Erast

Erast is a fictional character appearing in the Russian novel The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. He is a police informant who works for the Moscow Militsiya. Erast is portrayed as a petty and opportunistic individual, primarily motivated by personal gain. He is not a major character, but his interactions with other characters, particularly those involved in the supernatural events of the novel, highlight the moral decay and corruption present in Soviet society. Erast's role often involves observing and reporting on suspicious activities, which inadvertently draws him into the more fantastical elements of the story. His character serves to underscore the mundane reality against which the extraordinary events unfold. Bulgakov uses Erast to satirize the ordinary citizens who become entangled in larger, often incomprehensible, forces. He is a minor but memorable figure in the narrative tapestry of The Master and Margarita.