Social problems of the story The Heart of a Dog. Essay “Moral issues of the story by M.A. Bulgakov "Heart of a Dog"

How disgusting Sharikov. He received all the features of the person whose pituitary gland was transplanted - that is, Klima Chugunkika- a rude man, a drunkard, a rowdy, killed in a drunken brawl.

Sharikov rude, arrogant, arrogant, feels like the master of life, because he belongs to the representatives common people, who is in power, feels supported by government officials. He quickly got used to this environment in order to benefit from literally everything.

His main goal is to become one of the people, to achieve the desired position. He is not going to do this, changing morally, developing, self-improving. He doesn't need knowledge. He believes that it is enough to put on a tie of a poisonous color and patent leather shoes - and you already have a presentable appearance, although the whole suit is dirty and unkempt. And the book that Shvonder recommends him to read, the correspondence between Engels and Kautsky, according to the author, will not help him become smarter.

And the worst thing is that he achieves his goal: with the help of the manager Shvonder, he registers in Peobrazhensky’s apartment, even tries to bring his wife into the house, finds a job (and even if it’s dirty, he catches stray dogs, but even here he’s a small boss).

Sharikov, having received the position, was transformed, becoming like all representatives of power. Now he also has a leather jacket, as a symbol of belonging to power. He drives a company car.

So it doesn't matter what kind of person is moral. The main thing is that he is a proletariat, therefore the authorities and the law are on his side. This is exactly what the author criticizes, showing the chaos that was characteristic of the country during the reign of Stalin.

When power is in the hands of people like Sharikov, life becomes scary. There was no peace in Preobrazhensky's house: swearing, drinking, strumming the balalaika, pestering women. So good intentions professors ended in a nightmare, which he himself began to correct.

Another hero does not inspire respect either - Shvonder. Chosen as the head of the house committee, he tries to conscientiously fulfill his duties. This is a public figure, one of the “comrades”. He hates class enemies, which, in his opinion, are Preobrazhensky and Bormental, talks with the professor with "calm gloating ". And when Philip Philipovich involuntarily lost his temper, “blue joy spread across Shvonder’s face.”

Summarizing, it should be noted that a person must remain a person, no matter what position he holds, no matter what activity he devotes himself to. At home, at work, in relationships with people, especially with those who surround a person, the laws of morality should be fundamental. Only then can we hope for positive transformations in society as a whole.

Moral laws are unshakable, and their violation can lead to dire consequences. Everyone is responsible for their own affairs, for all the results of their activities.

Readers of the story come to these conclusions.

« dog's heart"was written in early 1925. It was supposed to be published in the almanac "Nedra", but censorship prohibited publication. The story was completed in March, and Bulgakov read it at the literary meeting of the Nikitsky Subbotniks. The Moscow public became interested in the work. It was distributed in samizdat. It was first published in London and Frankfurt in 1968, in the magazine “Znamya” No. 6 in 1987.

In the 20s Medical experiments on rejuvenating the human body were very popular. Bulgakov, as a doctor, was familiar with these natural science experiments. The prototype of Professor Preobrazhensky was Bulgakov’s uncle, N.M. Pokrovsky, a gynecologist. He lived on Prechistenka, where the events of the story unfold.

Genre features

The satirical story “Heart of a Dog” combines various genre elements. The plot of the story is reminiscent of fantastic adventure literature in the tradition of H. Wells. The subtitle of the story “A Monstrous Story” indicates the parodic flavor of the fantastic plot.

The science-adventure genre is an outer cover for satirical subtext and topical metaphor.

The story is close to dystopias due to its social satire. This is a warning about the consequences of a historical experiment that must be stopped, everything must be returned to normal.

Issues

The most important problem of the story is social: it is the comprehension of the events of the revolution, which made it possible for the Sharik and Shvonders to rule the world. Another problem is awareness of the limits of human capabilities. Preobrazhensky, imagining himself to be a god (he is literally worshiped by his family), goes against nature, turning a dog into a man. Realizing that “any woman can give birth to Spinoza at any time,” Preobrazhensky repents of his experiment, which saves his life. He understands the fallacy of eugenics - the science of improving the human race.

The problem of the danger of invasion into human nature and social processes is raised.

Plot and composition

The science-fiction plot describes how Professor Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky decides to experiment with transplanting the pituitary gland and ovaries of the “semi-proletarian” Klim Chugunkin into a dog. As a result of this experiment, the monstrous Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov appeared, the embodiment and quintessence of the victorious proletariat class. Sharikov's existence caused many problems for Philip Philipovich's family, and, in the end, endangered the normal life and freedom of the professor. Then Preobrazhensky decided on a reverse experiment, transplanting the dog’s pituitary gland into Sharikov.

The ending of the story is open: this time Preobrazhensky was able to prove to the new proletarian authorities that he was not involved in the “murder” of Poligraf Poligrafovich, but how long will his far from peaceful life last?

The story consists of 9 parts and an epilogue. The first part is written on behalf of the dog Sharik, who suffers from the cold and a wound on his scalded side in the harsh St. Petersburg winter. In the second part, the dog becomes an observer of everything that happens in Preobrazhensky’s apartment: the reception of patients in the “obscene apartment”, the professor’s opposition to the new house management headed by Shvonder, the fearless admission of Philip Philipovich that he does not love the proletariat. For the dog, Preobrazhensky turns into a semblance of a deity.

The third part talks about ordinary life Philip Philipovich: breakfast, conversations about politics and devastation. This part is polyphonic, it contains the voices of both the professor, and the “chopped” (Bormenthal’s assistant from the point of view of Sharik who grabbed him), and Sharik himself, talking about his lucky ticket and about Preobrazhensky as a magician from a dog’s fairy tale.

In the fourth part, Sharik meets the rest of the inhabitants of the house: the cook Daria and the servant Zina, whom the men treat very gallantly, and Sharik mentally calls Zina Zinka, and quarrels with Daria Petrovna, she calls him a homeless pickpocket and threatens him with a poker. In the middle of the fourth part, Sharik's narrative is interrupted because he undergoes surgery.

The operation is described in detail, Philip Philipovich is terrible, he is called a robber, like a murderer who cuts, snatches, destroys. At the end of the operation, he is compared to a well-fed vampire. This is the author’s point of view, it is a continuation of Sharik’s thoughts.

The fifth, central and climactic chapter is the diary of Dr. Bormenthal. It starts in strictly scientific style, which gradually turns into conversational, with emotionally charged words. The case history ends with Bormenthal’s conclusion that “we have a new organism before us, and we need to observe it first.”

The next chapters 6-9 are history short life Sharikova. He experiences the world by destroying it and living the probable fate of the murdered Klim Chugunkin. Already in Chapter 7, the professor has the idea to decide on new operation. Sharikov's behavior becomes unbearable: hooliganism, drunkenness, theft, harassment of women. The last straw was Shvonder’s denunciation from Sharikov’s words against all the inhabitants of the apartment.

The epilogue, describing the events 10 days after Bormental's fight with Sharikov, shows Sharikov almost turning into a dog again. The next episode is the reasoning of the dog Sharik in March (about 2 months have passed) about how lucky he was.

Metaphorical subtext

At the professor's telling surname. He transforms the dog into a “new man.” This happens between December 23 and January 7, between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas. It turns out that the transformation occurs in some kind of temporary void between the same date in different styles. A polygrapher (who writes a lot) is the embodiment of the devil, a “massive” person.

Apartment on Prechistenka (from the definition of the Mother of God) of 7 rooms (7 days of creation). She is the embodiment of divine order amidst the surrounding chaos and devastation. A star looks out of the apartment window from the darkness (chaos), observing the monstrous transformation. The professor is called a deity and a priest. He officiates.

Heroes of the story

Professor Preobrazhensky– scientist, a figure of world significance. At the same time, he is a successful doctor. But his merits do not prevent the new government from frightening the professor with a seal, registering Sharikov and threatening to arrest him. The professor has an inappropriate background - his father is a cathedral archpriest.

Preobrazhensky is quick-tempered, but kind. He sheltered Bormenthal at the department when he was a half-starved student. He is a noble man and is not going to abandon his colleague in the event of a disaster.

Doctor Ivan Arnoldovich Bormental- son of a forensic investigator from Vilna. He is the first student of the Preobrazhensky school, loving his teacher and devoted to him.

Ball appears as a completely rational, reasoning creature. He even jokes: “A collar is like a briefcase.” But Sharik is the very creature in whose mind the crazy idea of ​​rising “from rags to riches” appears: “I am a master’s dog, an intelligent creature.” However, he hardly sins against the truth. Unlike Sharikov, he is grateful to Preobrazhensky. And the professor operates with a firm hand, mercilessly kills Sharik, and having killed, he regrets: “It’s a pity for the dog, he was affectionate, but cunning.”

U Sharikova nothing remains from Sharik except hatred for cats and love for the kitchen. His portrait was described in detail first by Bormenthal in his diary: this is a man vertically challenged with a small head. Subsequently, the reader learns that the hero’s appearance is unattractive, his hair is coarse, his forehead is low, his face is unshaven.

His jacket and striped trousers are torn and dirty, a poisonous heavenly tie and patent leather boots with white leggings complete the costume. Sharikov is dressed in accordance with his own concepts of chic. Like Klim Chugunkin, whose pituitary gland was transplanted to him, Sharikov plays the balalaika professionally. From Klim he got his love for vodka.

Sharikov chooses his first and patronymic according to the calendar, and takes the “hereditary” surname.

The main character trait of Sharikov is arrogance and ingratitude. He behaves like a savage, and about normal behavior he says: “You torture yourself, like under the tsarist regime.”

Sharikov receives a “proletarian education” from Shvonder. Bormenthal calls Sharikov a man with the heart of a dog, but Preobrazhensky corrects him: Sharikov has just human heart, but the worst possible person.

Sharikov even makes a career in his own sense: he takes the position of head of the department for cleaning Moscow from stray animals and is going to sign with the typist.

Stylistic features

The story is full of aphorisms expressed different heroes: “Don’t read Soviet newspapers before lunch,” “The devastation is not in the closets, but in the heads,” “You can’t hurt anyone! You can influence a person or an animal only by suggestion” (Preobrazhensky), “Happiness is not in galoshes”, “And what is will? So, smoke, mirage, fiction, nonsense of these ill-fated democrats..." (Sharik), "The document is the most important thing in the world" (Shvonder), "I am not a master, the gentlemen are all in Paris" (Sharikov).

For Professor Preobrazhensky there are certain symbols normal life, which in themselves do not provide this life, but testify to it: a shoe rack in the front door, carpets on the stairs, steam heating, electricity.

M.A. Bulgakov is one of the most brilliant and talented writers of the mid-20th century. The themes of his works remain relevant and preserve deep meaning, thanks to its versatility and originality. One of the most famous works is the story “Heart of a Dog”.

The work was written in 1925, but it was only published in 1987. The ban on publication was directly related to the content of the work and almost direct criticism of the realities of Soviet reality in the 20s.

The title of the story “Heart of a Dog” can be interpreted in different ways. First, the most obvious, the author simply chose this name based on the events described in the work (the hero lives with the heart of a dog). The word “canine” can also be interpreted in figuratively, that is, “very bad” (for example, “a dog’s life”, “a dog’s job”). Considering this meaning, we can conclude that Sharikov has a “dog’s” heart. From good and cute dog he turned into an evil, selfish and boorish subhuman.

The theme of the work is an incredible experiment that ends with the transformation of a dog into a human, as well as the consequences that this led to. Using the grotesque, the author introduces elements of fantasy into ordinary urban reality. The action of the story begins with the fact that Professor F.F. Preobrazhensky decides to conduct an experiment on transplanting the human pituitary gland and seminal glands stray dog. The operation gives an amazing result - the dog gradually begins to turn into a human. Moreover, over time, he more and more resembles his “donor” - the thief and drunkard Klim Chugunkin. So the homeless dog Sharik becomes Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov. Professor Preobrazhensky and his assistant Dr. Bormental are trying to vaccinate Sharikov good manners and raise him, but all their efforts are in vain. Their ward receives documents and demands registration, constantly comes drunk, pesters the servants; he starts working in the department for catching stray cats, brings home a woman and writes down his nose at the professor. Sharikov literally ruins the professor’s life, and also destroys his faith in the possibility of re-education.

The author poses several problems to the reader at once. This is also a matter of interfering with the laws of nature - Professor Preobrazhensky is motivated by the best intentions, but the result turns out to be exactly the opposite. He is forced to deal with the unforeseen consequences of his experiment. The author also touches on the issues of relations between the intelligentsia and the people in the post-revolutionary period. In ironic tones, Bulgakov describes stupid bureaucratic delays and lack of culture. Condemns illiteracy, ignorance and stupidity.

The work often uses the technique of contrast - Professor Preobrazhensky and his entourage are contrasted with an aggressive and absurd world, revealed through the images of Shvonder and other members of the house committee. The author also often uses grotesque and irony, emphasizing the shortcomings and meaninglessness of what is happening.

The ending of the story is instructive. Preobrazhensky's good intentions turn into tragedy. The only way out became the return of Sharik to its original position.

M. A. Bulgakov came to literature already in the years Soviet power. He was not an emigrant and experienced first-hand all the difficulties and contradictions of Soviet reality in the 1930s. XX century The theme of disharmony, brought to the point of absurdity thanks to human intervention in the eternal laws of nature, was revealed with brilliant skill and talent by Bulgakov in the story “The Heart of a Dog.” Eternal problem the best minds in Russia - the relationship between the intelligentsia and the people. What is the role of the intelligentsia, what is its participation in the destinies of the people - this is what the author of the story made the reader think about in the distant 20s. XX century The story combines fantasy elements with everyday background. Professor Preobrazhensky is a democrat by origin and convictions, a typical Moscow intellectual. He sacredly preserves the traditions of Moscow University students: to serve science, to help people and not to harm them, to value the life of any person - good and bad. His assistant, Doctor Bormenthal, reverently treats his teacher, admires his talent, skill, human qualities. But he does not have that self-control, that holy service to the ideas of humanism that we see in Preobrazhensky.

Bormenthal is capable of becoming angry, indignant, and even using force if this is necessary for the good of the cause. And now these two people are performing an experiment unprecedented in world science - they are transplanting a human pituitary gland into a stray dog. The result was unexpected and phenomenal from a scientific point of view, but in everyday life it led to the most disastrous results. The creature formed in this way has the appearance of its human donor - Klim Chugunkin. This hybrid is rude, undeveloped, arrogant and arrogant. He, at all costs, wants to become one of the people, to become no worse than others. But he cannot understand that for this he must overcome the path of long spiritual development, work on developing his intellect, his horizons, and master knowledge.

Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov puts on patent leather shoes and a poisonous-colored tie, but otherwise his suit is dirty, unkempt, and tasteless. With the help of the house manager Shvonder, he registers in Preobrazhensky’s apartment,

He demands the “sixteen arshins” of living space allotted to him, and even tries to bring his wife into the house. He believes that he is raising his ideological level: he is reading a book recommended by Shvonder - the correspondence of Engels with Kautsky. From Preobrazhensky’s point of view, all this is a bluff, empty attempts that in no way contribute to the mental and spiritual development Sharikova. However, from the point of view of Shvonder and others like him, Sharikov is quite suitable for the society that they are creating with such pathos and enthusiasm. Sharikov was even hired by a government agency and made a small boss. For him, becoming a boss means transforming himself outwardly, gaining power over people. This is how it happens. He is now dressed in a leather jacket and boots, drives a state car, and controls the fate of a poor girl secretary. Professor Preobrazhensky still does not abandon the idea of ​​​​making Sharikov a man. He hopes for evolution, gradual development. But there is no development and there will not be if the person himself does not strive for it. In fact, the professor's whole life turns into a complete nightmare. Sharikov comes home drunk, pesters women, breaks and destroys everything around him. It became a thunderstorm not only for the inhabitants of the apartment, but also for the residents of the entire house. What can the Sharikovs do if they are given complete freedom in life? It’s scary to imagine the picture of the life that they are able to create around themselves. So Preobrazhensky’s good intentions turn into tragedy. He comes to the conclusion that violent intervention in the nature of man and society leads to catastrophic results. In the story “Heart of a Dog,” the professor corrects his mistake - Sharikov turns into a dog again. He is happy with his fate and with himself. But in life such experiments are irreversible. And Bulgakov was able to warn about this at the very beginning of those destructive transformations that began in our country in 1917.

PROBLEMS AND ARTISTIC ORIGINALITY OF M. A. BULGAKOV’S STORY “THE HEART OF A DOG”

Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov was born in Kyiv, in the family of Afanasy Ivanovich Bulgakov, a teacher at the Theological Academy. According to his relatives, he began composing early. Basically it was short stories, satirical poems, dramatic scenes. Gradually, interest in Bulgakov's works increases. It becomes obvious that Bulgakov’s talent as an artist was, as they say, from God. The writer's fame was brought to him by the novel " White Guard”, later reworked into the play “Days of the Turbins”. Big success had the comedy “Zoyka’s Apartment” and humorous collection stories "Diaboliad" (1925). However, starting from 1928, a climate of persecution was created around Bulgakov’s name, and the writer’s very name became, as it were, outlawed. The plays “Running”, “Ivan Vasilyevich”, “Crimson Island”, the novel “The Master and Margarita” are far from full list works that did not see the light of day during the author’s lifetime. The story “Heart of a Dog” is also on this list. This work, written in 1925, was published only in 1987 in the magazine “Znamya”. The story is based on a risky experiment. Bulgakov’s choice of such a plot is not accidental. Everything that happened then and what was called the construction of socialism was perceived by the author of “Heart of a Dog” precisely as an experiment - huge in scale and more than dangerous. Bulgakov was also skeptical about attempts to create a new perfect society using revolutionary, that is, not excluding violence, methods, and to educating a new, free person using the same violent methods. For the author of the story, this was unacceptable interference in the natural course of things, the consequences of which could be disastrous for everyone, including the “experimenters” themselves. “Heart of a Dog” warns the reader about this.
One of the main characters, the spokesman for the author's thoughts in the story, is Professor Preobrazhensky. This is a major scientist-physiologist. He appears as the embodiment of education and high culture. By conviction, he is a supporter of the old pre-revolutionary order. All his sympathies are with the former homeowners, factory owners, factory owners, under whom, as he says, there was order and he lived comfortably and well. Bulgakov does not analyze Political Views Preobrazhensky. But the scientist expresses very certain thoughts about the devastation, about the inability of the proletarians to cope with it. In his opinion, first of all, people need to be taught basic culture in everyday life and at work, only then will things get better, devastation will disappear, and there will be order. People will become different. But this philosophy of Preobrazhensky also fails. He cannot raise in Sharikovo reasonable person: “I have been more exhausted in these two weeks than in the last fourteen years...”
What is the reason for the failure of Preobrazhensky and Dr. Bormental? And it's not just about genetic engineering. Preobrazhensky is sure that it is clean animal instincts affecting behavior former dog Sharikov, you can get rid of it: “Cats are temporary... It’s a matter of discipline and two to three weeks. Trust me. Just another month and he will stop attacking them.” The question is not about physiology, but about the fact that Sharikov is a type specific environment. The dog becomes a man, but his actions are determined by genes received from the drunkard and boor Klim Chugunkin: “...he no longer has a dog’s heart, but a human heart. And the lousiest of all that exist in nature!” The contrast between the intellectual principle embodied in intelligent people, physiologists Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal, and the dark instincts of the “homunculus” Sharikov (with a low, sloping forehead) is so striking that it creates not only a comic, grotesque effect, but also colors it in tragic tones.
Shvonder also plays an important role here. He is trying to influence and educate Sharikov. This either a dog or a man, in a conversation with Preobrazhensky, literally repeats Shvonder’s words and phrases not only about rights, but also about his superiority over the bourgeoisie: “We didn’t study at universities, we didn’t live in apartments with 15 rooms with baths... “Naturally, the attempt to educate a new person in yesterday’s Sharikov is a satirical attack by the writer against the Shvonders. It is worth noting that Bulgakov’s satire and humor in this story reach highest degree skill. Suffice it to recall the brilliantly written scene with a rejuvenated old man boasting about his love affairs, or the scene with a “passionate lady” of late youth who is ready to do anything to keep her lover. These scenes are depicted through the dog's perception. “To hell with you,” he thought dully, putting his head on his paws and dozing off with shame.” The image of Shvonder, who decided to educate Sharikov in the “Marxist spirit”, is also comical: the very process of humanizing Sharikov is depicted in sharp satirical and humorous tones. The plot is structured by contrast - an intelligent and affectionate dog becomes a rude, ill-mannered boor, in which the inherited properties of Klim Chugunkin are more and more clearly manifested. This character's vulgar speech is fused with his actions. They are gradually becoming more outrageous and intolerant. Either he scares a lady on the stairs, then he rushes like crazy after cats rushing away, then he disappears through taverns and taverns. As a result, there is a humorous scene with the criminal police, who came in the epilogue of the story, following Shvonder’s denunciation, to look for Sharikov; The professor explains a lot. He presents the dog as proof of his innocence and explains: “That is, he said... This does not mean being human...”
The innovation of the story “Heart of a Dog” lies not only in Bulgakov’s satirical and humorous skill, but also in its complex philosophical concept this work. According to the author of “Heart of a Dog,” humanity turns out to be powerless in the fight against the dark instincts awakening in people. The tragedy was that the Sharikovs quickly multiplied in life. And they, in the words of Poligraph Poligrafych, “strangled and strangled”... Thus, we understand that Bulgakov in the story “Heart of a Dog” with enormous impressive force, in his favorite manner of grotesque and humor, raised the question of the power of dark instincts in human life. His satire against the Sharikovs, Shvonders, and Klimov Chugunkins reached the highest degree of skill and expressiveness. Bulgakov's sympathies are on the side of Preobrazhensky. But the writer does not have this faith that the dark instincts in people’s lives can be eliminated either with the help of science or with the help of the general efforts of the team. We can say that the story is painted in pessimistic tones.
Bulgakov quickly burst into the wide and diverse stream of literature of the twenties and took a prominent place in it. He created a series classical works in many genres. Mikhail Afanasyevich became one of the founders of the new satire. He defended universal human ideals, denounced vices that, unfortunately, have not yet been eliminated...

Issues and artistic originality story "Heart of a Dog"

The theme of disharmony, brought to the point of absurdity thanks to human intervention in the eternal laws of nature, was revealed with brilliant skill and talent by Bulgakov in the story “The Heart of a Dog.”

The story “Heart of a Dog,” written in 1925, was published only in 1987 in the magazine “Znamya”. The story is based on a risky experiment. Bulgakov’s choice of such a plot is not accidental. Everything that happened then and what was called the construction of socialism was perceived by the author of “Heart of a Dog” precisely as an experiment - huge in scale and more than dangerous.

Bulgakov was also skeptical about attempts to create a new perfect society using revolutionary, that is, not excluding violence, methods, and to educating a new, free person using the same violent methods. For the author of the story, this was unacceptable interference in the natural course of things, the consequences of which could be disastrous for everyone, including the “experimenters” themselves. “Heart of a Dog” warns the reader about this.

One of the main characters, the spokesman for the author's thoughts in the story, is Professor Preobrazhensky. This is a major scientist-physiologist. He appears as the embodiment of education and high culture. By conviction, he is a supporter of the old pre-revolutionary order. All his sympathies are with the former homeowners, factory owners, factory owners, under whom, as he says, there was order and he lived comfortably and well.

Bulgakov does not analyze Preobrazhensky's political views. But the scientist expresses very definite thoughts about the devastation, about the inability of the proletarians to cope with it. In his opinion, first of all, people need to be taught basic culture in everyday life and at work, only then will things get better, devastation will disappear, and there will be order. People will become different. But this philosophy of Preobrazhensky also fails. He cannot raise a reasonable person in Sharikov: “I have been more exhausted in these two weeks than in the last fourteen years...”

"Heart of a Dog" - deep philosophical work, if you think seriously about its content. Professor Philip Philipovich imagined himself akin to God, he transforms earthly beings one into another, from sweet and affectionate dog created a “two-legged monster” without any concept of honor, conscience, or gratitude.

The eternal problem of the best minds in Russia is the relationship between the intelligentsia and the people. What is the role of the intelligentsia, what is its participation in the destinies of the people - the author of the story made the reader think about this in the distant 20s.

In the story, elements of fantasy are combined with everyday background. Professor Preobrazhensky is a democrat by origin and convictions, a typical Moscow intellectual. He sacredly preserves the traditions of Moscow University students: to serve science, to help people and not to harm them, to value the life of any person - good and bad. His assistant, Dr. Bormenthal, reverently treats his teacher, admires his talent, skill, and human qualities. But he does not have that self-control, that holy service to the ideas of humanism that we see in Preobrazhensky.

Bormenthal is capable of becoming angry, indignant, and even using force if this is necessary for the good of the cause. And now these two people are performing an experiment unprecedented in world science - they are transplanting a human pituitary gland into a stray dog.

The result was unexpected and phenomenal from a scientific point of view, but in everyday life it led to the most disastrous results. The creature formed in this way has the appearance of its human donor - Klim Chugunkin - a tavern balalaika player, a drunkard and a rowdy, killed in a fight. This hybrid is rude, undeveloped, arrogant and arrogant. He wants to become one of the people at all costs, to become no worse than others. But he cannot understand that for this it is necessary to go through a long path of spiritual development; it requires work to develop the intellect, horizons, and mastery of knowledge. Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov (as the creature is now called) puts on patent leather shoes and a poisonous-colored tie, but otherwise his suit is dirty, unkempt, and tasteless.

What is the reason for the failure of Preobrazhensky and Dr. Bormental? And it's not just about genetic engineering. Preobrazhensky is confident that the purely animal instincts reflected in the behavior of the former dog Sharikov can be overcome: “Cats are temporary... It’s a matter of discipline and two or three weeks. Trust me. Just another month and he will stop attacking them.”

The question is not about physiology, but about the fact that Sharikov is a type of a certain environment. The dog becomes a man, but his actions are determined by genes received from the drunkard and boor Klim Chugunkin: “...he no longer has a dog’s heart, but a human heart. And the lousiest of all that exist in nature!”

The contrast between the intellectual principle embodied in intelligent people, the physiologists Preobrazhensky and Bormental, and the dark instincts of the “homunculus” Sharikov (with a low, sloping forehead) is so striking that it creates not only a comic, grotesque effect, but also paints it in tragic tones.

Shvonder also plays an important role here. He is trying to influence and educate Sharikov. This either a dog or a man, in a conversation with Preobrazhensky, literally repeats Shvonder’s words and phrases not only about rights, but also about his superiority over the bourgeoisie: “We didn’t study at universities, we didn’t live in apartments with 15 rooms with baths... “Naturally, the attempt to educate a new person in yesterday’s Sharikov is a satirical attack by the writer against the Shvonders.

Sharikov, with the help of Shvonder, registers in Preobrazhensky’s apartment, demands the “sixteen arshins” of living space allotted to him, and even tries to bring his wife into the house. He believes that he is raising his ideological level: he is reading a book recommended by Shvonder - the correspondence of Engels with Kautsky. From Preobrazhensky’s point of view, all this is a bluff, empty attempts that in no way contribute to Sharikov’s mental and spiritual development. But from the point of view of Shvonder and others like him, Sharikov is quite suitable for the society that they are creating with such pathos and enthusiasm. Sharikov was even hired by a government agency and made a small boss. For him, becoming a boss means transforming himself outwardly, gaining power over people. This is how it happens. He is now dressed in a leather jacket and boots, drives a state car, and controls the fate of a poor girl secretary.

The image of Shvonder, who decided to educate Sharikov in the “Marxist spirit”, is comical: the very process of humanizing Sharikov is depicted in sharp satirical and humorous tones. The plot is constructed in contrast - an intelligent and affectionate dog becomes a rude, ill-mannered boor, in which the inherited properties of Klim Chugunkin are more and more clearly manifested. This character's vulgar speech is fused with his actions. They are gradually becoming more outrageous and intolerant. Either he scares a lady on the stairs, then he rushes like crazy after cats rushing away, then he disappears through taverns and taverns.

As a result, there is a humorous scene with the criminal police, who came in the epilogue of the story, following Shvonder’s denunciation, to look for Sharikov; The professor explains a lot. He presents the dog as proof of his innocence and explains: “That is, he said... This does not mean being human...”

Thanks to Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov, Professor Preobrazhensky’s whole life turned upside down. Sharikov, imagining himself as a man, brings into a measured and quiet life professor discomfort. Having acquired a human form, Sharikov does not even have a clue about the rules of behavior in society. He copies his “mentor and teacher” Shvonder in everything.

Here Bulgakov gives free rein to his satire, mocking stupidity and ridiculing the limitations of the new government. “Eat in the bedroom,” he spoke in a slightly strangled voice, “read in the examination room, get dressed in the waiting room, operate in the servants’ room, and examine in the dining room?!” It is very possible that Isadora Duncan does just that. Maybe she's having lunch in her office and cutting up rabbits in the bathroom. May be. But I'm not Isadora Duncan!!! - he suddenly barked, and his purple turned yellow. - I will have lunch in the dining room and operate in the operating room! - said the professor."

Professor Preobrazhensky still does not abandon the idea of ​​​​making Sharikov a man. He hopes for evolution, gradual development. But there is no development and there will not be if the person himself does not strive for it. In fact, the professor's whole life turns into a complete nightmare. There is no peace or order in the house. For days on end you can hear obscene language and balalaika strumming; Sharikov comes home drunk, pesters women, breaks and destroys everything around him. It became a thunderstorm not only for the inhabitants of the apartment, but also for the residents of the entire house.

What can the Sharikovs do if they are given complete freedom in life? It’s scary to imagine the picture of the life that they are able to create around themselves.

Insignificant, worthless people, who by chance gained power, begin to mock serious people and ruin their lives.

So gradually, from an object of satire, Professor Preobrazhensky becomes an exposer of the chaos reigning around. He says that the devastation is because people sing instead of working. If he starts singing instead of operations, his apartment will also begin to deteriorate. The professor is confident that if people mind their own business, there will be no destruction. The main devastation is in people’s heads, Philip Philipovich is sure.

The fate of the house in Obukhov Lane correlates with the fate of Russia. “The house has disappeared,” says Professor Preobrazhensky after the first tenants moved into his house. Bulgakov could say the same (and did say) about Russia after the Bolsheviks seized power. Ridiculous looking, ill-mannered and practically unfamiliar with the culture men and women who do not look like women may seem funny to the reader at first. But it is they who turn out to be aliens from the kingdom of Darkness, bringing discomfort into the life of not only the professor; It is they, led by Shvonder, who “educate” Sharikov in Sharik and recommend him for public service.

The confrontation between Preobrazhensky and Shvonder can be viewed not only as a relationship between an intellectual and new government. The main thing is that culture and anti-culture, spirituality and anti-spirituality collide, and the bloodless (for now) duel between them is not resolved in favor of the first; in the struggle of Light and Darkness there is no life-affirming ending.

There is nothing funny in the image of the newly created man Sharikov (except, perhaps, for a shade of this funny in Sharik’s pompous and self-aggrandizing internal monologues), because only those who are marked by it can laugh at ugliness - spiritual and physical. This is a repulsively unsympathetic image, but Sharikov himself is not a bearer of evil. Only when he finds himself on the field of that same battle between Darkness and Light for his soul, does he ultimately become the mouthpiece of the ideas of Shvonder - the Bolsheviks - Satan.

So Preobrazhensky’s good intentions turn into tragedy. He comes to the conclusion that violent intervention in the nature of man and society leads to catastrophic results. In the story “Heart of a Dog,” the professor corrects his mistake - Sharikov turns into a dog again. He is happy with his fate and with himself. The professor explains to Shvonder and his company: “Science does not yet know a way to turn animals into people. So I tried, but it was unsuccessful, as you can see. I talked and began to return to a primitive state. Atavism!"

But in life such experiments are irreversible. And Bulgakov was able to warn about this at the very beginning of those destructive transformations that began in our country in 1917.

It is worth noting that Bulgakov’s satire and humor in this story reach the highest degree of skill. Suffice it to recall the brilliantly written scene with a rejuvenated old man boasting about his love affairs, or the scene with a “passionate lady” of late youth who is ready to do anything to keep her lover. These scenes are depicted through the dog's perception. “To hell with you,” he thought dully, putting his head on his paws and dozing off from shame.”

Thus, we see that the combination of the comic and the tragic in Bulgakov’s works, while remaining in the stream of Russian literary satire, has an important feature for their understanding: a mixture of funny and sad in terms of events (even for those who are not too experienced and attentive reader) shows the deepest tragedy, comprehended on an internal level.

Bulgakov quickly burst into the wide and diverse stream of literature of the twenties and took a prominent place in it. He created a number of classic works in many genres. Mikhail Afanasyevich became one of the founders of the new satire. He defended universal human ideals, denounced vices that, unfortunately, have not yet been eliminated...