Poverty is No Vice

Style and Technique

In the play «Poverty is No Vice», Alexander Nikolayevich Ostrovsky employs a realistic style that reflects the life and customs of the merchant class. The language of the work is rich with folk expressions, proverbs, and sayings, which lend liveliness and authenticity to the dialogues. Ostrovsky skillfully uses humor and irony to highlight the characters' traits and social contrasts. The structure of the play is traditional for the drama of that time: it consists of five acts, each containing several scenes. Literary techniques include the use of dialogues to reveal the inner world of the characters, as well as symbolism and metaphors to convey deeper meanings. The conflict in the play is built on the opposition of poverty and wealth, as well as the moral values of the characters.