Front door Quote by Mikhail Bulgakov
““The rule apparently is – once a social revolution takes place there’s no need to stoke the boiler. But I ask you: why, when this whole business started, should everybody suddenly start clumping up and down the marble staircase in dirty galoshes and felt boots? Why must we now keep our galoshes under lock and key? And put a soldier on guard over them to prevent them from being stolen? Why has the carpet been removed from the front staircase? Did Marx forbid people to keep their staircases carpeted? Did Karl Marx say anywhere that the front door of No. 2 Kalabukhov House in Prechistenka Street must be boarded up so that people have to go round and come in by the back door? What good does it do anybody? Why can’t the proletarians leave their galoshes downstairs instead of dirtying the staircase?’ ‘But the proletarians don’t have any galoshes, Philip Philipovich,’ stammered the doctor.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Master and Margarita, 1967
The passage satats the absurdity of bureaucratic restrictions imposed after a revolution, questioning why new rules are created without logical basis.
In simple terms: Revolutions often bring pointless rules that restrict freedom.
Key Takeaway
Question authority and avoid unnecessary constraints.
Themes
bureaucracy
revolution
absurdity
Mood
ironic
critical
thought‑provoking
Type
satirical
political
literary
When to use this quote
- public spaces
- daily life
- political movements
- urban planning
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
social control
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- Are all post‑revolution rules truly oppressive?
- When is regulation justified?
A Different Perspective
The satire may overlook genuine safety concerns that rules sometimes address.
![“Westereners often think that the East is one vast Buddhist temple, which is rather like thinking the West is one vast Carthusian monastery. If the [Western people who like Buddhism] were to visit the East, he'd certainly experience many new things, but he'd find first, that the food is under lock…” quote by Daniel Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/691/daniel-quinn-1786_buddhism_westereners-often-think-that-the-east-is_269299.jpg)
