Summary
Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita presents 1930s Moscow through a narrative combining social critique and fantasy. Woland, often seen as the Devil, arrives in Moscow to challenge the city's atheism and disrupt its status quo. Featuring a dual storyline set in ancient Jerusalem, the plot explores themes of love, power, guilt, and the duality of good and evil. With its deft blend of satire, social critique, and the supernatural, The Master and Margarita has been recognized by critics as a significant work of 20th-century literature.
Plot
The Master and Margarita presents dual narratives—one in 1930s Moscow and the other in ancient Jerusalem. In Moscow, the story begins as Mikhail Berlioz and Ivan "Homeless" Ponyryov meet Woland, identified as the Devil. Woland’s arrival leads to strange events, such as Berlioz’s death and the antics of his eccentric entourage, including Behemoth the cat, Koroviev, Azazello, and Hella the vampire. These events critique the Soviet system, focusing on its bureaucracy and moral failings.
Concurrently, the narrative explores Pontius Pilate's interactions with Yeshua Ha-Nozri, a reimagined Jesus figure. This subplot examines themes of guilt and moral conflict, with Pilate confronting the consequences of executing an innocent person under political duress.
The titular characters are drawn into these supernatural events. The Master’s controversial novel about Pilate lands him in a mental institution, representing artistic struggle against oppressive censorship. Margarita, determined to save him, aligns with Woland and hosts his spring ball. Her dedication secures their eventual freedom, offering an escape from earthly troubles. This connects with Pilate's redemption, merging the timelines of past and present.
Characters
Woland: Woland, representing the devil, arrives in 1930s Moscow to confront moral and spiritual deficiencies. He creates chaos to expose societal hypocrisy and cowardice, illustrating the novel's theme of good versus evil.
The Master: This tormented writer battles Soviet censorship through his work on Pontius Pilate. He represents artistic integrity and the pursuit of truth. Initially in despair, he finds redemption through love and artistic vision.
Margarita: Committed to the Master, Margarita transforms into a witch to rescue him. Her journey emphasizes resilience and love's transformative power, serving as a moral and spiritual guide.
Ivan "the Homeless": A poet caught in state propaganda, Ivan becomes a truth-seeker after meeting the Master. He symbolizes personal growth and intellectual freedom.
Pontius Pilate: Pilate faces internal conflict over Yeshua's execution in the historical Jerusalem narrative. His story explores themes of moral cowardice, guilt, and redemption.
Yeshua Ha-Nozri: A reimagined Jesus figure, Yeshua rejects authority with a message of kindness, embodying spiritual purity and engaging with the novel’s philosophical questions on truth and morality.
These characters navigate the magical realism of The Master and Margarita, offering insights into human nature amid societal absurdity.
Satirical depiction of Soviet society
Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita uses satire to examine Soviet society's absurdities and moral issues. The arrival of the Devil, Woland, in Moscow leads to disorder, exposing corruption in daily Soviet life. At the Variety Theatre, Woland's supernatural actions reveal financial greed and corruption. Strange events like citizens disappearing and reappearing highlight society's focus on bureaucracy and conformity. The character of the Master illustrates the suppression of creativity and spiritual freedom, as his novel faces censorship. Bulgakov combines humor, supernatural elements, and observation to depict the conflict between Soviet ideology and the human desire for authenticity and expression.
Good and evil
The Master and Margarita explores the complex relationship between good and evil, presenting them as connected rather than opposing forces. Woland and his unusual entourage act as catalysts in uncovering the hypocrisies and moral ambiguities within Soviet society. Bulgakov suggests that good and evil depend on each other, a concept shown through the story of Pontius Pilate, which examines how well-intentioned actions can result in harmful outcomes. The novel challenges conventional views of morality and indicates that appearances can deceive, while the distinctions between good and evil remain fluid.
Magical realism
In The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov blends magical realism with everyday life in 1930s Moscow. The novel's supernatural elements appear primarily through Woland, the Devil, and his associates, including a cat named Behemoth. They trigger fantastical events across the city. One notable event takes place at the Variety Theater, where Woland’s magic uncovers the audience's moral weaknesses. Margarita’s transformation into a witch illustrates a break from Soviet constraints and reflects the novel’s exploration of freedom through fantasy. Reality is depicted as unpredictable, commenting on the chaotic nature of existence.
Quick facts
Mikhail Bulgakov wrote the novel between 1928 and 1940, but it was only published posthumously in a censored form in the 1960s.
The Master and Margarita combines supernatural elements, dark comedy, and philosophical themes, notably satirizing Soviet society.
Woland, a central character representing Satan, visits Moscow accompanied by a bizarre entourage, including a giant, talking black cat named Behemoth.
The novel features two parallel narratives—one set in 1930s Moscow and another set in ancient Jerusalem around the time of Jesus's execution.
The statement 'Manuscripts don't burn' symbolizes art's enduring resilience, reflecting Bulgakov's experience of censorship.
Pontius Pilate is depicted as a complex character wrestling with themes of guilt, cowardice, and redemption.
Margarita transforms into a witch to aid Woland, highlighting powerful, magical realism and subversion of societal norms.
Bulgakov burned an initial draft of the manuscript, mirroring the novel's theme of censorship and persecution of artists.
The Master character is largely considered a semi-autobiographical representation of Bulgakov himself.
The novel has inspired various adaptations, including the Rolling Stones's song 'Sympathy for the Devil.'
Margarita's character was likely modeled after Bulgakov's third wife, Elena Sergeevna.
Acclaimed by critics for its satirical depth, The Master and Margarita is widely regarded as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century.
Film adaptations
The Master and Margarita has inspired several film adaptations with varied interpretations of Bulgakov's narrative. The 1972 Italian-Yugoslav film, directed by Aleksandar Petrović, presents the novel's themes with an unorthodox portrayal. Released in 2011, Yuri Kara's Russian version closely follows Bulgakov’s original, capturing the novel's blend of satire and supernatural elements.
About the author
Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) was an innovative and significant Russian playwright and novelist. A native of Kiev, he pursued a career in medicine before focusing on writing. As an author under the Soviet regime, he faced censorship and surveillance. These conditions influenced his work, leading to narratives that critiqued Soviet policies and ideology. The Days of the Turbins gained Joseph Stalin's attention; however, by 1929, authorities banned many of Bulgakov's plays. His novel The Master and Margarita, written in secrecy during his later years, reflects his struggles with art and oppression while addressing moral and existential questions of his time.
