Contents of a dog's heart by chapter. dog's heart
In the winter of 1924-1925, scientist Filipp Filippovich Preobrazhensky found a method to rejuvenate a person by transplanting glands from an animal body. One day, the professor picked up a stray dog with a sick appearance. Within a week, he cures the dog, and the dog becomes a friendly, gentle and docile animal. Then Philip Philipovich plans to perform an operation on the animal and transplant human glands into it, namely Klim Chugunkin, twenty-five years old, who had already been imprisoned for theft three times and by that time had died from stab wound. The operation is successful and the dog slowly turns into a human. Sharik gains height and weight, loses his fur, and suddenly starts talking!
Several weeks pass, and the dog has become an unsympathetic man, most likely similar to a person named Klim Chugunkin, even in character. All he gets from the dog now is that he doesn’t like cats. This character chooses the name Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov. Sharikov begins to think freely and all the harmful, disgusting habits of Klim Chugunkin go to Sharikov, he begins to drink. Sharikov shows Preobrazhensky a paper according to which he has already become a member of the residential community, and he is offered a share in Preobrazhensky’s apartment. Accordingly, his “creator” is horrified by the one he created.
Time passes, Sharikov brings a girl to Philip Philipovich’s house, wants to marry her and live together in the apartment he occupies. The scientist naturally tells Sharikov’s chosen one about who he really is.
Then one of Preobrazhensky’s patients brings a denunciation against him, which Sharikov wrote. At this point he can no longer stand it and says that his former dog should get out of his house. But it was not there. Sharikov showed him his fist and pulled out a pistol with his other hand. In general, it all ends with the professor’s assistant, Dr. Bormenthal, locking the main and emergency entrances and leaving with Preobrazhensky for the examination room. A police representative shows up at the scientist’s home with a search warrant and wants to arrest Preobrazhensky and his assistant for accusing them of Sharikov’s death.
Bormental and the professor explain that there is no Sharikov, that this is just a dog on which they conducted experiments. And they present him with evidence: a dog with a receding hairline, whose fur is growing, walks on his hind legs, sits in a chair. The police representative loses consciousness. As a result, the dog turned back into an obedient animal.
This story teaches us to be content with what we are given. That you can’t be arrogant and impudent. Otherwise we may lose everything we have.
Summary of Bulgakov's Heart of a Dog chapter by chapter
Chapter 1
The plot of the work takes place in the capital in 1924-1925. It's terribly cold outside. A homeless dog sits in the corner of the gateway and suffers from hunger and pain in its side. A dog named Sharik was attacked by a tyrant cook who doused him with boiled water. Suddenly, an intelligent, neatly dressed gentleman came out of a store nearby. The dog was surprised when this man started feeding him sausage. Sharik, at the behest of his savior, follows him. He wanted to show his gratitude to the master for his salvation by any means possible. They came to an unknown house and went inside. The dog watched with curiosity this man, who was having a conversation with the most popular dog-hater, the doorman of a residential building named Fedor. From this man, the gentleman learns that the third apartment is being occupied by people who will be working on a plan to occupy the house. The gentleman is very upset, although no one has applied for his apartment.
Chapter 2
An influential gentleman and his dog entered a luxurious seven-room apartment. Sharik’s rescuer’s name was Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky, a professor of medicine. Sharik was taken into an examination room, which turned out to be not to his liking. The dog was euthanized with chloroform and the wound was bandaged. When Sharik came to his senses, his side did not hurt at all. Now he watched with interest as the professor received patients at his home. These people were completely different, but they all wanted to look younger than their own age. Philip Philipovich agrees to provide this service for a lot of money. In the evening, new residents of the house came to Preobrazhensky. They had to move people into apartments that had “extra” rooms. The main one, Shvonder, argued that this was a very large apartment for a professor and demanded that 2 rooms be freed for new tenants. Philip Philipovich called one of his influential acquaintances, who tore Shvonder to smithereens. The “tenants” leave with nothing.
Chapter 3
The professor and his assistant sat down to dinner and fed Sharik. The food was very tasty. On this day they served fried fish and roast beef, he was so full that he didn’t even want to think about food, this had never happened to him before. The professor was thinking about modern times and the new structure of the state. Sharik was sleeping quietly in the corner and was afraid that it could all be a dream. The dog was overcome by the fear that he might wake up and find himself on the street again, without shelter and food. But everything was just wonderful. He grew prettier before our eyes and eventually became a well-fed dog. Sharik was minding his own business, eating, sleeping, enjoying life.
Philip Philipovich told a friend how in the morning he heard the singing of the “tenants”. The song was about destroying devastation. The professor argued that settling the proletariat in their home would lead to the decline of everything around them. Working people should work for the good of the state, and not waste precious time singing political songs and attending lectures.
Chapter 4
Sharik begins to live and eat well. Now he has become well-groomed dog. They took him for walks in parks and fed him various delicacies. Even one stray dog was jealous of him and called him “the lord’s bastard.” Sharik became good friends with the professor's cook, Daria Petrovna, who constantly gave him goodies.
But one unfavorable day, everything did not go as usual. A call rang, it was Professor Bormenthal's assistant, who said that a man had died about three hours ago. Soon the professor's friend returned with an interesting suitcase. The dog was taken to the examination room and given anesthesia. Then a complex operation took place to transplant the testicular glands and pituitary gland, which were taken from a fresh corpse. The professor hoped to achieve rejuvenation in this way. But the scientist was sure that after such an operation Sharik would not survive, like the previous animals on which this experiment was carried out.
Chapter 5
The professor and his friend began to keep notes on observations of Sharik, who nevertheless survived after a complex operation. The changes that took place in the dog’s body were stunning. The dog's hair began to fall out, and his weight and growth became approximately that of an average static person. Changes were also observed in body temperature and pulse. Sharik learned to stand on his hind legs and then walk. He began to speak in a language understandable to humans. Sharik's vocabulary was dominated by obscene words. Then his tail fell out. Rumors began to spread around the city about strange creature. Even in the newspaper there were articles about the miracle beast.
Philip Philipovich began to notice that Sharik had learned to read some words, laughter was clearly heard
The professor realized that transplantation of the pituitary gland does not lead to rejuvenation, but to the acquisition of human traits. Bormental insisted that Sharik be raised and educated. But the professor already realized that all these efforts were simply useless, since Sharik completely duplicated the habits of the person whose pituitary gland was transplanted to him. This man's name was Klima Chugunkin - a thief, a drunkard, a bully and a troublemaker.
Chapter 6
Sharik became an ordinary person of average height, male. He wore a pale blue tie and boots. He began to communicate with Shvonder and every day surprised the professor and Bormental with his behavior. The antics of the incomprehensible creature were cruel and brazen. He littered, spat on the floor, scared Zina, and could come home drunk and go to bed right on the rug in the kitchen.
Philip Philipovich wanted to talk with Sharik, but he also presented his demands - addressed to Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov.
The “tenants” demanded that the man register. The professor was indignant at first. Since Sharikov was not there biological person. But he was forced to register him because the law was on Polygraph’s side.
Sharikov still retained his canine antics. When a cat ran into the house, he rushed as hard as he could after her into the bath. The door slammed shut. As a result, she jumped out the window, and Sharikov remained in a locked room with a large amount of water, since he opened the taps during the chase. The professor, Bormenthal and Zina began a rescue operation. Then, having freed Sharik, everyone began cleaning the bathroom. Neighbors came endlessly to complain to Sharik that he was breaking windows and running after cooks.
Chapter 7
Sharikov drinks alcohol in such quantities as a real alcoholic. He does not like cultural places - theaters, cinema, but only visits the circus with great pleasure. It was possible to visit this establishment with Sharikov in the case when there were no cats in the performance script.
Preobrazhensky invites him to read a book, but he is already busy reading other information that Shvonder gave him. From what he read, Sharikov only understood that everything must be divided. The professor, jokingly, tells him that he needs to consider a case that happened recently - an incident in the bathtub and offers to return the money for the broken faucet and equipment, as well as for the lost working day. The professor asks Zina to burn the diary with notes. While Bormental and Polygraph were at the circus, the professor took out a vessel with the dog’s pituitary gland and looked at it as if he had something in mind.
Chapter 8
Sharikov receives the long-awaited documents. Now he has become even more impudent than before. The Professor quickly calms Polygraph down, threatening him with hunger. Sharikov calms down, but it’s a matter of time. He, together with his comrades, stole the professor’s personal belongings and money, with which he bought alcohol and got drunk.
The professor's assistant suggests that he poison Sharikov, but Philip Philipovich is against such an act, since this act carries criminal liability. He admits his mistake and promises to do something about it. The professor is upset because from such wonderful dog, it turned out to be such scum that it even makes you feel sick.
In the morning, Sharikov returned and told everyone that he had found a job - head of the department for clearing the capital of stray animals.
The professor's assistant insisted that Sharikov apologize to Zina and the cook, and also force him to behave appropriately with Preobrazhensky and not make a mess in the apartment.
Sharikov brings a girl to the apartment and declares that he will marry her. She demands the professor to allocate a room for them and register the young lady. The professor tells the stranger the whole truth about Sharikov. The girl learns that he is far from being the commander of the Red Army and his wound is not a battle wound. She's crying. A wedding is out of the question. Sharikov threatens her, Bormental promises the girl protection on his part.
Chapter 9
One of his acquaintances, a former patient, comes to the professor in a police uniform. According to this man's story, Philip Philipovich learns that Sharikov wrote a complaint against him and his assistant Bormental. As if they threatened to kill Sharikov and Shvonder, they keep firearms without permission and accusations that they are counter-revolutionaries. Then they try to drive Sharikov out of the apartment, but it is useless. He gets bolder and eventually pulls out a gun. The doctors twist his arms and take away his weapon. After that, they put him to sleep and take him to the examination room. The rest are advised not to leave the apartment. There is some activity going on in the operating room.
Epilogue
10 days later, Preobrazhensky is visited by investigators at Shvonder’s signal. They have a document confirming the right to search the home and arrest on charges of murder of citizen P.P. Sharikov. The professor explains to the investigators that this is not a person at all, but a dog that temporarily acquired a human appearance, and has now returned to its usual appearance. At this time, a strange dog comes out of the room, to which a canine pituitary gland has already been transplanted. There is fur in some places, not in others, a scar on the front of the head. The dog sometimes stands on all fours, sometimes walks on two legs. The police are shocked by what they see. They leave the professor's apartment. The professor begins to live normal life, and Sharik is happy that he was sheltered by such a wonderful person.
Retelling very briefly for the reader's diary
Professor Philip Philipovich Preobrazhensky decides to carry out a complex operation to transplant a human pituitary gland into a dog. To achieve his goals, he finds sweetest dog nicknamed Sharik and the fresh corpse of the criminal Klim Chugunkin.
The operation is successful, to the surprise of even the professor himself. Scientists record all data in an observation diary. The dog gradually becomes a man and behaves boorishly: litters, uses obscene words, scares Zina. As a result, Sharikov registers in the professor’s apartment and brings the girl there. He announces to everyone about his marriage and demands to give part of the housing to the young family. Preobrazhensky realizes his mistake and decides to correct the matter.
The story teaches a person not to interfere with what is created by nature, otherwise it can lead to irreversible sad consequences.
Picture or drawing Heart of a Dog
The circus wrestler Arbuzov felt bad and went to the doctor. The doctor examined him and said that he needed to take care of his health and give up training and performances for a while, otherwise it could end badly. Arbuzov said that he had signed a contract
The story “Heart of a Dog” was written by Bulgakov in 1925, but due to censorship it was not published during the writer’s lifetime. Although, she was known in literary circles of that time. Bulgakov read “The Heart of a Dog” for the first time at the Nikitsky Subbotniks in the same 1925. The reading took 2 evenings, and the work immediately received admiring reviews from those present.
They noted the courage of the author, the artistry and humor of the story. An agreement has already been concluded with the Moscow Art Theater to stage “Heart of a Dog” on stage. However, after the story was assessed by an OGPU agent who was secretly present at the meetings, it was banned from publication. The general public was able to read “Heart of a Dog” only in 1968. The story was first published in London and only in 1987 became available to residents of the USSR.
Historical background for writing the story
Why was “Heart of a Dog” so harshly criticized by the censors? The story describes the time immediately after the 1917 revolution. This is a sharply satirical work, ridiculing the class of “new people” that emerged after the overthrow of tsarism. The bad manners, rudeness, and narrow-mindedness of the ruling class, the proletariat, became the object of the writer’s denunciation and ridicule.
Bulgakov, like many enlightened people of that time, believed that creating a personality by force was a path to nowhere.
Will help you better understand the “Heart of a Dog” summary by chapter. Conventionally, the story can be divided into two parts: the first talks about the dog Sharik, and the second talks about Sharikov, a man created from a dog.
Chapter 1. Introduction
The Moscow life of the stray dog Sharik is described. Let's give a brief summary. “The Heart of a Dog” begins with the dog talking about how his side was scalded with boiling water near the dining room: the cook poured hot water and it fell on the dog (the reader’s name is not yet revealed).
The animal reflects on its fate and says that although it experiences unbearable pain, its spirit is not broken.
Desperate, the dog decided to stay in the gateway to die, he was crying. And then he sees “Mr. Special attention The dog turned his attention to the stranger's eyes. And then, just by appearance, he gives a very accurate portrait of this man: confident, “he won’t kick, but he himself is not afraid of anyone,” a man of mental work. In addition, the stranger smells of hospital and cigar.
The dog smelled the sausage in the man’s pocket and “crawled” after him. Oddly enough, the dog gets a treat and gets a name: Sharik. This is exactly how the stranger began to address him. The dog follows his new friend, who calls him. Finally, they reach the house of Philip Philipovich (we learn the stranger's name from the mouth of the doorman). Sharik's new acquaintance is very polite to the gatekeeper. The dog and Philip Philipovich enter the mezzanine.
Chapter 2. First day in a new apartment
In the second and third chapters, the action of the first part of the story “Heart of a Dog” develops.
The second chapter begins with Sharik's memories of his childhood, how he learned to read and distinguish colors by the names of stores. I remember his first unsuccessful experience, when instead of meat, having mixed it up, the then young dog tasted insulated wire.
The dog and his new acquaintance enter the apartment: Sharik immediately notices the wealth of Philip Philipovich’s house. They are met by a young lady who helps the gentleman take off his outerwear. Then Philip Philipovich notices Sharik’s wound and urgently asks the girl Zina to prepare the operating room. Sharik is against treatment, he dodges, tries to escape, commits a pogrom in the apartment. Zina and Philip Philipovich cannot cope, then another “male personality” comes to their aid. With the help of a “sickening liquid” the dog is pacified - he thinks he is dead.
After some time, Sharik comes to his senses. His sore side was treated and bandaged. The dog hears a conversation between two doctors, where Philip Philipovich knows that only affection can change Living being, but in no case terror, he emphasizes that this applies to animals and people (“red” and “white”).
Philip Philipovich orders Zina to feed the dog Krakow sausage, and he himself goes to receive visitors, from whose conversations it becomes clear that Philip Philipovich is a professor of medicine. He treats delicate problems of wealthy people who are afraid of publicity.
Sharik dozed off. He woke up only when four young men, all modestly dressed, entered the apartment. It is clear that the professor is not happy with them. It turns out that the young people are the new house management: Shvonder (chairman), Vyazemskaya, Pestrukhin and Sharovkin. They came to notify Philip Philipovich about the possible “densification” of his seven-room apartment. The professor makes a phone call to Pyotr Alexandrovich. From the conversation it follows that this is his very influential patient. Preobrazhensky says that due to the possible reduction of rooms, he will have nowhere to operate. Pyotr Aleksandrovich talks with Shvonder, after which the company of young people, disgraced, leaves.
Chapter 3. The professor’s well-fed life
Let's continue with the summary. “Heart of a Dog” - Chapter 3. It all starts with a rich dinner served to Philip Philipovich and Dr. Bormenthal, his assistant. Something falls from the table to Sharik.
During the afternoon rest, “mournful singing” is heard - a meeting of Bolshevik tenants has begun. Preobrazhensky says that, most likely, the new government will lead this beautiful house into desolation: theft is already evident. Shvonder wears Preobrazhensky's missing galoshes. During a conversation with Bormenthal, the professor utters one of key phrases, revealing to the reader the story “Heart of a Dog”, what the work is about: “Devastation is not in closets, but in heads.” Next, Philip Philipovich reflects on how the uneducated proletariat can accomplish the great things for which it positions itself. He says that nothing will change for the better as long as there is such a dominant class in society, engaged only in choral singing.
Sharik has been living in Preobrazhensky’s apartment for a week now: he eats plenty, the owner pampers him, feeding him during dinners, he is forgiven for his pranks (the torn owl in the professor’s office).
Sharik's favorite place in the house is the kitchen, the kingdom of Daria Petrovna, the cook. The dog considers Preobrazhensky a deity. The only thing that is unpleasant for him to watch is how Philip Philipovich delves into human brains in the evenings.
On that ill-fated day, Sharik was not himself. It happened on Tuesday, when the professor usually does not have an appointment. Philip Philipovich receives a strange phone call, and commotion begins in the house. The professor behaves unnaturally, he is clearly nervous. Gives instructions to close the door and not let anyone in. Sharik is locked in the bathroom - there he is tormented by bad premonitions.
A few hours later the dog is brought into a very bright room, where he recognizes the face of the “priest” as Philip Philipovich. The dog pays attention to the eyes of Bormental and Zina: false, filled with something bad. Sharik is given anesthesia and placed on the operating table.
Chapter 4. Operation
In the fourth chapter, M. Bulgakov puts the climax of the first part. “Heart of a Dog” here undergoes the first of its two semantic peaks - Sharik’s operation.
The dog lies on the operating table, Dr. Bormenthal trims the hair on his stomach, and the professor at this time gives recommendations that all manipulations with internal organs should go away instantly. Preobrazhensky sincerely feels sorry for the animal, but, according to the professor, he has no chance of survival.
After the head and belly of the “ill-fated dog” are shaved, the operation begins: after ripping open the belly, they exchange Sharik’s seminal glands for “some other ones.” Afterwards the dog almost dies, but weak life there is still a warmth in her. Philip Philipovich, penetrating into the depths of the brain, changed the “white lump”. Surprisingly, the dog showed a thread-like pulse. Tired Preobrazhensky does not believe that Sharik will survive.
Chapter 5. Bormenthal's Diary
The summary of the story “Heart of a Dog,” the fifth chapter, is a prologue to the second part of the story. From Dr. Bormenthal's diary we learn that the operation took place on December 23 (Christmas Eve). The gist of it is that Sharik was transplanted with the ovaries and pituitary gland of a 28-year-old man. The purpose of the operation: to trace the effect of the pituitary gland on the human body. Until December 28, periods of improvement alternate with critical moments.
The condition stabilizes on December 29, “suddenly.” Hair loss is noted, further changes occur every day:
- 12/30 barking changes, limbs stretch, and weight gains.
- 31.12 the syllables (“abyr”) are pronounced.
- 01.01 says “Abyrvalg”.
- 02.01 stands on his hind legs, swears.
- 06.01 the tail disappears, says “beer house”.
- 07.01 acquires strange looking, becomes like a man. Rumors begin to spread around the city.
- 01/08 they stated that replacing the pituitary gland did not lead to rejuvenation, but to humanization. Sharik is a short man, rude, swearing, calling everyone “bourgeois.” Preobrazhensky is furious.
- 12.01 Bormental assumes that the replacement of the pituitary gland has led to the revitalization of the brain, so Sharik whistles, speaks, swears and reads. The reader also learns that the person from whom the pituitary gland was taken is Klim Chugunkin, an asocial element, convicted three times.
- January 17 marked the complete humanization of Sharik.
Chapter 6. Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov
In the 6th chapter, the reader first gets acquainted in absentia with the person who turned out after Preobrazhensky’s experiment - this is how Bulgakov introduces us to the story. “The Heart of a Dog,” a summary of which is presented in our article, in the sixth chapter experiences the development of the second part of the narrative.
It all starts with the rules that are written on paper by doctors. They say about maintaining good manners when in the house.
Finally, the created man appears before Philip Philipovich: he is “short in stature and unattractive in appearance,” dressed unkemptly, even comically. Their conversation turns into a quarrel. The man behaves arrogantly, speaks unflatteringly about the servants, refuses to observe the rules of decency, and notes of Bolshevism creep into his conversation.
The man asks Philip Philipovich to register him in the apartment, chooses his first name and patronymic (takes it from the calendar). From now on he is Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov. It is obvious to Preobrazhensky that this person is being influenced big influence new house manager.
Shvonder in the professor's office. Sharikov is registered in the apartment (the ID is written by the professor under the dictation of the house committee). Shvonder considers himself a winner; he calls on Sharikov to register for military service. The polygraph refuses.
Left alone with Bormenthal afterwards, Preobrazhensky admits that he is very tired of this situation. They are interrupted by noise in the apartment. It turned out that a cat had run in, and Sharikov was still hunting for them. Having locked himself with the hated creature in the bathroom, he causes a flood in the apartment by breaking the tap. Because of this, the professor has to cancel appointments with patients.
After eliminating the flood, Preobrazhensky learns that he still needs to pay for the glass Sharikov broke. Polygraph's impudence reaches its limit: not only does he not apologize to the professor for the complete mess, but he also behaves impudently after learning that Preobrazhensky paid money for the glass.
Chapter 7. Attempts at education
Let's continue with the summary. “The Heart of a Dog” in the 7th chapter tells about the attempts of Doctor Bormental and the professor to instill decent manners in Sharikov.
The chapter begins with lunch. Sharikov is taught proper table manners and is denied drinks. However, he still drinks a glass of vodka. Philip Philipovich comes to the conclusion that Klim Chugunkin is visible more and more clearly.
Sharikov is offered to attend an evening performance at the theater. He refuses under the pretext that this is “one counter-revolution.” Sharikov chooses to go to the circus.
It's about reading. The polygraph admits that he is reading the correspondence between Engels and Kautsky, which Shvonder gave him. Sharikov even tries to reflect on what he read. He says that everything should be divided, including Preobrazhensky’s apartment. To this, the professor asks to pay his penalty for the flood caused the day before. After all, 39 patients were refused.
Philip Philipovich calls on Sharikov, instead of “giving advice on a cosmic scale and cosmic stupidity,” to listen and heed what people with a university education teach him.
After lunch, Ivan Arnoldovich and Sharikov leave for the circus, having first made sure that there are no cats in the program.
Left alone, Preobrazhensky reflects on his experiment. He almost decided to return Sharikov to his dog form by replacing the dog’s pituitary gland.
Chapter 8. “The New Man”
For six days after the flood incident, life went on as usual. However, after delivering the documents to Sharikov, he demands that Preobrazhensky give him a room. The professor notes that this is “Shvonder’s work.” In contrast to Sharikov’s words, Philip Philipovich says that he will leave him without food. This pacified Polygraph.
Late in the evening, after a clash with Sharikov, Preobrazhensky and Bormenthal talk for a long time in the office. We are talking about the latest antics of the man they created: how he showed up at the house with two drunken friends and accused Zina of theft.
Ivan Arnoldovich proposes to do the terrible thing: eliminate Sharikov. Preobrazhensky is strongly against it. He may get out of such a story due to his fame, but Bormental will definitely be arrested.
Further, Preobrazhensky admits that in his opinion the experiment was a failure, and not because they got a “new man” - Sharikov. Yes, he agrees that in terms of theory, experiment has no equal, but there is no practical value. And they ended up with a creature with a human heart “the lousiest of all.”
The conversation is interrupted by Daria Petrovna, she brought Sharikov to the doctors. He pestered Zina. Bormental tries to kill him, Philip Philipovich stops the attempt.
Chapter 9. Climax and denouement
Chapter 9 is the culmination and denouement of the story. Let's continue with the summary. "Heart of a Dog" is coming to an end - this is the last chapter.
Everyone is concerned about Sharikov's disappearance. He left home, taking the documents. On the third day the Polygraph appears.
It turns out that, under the patronage of Shvonder, Sharikov received the position of head of the “food department for cleaning the city from stray animals.” Bormenthal forces Polygraph to apologize to Zina and Daria Petrovna.
Two days later, Sharikov brings a woman home, declaring that she will live with him and the wedding will soon take place. After a conversation with Preobrazhensky, she leaves, saying that Polygraph is a scoundrel. He threatens to fire the woman (she works as a typist in his department), but Bormenthal threatens, and Sharikov refuses his plans.
A few days later, Preobrazhensky learns from his patient that Sharikov had filed a denunciation against him.
Upon returning home, Polygraph is invited to the professor's procedural room. Preobrazhensky tells Sharikov to take his personal belongings and move out. Polygraph does not agree, he takes out a revolver. Bormenthal disarms Sharikov, strangles him and puts him on the couch. Having locked the doors and cut the lock, he returns to the operating room.
Chapter 10. Epilogue of the story
Ten days have passed since the incident. The criminal police, accompanied by Shvonder, appear at Preobrazhensky’s apartment. They intend to search and arrest the professor. The police believe that Sharikov was killed. Preobrazhensky says that there is no Sharikov, there is an operated dog named Sharik. Yes, he spoke, but that does not mean that the dog was a person.
Visitors see a dog with a scar on its forehead. He turns to a representative of the authorities, who loses consciousness. The visitors leave the apartment.
In the last scene we see Sharik lying in the professor’s office and reflecting on how lucky he was to meet such a person as Philip Philipovich.
Bulgakov’s story “The Heart of a Dog” was written back in 1925 and was distributed through samizdat in the 60s. Its publication abroad took place in 1968, but in the USSR - only in 1987. After that, it was reprinted many times.
He takes the stray dog Sharik home from the street. Philip Philipovich is a doctor, he sees patients at home, he has as many as seven rooms at his disposal, which is unheard of under the new government. Shvonder, who runs the house committee, is fighting for justice in society. He writes articles for the newspaper, reads the works of Engels and dreams of a worldwide revolution. In his opinion, residents of the house should have the same benefits. He proposes to equalize the rights of the professor with Sharikov, since occupying as many as seven rooms for the master is too much.
Events take place in March 1917. Philip Philipovich is not only a literate person, but also a highly cultured person with an independent mind. He perceives revolutionary changes critically. The professor is outraged by the current devastation. He believes that it begins with the chaos in people's heads. And, first of all, we need to restore order there, and not transfer everything into society. Philip Philipovich resolutely opposes any violence. He is confident that affection can tame the wildest animal, and terror will not help either the whites or the reds. It only paralyzes nervous system. When Sharik first appeared in the professor’s apartment, he continued to “behave,” as befits a stray dog. But soon it became pretty decent pet dog. When the collar was put on him for the first time, he was ready to burn with shame. But I quickly realized that on the street this attribute is perceived by other dogs, mongrels, with envy. On the day before the operation, Sharik, locked in the bathroom, thought about freedom. And he came to the conclusion that it is better to be an intelligent creature, a master’s dog, and will is just delirium of democrats, nothing more than a mirage.
The brilliant medical scientist Professor Preobrazhensky and his assistant Bormental decided to experiment, which led to tragicomic consequences that were unexpected for them. Having transplanted the pituitary gland of the brain and the seminal glands of a man into a dog, they, to their great surprise, obtained a human from the animal! Before Preobrazhensky’s eyes, the offended, constantly hungry homeless dog Sharik turns into homo sapiens in just a few days. He also gets a new name. Now his name is Sharikov Poligraf Poligrafych. However, his habits still remain that of a dog. The professor begins to educate him.
What a terrible mistake! Summary of Bulgakov’s “Heart of a Dog” »
A medical-biological experiment ends with a social, moral and psychological one. The ball becomes more and more dangerous, brazen and uncontrollable. Maybe it would have made something better if the source material had only been a dog. But the trouble is that the human organs he inherited belonged to a criminal. He was 25-year-old non-party and single Klim Chugunkin. He was tried three times and acquitted each time. Either there was not enough evidence, then his origin came to the rescue, then he was conditionally sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. Thus, Philip Philipovich's experiment became dependent on unsightly reality. With the help of Shvonder, the former dog and criminal rolled into one begins to actively participate in “building a bright future.” Shvonder, by the way, instills new postulates in Sharikov, but at the same time does not burden him with any culture. A couple of months later, Polygraph was appointed head of the department for clearing the city of cats. From animals, which Sharikov strangles with real gusto, he moves on to people: he threatens Bormental with a pistol, and the girl typist with a layoff. The professor and his assistant admit that they have turned the sweetest dog into a disgusting scum. To correct their mistake, they reversed the transformation.
M. A. Bulgakov “Heart of a Dog.” Summary of the epilogue
An investigator with the police came to the professor’s apartment and charged him with the murder of citizen Sharikov. Philip Philipovich asks Bormental to show people the dog he operated on. The assistant opens the door of the room, and Sharik runs out. The policeman recognized him as the same citizen. The prosecutors left. The ball remained in the professor’s apartment, who continues to persistently experiment.
Title of the work: dog's heart
Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov
Year of writing: 1925
Genre: story
Main characters: Professor Preobrazhensky, doctor Bormenthal, Evgraf Sharikov- former dog Sharik
Plot
A medical scientist conducts a bold experiment: he transplants the endocrine glands of Klim Chugunkin, a criminal and a slacker, into a dog picked up on the street, in order to determine their functions. The dog does not die, but gradually begins to turn into a person.A few weeks later he is a fully formed person with a disgusting character and terrible habits. He torments the professor by constantly getting into some unpleasant situations: he breaks glass, breaks a faucet, strangles the neighbor's cats, is rude, gets drunk and makes friends with inveterate scoundrels.
But Sharikov finds support in the person of Shvonder, who hates the professor, and he helps him get a job as the head of the cleaning department (they kill stray cats).
A few days later, Sharikov writes a denunciation against the professor to the GPU. This turned out to be the last straw in the patience of the doctors, and they, after desperate resistance and a fight, again performed an organ transplant operation. And soon unpleasant person turns back into an affectionate and obedient dog.
Conclusion (my opinion)
Every scientist is responsible for the results of his activities. Sometimes, in pursuit of a scientific sensation, he does not think about the catastrophic consequences of a bold scientific experiment.“Heart of a Dog” you can read a summary of the chapters of Bulgakov’s story in 17 minutes.
“Heart of a Dog” summary by chapter
Chapter 1
The action takes place in Moscow in the winter of 1924/25. In a snow-covered gateway, a homeless dog Sharik, who was offended by the canteen cook, is suffering from pain and hunger. He scalded the poor fellow's side, and now the dog was afraid to ask anyone for food, although he knew that people come across different people. He lay against the cold wall and meekly waited in the wings. Suddenly, from around the corner, there was a whiff of Krakow sausage. With the last of his strength, he stood up and crawled out onto the sidewalk. From this smell he seemed to perk up and become bolder. Sharik approached the mysterious gentleman, who treated him to a piece of sausage. The dog was ready to thank his savior endlessly. He followed him and demonstrated his devotion in every possible way. For this, the gentleman gave him a second piece of sausage. Soon they reached a decent house and entered it. To Sharik's surprise, the doorman named Fedor let him in too. Turning to Sharik’s benefactor, Philip Philipovich, he said that new residents, representatives of the house committee, had moved into one of the apartments and would draw up a new plan for settlement.
Chapter 2
Sharik was an unusually smart dog. He knew how to read and thought that every dog could do it. He read mainly by colors. For example, he knew for sure that under a blue-green sign with the inscription MSPO they were selling meat. But after, guided by colors, he ended up in an electrical appliance store, Sharik decided to learn the letters. I quickly remembered the “a” and “b” in the word “fish”, or rather “Glavryba” on Mokhovaya. This is how he learned to navigate the city streets.
The benefactor led him to his apartment, where the door was opened for them by a young and very pretty girl in a white apron. Sharik was struck by the decoration of the apartment, especially the electric lamp under the ceiling and the long mirror in the hallway. After examining the wound on his side, the mysterious gentleman decided to take him to the examination room. The dog immediately did not like this dazzling room. He tried to run and even grabbed some man in a robe, but it was all in vain. Something sickening was brought to his nose, causing him to immediately fall onto his side.
When he woke up, the wound did not hurt at all and was bandaged. He listened to the conversation between the professor and the man he had bitten. Philip Phillipovich said something about animals and how nothing can be achieved by terror, no matter what stage of development they are at. Then he sent Zina to get another portion of sausage for Sharik. When the dog recovered, he followed with unsteady steps to the room of his benefactor, to whom various patients soon began to come one after another. The dog realized that this was not a simple room, but a place where people came with various diseases.
This continued until late in the evening. The last to arrive were 4 guests, different from the previous ones. These were young representatives of the house management: Shvonder, Pestrukhin, Sharovkin and Vyazemskaya. They wanted to take away two rooms from Philip Philipovich. Then the professor called some influential person and demanded assistance. After this conversation, the new chairman of the house committee, Shvonder, retreated from his claims and left with his group. Sharik liked this and he respected the professor for his ability to put down impudent people.
Chapter 3
Immediately after the guests left, a luxurious dinner awaited Sharik. Having eaten his fill of a large piece of sturgeon and roast beef, he could no longer look at the food, which had never happened to him before. Philip Philipovich talked about old times and new orders. The dog, meanwhile, was dozing blissfully, but the thought still haunted him that it was all a dream. He was afraid of waking up one day and finding himself again in the cold and without food. But nothing terrible happened. Every day he became prettier and healthier; in the mirror he saw a well-fed dog happy with life. He ate as much as he wanted, did what he wanted, and they never scolded him for anything; they even bought a beautiful collar for the neighbors’ dogs to make them jealous.
But one terrible day, Sharik immediately sensed something was wrong. After the doctor’s call, everyone began to fuss, Bormental arrived with a briefcase filled with something, Philip Philipovich was worried, Sharik was forbidden to eat and drink, and was locked in the bathroom. In a word, terrible turmoil. Soon Zina dragged him into the examination room, where, from the false eyes of Bormental, whom he had previously grabbed, he realized that something terrible was about to happen. A rag with a nasty smell was again brought to Sharik’s nose, after which he lost consciousness.
Chapter 4
The ball lay spread out on a narrow operating table. A clump of hair was cut off from his head and stomach. First, Professor Preobrazhensky removed his testes and inserted some others that were drooping. Then he opened Sharik's skull and performed a brain appendage transplant. When Bormenthal felt that the dog’s pulse was rapidly falling, becoming thread-like, he gave some kind of injection to the heart area. After the operation, neither the doctor nor the professor hoped to see Sharik alive.
Chapter 5
Despite the complexity of the operation, the dog came to his senses. From the professor’s diary it was clear that an experimental operation to transplant the pituitary gland was carried out in order to determine the effect of such a procedure on the rejuvenation of the human body. Yes, the dog was recovering, but he was behaving rather strangely. The hair fell out of his body in clumps, his pulse and temperature changed, and he began to resemble a person. Soon Bormenthal noticed that instead of the usual barking, Sharik was trying to pronounce some word from the letters “a-b-y-r”. They concluded that it was a “fish”.
On January 1, the professor wrote in his diary that the dog could already laugh and bark happily, and sometimes said “abyr-valg,” which apparently meant “Glavryba.” Gradually he stood on two legs and walked like a man. So far he was able to hold out in this position for half an hour. Also, he began to swear at his mother.
On January 5, his tail fell off and he pronounced the word “beerhouse.” From that moment on, he began to often resort to obscene speech. Meanwhile, rumors about a strange creature were circulating around the city. One newspaper published a myth about a miracle. The professor realized his mistake. Now he knew that a pituitary gland transplant does not lead to rejuvenation, but to humanization. Bormenthal recommended taking up the education of Sharik and the development of his personality. But Preobrazhensky already knew that the dog behaved like a person whose pituitary gland was transplanted to him. It was the organ of the late Klim Chugunkin, a conditionally convicted repeat thief, alcoholic, rowdy and hooligan.
Chapter 6
As a result, Sharik turned into an ordinary man of short stature, began to wear patent leather boots, a poison-blue tie, made an acquaintance with comrade Shvonder and shocked Preobrazhensky and Bormental day by day. The behavior of the new creature was impudent and boorish. He could spit on the floor, scare Zina in the dark, come drunk, fall asleep on the floor in the kitchen, etc.
When the professor tried to talk to him, the situation only got worse. The creature demanded a passport in the name of Polygraph Poligrafovich Sharikov. Shvonder demanded that a new tenant be registered in the apartment. Preobrazhensky initially objected. After all, Sharikov could not be a full-fledged person from the point of view of science. But they still had to register it, since formally the law was on their side.
The dog’s habits made themselves felt when a cat sneaked into the apartment unnoticed. Sharikov rushed after him into the bathroom like crazy. The safety latched. So he found himself trapped. The cat managed to escape out the window, and the professor canceled all the patients in order to save him together with Bormental and Zina. It turned out that while chasing the cat, he turned off all the taps, causing water to flood the entire floor. When the door was opened, everyone began to clean up the water, but Sharikov used obscene words, for which he was kicked out by the professor. Neighbors complained that he broke their windows and ran after the cooks.
Chapter 7
During lunch, the professor tried to teach Sharikov proper manners, but all in vain. He, like Klim Chugunkin, had a craving for alcohol and bad manners. He did not like to read books or go to the theater, but only to the circus. After another skirmish, Bormenthal went with him to the circus so that temporary peace could reign in the house. At this time, the professor was thinking about some kind of plan. He walked into the office and spent a long time looking at a glass jar containing a dog’s pituitary gland.
Chapter 8
Soon they brought Sharikov's documents. Since then, he began to behave even more cheekily, demanding a room in the apartment. When the professor threatened that he would no longer feed him, he calmed down for a while. One evening, with two unknown men, Sharikov robbed the professor, stealing from him a couple of ducats, a commemorative cane, a malachite ashtray and a hat. Until recently he did not admit to what he had done. By evening he felt bad and everyone was treating him like he was a little boy. The professor and Bormenthal were deciding what to do with him next. Bormenthal was even ready to strangle the insolent man, but the professor promised to fix everything himself.
The next day Sharikov disappeared with the documents. The house committee said that they had not seen him. Then they decided to contact the police, but this was not necessary. Poligraf Poligrafovich himself showed up and announced that he had been hired for the position of head of the department for cleaning the city from stray animals. Bormenthal forced him to apologize to Zina and Daria Petrovna, and also to not make noise in the apartment and show respect to the professor.
A couple of days later a lady in cream stockings came. It turned out that this is Sharikov’s fiancee, he intends to marry her, and demands his share in the apartment. The professor told her about Sharikov’s origins, which greatly upset her. After all, he was lying to her all this time. The insolent man's wedding was upset.
Chapter 9
One of his patients came to the doctor in a police uniform. He brought a denunciation drawn up by Sharikov, Shvonder and Pestrukhin. The matter was not set in motion, but the professor realized that he could not delay any longer. When Sharikov returned, the professor told him to pack his things and get out, to which Sharikov responded in his usual boorish manner and even took out a revolver. By this he further convinced Preobrazhensky that it was time to act. With Bormenthal's help, the head of the cleaning department was soon lying on the couch. The professor canceled all his appointments, turned off the bell and asked not to disturb him. The doctor and the professor performed the operation.
Epilogue
A few days later, the police showed up at the professor’s apartment, followed by representatives of the house committee, led by Shvonder. Everyone unanimously accused Philip Philipovich of killing Sharikov, to which the professor and Bormental showed them their dog. Although the dog looked strange, walked on two legs, was bald in places, and covered in patches of fur in places, it was quite obvious that it was a dog. The professor called it an atavism and added that it is impossible to make a man out of a beast. After all this nightmare, Sharik again sat happily at the feet of his owner, did not remember anything and only sometimes suffered from a headache.
