57 pages • 1 hour read
Mikhail BulgakovThe Master and Margarita
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1967A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 1, Chapters 7-12Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 7 Summary
Before his death, Berlioz shared his apartment with the director of the Variety theater, Styopa Likhodeev. The building on Sadovaya Street has an “odd reputation” (58). In recent years, its inhabitants have vanished without explanation. The housekeeper blamed dark magic because “once witchcraft gets started, there’s no stopping it” (59). She also vanished a short time later. After her disappearance, Berlioz and Styopa both moved into the apartment with their wives. Styopa wakes up with a hangover and calls for Berlioz to bring him medicine. When he opens his eyes, however, he sees a stranger standing in his room, “dressed in black and wearing a black beret” (60). The stranger talks as though he and Styopa had arranged a meeting. He has prepared a tray of expensive caviar, mushrooms, and more vodka for Styopa to help with his hangover. As Styopa struggles to remember the events of the previous night, the stranger introduces himself as Woland, a “professor of black magic” (61). Woland says he met Styopa the previous day, and they drew up a contract for the theater. Styopa agreed to hire Woland to perform seven magic shows at the theater. He produces a signed contract as proof. Styopa recognizes his own signature but cannot remember signing the contract, nor meeting Woland. When Styopa telephones the financial director of the theater, Rimsky, the “nasty business” (63) is confirmed. Styopa is confused. He glances at a mirror and sees Korovyov and Behemoth before they quickly disappear.
Styopa calls out to his maid, Grunya, to ask about the figures in the mirror. Woland interjects, assuring Styopa that the tall man and the large black cat are part of his “retinue” (64). Additionally, Woland has sent Grunya away. She is not available. Styopa stares in disbelief as the large black cat Behemoth sips vodka. Korovyov criticizes Styopa for drinking too much vodka and cheating on his wife. Styopa sees another person arrive: a short, broad red-haired man named Azazello who has a large fang protruding from his mouth and a bowler hat on his head. Azazello agrees with Korovyov. When Behemoth calls out unexpectedly, Styopa feels something hit him over the head. He passes out and then wakes up beside the Black Sea in Yalta. Overwhelmed, he sighs and falls over, hitting his head against a stone.
Chapter 8 Summary
Ivan wakes up in the asylum “from a long, deep sleep” (66). An attendant bathes him and hands him clean clothes. Dressed in red pajamas, Ivan is examined by a team of doctors. He decides not to be violent and to “seek refuge in proud silence” (67). After routine questions from the doctors, Ivan eats breakfast and then talks to the head of the asylum’s clinical team, Dr. Stravinsky. As Ivan tells his story slowly and calmly, Stravinsky listens in a sympathetic way. After Stravinsky explains to Ivan that he should stay in the asylum even though Ivan insists that he is sane. Ivan reluctantly agrees. He plans to write out his version of events rather than go to the police. Stravinsky assures Ivan the asylum doctors will do everything they can to help him in a place where “everything is peaceful” (71).
Chapter 9 Summary
Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoi is the chairman of the tenants’ association in the building where Berlioz and Styopa live. After Berlioz’s death, many people petition him with “claims for the vacated rooms” (73). Bosoi lets himself into the shared apartment and is “absolutely enraged” (74) to find Korovyov sitting at the desk. After a short discussion, Korovyov explains that he is the language interpreter for Woland, who has taken up residence in the apartment while performing at the nearby theater. Bosoi objects. Korovyov produces signed documents from Styopa that confirm his version of events. Bosoi wants to meet Woland, but Korovyov says that this is not possible, as Woland is busy “training the cat” (75). He promises the tenants’ association will receive a large fee for allowing Woland to stay. Bosoi is intrigued by the promise of money. He confirms the plans with the foreign tourist bureau. Happy, Bosoi signs a contract for a hugely overpriced amount. He also asks Korovyov for “a free pass” (76) to Woland’s show. Korovyov gives Bosoi complimentary tickets as well as a large bribe as he urges him out of the apartment. Bosoi leaves, wondering how Korovyov even gained access to the apartment and hides his ill-gotten gains in a ventilation shaft.
A short time later, Woland tells Korovyov to ensure that a “skinflint and a swindler” (77) like Bosoi does not enter the apartment again. Korovyov calls the police and reports Bosoi for possessing illegal denominations of foreign currency. That evening, Bosoi is arrested while eating his dinner. The police find a large amount of “some unknown currency that was blue-green in color” (78). As he is led away, Bosoi is surprised that everything given to him by Korovyov has disappeared. The neighbors watch Bosoi’s arrest with great satisfaction.
Chapter 10 Summary
Rimsky meets with Varenukha, the theater administrator. They examine the posters for Woland’s magic show and discuss their annoyance that Styopa insisted they book the strange man, especially as he immediately “disappeared” (81). A female courier brings a telegram from Yalta that explains a man claiming to be Styopa has been declared insane and detained. Rimsky and Varenukha assume that someone is playing a joke on them. The courier returns immediately with another telegram, which rambles about Woland and “hypnosis” (82). The two men assume that Styopa has been drinking alcohol. When a third telegram arrives, it contains photographic proof that Styopa has signed the messages from Yalta. The message warns them to be wary of Woland. The men are puzzled because Yalta is almost “1500 kilometers” (83) away from Moscow and Styopa was in the city only recently. Rimsky tells Varenukha to go to the authorities. When he telephones Styopa’s apartment, Korovyov answers to say that Styopa has left Moscow. A fourth telegram arrives from Yalta, in which Styopa asks for money to buy a plane ticket. Rimsky sends the money.
On his way to speak to the authorities, Varenukha notices that Woland’s shows have nearly sold out. The reception at the theater receives a telephone call meant for Varenukha. He listens as a strange, nasty voice tells him not to take the messages from Yalta to the authorities and not to “show them to anyone” (86). Varenukha leaves the theater, but before he can get far, he is assaulted by Behemoth and Azazello. They drag him into Styopa’s apartment where a naked woman named Hella kisses him. Varenukha is overwhelmed. He faints and does “not feel the kiss” (87).
Chapter 11 Summary
A storm breaks out in Moscow and the “heavens split open” (88). In his room at the asylum, Ivan weeps. He cannot write about the events of the previous day without appearing completely insane. When the doctor reads Ivan’s “confused and incomprehensible” (88) notes, Ivan is sedated. Later, Ivan is shocked by the way in which the medicine removes his anxieties. Though part of him wants to forget about what happened, another part of him gnaws at his consciousness, reminding him about the strangeness of Woland and his predictive powers. As he drifts off to sleep, a man’s voice whispers to Ivan, calling him a “fool” (90). Before Ivan can fall asleep, a man appears on the balcony above Ivan and signals to him to be quiet.
Chapter 12 Summary
Before Woland takes to the stage at the Variety Theater, the opening act performs circus tricks. Rimsky sits in his office, thinking about why Varenukha has not yet returned. Before “the final part of the program” (91), Rimsky watches the mysterious performers from backstage. Woland is with Korovyov and Behemoth; Korovyov performs magic tricks and Behemoth drinks water in the style of a human, holding a glass in his paw. When the time for the performance arrives, George Bengalsky (the master of ceremonies) steps onto the stage and announces the headline act. He describes Maestro Woland and the black magic that he is about to perform, while at the same time assuring the audience that “there is no such thing in the world as black magic” (93). He promises that Woland will explain how his magic tricks work.
Woland’s performance begins. On stage, Woland jokes with Korovyov about how much the audience in Moscow has changed over the years. He wonders aloud to Korovyov how much the people have “changed on the inside” (94). As Behemoth and Korovyov perform a few magic tricks to keep the audience’s attention, a member of the audience shouts out, claiming that the tricks are old and boring. His criticism allows Korovyov to expand the trick, making his deck of cards transport to the person’s pocket. Once there, the man in the audience realizes the playing cards have turned into money. With a bang, Korovyov makes money rain down on all the audience members. The Muscovites scramble, frantically snatching at the money that is pouring into the theater. Bengalsky tries and fails to send them back to their seats, blaming “mass hypnosis” (95) for the people’s behavior. He wants Woland to explain the trick.
Korovyov, increasingly annoyed with the master of ceremonies, assures the audience that the money is real. With the audience’s encouragement, he performs another trick. Behemoth leaps up and cuts off Bengalsky’s head. Korovyov holds up the severed head, joking that Bengalsky should stop “talking rubbish” (96). Then, Behemoth restores Bengalsky’s head to his body and Bengalsky is alive. However, he is rushed to hospital anyway, struggling and kicking as he tries to understand what has happened to him. Back on the stage, Korovyov announces that he will “open a store for the ladies” (97). As the women from the audience step up to the stage, he gifts them lavish clothes from fashionable Parisian designers. Hella appears on stage, helping the women into the new clothes. As the women try on their new outfits, Hella shouts out the brand names. Again, an “incredible uproar” (98) breaks out as the greedy audience members try to take what they can. After a short time, Korovyov makes the store vanish.
The audience is impressed by Woland’s magic show. Korovyov promises to explain every trick after their final act. He invites an appreciative member of the audience named Arkady Apollonovich to take part. Korovyov asks Apollonovich where he was the previous night. Much to the surprise of Apollonovich’s wife, Korovyov reveals that the man was with his mistress, an “actress in a touring regional company” (99). As the people in Apollonovich’s box begin to fight, Behemoth proclaims the show is over. The orchestra strikes up a tune as the audience descends into chaos. As the police intervene, the stage is “suddenly empty” (100).
Part 1, Chapters 7-12 Analysis
Woland and his retinue take over the apartment that was once partly occupied by Berlioz. The ownership of the apartment itself becomes a comment on the nature of self-interest and bureaucracy in the Soviet Union. After Berlioz’s death, people are more concerned with obtaining his apartment for themselves than they are for Berlioz. Even his uncle travels to Moscow with the intention of trying to move into the apartment rather than mourning his nephew. The building manager Bosoi is the man who decides who gets to live in the apartment, and he accepts a bribe from Woland to ignore Woland moving into the building. Later, he is arrested for dealing in foreign currency. Bosoi is punished for taking part in a corrupt system but he is not the person responsible. He is a small part of a larger, societal problem that accepts the absurdity of the bureaucracy as essential and normal. The society is so corrupt that they need Satan himself to appear and form a legitimate critique of their corruption.
The corruption in Moscow as described in The Master and Margarita is the product of a social self-interest, which extends to most of the characters. Even in a communist society that supposedly lauds itself on being more equal and more egalitarian than other economic systems, the people of Moscow cannot help but be obsessed with wealth and image. The people who run the Variety Theatre are just as susceptible to bribes as Bosoi. They have no real interest in the artistic merit of what is shown in the theater, only how much money they make. Similarly, the audience who watches Woland’s performance is obsessed with appearances and money. When the performers throw money and fashionable clothes at the audience members, the audience members rush to grab whatever they can. Their greed and their self-interest are laid bare, even in the supposedly egalitarian society. Later, the money and the clothes disappear. Woland teaches the audience members that wealth is fleeting, whether it comes in the form of money or clothing. By bribing people, Woland is able to expose the society’s self-interest on a regular basis.
Woland performs a magic show for the people of Moscow but, in truth, his presence itself is a performance that provides a running social commentary on the nature of the world around him. To Woland, everything is a performance. Whether he is meeting poets in a park, hosting a stage show, or talking to a theater director, his actions and his words have a theatrical flourish that is always self-aware. He performs his criticisms using absurdity and mockery to point out the flaws he sees in the world around him. Woland is not performing an original act. Rather, his role is to perform the society itself, pantomiming Moscow to its own inhabitants. Satan takes on many disguises, but disguising himself as all Moscow’s bad habits while performing these bad habits for the Muscovites is perhaps his greatest performance of all.
