Chapter 11
Ivan Splits in Two
This
is a beautiful chapter which 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….!!!”
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें
टिप्पणी: केवल इस ब्लॉग का सदस्य टिप्पणी भेज सकता है.