Sacrifice In Modern Literature

Sacrifice is recognized in terms of appeasing a higher power; however, it goes beyond religion and fits into the idea of serving a greater good, with death or killing being justified by an end goal. Both novels, Heart of a Dog by Mikhail Bulgakov and Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, structure their story around the idea of sacrifice as it pushes the plot a certain way. The idea of giving to a higher idea or power is present throughout both, yet manifests in different ways. Throughout Roadside Picnic and Heart of a Dog, sacrifice can be seen as a structure that accompanies the plot as well as a motif that exemplifies culture and religion. Sacrifice can easily be seen in literature, especially the Bible, which is a foundation for later literature. The Bible, where the famous stories of the Binding of Isaac and crucifixion can be found, is the work behind many allegories and stories in modern literature, the Garden of Eden being one of the most used allegories. The Garden of Eden story itself involved the first humans to sin, which is a main idea in sacrifice. Sacrifice in biblical terms is used to wash …show more content…
Science can be considered a greater good, and animals, specifically lab animals, take the burden of experiments to better humanity. In Heart of a Dog, this can clearly be seen through Sharikov and the Professor’s doings. The big experiment that the story focuses on is discovering a way to change animals, as “[s]cience has not yet discovered methods of transforming animals into humans. I tried, but unsuccessfully, as you can see” (121). The animals before Sharikov, who unsuccessfully took the pituitary gland, were sacrificed for the experiment and the Professor’s end goal: the scientist representing the higher power or God-like