Tikhon Kabanov in the work of A.N. Ostrovsky is one of the key characters. This is the son of the cruel merchant Martha, nicknamed by the author Kabanikha. The image of the character Tikhon is very successful in that a huge number of problems are shown here. contemporary author society.
The main character of the play, Katerina, is Tikhon's wife, to whom, in fact, the main attention is paid. But Tikhon himself is no less important character, and not only because he often appears in different situations, like a hero, but also because he significantly affects the state of mind of his wife, and this forms her motivation in the end.
Characteristics of the hero
This man is exposed by Ostrovsky as a kind of sissy, who does not dare to “take a step” on his own. Before doing anything, he must obtain the consent of the mother. His words addressed to his mother speak of such a nature: "But how can I, mother, disobey you!" He endures all the antics of his "mother", like all members of the Kabanov family - in this family, all decisions were made by a woman, and our hero is used to obeying her in everything.
In relation to his wife, he tries to build a formidable husband out of himself, recognizing that he does not have his own mind. This makes the man feel miserable. Always whiny, soft in character, Tikhon lives like a prison, rushing between his wife and mother. But dreaming of freeing himself from the influence of his mother, he does nothing for this, and when he leaves home on business, he drinks deeply. Obedient to his mother, Tikhon even beats Katerina, although he himself admits that he has no desire to do this:
"... But I love her, I'm sorry to touch her with my finger. I beat her a little, and even then my mother ordered. It's a pity for me to look at her ...". This extremely unworthy act speaks not only of the spiritual weakness of the character, but also of the inability to sincerely and truly love. His love remains only in words, but in reality he independently pushes his wife to betrayal and suicide.
This weak-willed person still does not admit guilt. She blames her mother for everything. From this we can conclude that he not only does not have his own opinion and the ability to make his own choice, but is also unable to take responsibility for his own actions. From the words Ostrovsky describes the behavior of the character, we can conclude that the author himself gives a rather negative assessment of the hero:
"... It's time for you, sir, to live with your own mind ..." - the author writes in the words of another character, and additionally notes: "... No, they say, your own mind. And, therefore, live a life of a stranger. ..". In these quotes of other heroes, one can see, rather, the personal opinion of the author, which is transmitted to readers. At the same time, the author expresses his sympathy for Tikhon's wife, but does it just as carefully:
"... Ah, Curly, how she prays, if only you looked! What an angelic smile she has on her face, but it seems to glow from her face ..." - these words emphasize not only her beauty, but also spirituality.
The image of the hero in the work
This character in the play is not too young. He tries to live in such a way that no one notices him. Even the name of the author of the play was not given to him in vain. Quiet, indecisive character, more than ever fits this name. From childhood, such character traits as softness, helplessness, lack of one's own opinion were brought up in him. These traits subsequently turn him into a person unable to do anything on his own.
Being kind by nature, Tikhon loves Katerina in his own way, sympathizes with her, tries to stop her when his wife repents in the presence of Kabanikha. But, his softness and habit of obeying his mother in everything deprive a man of even a semblance of will. Therefore, Tikhon not only cannot protect his wife from humiliation, but even humiliates her himself on the orders of Kabanikha. And although he blames his mother for the death of his wife, he continues to obey her further, because otherwise he no longer knows how to live.
The image of this character is notable for the fact that this character, along with negative traits, reflects the transition from patriarchal life to a new one. Let us recall that Tikhon did not consider it necessary to follow the old foundations and rules. For example, when parting with Katerina, he did not want Katerina to throw herself at her husband's feet. However, being too weak, Tikhon did not dare to follow his views. Only after the death of his wife did he express his weak protest.
Tikhon Kabanov - Katerina's husband and Kabanikh's son. This is a man downtrodden, suffering from constant reproaches and orders from Kabanikhi. In this character, the crippling, destructive power of the "dark kingdom" is most fully revealed, which turns people into only shadows of themselves. Tikhon is not capable of fighting back - he constantly makes excuses, pleasing his mother in every possible way, afraid of disobeying her. But at the same time, Kabanikhi did not manage to completely depersonalize his son. For example, Tikhon feels great shame at the moment before leaving, when, on the orders of Kabanikha, he repeats insulting instructions to Katerina after her. Tikhon even tries to resist "but what is this, mother, by God!" But it’s enough for his mother to yell at him, and he repeats again: “don’t be rude ... read your mother ... don’t look at the guys.” And only when he is alone with his wife, he becomes himself again and admits that he dreams of moving away from Kabanikha in order to feel like a free, self-sufficient person.
Probably one of the most dramatic moments of the work is the scene in the old gallery, where Katerina admits: “And yet I walked for ten nights ...” In this scene, Tikhon is more worried about Katerina, since these words were also heard by his mother. In tears, he tries to hug her, begging: “Don't, don't, don't talk! What you! Mother is here!” In the next act, he says to Kuligin: “But I love her, I’m sorry to touch her with my finger ... Mommy eats her, and she, like a shadow, walks unanswered ... So I’m killing myself, looking at her.”
One of the main characters in Ostrovsky's play is Tikhon, Catherine's husband. We can say that his name speaks for itself. Tikhon is a modest man, practically does not speak. Unfortunately, he does not have his own opinion. His life is completely subordinated to his mother Kabanikhe. Tikhon is too accommodating, he cannot tell his mother across the word.
The man's problem is that, because of his narrow-mindedness, he cannot discern the nature of his wife. Ekaterina, by his nature, he is an energetic, passionate and freedom-loving person. Tikhon cannot understand his wife, understand her. The man has an addiction, namely drunkenness. He found a drinking buddy in the face of a neighbor and when he leaves for Moscow for work.
Tikhon can be called spineless, without personality. Most likely, main reason was the oppression of his mother. Unfortunately, it was precisely because of his mother and her tyranny that Tikhon never tried to live with his own mind.
Tikhon is very infantile, he never defended his wife. Catherine constantly endured the mockery of Kabanikh and her attacks. The only thing Tikhon could help with, in his opinion, was advice. Do not listen to this woman and let everything pass by her ears.
Such careless behavior of her husband pushes Catherine to treason. Her choice falls on Boris - the complete opposite of her husband. Boris is a city slicker. Catherine is ready for everything for him, for the most desperate step - to drop everything and rush off with him. Unfortunately, Boris, like Tikhon, is just as spineless and cannot protect her.
When Tikhon found out about the betrayal, he did not act like a jealous fool. No. There was nothing like it or even close. He calmly reacted and did not react in any way. Here his mother again played a role. He was ready to forgive his wife, but his mother was categorically against it.
Tikhon feels sorry for his beloved. He sees how she suffers, she has no face, walks darker than a cloud. Unfortunately, he does not decide on actions, he is simply not able to accept them due to his character.
Unfortunately, only after the death of Catherine, he decides to act. On the little riot such a small person. Finally, he was able to express everything to Kabanikhe, accusing her of tyranny. Only at the end of the work, the reader notices that Tikhon is able to feel and speak. That he is a man, and not a miserable likeness of a tyrant mother.
Most likely, this is just a temporary riot, a thunderstorm. When this natural phenomenon subsides, everything will be the same and Tikhon will be the same.
Option 2
Tikhon is one of the central characters in A. N. Ostrovsky's play The Thunderstorm. It is not for nothing that the writer called his hero that way. The character's name speaks for itself. Tikhon is an extremely quiet young man. Quiet, inconspicuous and weak personality. It is worth understanding why he received such a characteristic.
Tikhon had to grow up and be brought up among the people of the "dark kingdom", chief representative who is his mother Kabanikha. People of her circle are ruthless, calculating, cruel and selfish. Other people's opinions mean nothing to them. So the opinion of Tikhon himself is an empty phrase for his mother. The boar puts pressure on his son with pity, threats, regardless of the fact that he, as a person, must also show some of his own, personal, interests. But Tikhon does not. As mentioned above, he is extremely quiet and silent about what he would like. And the reader can learn about his characterization only from Tikhon's conversations with other characters in the play.
Tikhon has a wife, Katerina. Their marriage is unhappy, because the young man is forever adapting to his mother, trying in every possible way to please her. The boar oppresses Katerina, and Tikhon cannot help the girl in any way. He is a weak and spineless person. He, of course, wants to get rid of the oppression of his mother, because he is already fed up with her insults and humiliations. But Tikhon is not able to resist Kabanikhe.
The behavior and life of the hero does not cause feelings of compassion in readers. Rather, his fate is only annoying. After all, the fact that he grew up under the patronage of his mother does not justify his spinelessness and weakness of the soul. His sister Varvara is a completely different person, able to fulfill her desires, but lie to her mother.
Katerina, Tikhon's wife, finds it very difficult to live in the house of Kabanikhe. She is not like these people. The girl is looking for happiness and kindness, therefore she is cheating on her unloved husband. Having learned about the shame of his wife, Tikhon does not even try to defend her honor in front of the faces of those around him. He could not do anything to free Katerina from evil looks and words. Only with the death of his wife Tikhon decides to rebel against his mother, blaming her for this misfortune. The conflict caused the destruction of the family. Ostrovsky compares this to an impending thunderstorm. That is why the play has a similar title.
The despotism of Kabanikhi makes Tikhon a weak person, unable to stand up for himself. All the good and bright impulses of his soul are hidden behind the desire to please his mother. The desire to live freely sits somewhere far away in the soul of the hero, but he cannot fulfill it while he poke at the desires of the Kabanikh.
Composition about Tikhon
In Ostrovsky's play called "Thunderstorm" Tikhon played a key role. Quieter than water, lower than grass - this is the whole Tikhon.
Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov - is the son of Kabanikh. This is a rich and vicious merchant named Marfa Ignatievna. Tikhon has a sister, Barbara. He is also married to a young girl - Katerina. Tikhon suffers from constant reproaches and humiliation from his mother, because of this he became spineless, dependent, but in rare cases he is capable of a short rebellion. Attempts to please his mother are rooted in his fear of her. Tikhon is a stupid person, his age is not announced in the play, but most likely he is no longer young.
Life with his mother is torment and suffering for him, but in order to get rid of her, he does not want to do anything and change his life. When he was away on business and was out of sight of Kabanikhi, he constantly went to get drunk. Tikhon is a gentle person, he himself would not beat his wife Katerina, but with the order of his mother, he does this. Although, according to Tikhon, he loves his mother and wife, he never tried to intercede for the second. He told his wife - do not pay attention to Martha, but she does not need to argue either.
Tikhon blames Kabanikha for all the hardships, but he will endure her and the humiliation that she brings with her, he will agree with her in everything. His opinion that it is not necessary to adhere to all outdated rules is very good, but he does not have enough strength and will to defend his opinion and point of view. Most likely, Tikhon became so because of the strong influence from his mother, but his sister is completely different and does not look like him.
The weak character of this hero ruins the life of a young woman Katerina, he blames his mother for this. He himself does not understand that he was also involved in her death, because his lack of will and inaction led to this tragedy. With the death of Katerina, the meaning of life for Tikhon also died, he loved her and experienced only warm feelings for her.
Tikhon is not negative character, albeit partly through his fault, namely because of inaction and weak character, his wife died. After her death, he dared and expressed a clear protest against his mother - Kabanikh, because he realized that he had nothing more to lose and decided on such a previously impossible step.
Tikhon in the play "Thunderstorm" by Ostrovsky is one of the key characters. Thanks to this image, many of the problems highlighted in the work are realized. Tikhon is the eldest son of Marfa Ignatievna and the husband of Katerina. But neither as a son, nor as a husband, this character can realize himself. Even the name Ostrovsky chooses to match, following the tradition of "speaking" proper names. Quiet Tikhon. Quieter than water below the grass - that's what the motto of this character could be. In The Thunderstorm, Tikhon's characterization can be compiled on the basis of his behavior and attitude towards his mother and wife.
The image of Tikhon in "Thunderstorm" incorporates all the negatively colored synonyms for the word "infantility". Tikhon is too weak of character to have his own opinion and view of things. He admits this repeatedly: For all his spinelessness, Tikhon does not cause pity. Often the image of Tikhon is compared with the image of a child (because of the similarity in the way of thinking and behavior). His childish infantilism and inability to be independent every day more and more turns Tikhon into an overgrown idiot. Of course, the character of this character was formed under the strongest influence of the mother, but Kabanikha also has a second child. Barbara is completely different.
Tikhon cannot be sorry. He did nothing for which his mother could be proud. And Kabanikha herself, most likely, already sees in Tikhon not a son, but a kind of talking puppet, always assenting dummy. He agrees with every word of the mother and acts solely on her instructions.
It is hardly possible to say that Tikhon expressed a desire to find a wife for himself. Even despite the fact that at that time marriages were arranged by agreement, Tikhon did not want and would never want to start a family. His marriage to Katerina can hardly be called happy. Tikhon has warm feelings for Katya, feels sorry for her, but this cannot be called love. Tikhon cannot and does not want to defend his wife from Marfa Ignatievna's tantrums and insults. The fact that the spouses have no children is indicative. Tikhon would not be able to raise a child with dignity, because he himself is morally too weak. Instead of educating himself, Tikhon is trying to escape from the existing reality. In The Thunderstorm, two paths open up for Tikhon. The first is drunkenness. Kabanov Jr. often spends time with the merchant Diky, drinks with him and complains about life. The second is a business trip. Departure on business deprives Tikhon of "thunderstorms for several days." By “thunderstorm” here is meant the tense atmosphere and hopeless situation that has developed at home.
How does Tikhon behave with other acting heroes?
He agrees with his mother, convinces Katya that you should not pay attention to the words of Kabanikha, but at the same time it is better not to argue with her. Tikhon is trying to get away from talking with his sister as soon as possible, because Varvara is telling the bitter truth. In the finale of the work, Tikhon behaves quite atypically. It seems that the news of his wife's betrayal worries him much less than Kabanikha. Tikhon can “and would have forgiven, but mama…” Once again, a man is not able to defend his point of view, family happiness, to defend the honor of his wife. He seemed to justify himself to Kuligin, as if there was no fault in that incident for him, Tikhon, as if only Kabanikha was to blame for what happened, because with her reproaches she almost forced Katya to see Boris. Here the previously traced idea takes on a more real shape.
Although in the “Thunderstorm” Kabanov Tikhon blames his mother for all the failures, he will agree with her and endure her humiliation. He is comfortable in this narrow vicious circle, and in fact Tikhon does not want to change anything at all. But Katya's suicide changes the situation. No, Tikhon does not rush at his mother with accusations, does not destroy the kingdom of petty tyrants, he utters a sharp accusatory remark: living here is much worse than laying hands on yourself. The word, as you know, is the most powerful weapon. It is in the final phrase of Tikhon: “It’s good for you, Katya! Why am I left to live in the world and suffer!” the protest against the old order, against the foundations that are becoming obsolete, against violence against man and freedom is heard most clearly and most strongly. The paradox is that only the weak man in the whole work there was enough strength for such a step. But then we also understand something else: in this phrase, screaming with doom, Tikhon remains true to himself. He is still that ruined soul who will not dare to end his earthly existence.
The characterization of Tikhon in the play "Thunderstorm" is notable for the fact that in this character, along with negative qualities character, a transitional position from the patriarchal way of life to the new one is displayed. Tikhon does not consider it necessary to follow outdated rules in Everyday life(for example, in the scene of farewell to his wife, he was against Katya throwing herself at his feet), but Tikhon is too weak to decide not to follow them.
Artwork test
Tikhon Ivanovich Kabanov - one of the main characters of the play "Thunderstorm", the husband of Katerina, the son of Kabanikh. He belongs to the younger generation of Kalinovites and, in a sense, marks the end of the patriarchal way of life. The young people of Kalinov no longer want to live according to the old order, but they all express this protest in different ways, each according to his character. Unlike Katerina, who is a maximalist and takes an uncompromising position, Tikhon, Varvara and Kudryash have learned to adapt to the established order and, despite the oppression of their elders, live by their own rules.
Formally, they recognize the traditional order, but in reality they act as they want.
Tikhon is a kind man, but weak. He does not see the need to adhere to old traditions in everyday life, but he is not going to openly go against his mother either. The hero tries in every possible way to avoid conflicts and is torn between sympathy for his wife and fear of his mother. He loves Katerina, but does not understand her suffering. The gentle nature of Tikhon does not allow him to help his own wife and support her. Kabanikha demands “male” actions from her son, but Tikhon does not want to show Katerina his power and demand blind obedience from her. He wants warmth, comfort and affection, but in home he doesn't get it. Tikhon always has to play the role of an obedient son. Only long trips on business are an outlet for him: he forgets about constant humiliations, drowns them in wine. Secretly getting drunk, Tikhon, thus, expresses his protest against maternal oppression, he does not have the courage for more serious actions. He is also trying to teach Katerina to live by his own principles: to ignore reproaches and humiliation, to adapt to the prevailing conditions and not to express his point of view. In a patriarchal family, the husband should be not only the ruler, but also a reliable protection, support for his wife. Tikhon does not fit this role, he is not able to save his wife from sin, because he only evokes a feeling of pity in her. Constantly humiliated by his mother's reproaches, Tikhon is sometimes even ready to vent his annoyance and resentment on Katerina. He rejoices that he will break free for two whole weeks and does not notice at all what is happening to his wife. Tikhon refuses to take Katerina with him on the trip, not realizing that this request of hers is a plea for salvation. Yes, he could save her, but he did not want to. After returning, Tikhon learns about his wife's betrayal. He accepted this news quite gently: he did not get angry, he did not lose his temper. Tikhon should have supported his wife after her public repentance, protected her from the wrath of her mother-in-law and the ridicule of the household, but he did not do this. Only, bending over the body of the dead Katerina, Tikhon decides on an open rebellion against his mother, blaming her publicly for the death of his wife.
The ending of the play is tragic and ambiguous. Good does not triumph, but evil does not triumph either. The external conflict is resolved by the collapse of the family, which is very reminiscent of the consequences of a terrible thunderstorm that brings death and destruction. In addition to the external conflict, an active struggle takes place in the soul of some heroes of the play, which becomes the basis of the internal conflict. Tikhon all the time obeyed the influence of his mother, suppressing his own individuality. He loved Katerina, but was afraid to resist maternal oppression. The death of his wife awakened in Tikhon the spiritual strength for open protest. It is this public protest that deals Kabanikhe the most terrible blow.