“Dowry”, act 1 – summary
In a coffee shop in one of the Volga cities, local wealthy businessmen - the elderly Knurov and the young Vozhevatov - are talking. They are discussing big news: the well-known young beauty Larisa Ogudalova is marrying an insignificant and poor official, Karandyshev.
Dowryless. Film-play based on the play of the same name by A.N. Ostrovsky (1974)
Larisa is a noblewoman, but without funds, homeless woman. Her mother, Kharita Ignatievna, trying to find the daughter of a rich groom, organized evenings at her home, inviting wealthy people to them. But none of them approached Larisa. The whole city remembers the story of her last year’s infatuation with the handsome and daring shipowner Sergei Paratov. He frequented the Ogudalovs’ house, fought off other suitors, but finally left without proposing. Larisa, passionately in love, rushed after him, but her mother turned her out of the way.
Vozhevatov tells Knurov: today Paratov must come to the city again to sell one of his ships.
Larisa and her mother and Karandyshev enter the coffee shop. After Larisa agrees to marry him, Karandyshev turns up his nose, but this only causes ridicule and mockery from the townspeople. Now, in the coffee shop, Karandyshev begins to find fault with Larisa with jealous pettiness. He reminds her of the story with Paratov. Larisa angrily tells the groom that he cannot stand any comparison with the brave and proud Paratov.
The Ogudalovs and Karandyshev leave. Paratov appears at the coffee shop, having just arrived on his own ship. The news about Larisa's marriage initially makes him worried and thoughtful. But he quickly pulls himself together and tells Knurov and Vozhevatov that he himself has decided to marry a rich girl. They give her gold mines as a dowry, and his own financial situation is greatly upset.
"Dowry", act 2 - summary
After the wedding, Karandyshev plans to go to a remote county, where it is easier to make a bureaucratic career. Larisa is not afraid even of a dull life in the wilderness among the forests. She wants to quickly leave the city, with which she has painful memories.
But Paratov suddenly approaches the house where she lives with her mother on trotters after a year’s absence. In a private conversation with Larisa, Paratov unfairly reproaches her for “forgetting him too quickly” and arrogantly mocks Karandyshev in Larisa’s eyes. Larisa in response admits that she still loves Paratov...
Karandyshev enters. Paratov talks down to him, even shouts at him. Karandyshev is clearly a coward, tolerates insults and, at the insistence of Larisa and her mother, invites Paratov to his place for today's pre-wedding dinner.
Paratov decides to make fun of Karandyshev there with the help of a greasy, always drunk joker - actor Robinson. Paratov, Knurov and Vozhevatov are planning to go on a festivities across the Volga that same evening, after dinner, and hire boats and a gypsy choir for this.
“Dowry”, act 3 – summary
Having invited the city's rich to dinner, Karandyshev treats them with shameful poverty. His stingy aunt purchased the cheapest products for the festive table. The guests mockingly discuss this in their circle. Robinson, trained by Paratov, tries to get Karandyshev more drunk at dinner.
After dinner, the guests ask Larisa to perform a romance. She sadly takes the guitar and, looking at Paratov, sings: “Don’t tempt me unnecessarily with the return of your tenderness.” Paratov listens in great excitement.
Conversation between Paratov and Larisa alone. “Why did I run from you! - he exclaims. - Why did you lose such a treasure! With your singing you awakened noble feelings that have not yet completely faded away in my soul.” Paratov invites Larisa to go with him on a walk beyond the Volga: “It’s now or never.”
Larisa hesitates. Openly leaving the groom with strangers on the eve of the wedding is not an easy step. But Paratov begs with such passion that she decides to put her fate on the line. Larisa hopes that Paratov will propose to her at the picnic. “Either you rejoice, mom, or look for me in the Volga!” - she says to her worried mother.
The rich guests leave without even warning the drunken Karandyshev. Having learned about this, he almost cries from resentment. "I will take revenge!" - Karandyshev shouts, grabs the pistol hanging on the wall and runs out.
“Dowry”, act 4 – summary
In the evening, the participants of the festivities return from across the Volga. Knurov and Vozhevatov enter a coffee shop on the shore. Neither one nor the other believes that Paratov will marry Larisa, and now she may have to break up with the insulted Karandyshev. Knurov and Vozhevatov themselves are not indifferent to Larisa. To avoid rivalry, Knurov suggests tossing a coin: whoever is lucky will “take care” of Larisa in the future, and let the other one renounce claims to her. They abandon him - and happiness falls to Knurov.
Larisa and Paratov are walking in the distance. “You still haven’t said whether I’m your wife now or not?” – she asks hotly. Paratov at first avoids answering, and then says that he said his passionate words to Larisa before the picnic in a fleeting infatuation. Paratov now invites her to return to Karandyshev. “I can only hang myself or drown myself!” - Larisa gasps. Paratov says that he is already engaged and shows the ring. Larisa sinks into a chair in shock.
Old Knurov comes up and offers Larisa his entire fortune if she agrees to become his mistress. He cannot marry, because he already has a wife. Larisa shakes her head in tears. Knurov leaves. Larisa runs up to the steep Volga cliff, but when she sees the height, she recoils in horror. “I can’t kill myself! If only someone else had killed me!”
Karandyshev runs up to the coffee shop where she is sitting. He attacks Larisa with reproaches and tells what he learned from Robinson: Knurov and Vozhevatov played her with a coin. Larisa is stunned: “So I’m just thing for men!"
Karandyshev calls her shameless, but promises to forgive her if she returns to him. “Go away! - Larisa chases him. “I’m too expensive for you!” “So don’t let anyone get you!” - Karandyshev shouts, takes out a pistol and shoots at her.
Larisa clutches her chest: “Oh! What a blessing you have done for me!” “No one is to blame,” she convinces Paratov, Knurov and Vozhevatov who ran out of the coffee shop. - It's me. Live, live everything! You need to live, but I need... to die... I’m not offended by anyone... you’re all good people... I love you all... I love you all.”
Larisa dies to the sound of a gypsy song in the distance.
See more details in a separate article
A brief summary of the play “The Dowry” will be useful to those readers who want to superficially familiarize themselves with the work. In this article you can find a basic retelling of events in all four acts. The material will help you get a general impression of the work of the author Nikolai Ostrovsky and understand the main idea.
The beginning of the story
The summary of “Dowry” begins with the showing of a Volga town called Bryakhimov. On the higher bank there is a coffee shop, where Gavrilo and a servant are trying to prepare the establishment. Two merchants named Mokiy Knurov and Vasily Vozhevatov walk in this area every day and like to stop by for a glass of champagne. They call it their special tea, and Gavrilo must pour it from a special container. This is how they hide their habit from people. Soon they arrive and start discussing all the news. Vasily reports the purchase of the Lastochka steamship from Sergei Paratov. The next topic was the marriage of the third daughter of the widow Kharita Ogudalova, named Larisa. The merchants believe that she will suffer the same bad fate.
Sisters' Misfortune
The summary of “The Dowry” in the first act continues with the fact that the daughters of the widow Kharita Ogudalova are haunted by misfortunes in marriage. The eldest girl married a Caucasian prince - a very jealous man. For this reason, he stabbed her to death even before they reached their future place of residence. The middle sister became infatuated with a foreigner, under whose guise a cheater was hiding. Only Larisa Dmitrievna remains in the family, but young men do not want to take her due to the lack of a dowry. The heroine sings beautifully, plays the guitar, and this attracts attention. The widow Harita is pretty herself and wants to rebuild her personal life. But first of all, you need to arrange for your daughter, and the option with Sergei Paratov failed. The rich shipowner managed to make Larisa fall in love with him, but the wedding did not come to fruition. He said that he did not see any benefit for himself in such a marriage. The girl suffered because of unrequited love, although later there were other contenders. The mother said her word, and the daughter married the first one who called. This man turned out to be Yuli Karandyshev.
Conversation in a coffee shop
The summary of “The Dowry” at the end of the first act returns the reader to the coffee shop where the Ogudalovs and Yuliy Karandyshev come. The poor official invites everyone present to dinner in honor of his future wife. The merchants decided to disagree, but mother Kharita explained that this was only in honor of Larisa’s birthday. A conversation begins between the newlyweds, in which Julius reproaches the girl for her way of life. The reason was the familiar treatment of the merchant Vasily Vozhevatov. At this moment, guns sound on the pier, and Larisa remembers the shipowner Paratov, who is usually greeted with such a signal. She realizes that she loves him even now. It turns out that the shots were fired precisely in honor of this rich man. Later, Sergei enters the coffee shop and introduces everyone to his new friend Arkady Schastlivtsev. He picked him up on a deserted island, where the captain of the ship dropped the guy off because of drunkenness. Paratov also notifies everyone that he is marrying a rich girl, and gold mines will go to him as a dowry. For this reason, he sold his best steamship "Swallow" and other ships.
The beginning of the celebration
In the summary of Ostrovsky's "Dowry" in the second act, the events begin with the birthday of Larisa. Vozhevatov gives an expensive brooch, and the mother immediately sells it for seven hundred rubles. Knurov begins a conversation with Kharita about the fact that the wedding of his youngest daughter is a mistake. She should not marry a poor official, because her appearance and talents should be valued much higher. The merchant claims that Larisa will run away in any case, and to improve the situation, Harita will need a powerful friend. Knurov offers himself as such. Because of his interest, the married hero offers to pay for all the necessary items for the wedding. Soon Larisa herself appears with a guitar, sings romances and shares dreams of life in the village with her mother. The widow Ogudalova immediately calms down her daughter with the fact that Zabolotye is far from the best place and she may not like it there. Larisa calls from the window to her friend Ilya, who tunes the guitar at the request of the heroine. He reports that an important man has come to see them.
Birthday
In the summary of “Dowry” the story continues at Larisa’s birthday. Her fiancé appears and she asks him to go to the village as soon as possible. He refuses to hold the wedding in his homeland. He will not allow rumors to spread that Yuliy Karandyshev is not a match for her. This dinner is the first step towards the wedding, and at it he proposes a toast to Larisa. At the same time, the man mentions that the girl treated him extremely responsively, unlike other people. Soon Paratov himself appears, who promised to call on Kharita Ogudalova. He calls her “auntie,” talks about a successful engagement and reproaches Larisa for forgetting about him so quickly. The former ship owner, in a conversation with the main character, learns that she still has feelings for him. After this, the man deliberately quarrels with Karandyshev and promises to punish the poor official for his insolence. Other guests arrive, and Yuliy, under pressure, invites Paratov. The master agrees, but only because of the opportunity to take revenge on Larisa’s fiancé.
Lunch from the groom
The summary of the play “Dowry” in the third act begins with insulting the guests. The dinner included cheap wine in expensive bottles, cigarettes with inferior grades of tobacco, and a minimum of food. High-ranking merchants also did not like the fact that Karandyshev had already gotten drunk. Paratov is consoled by this circumstance of affairs, and therefore says that he sent his friend Arkady to Larisa’s fiancé. This is why he is in this state. After this, all the guests and gypsies decide that they should go for a walk along the Volga. Vozhevatov became generous and promised to pay for the rowers. He lied to Arkady about the future trip to Paris and the need for rest before the difficult journey. All the people who arrived for lunch, including Paratov, agree that you need to take Larisa with you for complete fun. All that remains is to persuade the girl and finally get Karandyshev drunk. This idea was successfully implemented.
Continuation of the story
In the summary of Ostrovsky's "Dowry", the story continues from dinner at Karandyshev's house. Kharita Ogudalova starts a quarrel with him because of his condition. The poor official retorts this by saying that in his house it can be anything. After this, the widow comes to Paratov so that he does not continue to mock Larisa’s future groom. Sergei agrees to drink with him for the sake of reconciliation, but only cognac. Karandyshev finally gets drunk, and the former shipowner goes to Larisa Dmitrievna. He asks to sing something, but the girl is too depressed by Yuli’s behavior. The drunken groom intervenes with a ban on singing for his future wife. This offends Larisa, who immediately begins to perform the romance. Gypsy Ilya, out of joy, picks up the song and complements the performance with a second voice. When the heroine finishes singing, all the guests praise her talent. After that, they leave, and Larisa is left alone with Sergei Paratov.
Conversation between people in love
If you start reading the summary of Ostrovsky’s “Dowry,” then in the third act you can learn about Sergei Paratov’s confession to Larisa. He says that the girl’s singing made him regret refusing to marry. The master mentioned that he barely managed to restrain himself from leaving his arranged marriage and returning to this beauty. A man invites the heroine with other guests for a walk along the Volga. Larisa couldn’t make up her mind for a long time, and then she remembered Karandyshev’s vengeful toast. She was able to put aside her doubts and agree. The guests return, and Paratov says a toast to the groom Yuli, who is so lucky with his bride. All the guests seize the moment when the groom goes for a bottle of wine and run away through the back gate. Larisa told her mother Kharita that she should either be happy or look for a girl after this day in the Volga. Karandyshev returns and understands the actions of the guests. The man is not going to forgive this huge offense, and therefore takes a gun and leaves the house.
Beginning of the fourth act
In the chapter-by-chapter summary of “The Dowry,” Yuliy Karandyshev goes to the coffee shop in the last act. Assistant Ivan sees him with a gun. Meanwhile, the future groom asks Paratov's friend Arkady about where the guests have gone. He is offended by Vozhevatov’s behavior and talks about their walk along the Volga. The gypsies soon return to the coffee shop, and with them the merchants Vozhevatov and Knurov. On the way, rich men say that Larisa Dmitrievna again believed the cunning Paratov. This gentleman would never trade his rich bride for her. They talk about the abandonment of Yulia and who will take the girl to support out of the two of them. Merchants want to go with a beautiful lady to an exhibition in Paris.
End of the work
A brief summary of Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry” at the end of the work tells about the situation between Larisa and Paratov. Sergei tells her to go home, and she demands an answer about who she is to him. The master stuns the heroine by the fact that he is already engaged to another girl. He blames it all on a momentary passion that made him distracted. Larisa drives him away, and she herself wants to commit suicide, although she cannot decide. Knurov appears and invites her to become a kept woman for this married merchant. He played a toss with Vozhevatov on it and won. Karandyshev returns and begs Larisa to return to him, because he will be able to forgive everything. The girl replies that she already feels like a simple thing. She calls Knurov, but Yuliy shoots at her. The main character perceives death as salvation. The gypsies begin to hum different melodies; Larisa tells the people who come running that she shot herself.
"Dowry"- play by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky. Work on it continued for four years - from 1874 to 1878. The premiere performances of “The Dowry” took place in the fall of 1878 and caused protest among spectators and theater critics. Success came to the work after the death of the author.
The play was first published in the magazine “Domestic Notes” (1879, No. 1).
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Subtitles
History of creation
In the 1870s, Alexander Ostrovsky served as an honorary justice of the peace in Kineshma district. Participation in trials and familiarity with criminal chronicles gave him the opportunity to find new topics for his works. Researchers suggest that the plot of “Dowry” was suggested to the playwright by life itself: one of the high-profile cases that shook up the entire county was the murder of his young wife by local resident Ivan Konovalov.
When starting a new work in November 1874, the playwright made a note: “Opus 40.” Work, contrary to expectations, proceeded slowly; In parallel with “The Dowry,” Ostrovsky wrote and published several more works. Finally, in the fall of 1878, the play was completed. In those days, the playwright told one of his actor acquaintances:
I had already read my play in Moscow five times; among the listeners there were people hostile to me, and everyone unanimously recognized “The Dowry” as the best of all my works.
Subsequent events also indicated that the new play was doomed to success: it easily passed censorship, the magazine Otechestvennye Zapiski began preparing the work for publication, and the troupes of first the Maly and then the Alexandrinsky Theater began rehearsals. However, the premiere performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg ended in failure; Reviews from critics were replete with harsh assessments. Only ten years after the author’s death, in the second half of the 1890s, did “Dowry” gain recognition from viewers; it was associated primarily with the name of actress Vera Komissarzhevskaya.
Characters
- Kharita Ignatievna Ogudalova - middle-aged widow, mother of Larisa Dmitrievna.
- Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova - a young girl surrounded by admirers, but without a dowry.
- Mokiy Parmenych Knurov - a big businessman, an elderly man, with a huge fortune.
- Vasily Danilych Vozhevatov - a young man who has known Larisa since childhood; one of the representatives of a wealthy trading company.
- Yuliy Kapitonich Karandyshev - poor official.
- Sergei Sergeich Paratov - a brilliant gentleman, a shipowner, over 30 years old.
- Robinson - provincial actor Arkady Schastlivtsev.
- Gavrilo - club bartender and owner of a coffee shop on the boulevard.
- Ivan - servant in a coffee shop.
Plot
Act one
The action takes place on the site in front of a coffee shop located on the banks of the Volga. Local merchants Knurov and Vozhevatov are talking here. During the conversation, it turns out that the shipowner Paratov is returning to the city. A year ago, Sergei Sergeevich hastily left Bryakhimov; the departure was so rapid that the master did not have time to say goodbye to Larisa Dmitrievna Ogudalova. She, being a “sensitive” girl, even rushed to catch up with her beloved; she was returned from the second station.
According to Vozhevatov, who has known Larisa since childhood, her main problem is the lack of a dowry. Kharita Ignatievna, the girl’s mother, trying to find a suitable groom for her daughter, keeps the house open. However, after Paratov’s departure, the candidates for the role of Larisa’s husband were unenviable: an old man with gout, the always drunk manager of some prince, and a fraudulent cashier who was arrested right in the Ogudalovs’ house. After the scandal, Larisa Dmitrievna announced to her mother that she would marry the first person she met. It turned out to be a poor official Karandyshev. Listening to a colleague’s story, Knurov notices that this woman was created for luxury; she, like an expensive diamond, needs an “expensive setting.”
Soon the Ogudalov mother and daughter appear on the site, accompanied by Karandyshev. Larisa Dmitrievna's fiance invites coffee shop visitors to his place for a dinner party. Kharita Ignatievna, seeing Knurov’s contemptuous bewilderment, explains that “it’s the same as we have lunch for Larisa.” After the merchants leave, Yuliy Kapitonovich arranges a scene of jealousy for the bride; to his question what is so good about Paratov, the girl replies that she sees in Sergei Sergeevich the ideal of a man.
When a cannon shot is heard on the shore, announcing the arrival of the master, Karandyshev takes Larisa away from the coffee shop. However, the establishment is not empty for long: a few minutes later the owner Gavrilo meets the same merchants and Sergei Sergeevich, who arrived in Bryakhimov along with the actor Arkady Schastlivtsev, nicknamed Robinson. The actor received the name of the book hero, as Paratov explains, because he was found on a deserted island. The conversation between long-time acquaintances revolves around Paratov’s sale of the steamship “Lastochka” - from now on Vozhevatov will become its owner. In addition, Sergei Sergeevich reports that he is going to marry the daughter of an important gentleman, and is taking gold mines as a dowry. The news of Larisa Ogudalova's upcoming marriage makes him think. Paratov admits that he feels a little guilty towards the girl, but now “the old scores are over.”
Act two
The events unfolding in the second act take place in the Ogudalovs' house. While Larisa is changing clothes, Knurov appears in the room. Kharita Ignatievna greets the merchant as a dear guest. Moky Parmenych makes it clear that Karandyshev is not the best match for such a brilliant young lady as Larisa Dmitrievna; in her situation, the patronage of a rich and influential person is much more useful. Along the way, Knurov reminds that the bride’s wedding dress should be exquisite, and therefore the entire wardrobe should be ordered from the most expensive store; he bears all expenses.
After the merchant leaves, Larisa informs her mother that she intends to leave with her husband immediately after the wedding for Zabolotye, a distant county where Yuliy Kapitonich will run for justice of the peace. However, Karandyshev, appearing in the room, does not share the bride’s wishes: he is annoyed by Larisa’s haste. In the heat of the moment, the groom makes a long speech about how all of Bryakhimov has gone crazy; cab drivers, tavern handlers, gypsies - everyone rejoices at the arrival of the master, who, having been wasted in carousing, is forced to sell his “last steamboat.”
Next it is Paratov’s turn to pay a visit to the Ogudalovs. First, Sergei Sergeevich sincerely communicates with Kharita Ignatievna. Later, left alone with Larisa, he wonders how long a woman can live apart from her loved one. This conversation is painful for the girl; When asked if she loves Paratov as before, Larisa answers yes.
Paratov’s acquaintance with Karandyshev begins with a conflict: having uttered a saying that “one loves watermelon, and the other loves pork cartilage,” Sergei Sergeevich explains that he learned the Russian language from barge haulers. These words infuriate Yuli Kapitonovich, who believes that barge haulers are rude, ignorant people. Kharita Ignatievna stops the flaring quarrel: she orders champagne to be brought. Peace has been restored, but later, in a conversation with the merchants, Paratov admits that he will find an opportunity to “make fun” of the groom.
Act three
There is a dinner party at Karandyshev's house. Yulia Kapitonovich's aunt, Efrosinya Potapovna, complains to the servant Ivan that this event takes too much effort, and the expenses are too high. It’s good that we managed to save on wine: the seller sold the batch for six hryvnia per bottle, re-sticking the labels.
Larisa, seeing that the guests did not touch the offered dishes and drinks, feels ashamed for the groom. The situation is aggravated by the fact that Robinson, who is tasked with making his owner drunk until he is completely insensitive, suffers loudly due to the fact that instead of the declared Burgundy he has to use some kind of “Kinder Balsam”.
Paratov, demonstrating affection towards Karandyshev, agrees to have a drink with his rival for brotherhood. When Sergei Sergeevich asks Larisa to sing, Yuliy Kapitonovich tries to protest. In response, Larisa takes the guitar and performs the romance “Don’t tempt me unnecessarily.” Her singing makes a strong impression on those present. Paratov admits to the girl that he is tormented by the fact that he lost such a treasure. He immediately invites the young lady to go beyond the Volga. While Karandyshev proposes a toast in honor of his bride and looks for new wine, Larisa says goodbye to her mother.
Returning with champagne, Yuliy Kapitonovich discovers that the house is empty. The desperate monologue of the deceived groom is dedicated to the drama of a funny man who, when angry, is capable of revenge. Grabbing a pistol from the table, Karandyshev rushes in search of the bride and her friends.
Act four
Knurov and Vozhevatov, returning from a night walk along the Volga, discuss Larisa’s fate. Both understand that Paratov will not exchange a rich bride for a dowry. To remove the question of possible rivalry, Vozhevatov proposes to resolve everything by drawing lots. The thrown coin indicates that Knurov will take Larisa to the exhibition in Paris.
Meanwhile, Larisa, climbing up the mountain from the pier, has a difficult conversation with Paratov. She is interested in one thing: is she now Sergei Sergeevich’s wife or not? The news that her lover is engaged comes as a shock to the girl.
She is sitting at a table not far from the coffee shop when Knurov appears. He invites Larisa Dmitrievna to the French capital, guaranteeing, if she agrees, the highest content and fulfillment of any whims. Karandyshev comes up next. He tries to open the bride’s eyes to her friends, explaining that they see her only as a thing. The found word seems successful to Larisa. Having informed her ex-fiancé that he is too petty and insignificant for her, the young lady passionately declares that, having not found love, she will look for gold.
Karandyshev, listening to Larisa, takes out a pistol. The shot is accompanied by the words: “So don’t get it to anyone!” In a fading voice, Larisa informs Paratov and the merchants who have run out of the coffee shop that she is not complaining about anything and is not offended by anyone.
Stage fate. Reviews
The premiere at the Maly Theater, where the role of Larisa Ogudalova was played by Glikeria Fedotova, and Paratov was Alexander Lensky, took place on November 10, 1878. The excitement around the new play was unprecedented; in the hall, as reviewers later reported, “all of Moscow, loving the Russian stage, gathered,” including the writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Expectations, however, were not met: according to a columnist for the newspaper Russkie Vedomosti, “the playwright tired the entire audience, right down to the most naive spectators.” This was the most deafening failure in Ostrovsky's creative biography.
The first production on the stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater, where Maria Savina played the main role, evoked fewer derogatory responses. Thus, the St. Petersburg newspaper “Novoye Vremya” admitted that the performance of “Dowry” made a “strong impression” on the audience. However, there was no need to talk about success: a critic of the same publication, a certain K., complained that Ostrovsky spent a lot of effort on creating a story about a “stupid seduced girl” that was of little interest to anyone:
Those who expected a new word, new types from the venerable playwright are sorely mistaken; in return, we received updated old motifs, we received a lot of dialogue instead of action.
The critics did not spare the actors who participated in “Dowry.” The capital's newspaper Birzhevye Vedomosti (1878, No. 325) noted that Glikeria Fedotova “did not understand the role at all and played poorly.” Journalist and writer Pyotr Boborykin, who published a note in Russian Gazette (1879, March 23), remembered only “the panache and falsehood from the first step to the last word” in the actress’s work. Actor Lensky, according to Boborykin, when creating the image, placed too much emphasis on the white gloves that his hero Paratov put on “unnecessarily every minute.” Mikhail Sadovsky, who performed the role of Karandyshev on the Moscow stage, presented, in the words of the New Time columnist, “a poorly conceived type of official-groom.”
In September 1896, the Alexandrinsky Theater undertook to revive the play, which had long been removed from the repertoire. The role of Larisa Ogudalova, performed by Vera Komissarzhevskaya, initially caused the familiar irritation of reviewers: they wrote that the actress “played unevenly, in the last act she fell into melodrama.” However, the audience understood and accepted the new stage version of "Dowry", in which the heroine was not between suitors, and above them; The play gradually began to return to the country's theaters.
Productions
Main characters
Larisa, included in the gallery of notable female images of literature of the second half of the 19th century, strives for independent actions; she feels like a person capable of making decisions. However, the impulses of the young heroine collide with the cynical morality of society, which perceives her as an expensive, sophisticated thing.
The girl is surrounded by four fans, each of whom is trying to get her attention. At the same time, according to researcher Vladimir Lakshin, it is not love that drives Larisa’s suitors. So, Vozhevatov is not very upset when the lot in the form of a thrown coin points to Knurov. He, in turn, is ready to wait until Paratov comes into play, so that later he can “take revenge and take the broken heroine to Paris.” Karandyshev also perceives Larisa as a thing; however, unlike his rivals, he does not want to see his beloved stranger thing The simplest explanation for all the heroine’s troubles, associated with the lack of a dowry, is broken by the theme of loneliness that young Ogudalova carries within herself; her inner orphanhood is so great that the girl looks “incompatible with the world.”
Critics perceived Larisa as a kind of “continuation” of Katerina from Ostrovsky’s play “The Thunderstorm” (they are united by ardor and recklessness of feelings, which led to a tragic ending); at the same time, she revealed features of other heroines of Russian literature - we are talking about some of Turgenev’s girls, as well as Nastasya Filippovna from “The Idiot” and Anna Karenina from the novel of the same name:
The heroines of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Ostrovsky are brought together by the unexpected, illogical, reckless actions they commit, dictated by emotions: love, hatred, contempt, repentance.
Karandyshev, like Larisa, is poor. Against the background of the “masters of life” - Knurov, Vozhevatov and Paratov - he looks like a “little man” who can be humiliated and insulted with impunity. At the same time, unlike the heroine, Yuliy Kapitonovich is not a victim, but Part cruel world. Wanting to connect his life with Larisa, he hopes to settle accounts with his former offenders and demonstrate to them his moral superiority. Even before the wedding, he tries to dictate to the bride how to behave in society; her reciprocal protest is incomprehensible to Karandyshev; he cannot delve into the reasons for their disagreements, because he is “too busy with himself”
Sergei Sergeevich Paratov is one of the central characters in A. N. Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry.” A bright, strong, rich, self-confident man, Sergei Paratov has always and everywhere been the center of attention. This thirty-year-old gentleman, a wealthy shipowner, with a spectacular appearance, could already conquer women’s hearts with his appearance and tight wallet. But he also had other undoubted advantages that so attracted Larisa Ogudalova.
Paratov’s first appearance reveals him as a man who cares about his appearance, who understands that “one meets people by their clothes.” He behaves decorously, nobly, with dignity, however, without arrogance. Sergei Sergeevich can afford to communicate on equal terms with a servant or the owner of a coffee shop, and generously pay people of the lower class for the services rendered to him.
Paratov is a joker and a merry fellow, loves to spend time in a carefree company, with wine and gypsies. In general, he loves to live beautifully, sparing no money for this. The external brilliance of his personality blinded the modest girl Larisa, tired of the dullness and squalor of her semi-beggarly existence, carefully but less and less successfully hidden from prying eyes. Falling in love and inexperience prevented Larisa from discerning behind the external shine the dangerous predator who was hiding his nature for the time being. Only faith in a miracle made her hope that this dazzling gentleman would marry her, a gray mouse, because of his great and ardent love. How could this girl know that all people, without exception, for Paratov are just toys or means to achieve his goals. And his main goal is wealth at any cost.
Sergei Sergeevich values individual freedom, but only his own personality. He understands that only money can give this freedom. And he strives for them with all his soul, using any means. By his own admission, Paratov is ready to sell everything that will bring him profit, without experiencing the slightest feeling of pity. There is no doubt that he will sell not only everything, but everyone. Larisa, who dearly loved him, will not be an exception to this rule, the only one of all the people who knew Paratov who is unaware of this side of his nature. Throwing herself into the arms of Paratov on the eve of her wedding with Karandyshev, the girl does not know that her love only amuses the master’s vanity and flatters his vanity. Paratov kills her in cold blood, pushing her down the slippery path of being a kept woman. He never thought of marrying her, being engaged to a rich heiress of gold mines, which saved him from bankruptcy.
Thus, the real, albeit indirect culprit of Larisa’s death is Paratov - a ruthless, cynical predator who plays with the destinies of others, like a cat with a mouse.
Sample 2
Who read the play by A.N. Ostrovsky? “The Dowry” knows the main character: Paratov, a rich, handsome man and a favorite of women. This is truly what men like. Charming, rich, knows how to win love, and even powerful.
Any provincial girl will consider it an honor just that he glanced in her direction, and if he also invited her to spend the evening or drive down the street, then there is no limit to fantasies. Paratov is not only liked by the weaker sex, but also by men. Although they don’t like it so much as they fear it. Everything was bought from him, nature did not offend him with force and arrogance. Therefore, Sergei Sergeevich is not afraid of anyone and achieves whatever his heart desires. It doesn’t matter what happens, people are humiliated, hearts are broken. He doesn't care. The main thing is him and his desires.
The ability to behave in society, a full wallet, desire to please women, fearlessness - all these qualities allow him to be the center of attention. At the same time, he can earn respect by giving a good tip to a servant in a tavern and maintaining a conversation with those who are lower in rank and poorer than him. For the sake of entertainment, he can spend money on the woman he likes. At the same time, without feeling respect or compassion for others, much less love. Yes, he is wasteful. Due to his character, he likes to lead a cheerful life. But for the sake of profit and acquiring wealth, he will go to the extent of marrying an unloved woman.
The poor provincial girl Larisa met such a man. It never occurred to her that she was one of those for him with whom he could spend time and nothing more. His promises and vows of love mean nothing. He only says them because girls want to hear them. He is capable of not only deception, but also betrayal. Larisa simply did not want to see the negative qualities of his character due to her youth. How can such a handsome man with smart speeches be a bad person?
Paratov is not one of the noble knights who dream of great and only love. For him, the greatest love is wealth and he will never change this feeling.
Many friends knew about Paratov’s cynicism and callous character, but no one warned Larisa about the danger. Everyone watched in silence as the girl died and did not lend a helping hand. This made her feel completely unbearable.
Essay about Paratov Sergei Sergeevich
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky gave the whole world Sergei Sergeevich Paratov, who is one of the main characters in the sensational play “Dowry,” written on October 29, 1878.
Paratov is a middle-aged nobleman with a high social and financial position, which he has almost completely lost. His appearance was shrouded in a mysterious haze: he was dressed in a black frock coat and white cap, and carried a large travel bag on his shoulder. Probably the hero’s favorite pastime is spending money, which determines his habit of leading a cheerful and carefree life, no matter what the circumstances.
Paratov is often a terrible person, which shows his heartlessness and ruthlessness towards the people around him, who show some caution and apathy towards him.
Based on the qualities of the hero, we can say with confidence that Paratov does not experience any special internal experiences, he does not care about the opinions of other people. Ostrovsky is not cold enough towards the hero, which is expressed in remarks between other characters, because they do not have warm feelings for him; on the contrary, society does not have the best opinion about the hero.
Sergei never minces his expressions and always says what he thinks. That is why there are moments when he crosses all boundaries and commits unthinkable and reckless acts that have very tragic consequences that can destroy the fate of other innocent people. Meanness, godlessness, pride, frivolity: all these qualities personify the personality of our main character, which are revealed throughout the entire work.
Thus, Paratov is not a role model and, most likely, he was intended as an anti-hero. His actions reek of inhumanity, which manifests itself in his everyday life. Deceptions and scams accompany his character throughout the play. That is why my attitude towards this hero will never change, because it is impossible to even try to justify someone who does not have a drop of humanity.
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Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky is a brilliant Russian playwright. His famous play The Dowry was written in 1878. The author worked long and hard on the work for four years. “The Dowry” raised many questions and contradictions among critics and spectators who were the very first to see the play staged on stage.
As often happens, people’s recognition of “Dowry” came only a few years after the death of the author himself. The first performances staged in the St. Petersburg and Moscow theaters, unfortunately, were very disastrous, critics gave bad ratings and wrote conflicting reviews. However, the play quickly and easily passed censorship and was immediately published in the journal Otechestvennye zapiski in 1879.
It is believed that Ostrovsky wrote the drama based on real events that he had to observe during his life as a magistrate in Kineshma district.
The idea of this work was conceived by the author in the fall of 1874, but the work on it took a long time and painstakingly. During the time of its writing, the author released several more works, and finished “Dowry” only in January 1879. The play, which was not accepted and recognized at the time, has now become a classic and has gained true respect and immortality.
The essence of the work
First, it’s worth deciding who the dowry is? This is how in the old days they called girls who were poor and had no dowry, which was supposed to go into the capital of her future family. A woman in those days did not work, therefore, the man took her as his dependent, and, apart from the money received from his parents, he had nothing to hope for, his wife could not help him in any way in financial matters, and her children were automatically left without an inheritance with one of the parties. As a rule, such girls diligently tried to win the attention of suitors with their beauty, pedigree and inner virtues.
Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky in his play describes the real internal state of an ordinary homeless woman who stubbornly seeks real, sincere love on earth, but realizes that it does not exist. No one ever dared to look into her soul and show sincere interest in her, so the girl becomes an ordinary thing for a rich man, she simply has no other choice or even a chance to receive decent treatment. Another option to arrange your life is to marry the pathetic, selfish and unassuming Karandyshev, a petty clerk who again marries Larisa for the sake of self-affirmation. But she rejects this option too. The author demonstrates all the contradictions in life that surround us, using the example of the destinies of the heroes. The essence of the play "Dowry" is to show the reader how mercilessly and vilely people exchange true love and friendship for an ordinary deal, from which they can only draw their own benefit.
Main characters
- The characters in the play are:
Larisa Ogudalova is a young beautiful girl who has no dowry. She feels extremely humiliated in this world because of her difficult position in society. Such girls, unfortunately, were of little interest to anyone during the writer’s life. The heroine loves to dream, so she falls in love with a rich nobleman and hopes for happiness next to him. With Karandyshev, the girl feels like a thing, her personality becomes insignificant, she directly tells him that she cannot love him the way she loves another. She is gifted with musical and choreographic talents. Her disposition is meek and calm, but deep down she is a passionate person who desires mutual love. The hidden strength of will is revealed in her character when she runs away from her engagement to face the risk of being disgraced and misunderstood by her environment. But for the sake of sincere feeling, she is ready to sacrifice her life, shouting a farewell ultimatum to her mother: either she will become Paratov’s wife, or she should be looked for in the Volga. As you can see, the desperate woman is not without passion; she puts both her honor and herself on the line. we analyzed it in the essay. - Kharita Ignatievna - Mrs. Ogudalova, mother of Larisa Ogudalova, a poor noblewoman, a widow who was particularly dexterous in economic affairs, but could not give a dowry to her three daughters, since her fortune was not great. She herself barely makes ends meet, but manages to throw away lunches and evenings in order to find a match for her latest young lady of marriageable age.
- Yuri Karandyshev, a poor official, the fiancé of Larisa Ogudalova, was distinguished by excessive narcissism and obsession. A selfish weirdo who was often jealous and looked a bit stupid. Larisa was a toy for him that he could show off to others. He feels all the contempt of the Ogudalovs’ entourage, but, nevertheless, he does not give up the idea of proving to them that he is an equal to everyone. His ostentatious arrogance, attempts to please and gain honor irritate society and the heroine herself; in comparison with the dignity and strength of Paratov, this little man is hopelessly defeated. He finally falls down in the eyes of his bride when he gets drunk at the engagement dinner. Then she understands that it is better to go to the Volga than to marry him.
- Sergei Paratov is a respected nobleman, a rich man who often threw money away for his own pleasure. He lived, caroused and courted women beautifully, so after gradual ruin he managed to capture the heart of a rich heiress. It is obvious that he is the same soulless egoist as Karandyshev, he simply lives in grand style and knows how to make an impression. The soul of the party and joker, above all he loves to have fun and throw dust into the eyes, which is why he chooses a marriage of convenience rather than sincere feelings.
- Vasily Vozhevatov is a friend of Larisa Ogudalova, a very rich, but immoral and vile person. The hero has never been in love and does not know what it is. He was distinguished by his wit and cunning. Vasily is not going to marry the girl, although he claims to take her into custody. He loses it in the lot, but consoles himself with the fact that he saved, which makes him an immoral and empty person. He is a merchant, a descendant of serfs, who achieved everything on his own. For him, the most important thing is not to lose the position he has achieved, so he refuses to help the young woman, not wanting to break the merchant’s word given to Knurov.
- Mokiy Knurov is a rich man of advanced age. He shows sympathy for Larisa, although he is married. A very concrete and thorough person, instead of everything and immediately promises the girl whom he wants to make his kept woman, material benefits, making the reservation: “For me, the impossible is not enough.”
- Arkady Schastlivtsev (Robinson) is an acquaintance of Paratov, a failed actor who often liked to drink, but did not know how to control his condition.
- Gavrilo is a bartender and runs a coffee shop on the boulevard.
- Ivan is a servant in a coffee shop.
- The main issues in the work are problems of morality: Larisa commits a dishonest act in the eyes of society, but the backstory completely justifies her. The real immoral act is to deceive Karandyshev and get married without love. It is not better to become a kept woman among merchants. That's why Larisa has to thank her jealous fiancé for her death.
- The author raises the problems of duty and honor, the purchase of the human soul. Morality in society is ostentatious, for it it is enough to simply maintain the appearance of decency, but the dishonest bargaining of its elected members remains without condemnation and without attention.
- We also see in the work the problem of finding the meaning of life. The girl despaired and lost the meaning in everything, Vozhevatov and Knurov use her like a bright toy that they are not afraid to even bet. Paratov reports that he will soon marry another girl for material wealth, he betrays her and exchanges love for comfort. Larisa cannot understand and tolerate the complete absence of soul and indifference of those who surround her all her life. All the men who were next to her disappointed the heroine; she did not feel the respect and attitude that she deserved. For her, the meaning of life was love, and when it was gone, as was respect, Larisa chose death.
Main theme
The drama of the human soul in an immoral society is the main essence of the main tragic theme in Ostrovsky’s play “Dowry,” which the author widely reveals through the heroine Larisa Ogudalova. She did not receive dowry from her mother, so she will have to suffer in this inhumane world. Suitors who are fighting for a girl do not take her seriously; she becomes either an object for them to brag about, or just a toy and thing.
The theme of disappointment in the world is also present in the work. The main character faces a terrible end: devastation, despair, dishonor and death. The girl believed in a better and new life, believed in love and kindness, but everything that surrounded her could prove to her that there was simply no love or a hint of enlightenment. All storylines in the work touch on social themes. Larisa lives in a world where everything can be found for money, even love.
Issues
Of course, in a tragedy one cannot do without ambiguous and complex issues. The issues in the play by Alexander Nikolaevich Ostrovsky are quite extensive and multifaceted.
What is the meaning of the play?
Ostrovsky wrote a very emotional drama that will not disappoint even an experienced and fastidious reader with its ideological and thematic content. The main idea of Ostrovsky's drama "Dowry" is to condemn the too high importance of wealth and money in society. Material wealth plays the most important role in life; a person who does not have them can only be a toy in the hands of a rich man, not entitled to sincere feelings. Poor people become the subject of sale to heartless barbarians who languish over their fortune. Everything around Larisa Ogudalova is saturated with crude cynicism and cunning, which destroy her pure, bright soul. These qualities determined the price of a woman’s life, reselling it among themselves as a faceless and soulless thing. And this price is low.
Using the example of the heroine, the writer shows how the heart of a homeless woman suffers, who is only to blame for the fact that she does not have a fortune behind her. Fate is so dishonest and unfair towards poor, but very bright and intelligent people. The girl loses faith in humanity, in her ideals, experiencing numerous betrayals and humiliations. What is the cause of the tragedy of the homeless woman? She could not come to terms with the collapse of her dream, with the destruction of her beliefs, and decided to get reality to arrange itself the way it needed to, as it should have happened in natural conditions. The heroine knows from the very beginning that she is taking a mortal risk, as evidenced by her farewell remark to her mother. She set conditions for the whole world: either her dream comes true, or she leaves this life without humiliating herself to marriage and cohabitation of convenience. Even if Karandyshev had not killed her, she would have followed her own warning and drowned herself in the Volga. Thus, the young woman became a victim of her illusions, her pride and her intransigence with the vulgarity of the environment.
Before us is a classic clash of romantic dreams and harsh, vulgar reality. In this battle, the latter always wins, but the author does not lose hope that at least some people will come to their senses and stop creating and maintaining unfair conditions of social relations. He places emphasis on true virtue and genuine values, which one must learn to distinguish from the vain squabbles of empty and petty scoundrels. The heroine's rebellion inspires courage to fight for her beliefs to the end.
Genre
Drama, as a genre, presents to the reader the fate of the hero in a contradictory and cruel world, an acute conflict between the soul of a person and the society in which he lives. The purpose of psychological drama is to show the dramatic position of an individual in a hostile environment. As a rule, drama characters face a tragic fate, spiritual suffering, and internal contradictions. In a work of this type you can find many living emotions and experiences that are inherent in many of us.
Thus, Ostrovsky’s play vividly describes the internal state of Larisa Ogudalova, who rebels against the inhumane order in society, sacrifices herself in order not to sacrifice her principles. The heroine has difficulty accepting the circumstances that overtake her; she endures with horror all the trials that fate has prepared for her. This is Larisa’s personal tragedy, which she cannot survive. The psychological drama ends with her death, which is typical for works in this genre.
Life and customs of the province
Ostrovsky's play highlights the life and customs of the Russian province, nobles and merchants. They are all very similar and, at the same time, different from each other. The heroes behave quite relaxed and are not at all afraid to show others their true colors; it doesn’t matter to them that sometimes they look rather stupid. They are not afraid not because of their courage or openness of character. They just don't realize that they look ignorant, stingy, suspicious or insignificant.
Men do not shy away from open communication with women; for them, betrayal is not considered shameful. For them, this is an element of status: a mistress becomes a reflection of wealth. One of the heroes of the work, Mr. Knurov, invited Larisa to become his kept woman, although he himself had been married for a long time, he did not care what the heroine felt, only his own benefit and lust came first.
A girl in the provinces of that time, as we have already found out, must be in good condition in order to successfully marry and live well. In such a world it is very difficult to find true love and respect, in a world where everything is saturated with the power of money and the nasty customs of greedy people, an honest and intelligent woman simply could not find her rightful place. Larisa was literally destroyed by the cruel and dishonest morals of her contemporaries.
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