![]() ![]() After sentencing the innocent man to death, he is haunted by his iniquities. His interactions with the sinless Yeshua, however, force Pilate to confront his own conscience. A prideful and uncaring man, he boasts of his reputation as a “fierce monster” and guiltlessly inflicts brutal beatings (16). Pontius Pilate, the “cruel fifth procurator of Judea,” experiences a change of heart even more drastic than Ivan the Homeless. At the end of Ivan’s conversation with the Master, he begs, “Tell me, what happened afterwards with Yeshua and Pilate,” completing his transformation from an unthinking sycophant to an engaged and curious seeker of truth (147). Ivan recognizes himself as an “ignorant man” and is imbued with the desire for knowledge (133). In chapter thirteen, one short conversation with the Master leads Ivan to accepting the failures of his poetry, calling it “atrocious” and promising to write no more (131). But through his connection with the Master, Ivan undergoes great growth. Not fueled by passion, nor by educated thought, Ivan’s poems are repackaged state propaganda. ![]() Though he proudly proclaims his atheist stance, Ivan’s lack of theological knowledge renders him incapable of producing a convincing denunciation of Christ. Yet, his ignorance stops him from succeeding at even this minor undertaking. Tasked to write an anti-religious poem, young Ivan unquestioningly drafts the piece. Ivan the Homeless begins his story as a tool of the state. More obviously, Margarita’s insistence of calling her love “Master” lends to his characterization as a spiritual leader and hers as his disciple. By coloring their relationship with this deep, almost spiritual connotation, Bulgakov establishes the Master as a Christ-like savior. Bulgakov depicts Margarita’s meeting with the Master as a fateful, even preordained event after their initial interaction, Margarita “insisted that… had, of course, loved each other for a long, long time, without knowing each other” (138). Close to suicide, Margarita seemingly needs divine intervention to save her life. Yet, until meeting the Master, she lives a life devoid of meaning. Margarita-young, beautiful, and rich-possesses every material good. An idol to Margarita, a mentor to Ivan the Homeless, and a god to Pilate, the Master has considerable impact on the lives of others. As such, the Master is best analyzed through his relationships with other characters. Performing few actions and delivering infrequent dialogue, his most notable and character-defining moments are relayed in backstory, not within either of the two timelines that unfold across the novel. Only featured in eleven of the thirty-two chapters, the Master is a title character, but rarely present in the novel. Personifying truth in an age of censorship and deceit, his character arch is imbued with the full significance of Bulgakov’s message. Bulgakov writes one of the titular characters, the Master, to be the thematic crux of the novel. ![]() He argues, if citizens had been guided by bravery and sincerity rather than self-preservation, then Soviet society would not have been able to deteriorate as it did. A throughline in the novel, Bulgakov continuously reaffirms that individuals are responsible for their own choices, even if they live in an unjust society. Authors, such as Bulgakov, found methods of conveying searing political commentary through allegory, subtlety, and myth.įilling Master and Margarita with satire and subtle digs, Bulgakov uses comedy and creativity as a vessel to communicate a deeply earnest moral about the role of personal cowardice in Soviet corruption. However, while direct criticism was impossible, indirect was not. During this period authors and poets-the individuals most well equipped to transcend propaganda and recognize societal flaws-were prohibited from doing so at threat of death or imprisonment. Mikhail Bulgakov wrote Master and Margarita between 19, during some of the most severe years of Soviet censorship. ![]()
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