The Master and Margarita

by

Mikhail Bulgakov

The Master and Margarita: Frame Story 1 key example

Chapter 13. The Hero Enters
Explanation and Analysis—The Master's Story:

In Chapter 13, a secretive night-time meeting between Ivan Nikolayevich and the Master makes a pivot towards the past when the poet’s new acquaintance recounts his life before the hospital. By untangling his past with the poet, the Master shares a frame story that gives a sense of the events to follow:

‘Then tell me about your novel, at least,’ Ivan asked tactfully.

‘Certainly. My life, it must be said, has followed a rather unusual course,’ the guest began.

The remainder of Chapter 13—which explains the Master’s backstory—introduces the reader to The Master and Margarita’s third main narrative. Taking Ivan Nikolayevich through his novel on Pontius Pilate and his love affair with Margarita, the Master’s frame story structures the rest of the novel. The bulk of his narrative will involve reclaiming his burned work and reconnecting with his lover. Margarita embarks on a quest to save the Master and his novel that takes her from Latunsky’s ruined apartment to the hellish depths of Satan’s ball. The Master’s act of remembrance establishes a fantastical path towards redemption that gives Bulgakov’s novel its title.

Elements of the Master’s frame story draw personal connections to the author himself. The Master functions partly as a stand-in for Bulgakov, who chafed against Soviet censorship and contemplated burning some of his own manuscripts. Like Ivan Nikolayevich’s mysteriously named guest, Bulgakov struggled through the artistic process and drew continued inspiration through love. This nocturnal meeting begins the novel’s attempt to articulate the experience of love and art.