Heart of a Dog

Analyze the symbolic importance of names and titles in The Heart of a Dog. How do they contribute to the theme of Class Conflict in Domestic Spaces?

What literary devices does Bulgakov use in this novella to comment on the real-world housing shortage in Soviet Moscow in the 1920s?

Analyze the role of women and gender conformity more broadly in The Heart of a Dog. How are traditional gender roles and norms reified or transformed in the new Soviet society?

Discuss the portrayal of sexual desire and human or animal nature in the novella. How does Bulgakov’s depiction contribute to his thematic interest in Transforming Bodies to Transform Society?

To what extent does The Heart of a Dog share common features with other early Soviet Russian science fiction works like Aelita by Alexey Tolstoy (1923) and Professor Dowell’s Head by Alexander Belyaev (1925)? What do these works suggest about the role of science and medicine in early Soviet society?

Compare and contrast Sharikov to Dr. Frankenstein’s Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. How do the two narratives differ in tone and style?

Is Professor Philipovich a protagonist or antagonist? Cite specific examples from the text to support your argument.

To what extent is the character of Sharikov a parody of Joseph Stalin? To what extent does he reflect other trends in Russian society of the 1920s?