Allusions to the Gospel Stories in Christ Landed in Harodnia by V. Korotkevich and Master and Margarita by M. Bulgakov

Abstract

This article examines typological similarities and differences in the literary interpretation of Gospel plots based on comparative analysis of the texts of the novels Christ Landed in Harodnia by the classic of Belarusian literature Vladzimir Korotkevich and Master and Margarita by the classic of Russian literature Mikhail Bulgakov. Comparing the plots of the novels with the texts of the Gospel of Matthew (5: 9–14; 9: 27–31) and the Gospel of Mark (15: 20–25), the author analyzes the allusion of the Belarusian writer to the Sermon on the Mount of Christ, to the healing of the blind, the allusion of V. Korotkevich and M. Bulgakov to the evangelical concept “according to your faith be to you”, and the ascent of Christ to Calvary in the novels Christ Landed in Harodnia and Master and Margarita. At the same time, the article emphasizes the antiatheistic and non-anti-religious nature of the novels built on the principles of aesthetic play. The research leads to the following conclusions: the novels by V. Korotkevich and M. Bulgakov do not pretend to expound or interpret the Gospel, instead they are extended allusions to to the Gospel's themes. The Gospel theme in the works is part of the broader framework that explores the relation between good and evil, spiritual and material, between truths and lies, between power and justice.

Keywords

• gospel
• allusion
• vladzimir korotkevich
• mikhail bulgakov
• novel
• concept
• travesty
• farcical.