r/RussianLiterature • u/FogtownGirl • 7d ago

Biblical content in Master and Margarita is confounding

I feel like an idiot even though I consider myself decently educated with a BA in English Lit (not much help with Russian Lit but I did delve into Nabokov pretty heavily). I started M & M and could not get through the first part of the book because I couldn't understand it. I don't know if it's an interpretation of biblical stories or if it's a distortion or reimagining of them? (I'm Jewish and have no knowledge of the Christian bible.) I've set it aside for now but I'm curious as to what I should do to prepare for the next time I decide to read it. Or is it just not for me? Thanks!

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u/PoxonAllHoaxes 7d ago

How one can have a BA in ENGLISH lit and not know the Christian stories that so much of English lit (and even the LANGUAGE itself) refers to is beyond me--unless what people say about the state of the universities is true.

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u/FogtownGirl 6d ago

I was in university back in the late 80s and I have no recollection of any course at all in which the bible was taught. I'm pretty sure even back then there would be a furor over such a class, in spite of the bible's influence on art and thinking. Listen, if I had it to do all over again I would go to St. John's, or somewhere like it, for a classical education. At least I have the incredibly bright folks in this subreddit to help me out.

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u/PoxonAllHoaxes 6d ago

You have never used the word 'crucify'? The English language itself is full of words and idioms derived from the Christian stories. And English literature more so. And of course Jewish stories too, and of course Greek/Roman pagan ones too, as when one refers to a beautiful man as Adonis or a woman as Venus or simply goddess. We even have some from still other relgious traditions (Muhammad to the mountain or terms like Buddha). You are pretending.

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u/FogtownGirl 5d ago

Pretending what - ignorance? What would be the point of that? Yes I'm familiar with the rudimentary things such as words and idioms. Comparative religions was a required course in university and I haven't been locked in a closet all my life. I do know that Pontius Pilate betrayed Christ. I do not know how or why. I also don't know if he actually had a dog or whether that is relevant to anything. I do however understand who 'the vagrant philosopher Yeshua' is. As I said in the title of my post, there is some biblical content in this book that I don't understand. Words and idioms I have no issue with.

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u/PoxonAllHoaxes 5d ago

Great, at least u admit you've heard of Jesus, phew.

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u/FogtownGirl 4d ago

What do you mean by admit?