I hope that everyone has a very merry christmas, a happy new year abd a great break!!!!!!! My comment on the movie is that i really enjoyed it and I thought it was very sad when Mitya commited suicide because everything that he was doing was a product of Colonel Kotov and even though I do not agree with the fact that they murdered him, I took into consideration the fact that Mitya was obligated to carry out specific orders from his superior officer. I also found that Marussya's character was cold and weak at times because throughout the movie I never felt that she was in love with Kotov, but with Mitya and the way that she allowed herself to give in to Kotov when she was being genuine about her emotions was sad and aggrevating to witness. My favorite characters were Mitya and Nadya because they seemed to be at some point the funniest and strongest characters in the movie. Nadya's comment at the end of the film when she asked the man in the front seat if he was at the zoo had me laughing. once again Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!!!

Homework over Winter Break

Hi Everyone,

Please read through page 66 in Pnin. As last time, you can take a quiz or show me annotations when you get back from break.

On Monday, we will discuss The Master and Margarita. We'll start talking about Pnin on Tuesday.

If you are writing the twelve-page paper, please do some work on it over vacation so that you don't get overwhelmed with work in the last two weeks before finals.

Hope you have a great break!

Jane

I liked burnt by the sun and i think it shows very well the generational devide that occured in russia after the revolution. The characters come from four distinct groups, those who lived most f their lives under the tzar, those who can remember life under the tzar and who fought in the revolution, those who grew up during and after the revoluition, and those bourn in the new soviet state.

That guy is SO the devil. Let's think about this. He's attractive, charismatic, intelligent and decisive. He's trying to tempt the wife and her family away from the husband. He has "evil" intentions. I'm so right.

I enjoyed watching Burnt By the Sun. My favorite character is Mitya. My favorite part of the movie was when he told the little girl the story of what happened to him, but he made the names backward so it would not be as obvious what he was saying. I hope he gets the general back so he can get his revenge.

burnt by the sun

I like the film. The characters are richly etched and the difference between old and new is clearly seen in the older general and the younger secret service agent competing for the woman -- perhaps the woman represents Russia, the older "old" Russian and the newer "new" Russia.


I was just chuckling with the fireball effect. It is supposed to represent the influence of new Russia? Passion? Regardless, I thought it really wasn't necessary for the film and just took the viewer away from it.

The movie was delightful. The dynamic between the older Communist officer and the younger NKVD member made for an interesting contrast between the origins of the revolution and the direction the revolution was heading. Their struggle over the woman could be representative of their respective attempts to curry favor with Stalin/the Politburo.

I wish I had seen the movie.

It is amazing how many characters are in the movie, but while I dislike both guys for different reasons, I really think it is awful that Stalin wishes to destroy such a righteous man, he may have sent the younger man away and stol;e his woman, but he didn't know and he has established a family, and to bring down the foundations... That is just wrong!

I enjoyed this movie a lot. It was intriguing and covered many topics. however, the part i was most interested in was the conversation between the woman and her husband about her old lover that interested me most. The husband seemed to say that he caused her lover to leave, and that he would have done the same thing in his position. He was not at all worried about cuckolding, it seemed, as he did not give many reasons why he was superior. In fact, he gave only one. He said that he was loyal to his country, while the other man was simply a coward. I wonder why this man acted that way, as it is not how I am used to people acting on film. Moreover, was this man intended to be sympathetic or not?

I liked the movie as well. I noticed though when I was watching it I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how I felt about whatshisface, the ex-boyfriend of the mother. He's a bit arrogant and rude, but at the same time I think he should have been the one with the woman and not that old guy (I'm sorry I'm really bad at remembering names of characters when they're not written down). The fact that her husband was the one to send him away and destroy their love nudges the reader to side with young guy even though he's a jerk.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Your homework is to finish reading The Master and Margarita.

Please post a response to the movie we have been watching, Burnt by the Sun.

See you tomorrow,
Jane

Sun and Moon

I haven't seen too much of a relation between the two. The first thing that comes to mind are possibly comparing the activities that occur during the nighttime as opposed to those in the daytime. Not too sure, Jane. Not too sure. According to answers.com (I suppose I cheated a bit) The sun is a generally a symbol of logic and rationality while the moon is a symbol of the subconcious. That is most likely an emphasis of the magical realism throughout the novel.

Pontius

I agree with David. Pontius Pilate is politically savvy and has good intentions in exercising his power. Not that his actions are all that admirable, but he at least cares. He is a bit of a coward though, and although he means well that doesn't mean one should shrug off the mistakes of a destructive dictatorship.

I like pontius pilate in The Master and Mararita, he may be a sort of cowarldy character however he has the poltical conciousness to figure out that Criste should not be spared. This is not cowardis but the knoledge that if jesus is pardoned pilate will lose much of his power to a rebellion, however if he frees Bar Rabban then his rule will not be thretaned.

Pontius Pilate is, surprisingly, one of the more sympathetic characters in the book. He is trapped in between being an upper level functionary in a large and powerful empire, and obeying his sentiment that Yeshua is a special human being. He is smart enough to recognize Yeshua as a savior of sorts, but unable to follow his instincts on the issue. This, along with his loneliness and ill health, make Pilate a :( person.

Piltate

I believe Pilate acts rather cowardly, and contrary to his own wishes. As Rianon mentioned, even though he believes Yeshua should be saved, he doesn't. I don't think the reader can look upon Pilate very favorably, given this. He has some sense of morality in wanting to do the right thing, yet he doesn't. Coward.

Pontius Pilate is a man with good intentions but is to worried about his reputation to act. He wanted to save Yeshua but he did not. He was more worried about his reputation than doing what is right. In chapter 25 and 26 he begins to show more initiative, he kills Judas, but it is not certain wheter he actually changes.

Pilate is, in several ways, a coward. Moreover, he is not living in a way true to his beliefs. In other words, he is living inauthentically. This is seen in the fact that, despite wanting to save Yeshua, and in his dream realizing that he would like to risk his career for him, Pilate did not. He begins to change and make up for that by killing Judas, but it remains to be seen whether he has changed completely or whether that was a small, empty gesture.

I agree with trevor and leslie in that the sun and the moon represent the themes of good and evil within the novel. I think the sun and hte moon particularly pretain to the recurring question of whether woland is good or evil within the novel or what isi good or evil in the novel.

To be honest, I haven't really thought to much about the sun and the moon in the novel. They seem to be small details lost among many larger more intricate details that make up the book. The most vivid observation of either's presence would be when Margarita is flying on her broomstick and destroying things. There it has a rather delicate and mystical feel to it which adds to the mysticism of the night.

I agree with Trevor, that the sun and the moon represent the good and evil. I think he sun is good because in pg. 144 I think it's Koroviev that mentions that the sun is setting so it's time to go. I think that now that the "good" is tucking away, they say it's time to go because the moon will be out representing evil where Koroviev and Behemoth will be out performing their evilness.

The sun and the moon symbolize the light and darkness and good and evil.  They are the complete opposites of each other.   Sun is good, the moon is evil.  Why are the sun and Moon used in such a novel that has the devil in it?

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Please read to page 358 in The Master and Margarita.

The question: What do the sun and/or the moon symbolize in the novel? Support your view with a quotation.

OR

Comment on the character of Pontius Pilate in Chapters 25 and 26.

See you tomorrow,
Jane

Essay Due Monday

Hi Everyone,

This is a reminder that the final draft of the second essay is due on Monday. Please staple the first draft to the final version.

See you on Monday,
Jane

Margarita is strong, capable, and slightly desperate. She is willing to follow the instructions of unfamiliar, somewhat devious, people; behavior which would be suspect in the majority of societies, but is especially dangerous in the xenophobic Soviet world. In this manner she breaks with the mores of her culture, all for luv. Her luv for the Master conquers her fears and lifts her high up where she belongs.

As unhappy and cruel as she is, she has the capacity to do good. She had the heart to comfort the child she had frightened when she was in that rampant destructive rage. She is also very brave and intelligent. We can see this in her interactions with Satan. She holds herself up well during the ball and keeps her cool under extremely stressful circumstances.

Margarita is a woman who breaks the borders of society. She refuses to accept her life with her husband and goes searching for her happiness and her love. She becomes obedient to Satan in an attempt to save said love, and succeeds in freeing the Master. One committed to something, Margarita remains loyal, subservient, and encouraging to those whom she has a connection to. Margarita is a strong woman who lives with compassion and refuses to live a life without hope.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Please read to page 309 in The Master and Margarita.

Please describe Margarita's character.

See you tomorrow,
Jane

The play was tolerable, but it had too much shouting. Loud noises are generally unpleasant. There were a few loose ends that went either unresolved or ended unsatisfactorily; Jeremy and Molly's departure felt sudden and forced, the weird exorcism/acid freakout at the end was somewhat heavy handed, and the actor playing Harold Loomis bungled a few lines. All in all the dialogue and delivery was good, etc, etc.

Maybeck's response to the questions asked by the cast were actually pretty embarrassing. We had a few good responses but the rest of our answers misrepresented Maybeck in my opinion. I thought the play accurately portrayed our ability to eventually overcome (to an extent) significant problems like racial polarization. Similarly, I liked the theme of self purpose and independence. I interpreted the dancing/singing scene as a moment of solidity amongst the members of the house; I think that if we can agree that song is synonymous with purpose in the play, then the dance would imply that despite individual needs we're fundamentally united in our search for meaning.

I thought the play was great. I really loved the setting because I thought it was beautiful and it was perfect for the play. I liked how that characters act and I thought the play was really realistic and I felt like I could connect with what was going on at some points. I also thought their language was good and the actors were really good with their facial expressions and stuff.

I really enjoyed Joe Turner's Come and gone. For a two and a hale hour play i found that it did not drag on as long as other plays we have gone to see *cough* Mother Courage. I thought there was also some themes of unity in the play, when the Juda music scene was going on it was the first time that the entire house was untied.

Joe Turner's Come and Gone was a beautiful play which showed the importance and/or need in having a purpose in life. The purpose is best signified by finding ones song, as stated by Bindem (sp?). The characters all search for their purpose in life, but is best shown through the main character who finds a resolution at the end of this play.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Please read to page 275 in The Master and Margarita tonight.

Please post a response to the play we saw today.

Thanks,
Jane

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Please read to page 235 in The Master and Margarita. Do not post here, but please choose a passage between pages 118 and 235 to read to the class and comment on tomorrow.

See you tomorrow,
Jane

yeshua / pilate

Pilate is, in a way, naive, as compared to Yeshua. Yeshua assumes that people are fundamentally good (calling people "good men", etc.) Pilate on the other hand has clearly defined rules of right and wrong and wants people to fit into his own predefined categories. I would say the most contrasted point of comparison would be that Yeshua is open minded, whereas Pilate is close minded.

The tone of the pseudo-Biblical passages differs greatly from that of the Moscow narrative. Whereas Moscow seems to be full of hijinks and foolishness, the Yeshua narrative is told in a somber, but not reverential style. Bulgakov, while not a practicing Christian for obvious reasons, nonetheless appears to be communicating the moral seriousness and somewhat divine qualities of Yeshua through the prose he uses to describe him. In contrast, Woland is a figure without a clearly defined purpose, and consequently the Moscow chapters take on a kind of picaresque, satirical air.

Woland and his group aren't exactly evil, but thrive in chaos. It is the mischevious nature that allows them to thrive in their reality. Woland has both a maliciousness and a chaotic side, though one is shown more often than the other. The cat and the other man show the other side,by rude and malicous actions against humanity.

I am going to assume that the Man with the story about the woman with yellow flowers is Yeshua. If this is the case, Bulgakov strives to place Satan and Jesus in very different lights than what people are used to. Satan (Woland) entices people into deceiving themselves, whereas many people put the blame on Satan rather than the people who are weak enough to become victims. Satan is indirectly destructive. Jesus is also put in a very strange light and is described as a participant of an affair between him and Margarita.

I think that Woland's group is more mischievous than evil, though Bulgakov has chosen to clearly portray both traits.  When the old man is talking with Woland, there is an obvious maliciousness that he is treated with--taking into account the multiple stool instances, the wine, the hat/kitten, the rude inquiry into his personal finances, the revealing of his fate, etc.  In addition the hurling of the chicken at Berlioz's uncle, though awesome, was obviously quite cruel not even taking into consideration his treatment of his belongings and his suitcase.  Thinking about it I'd like to change my beginning thought from "more mischievous than evil" to "mischievous in a strongly cruel manner."

Pilate is tied down to the Roman order and is stuck in a rut.  It isn't until he meets a young Jewish man named Yeshua who is idealistic that he begins to realize there might be more... Yeshua is basically the opposite of Pilate for he is a dreamer who hopes of more.  He is quite innocent, and is accused of a crime he did not commit.  Yeshua changes Pilate's view. Pilate is a stoic Roman official.  Yeshua really shakes what is right for him. Yeshua and Pilate are completely opposite sorts of people but Pilate begins to change after meeting Yeshua, who leaves great impressions on people.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Your homework over the weekend is to read to page 214. (Please note: this is a change from the syllabus -- you have reading to do instead of the final draft of the second paper.)

Choose one of the questions below:

1. Do you view Woland and his associates as evil?
OR
2. Pick one topic or pair of characters and compare them:
Ivan/the Master;
Pilate/Yeshua;
Pilate/Woland;
Yeshua/the Master;
style and tone of the Moscow chapters/ those of the Jerusalem chapters.

Have a great weekend!
Jane

The classy cat is pretty boss. I can't figure out exactly what the choice of imagery on Bulgakov's part signifies. I'm hoping that it means something. Please post if anyone has any ideas.

The Master is an unassuming but opinionated asylum inmate. His account of the difficulties of writing his novel about Pontius Pilate, which mirrors Bulgakov's experience, makes the Master appear to be a stand-in for the author himself. For now the Master is remarkable for being the only person to immediately believe Bezdomny's story. This gives him a heightened status in the story because he is cognizant of certain things that the reader knows to be true. In fact, his knowledge of Pontius Pilate makes him nearly on level with Woland on at least one subject, a status which has so far escaped every other mortal character in the novel.

The Master, within the asylum, has a false sense of control. It is the keys which allow him to feel like he knows what is happening at any point, similar to that of God. He is, however, a person who focuses on specific things, such as telling his story to Ivan. He doesn't really allow questions or responses, another form of being, in his mind, in control of his reality.

The Master seems cold and disenchanted with humanity. But he is willing to tell his story to a man he barely knows such as Ivan. He seemed to really care about Margarita and take care of her. When she was with her.

The Master is self centered but self aware.  I really like him, I think he's awesome even though he talks a bit too much.  He accepts his life and all that has come, but I feel like he probably tells his life story to strangers time and time.  The set of keys he owns give him the ability to be instantly informed on any new occurrences in the clinic, allowing him to have a status similar to that of the nurses.  He has false authority as well as seniority.  He's open, honest, sharing, a very genuine character and I look forward to getting to know him better.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Your homework is to read to p. 194 in The Master and Margarita. The post here:

Write a character description of the master OR of your favorite member of Woland's retinue.

See you tomorrow,
Jane

Woland has come to Moscow in order to introduce Bezdomny to the Master, and, somehwere along the line, reunite Pilate and Yeshua. His theatrical performance is partially a display of power, but more likely an opportunity for Bulgakov to point out the capitalistic instincts of Soviet citizens (having them clamor for money, expensive clothes, etc.). The satire is slightly more insightful than it initially appears to be; the fact that Soviet citizens are still desperate for material wealth indicates either the populace's (or humanity's) inherent greed, or the Communist regime's inability to adequately provide for its citizens.

Woland, as the devil, causes chaos and discord where-ever he goes. This was his main motivation for the Black Magic show. he wanted to shock and horrify people, and cause unhappiness within them. He came to Moscow to cause discord, but also to observe people during such an important and oppressive time. He wanted to be part of the general discord, and to stir up more trouble besides.

i believe that Wolands motive for the magic show is to create complete choas and distract tha audience from everything that they know to be true. He is the devil after all and his entire motive throught history is to avert people fromwhat they believe and know to be real.

I agree that Woland definitely comes to Moscow and conveys a political message while he's here.  I wouldn't say that this is entirely his reason because I feel that this is more strongly a message from the author which is embodied in his character.  My first guess for his reason is simply boredom.  Ruling Hell for eternity might become rather dull.  Yet, I'm presuming his main function in this novel would be representing Bulgakov's views of current Russian society.

Woland's motives for his magic show are that he wants to expose the greed of people and the inherent failure of mass communism. His motives for coming to Moscow are more shrouded as his actions throughout the story have been based on causing people to change what they believe, whatever they believe having no real favor towards chrisendom or towards sin.

The purpose of Woland's visit to Moscow is to spread evil around. An example is the Black Magic Show, which he gives to cause argument between people because of the money. He also enjoys watching the way people behave because he likes their quarrel. Woland's purpose is to impress the people around him giving them like a tap of evilness. As he goes around Moscow, he is meeting more people to whom he causes quarrel and dislike because he enjoys watching those types of things. He also wants to be a very powerful figure to Moscow to influence his character throughout the city.

Woland's black magic show was an attempt to expose the vanity and greed amongst the upperclassmen of Moscow. He indirectly satirizes their way of life, and brings to attention the flaws in an otherwise though-to-be invulnerable social class.

The reason he puts on the black magic show is to take the opportunity to observe people and their behavior. He positions himself in front of the audience so as to be the audience of an audience. After Bengalsky's head is torn off, Satan makes a comment on the nature of people and money in comparison to people and morality: "'Well, now,' the latter [Satan] replied pensively, 'they're people like any other people... They love money, but that has always been so...Mankind loves money, whatever it's made of-leather, paper, bronze, gold. Well, they're light-minded... well, what of it... mercy sometimes knocks at their hearts... ordinary people... In general, reminiscent of the former ones... only the housing problem has corrupted them...'" (126)

Woland loves to breed caos into the world around him. He enjoys the thrills other people get, and loves to remain an unbiased center of attention. He goes to Moscow in an attempt to make people re-think their morals, and in an attempt to spoil Russian society. He uses the Black Magic Show to breed the caos he so loves, and he uses it to undermine the government and the faith of the people.

Homework

Hi Everyone,

Your homework tonight is to read through page 133 in The Master and Margarita. You do not have to post tonight since I am posting so late.

But, by Wednesday, please answer the following question (or post another comment):

Why do you think Woland has come to Moscow? Why does he give the Black Magic Show?

The address for the website I mentioned today in class is:
http://cr.middlebury.edu/public/russian/Bulgakov/public_html/
It has lots of helpful information on The Master and Margarita.

See you tomorrow,
Jane