Heart of a Dog

Professor Preobrazhensky is far from the first to try to create a human being on the pages of classical literature. However, such experiments are doomed to fail, and Sharikov is no exception. A man with a “dog’s heart”—guided by animal instincts and representing nothing more than a parody of a human being—this is what came out of the hands of the famous scientist. The result of scientific achievement is repulsive and frightening, yet the “dog’s heart” easily finds its niche in Soviet reality.

Bulgakov draws a parallel: operation—revolution, the new man—a man with a “dog’s heart.” He tries to point out the artificiality of what is happening in the life of the country and to show the tragedy when such a transformation takes on mass scale.

In the novel, everything ends well: Sharikov becomes Sharik. The professor understands the mistake he made and does not allow “dog’s hearts” to reproduce and multiply. But the question remains relevant, because in the life of our country too much time passed before the reversal was set in motion… And even now, around one corner or another, you can still meet Sharikov.