In 1925, as a response to the events taking place in the country, a satirical novel by M. Bulgakov “A Dog’s Heart” appeared. And although the publication was originally supposed to be published in the Nedra magazine, it was only released in 1987. Why did it happen so? Let’s try to answer this question by analyzing the image of the main character, Ball-Polygraph Poligrafovich.
Summary of the story “Dog Heart”
The characterization of Sharikov and who he became as a result of the experiment is an important point for understanding the idea of a work. Moscow professor Preobrazhensky, together with his assistant Bormental, decided to determine whether a pituitary transplant helps rejuvenate the body. They decided to conduct an experiment on a dog. The donor was the dead lumpen Chugunkin. To the professor’s amazement, the pituitary gland not only took root, but also contributed to the transformation of the good dog into a person (or, rather, a humanoid creature). The process of its “formation” is the basis of the novel written by M. Bulgakov, “The Heart of a Dog”. Sharikov, whose characterization is given below, is surprisingly similar to Klim. And not only externally, but also in the mindset and manners. In addition, the new masters of life in the person of Schwonder quickly explained to Sharikov what rights he has in society and in the professor’s house. As a result, a real devil burst into the calm familiar world of Preobrazhensky. First, the petty hooliganism of Polygraph Poligrafovich, then an attempt to seize housing, and finally, an open threat to Bormental's life caused the professor to perform the reverse operation. And very soon a harmless dog lived in his apartment again. This is the summary of The Dog’s Heart.
Sharikov’s characterization begins with a description of the life of a homeless dog picked up by a professor on the street.
Dog street life
At the beginning of the work, the writer depicts winter Petersburg through the perception of him as a homeless dog. Frozen and thin. Dirty, felted wool. One side is very burnt - scalded with boiling water. This is the future Sharikov. A dog’s heart - the characteristic of an animal shows that he was kinder than the one who later came out of it - responded to the sausage, and the dog obediently followed the professor.
The world for the Ball consisted of hungry and well-fed. The former were evil and strove to harm others. For the most part, they were "lackeys of life", and the dog did not like them, calling themselves "human purifications." He considered the latter, to which the professors immediately referred, less dangerous: they were not afraid of anyone, and therefore they didn’t kick the others with their feet. This was originally Sharikov.
"Dog Heart": a characteristic of the dog "home"
For a week at the Preobrazhensky house, the Ball has changed beyond recognition. He recovered and turned into a handsome man. At first, the dog was distrustful of everyone, and everyone thought what they wanted of him. He understood that he would hardly have been sheltered just like that. But over time, he got so used to a satisfying and warm life that his consciousness became dull. Now Sharik was just happy and was ready to demolish everything, if only he would not be sent to the street.
The dog respected professors - after all, it was he who took him to him. He liked the cook, as her possessions were associated with him with the very center of paradise, in which he found himself. Zina was perceived as a servant, who she really was. But Bormental, who was bitten by his leg, called "crushed" - the doctor had nothing to do with his well-being. And although the dog arouses sympathy among the reader, now you can already notice some features that Sharikov’s characteristic will later indicate. The novel “Heart of a Dog” initially defines those who instantly believed the new government and hoped to get out of poverty and “become everything” overnight. In the same way, Sharik exchanged freedom for food and warmth - he even began to wear the collar, which set him apart from other dogs on the street, with pride. A well-fed life made him a dog, ready to please the owner in everything.
Klim Chugunkin
Before talking about Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov (he chose his name for himself, and his last name was inherited), it should be noted who his donor was. Klim is a typical lumpen. He was young, but outwardly poorly built. He had three convictions, however, he was acquitted of everything, the second time, by the way, due to proletarian origin. Died of a knife. He didn’t have a profession; he earned playing the balalaika in taverns. Drunkenness, swearing, negligence, bad taste in everything, immoral behavior, open parasitism - these features of Klim will be fully manifested in the image of Polygraph Poligrafovich, which proves Sharikov’s characterization in the novel “Heart of a Dog”.
Turning a dog into a human
No more than three months passed between the two operations. Dr. Bormental describes in detail all those changes, external and internal, that occurred with the dog after the operation. As a result of humanization, a monster was obtained that inherited the habits and beliefs of its “parents”. Here is a brief description of Sharikov, the dog’s heart in which coexisted with part of the brain of the proletariat.
Polygraph Polygraphovich had an unpleasant appearance. He constantly cursed and cursed. Klim had a passion for balalaika, and playing it from morning to evening, he did not think about the peace of others. He was addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, seeds. For all the time I did not get accustomed to order. From the dog he inherited a love of delicious food and hatred of cats, laziness and a sense of self-preservation. Moreover, if the dog could still be somehow influenced, then Polygraph Poligrafovich considered his life at the expense of others quite natural - the characteristics of Sharik and Sharikov lead to such thoughts.
"Dog Heart" shows how selfish and unprincipled the protagonist was, realizing how easy it was to get everything he wanted. This his opinion only strengthened when he acquired new friends.
The role of Schwonder in the "formation" of Sharikov
The professor and his assistant tried in vain to accustom the creature that they had created to order, to observe etiquette, etc., however, Sharikov became impudent before his eyes and did not see any barriers in front of him. Schwonder played a special role in this. As the chairman of the house committee, he did not like the intelligent Preobrazhensky for a long time already because the professor lived in a seven-room apartment and kept his old worldviews. Now he decided to use Sharikov in his struggle. According to his incitement, Polygraph Poligrafovich proclaimed himself a labor element and demanded to allocate square meters due to him. Then he brought Vasnetsov to his apartment, which he intended to marry. Finally, not without the help of Schwonder, a false denunciation was concocted on the professor.
The same chairman of the house committee arranged for Sharikov to the post. And yesterday’s dog, dressed in a leather jacket, began to catch cats and dogs, experiencing pleasure from it.
And again the ball
However, everything has a limit. When Sharikov attacked Bormental with a gun, the professor and the doctor, who understood each other without a word, started the operation again. The monster generated by the combination of slave consciousness, Sharik's adaptability and Klim’s aggressiveness and rudeness was destroyed. A few days later, an innocuous sweet dog lived in the apartment again. A failed biomedical experiment outlined a very exciting social and moral problem for the writer, which Sharik and Sharikov help to understand. A comparative characteristic (“Dog’s heart”, according to V. Sakharov, “smart and hot satire”) shows them how dangerous it is to invade the realm of natural human and social relations. It was the depth of the meaning of the work that caused the story of the merry transformations of heroes for many decades to fall under the ban of the authorities.
The meaning of the story
The “dog’s heart” - Sharikov’s characteristic to confirm this - describes a dangerous social phenomenon that arose in the Soviet country after the revolution. People similar to the protagonist often found themselves in power and destroyed by their actions the best that has developed in human society for centuries. Life at the expense of others, denunciation, contempt for educated intelligent people - these and similar phenomena became the norm in the twenties.
One more important point should be noted. Preobrazhensky’s experiment is an intervention in the natural processes of nature, which again proves Sharikov’s characteristic in the novel “Heart of a Dog”. The professor understands this after all that has happened and decides to correct his mistake. However, in real life, everything is much more complicated. And an attempt to change society by revolutionary violent means is initially doomed to failure. That is why the work does not lose its relevance to this day, being a warning to contemporaries and descendants.