One of the female characters in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” is Varvara Kabanova, Tikhon’s younger sister and Kabanikha’s daughter. Despite her minor character, the heroine has a bright, original character that attracts attention to her. The characterization of Varvara clearly demonstrates the possibility of confronting the “dark kingdom”. Morally crippled, but not broken, Varvara desperately fights for personal freedom and eventually finds the strength to leave her hated father’s house forever.
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Full name : Varvara Kabanova.
Age - not specified, young girl under 20 years old.
Occupation - no specific type of activity.
Family - mother Marfa Ignatievna Kabanova, older brother Tikhon.
Social status : merchant's daughter.
Origin : He comes from a wealthy merchant family.
Upbringing - brought up in the spirit of patriarchal principles.
Education - mediocre, illiterate girl.
Appearance - young attractive girl.
Character - brave, decisive, cunning, resourceful, practical, freedom-loving, cheerful, with self-esteem.
Positive traits - kind, compassionate, loyal friend, reasonable, practical.
Negative traits : cunning, immoral.
The work is “Thunderstorm”.
Author - A. N. Ostrovsky.
Character
The daughter of a powerful merchant finds her own way to resist the system. It's a lie. She doesn't feel guilty about it. Only by deception can one obtain a minimal amount of personal freedom. Under the supervision of Marfa Ignatievna, the girl grew up reserved, cautious and cunning.
The character of Varvara clearly demonstrates that even by completely suppressing a person’s desire for freedom, it is impossible to raise a slave. You can end up with a distorted personality, disfigured by pressure. A person incapable of open confrontation will lie, like Varvara, or find salvation in rare absences from home and drinking, like Tikhon, but he will not be able to get used to the suppression of his will.
One more thing distinguishes Varya from her brother. If Tikhon, fleeing from his mother’s wrath, is a hypocrite to please her (“We pray to God for you, mother, day and night.”), obsequiously flatters, even carries out humiliating orders (remember at least the farewell before leaving for Moscow), then from his daughter Kabanikha often hears objections. And Varya expresses her opinion with caustic remarks behind her mother’s back.
Of course, Varvara does not have Katerina’s ability to feel subtly, there is no need for beauty, pure sincerity of the emotions shown. But the heroine has an abundance of strength, desire to live and be happy.
Characteristics of Varvara by other heroes
Katerina
Varvara becomes the only person for Katerina who sincerely pities her. Katerina thinks she is a sweet girl.
“Katerina. So, Varya, do you feel sorry for me?
Varvara (looking to the side). Of course it's a pity.
Katerina. So you love me then? (Kisses him firmly.)
Varvara. Why shouldn’t I love you?
Katerina. Well, thank you! You’re so sweet, I love you to death.”
Source: Act one, scene 7
Katerina, having learned about Varvara’s relationship with Kudryash, considers the girl a sinner.
“What are you up to, sinner! Is this possible? Have you thought! What you! What you!"
Source: Act two, scene 9
Detailed characteristics of Katerina.
Kabanov
Tikhon, like no one else, knows how much Kabanikha is capable of tormenting her own children with endless reproaches and moralizing. He does not condemn Varvara, who, unable to withstand her mother’s despotism, ran away from home with her beloved Kudryash.
“Kabanov...So, brother Kuligin, our whole family is now torn apart. Not just relatives, but definitely enemies to each other. Varvara’s mother sharpened and sharpened, but she couldn’t stand it, and she was like that - she just took it and left.
Kuligin. Where did you go?
Kabanov. Who knows? They say she ran away with Kudryash and Vanka, and they won’t find him anywhere either.”
Source: Act Five, Scene 1
Essay 2
The heroine Varya Kabanova is the daughter of Marfa Ignatievna. She was born into a rich family. She is quite attractive in appearance and has a thick build. It was this type of woman that attracted men at that time. She has a brother, Tikhon, and she and he are completely different. Varvara is very lively. She learned to deceive, behave hypocritically and dodgy. She is smart and cunning. And all this is because of the lectures of her strict mother, because by nature she is a very honest girl. She likes a merchant's servant and secretly meets with him. One day she gets tired of her mother and runs away with her lover. Although she is dating Kudryash, she does not love him.
Varvara is very brave, she is not afraid to protest to her tyrant mother Kabanikha. But he does not go into open conflict with his mother, but acts quietly. Varvara is a little talkative, loves freedom and life. She is not killed and does not worry, despite her difficult life situations. He also does not consider it an obligation to observe any traditions and customs.
Although Varvara is young, she is already wise and knows how to think. He treats meetings with Kudryash calmly. She prefers not to give in to emotional impulses; her head is always on, not her heart. Varvara doesn’t even understand how one can kill and suffer because of love. Varya will always think through her every step. A lively girl can always stand up for herself and respond to any remark addressed to her.
Varvara has a friend Katerina, whom she loves and supports very much, and also worries and regrets. At the same time, Katerina trusts Varya and tells her secrets; she told her that she is in love with Boris.
Varvara is an adventurer and loves to look for adventures. Although Katerina and I were best friends, they were absolutely opposite. Varya did not share her views. There was no tenderness, no dreaminess, no mystery in her. Varvara pushed her friend towards Boris, thereby betraying her brother, but it didn’t matter to her. She arranged secret meetings for them. And I always thought that no one would know about her secret and the secret of her friend Katerina.
Varvara does not share anyone’s views. She considers her brother spineless, because under the pressure of his mother he became completely weak, began to drink, and also does not help his wife in anything. The girl also despises the callousness of her mother Kabanikha, and does not share her friend’s views either. Varvara is like a cat, walking on its own, which doesn’t care about anyone’s opinion.
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Alexander Ostrovsky's play “The Thunderstorm” is a real legacy for future generations. Despite the fact that it was written almost two centuries ago, its plot touches on the pressing problems of our turbulent times. The same problems of daughter-in-law and mother-in-law, husband and wife, mother and children... The events of the work take place on the coast of a river called the Volga, in the fictional city of Kalinov. There, in this seemingly quiet place, a real drama develops, the fault of which is ordinary people. But to understand what happened, you need to get to know the characters in the play and determine the role that each of them plays in the work.
Biography
Varvara Kabanova is a young beautiful girl, a merchant’s daughter. After the death of her father, she and her older brother Tikhon were raised by their domineering, tyrannical mother, Marfa Kabanova.
Secretly from her mother, Varvara meets with Vanya Kudryash, the clerk of the merchant Dikiy. Having stolen the gate key from her mother, she spends every night with her lover. Such overnight dates can seriously ruin the reputation of any unmarried girl, but Varvara is used to doing what she wants.
Varvara sincerely feels sorry for Katerina and supports her in her desire to meet Boris. She promotes their romance because she understands that her brother Tikhon is unworthy of Katerina.
As a result, Varvara, tired of the endless scandals with her mother, runs away from her father’s house along with her beloved Kudryash.
The fatal role of Varvara in the life of Katerina
Having taken root and accustomed to the “dark kingdom,” Varvara sympathizes with her daughter-in-law Katerina, tormented by the merchant Kabanikha and unsupported by her husband, indifferent to everything and trampled morally by Tikhon. When the young woman Katerina exclaimed that she wanted to feel life and joy, the merchant’s daughter understood this in her own way.
As we have already mentioned, the characterization of the character (Barbara) in the drama “The Thunderstorm” is not distinguished by high moral principles. Having grown up in an atmosphere of hypocrisy and deceit, she considers it normal for her sister-in-law to cheat on her brother. She doesn't think it's a family shame.
In order to diversify Katerina's life, sympathizing with her, Varenka arranges a date for her with Boris, the nephew of the merchant Dikiy. At the same time, without even suspecting that betrayal will cause deep moral trauma to the young woman and expose her to the merciless blow of the “dark kingdom.”
Image of Varvara
Varvara is a brave, determined, cheerful girl with a strong character. Brought up in equal conditions with her brother Tikhon, she does not succumb to her mother’s influence. Unable to confront her openly, she learns to deceive and dodge in order to thus adapt to the rules established by Kabanikha.
Life with a rude, ignorant, despotic mother morally disfigures Varvara. Her idea of morality is erased, but she still remains kind, merciful, capable of sincerely pitying another person.
Varvara is not one of those who will suffer and be killed. She loves and appreciates life, and is ready to fight to the last for her right to be free and happy. Varvara knows how to enjoy every moment of life and is not going to sacrifice herself to someone else's whims.
Being a reasonable, sober-minded girl, Varvara has her own point of view on everything and is able to defend it. She will never grovel before a man, before her elders. Free from prejudice, Varvara is ready to build a life at her own discretion and that is why she runs away from her parents’ house.
Check out what else we have:
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Summary of “Thunderstorm”
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A very brief summary of “The Thunderstorm”
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The main characters of "The Thunderstorm"
for the coolest -
Read "Thunderstorm" in full
Family environment
Varvara grows up in the same atmosphere of endless nagging, humiliating suspicion, and groundless reproaches as her brother. However, Kabanikha’s domestic tyranny, which turned Tikhon into a downtrodden and weak-willed creature, does not seem to have unconditional power over the girl. This becomes clear already in the first scene where the Kabanov family appears. While Kabanov, trying to quell his mother’s displeasure, flatters and demonstrates humility, his sister makes mocking remarks aside. And after his mother left, he pulled back Tikhon, who began to take out the insult he suffered on his wife.
However, already in the first dialogue with Katerina, the imprint that the heavy atmosphere of the Kabanov family left on the cheerful girl is noticeable. She lacks the frankness and openness characteristic of youth. She admits her feelings reluctantly, as if she is used to hiding them.
Unlike the main character of “The Thunderstorm,” Varya never knew a different situation. Constant supervision, nagging and reproaches made her almost insensitive to undeserved insults. “Let him grumble!” - she remarks indifferently about her mother.
Conclusion
Varvara Kabanova is one of the bright secondary heroines of A. N. Ostrovsky’s drama “The Thunderstorm”. Brave, decisive, cheerful, she is a symbol of a new generation capable of resisting the patriarchal foundations of the “dark kingdom.” Her attitude towards her own life as the only value inspires respect.
The role of the heroine is to demonstrate the weaknesses of the “dark kingdom” and the ability to resist it, no matter what. A quotation description of Varvara will allow you to better prepare for a literature lesson, briefly describe a character in a report, or write an essay on a given topic.
The collected material, which includes quotes from the text, allows you to independently characterize the character according to plan, help you compose a detailed written work or write an essay on a given topic.
Prudence is the defining trait
After reading the above lines, you may get the impression that we are talking about a positive character. However, the characterization of Varvara from the play “The Thunderstorm” determines the main direction of her personality not at all as spirituality or as a desire for beauty, for the new. The essence of Varvara Kabanova is calculation.
She, having calculated the situation when it is beneficial for her, can do both a good and a bad deed. The only criterion is her common sense, which allows for the commission of meanness out of self-interest.
