short, The Master and Margarita is a novel incredibly complex, imaginative and yet unified.
To it I think we can certainly apply the definition of Bakhtin's "satire menippea." 1
I think Bulgakov's novel might be considered (at least in part) as a "mock-heroic poem in prose": definition, this, most of which are subject to certain 700 and the English novel that has as its forerunners in particular Henry Fielding and Lawrence Sterne.2
probably between "satire menippea" and "heroic poem" etc.. there is an affinity in terms structural in the sense that one of the other compounds are more elements, often heterogeneous, and really kind of different and sometimes opposite.
But I think there is also diversity in terms emotional because I think the "satire menippea" does not attempt (if not coincidentally) the purpose of entertaining the reader. Or at least, even if it amuses him, his is the classic bitter laugh. The fact of witchcraft
Bulgakov's Satan (and his "court") tend more to ridicule that the joke and situations that arise from his encounter with the men are resolved (except the Master and Margarita) almost always in mourning, humiliation and exposing sensational type, sometimes coarse, but not really funny.
Moreover, perhaps Bulgakov in his painting was inspired by Devil's literary and philosophical sources-old Russian, who saw in the eyes of rice and satanic damnata components obviously sacrilegious and disturbing.
fact, "the devil is called in Russia sut (buffoon, jester) 3
emblematic case of the" show "which features Woland and his. In fact, the presenter Bengalskij, which continues to intrude, stop and demand the revelation of the "tricks", the talking cat Hippo ripping the head from the neck.
"The blood came out spurting from the arteries of the neck, ripped the shot and soaking the tails. "
Then:" The cat gave her head a Fagot, who lifted her by the hair by showing the audience screamed as the head of his voice filling the entire theater
"A doctor!"
"Will you continue to mumble nonsense," asked the head threatening Fagot weeping.
"No, never!" The gasping testa.4
As we see, this situation is anything but funny or entertaining .
But it seems that Woland has brought to light (he is the Prince of Darkness ) that in some may be faced with an unbearable nuisance, their most intimate and shameful desire to eliminate the physically .
Moreover, Belganskij have torn his head at the request of pubblico.5
But of course, there any rice would be very special because ... "For people who are not related to Satan, it is not terrible and ridiculous. "6
Notes
1) This formula, ancestry precisely bachtiana was revived by Eridanus Bazzarelli who writes:" In fact, come in questo tipo di satira latina, troviamo nel romanzo l’elemento lirico, quello sentimentale, quello epico, quello buffonesco: tutti questi materiali sono fusi interiormente” E. Bazzarelli, Introduzione a M. A. Bulgakov, Il maestro e Margherita, Bur, Milano, 2006, p.6.
2) Per la definizione di cui sopra cfr. Introduzione a Ulysses , in James Joyce, Telemachia. Episodi I-III , a c. di Giorgio Melchiori, Mondadori, Milano, 1983, p.xvi . Joyce diede ai primi 3 capp. dell’ Ulisse il titolo appunto di “Telemachia.”
3) Juri Lotman e Boris Uspenskij, Lo studio della culture of ancient Rus' in AAVV., Culture in the Russian tradition of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Paperbacks Einaudi, Torino, 1980, p.225 . In the Russian text. More systematic discussion in J. Lotman and B. Uspensky, cit., Pp.226-241 . The AA. also extend the concept of the extreme negativity of rice also beyond the scope of Satan.
4) MA Bulgakov, The Master and Margarita , op. cit., pp.166-167 .
5) MA Bulgakov, op. cit., p. 166.
6) J. Lotman and B. Uspensky, cit., 226 .
