{"id":958,"date":"2010-06-14T10:00:37","date_gmt":"2010-06-14T10:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=958"},"modified":"2010-07-04T06:50:36","modified_gmt":"2010-07-04T06:50:36","slug":"reading-master-and-margarita-chapter-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/reading-master-and-margarita-chapter-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading \u00ab\u041c\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440 \u0438 \u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0430\u00bb: Chapter 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Where has your copy of \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u041c\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440 <\/em><\/strong>\u0438 <\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u0442\u0430<\/a>\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [\u201cThe Master & Margarita<\/a>\u201d] been this week? I brought mine with me to the \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0443\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0438\u0442\u0435<\/span>\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u0430\u044f\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [university canteen] where I read it together with \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043a\u043e<\/span>\u0444\u0435\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [coffee] and \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043a\u043e\u0440\u0437\u0438<\/span>\u043d\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u043e <\/em><\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0432\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [lit. \u2018little basket with cream\u2019] a very tasty Russian pastry. <\/em><\/p>\n

Chapter 2 \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u041f\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u00bb <\/strong>[\u201cPontius Pilate\u201d] <\/strong>of M&M (that\u2019s what Yelena and I have come to call the novel in our personal correspondence lately; not to be confused with the candy with the same name!)<\/em> begins already at the end of chapter 1 when the \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0444\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043e\u0440\u00bb<\/strong> \u00a0[professor] also known as the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [(male) <\/em>foreigner] and a \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043f\u0435\u0446\u0438\u0430\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u0442 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong>\u0447\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0439 <\/strong>\u043c\u0430<\/span>\u0433\u0438\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [specialist on black magic] \u2013 only later in the novel is his name \u00ab<\/strong>\u0412\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0430\u043d\u0434\u00bb<\/strong> [Voland, or Woland] revealed \u2013 says that \u00ab<\/strong>\u0434\u043e\u043a\u0430\u0437\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0441\u0442\u0432 <\/strong>\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0430\u043a\u0438<\/span>\u0445 <\/strong>\u043d\u0435 <\/strong>\u0442\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u0431\u0443\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f\u00bb\u00a0 <\/strong>[no evidence is necessary] to prove that Jesus existed and then pronounces a sentence to Berlioz and Bezdomny, which is also the first sentence of chapter 2. In early editions of \u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d this chapter was called by \u00ab<\/strong>\u041c\u0438\u0445\u0430\u0438<\/span>\u043b <\/strong>\u0410\u0444\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u044c\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447 <\/strong><\/a>\u0411\u0443\u043b\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0432<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [Mikhail Afanas\u2019evich Bulgakov<\/a>] himself \u00ab<\/strong>\u0415\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0435 <\/strong>\u043e\u0442 <\/strong>\u0421\u0430\u0442\u0430\u043d\u044b<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [\u201cSatan\u2019s Gospel\u201d]. In this chapter we\u2019re introduced to the \u2018second\u2019<\/em> plot of the novel which is a highly important side story that will be repeated many times within the novel\u2019s \u2018first\u2019<\/em> plot. The first plot takes place in Moscow in the 1930\u2019s \u2013 as we have already learned from Yelena\u2019s excellent post about chapter 1<\/a> \u2013 and where and when does the second plot take place, then? It is set in the town of \u00ab<\/strong>\u0415\u0440\u0448\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0438\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [disguised under this name is obviously the city of Jerusalem] where we meet \u00ab<\/strong>\u041f\u043e<\/span>\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0439 <\/a><\/strong>\u041f\u0438\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0442<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [Pontius Pilate<\/a>] who is \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u0440\u043e\u043a\u0443\u0440\u0430\u0442\u043e<\/span>\u0440 <\/strong>\u0418\u0443\u0434\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [prosecutor of Judaea] and also rather human as he is suffering from a vicious headache at this time. The second chapter of \u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d describes his meeting with a certain \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0441\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0434\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0438\u0437 <\/strong>\u0413\u0430\u043b\u0438\u043b\u0435<\/span>\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [person under investigation from Galilee] with the name \u00ab<\/strong>\u0418\u0435<\/span>\u0448\u0443\u0430 <\/strong>\u0413\u0430-<\/strong>\u041d\u043e\u0446\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [Yeshua Ha-Nozri]. He is about the face the death sentence because he \u00ab<\/strong>\u043f\u043e\u0434\u0433\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0432\u0430\u043b <\/strong>\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e<\/span>\u0434 <\/strong>\u0440\u0430\u0437\u0440\u0443<\/span>\u0448\u0438\u0442\u044c <\/strong>\u0435\u0440\u0448\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0438\u043c\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0445\u0440\u0430\u043c\u00bb <\/strong>[incited the people to destroy the temple of Jerusalem]. Does this remind you of anyone we know? Of course, it is none other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! But in \u201cSatan\u2019s Gospel\u201d Yeshua is portrayed very different from what we can read and learn about Jesus\u2019 meeting with Pontius Pilate in the New Testament. The problem of similarities and dissimilarities between Yeshua as a character in \u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d and Jesus Christ as portrayed in the Bible has caused a mountain of scholarly work to be conducted and completed in many languages worldwide. For example, my second roommate here in Yekaterinburg (from USA)<\/em> wrote her \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0430\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u0434\u0438\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [Bachelor\u2019s thesis] on this problem and did such a good job that she received not only the grade \u00ab<\/strong>\u043e\u0442\u043b\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [excellent] but a \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0441\u043d\u044b\u0439 <\/strong>\u0434\u0438\u043f\u043b\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [red diploma (the equivalent of graduating with honors)<\/em>] upon completing the BA program. So if you find yourself confused at times while reading this chapter, then that\u2019s alright and as it should be. The entire \u2018second\u2019<\/em> plot of this novel is confusing at times \u2013 though equally entertaining and very thoughtful in its posing of philosophical questions \u2013 and can be given many different interpretations. You shouldn\u2019t force yourself to \u2018get it\u2019<\/em> straight away. If you\u2019re the person who always wins when playing Bible trivia, you can read it slowly and considerately while comparing it in detail with the New Testament. If you haven\u2019t read the Bible at all, then why not just enjoy some almost historical information imbedded in excellent artistic narration?<\/p>\n

In the chapter, Yeshua says that his one and only \u00ab<\/strong>\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [disciple] \u00ab<\/strong>\u041b\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u0438\u0439 <\/strong>\u041c\u0430\u0442\u0432\u0435<\/span>\u0439\u00bb<\/strong> [Matthew Levi] is writing down his words all wrong and that this has caused the people to misinterpret his intentions. He explains to Pontius Pilate: \u00ab-\u042d<\/span>\u0442\u0438 \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u0431\u0440\u044b\u0435 \u043b\u044e<\/span>\u0434\u0438, <\u2026> \u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u043c\u0443<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0443\u0447\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u0438\u0441\u044c \u0438 \u0432\u0441\u0451 \u043f\u0435\u0440\u0435\u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043b\u0438, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u044f \u0433\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u0438<\/span>\u043b. \u042f \u0432\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0449\u0435<\/span> \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0438\u043d\u0430<\/span>\u044e \u043e\u043f\u0430\u0441\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f, \u0447\u0442\u043e \u043f\u0443<\/span>\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 \u044d<\/span>\u0442\u0430 \u0431\u0443<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0442 \u043f\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043e\u043b\u0436\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u044c\u0441\u044f \u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0435\u043d\u044c \u0434\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u0433\u043e\u0435 \u0432\u0440\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u044f\u00bb <\/strong>[- \u201cThese good people, <…> haven\u2019t learned anything and have got everything wrong that I said. I am actually starting to fear that this mess will continue for a very long time\u201d]. Here Bulgakov is, of course, hinting not without irony at The Gospel of Matthew<\/a>\u2026 which according to \u00ab<\/strong>\u0431\u0435\u0437\u0431\u043e<\/span>\u0436\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [pl.<\/em> godless people; atheists] of the Soviet Union did indeed create \u201ca mess that continued for a very long time\u201d in the world.<\/p>\n

Chapter 2 is one of the longest chapters in the novel (in my copy it stretches over more than 25 pages) <\/em>and can thus cause some trouble for the inexperienced in reading Russian novels \u00ab<\/strong>\u0432 <\/strong>\u043f\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043b\u0438\u043d\u043d\u0438\u043a\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [in the original]. From my own experience with learning how to read Russian novels the hard way \u2013 by going through hundreds of them in the original ever since my \u2018first\u2019<\/em> back in the spring of 2005 (which was \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0417\u0430\u043f\u0438<\/span>\u0441\u043a\u0438 <\/em><\/strong>\u0438\u0437 <\/em><\/strong>\u041c\u0451<\/span>\u0440\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0433\u043e <\/em><\/strong>\u0414\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u0430\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [\u201cNotes from the Dead House\u201d] by \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u0414\u043e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0435<\/span>\u0432\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [Dostoevsky])<\/em> \u2013 I have come to the conclusion that it is never \u00ab<\/strong>\u0446\u0435\u043b\u0435\u0441\u043e\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [advised; expedient] to look up every new and yet unknown word in the dictionary. Some people would say it is not recommended at all for anyone to even try and read a whole Russian novel in the original before having studied the language for more than a year. Well, I had studied Russian for about 8 months when I started my journey into the 19th<\/sup> century \u00ab<\/strong>\u043a\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u043e\u0440\u0433\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [penal servitude; hard labor] as depicted by one of Russia\u2019s greatest writers EVER. And what lesson did I learn? First and foremost that most writers have a certain amount of words that they use and these words are often repeated throughout their books. Now Bulgakov is a bit more advanced in this area than Dostoevsky (no offense, Fyodor Mikhailovich \u2013 just telling it like it is) <\/em>and uses a larger amount of words and does more wordplay than many other Russian writers. In this sense he is true to his own literary \u2018Master\u2019<\/em>: \u00ab<\/strong>\u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b\u0430<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0412\u0430\u0441\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0435\u0432\u0438\u0447 <\/strong><\/a>\u0413\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u043b\u044c<\/a>\u00bb<\/strong> [Nikolai Vasil\u2019evich Gogol\u2019<\/a>]. Bulgakov is in many ways the Gogol\u2019 of the 20th<\/sup> century and his works are filled with allusions to and quotations from his 19th<\/sup> century predecessor. \u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d is no exemption from this rule, I\u2019m afraid. But you shouldn\u2019t be afraid! Not the least!<\/p>\n

The best way to begin to read a Russian novel in the original if you\u2019re still not very experienced in this area is to make the \u00ab<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u00bb <\/strong>[dictionary] your constant companion only during the first chapters. Keep track of the words you have looked up while reading by writing them into a smaller notebook. In this way, you can return to it and repeat some of the words later. And also know that these words are bound to be repeated throughout the novel. Once you get farther into the work of fiction, don\u2019t stop your reading every time you come upon a new word to look it up in the dictionary. Underline it \u2013 that\u2019s always a great way so as to be able to return to it \u2013 and try to understand it from the context. Generally speaking, you don\u2019t need to understand EACH and EVERY word in a novel in order to enjoy it. Remember that it is okay to guess, and that it is just as okay to only later understand fully what you read earlier. If your Russian is more advanced, you should read one chapter at a time \u2013 or why not ten pages \u2013 and underline new words as you go along. Then you go back and look up ONLY the words that you can\u2019t fathom by way of getting the context surrounding them. It is not \u2018bad\u2019<\/em> or \u2018lazy\u2019<\/em> not to look up ALL words. Nobody\u2019s perfect, after all, and neither should you ever try to be. Literature is not a contest of who gets it better or understands it deeper \u2013 but a journey through opening up things yet unknown. Not to mention that it is a great way to educate oneself and learning about people!<\/p>\n

While reading \u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d I bet we\u2019ll all come not only to find out more about Russia in the 1930\u2019s, but also about ourselves. Literature is about people and people who love literature tend to have a great love for people. And because we\u2019re all people here (well except for \u00ab<\/strong><\/em>\u043a\u043e\u0442 <\/em><\/strong>\u0411\u0435\u0433\u0435\u043c\u043e<\/span>\u0442\u00bb<\/em><\/strong> [Begemot<\/a> the cat], at least that\u2019s what my interpretation of this character has come to)<\/em> then that\u2019s what our focus should be on: ourselves and each other!<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know about you, but personally I\u2019m so wrapped up by this novel now that I can\u2019t wait to visit \u00ab<\/strong>\u043c\u0443\u0437\u0435<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong>\u0411\u0443\u043b\u0433\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u043e\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [the museum of Bulgakov] <\/a>next week while in Moscow\u2026 I promise a post about this exciting adventure in a very soon future!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Where has your copy of \u00ab\u041c\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440 \u0438 \u041c\u0430\u0440\u0433\u0430\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0430\u00bb [\u201cThe Master & Margarita\u201d] been this week? I brought mine with me to the \u00ab\u0443\u043d\u0438\u0432\u0435\u0440\u0441\u0438\u0442\u0435\u0442\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0441\u0442\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0430\u044f\u00bb [university canteen] where I read it together with \u00ab\u043a\u043e\u0444\u0435\u00bb [coffee] and \u00ab\u043a\u043e\u0440\u0437\u0438\u043d\u043e\u0447\u043a\u0430 \u0441\u043e \u0441\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043a\u0430\u043c\u0438\u00bb [lit. \u2018little basket with cream\u2019] a very tasty Russian pastry. Chapter 2 \u00ab\u041f\u043e\u043d\u0442\u0438\u0439 \u041f\u0438\u043b\u0430\u0442\u00bb [\u201cPontius Pilate\u201d] of…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,178,8,995],"tags":[1125,8982,1153,9430,9432,1211,1248,1250,8977,9429,9431,9179,1838,9433,1670,1681,1696,9434],"class_list":["post-958","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-history","category-language","category-soviet-union","tag-jesus-christ","tag-master-margarita","tag-mikhail-bulgakov","tag-pontius-pilate","tag-reading-in-russian","tag-russia","tag-russian-language","tag-russian-literature","tag-russian-literature-is-better-than-sex","tag-soviet-union-in-the-1930s","tag-yeshua","tag-9179","tag-1838","tag-9433","tag-1670","tag-1681","tag-1696","tag-9434"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=958"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1065,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/958\/revisions\/1065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=958"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=958"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=958"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}