Essay "Analysis of the episode "Operation" in M. Bulgakov's story "Heart of a Dog""

In the story “Heart of a Dog” in a fantastic-satirical form
exposes the post-revolutionary time in which monsters are born
Sharikov. There is another topic in the story that was touched upon
the satirist's pen is the theme of the scientist's responsibility for his discoveries.
The theme of the intelligentsia is connected with the image of Professor Preobrazhensky,
who made a lot of efforts to accomplish the revolution.
Symbolically, the figure of the professor personifies the one who created Sha-
Rikov, a boor and a scoundrel.
The boundaries of the episode related to Sharik's operation: the beginning - Sharik
euthanized, end - operation completed. The episode centers on the professor.
Preobrazhensky at work.
The author calls him a priest: “Then the priest moved” - that
in this way he gives the operation pagan significance. But it's high
priesthood is subsequently transformed into a process that the author
paints pictures by no means sublime words. “The teeth of Philip Philipovich
shrank, the eyes acquired a sharp, prickly shine,
and, waving his knife, he accurately and long stretched across Sharik’s stomach
wound." The entire operating room began to resemble a room “in which
dealt with the victim." “Bormenthal attacked predatorily...”
“Philip Philipovich slashed a second time, and Sharik’s body together
They started tearing them apart with hooks, scissors, and some kind of staples.” Description
given in a professional medical language, although used
vocabulary that is quite appropriate when describing a knacker.
“Pink and yellow fabrics, crying with bloody dew, jumped out
", which Philip Philipovich mercilessly tore with a knife.
After surgery on the seminal glands, Professor Preobrazhensky
and Dr. Bormenthal were to begin surgery on
brain. “Then both became agitated like murderers who are in a hurry
" Philip Philipovich's face became scary. "He bared his teeth
porcelain and gold crowns and placed on the forehead in one step
Sharika red crown."
In general, this scene is very symbolic. Two intellectuals working
over the brain of a dog, introducing into it the pituitary gland from the brain of a proletarian.
If we remember that for a century the intelligentsia sought
to “reason” with the people, then Bulgakov’s idea becomes transparent,
brilliantly depicted in this scene.
He spares no colors to highlight the figures of the two luminaries from
science behind such an unsightly matter. "A thin fountain struck once
blood, almost hit the professor in the eye and sprinkled his cap. Bormental
with torsion tweezers, like a tiger, he rushed to clamp and clamped.
Sweat crawled from Bormenthal in streams, and his face became fleshy
and colorful. His eyes darted from the hands of Philip Philipovich
to the plate on the table. Philip Philipovich became positively scary.
A hiss escaped from his nose, his teeth opened to his gums..."
Professor Preobrazhensky and Doctor Bormental were sure
that they are making a great scientific discovery. “It has no equal in Europe,
By God, Bormenthal thought vaguely.” And from a scientific experiment
by rejuvenation, the result was a hybrid of a human with a dog’s heart,
boor and scoundrel. Bulgakov hints that the intelligentsia carries
main responsibility for the unpredictable processes of revolutionary
transformations.
The operation scene allowed Bulgakov to brilliantly demonstrate
and your medical knowledge, and bring it to the level of symbolism
pituitary gland transplant surgery. This scene is too transparent
The role of the intelligentsia in the process of the emergence of the “Sharikovs” was revealed.

The theme of disharmony, brought to the point of absurdity due to human intervention in the laws of social development, was revealed with brilliant skill and talent by Mikhail Bulgakov in the story “The Heart of a Dog.” This idea is realized by the writer in an allegorical form: simple,...

M. Bulgakov's satirical stories occupy a special place both in his work and in all Russian literature. If they had been widely published and appreciated in their time, they might have been able to serve as a warning against many mistakes - but, alas,...

New!
So, as a sign of peaceful greeting, I take off my hat and hit my brow, Recognizing the philosopher-poet Under a careful cap. A. S. Pushkin According to the genre, “Heart of a Dog” (1925) is a story, but, discussing its genre originality, it should be recognized that it is a socio-philosophical...

The satirical story “The Heart of a Dog” by M. A. Bulgakov was written in 1925. It combines three genre and artistic forms: fantasy, social dystopia and satirical pamphlet. The story is based on a risky experiment. The most difficult operation,...

New!
M. Bulgakov’s story “The Heart of a Dog” combines three genre and artistic forms: fantasy, social dystopia and satirical pamphlet. The most complex operation performed by Professor Preobrazhensky, its stunning results are, of course,...

The story "Heart of a Dog"

Bulgakov's third story, “Heart of a Dog,” was written in January-March 1925. On March 7, Bulgakov reads the first part of “The Heart of a Dog” at the Nikitin Subbotnik. March 21 - the second part of the story was read there.

The story “Heart of a Dog” came to the domestic reader more than sixty years after its creation, in the 6th book of the Znamya magazine in 1987. The Moscow topography of the work is curious, again indicating a certain autobiographical nature of the story.

The path that Sharik follows after his newfound divine master is drawn by Bulgakov with his characteristic precision: from the Tsentrokhoz cooperative to the Prechistinskaya fire brigade, past Dead Lane to Obukhov Lane, to the mezzanine.

On Prechistenki Street and Obukhova Lane, N.M. lived in the mezzanine. Pokrovsky, mother’s brother M.A. Bulgakova, gynecologist and former assistant to the famous Moscow professor of gynecology V.F. Snegirev. This N.M. Pokrovsky was the prototype of the main character of the story “Heart of a Dog” - Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky.

The Faustian theme of the homunculus is taken by Bulgakov from an unexpected perspective. A laboratory creature that was born as a result of an experiment - “the world’s first operation according to Professor Preobrazhensky.”

There is an episode in the story that is worth lengthy discussions “ general plan”, which conveys and explains Preobrazhensky’s mastery. This is a description of the operation, the climactic scene of the first part of “Heart of a Dog.” Preobrazhensky’s “teeth clenched, his eyes acquired a sharp, prickly shine, both became agitated, like killers in a hurry. Philip Philipovich’s face became terrible, a hiss escaped from his nose, his teeth opened to his gums,” he “looked around brutally, growled, roared angrily, his face became like that of an inspired robber….., fell off completely, like a well-fed vampire…., tore off one glove, throwing out a cloud of sweaty powder, tore the other, threw it on the floor and rang.....” Sweat, “predatory eye,” tempo, passion, courage, virtuosity, risk and tension, which can be compared with the tension of a violinist or conductor , - this is Philip Philipovich in the “business”, where both human essence and the highest professionalism are fused together.

The newly minted “labor element” is struck by dinners with wine and “forty pairs of pants,” his ideological mentor Shvonder by “seven rooms that everyone knows how to occupy,” but the years research work the owner of these goods, hundreds of transactions and daily intellectual training are not visible to him.

Members of the house committee come to the professor, completely immersed in delivering correct and revolutionary speeches around the clock, replacing practical and everyday work with them. And these, according to the professor’s sarcastic definition, are “singers” and come out with a demand for “labor discipline” from a person who, unlike them, does not leave work for a single day - no matter what happens around.

Sharikov comes under the banner of social demagoguery, which takes root much faster and easier than the skills of creative activity. He begins not with a problem book and a grammar, but with the correspondence between Engels and Kautsky, instantly “coming out” to the most pressing problem for him, “social justice,” understood as the task of “dividing” among all.

Decades ago, a shock was caused by Lenin's thought, sharpened in the formula about every cook who should learn to manage the state. At first it was heard that “every cook” should do this. And only over time did attention shift to the other part of the phrase: “must learn.” But to start learning, you had to realize the need to do it.

Sharikov-Chugunkin, “standing at the lowest level of development,” unable to even minimally appreciate the complexity of the subject under discussion (“Congress, the Germans, ... my head is swelling ...”), enters into polemics with people who have spent years thinking about the problem and years, on equal terms, without a shadow of a doubt.

The professor foresees a simple course of Sharikov’s reasoning.

“Let me ask you what you can say about what you read?

Sharikov shrugged.

- Yes, I don’t agree.
- With whom? With Engels or with Kautsky?
“With both,” answered Sharikov.”

And then Sharikov formulates the vulgar idea of dividing equally for everyone, that is, he sets out that very misunderstood idea of social justice, which takes hold of minds only at the seductive stage of division, and not at all of creation, accumulation of what will only much later become possible to divide.

The professor makes an attempt, however futile, to clearly explain this to Sharikov.

The sharp degradation of intelligence that is taking place before our eyes is obvious: undoubtedly, the stray mongrel stands at an immeasurably higher level of development than Klim Chugunkin, who “has taken possession” of her body. Let us remember that it is through the mouth of Sharik that we are given the first and extremely expressive description of Professor Preobrazhensky as a “man of mental labor” who is calm and independent because he is “eternally well-fed.”

In the second part, we are no longer facing Sharik, but Klim Chugunkin, whose very first phrases speak of social aggression, immorality, uncleanliness and complete ignorance. It is no coincidence that the attention with which the writer captures Sharikov’s plasticity and his manner of behavior. He stands “leaning against the lintel” and “crossing his legs,” his gait is “loose,” when he sat down on a chair, “he hung his hands along the lapels of his jacket,” etc. According to Bulgakov, in posture, gesture, facial expressions, and intonations, a person’s perception of the world can be read no less clearly than heard in speeches and manifested in actions.

That “high bearing of spirit”, which does not allow the professor and his colleague to “poke” even a creature who does not enjoy any respect on their part, is polar opposite to Sharikov’s derogatory and familiar forms in which he tends to clothe his relationships with others.

“An ordinary servant, and a force like a commissar’s” - about Zina; “It’s still one and a half rubles to pay for such a bastard. Yes, he himself” - about a neighbor in the Kalabukhovsky house; “dad” - addressed to Philip Philipovich and so on.

“It’s all like we’re on parade,” Sharikov accuses his hosts, ““sorry” and “merci,” but in a way that’s real, that’s no.” The norms of communication, natural for the professor and his colleague, are painful and burdensome for Sharikov; he considers them “fake”, painful for everyone.

"Heart of a Dog Chapter 05."

From the diary of Doctor Bormenthal

Thin, notebook-sized paper. Written in Bormenthal's handwriting. On the first two pages it is neat, neat and clear, then later it is sweeping, excited, with a lot of blots.

Laboratory dog approximately two years old. Male. Breed mongrel. Nickname - Sharik. The wool is thin, bushy, brownish, with tan marks. The tail is the color of baked milk. On the right side there are traces of a completely healed burn. The food before admission to the professor is poor, after a week-long stay - extremely well-fed. Weight 8 kg (exclamation mark). Heart, lungs, stomach, temperature...

December 23. At 8.30 pm the first operation in Europe was performed according to Prof. Preobrazhensky: under chloroform anesthesia, Sharik’s ovaries were removed and instead, male ovaries with appendages and spermatic cords were transplanted, taken from a 28-year-old man who died 4 hours, 4 minutes before the operation and preserved in sterilized physiological fluid by Prof. Preobrazhensky.

Immediately after this, after trephination of the skull cap, the brain appendage - the pituitary gland - was removed and replaced with a human one from the above-mentioned man.

8 cubes of chloroform, 1 syringe of camphor, 2 syringes of adrenaline were injected into the heart.

Indication for the operation: setting up Preobrazhensky’s experiment with a combined transplantation of the pituitary gland and testicles to clarify the question of the survival of the pituitary gland, and subsequently its effect on the rejuvenation of the body in humans.

Operated by Prof. F. F. Preobrazhensky.

Assisted by Dr. A. Bormental.

On the night after surgery: ominous repeated drops in pulse. Expectation of death. Huge doses of camphor according to Preobrazhensky.

December 24. In the morning - improvement. Breathing doubles, temperature 42. Camphor, caffeine under the skin.

December 25. Deterioration again. The pulse is barely palpable, the extremities are cold, the pupils do not respond. Adrenaline in the heart, camphor according to Preobrazhensky, saline solution in a vein.

December 26. Some improvement. Pulse 180, respiration 92, temperature 41. Camphor, enemas.

December 28th. Significant improvement. At noon, sudden drenching sweat, temperature 37.0. Surgical wounds are in the same condition. Dressing. I have an appetite. Liquid food.

December 29th. Suddenly, hair loss was detected on the forehead and sides of the body. Called for consultation: Professor of the Department of Skin Diseases Vasily Vasilyevich Bundarev and Director of the Moscow Veterinary Demonstration Institute. They considered the case undescribed in the literature. The diagnosis remained unclear. Temperature - 37.0.

(Write in pencil)

In the evening the first bark appeared (8 hours 15 minutes). Note the sharp change in timbre and lowering of tone. Barking instead of the word "gau-gau" into the syllables "a-o" is vaguely reminiscent of a groan in color.

December 30th. Hair loss has taken on the character of general baldness. Weighing gave an unexpected result - 30 kg due to the growth (lengthening) of the bones. The dog is still lying down.

(There is a blot in the notebook. After the blot, in hasty handwriting).

At 12 o'clock 12 min. Day the dog clearly barked a-b-yr.

December 1. (Crossed out, corrected) January 1, 1925 Photographed in the morning. “Abyr” barks happily, repeating this word loudly and as if joyfully. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon (in large letters) he laughed, causing Zina's maid to faint. In the evening he said the word “abyr-valg”, “abyr” 8 times in a row.

(in oblique letters with a pencil): the professor deciphered the word “abyr-valg”, it means “chief fish”... Something of a monster...

January 2. Photographed while smiling with magnesium. Got out of bed and stood confidently for half an hour hind legs. Almost my height.

(In a notebook, loose leaf).

Russian science almost suffered a heavy loss.

Case history of Professor F. F. Preobrazhensky.

At 1 hour 13 minutes. - Deep fainting with prof. Preobrazhensky. When he fell, he hit his head on a chair stick. T-a.

In my and Zina’s presence, the dog (if you can call it a dog, of course) cursed at Prof. Preobrazhensky on his mother's side.

(Break in recordings).

Today, after his tail fell off, he pronounced the word “beerhouse” quite clearly. The phonograph is working. The devil knows what it is.

I'm getting lost.

The professor's appointment has been stopped. Starting from 5 o'clock. During the day, from the observation room where this creature is walking, one can hear clearly vulgar swearing and the words “a couple more.”

Jan. 7. He says a lot of words: “cab driver”, “no seats”, “evening newspaper”, “the best gift for children” and all the swear words that exist in the Russian lexicon.

His appearance is strange. The fur remained only on the head, chin and chest. He is otherwise bald with loose skin. In the genital area, a developing man. The skull has increased significantly. The forehead is sloping and low.

By God, I'm going crazy.

Philip Philipovich still feels bad. I do most of the observations. (Phonograph, photographs).

Rumors spread throughout the city.

The consequences are incalculable. This afternoon the whole alley was full of some loafers and old women. Onlookers are still standing outside the windows. An amazing note appeared in the morning newspapers: “rumors about a Martian in Obukhovo Lane are not based on anything. They were spread by merchants from Sukharevka and will be severely punished.” - What the hell, Martian? After all, this is a nightmare.

Even better in the "evening" - they wrote that a child was born who plays the violin. There is also a drawing - a violin and my photographic card and under it the signature: “Prof. Preobrazhensky, who made C-section at his mother's." This is something indescribable... He says a new word, "policeman."

It turns out that Daria Petrovna was in love with me and whistled a card from Philip Philipovich’s album. After shooing the reporters away, one of them crawled into the kitchen, etc.

What happens during the reception! There were 82 calls today. The phone is turned off. Childless ladies have gone crazy and are going...

The house committee is in full force, headed by Shvonder. Why - they themselves don’t know.

January 8. Late in the evening the diagnosis was made. Philip Philipovich, as a true scientist, admitted his mistake - changing the pituitary gland does not give rejuvenation, but complete humanization (underlined three times). This does not make his amazing, stunning discovery any less.

He walked around the apartment for the first time today. Laughed in the corridor, looking at

he walked into the office. He stands firm

on the hind legs

built man.

Laughed in the office. His smile is unpleasant and as if artificial. Then he scratched the back of his head, looked around and I wrote down the new clearly

spoken word: "bourgeois". He swore. This swearing is methodical, continuous and, apparently, completely meaningless. It is somewhat phonographic in nature: as if this creature had heard swear words somewhere before, automatically subconsciously entered them into its brain and is now spewing them out in batches. However, I’m not a psychiatrist, damn me.

For some reason, swearing makes a surprisingly painful impression on Philip Philipovich. There are moments when he breaks out of his restrained and cold observation of new phenomena and seems to lose patience. So, at the moment of swearing, he suddenly nervously shouted:

Stop doing that!

This had no effect.

After a walk in the office, Sharik was taken into the examination room by joint efforts.

After this we had a meeting with Philip Philipovich. For the first time, I must confess, I saw this confident and amazingly intelligent man confused. Humming as usual, he asked, “What are we going to do now?” And he himself answered literally like this: “Moscow seamstress, yes... From Seville to Grenada. Moscow seamstress, dear doctor...”. I did not get anything. He explained: “I ask you, Ivan Arnoldovich, to buy him underwear, trousers and a jacket.”

January 9. The lexicon is enriched every five minutes (on average) with a new word, starting this morning, and phrases. It seems that they, frozen in consciousness, thaw and come out. The released word remains in use. Since yesterday evening the phonograph has marked: “don’t push”, “scoundrel”, “get off the bandwagon”, “I’ll show you”, “recognition of America”, “primus”.

January 10. Dressing took place. He allowed me to put on his undershirt willingly, even laughing cheerfully. He refused the long johns, expressing his protest with hoarse cries: “get in line, you sons of bitches, get in line!” Was dressed. His socks are too big.

(In the notebook there are some schematic drawings that, by all indications, depict the transformation of a dog’s leg into a human one).

The back half of the foot skeleton (planta) is lengthened. Stretching fingers. Claws.

Repeated systematic training to go to the restroom. The servants are completely depressed.

But it should be noted that the creature is intelligent. Things are going well.

January 11. Completely reconciled with the pants. He said a long, cheerful phrase: “Give me a cigarette, your trousers have stripes.”

The hair on the head is weak and silky. Easily confused with hair. But the scorch marks remained on the crown of the head. Today the last of the fluff has come off from my ears. Colossal appetite. He eats herring with enthusiasm.

At 5 o'clock in the afternoon there was an event: for the first time, the words spoken by the creature were not divorced from surrounding phenomena, but were a reaction to them. Namely: when the professor ordered him: “don’t throw leftovers on the floor,” he unexpectedly replied: “get off, you nit.”

Philip Philipovich was amazed, then recovered and said:

If you allow yourself to curse me or the doctor again, you will get screwed.

I was photographing Sharik at that moment. I guarantee that he understood the professor’s words. A gloomy shadow fell on his face. He looked rather irritated from under his brows, but calmed down.

Hurray, he understands!

January 12. Putting hands in pants pockets. Let's wean off swearing. He whistled "oh, apple." Keeps the conversation going.

I can't resist a few hypotheses: Screw rejuvenation for now. Another immeasurably more important thing: the amazing experience of Prof. Preobrazhensky revealed one of the secrets of the human brain. From now on, the mysterious function of the pituitary gland - the brain appendage - has been clarified. It determines the human appearance. Its hormones can be called the most important in the body - hormones of appearance. A new area is opening up in science: without any retort of Faust, a homunculus was created. The surgeon's scalpel brought to life a new human unit. Prof. Preobrazhensky, you are a creator (Blot).

However, I got sidetracked... So, he keeps the conversation going. According to my assumption, the situation is like this: the established pituitary gland opened the speech center in the dog’s brain and words poured out in a flood. In my opinion, what we have before us is a revived, unfolded brain, and not a newly created brain. Oh, wonderful confirmation of evolutionary theory! Oh, the greatest chain from the dog to Mendeleev the chemist! Another hypothesis: Sharik’s brain in the dog period of his life accumulated an abyss of concepts. All the words with which he began to operate first were street words, he heard them and hid them in his brain. Now, walking down the street, I look with secret horror at the dogs I meet. God knows what is hidden in their brains.

Sharik read. Read (3 exclamation marks). I guessed it. According to the main fish. I read it from the end. And I even know where the solution to this riddle is: in the intercut optic nerves dogs.

What is going on in Moscow is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Seven Sukharev merchants are already in jail for spreading rumors about the doomsday brought on by the Bolsheviks. Daria Petrovna said and even named the exact date: November 28, 1925, on the day of the Venerable Martyr Stephen, the earth will fly onto the celestial axis... Some swindlers are already giving lectures. We've done such a mess with this pituitary gland that it's enough to get out of the apartment. I moved in with Preobrazhensky at his request and spend the night in the reception room with Sharik. The observation room has been converted into a reception area. Shvonder was right. The house committee is gloating. There is not a single glass in the cabinets because I was jumping. We barely weaned ourselves off.

Something strange is happening to Philip Philipovich. When I told him about my hypotheses and the hope of developing Sharik into a very high mental personality, he chuckled and replied: “Do you think?” His tone is ominous. Was I wrong? The old man came up with something. While I'm fiddling with the medical history, he's sitting over the history of the person from whom we took the pituitary gland.

(In a notebook, loose leaf.)

Klim Grigoryevich Chugunkin, 25 years old, single. Non-party member, sympathizer. Tried 3 times and acquitted: the first time thanks to

due to lack of evidence, the second time the origin saved, the third time - conditional hard labor for 15 years. Theft. Profession - playing the balalaika in taverns.

Small in stature, poorly built. The liver is dilated (alcohol). The cause of death was a stab in the heart in a pub ("stop signal", near the Preobrazhenskaya outpost).

The old man, without looking up, sits over the Klimov disease. I don't understand what's wrong. He muttered something about the fact that he didn’t think to examine the entire corpse of the Chugunkin in the pathology department. I don’t understand what’s the matter. Does it matter whose pituitary gland?

January 17. I didn’t write it down for several days: I was sick with influenza. During this time, the appearance was finally formed.

A) a perfect person in body structure;

b) weight about three pounds;

c) short height;

d) the head is small;

D) started smoking;

f) eats human food;

G) dresses independently;

h) conducts the conversation smoothly.

This is the pituitary gland (blot).

This concludes the medical history. Before us is a new organism; you need to watch it from the beginning.

Appendix: speech transcripts, phonograph recordings, photographs.