answer.

The name of Paratov is mentioned again when it comes to Larisa Ogudalova, a homeless woman from a “decent” family, where Paratov had very specific views. He ensured that Larisa fell in love with him passionately, and he himself “beat off the suitors, and left no trace, disappeared, no one knows where,” as Vozhevatov said.

Teacher's explanations. In the “chic”, external splendor of such characters, the playwright sees only a pose; there is no genuine emotional life in them, no clarity of feelings. The mask became second nature to them. At the same time, Paratov easily combines the ability to waste money and simple unsightly calculation. The ability to theatricalize, to make any act spectacular, to present even outright baseness as something unusually noble (a conversation with Kharita Ignatievna about marriage). For Paratov at the moment, the only important thing is to look as impressive as possible and keep the mask. He has nothing behind his spectacular pose. He is a mirage, a phantom created by Larisa’s imagination. Larisa sees in him the “ideal man”, before which all other men (and above all Karandyshev) pale. She admires Paratov’s ostentatious courage, his spectacular poses and actions. She enthusiastically tells Karandyshev how Paratov, without turning pale or flinching, shot from a considerable distance at the coin that Larisa was holding in her hand, thereby risking the health and even the life of the girl. “He has no heart, that’s why he’s so brave,” sums up Karandyshev, who strongly disliked Paratov. The girl in love sees almost heroism in this act.

His appearance brings chaos into an already more or less established life, sharply disrupts the fragile balance in Larisa’s soul between the desire to come to terms with her fate and the longing for a bright and beautiful life. For him and because of him, all the events in the play take place.

Everywhere Paratov appears in style, attracting attention with every step and gesture (he dashingly rode along the Volga in a “Swallow”, under the thunder of guns he comes ashore, as he approaches Larisa’s house - “four pacers in a row and gypsies on goats”, etc. .d.).

Question. Is Paratov sincere in expressing his feelings?

Suggested answer.

Not without charm, he constantly plays some role depending on the situation and environment. Either he is a wild merchant, or a socialite, an irresistible conqueror of women's hearts, a tempter and fatal lover, or a calculating egoist, or a broad-minded, cheerful reveler. Life for him is an endless game, sometimes associated with some degree of risk. And he himself is a screenwriter, a director, and a main performer.

Question. What is the relationship between Paratov and Larisa?

Suggested answer.

Saying goodbye to his bachelor life (he is in a difficult financial situation and he has a rich bride - “very rich, I’m taking gold mines as a dowry”), Paratov is going to “spend his last days as cheerfully as possible.” His mood improved significantly when he learned about Larisa's upcoming marriage. This news completely frees him from any remorse and finally frees his hands. From his monologue, some circumstances of his relationship with Larisa become clear. A year ago he became interested in a girl, he even had serious intentions towards her, which now, a year later, he regards as unforgivable stupidity. “After all, I almost married Larisa - I wish I could make people laugh! Yes, he would play the fool,” he shares with Knurov and Vozhevatov. In the scene of his meeting with Larisa, Paratov puts on the mask of a man disappointed in women and offended. He influences a gullible girl with eloquence. Larisa is confused by the reproaches that she never expected. She is put in a position where she needs to make excuses, prove her innocence. Paratov hears a declaration of love from her and again triumphs. Now you can apologize. The winner’s apology looks like a generous forgiveness, which Larisa, stunned by Paratov’s arrival and the nature of the meeting with him, does not notice. Without ceasing to play for a minute, Paratov increasingly subjugates Larisa to himself: “I can give you up, I must due to circumstances; but it would be difficult to give up your love.”

Conclusion. (Which it is advisable to write down in notebooks).

His speech and behavior are characterized by a kind of theatricality, the ability to take, depending on the interlocutor and the situation, exactly the tone that will present him in the most advantageous light: with Knurov, Vozhevatov and Larisa’s mother, he speaks cynically, directly communicating his intentions to sell himself profitably; c Karandyshev, in the presence of Larisa, he takes on a defiant tone, demonstrating superiority over his opponent, etc.

Question. How does Paratov quickly find a common language when communicating with different people?

Suggested answer.

Paratov quite easily finds a common language with people, and at the same time plays with words quite cleverly. Just in case, he has sayings, proverbs, and quotes. He flaunts the fact that he “hung around with barge haulers,” from whom he learned the spoken language. In a polemic with Karandyshev, Paratov calls himself a barge hauler: “I am a ship owner and will stand up for them; I’m a barge hauler myself.” However, he was not used to meeting resistance in people. It is no coincidence that Ogudalova anxiously warns Karandyshev: “Be careful with him, otherwise you won’t be happy with life.”

Question. How is Paratov’s selfishness expressed?

Suggested answer.

Flirting with Larisa, Paratov does not value her at all. He wants to humiliate the groom in her eyes, to cruelly teach Karandyshev a lesson for the fact that he “puffs up” in front of him, “like a man, he also decided to cock up.” “I have a rule: do not forgive anyone, otherwise they will forget the fear, they will begin to forget,” these are not empty sounds, but one of Paratov’s qualities. He entered into an argument with Karandyshev in order to once again emphasize in the presence of the Ogudalovs how insignificant, low, and ridiculous Larisa’s fiancé is in comparison with him, with the brilliant master. No brotherhood stops Paratov in his scenario of humiliation and insult of the official Karandyshev, who dared to consider himself equal to him. Larisa is persuaded to go on a picnic. This turned out to be possible because Paratov hid the fact that he was engaged from Larisa. With all his speeches and actions, he advertises his “feeling”, inspires her that he loves her. The word, which for Larisa has a direct meaning, for Paratov is a fleeting means necessary to achieve his goals. “Sergei Sergeich does not think about anything” (Vozhevatov); “And the promises must have been definite and serious” (Knurov). Knurov accurately noted: “But no matter how brave he is, he won’t exchange his million-dollar bride for Larisa.” "Still would! What a calculation!” agrees Vozhevatov.

In the final scenes, Paratov's tone changes noticeably. As soon as everyone has gone ashore, he moves away from Larisa with words, speaks to her not about love, but only thanks her for the trip - “for the happiness that you brought us.” Sensitive Larisa immediately realized that these were just “phrases.” From a direct answer to the question: “Just tell me: am I your wife or not?” Paratov leaves and invites Larisa to go home. Other words and phrases are used - about “food” “for conversation”, about a groom who “will be glad - radehonek”. Finally, he is forced to admit: “Do you admit that a person, shackled hand and foot with unbreakable chains, can get so carried away that he forgets everything in the world..., forgets his chains too?.. The frenzy of passion soon passes, the chains remain and sanity...I'm engaged.”

Paratov deliberately presents this news at the end of the walk. “I saw you, and nothing else existed for me.” There is both truth and terrible lies in Paratov’s words.

Question. Paratov, talking with Robinson, tells him about his life principle. What is this principle?

Suggested answer. A few minutes earlier, Paratov gives Robinson practical advice, which is his life principle: “Apply to the circumstances... The time of enlightened patrons, the time of philanthropists has passed, now the triumph of the bourgeoisie... in the full sense, a golden age is coming.” In one row he has the steamship “Swallow” (it can be sold later), the actor Robinson (he was useful for fun), Larisa. In one row there is something that can be used, enjoyed, amused, and then exchanged for something more valuable and profitable.

Conclusion, which students need to write down in their notebooks:

Paratov loves only himself and his well-being, not paying attention to how he simultaneously, unnoticed by himself, cripples the destinies of people.

Paratov accepted the rules of the game, based on sober calculation and boundless egoism, and does not intend to lose under any circumstances, because Paratov’s own benefits and pleasures are most valuable.

The students are invited to draw this conclusion themselves, so that the teacher can see whether the children have tried to understand, whether they have penetrated into those thoughts, into the inner world of the characters discussed in this lesson.

The teacher should also invite the students themselves to draw a general conclusion on the topic of the lesson. In my opinion, this conclusion should carry the following thought: in the world , where everything is bought and sold, there is no place for pity. The motive of sympathy and indifference, pity and heartlessness runs through the entire play. Thanks to the leitmotifs, the “undercurrent”, which became an important feature of Chekhov’s dramatic system ( this is complemented by the teacher), in “Dowry” Larisa’s drama takes on a deep general meaning. This is not just the story of a deceived girl, but a tragic collision of a pure, bright person with a world dominated by inhumanity.

Writing in a notebook.

In the world , where everything is bought and sold, there is no place for pity. The motive of sympathy and indifference, pity and heartlessness runs through the entire play. This is not just the story of a deceived girl, but a tragic collision of a pure, bright person with a world dominated by inhumanity.

HOMEWORK.

Students are invited to make a “quoted description” of the image of Karandyshev, as well as think and remember how the “little man” is portrayed in the literature of the 18th century - early. XIX century (Gogol “The Overcoat”, Pushkin “Belkin’s Tales”, etc.).

MATERIALS for LESSON 3.

LESSON TOPIC: The tragedy of the “little man”. Image of Karandyshev.

The goals and objectives of this lesson: to help students understand, see, discern the tragedy of the “little man” Karandyshev, draw analogies with other heroes of Russian literature who joined the army of “little people”. To help students, in the words of Dostoevsky, “find the person in a person.”

Ostrovsky's favorite genre was comedy. But in his comedies there are always dramatic situations and dramatic characters. In turn, Ostrovsky’s dramas contain funny episodes and comic characters.

At the center of the play “Dowry” is the tragic fate of the heroine, but there is also a comic character in it - Robinson. But not only he is funny, Karandyshev is funny too, although something about him is repulsive, and something evokes pity and sympathy.

Karandyshev has features that are already familiar to readers from the works of Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky - he joined the gallery of characters behind whom the literary characteristic “little man” was established. Karandyshev is poor. He is on one of the low steps of the social ladder. Among such masters of life as Paratov, Vozhevatov, like the powerful Knurov, who tells Larisa that for him “the impossible is not enough,” Karandyshev is constantly subjected to humiliation, ridicule and insults, to which he cannot respond. For Vozhevatov and Paratov, he is the object of evil ridicule. However, like other characters, Karandyshev is not an unambiguous, not a one-line figure.

It cannot be said that he is entirely a victim of the world in which Larisa suffocates and dies. Karandyshev is part of this world, he is generated by it, he accepts the rules and prejudices established in it. His character was formed by the atmosphere of post-reform Russian life, which was clearly defined by the 70s of the 19th century. This is an atmosphere of money rush, a wolfish struggle for a place in the sun, this is a time of selfishness and cynicism. Karandyshev was shaped by this time, this atmosphere. This is where he gets his exaggerated sense of envy, painful pride, and exorbitant ambitions. Marriage to Larisa, whom he loves in his own way, is, after all, for him, first of all, an opportunity to assert himself, to settle accounts with those who looked at him with contempt, from top to bottom, to enjoy his superiority. Karandyshev does not hide his triumph: “Larisa Dmitrievna, for three years I suffered humiliation, for three years I endured ridicule right in the face from your friends; I, in turn, need to laugh at them.” Having become Larisa’s fiancé, Karandyshev believes that he has received the right to manage her life, to dictate rules of behavior to her in a masterly manner: “You need to give up old habits,” he declares to Larisa, “you can’t tolerate what you have had so far.” “I see that I am a doll for you,” this is Larisa telling her mother and Karandyshev, “you will play and throw it away.” And Karandyshev, having become the owner of this very beautiful “doll,” grows greatly in his own eyes. Out of vanity, he plans a luxurious dinner, trying to outdo Paratov, who, in his words, “shows off”, he wants to amaze everyone with his scope, and also show off. Karandyshev cannot understand Larisa, he is too busy with himself.

However, Ostrovsky shows that Karandyshev, having experienced a moral shock, is able to see the light, realize what he really is, and look the tragic truth in the eye. Karandyshev’s monologue after Larisa’s departure is, finally, “the hero’s word about himself.” Here Karandyshev speaks not only about himself - about the inhumanity of the world around him. His words sound like a protest against depersonalization and humiliation of a person. They are preparing the final episode of the play, in which Karandyshev tells Larisa extremely important words about the alienation of a person in a world where everything is for sale: “They don’t 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.”

Having regained his sight, Karandyshev already has a different attitude towards Larisa, he tells her those words that she was waiting for and which she could not hear from anyone: “I am ready for any sacrifice, I am ready to endure any humiliation for you... Tell me, what can I do?” deserve your love? These words were spoken too late, her heart was broken, her fate was broken. And Karandyshev’s shot for her is deliverance from an ugly, hateful life. And she says words to Karandyshev that she would never have said before: “My dear, what a good deed you have done for me!..”

Karandyshev’s crazy act is an expression of true love, the kind of love from which people shoot, because of which they kill. This is the kind of love Larisa was looking for, and after an explanation with Paratov, who betrayed her, she stopped believing that such love exists, that it is possible: “...I was looking for love and didn’t find it...,” she sums up a terrible conclusion for herself, “.. .she is not in the world... there is nothing to look for.”

Dostoevsky believed that his task as an artist was “to find the person in man.” Ostrovsky, creating the image of Karandyshev, followed this principle, trying to discover the person in a person. Ostrovsky wrote “Dowry” in such a way that the viewer considers not Karandyshev, but Paratov and those who are at the same time with him, the true culprits of Larisa’s death. Larisa’s last words after the fatal shot: “It’s me myself... No one is to blame, no one... It’s me myself...”, most of all relate to Karandyshev, she wants to remove the blame from him.

Ostrovsky’s “little man” becomes just a man.

MATERIALS FOR 4TH LESSON.

Lesson topic: The tragic fate of Larisa in the world of “chistogan”.

The goals and objectives of the lesson are intended to help students understand how a beautiful poetic nature perishes in this cruel world of “clean”.

Anthroponymy.

Writing in a notebook.

Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova

Charita - kind, lovely (Greek).

Harites “were called the gypsies from the choir, and

Every gypsy in Moscow was usually called “Ignati”... Larisa’s mother is one of the gypsies...”.

Ogudalova - from ogudat - “to seduce, deceive, deceive, deceive... “(V.I. Dal).

Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova

Larisa the Seagull (Greek).

Meaningful name. Dreamy and artistic, she does not notice the vulgar sides in people, sees them through the eyes of the heroine of a Russian romance and acts in accordance with it. Larisa's poetic nature flies on the wings of music: she sings beautifully. She plays the piano, the guitar sounds in her hands.

Larisa Ogudalova is not a simple-minded girl from a bourgeois environment, like other heroines of Ostrovsky’s plays (“Late Love” - Lyudmila, “Labor Bread” - Natasha). She embodies the traditions of noble upbringing, and her character reveals a sharp contradiction between the desire for external splendor, for the ostentatious nobility of life and the deeper, internal properties of her nature - seriousness, truthfulness, a thirst for genuine and sincere relationships. Such a contradiction was then a phenomenon encountered in the lives of the best representatives of the privileged strata of society. But the Ogudalov family has become impoverished and occupies an ambiguous position in provincial “society.” Under these conditions, the contradiction in Larisa's character inevitably leads her to a dramatic conflict.

All this puts the extraordinary girl in an extremely difficult situation. Around Larisa is a motley and dubious crowd of admirers and contenders for her hand, among whom there are quite a few “rabble.” Life in her house is like a “bazaar” or a “gypsy camp.” Larisa must not only endure the falsehood, cunning, and hypocrisy that surrounds her, but also take part in them.

If the inconsistency of Larisa's life were only external, she could have found a way out of this situation. Larisa could meet and fall in love with a sincere person and leave the “gypsy camp” with him. But this inconsistency lies at the heart of the girl’s character. Larisa herself is sincerely drawn to the splendor and nobility of life; any manifestation of simplicity and unpretentiousness is offensive to her. This is manifested in her relationship with Paratov.

Larisa loves Paratov as a person who embodies and is able to give her a different life. She was, as it were, “poisoned” by Paratov, with him the idea of a completely different, poetic and light world entered her consciousness once and for all, which certainly exists, but is inaccessible to her, although she is intended, in the opinion of everyone around her, for him. For Larisa, this is a fantasy world, much more poetic than it actually is; the traces of this world in her own life are her favorite poems, romances, dreams, which make her image attractive. Getting ready to marry Karandyshev, she feels humiliated, unfairly sentenced to the life that a petty official can give her. Moreover, she cannot see his personal humiliation, his failures in trying to equal Paratov, the difference between them becomes more and more obvious to her: “Who are you equaling with! Is such blindness possible!” She constantly convinces him that she does not love him, that he is infinitely inferior to Paratov, whom she will marry at his first request: “Of course, if Sergei Sergeich appeared and was free, then one look from him would be enough...”

In her soul there is a struggle between the desire to come to terms with the inevitable fate of the wife of a poor official and the longing for a bright and beautiful life. The feeling of humiliation by her lot and the craving for a different life prompt Larisa to try to decide her own fate. It seems that the path to the romantic world lies through the same romantic, reckless and spectacular act. But this act is reckless, leading to death, because it was committed in pursuit of the ghost that Paratov personifies, the world that exists only in poetry and romances. Just like Karandyshev, she makes a choice in favor of illusion rather than reality. For Ostrovsky, this attempt to immediately, with one reckless act, receive love and happiness looks like a refusal, an escape from one’s own destiny.

A trip to a men's picnic opens Larisa's eyes to her true position - a prize that men compete with each other. “I am a thing, not a person.” Dying, she thanks her killer, Karandyshev, for giving her the opportunity to leave a world in which a high ideal is trampled and where she feels like an object of sale: “I was looking for love and did not 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. It's not my fault, I was looking for love and didn't find it. She’s not in the world... there’s nothing to look for.”

A trip beyond the Volga is a disaster of a lifetime for Larisa. Now she has no dowry or maiden honor. Now she can either sell her beauty, or, like Katerina (“The Thunderstorm”), die by throwing herself off the cliff of the Volga. Larisa tries to do this, but she does not have the moral strength to overcome the natural fear of torture and death. Her monologue at the embankment grating shows the difference between her character and Katerina’s character.

Katerina, even in her difficult marriage, did not lose her romantic aspirations, which, while feeding her vague dreams of freedom, at the same time contain a naive conviction in the immortality of the soul. For her, death is not the destruction of personality, but liberation from an unbearable existence. Larisa doesn't have this. Her character reflects not the end of the era of family authority, but the beginning of the era of the naked power of the purist. She has kind and sincere feelings, but there are no strong moral foundations, no sense of purpose. She is weak, full of hesitation and therefore easily susceptible to temptation.

In her speech and behavior, the style of a cruel romance is used, which at the same time has a peculiar poetry and borders on vulgarity, falsehood, and “beautifulness”: quotes from Lermontov and Baratynsky are combined with statements like: “Sergey Sergeich... is the ideal of a man,” “You are my Lord". This reflects the quality of the ideal itself that attracts Larisa; it is poetic in its own way and at the same time empty and false. In her gestures and remarks, a touch of melodrama is combined with genuine penetration and depth of experienced feeling: “For unfortunate people there is a lot of space in God’s world: here is the garden, here is the Volga.” ( This combination makes the role of Larisa extremely advantageous; she attracted such actresses as M. Ermolova, V. Komissarzhevskaya).

Before her death, Larisa discovers her true moral qualities. She dies to the “loud choir of gypsies,” she dies, reconciling herself with her bitter fate, without complaining about anyone, without blaming anyone. But objectively, this death is a heavy indictment of the entire order of things in which a young, pure, gifted woman became the toy of frivolous passions and the subject of unscrupulous trade.

HOMEWORK:

Prepare reports on the stage history of the play “Dowry”. (See further).

MATERIALS FOR LESSON 5.

Lesson topic: The play “Dowry” on stage and in cinema.

The goals and objectives of this lesson involve introducing students to material about the stage history of the play “Dowry” and doing a little creative work related to this topic.

You can offer students some topics in advance for preparing a story about the stage history of the play “Dowry” and its modern interpretation. For example, I propose several topics: “The connection between the drama “Dowry” and contemporary Russian prose by Ostrovsky”, “The life and fate of an artist in Ostrovsky’s plays”, “Interpretation of “Dowry” in cinema: films by A.Ya. Protazanov (1881-1945) “Dowry” "(1937) and E.Ya. Ryazanov (Cruel Romance" (1983)."

We draw the students' attention to the actress who very correctly understood the meaning of the play and also correctly and interestingly conveyed it to the audience - V.F. Komissarzhevskaya. She did not play a “provincial lioness of the gypsy variety” , colliding on the “paths of love with a predatory man,” and Larisa “suffering and dying for all women,” as the actress herself said. That is why the romance nature of the play became decisive in revealing the tragic fate of the heroine. The first productions of “The Dowry” at the Maly Theater featured excellent artists: N.I.Muzil-Robinson, Lensky-Paratov, M.P.Sadovsky-Karandyshev, N.M.Medvedeva-Ogudalova, I.V.Samarin-Knurov, M.A. Reshimov-Vozhevatov and others. The role of Larisa was performed by G.N. Fedotova and M.N. Ermolova. Of course, the actresses understood the play as a whole differently and interpreted the image of Larisa differently. At the Alexandrinsky Theater the role of Larisa was played by actress M.G. Savina - and also in an excellent acting ensemble. As they wrote in “Birzhevye Vedomosti”, M.G. Savina “created an unusually poetic and graceful image.” At the same time, Savina’s lyrical interpretation of the heroine’s image combined with an emphasis on the motives of sadness and depression.

Revived on the St. Petersburg stage in 1896, “Dowry” sounded completely different, thanks mainly to the talented and amazing performance of the role of Larisa V.F. Komissarzhevskaya. She emphasized Larisa’s “impulsive, constantly searching nature” and revealed her deep inner tragedy. About V.F. Komissarzhevskaya’s performance of the role of Larisa in 1898-1905, the writer A.N. Tikhonov (Serebrov) wrote: “Larissa’s monologue before her death: “A thing!.. yes, a thing... They are right, I am a thing, not a person !.. “was not only the cry of an exhausted woman, but also a protest against a society where such abuse of a person is possible. And the public understood well that this protest was not limited only to the stage, but applied to all the Paratovs, Karandyshevs and Knurovs who were in the theater and far beyond its walls. Young people went to the performance as if it were a political demonstration. Her success in this role was unparalleled.”

Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry” has become one of the most popular in the repertoire of Russian drama theaters. She also attracted the attention of filmmakers. So, in 1936, director Y.A. Protazanov staged a film based on Ostrovsky’s play, in which the main roles were played by N.U. Alisova (Larisa), A.P. Ktorov (Paratov), M.M. Klimov (Knurov). In the 80-90s, our modern director E. Ryazanov addressed the same topic. He directed a film based on this play - “Cruel Romance”, where the main roles were: L. Guzeeva - (Larissa), A. Freindlikh (Kharita Ignatievna), N. Mikhalkov (Paratov), Petrenko (Knurov), V. Proskurin (Vozhevatov) and others.

In this lesson, students are asked to compare the images that Ostrovsky created in his play and the images that E. Ryazanov created in his film. If a teacher has the opportunity to show films by Y. Protazanov and E. Ryazanov, then this can be done outside of class time, or show excerpts from this film in class.

Materials for this lesson can be found in the book from the “School of Classics” series. A book for students and teachers. A.N. Ostrovsky.”

You can prepare material for a story about stage history and about the actress V. Komissarzhevskaya from the books:

1. A.N. Serebrov (Tikhonov). Time and people. M., 1960

2. A.N. Ostrovsky. Full composition of writings. v.15 (appendix to “Dowry”).

3.V.F.Komissarzhevskaya. Album. M., 1915

Another creative task is possible: compare the texts of romances (an old Italian romance performed by V.F. Komissarzhevskaya “He told me: be you mine...”; a romance based on poems by B. Akhmadulina, performed in E. Ryazanov’s film “Cruel Romance ” - “And finally, I will say...”; a romance based on the poems of E. Baratynsky, included in the text of the play by A.N. Ostrovsky “Do not tempt me unnecessarily...”) and try to explain which of the presented texts best expresses the author's thought and explains the main idea of the work. (Texts attached).

Thus, in this methodological development, I tried to present in detail the material for the first lesson in the series of lessons on studying the play “Dowry”. Materials for lessons 2,3,4 are offered in a condensed form, outlining only the outline for conversation on the proposed topics. I tried to highlight only those points that I consider possible and necessary to draw students’ attention to. And then each teacher decides for himself how and what it is necessary to draw students’ attention to when studying A.N. Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry.” I hope that the material that I have accumulated during my experience working on this topic will help a teacher who recently encountered teaching this work in a Russian literature course in the 10th grade.

Annex 1

Romance based on verses by E. Baratynsky, included in the text of the play by A. N. Ostrovsky: Do not tempt me unnecessarily

The return of your tenderness.
Alien to the disappointed
All the seductions of former days.

I don’t believe the assurances
I don't believe in love anymore
And I don't want to give in again
Once upon a time deceiving dreams.

An ancient Italian romance performed by V.F. Komissarzhevskaya:

He told me: “Be you mine,
And I will begin to live, burning with passion.
The beauty of a smile, the bliss in the gaze
They promise me the joys of heaven.”
This is what he said to the poor heart,

He told me: “Bright star
You illuminated a gloomy soul,
You gave me hope in my heart,
Filling dreams with sweet dreams.
Sometimes he smiled, sometimes he shed tears,
But he didn’t love, no, he didn’t love me.
He promised me, my poor heart,
Happiness and dreams, passions, delights.
Tenderly he swore to make my life sweeter
Eternal love, eternal bliss.
With sweet speech he ruined the heart,
But he didn’t love, no, he didn’t love me.”

Romance based on poems by B. Akhmadulina, heard in E. Ryazanov’s film “Cruel Romance”:

And finally I will say: “Goodbye,
You don't have to commit to love. I'm going crazy
Or ascending to a high degree of madness.
How you loved - you sipped
Death is not the point.
How you loved - you ruined
But he ruined it so clumsily!”

The temple is still doing a little work,
But the hands fell, and in a flock diagonally
Smells and sounds go away.
“How you loved - you sipped
Death is not the point!
How you loved - you ruined
But he ruined it so clumsily...”