The Effects of Personal Transformation

Sharik’s drastic personal transformation functions as a major crux of the narrative, and the novel’s examination of Sharik both before and after the transformation serves to demonstrate contrasting facets of personal desire and outlook. Before Sharik’s transformation, he is a woeful stray dog who still maintains a sense of determination and dignity: “A dog is hard to kill, his spirit clings to life” (2). Sharik grows immensely grateful of Philip in exchange for the food and shelter that Philip provides. Sharik’s life is simple and free of responsibility. However, after Sharik’s transformation into the anthropoid Sharikov, Sharikov’s life is hampered by imposed responsibilities. Sharikov possesses independent agency, and yet he must also learn to exist within the strictures of the society he has entered. Sharikov’s selfishness, impetuosity, and general unhappiness greatly contrast with the happiness and stability he...