18-21 (Apricot Soda)

Hmm, I'm not sure what to say about these chapters. Ironically, the story seemed much more real...or less absurd than before. She's well woven into the story because she's heard of the chaos going about from the black magic performance, she confirms the love story between the Master and her, and she was somewhat in love with the manuscript about Pontius Pilate. Because she's kind of been on the outside of all the events happening in part I, it was nice to see that she knew of it, too. I don't know if that's clear, but I mean to say that her knowing about Berlioz's death and the magic performance shows that they did actually happen, and that everything isn't happening in a small closed off bubble. Margarita, then shows us the other side of the love story, and that she still in fact loves him. Though she has everything one could ask for and a very fortunate lifestyle, she is still unhappy for absence of her lover the Master. Then, when she has a whole 3 days to go out and do whatever she likes, she spends a good time in the attic/closet place with the Master's old belongings, the burnt manuscript, his picture. Speaking of the manuscript, it's about Pontius Pilate! Which weaves her into the story of Pontius Pilate and Yeshua's crucifixion, and that story is woven into the Part I one of the book, thus by transitive property everything is woven into everything. That was probably not the most profound conclusion, but it's what I'm thinking.

Unfortunately, I think Margarita sold her soul to the devil when she says, "Really, I would pawn my soul to the devil to find out whether he is alive or dead" (242). Then, the devil, in the form of Azazello, fulfills his part of the bargain by telling her he is alive, and then BAM, she's gone. She is, as we have heard, an intelligent woman, who also has a good set of morals, as we saw when she felt wrong cheating on her husband, yet she does all the wrong things with Azazello. She talks to him (no talking to strangers!) She's not creeped out by him and doesn't run away from him. She trusts him when he says that the Master is alive. She inquires about the stranger. She takes the cream and etc. I think she does all these things because her soul has already been sold. (haha soul+sold=sould, haha)

I was confused as to what was happening in the river marshy area, with the singing frogs and the goat-legged ones. Is it a welcome to the witch world parade? or some sort of initiation? I thought it also strange that there was a car in the midst. I associate the fanciful, mythical things with older times maybe the 15th century? But seeing a goat-legged one get into the car seemed...anachronistic I think is the word? forgive me if I'm wrong, but I mean to say out of place.
-Apricot Soda