Heart of a Dog

Preobrazhensky is a brilliant surgeon obsessed with the boundaries between animal and human. He believes that by transplanting human pituitary glands and testicles into a dog, he can create a new form of human life. The experiment reflects his scientific ambition to prove that human organs carry the essence of humanity, essentially testing whether a dog can develop human consciousness and behavior through biological material alone.

Earlier, the professor lives in a privileged seven-room flat protected by his valuable medical work for Bolshevik leaders, showing he uses his skills for personal gain while pursuing more radical interests.

Professor Preobrazhensky transplanted two key human biological materials into Sharik: a human pituitary gland and human testicles. The pituitary gland was implanted directly into the dog's skull after trepanation, while the testicles were grafted into his torso. These organs came from Klim Grigorievich Chugunkin, a man killed in a brawl who served as the organ donor.

The professor reveals his true intention only after several days of observation, locking Sharik in the bathroom while preparing the laboratory for the procedure.

The professor explains that the human body parts themselves carry defects and primitive instincts. Rather than gaining refined human qualities, Sharikov inherits the worst aspects of human nature, crudeness, aggression, and unchecked desire. The experiment produces not a cultured human but a crude, impulsive one who rejects all manners and social constraints, representing a dark commentary on human nature itself.

The operation uses organs from Chugunkin, a man with a troubled history killed in a brawl, suggesting the donor's violent nature influences the outcome.

Preobrazhensky insists that killing Sharikov would 'slander the dog', meaning it would insult the value of the experimental life they created. He argues that the defects come from the human organs, not the original dog, and that the experiment must be allowed to run its course to prove whether education can reform even a misfit. His principle is that science must face the consequences of its creations rather than erase them, though this stance also reflects a cold detachment about human suffering.

Earlier, the professor treats Bolshevik leaders while holding anti-communist views, showing his willingness to work within a system he despises while pursuing his own agenda.

When police arrive with a warrant to retrieve Sharikov, the professor claims the creature has undergone a 'natural phenomenon' and transformed back into a dog. Sharik is seen returning to his canine form, and the police depart with Schwonder, leaving the case unresolved. However, the ending suggests this reversal may be an explanation to cover up the experiment rather than a true transformation, the professor and Bormenthal simply present Sharik as a normal dog to avoid further consequences.

The professor previously insists on facing the experiment's consequences rather than undoing them, yet here he allows a deceptive explanation to resolve the immediate crisis.

Sharikov, now working for the Soviet government, uses his position to turn against the professor who created him. This betrayal reflects both his crude character and his desire to distance himself from his origins. By denouncing Preobrazhensky, Sharikov attempts to claim power within the Soviet system and reject the household that tried to civilize him, demonstrating that the experiment produced someone capable of betrayal rather than gratitude.

Sharikov previously mocked manners as relics of Tsarism and rejected all attempts at refinement, showing his alignment with revolutionary values over the professor's aristocratic lifestyle.

The ending suggests Preobrazhensky intends to continue his dangerous work. Sharik hints that the professor plans to bring home a human brain and remove the pituitary gland again, implying either repeating the experiment with modifications or that Sharik retains disturbing memories of his time as a human. This ominous final note leaves the boundary between animal and human unresolved, suggesting science will continue its pursuit regardless of moral consequences.

The professor earlier wondered whether repeating the procedure with a genius instead of a troubled man like Chugunkin might improve humanity, showing his commitment to continuing the work.

Sharikov's attempt to force himself on Zinaida represents the unleashing of unchecked human desire without moral restraint. The professor's transplant of human testicles apparently transferred not just physical masculinity but also primitive sexual impulse without the corresponding social conditioning or respect for boundaries. Bormenthal beats Sharikov in response and forces apologies, but this incident marks the point where the household can no longer contain the creature's behavior.

Sharikov already spoke with crude bluntness in front of women, refused to shave, and ate like a slob, showing his progressive rejection of all social norms.

When Sharikov brings home a female coworker as his common-law wife, the professor and Bormenthal tell her the truth, that Sharikov is a dog who underwent a laboratory experiment, not a White Army veteran from Siberia. Horrified by this revelation, she leaves the apartment in tears. Sharikov responds with fury, vowing to have her fired, demonstrating his inability to form genuine human connections and his continued alignment with Soviet authority over personal relationships.

Sharikov had already proven indifferent to the feelings of others, treating people with the same crude dismissiveness he showed toward manners and etiquette.

Preobrazhensky uses his medical skills as protection against the Soviet system. By successfully treating Bolshevik leaders, he maintains immunity from housing committees and political persecution, allowing him to preserve his seven-room flat and aristocratic lifestyle. His anti-communist sentiments are well-known but tolerated because his surgical skills are irreplaceable. This contradiction shows how he manipulates the system he despises while pursuing his private scientific interests.

The professor explicitly voices blunt anti-communist sentiments but his treatment of Bolshevik leadership keeps him protected, a pattern that continues until Sharikov's denunciation threatens this arrangement.

The organs transplanted came from Klim Grigorievich Chugunkin, a man with a troubled history who was killed in a brawl, hardly an example of refined humanity. The professor later reflects that the donor's material carries the defects and primitive instincts of the donor himself. Rather than receiving cultured human qualities, Sharikov inherits the raw, unrefined aspects of masculinity and human desire, creating a being that represents humanity at its most basic and problematic rather than its elevated potential.

Chugunkin is described as having a 'troubled history' and being killed in a violent brawl, suggesting his organs carry violent and unstable traits.

While chasing a cat through the bathroom, Sharikov turns on a faucet and becomes so absorbed in the chase that he ignores the flooding water. The apartment floods because he leaves the water running and the locked door traps everyone inside as water pours into the living spaces. This incident demonstrates Sharikov's complete disregard for property and his impulsive, chaotic nature that makes him dangerous even in mundane situations.

Earlier, Sharikov rejected all attempts to teach him discipline or consideration for others, insisting that natural behavior supersedes learned manners.

Sharikov chooses 'Poligraf Poligrafovich' as his human name, selecting a name related to publishing and printing, 'poligraf' means polygraph or printing press in Russian. This choice reflects his desire to adopt a human identity and his grasping at Soviet-approved identities. The professor and Bormenthal had hoped he would choose a name based on the calendar (like the months), but Sharikov's preference for a publishing-related name shows his appropriation of Soviet bureaucracy and officialdom.

When Sharik receives papers as a human, he must choose a name that reflects his new identity within the Soviet system.