22-23

These chapters appear to elucidate the nature and extent of Woland’s power. It seems as though he is able to influence, to some extent, the actions of certain targets. For example, one of the needles which has marked his presence throughout the book “pierce[s Margarita’s] right hand”, causing her to “place her elbow on the column next to her” and inciting a “rustling” from the ballroom. However, it seems as though is magical powers are limited to the illusory. While he manages to sustain life in Berlioz’ head, and resurrect a number of denizens of hell to attend his ball, the close of the gala suggests that it was simply an illusion; after Margarita drinks Berlioz’ blood, all the guests revert to “dust” and the room returns to its original state, that of a jeweler’s parlor.
-Runaway Knight

At the start of chapter 22, I was struck by the dark imagery. To begin with, Margarita arrives driven by a “black bird-chauffer”, and then Azazello appears in a “black cape” to lead Margarita into “dense darkness . . . as dark as in an underground cave”. The overwhelming blackness is broken “only [by the] . . . “white” on Koroviev’s chest. This, perhaps, was symbolic of Koroviev’s good intentions concerning Margarita, or rather, his lack of malicious intentions for her.
Also noticeable was the reverence displayed by the devilish trio and the guests of the ball towards Margarita. Seeing these characters habitually treat mere mortals so condescendingly and with apparent disregard for their health and well-being, it was unnerving to see Margarita treated as a “Queen”. Margarita herself acknowledges this to a degree, accepting to wear the uncomfortable poodle necklace for the “compensation [of] . . . the deference with which Koroviev and Behemoth began to treat her.
-Primus Stove

They are ascending a staircase? The stairway to hellven?
FINALLY! AN END GOAL? Koroviev says "we shall turn it on only at the very last, an believe me, "then there will be light enough." These are exciting terms, as we finally see that perhaps they have an objective? "The very last?" and that "there will be light enough", whatever that means. Why on earth is the Devil holding a ball? That just reminds me of South Park...(read more)
-Powdered Whiskers

I have to agree with Karen and Nora that the happiness that made her fearless (and possibly reckless) may have been from the freedom she felt she had been granted as she pranced around naked writing notes to her husband of her disappearance. I had originally thought the happiness came out of the prospect that she would see the Master again, but as the ball goes on, she loses this fearlessness and this happiness, probably because she does not end up having the freedom she perceived she had. By the ball, she becomes a puppet. She does everything Koroviev and Behemoth tell her to do, and she serves Woland as the hostess of the ball; she drinks the blood and tries to please all the guests. So much for freedom, eh?...(read more)
-Apricot Soda

I am very much concerned about the time. The ball is said to begin promptly at midnight. The narrator says that one, two, then three hours go by which lead me to believe that I could trust in the time (284-5). The problem is that after all this Margarita hears “a clock striking midnight” (286). I wasn’t so much confused—I’ve gotten used to the seemingly absurd ideas in this novel—as I was curious. If it was 3 am and then suddenly midnight again I believe it, but what does this say about the world in which the story takes place? This mean that Woland can control the time, or perhaps that the narrator was simply mistaken. Before the ball, ten seconds to midnight to be exact, Margarita finds those ten seconds to be “extremely long” (280). This time lost is in her own perception. Because of the nature of the last few chapters in which she turns into a witch and flies around naked on her broom, I do not find it hard to believe that the whole thing never really happened. The whole thing might be a dream. Still it would take a very creative dream to completely rearrange time. So far the narrator has made it pretty clear which day it is, so I will wait for his call. If he hadn’t mentioned the second stroking of midnight we, the readers, would have never known that it was midnight again!
-Golden Horseshoe

Nothing special happens in these two chapters. They simply continue with Margarita's weird experience with the devils. Woland's house has completely turned into Hell: the dense darkness that makes it seem like an underground cave, the scarcity of light and the flame that lights up the house. Plus, Woland's interest in the fifth dimension reminds me of Hell. There are many descriptions of "white chests" for Koroviev and guests at the ball. I wondered if that could mean they were good at their hearts, but that is unlikely because they all committed major crimes before death. I couldn't understand why all these people worshiped Margarita. They address her as queen, kiss her and try desperately to get attention. One of the guests cries to her, "Hallelujah!". Could she have any connection to being Jesus? Margarita doesn't consider the guests as humans at all. She says, "Who is this ... green one?", as if she were referring to a thing. Another intriguing part was where Woland appears in ragged clothes, but transforms into a "clad in a flowing black garment" after saying, "I drink your health, ladies and gentlemen." He could literally mean "I am taking away your health for myself."
-Spanish Boot