13-17 (Spanish Boot)

So where is the hero? I was excited to see a hero that would stop all the evil deeds of the devil trio, but the Master, at least in this chapter, showed no characteristics of a hero. Except for the fact that he had access to other rooms, he is in no better situation than Ivan. He doesn't even have any desire to escape the prison "because [he has] nowhere to escape" and says, "I find it not at all unpleasant. There is no need for ambitious plans, my dear neighbor, there really isn't!" That is exactly what Ivan thought after receiving the injection from Dr. Stravinsky. The Master seems to embrace a lot of Bulgakov's character. For one thing, he is dejected after his masterpiece script is rejected by the publisher, just like all his works were rejected due to censorship. The editor's question towards the Master, "who had given to [you] the idea to write a novel on such a strange subject?” applies perfectly to Bulgakov's situation. In addition, the Master's burning of his script connects to one of Bulgakov's main concern, introduced in the Translator’s Introduction: "the fate of the artist's work—the manuscript, the created word—which, he came to feel, must not, cannot be destroyed. Looking at his lover (probably Margarita) trying to save the burning manuscript, the reader can probably guess that his novel of Pilate will appear again. I am yet to figure out why the woman has such a great attachment to the novel. And who is the one that knocked on the window after the woman left??

The title of Chapter 14 reminded me of the story of disciple Peter. On the day of Jesus' crucifixion, he denies his relation to Jesus three times and the rooster starts to cry. However, I am not sure exactly what part of the chapter the story alludes to. After returning to his office, he thinks, "it was time to act, to drink the bitter cup of reckoning...He had to call, report what had happed, ask for help." Then, he puts his hand on the receiver twice and withdraws it both times. This could be the act of denial. Clearly, Varenukha is transformed into some monster! I am now willing to believe Karen's opinion that the naked woman was indeed a vampire, because "his neck was for some reason wrapped on this sultry night with an old striped muffler." Now the naked woman, Varenukha, the Devil trio, and Azazello are all on the bad side. The evil power just continues to grow, and it worries me that God, or some sort of good power hasn't appeared yet.

In Chapter 15, all the puzzle pieces start to come together. The Master, Bengalsky, Ivan, and Nikanor all gathered at the same hospital. I am very interested to find out how these people would influence one another.

Today's discussion in class was one of the most intense ones we've had so far. The boundary between good and evil, God and Devil seems to dissolve more and more as the story progresses. Undoubtedly, we will have to return to that topic after reading some more of the novel.
-Spanish Boot