It's a Family Affair - We'll Settle It Ourselves

Historical Context and Significance

The play «It's a Family Affair - We'll Settle It Ourselves» by Alexander Ostrovsky, written in 1849, is an important work in Russian literature that critically portrays the morals and customs of the merchant class. It was Ostrovsky's first play to gain him recognition and laid the foundation for his future work. The play exposes the greed, hypocrisy, and moral decay of the merchant class, which sparked widespread public reaction. Its influence on culture lies in its contribution to the development of critical realism in Russian drama and theater, as well as its impact on shaping public opinion about the need for social reforms.