Reading Master & Margarita - 11

Chapter 11

Ivan Splits in Two

 This is a beautiful chapter that describes very briefly Ivan’s transition into a New Ivan.

When Ivan Bezdomnyi was advised by Prof. Stravinsky to give in writing the whole episode concerning Berlioz’s death, Ivan starts writing, but he could not write an impressive draft. No matter how many times he tried, the subsequent version came out worse than the earlier one.

In the meanwhile the sky is overcast with clouds; it started raining heavily and all this affected Ivan. He felt very nervous, he was disappointed, he was depressed and unable to control himself, he started crying.

The doctor gives him an injection and assures that everything will be alright.

Please note that the action takes place precisely at the same time when Varenukha is being lifted and carried to flat No. 50 amidst heavy rain….that is Thursday afternoon/evening.

Very soon the rain stopped, and the clear sky made all things visible from Ivan’s window.

Ivan was now feeling very calm and he felt that he is able to think in a more reasonable way.

He admits that it was foolish to run after the Professor and his team with a candle and the icon and to create scene at the Griboedov’s. He asks himself:

'Why, actually, did I get so excited about Berlioz falling under a tram-car?' the poet reasoned.

`In the final analysis, let him sink! What am I, in fact, his chum or in-law? If we air the question properly, it turns out that, in essence, I really did not even know the deceased. What, indeed, did I know about him? Nothing except that he was bald and terribly eloquent. And furthermore, citizens,' Ivan continued his speech, addressing someone or other, `let's sort this out: why, tell me, did I get furious at this mysterious consultant, magician and professor with the black and empty eye?

Why all this absurd chase after him in underpants and with a candle in my hand, and then those wild shenanigans in the restaurant?'

'Uh-uh-uh!' the former Ivan suddenly said sternly somewhere, either inside or over his ear, to the new Ivan. `He did know beforehand that Berlioz's head would be cut off, didn't he? How could I not get excited?'

'What are we talking about, comrades?' the new Ivan objected to the old, former Ivan. That things are not quite proper here, even a child can understand. He's a one-hundred-per-cent outstanding and mysterious person!

But that's the most interesting thing! The man was personally acquainted with Pontius Pilate, what could be more interesting than that? And, instead of raising a stupid rumpus at the Ponds, wouldn't it have been more intelligent to question him politely about what happened further on with Pilate and his prisoner Ha-Nozri? And I started devil knows what! A major occurrence, really -a magazine editor gets run over! And so, what, is the magazine going to shut down for that? Well, what can be done about it? Man is mortal and, as has rightly been said, unexpectedly mortal. Well, may he rest in peace! Well, so there'll be another editor, and maybe even more eloquent than the previous one!'

After dozing for a while, the new Ivan asked the old Ivan sarcastically:

'And what does it make me, in that case?'

'A fool!' a bass voice said distinctly somewhere, a voice not belonging to either of the Ivans and extremely like the bass of the consultant.

Ivan is now changing…He feels that this hospital is not bad, that Stravinsky is good…It would have been better to find out from him what happened to Pontius Pilate and Ha-Nostri.

Now and then Old Ivan tries to dissuade New Ivan from this transformation, but Ivan has now changed. He confesses that he was a fool to have created all that scandal.

After this change he finds himself drowsing and sees the forest of Lindens…the jolly cat passing by…

And when he was just about to fall asleep, the door of the balcony opens without any sound and a voice whispers, “shhhhhh….!!!”