December / Bulgakov Reading: Master and Margarita

[bazarov]

Why this thread is going so slowly? Are you still reading?

[Alexei]

Why this thread is going so slowly? Are you still reading?

I haven't finish with the rereading yet
I have a question. I've read a few times about the cloak. It's white with with red lining (I probably haven't translated it right but i think you understand what I'm talking about). Do you think there is some special meaning in this? I suppose there is some when this fact is repeated so many times, but I can't understand what.
Actually there is one more. Why the author doesn't tell us what exactly have happened with the Master before he had left his home and gone to the psikhushka?

[bazarov]

He didn't want Margarita to suffer with him because he was very sad and jaded, especially after ending his novel and bad critics about novel.

I am not sure on what cloak you're referring

[Alexei]

He didn't want Margarita to suffer with him because he was very sad and jaded, especially after ending his novel and bad critics about novel.

Yes, I know that , but I mean there is one part of the story that is missing. The last night, after Margarita had already left, he had heard a knocking on the window and then...??? The Master continue to narrate it to Bezdomni, but it isn't
narrated, the author goes to explaining how he is talking low and fast and that it seems to be of great importence etc, then the story continues with something like (I am reading it on Bulgarian and i am translating to English so I can't give an exact or even very close quote): In January in the middle of the night I was lying in the yard... Then it is described his state of mind and he says he had decided to go in the hospital. You can see the passage by yourself it's close to the end of chapter 13.

I am not sure on what cloak you're referring

Bad luck, ha?
Just check the first line of chapter 2, it's beginning with the cloak (well...not exactly with the cloak but it is described in the beginning of the sentence). It's mention a few time more later and I began to think there is some meaning in it, but may be it's nothing. Anyway, I am curious

[Etienne]

Ettiene, sorry; I thought you're sarcastic again.

I'm a misunderstood man!

[Boris239]

I haven't finish with the rereading yet
I have a question. I've read a few times about the cloak. It's white with with red lining (I probably haven't translated it right but i think you understand what I'm talking about). Do you think there is some special meaning in this? I suppose there is some when this fact is repeated so many times, but I can't understand what.
Actually there is one more. Why the author doesn't tell us what exactly have happened with the Master before he had left his home and gone to the psikhushka?

Well, I can answer the second question. Master was taken to the NKVD- after all Mogarych obviously informed the authorities. In the novel there are a lot of places where it's not said explicitly about the involvement of the police but you can deduce it.

[manolia]

Why this thread is going so slowly? Are you still reading?

I am almost done (2 more chapters)..i've been awfully busy these last two weeks

Well, this is only one of the versions. I can't say that I fully agree with it. Even though the site is very good, it doesn't mean that everything there is true

I liked that version (of course it would never have crossed my mind). I don't quite agree with it. Koroviof is a more sinister figure i think. He is bad..really bad, sarcastic, evil and cunning..i like him

Yes, I know that , but I mean there is one part of the story that is missing. The last night, after Margarita had already left, he had heard a knocking on the window and then...??? The Master continue to narrate it to Bezdomni, but it isn't
narrated, the author goes to explaining how he is talking low and fast and that it seems to be of great importence etc, then the story continues with something like (I am reading it on Bulgarian and i am translating to English so I can't give an exact or even very close quote): In January in the middle of the night I was lying in the yard... Then it is described his state of mind and he says he had decided to go in the hospital. You can see the passage by yourself it's close to the end of chapter 13.

Well, I can answer the second question. Master was taken to the NKVD- after all Mogarych obviously informed the authorities. In the novel there are a lot of places where it's not said explicitly about the involvement of the police but you can deduce it.

What Boris says is true. It is explained somewhere in the novel that Mogarych-who coveted the master's cosy and snug appartment- turned him in. He spread false reports to the police. So you can assume that they were cops the ones he saw during the dark night, after Margarita left the appartment...or you can give a supernatural explanation..i think this novel is really open to various interpratations

As for the cloak...i noticed too that it is described in various parts but i can't see a significance

I think that Master is denied the light because he depicted Jesus as a human being..and not according to Levy Mathew's rightings. Not as god..a divine figure.

[Alexei]

I finally finish with my rereading
Thanks, for the answers. You're right, Boris, one can deduce what have happened, but I actually wondered why it is left out of the book. Probably Manolia is right, like that you can interpret it as you like, I haven't thought about this at all

[manolia]

You are welcome Alexei
I finished the book. Hehehe i loved the ending. All of them on black horses..reminded me of the riders of the Apocalypse (can it be an allusion to this? Sounds probable.)
I think Koroviof is the devil's advocate
He certainly looks like a lawyer

[bazarov]

You are welcome Alexei
I finished the book. Hehehe i loved the ending. All of them on black horses..reminded me of the riders of the Apocalypse (can it be an allusion to this? Sounds probable.)

Yeah, that crossed my mind too.

[manolia]

So, what do you all think, did the Satan come to Moscow looking for the master? I think yes.
Why was only the master able to liberate Pilate?

[Etienne]

I think that Master is denied the light because he depicted Jesus as a human being..and not according to Levy Mathew's rightings. Not as god..a divine figure.

Well, I believe that in the context of the story, Master depicted the story of Jesus accurately, as opposed to what Matthew and others made of it in the Bible. Perhaps Margarita couldn't go to heaven?

[manolia]

Well, I believe that in the context of the story, Master depicted the story of Jesus accurately, as opposed to what Matthew and others made of it in the Bible.

Quite true But perhaps Jeshua didn't like that in the end (at least after 2000 years of his being considered divine and being worshipped by milions of people). Perhaps he didn't like this new author, the master, who was "enlighted" and managed to reveal the truth about his identity and his real story..

In the end Jeshua appears to be in heaven or something, sending Mathew Levy as his ambassador to Satan..so you can assume that either:
a) Master didn't get the story right (which i don't believe is the case)
b)Jesus isn't as gentle and kind as it is depicted by Christianity and is denying Master the privilege of going to the light because he "doesn't believe he is worthy of the light" (to quote the book) because he failed to depict him as a holy being. Geezzz...there are many possible interpretations but having in mind that the book is mocking religion - among other things- (this is how i take it at least) it sounds probable to me. Besides god and Satan aren't in very bad terms (in the context of the story) .

One more thought: I think that Master is very kindly treated by Satan, Jesus' rival..And if you agree with me that Satan came to Moscow looking for the Master (the author of the story of Jesus' real life)..perhaps we have something here..

Perhaps Margarita couldn't go to heaven?

Hmmm..i haven't thought about that. But i believe that the decision wasn't necessarily being taken for the Master's gratification.

[bazarov]

So, what do you all think, did the Satan come to Moscow looking for the master? I think yes.

Me too.

Why was only the master able to liberate Pilate?

Because he wrote a story where Pilat was sitting in the garden and waiting for Jeshua to come; story was unfinished and only Master, as a writer of that story could finish it. He decided to let him go free in eternity.

Perhaps Margarita couldn't go to heaven?

Margarita was like Tatyana, model of great Russian women in Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, so she has almost all good merits: she is smart, honest, loyal, etc so I believe she could go to heaven, but Master couldn't.

Why did soldier stab Jeshua in his heart instead of his ribs? Another fact showing that whole story about Jesus is fake? In my opinion, that's the reason why Master get Satan and hell instead of heaven.

P.S. 15th nissan really is a day of Jesus death. Well done, Bulgakov!

[Alexei]

I was thinking for while about this discussion and I think I do not really agree with you that Bulgakov is mocking religion, I think he actually mocks it's misunderstanding. Whit such old religion as Christianity there are so many things that people don't get anymore and according to his it was like this even in the beginning. I don't think he is ridiculing the Christianity but the people that can't understand it without some great miracles and some razzle-dazzle. They can't believe in the reality, in ll that common sense told them to and search for the divine and good in the miracles, when it is more or less in the world surrounding them. That's why almost all the wonders in the book belong to the department of Voland,the department of Satan, because good and divine doesn't reveal themselves in marvels, because with marvels is too easy to believe in something and the real thing is to believe in the goodness within you and within the reality that surrounds you.

p.s. Now, you are going to tell me nobody thinks that Bulgakov ridicule religion , so I am going to say it now - Sorry if I have misunderstood something.