Heart of a Dog Review: The Mixture of Fantastic and Real
How Are Fantastic and Real Mixed in the Novel “Heart of a Dog” and What for?
The novel “Heart of a Dog” published by Mikhail Bulgakov in 1925, is a response of mcdougal to the nearby reality because of those fundamental transformations that occurred in Russia in 1917 (Cornwell 25). These novel recreates the modern life of mcdougal – the Soviet Union reality of the early 1920s. However , it is crucial to point out that Bulgakov conveys the main topic in a “bizarre” form which is a blend of the fantastic and real.
The fantasy and reality are intertwined in the “Heart of a Dog” in the tightest way making a new type of reality “grotesque. ” For readers, it would appear that the transformations of Sharik are incredible and implausible. Bulgakov masterfully interconnects the important points of reality, everyday life and so the readers percept the work as a story by what happened (Cornwell 27). Philip Philippovich Preobrazhensky, a very intellectual man, ingenious scientist, and doctor conceives an unprecedented thing: that he wants to provide mankind with eternal youth and become fabled for many centuries. The protagonist decides to experiment on a stray dog which he takes from the road. Preobrazhensky takes Sharik to his house and protects him. Later the long-awaited moment comes: the necessary “human material” appears – the corpse of the alcoholic Klim Chugunkin who was killed in a brawl while being drunk (Bulgakov 39). It is his pituitary gland and seminal glands that Sharik “receives. ” Later, everything ends up the way in which anybody could not foresee the results of the experiment, not even by genius Philip Philipovich. Sharik did not just survived and began to recover rather quickly – gradually extraordinary transformations happened to him. He started initially to transform in to a human. The assistant of Philip Philipovich writes the key points of the evolution of canine as a result of which he becomes Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov, representative of the proletariat.
The image of Sharikov, the images of other representatives of the “ruling class, ” are purely satirical. Undoubtedly, the cornerstone of the images is real because Bulgakov describes the real options that come with the people who came to power after 1917 (Milne 105). However , frequently these features are strengthened or exaggerated because this way the author expresses his attitude over these people and their behavior, their “politics. ” Hence, as an example, one of the members of the house committee – “a peach boy in a leather jacket” – bears a surname Vyazemskaya and turns out to be a lady (the writer points at the asexuality of Soviet society) (Bulgakov 76). Also, Sharikov himself periodically forgets that he isn't any longer a dog, and catches fleas under his jacket or chases cats. Once an adorable dog was transformed into Polygraph Polygraphovich and became active in the power of politics – take the career of the pinnacle of sub-department in the cleaning Moscow center from stray dogs – that he transformed in to a real monster. The genes of Klim Chugunkin, an easy to use man, uneducated, uncultured, and ignorant intoxicated by favorable facets, immediately worked. Sharikov changed into an unscrupulous boor and scoundrel who experienced the impression of being powerful. It seems that this hero reveals his anger, aggressiveness, strangled self-esteem, and a sense of inferiority using another people. Here, the satirical and quite good-natured tone of the story begins to get ominous tones (Milne 108). The readers understand that Professor Preobrazhensky and his whole “family” have been in real danger.
None the less, the story of Bulgakov ends safely. When Preobrazhensky realized that his “creation” carries a danger to every thing around him he then again turns Sharikov into a dog. Everything changed for better and Preobrazhensky, proving his innocence in the murder of Sharikov, for some time removes the claims of Shvonder (Cornwell 97). Sharik, yet again acquiring its original appearance, adores his benefactor. The finale of the “Heart of a Dog” doesn't bring comfort or pacification to the readers. There remains a vague sense of anxiety and even danger. At any time, the life of Philip Philipovich can change, at any moment your house with its traditions and foundations can finally disappear the culture that it personifies. The readers would believe the same feeling of instability was in Bulgakov himself during the creation of his novel. Mcdougal believed that any kind of violence from the person, physical or ideological, cannot cause success. The human is just a unique individuality and Klim Chugunkin, who became material for creating Sharikov, was just a resemblance of Klim Chugunkin.
Bulgakov uses in his story such an artistic device as a mixture of the actual and fantastic to more accurately and precisely convey his thoughts to the readers. Often it is done so professionally that it is tough to understand where one feeling ends and another begins. As a result of the combination of those two realities, a third is done – grotesque, which allows the writer not just to convey the specific situation of the 1920s in Soviet Russia but also to state his attitude to exactly what is happening.
Works Cited
Bulgakov Mikhail, and Frank Galati. Heart of a Dog. Dramatists Play Service, 1988.
Cornwell, Neil, and Nicole Christian. Reference Guide to Russian Literature. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, 1998.
Milne, Lesley. Mikhail Bulgakov: a Critical Biography. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
