Heart of a Dog - Mikhail Bulgakov - 3407 Words

The Heart of a Dog Mikhail Bulgakov Andrew Wright ‘The Heart of a Dog’, written by Mikhail Bulgakov in 1925, is a satirical parable illustrating the provincial failures of the Russian regime, post-revolution. According to S. Fusso, Bulgakov’s allegory is not, unlike Orwell’s, â€Å"simple or naà ¯ve†,1 but one that offers an exploration of various different themes, from the ethical implications of eugenics â€Å"that so fascinated the scientific community during the 1920s†,2 to the farcical revolution of 1917 and its misguided attempt to create a new Soviet man. The novella chronicles the life of a stray Moscow dog, Sharik, who, upon being rescued by a seemingly benevolent surgeon, Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky, finds himself subjected†¦show more content†¦Preobrazhensky’s indignation towards Homo Sovieticus and the new regime is plainly apparent throughout the text, with the professor advising that, lest one lose one’s appetite, one ought to refrain from reading s oviet newspapers or discussing subjects of Bolshevism at the dinner table.17 His disillusionment is evident in his failure to recognise the alleged Soviet emancipation of women who were, according to B. Clements, independent from prescribed roles and male domination.18 Unlike Lenin, who mourned what he described as the capitalistic â€Å"exclusion of women†19, Preobrazhensky would appear to remain unconvinced by Marx’s belief that â€Å"social progress can be measured by the social position of the female sex†20, attempting to undermine a female member of the housing committee who he describes, with a disgusted tone, as â€Å"a woman dressed as a man†21 to which they â€Å"fell silent and their mouths fell open†22, questionning the Professor as to â€Å"what difference does that make, comrade?†23 Preobrazhensky’s disdain for the regime is evident in thisShow MoreRelatedThe Heart Of A Dog By Mikhail Bulgakov818 Words   |  4 PagesThe Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov can be read in many different layers. The reader could view it as an absurd comical novel; or it could be read as a political parable of the failings of the soviet union and the Russian Revolution. Throughout the novel it can be seen through the hints of the soviet over power, the characters, and metaphors that the novel was about the creation of the new Soviet man and a criticism of eugenics that the Soviet union s system promoted. This novel was writtenRead MoreThe Heart Of A Dog By Mikhail Bulgakov1171 Words   |  5 PagesThe Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov was written in 1925 at the peak of the New Economy Policy period, when communism appeared to be weakening in the Soviet Union. The novel has been interpreted as humorous tale and as an allegory of the communist revolution. The reader could view it as an absurd comical novel; or it could be read as a political parable of the failings of the soviet union and the Russian Revolution. Throughout the novel it can be seen through the historical hint in the novel, theRead MoreThe Death Of A Dog Essay1585 Words   |  7 Pagesand artists. Each captures and critiques the phenomenon in front of them. Some see beauty in the flames, while others condemn them. Mikhail Bulgakov, a well know science fiction author, wrote a novel about a scientist who gives a stray hound the pituitary gland and reproductive organs of a deceased man. The Heart of a Dog brilliantly pa ralleled the perception of a dog-turned-man to that of an unquestioning communist follower. The Russian Revolution is one of the most well-known and internationallyRead MoreRussia And The Soviet Union1745 Words   |  7 Pagesform of economic inequality and population division. This is a common theme that remained throughout Russian history until the Bolshevik Revolution, a revolution that paved the way for the establishment of the communist Soviet Union. In Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov, the theme of whether or not Russia truly transformed into a new state, and how much of the change is actually of substance and not superficial, was questioned. While Russia was considered a unique communist state after the BolshevikRead MoreThe Soviet Union And Czechoslovakia Essay1679 Words   |  7 Pagescoin were the bourgeois specialist who were middle class citizens that were allowed operated outside of the Communist ideas of redistribution of wealth and property. A great example of this was in the surrealistic novel by author Mikhail Bulgakov titled The Heart of a Dog. In the book Dr. Preobrazhensky, an example of a bourgeois specialist, is confronted by the â€Å"new house management committee†, who are representative of the Communist Proletariat, on the issue of his lavish household accommodations