Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita,” to which the writer devoted 12 years of his life, is rightfully considered a real pearl of world literature. The work became the pinnacle of Bulgakov's creativity, in which he touched upon the eternal themes of good and evil, love and betrayal, faith and unbelief, life and death. In The Master and Margarita, the most complete analysis is needed, since the novel is particularly deep and complex. Detailed plan analysis of the work “The Master and Margarita” will allow 11th grade students to better prepare for a literature lesson.
Brief Analysis
Year of writing– 1928-1940
History of creation– The source of inspiration for the writer was Goethe’s tragedy “Faust”. The original recordings were destroyed by Bulkagov himself, but were later restored. They served as the basis for writing a novel, which Mikhail Afanasyevich worked on for 12 years.
Subject – Central theme The novel is a confrontation between good and evil.
Composition– The composition of “The Master and Margarita” is very complex - it is a double novel or a novel within a novel, in which the storylines of the Master and Pontius Pilate run parallel to each other.
Genre- Novel.
Direction– Realism.
History of creation
The writer first thought about a future novel in the mid-20s. The impetus for its writing was the brilliant work of the German poet Goethe “Faust”.
It is known that the first sketches for the novel were made in 1928, but neither the Master nor Margarita appeared in them. Central characters in the original version there were Jesus and Woland. There were also many variations of the title of the work, and they all revolved around the mystical hero: “Black Magician”, “Prince of Darkness”, “Engineer’s Hoof”, “Woland’s Tour”. Only shortly before his death, after numerous edits and meticulous criticism, Bulgakov renamed his novel “The Master and Margarita.”
In 1930, extremely dissatisfied with what was written, Mikhail Afanasyevich burned 160 pages of the manuscript. But two years later, having miraculously found the surviving sheets, the writer restored his literary work and went back to work. Interestingly, the original version of the novel was restored and published 60 years later. In the novel called "The Great Chancellor" there was neither Margarita nor the Master, and the gospel chapters were reduced to one - "The Gospel of Judas."
Bulgakov worked on a work that became the crown of all his work, right up to last days life. He endlessly made amendments, reworked chapters, added new characters, adjusted their characters.
In 1940, the writer became seriously ill and was forced to dictate the lines of the novel to his faithful wife Elena. After Bulgakov’s death, she tried to publish the novel, but the work was first published only in 1966.
Subject
"The Master and Margarita" is complex and incredibly multifaceted literary work, in which the author presented to the reader many different topics: love, religion, the sinful nature of man, betrayal. But, in fact, they are all just parts of a complex mosaic, a skillful frame main topic- the eternal confrontation between good and evil. Moreover, each theme is tied to its characters and intertwined with other characters in the novel.
Central theme The novel certainly serves as an all-consuming theme, forgiving love The Master and Margarita, who is able to survive all difficulties and trials. By introducing these characters, Bulgakov incredibly enriched his work, giving it a completely different, more earthly and understandable meaning to the reader.
No less important in the novel is problem of choice, which is especially colorfully shown in the example of the relationship between Pontius Pilate and Yeshua. According to the author, the most terrible vice is cowardice, which became the cause of the death of an innocent preacher and lifelong punishment for Pilate.
In “The Master and Margarita” the writer clearly and convincingly shows problems of human vices, which do not depend on religion or social status or time period. Throughout the novel, the main characters have to face moral questions and choose one path or another for themselves.
The main idea The work is a harmonious interaction between the forces of good and evil. The struggle between them is as old as the world, and will continue as long as people live. Good cannot exist without evil, just as the existence of evil is impossible without good. The idea of the eternal confrontation between these forces permeates the entire work of the writer, who sees the main task of man in choosing the right path.
Composition
The composition of the novel is complex and original. Essentially this is novel within a novel: one of them tells about Pontius Pilate, the second - about the writer. At first it seems that there is nothing in common between them, but as the novel progresses, the relationship between the two storylines becomes obvious.
At the end of the work Moscow and ancient city Yershalaim are connected, and events occur simultaneously in two dimensions. Moreover, they take place in the same month, a few days before Easter, but only in one “novel” - in the 30s of the twentieth century, and in the second - in the 30s of the new era.
Philosophical line in the novel it is represented by Pilate and Yeshua, love - by the Master and Margarita. However, the work has a separate story line, filled to the brim with mysticism and satire. Its main characters are Muscovites and Woland’s retinue, represented by incredibly bright and charismatic characters.
At the end of the novel, the storylines are connected at a common point for all - Eternity. Such a unique composition of the work constantly keeps the reader in suspense, causing genuine interest in the plot.
Main characters
Genre
The genre of “The Master and Margarita” is very difficult to define - this work is so multifaceted. Most often it is defined as fantastic, philosophical and satirical novel. However, one can easily find in it signs of other literary genres: realism is intertwined with fantasy, mysticism is adjacent to philosophy. Such an unusual literary alloy makes Bulgakov’s work truly unique, which has no analogues in domestic or foreign literature.
Each reader has his own “bible”. M. A. Bulgakov presented people with several works that can lay claim to such a high title. First of all, the reader comes to mind the novel “The Master and Margarita”.
Loneliness is like the air that heroes breathe
Loneliness is the primary reality human existence. People are born alone, death is also a lonely matter. And to be completely honest, a person cannot truly share his life with anyone. You can get married successfully, give birth to a bunch of children, but deep down remain completely alone.
It seems that this is exactly what M. A. Bulgakov expressed in his imperishable novel. Most of his main characters are invariably lonely: Woland, Pilate, Yeshua, Ivan Bezdomny, the Master, Margarita. Loneliness is so natural for them that they don’t even notice it.
To illustrate how the novel “The Master and Margarita” is revealed, we will move in our analysis from one hero to another.
Woland
Can Satan have companions or partners? Or maybe friends? Of course not. He is doomed to be alone. At the very beginning of the novel, M.A. Berlioz asks the “Consultant”: “Professor, did you come to us alone or with your wife?” To which Woland replies: “Alone, alone, I’m always alone.” And at the same time, the “professor of black magic” is perhaps the least lonely compared to other heroes, of course, because of his retinue. This strange company does not give off a painful feeling of hopelessness, probably because it arrived in Moscow not for fun, but in order to save the Master and give the “Hundred Kings” ball.
We have to insist on this particular order, since the annual holiday could have taken place in any city in the world, but Moscow in the 1930s was not chosen by chance, namely because the Master and his novel about Pontius Pilate were there. This is the portrait of Woland in the context of the topic “The problem of loneliness in the novel “The Master and Margarita”.”
Pontius Pilate
With Pilate, too, in this sense, everything becomes clear from the very beginning; he hates Yershalaim. He's lonely. The only creature he is attached to is his dog Bunga. The procurator wants to die because of an unbearable headache. He should rest, but no, he has to interrogate some tramp. According to rumors, he persuaded the people to destroy the temple.
Then this tramp miraculously heals the procurator and speaks to him in a way that few people allow themselves. Despite this, the hegemon is ready to let the “philosopher” go, but then it turns out that Yeshua is also guilty of. According to the law, the procurator must crucify his deliverer, because there is nothing more terrible than a crime against Caesar.
Pilate does everything possible to prevent the tragedy, but, unfortunately, his efforts are in vain. During the course of the story, a spiritual transformation happens to him. He changes beyond recognition and discovers that in fact the tramp, whom the Sanhedrin did not want to pardon, turns out to be as close to him as Bunga, although there are no reasonable reasons for this. The problem of loneliness in the novel “The Master and Margarita” by Bulgakov is unthinkable without the image of Pontius Pilate.
He is perhaps the loneliest and most tragic figure in the novel. And without her, the work would have had a completely different face and different depth. All subsequent torment: Moonlight, insomnia, immortality - nothing compared to the moment when Pilate lost his only friend - Yeshua.
So far, the theme “The Problem of Loneliness in the Novel “The Master and Margarita”” is maintained in a sad tone. Unfortunately, nothing changes when it comes to the fate of Ivan Bezdomny
Ivan Bezdomny
With the characters representing the Soviet reality of the novel, everything is more complicated. Their loneliness becomes obvious only in borderline situations - points of human existence where life approaches its limits (death or madness).
This happened with the poet I. Bezdomny, who only realized in a mental hospital how wrong his life had been before. True, the figure of Ivan Bezdomny is, one way or another, tragic - life revealed to him the truth about his homelessness, but gave nothing in return. Ivan has no hope of finding salvation.
Main characters
The Master and Margarita are the only pair of characters whose story ends well, but not in this reality, but only in the “other world.” If we free this story from the romantic flair, it turns out that it was loneliness that pushed them into each other’s arms.
Margarita’s husband is not in the novel (he is present only in her words), but the reader understands that, most likely, her husband is boring, practical to the point of vulgarity and smart only in everyday or commercial issues, that’s why the woman wanted to fly.
The Master too He has nothing but a basement and a novel about Pontius Pilate, and he, like no one else, needs the love of a pretty woman. True, due to the fact that the couple has no money at all, only strong love keeps them together, or maybe the fear of returning to their total and complete loneliness. In general, it is difficult to say for sure whether there was love between them. If she was, she was probably sick and lame, but there was definitely a fear of being left alone. It turns out that the problem of loneliness in Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita” is hidden even where, at first glance, love lives.
The master's mind changed precisely because he could not cope with the burden of unfulfilled hopes and aspirations. He really counted on the novel, on its publication, and the essay was met with criticism, which closed his way into the world.
The master could no longer torment Margarita. “The boat of love crashed into everyday life.” Or rather, the Master simply had a conscience, but then Woland came and fixed everything. True, even his power was not enough to give the couple salvation in this life and not in another.
The novel by M. A. Bulgakov is a multi-layered work
Accordingly, the problems of the novel “The Master and Margarita” are not limited to the theme of loneliness. The writer’s talent lies in the fact that the reader cannot say with certainty what the main theme of this mysterious novel is: is it “The Gospel of Mikhail Bulgakov” (the title of the book by Alexander Zerkalov), which means that religious issues occupy the main place in it. Or maybe the main thing is satire directed against Soviet reality?
The novel is about everything at once, and in order not to violate its integrity it is better not to split it into molecules and components. This is probably the most general answer to the question of what problems exist in the novel “The Master and Margarita”.
Philosophy as a sign of high classics
It is generally accepted that philosophy is something boring and lives somewhere within the walls of academies. All this is definitely inaccessible to a mere mortal. This is the popular and fundamentally incorrect idea of the “love of wisdom.” In fact, in the life of every person (and even more so an artist) there comes a time when he thinks about God, fate, and human loneliness. Usually such works are difficult to write, they are difficult to read, but they give an unusually much to a person. There are a great many such creations both in Russian and in world classics, so hypothetically the topic of the article could sound like this: “The problem of loneliness in...”. The Master and Margarita were not chosen by chance, because these characters and the book about them are incredibly popular among modern Russians.
Kurt Vonnegut and Mikhail Bulgakov: two views on the problem of loneliness
Just like our classic, he has been “sick” with the problem of loneliness all his life and tried to solve it in his own way. For example, in the novel “Balagan, or the End of Loneliness,” he proposed that all people unite into families so that not a single lonely person remains in the world (the reader can refer to the original source for details). In some of his journalistic books American classic wrote something like this: human life is a constant struggle against loneliness.
It seems that Bulgakov would completely agree with this, but they would disagree on the issue of overcoming loneliness. According to our novel, loneliness (this is clearly visible in The Master and Margarita) is insurmountable, tragic and inevitable for a person. K. Vonnegut looks at man and his prospects more optimistically, which cannot but rejoice. If suddenly people overcome their own selfishness and understand that “we are all brothers,” then there is hope for victory over loneliness. True, to be honest, it looks like a miracle.
M and M (1929-1940) – the peak of Bulgakov’s creativity. Issues: psychological, social, but the main ones: moral and philosophical. Bulgakov's novel is called philosophical, philosophical and moral. It's deep philosophical novel, a novel-tragedy. The Master's novel world is full of wonders and built on a reliable foundation. Everyone inside is saved (Margarita and cream). The master is not inside, and he cannot be saved. Bulgakov himself turned out to be beyond the control of the miracle he invented for the reader. The highest good for a person is to rely on the one who takes life. The master is the only one really tragic image in the novel. The Master's tragedy is the reflected tragedy of the author.
As the content of the novel is revealed, a third, deeper layer emerges - where Yeshua operates. This layer is fundamental.
main topic – power and time. Power is presented in concentrated form, in the form of dictatorship. Under such conditions, can a dictator and an artist not come into conflict? This theme determined the duality of the novel.
Kara overtakes everyone, even beyond the physical existence of a person.
The moral and philosophical meaning of the novel lies in the categorical rejection of any form of life that suppresses the spiritual principle in a person and reduces a person to the level of a biological being. This " doomsday"over the administrative system and its creators. A novel about the Master and a novel about Pontius Pilate are not one, but two novels.
Theme of good and evil is one of the most important in the novel. Bulgakov believes that evil always balances good. The spreaders of evil on earth are people who are driven by the thirst for power, wealth, envy, cowardice and fear. These feelings are conductors of evil.
The main test of evil in the novel is Woland and his retinue (Korovyov, Behemoth, Azazello). Woland is the prince of darkness, Satan, but for Muscovites he is a foreigner, professor black magic. Testing people in the conditions of the new Soviet reality, Woland comes to the conclusion that people, as before, are greedy and envious (this is evidenced by a trick performed by Woland’s retinue in a variety show, when money rained down on the stage, everyone rushed after it, and after a while they turned into transparent pieces of paper). The bearer of evil is needed in order to reveal the vices of humanity.
So, can evil be useful? This is a difficult philosophical question that many philosophers have tried to answer. Woland is closest to Mephistopheles from Goethe's Faust. You can notice them external resemblance: “...The right (eye) with a golden spark at the bottom, drilling anyone to the bottom of the soul, and the left - empty black, kind of like a narrow eye of a needle, like an exit into a bottomless well of all darkness and shadows. Woland’s face was slanted to the side, the right corner of his mouth was pulled down, and on his high, balding forehead there were deep wrinkles parallel to his sharp eyebrows...”
“I am part of that force that always wants evil and always does good” - Bulgakov took this self-characteristic of Goethe’s hero as an epigraph to the novel.
Having retained Woland's external resemblance to Mephistopheles, Bulgakov endows him with opposite functions, entrusting him with the mission of fair retribution to a person after his death, that is, trial and sentencing.
But Woland should not be made a fighter for justice. People, first of all, carry their own punishment within themselves (So Pontius Pilate suffers, is tormented by remorse - this is his punishment. He atones for his crime and therefore he gets “light”). Yes, Woland does everything that befits Satan. But he is not omnipotent, so he does not touch those people who have a clear conscience and who carry goodness within themselves. Good is beyond his control. This is one of the main ideas of the novel.
Yeshua in the novel is the bearer of “light”. In the novel he is associated with Christ. And indeed, they have a lot in common: faith in the all-conquering power of good, in the fact that the time will come when humanity will move into the kingdom of truth and justice. But Bulgakov deliberately departs from both the historical and the gospel versions. For him, Yeshua is not a god, but first of all a man who has not caused harm to anyone either in thought or deed. He sees the best that is sometimes hidden in a person, he believes in the power of good and the good nature of man. The image of Yeshua embodies the traditional Christian idea of mercy. In the face of death, Yeshua remained true to his convictions, he chooses death, and ultimately deserves “light.”
So, in the novel Woland and Yeshua appear before us. How do they relate to human spiritual capabilities? Woland believes that the whole story humanity - history crimes. For Yeshua, man is by nature good (“ evil people not in the world”), only social conditions disfigure people.
Both evil and good, Bulgakov argues, exist equally in the world, but they are generated primarily by people themselves. Bulgakov believes that every person should be free in his choice.
Speaking about good and evil, one cannot help but remember the Master. The master is immersed in creativity and does not think about self-interest at all; he writes a novel rather even for himself. But, faced with the world of writers, which is busy with everything but creativity, he could not stand the persecution and hated his novel. This erased the master from life; he stopped fighting for his novel. Giving up creativity turned out to be disastrous for him. His refuge has become a clinic for the mentally ill - only there can he find the peace that was deprived of him.” good people" The master strives for light, strives for good. But he refused to fight for his novel, showed cowardice, and therefore he was denied “light.” The Master’s meeting with Woland occurs only thanks to Margarita, and deliverance from suffering is due to the intercession of Yeshua. Without the request of the “light,” the lovers who had found each other would have been left on earth, in their secret refuge. It is unknown what their fate would have been. The heroes deserve peace.
Therefore, intervention higher powers does not lead to a change in life itself, it only accelerates the course of events.
Goodness educates and exalts a person, evil and indifference spoil him. You need to believe in people, in your own strength, in the power of good, then the truth will be revealed.
The dialectic of good and evil. The course of history is the eternal confrontation between good and evil, light and darkness.
Freedom is not freedom. Pontius Pilate is not free, he is a man totalitarian state. Yeshua has inner freedom, it is this that gives him strength. Pontius is cowardice, it destroys a person. But he was given forgiveness - he was able to take the blame upon himself. B shows that guilt must be expiated not with blood, but with repentance. Only conscience and repentance can cleanse and resurrect.
According to Bulgakov, light is a paradise where those who bring good to people go. Peace is independence, solitude, it is a condition for creativity. The one who has lived his life honestly, who is not burdened by the pangs of conscience, who does not punish himself for betrayal and cowardice, deserves peace. B emphasizes that the Master is an artist, not a fighter. He remained true to himself, did not change his ideas about the mission of the artist - this is the victory of the master over power and over time.