27 Questions
What did the professor and Bormenthal order Sharikov to do?
Leave the flat permanently
What did Sharikov do when asked to leave the flat?
Refused and drew a revolver
Why were the lights left on in the flat for many hours after bedtime?
Because of an ominous silence
How did the professor and Bormenthal appear after Sharikov's arrival?
Far more relaxed
Who arrived with the police bearing a search warrant?
Schwonder
What did the professor claim about Sharikov's change back into a dog?
A natural phenomenon
What did Sharik resume being after the police departure?
Gentleman's dog
What was the initial operation performed on Sharik?
He was given a human pituitary gland and testicles
Where did the human organs used in Sharik's operation come from?
From a deceased thief and alcoholic
What was Sharik's new name after the operation?
Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov
How did Sharikov behave after the operation?
He became rude, unkempt, and disrespectful
What job did Sharikov get from the Soviet government?
Catching and strangling stray cats
What did Bormenthal suggest as a solution for dealing with Sharikov?
Dosing and killing Sharikov with arsenic
How did the professor justify not redoing the operation on Sharikov?
He believed that any peasant woman could give birth to a genius
What did Sharikov do to the professor's apartment?
He flooded it by leaving the water running
How did the professor explain Sharikov's behavior to the woman Sharikov brought home?
He told her that Sharikov was a product of a lab experiment gone wrong
What did Sharikov do after the woman left the apartment?
He vowed to have the woman fired from her job
What was the name given to the stray dog by Dr. Preobrazhensky?
Sharik
Why did Dr. Preobrazhensky refuse to decrease the size of his flat?
He frequently treated the RCP(b) leadership
Who were the two female servants in Dr. Preobrazhensky's household?
Zinaida Prokofievna Bunina and Darya Petrovna Ivanova
What did Dr. Preobrazhensky do to prepare for his real intentions with Sharik?
He locked Sharik in the bathroom
How did Sharik react when a passing stray taunted him during his walks?
He was unmoved by the taunts
Who took Sharik for walks through Moscow after he joined Dr. Preobrazhensky's household?
One of the servants
How did Sharik feel about the name given to him by Dr. Preobrazhensky?
He found it ironic
What was Sharik's initial reaction when Dr. Preobrazhensky offered him a piece of sausage?
He was overjoyed
How did Sharik adapt to his new life in Dr. Preobrazhensky's household?
He slipped easily into the role of a gentleman's dog
What was Sharik's reaction when he was found by the cook and scalded with boiling water?
He awaited his end awash in self-pity
Study Notes
Sharik's Transformation
- Sharik, a stray dog, is taken in by Professor Preobrazhensky and undergoes an operation to receive human organs, including a pituitary gland and testicles, from a deceased man named Klim Grigorievich Chugunkin.
- The operation is performed by the Professor and assisted by Bormenthal, and repeated injections of adrenaline are needed to prevent Sharik from dying on the operating table.
Sharik's Human Behavior
- After the operation, Sharik begins to transform into a human-like creature, but with primitive and unkempt behavior.
- He is granted papers under the name "Poligraf Poligrafovich Sharikov" and is taught basic etiquette by the Professor and Bormenthal, but he refuses to follow it and instead behaves "naturally".
- Sharikov's behavior includes cursing in front of women, refusing to shave, dressing in unwashed clothing, and eating like a slob.
Consequences of Sharik's Behavior
- Sharikov's behavior causes chaos in the Professor's household, including flooding the apartment and attempting to sexually assault a female servant.
- Bormenthal becomes frustrated with Sharikov and suggests dosing him with arsenic, but the Professor refuses.
- The Professor explains that the human body parts from Klim Grigorievich Chugunkin are responsible for Sharikov's defects, and that the operation was meant to improve the human race.
Sharikov's Job and Personal Life
- Sharikov finds a job with the Soviet government, catching and strangling stray cats to make cheap fur coats for the working class.
- He brings home a female coworker, who he claims is his common-law wife, but the Professor reveals the truth about Sharikov's past, and she leaves in tears.
Denunciation and Confrontation
- Sharikov denounced the Professor to the secret police, but the Professor is not worried because the government distrusts Sharikov.
- When the Professor and Bormenthal try to throw Sharikov out, he refuses and draws a revolver, leading to a confrontation.
Reversal of the Operation
- The Professor and Bormenthal eventually reverse the operation, and Sharikov transforms back into a dog.
- The police arrive with a search warrant, but the Professor and Bormenthal have already reversed the operation, and Sharik is back to his normal canine state.
Conclusion
- The story concludes with Sharik resuming his role as a gentleman's dog, but the Professor is seen bringing home a human brain, suggesting that he may intend to carry out a similar experiment in the future.
Explore a summary of 'Heart of a Dog', a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, where a stray dog named Sharik is taken in by a surgeon in Moscow. Follow the transformation of Sharik into a human through a controversial experiment.
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