The Master and Margarita Chapters 14 15 Faustian Bargain Literally, to strike a Faustian bargain is to be willing to sacrifice anything to satisfy a limitless desire for knowledge or power. In other, more generalized, terms, it is the exchange of some permanent or eternal characteristic or attribute (such as one s honor, character, or soul) in exchange for some transitory gain (such as power, beauty, wealth, fame, etc.). The bargain appeals to the non critical recipient who is avaricious of immediate gratification, but who does not consider the long term effects of the bargain. By definition, the Faustian bargain is a bad deal, for the recipient; the devil always wins! The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Chapters 14 15 1
"Believe me [, stated Korovyov,] Nikanor Ivanovich, your [housing] committee has everything to gain and nothing to lose." The interpreter's proposition made a lot of practical sense. It was a very solid proposal, but there was something decidedly unsolid about his manner of speaking. As a result, a vague sense of uneasiness troubled the chairman's soul, but he decided to accept the offer anyway. Nikanor Ivanovich gave a confused grin and failed to notice that he was standing next to the deceased's writing desk, where Korovyov was drawing up two copies of a contract with great speed and agility. Next, he whisked them into the bedroom and returned with both copies signed in the foreigner's scrawling hand. The chairman signed the contract too. This was done to the accompaniment of Korovyov's little jokes and quips, such as, "A fool and his money are soon parted," and other things of that sort [italics added]. (81, 82) Find five other examples of a Faustian Bargain in your text: 1. Page What is sacrificed What was obtained 2. 3. 4. 5. Chapters 14 15 2
Faust Legends (See handout.) Late 15th Century 16th Century Das Faustbuch Mephistopheles Christopher Marlowe: The Tragicall History of D. Faustus 17th Century German popular versions and puppet plays 18th Centruy G. E. Lessing: Faust 19th Century Johann von Goethe: Faust Mephisto Hector Berlioz: The Damnation of Faust Charles Gounod: Faust 20th Century Thomas Mann: Doktor Faustus Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita 129: What is real? 129: All is a lie like this text 130: What does it all mean? like this text 131: The shadows in the room tell Rimsky that what he believed to be real, isn't! Change after an immediate encounter with the Numinous. 130: Varenukha has become unrecognizable 132: Rimsky is changed Chapters 14 15 3
Master and Margarita.notebook Rooster: Biblical resonances (131 132) All four Gospels record Peter's three denials of Jesus. They can be found in Matt. 26:69 75 Mark 14:66 72 Luke 22:54 62 and John 18:15 27. The Mark passage reads as follows: As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Nazarene." But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are talking about." And he went out onto the porch, and a rooster crowed. The servant girl saw him, and began once more to say to the bystanders, "This is one of them!" But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders were again saying to Peter, "Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean too." But he began to curse and swear, "I do not know this man you are talking about!" Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep. (NASB) Mark 14:66 72 133: Narratology a sjuzet, continuation from 85, 111 133 134: Nikanor prays to God (a God who officially "doesn't exist"!?!) Soviet criticism: All are crooks (134) Nikanor's Dream WUD Confession/Interrogation of foreign money (134ff) Freudian context Repentance (136) Eyes are the window to the soul (140) Nikanor dreams that he is dreaming: WUD WUD! (141) 142: Segue to Pontius Pilate story. Is this a dream? Is it real? Who is the narrator? What the #@%$ is going on here??!!! ( through humor and chaos. ) Chapters 14 15 4
Attachments Witches_.ppt