What is the essence of a dog's heart? The story "Heart of a Dog": history of creation and fate

« dog's heart" - story by M.A. Bulgakov. The story was created in January-March 1925 and was intended for the almanac “Nedra”, but was not published for censorship reasons. Nevertheless, the existence of the story was known to the Moscow public, since Bulgakov read it in March 1925 at the literary meeting of the Nikitsky Subbotniks. Later it was distributed in samizdat. First published: “Student” (London, 1968, nos. 9 and 10), “Fringes” (Frankfurt, 1968, no. 69). The first domestic publication is “Banner” (1987, No. 6).

Bulgakov’s “Heart of a Dog” completes the cycle of satirical stories of the 20s, which included the “Diaboliad” (1924) and “Diaboliad” (1924) written a little earlier. Fatal eggs"(1925). The story is connected in different ways with numerous literary and extra-literary sources; it combines various genre elements. First of all, Bulgakov’s story “The Heart of a Dog” fits into the parameters of the genre of fantastic adventure, the plot reminiscent of such a work as the novel by the English science fiction writer H. Wells “The Island of Doctor Moreau” (1896), where an experiment is carried out to breed a “hybrid” of man and animal. This side of the story enters the mainstream of the actively developing in the 20s. genre science fiction(A.N. Topstoy, A. Belyaev).

With all this, one cannot help but take into account the obvious parodic overtones of the fantastic plot, which is indicated by both the title itself and the subtitle - “ Monstrous story" The experiment of the hero of the story, Professor Philip Filippovich Preobrazhensky, which led to an unpredictable result, the appearance of a man-dog, is closely related to the widespread in the 20s. natural science experiments and medical practice on rejuvenation of the human body. Bulgakov, being a doctor, was well acquainted with publications on this topic. In addition, it is also important that the prototype of Professor Preobrazhensky was Bulgakov’s uncle, gynecologist N.M. Pokrovsky, who lived on Prechistenka, where the events of the story unfold.

However, under the outer cover of the scientific adventure genre, as in the story “Fatal Eggs,” there was hidden a deep metaphor with serious satirical overtones. The motives and images of the story were, in one way or another, a reflection of the writer’s views on the nature of the historical events of 1917 themselves and their consequences. Preobrazhensky’s experiment on transplanting the pituitary gland of the “semi-proletarian” Klim Chugunkin into a dog and thus the appearance of Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov was read as an artistic projection of a titanic social experiment of the 20th century, which led to monstrous results. In the image of Sharikov, the idea of a “new man”, born of a revolutionary explosion and Marxist theory, received a parodic embodiment (however, both theosophists and Nietzscheans spoke about the “new man” of the coming eras). Through the mouth of Preobrazhensky, Bulgakov expressed the idea of the danger of a reckless voluntaristic invasion not only into the biological nature of man, but also into social processes society. Grotesque, irony, and parody became the means of vivid socio-psychological characterization of the social atmosphere of the 20s.

The social and satirical orientation of Bulgakov’s story “Heart of a Dog” and its metaphorical subtext make it possible to bring it closer to the genre of dystopia, of which the novel by E.I. Zamyatin “We” (1921). Like him, “Heart of a Dog” sounds like a warning about the dire consequences of a historical experiment, which can only be avoided by returning everything to its previous natural course.

The expanded multi-layered artistic metaphor of “Heart of a Dog” also contains hidden evangelical and infernal motives. The nature of their implementation became a stage in the writer’s movement towards the ideas and figurative structure of the main novel “The Master and Margarita”. In the light of this movement, the time, place of action, personalities and even the names of the main characters acquire a certain significance. The operation on Sharik begins on the evening of December 23, and the humanization of the dog is completed on the night of January 7, that is, the “transfiguration” takes place between Catholic and Orthodox Christmas, which hints at the universal scale of the consequences. On the other hand, this time period can be considered as the result of a “diabolical mistake” caused by a change in calendar styles, and then the action of the story takes on a mystical connotation, taking place in a kind of “chronological void”, in a “temporal vacuum” between two Christmases. Poligraf Poligrafovich is the embodiment not of Christ, but of the devil, as evidenced by the very name he took in the secular calendar (the name Poligraf - literally: “many-writer” - obviously contains an allusion to the armchair theories of the 19th century, which reshaped the destinies of hundreds of millions of people, breaking into into the world of the 20th century; an interpretation in the spirit of Ortega y Gasset is also possible, where Sharikov turns out to be a “man of the masses”, the mass replication of ideas by printing).

The background of the action is also of particular importance: the professor’s apartment, located on Prechistenka (a name also included in the circle of religious associations) is a kind of “model” heavenly kingdom, or the Universe. Consisting of seven rooms ( sacred number- seven days of creation), she stands in the midst of the Chaos surrounding her, maintaining strict order and hierarchy of hell (kitchen hearth), heaven (office and dining room) and purgatory (examination room and operating room). Preobrazhensky himself, like the Creator, has the power over life and death - he restores youth.

Among the numerous interpretations of the text of “Heart of a Dog”, there are also attempts to “decipher” its images as hidden allusions to real historical figures. Thus, the parodied prototypes of Sharikov turn out to be Lenin and Trotsky. According to other versions, Sharikov is the ignorant and tongue-tied Stalin, who was nurtured to his death by Lenin (Preobrazhensky) and Trotsky (Bormenthal). On the wall in the professor’s office hangs a portrait of the physiologist Mechnikov, whose appearance resembles the “progenitor” of the Russian revolution, Marx. Read from this angle, Bulgakov’s secret writing reproduces in figurative form the ups and downs of the struggle for power within the Bolshevik camp in the mid-20s.

Based on the story Feature Film“Heart of a Dog” (1988, Lenfilm, directed by V. Bortko, starring E. Evstigneev and V. Tolokonnikov).

Bulgakov wrote many stories and novellas, but none of them were written just like that, without some secret, subtle hint. In each of his works, with the help of witty and deft satire, he reveals some secret or gave an answer to a question that has long been of concern to everyone. So the story “” contains something more than a story about the transformation of a dog into a man.

No. It touches on a question that has long worried the writer himself, which he later put into the mouth of Pontius Pilate from “The Master and Margarita”: “What is truth?”

This question is eternal; you can find many different answers to it, but as Bulgakov noted in “Notes on Cuffs” with bitter irony: “Only through suffering does truth come... It’s black, rest assured! But they don’t pay you money or give you rations for knowing the truth. Sad but true."

But what does it mean? Can we say that Sharik, the dog on the street, learned what truth is? I think it's possible. But we, seeing Sharik’s life before and after the operation, empathizing with him in his pain, fear and other feelings, merging our souls with his during reading, understand how reckless and immoral medicine is. Yes, Sharik is just an animal, but he feels, lives, and therefore did not deserve what Professor Preobrazhensky did to him. Nothing living deserves such treatment.

The story “Heart of a Dog” is a story about the great discoveries made by professors of the school system, brilliant scientists in the era of scientific experiments. Behind the screen of laughter in the story are hidden deep thoughts about the shortcomings human nature, about the destructiveness of ignorance, about the responsibility that, along with discoveries, falls on the shoulders of scientists and science. Eternal themes that still do not lose their meaning.

We see that Bulgakov, jokingly, reveals to us the image of not only Sharik, but also the professor himself, who, like many people in his profession, is lonely. Philip Philipovich is associated only with a deity in the eyes of Sharik, but for others he is the key to the castle of rejuvenation. We come to understand that if a person combines loneliness, the desire to refute an unacceptable reality and honesty, then this can lead to unexpected and sometimes tragic consequences. Sharik came to such an inevitable, critical outcome, transforming into Sharikov. Bulgakov in “Heart of a Dog” mercilessly exposes “purity”, science that has lost its aesthetic principle and self-satisfied people of science. They imagined themselves equal to God: they decided to reshape the animal essence, creating a man out of a dog.

Therefore, I think that the story is dedicated not only to misconceptions associated with science and medicine, but also to a cold attitude towards the universe and religion.

And the truth is that every Living being makes his way through life different ways, some through deception, mistakes, but most often through labor, which sometimes does not carry what they wanted to achieve. Sometimes it happens that people, in achieving their goal, “walk over corpses”, this is what we see in Bulgakov. Bulgakov's satire carries within itself secret meaning, but it’s easy to understand: you just have to want it.

The writer believed that his reader had a thoughtful and unbiased mind - for this he respected him, sought contact with him, turning to the pages of his works. We must accept this gift and understand Bulgakov's satire in all its strength and complexity.

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 Doctor Bormental are trying to instill good manners in Sharikov and educate 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 was to return Sharik to his original position.

About the history of the creation and publication of the story “Heart of a Dog”

Bulgakov Mikhail Afanasyevich - About the history of the creation and publication of the story “Heart of a Dog”

About the history of the creation and publication of the story “Heart of a Dog”

In January 1925, M. A. Bulgakov, by order of the Nedra magazine, where his works “The Diaboliad” and “Fatal Eggs” had previously been published, began work on a new story. It was originally called
"Dog's heart"

Its plot echoes the novel by the famous English science fiction writer Herbert Wells, “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” which describes the experiments of a professor in surgically transforming people into animals. The prototype of one of the main characters of M. A. Bulgakov’s story, Professor Preobrazhensky, was the writer’s uncle, the famous Moscow doctor N. M. Pokrovsky.

In March 1925, the writer read his story for the first time at the literary meeting of the Nikitin Subbotniks. One of the listeners immediately reported to the Main Political Directorate of the country: “Such things read in the most brilliant literary circle are much more dangerous than the useless and harmless speeches of writers of the 101st grade at meetings of the All-Russian Union of Poets. The whole thing is written in hostile tones, breathing endless contempt for the Soviet Union and denies all its achievements. There is a faithful, strict and vigilant guardian of the Soviet Power, this is Glavlit, and if my opinion does not disagree with his, then this book will not see the light of day.”

And although M. A. Bulgakov had already signed an agreement with the Moscow Art Theater to stage the story on stage, due to a censorship ban it was terminated. And on May 7, 1926, with the sanction of the Central Committee of the Party, they came to the writer himself with a search, as a result of which not only two copies of the typewritten version of “The Heart of a Dog” were seized, but also his personal diaries. The story came to its reader in the USSR only in 1987.

In January 1925, M. A. Bulgakov, by order of the Nedra magazine, where his works “Diaboliad” and “Fatal Eggs” had previously been published, began work on a new story. It was originally called
“Dog happiness. Monstrous story", but soon the writer replaced the name with
"Dog's heart". The work was completed in March of the same year.

While similar statements“competent” employees could not pass without a trace. At the request of the editor-in-chief of the Nedra magazine N. S. Angarsky, the Soviet party and statesman Lev Kamenev. He gave the final verdict on the manuscript: “This is a poignant pamphlet on modernity, and under no circumstances should it be published.”

In January 1925 M.A. Bulgakov, commissioned by the Nedra magazine, where his works “Diaboliad” and “Fatal Eggs” had previously been published, began work on a new story. It was originally called “Dog happiness. Monstrous story" , but soon the writer replaced the name with "Dog's heart" . The work was completed in March of the same year.

Its plot echoes the novel by the famous English science fiction writer Herbert Wells, “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” which describes the experiments of a professor in surgically transforming people into animals. The prototype of one of the main characters of the story M.A. Bulgakov's professor Preobrazhensky became the writer's uncle, the famous Moscow doctor N.M. Pokrovsky.

In March 1925, the writer read his story for the first time at the literary meeting of the Nikitin Subbotniks. One of the listeners immediately reported to the Main Political Directorate of the country: “Such things read in the most brilliant literary circle are much more dangerous than the useless and harmless speeches of writers of the 101st grade at meetings of the All-Russian Union of Poets. The whole thing is written in hostile tones, breathing endless contempt for the Soviet Union and denies all its achievements. There is a faithful, strict and vigilant guardian of the Soviet Power, this is Glavlit, and if my opinion does not differ from his, then this book will not see the light of day.”

At that time, such statements by “competent” employees could not pass without leaving a trace. At the request of the editor-in-chief of the Nedra magazine N.S. Angarsky, the Soviet party and statesman Lev Kamenev got acquainted with the manuscript of the story. He gave the final verdict on the manuscript: “This is a poignant pamphlet on modernity, and under no circumstances should it be published.” Material from the site http://iEssay.ru

Bulgakov’s legendary work “The Heart of a Dog” is studied in literature lessons in the 9th grade. Its fantastic content reflects very real historical events. In “Heart of a Dog,” the analysis according to plan assumes detailed analysis everyone artistic aspects works. It is this information that is presented in our article, including analysis of the work, criticism, issues, compositional structure and the history of creation.

Brief Analysis

Year of writing- the story was written in 1925.

History of creation- the work is created quickly - in three months, sold in samizdat, but published in its homeland only in 1986 during the period of perestroika.

Subject– rejection of violent intervention in history, political changes in society, the theme of human nature, its nature.

Composition– a ring composition based on the image of the main character.

Genre- social and philosophical satirical story.

Direction– satire, fantasy (as a way of presenting literary text).

History of creation

Bulgakov's work was written in 1925. In just three months, a brilliant work was born, which subsequently gained a legendary future and national fame.

It was being prepared for publication in the Nedra magazine. After reading the text, Chief Editor, naturally, refused to print such an openly hostile political system, book. In 1926, the author’s apartment was searched and the manuscript of “Heart of a Dog” was confiscated. In its original version, the book was called “Dog's Happiness. A monstrous story,” she later received modern name, which is associated with lines from the book by A. V. Laifert.

The very idea of the plot, according to researchers of Mikhail Bulgakov’s work, was borrowed by the author from the science fiction writer G. Wells. Bulgakov's plot becomes almost a covert parody of government circles and their policies. The writer twice read his story, for the first time at the literary meeting “Nikitin Subbotniks”. After the next performance, the audience was delighted, with the exception of a few communist writers. During the author’s lifetime, his work was not published, largely due to its disgraced content, but there was another reason. “The Heart of a Dog” was first published abroad, which automatically “sentenced” the text to persecution in its homeland. Therefore, only in 1986, 60 years later, it appeared on the pages of Zvezda magazine. Despite his disfavor, Bulgakov hoped to publish the text during his lifetime; it was rewritten, copied, and passed on by friends and acquaintances of the writer, admiring the courage and originality of the images.

Subject

The writer raises problem the ideology and politics of Bolshevism, the lack of education of those who rose to power, the impossibility of forcibly changing the order of history. The results of the revolution are deplorable; it, like the operation of Professor Preobrazhensky, led to completely unexpected consequences, revealed the most terrible diseases society.

Subject human nature, nature, characters are also touched upon by the author. It gives a translucent hint that a person feels too omnipotent, but is not able to control the fruits of his activities.

Briefly about issues works: violent change social order and the way of life will inevitably lead to disastrous results, the “experiment” will be unsuccessful.

Idea Bulgakov's story is quite transparent: any artificial intervention in nature, society, history, politics, and other areas will not lead to positive changes. The author adheres to healthy conservatism.

Main thought The story says the following: uneducated, immature “people” like the “Sharikovs” should not be given power, they are morally immature, such an experiment will result in a disaster for society and history. The conclusion about artistic purposes the author's position political system and politicians of the 20s and 30s, so both ideas have the right to life.

Meaning of the name works is that not all people are born with normal, spiritually “healthy” hearts. There are people on earth who live the life of Sharikov, they have dog (bad, evil) hearts from birth.

Composition

The story has ring composition, which can be traced by following the content of the work.

The story begins with a description of a dog who soon becomes a man; ends where it began: Sharikov is operated on and again takes on the appearance of a contented animal.

The special features of the composition are diary entries Bormental about the results of the experiment, about the rebirth of the patient, about his achievements and degradation. Thus, the history of Sharikov’s “life” was documented by the professor’s assistant. Bright key point The composition is Sharikov’s acquaintance with Shvonder, who has a decisive influence on the formation of the personality of the newly minted citizen.

In the center of the story are two main characters: Professor Preobrazhensky and Polygraph Sharikov, they are the ones who have a plot-shaping role. In the beginning of the work, an interesting technique is used by the author, when life is shown through the eyes of the dog Sharik, his “dog” thoughts about the weather, about people and own life– a reflection of the little that is needed for a peaceful existence. The culmination of the story is the rebirth of Polygraph, his moral and spiritual decay, the highest manifestation which became the plot to kill the professor. In the denouement, Bormetal and Philip Philipovich return the experimental subject to his original form, thereby correcting their mistake. This moment is very symbolic, as it defines what the story teaches: some things can be corrected if you admit your mistake.

Main characters

Genre

The genre “Heart of a Dog” is usually referred to as a story. It is essentially a social or political satire. Interweaving sharp satire with philosophical reflections about the future after the revolution gives the right to call the work a socio-philosophical satirical story with elements of fantasy.