The Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories · Chapter
Búlka explained
The narrator describes his bulldog, Búlka: his distinctive appearance, gentle but stubborn nature, and remarkable strength, exemplified by his tenacious grip on a bear.
What happens
The narrator describes his bulldog, Búlka: his distinctive appearance, gentle but stubborn nature, and remarkable strength, exemplified by his tenacious grip on a bear. The story culminates in Búlka's incredible loyalty, as he escapes confinement and races twenty versts through intense heat to rejoin his departing master at the first station.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional peak is Esarhaddon's shocking, direct confrontation with the truth that he and his victim are on…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Moral Philosophy and Virtue
The chapter spotlights the virtues of loyalty, devotion, and perseverance through the actions of the dog Búlka.
Characters to notice
- Búlka
The narrator's loyal bulldog, described as strong, stubborn, and gentle. His defining act is escaping to follow his master over a great distance.
- The Master
The narrator and Búlka's owner, who is traveling to the Caucasus. He is the object of Búlka's intense devotion and loyalty.
Key passages
“He was as black as a negro. He was gentle and did not bite, but he was strong and stubborn. If he took hold of a thing, he clenched his teeth and clung to it like a rag, and it was not possible to tear him off, any more than as though he were a lobster.”
Búlka's appearance was very dark, and his temperament was a paradox: gentle yet incredibly strong-willed and tenacious, with an unbreakable grip.
Highlights the dog's core physical and temperamental traits.
“At the first station I was about to change the relay, when suddenly I saw something black and shining coming down the road. It was Búlka in his brass collar. He was flying at full speed toward the station.”
Just as the narrator was changing horses, he spotted Búlka, gleaming in his collar, racing desperately down the road to reach him.
Captures the dramatic moment of Búlka's loyal pursuit and reunion.
