24-25 (Black Poodle)

Chapter 24 really changed my perception of the devil characters. Not only are they capable of punishment and evil, they also give rewards and grant forgiveness. When Woland tells Margarita that she can have any wish she wants, he tells her outright, that she had been tested, and because of her great pride of character and honesty, he would offer her whatever she wanted. Then when Varenhuka appears, Behemoth allows him to return into a human and return home, on the condition that he no longer lies. Rather than promote sin, now they seem to be propagating good. Again, God and the devil seem to have the same goals, just through different means. Furthermore, the atmosphere in which Margarita stays with the devils seems very friendly, and not at all austere/hellish. The fire from the fireplace is not burning but warm and comforting. And Woland comments on the general comforts of simple but intimate dining. In addition, Woland refers to his comrades as friends--so yet again, Bulgakov shows Woland is capable of compassion. Why does Margarita deserve such royal treatment? I have yet to decipher, although I do like Max's theory about her being Mary Magdalen. Again, Woland calls her "Donna" a few times.

Another random observation: when Woland waves at people, they dissolve. But instead of going back to where they came from, they end up going out into the hallway and jumping out the window? (as reported by Anushka.) How does that work? Do they disappear from the room and reappear in the hallway, jump out the hallway window and then reappear back home?

Now the Margarita and Master are united, but Margarita seems to love the manuscripts more than the Master. She says once that she poured her life into the manuscripts. And at the very end of the chapter, she holds the pages of the manuscript wishing she could "look at them, and kiss them." At the same time, she asked for Woland to save the Master, not the manuscript itself. And then yet again, the Master's story connects directly back to the Pontius Pilate story Woland told in the beginning.

Chapter 25 is a little confusing. First I noticed how the spilled wine on the floor seemed to symbolize Yeshua's blood, but could also be a Soviet reference to all the citizen's blood that was shed during the communist regime. Also, Pontius Pilate seems to be haunted by regret of executing Yeshua. Aphranius, when first described, sounds a little like Woland, although he doesn't have two different colored eyes. But indeed he seems to be as close to omnipotent as humanly possible. And Pontius seems to trust him a little too much. As head of the secret police, this again connects directly back to communist themes. Aphranius isn't exactly relaying reliable information to Pontius, but Pontius doesn't question it. For example, he says Yeshua refused to drink the water, when in fact, Yeshua drank greedily. Which brings question to the rest of his information. The relay of misinformation in communist era perhaps led often to wrong accusations and more shedding of blood.
-Black Poodle