SATIRIC IMAGE OF SOVIET REALITY IN THE WORKS OF M.A. BULGAKOV PJAEE, 17 (7) (2020)

SATIRIC IMAGE OF SOVIET REALITY IN THE WORKS OF M.A. BULGAKOV

Guo Cong1*, Chistyakov Alexander Valerianovich2 1*PhD Student of the Department of Russian and Foreign Literature, Faculty of Philology, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. 2Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Russian and Foreign Literature, Faculty of Philology,Peoples' Friendship University of Russia. 1*Guo Cong

Guo Cong, Chistyakov Alexander Valerianovich.Satiric Image of Soviet Reality in the Works of M.A. Bulgakov-- Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology 17(7), 5670-5681. ISSN 1567-214x

Keywords: M.A. Bulgakov, Satire, Grotesque, Parody, Infernal Elements.

ABSTRACT The article is devoted to the originality of the satirical depiction of the Soviet system in the stories of M.A. Bulgakov's "Diaboliad", "Fatal Eggs", "Heart of a Dog" and the novel "The Master and Margarita". The main artistic techniques of Bulgakov's satire are considered - grotesque, fantastic assumption, irony and parody. A characteristic feature of Bulgakov's artistic method is highlighted - a combination of a realistic image of Soviet society with carnival and infernal motives.The present study examines specific features of satirical image of the Soviet system in M.A. Bulgakov's novels “Diaboliad”, “The Fatal Eggs”, “Heart of Dog” and “The Master and Margarita”. Basic art techniques of Bulgakov's satire, such as grotesque, fantastic assumption, irony, parody, are reviewed. In addition, the combination of realistic image with carnival and infernal motives is described as a typical feature of Bulgakov‟s art method.

INTRODUCTION M. A. Bulgakov (1891-1940) was a famous Russian novelist and playwright in the 20th century. Born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1891, in a typical intellectual family, this family atmosphere contributed to the development of M.A.

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Bulgakov's interest and love for literature and art, and also became an inexhaustible source of his future creations. From 1918 to 1919, as a doctor, in a situation of constant war and uncertainty. In 1920 he abandoned medical practice and embarked on a creative path. With the publication of his works "White Guard", "Fatal eggs", "Notes of a young doctor" and the play "Days of the Turbins", "Zoykina's apartment" and "Crimson Island", MA Bulgakov became a famous satirist and playwright in the 1920s. His profound observations of poignant and humorous language created a satirical kingdom of the absurd. Whether it is the absurdity of "Heart of a Dog", the melancholic riddle of the "White Guard" or the mystical "The Master and Margarita", all this reflects the main goal of the writer: never compromise with all the forces of evil and decisively attack the hypocrisy, ignorance, greed and cowardice of humanity... MA Bulgakov inherited the grotesque and satirical methods of Gogol and Shedelin, removed the mask of human hypocrisy and ugliness, allowing readers to understand the dark side of society, at the same time to receive emotions and soul renewal. [8, p. 42].

However, in the 1920s, when the Soviet ideology was extremely harsh about his works, since then, from the late 1920s until the writer's death, none of his novels were published in the Soviet Union, and his plays were practically banned.

Since the 1960s, the works of Mikhail Bulgakov have been published in the Soviet Union after Stalin's death and the so-called "Thaw". The first "publications by M. A. Bulgakov" appeared in the Soviet Union, and in the mid-1980s, the publication of the novel "The Master and Margarita" by M. A. Bulgakov began in the Soviet Union. Chudakova, Smelyanskiy, Yanovskaya, Ninov, Lakshchen, Sokolov and other specialists conducted an in-depth and detailed study of the work of M. A. Bulgakov, his life and works became the center of research for many scientists. In 1991, during the 100th anniversary of M.A.Bulgakov, UNESCO declared M.A.Bulgakov to be 1991 in recognition of his great contribution to world literature.

MAIN CONTENT Formation of M.A. Bulgakov as a writer took place in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, in an era of global changes and social upheavals, which was characterized by a radical rethinking of the foundations of life and the creation of a new system of values. Bulgakov did not accept the revolutionary changes in Russia. Besides, in the revolution, he saw the destruction of the foundations of civilization and the victory of chaos. From his perspective, the displacement of religion and the replacement of the Christian faith with atheistic ideology became are other factors in the degradation of society. The changes take place in the society. The shortcomings and weaknesses of Soviet

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reality are reflected in the writer's works in satirical and grotesque coverage. The artistic world of Bulgakov “developed as a laughter one with all the features inherent in this kind of phenomenon” [7, p. 309]. By the definition of M.M. Bakhtin, satire is "a figurative denial of modern reality in its various moments, which necessarily includes - in one form or another, with varying degrees of concreteness and clarity - and the positive moment of affirming a better reality" [1, p. 15].

Satire is the leading way of depicting reality in the works of M.A. Bulgakov. The tools of the satirical depiction of reality are grotesque, irony, hyperbole and caricature. Satire on the Soviet system is vividly represented in such works of the writer as the stories "Heart of a Dog", "Diaboliad", "Fatal Eggs" and the novel "The Master and Margarita". The destruction of the established order of life, forgetfulness of moral norms, ignorance of education and rejection of the simplest achievements of civilization in everyday life are subjected to satirical denial. However, above all, Bulgakov's satire has a life-affirming, creative character. As noted by A.F. Petrenko, “Bulgakov's critical laughter is not misanthropic, alienating and destructive, since it has weighty ideological and moral foundations and is justified and positively significant in this sense” [5, p. 188].

Fatal Eggs The story "Fatal Eggs" satirically depicts both the time of war communism and the period of NEP. According to Bulgakov‟s sarcastic remarks, the artistic details emphasizing the catastrophic nature of war communism - a clock that has stopped on the wall of the house (symbolically indicating a violation of the course of times), gilded chairs that are going to kindle the stove and the cockroaches that die out of hunger - show the „malicious‟ attitude to the policy of war communism.

In accordance with Bulgakov, the most important reason for the country's degradation was the new government's ignorance of education. This idea is expressed in the story based on hyperbolic plot details. Professor of zoology Persikov blames the People's Commissar for Education for the death of his terrarium. In the icy, frozen auditorium, the professor, continues to lecture, although only eight students come to listen to his lesson. By convincing students of not knowing elementary things during the exam, Persikov suspects them of being Marxists.

In 1919, Professor Persikov was deprived of three of his five rooms. The return of the rooms in 1926 indicates a change in social policy. However, the establishment of NEP did not cause the elimination of the serious vices of the socialist system.

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The story "Fatal Eggs" shows that even an ingenious invention in the conditions of Soviet reality can lead to the disaster. Persikov discovered the amazing properties of the red ray, the “ray of life,” which enhances the vitality and activity. The red ray has deep symbolism. The simplest amoeba, finding themselves in the field of action of the ray, began to wage a fierce struggle for existence. Consequently, the strongest and the most vicious won. The red ray is a communist ideology that releases destructive instincts and brings to the surface the most cruel and unprincipled ones.

Professor Persikov could not continue the experiments. Alexander Semyonovich Rokk, a former flutist who became a Soviet functionary, decided to take advantage of his discovery. An exemplary state farm "Red Ray" was organized, in which, based on the "ray of life", Rokk hoped to achieve the success in chicken breeding. This character is a caricature of a Soviet worker in charge. After the revolution, leading positions began to be occupied by people who did not possess professional knowledge and experience. Bulgakov ironically presents how a flutist playing in the foyer of a cinema writes works about irrigation of the Turkestan region or performs complex scientific experiments. In addition, the writer also satirically depicts the methods of leadership of such workers. To change the mood of the peasants in the village, who called him the Antichrist, he plans to hold a meeting and deliver a speech on the international situation. Loyalty to the party ideology cannot replace knowledge and professionalism. Bulgakov brings the readers to this conclusion.

The fatal mistake of the postal workers, who confused the delivery of the parcel with chicken and snake eggs, leads to the death of a large number of people, riots and, in the end, to the death of Professor Persikov and the destruction of the institute. However, this mistake, according to the writer, is not an accident, but a consequence of a vicious social system in which negligence is extremely natural. The ending of the story is permeated with bitter irony. It is possible to cope with the reptiles only due to the frost that came in August. A frost of eighteen degrees in August is fantastic. According to Bulgakov, only a miracle, the intervention of higher powers could stop the catastrophe. A play on words (rock, Rock) indicates the danger of unprofessionalism in any area, the doom of ill-considered scientific experiments as well as the perniciousness of destructive trends in science and education.

Additionally, the edge of Bulgakov's satire is also directed at the ignorant masses, whose psychology is revealed in the story with all the impartial clarity. In a crowd, a person loses his individuality, begins to obey herd instincts. The

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writer shows how easily the crowd passe from admiration and praise to pogroms and murders. For Bulgakov, the masses are an element that must be restrained by laws, religious or moral principles. Otherwise, it will become destructive.

Diaboliad "Diaboliad" satirically depicts the Soviet bureaucratic apparatus. The modest clerk Korotkov falls prey to the bureaucratic machine. First, he is fired for a ridiculous reason. In order to achieve justice, he gets bogged down even more in the wilds of the system, goes mad and commits suicide.

Depicting the absurdity of the bureaucratic apparatus, Bulgakov depends on the motive of duality. There is an intertextual parallel with the story of F.M. Dostoevsky‟s Double, in which the official, being ousted by his own double, loses his position, place in life and even his name. As a traditional motif in romantic literature, duality has clear infernal accents. The appearance of a double is nothing more than a “devil”, the intrigue of evil spirits. In the story of Bulgakov, Longsoner (a bureaucrat and a chief with a cast-iron voice) “splits in two”. On the one hand, he appears with or without a beard. On the other hand, he turns into a white cock or a black cat with phosphoric eyes.Its appearance is accompanied by the smell of sulfur. This character has obvious demonic nature.

In addition, the motive of duality is also used in relation to Korotkov. Having lost his documents, he becomes a person without a name. He is confused with a certain Kolobkov. They are going to be sent on a business trip, accused of embezzling money. Lack of documents indicates complete destruction of the person. Papers are more important than a person.

L. B. Menglinova connects the infernal principle in the satirical prose of M.A. Bulgakov with a presentiment of the apocalypse, characteristic of the mentality of the Russian intelligentsia of the 20s of the XX century. Meanwhile, he claims that all the iconic works of the writer not only “contain the paradigm of the Christian apocalyptic myth but also include the meta-plot of the world drama of the fall from sin to sacrifice to retribution (redemption)” [3, from. 138].

Actually, the very title of the story "Diaboliad" indicates the invasion of infernal forces into Moscow reality. There is no accident that the clerk, the little wheel of the bureaucratic apparatus, becomes a victim of satanic intrigues, not only a victim, but also a part of a vicious system. Besides, the trigger for the fatal events is the mistake he made in the document.

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Bulgakov sees excessive bureaucratization as another danger to the Soviet system. More and more new committees appear and the document is proclaimed the most important thing across the globe. Bureaucracy, according to Bulgakov, becomes a substitute for real work, which is a brake on progress and a real disaster.

Sharply satirically, Bulgakov depicts a huge building, which houses a lot of different offices and offices with ridiculous signs on the doors of the Glavtsentrbazspimat type. Over the strange abbreviations representing the names of organizations, the writer sarcastically uses the techniques of a language game to create occasionalisms: “Dobrokur”, “Dobrokhim” (“Fatal eggs”) and “Fat” (“Dog‟s heart”).

Bureaucratic office work, according to Bulgakov, is a place of rampant devilish forces. Based on Christian ideas, the Antichrist comes in the form of Christ, being just a fake and an imitation. The place where the real work is replaced by imitation, "frantic" drafting and signing of papersbecomes the site of the invasion of infernal beings.

In his portrayal of the bureaucratic apparatus, Bulgakov uses parody and grotesque. Signs prohibiting handshakes and walking along the corridors demonstrate the excessiveness and meaninglessness of such directives, which seem to be created specifically to make life difficult for people.The commandment "Do not enter without a report to your neighbor" parodies the sacred commandments. A parody of clerical style is present in documents full of conflicting requirements, complicated designs, stamps and official vocabulary.

The absurdity of the new order is shown by on the basis of absurd situations. However, if the appearance of the secretary from the box like a devil from a bottle or the doubling of the bossy figure of Longsoner is an absurd devilish game, then the issuance of a salary by matches looks no less absurd even though this is a completely real fact for that time. It is interesting that Bulgakov unites these events with an eloquent infernal detail: the smell of sulfur.

The farcical nature of the story‟s events and the combination of precise realistic details with surreal element emphasize the absurdity of the bureaucratic system and “the depravity of the entire social system of the state, in which the bureaucracy becomes not just a method of work, but a way of thought, a principle of existence” [6, p. 9].

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Bulgakov is also extremely hostile to the Soviet press, whose representative Alfred Arkadyevich Bronsky is endowed with the features of a demonic being. He has a running, elusive gaze. Besides, he wears boots with hoof-like noses. The criticism of the Soviet press is even sharper in the story "Heart of a Dog", in which Professor Preobrazhensky did not recommend reading Soviet newspaper before dinner, and his patients, who read Pravda, lost weight and experienced all sorts of ailments.

Heart of a Dog In the story "Heart of a Dog", focusing on the "little things in life" (dirt in the stairwells, invasion of the apartment by aggressive public figures), Bulgakov shows that it is in such little things that the inhumanity of the new way of life can be manifested. Theft becomes the cause of inedible food. When every meal is worth at 40 kopecks, the manager appropriates 25 kopecks. Bulgakov parodies the slogan “Nowhere except in Mosselprom” and adds that “you will not get anywhere except such poison as in Mosselprom.'‟ Changes at the simplest everyday level show the impossibility, incorrectness of such an existence.

Devastation manifests itself in everything: “galoshes and umbrellas are stolen, marble staircases are stained, and electricity is regularly cut off. The famous phrase of Preobrazhensky that devastation occurs in the minds leads to the main idea of Bulgakov. The cause of the devastation is in disregard for culture, education, and elementary rules of etiquette. It would appear that these are trifles, but they throw civilization back. From the perspective of common sense, the professor asserts elementary things. For example, he is certain that his business is to operate, and not to sing in chorus, and that it is impossible to sweep the tram tracks and simultaneously decide the fate of the poor in Spain. Everyone should do his own thing and fulfill his duties. Then, there will be no devastation. The author's position is expressed in the words of the character with the help of irony.

Lenin's well-known words that every cook can rule the state became one of the slogans of the new Soviet system. However, their meaning reflects the world of carnival culture and the world of inverted relationships. The principles of folk laughter culture are discussed in detail in the works of M.A. Bakhtin. Even in ancient Rome, in the comedies of Plautus, dexterous and skillful slaves turned out to be smarter and more cunning than their masters, becoming the main characters in the festive action. However, the tradition of the carnival meant freedom only on certain holidays. Then, everyday life came again, and life returned to its usual course. The consequences of the protracted carnival are convincingly shown in "Heart of a Dog".

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The grotesque image of Sharikov, a dog turned into a human by a talented surgeon, is a sad symbol of the new Soviet man. According to the writer, such a person arises as a result of unacceptable social experiments. Additionally, he is distinguished by parasitism, militant lack of culture and rudeness. All human vices come out. Any crimes are justified by the correct social origin. Certainly, this type of person is dangerous - and not only for the intelligentsia and representatives of the former ruling class, but also for revolutionaries who attract such people into their ranks. It is no coincidence that Preobrazhensky foresees that Sharikov will eventually destroy Shvonder, who was helping him.

However, a representative of a new type of humanity, who neither shows interest in the culture nor likes to read, considers that he is entitled to utter “cosmic nonsense”. Although Sharikov read the correspondence between Engels and Kautsky on Shvonder's advice, he is unable to comprehend the thoughts contained in the book. Nevertheless, he has his own simple way of solving social problems - take everything and divide it up. Bulgakov condemns the reassessment of values characteristic of the Soviet system, the priority of matter over spirit as well as the rejection of national cultural traditions.

The experience of the French Revolution, which degenerated into terror, makes one think and draw a historical analogy with the events in Russia. Bulgakov's skeptical attitude to revolution as a method of transforming the world is manifested in his condemnation of revolutionary terror. Preobrazhensky's words that terror will not help, whatever it may be - red, white or brown, become a formidable warning to the new government. Moreover, the conclusion suggests itself: changes must be started with enlightenment, the old culture must not be destroyed in order to create a new one and moral laws must not be forgotten. The writer, with the help of satirically pointed, grotesque images, demonstrates the moral degradation of man under the conditions of the Soviet system, pointing out the need for an evolutionary path of development.

In the story, Preobrazhensky's humanism, based on enlightenment and common sense, is opposed to the militant antihumanism of Sharikov and others like him, laying the foundations of the social order upside down. Sharikov's "inverted" ideas about the world are emphasized by a vivid artistic detail. After he becomes a human, his first impressions are shop signs, read in reverse. Preobrazhensky stopped his experiment and realized the viciousness of interference with the laws of nature. Bulgakov believes that the same should be done at the state level.

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Dangerous scientific experiments in "Heart of a Dog" and "Fatal Eggs" resulted in sad consequences. According to the author, the same conclusion must be drawn about the revolution, which was an inhuman experiment over the country and the people in accordance with Bulgakov. The grotesque image of Sharikov, which arose as a result of unacceptable interference with the laws of nature, presents the true essence of the ignorant representatives of the proletariat in power. Bulgakov emphasizes the connection between the new government and the dark forces, explaining the widespread embezzlement and theft by disbelief in the afterlife. Bulgakov's satirical stories are united by a fantastic assumption. The mystical appearance of infernal elements in The Devil‟s Day amazes scientific discoveries in "Heart of a Dog"" and "Fatal Eggs". Fiction, hyperbole and grotesque are used by Bulgakov to accentuate the real painful problems of the Soviet system, hoping to reveal the essence of negative phenomena.

In the meanwhile, due to fantastic plots, the stories go beyond the limits of simple daily life, acquiring a universal sound. However, social problems get a truly philosophical, existential meaning in the novel “The Master and Margarita”.

The Master and Margarita The literary organization Massolit, which is a caricatured model of the society as a whole, is subjected to sharp satirical ridicule in the novel. The structure of this organization bases on the same principles as the entire Soviet society, and manifests the same vices in people. Theft, talking of shop rather than business, opportunism, and a suspicious attitude towards everything unusual are the features that are subject to condemnation outside Massolite. Massolit's labyrinths, absurd incidents within its walls make one recall the bureaucratic offices from The Devil's Games. Only now the writer's environment is depicted satirically.

Bulgakov shows not only how creativity gives way to the pursuit of material values and benefits, but also how a „new Soviet elite‟ is formed in society, a privileged class consisting of all sorts of bosses, managers and bureaucrats. They control people of art and writers.

Representatives of the Soviet government, who were supposed to protect the interests of the working people, care mainly about their own benefit. Naturally, the center of attraction for visitors to the House of Griboyedov is the restaurant, which is the center of material life. The scene in the foreign exchange store has a pronounced satirical character and reveals the hypocrisy of party officials who have arrogated to themselves the right to privilege and luxury. Even demonic characters cannot put up with such shameless injustice.

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Behemoth and Koroviev set a fire in a foreign exchange store. The fire of retribution also flares up in the House of Griboyedov. Moreover, its fire destroys the incompetent works of functionaries from literature.

To condemn human vices that surfaced under the conditions of the Soviet system, the writer employed the technique of paradox. In the novel, the quintessence of evil - Satan and his retinue - acts as a force that punishes evil. Infernal forces, usually embodying evil, in the novel "The Master and Margarita" receive an ambiguous interpretation. The images of Woland and his retinue show the carnivalization of reality and the principle of inverted relations. The whole world and, in particular, Soviet Moscow is perceived by dark forces as a playground. In the novel, Carnival episodes fulfill important artistic functions. The phantasmagoria in a variety show and in Torgsin and the tricks in a “bad apartment” are diabolical tricks, indicating that the world is not as simple as the materialists believe. Disregard of religious commandments leads to rampant devilry. It is noteworthy that none of the Muscovites recognizes the devil in Woland in spite of the characteristic signs. Materialistic ideology makes a person vulnerable to the machinations of evil spirits, - the writer believes. Additionally, Woland in Bulgakov's novel does not sow evil around him. However, on the contrary, it reveals and punishes him. The purpose of his appearance in Moscow is to test the spiritual development of a person. It turned out that in Soviet society, people, as at all times, love money and their nature is still far from the ideal. Helping to expose human vices - greed, stupidity, disbelief, idleness and hypocrisy, Woland performs the functions of the highest justice. Therefore, the question of whether Woland is evil or good remains open. If Yeshua is the embodiment of mercy in the novel, then Woland personifies justice. Let us recall the principle of Dante's Hell, which is a necessary part of the world order, where everyone gets what he deserves.

Different from Goethe's Faust, with whom Bulgakov enters into an artistic dialogue, in his novel, the heroes do not receive the highest forgiveness. Bulgakov's heroes find peace, but not light. This expresses the polemical position of the writer. He addresses the riddle of creative inspiration and its possible connection with dark forces. Goethe‟s Faust personifies knowledge and the Master personifies creativity. According to Bulgakov, the nature of creative inspiration is dark and unclear, which allows for a demonic interpretation. The ambiguity of the interpretation of the devil's forces in the novel is explainable from the standpoint of carnival culture. In the world of inverted relationships, the devil is the one who does good things. The idea that “the dominance of the bureaucracy, the triumph of opportunists and the ignorant together with the oblivion of moral laws have reached such a scale that only Satan himself can deal with” is grotesquely pointed out.

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With the help of consciously chosen spatial coordinates, Bulgakov emphasizes the connection of the Moscow topos with the other world. As E.V. Belogurov, the appearance of Woland at the Patriarch's Ponds is far from the accidental. Previously, there was a goat bog: “in ancient times, before the foundation of Moscow, the priests of the pagan cult in these places drowned their victims or cut off their heads” [2, p. 154].In addition, the goat was considered an animal close to the devil. At the end of the 16th century, Patriarch Joachim built his residence on this place. The place became known as Patriarch's Ponds. The struggle of the Soviet government with religion and the destruction of the churches that surrounded the Patriarch's Ponds actualized the connection of this topos with evil spirits.

Already in the first episode of the novel, all three planes of the Moscow topos appear, respectively, human, divine, and infernal. The chairman of Massolita Berlioz and the poet Homeless, talking on a bench on the Patriarch's Ponds, represent the human world. They discuss Jesus Christ. This sets in motion the divine storytelling plan. The sudden appearance from the air of a "transparent citizen of a strange kind," Koroviev-Fagot, brings a representative of the infernal world onto the stage.

CONCLUSION As in the novels of the 1920s, in his final novel, Bulgakov shows the inhumanity of the Soviet system, manifesting itself in a lack of attention to the needs of people. The pseudonym of the poet Ivan Bezdomny symbolically expresses Bulgakov's understanding of the inhuman essence of the Soviet way of life, which evokes the associations with the absence or deprivation of home and the homelessness. Homeless means having no roots, no place on earth and no home. It should be noted that the homeless is called Faust by Goethe. However, evaluating the meaning of this concept is different for the authors. For Goethe, a homeless person means restless and a seeker, who does not want to stop in his movement, and for Bulgakov, he has no roots and does not remember kinship. The motive of homelessness is associated not only with a specific hero. Moscow is shown in the novel as a city of communal apartments, which is the reminiscent of the human anthill predicted by Dostoevsky. Communal apartment, as defined by L.B. Menglinova, became "a symbol of a new totalitarian being" [4, p. 70], which embodied the impersonal and unsettled way of life of the Soviet people. The theme of a bad apartment and the housing problem that spoiled the Muscovites echoes the theme of the compaction and outrages of the house committee in "A Dog's Heart".

It is of importance that the inability to satisfy the most elementary human needs - the need for housing, food and clothing - comes to the fore in the

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satirical denunciation of Soviet reality in Bulgakov's prose. If not even this, can we talk about the humanism of society?

Satire in Bulgakov's works is considered as a means of exposing an unjust social order. Grotesque images enhance the satirical sound, help to emphasize the shortcomings and weaknesses of the Soviet system as well as show their utter absurdity and illogicality. The fantastic beginning in the plot gives the events a shade of unreality. However, Bulgakov's fantasy is inextricably linked with objective reality and contributes to a deeper understanding of the laws of life.

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