Faust Part One (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

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1. What is the genre?

Global—Morality > Punitive

Secondary—Horror > Supernatural

2. What are the conventions and obligatory scenes for the genre?

Conventions

Despicable protagonist begins at his/her worst: Faust is suicidal. He is so depressed about the fact that he has spent all his life studying but can’t separate his human existence from his consciousness. He’s bound to the restrictions of human impotence.

Spiritual mentor/sidekick: Mephisto is a mentor as well as Faust’s sidekick, who does not have Faust’s best interest in mind because he pursues his own selfish want to get Faust’s soul.

Seemingly impossible external conflict:

Faust agreed to a deal with the devil who is known for his cunningness and will do everything in his power to lead Faust down a path to damnation to get Faust’s soul and win his bet with god. Furthermore,Faust is not used to having feelings of affection and lust. So he thinks he is in love when in truth it’s only lust that makes him court for Gretchen.

Ghosts from protagonist’s past torment him/her: Faust only used Gretchen for satisfying his lust and then he leaves her. But an image of her in chains haunts Faust on Walpurgis Night.

Aid from unexpected sources: Faust can’t save Gretchen. Mephisto says she is condemned, but a voice from Heaven interjects saying she is ›Redeemed‹.

Obligatory Scenes

A shock upsets the hibernating authentic self: The unexpected discovery that even the devil is subject to a form of law makes Faust wonder about the possibility of making a deal with him.

The protagonist expresses inner darkness with an overt refusal of the Hero’s Journey call to change: Faust left Gretchen pregnant and was only returning to her for his sexual desires, as her brother Valentine challenges Faust to a fight. Faust has no sympathy left for Gretchen (despite the love he once claimed to feel for her) and he does not recognize his own fault in her tragedy. He chooses to fight Valentine, kills him and runs away with Mephisto. Even though Faust showed his inner darkness earlier in the story when he chose to seduce Gretchen and bring the sleeping potion for her mother, we could still understand his actions because it could have been love. But killing her brother and speaking badly about Gretchen shows the darker side of his soul because that moment with Valentine was his chance to repent his sins before it would have been too late. With Valentine’s death, the real tragedy for Gretchen takes its unavoidable course.

Protagonist faces an All is Lost moment and either discovers their inner moral code or chooses the immoral path: Mephisto brought Faust to the Walpurgis celebration because he believes that Faust has lost his inner moral compass and he can complete Faust’s degradation, but Faust remembers Gretchen and the love he once had for her by having a vision of her in chains and so he wanders distressed away from the celebration.

Protagonist actively sacrifices in service of an individual, a group, or humanity (positive), or consciously chooses to remain selfish (negative): Faust wants to free Gretchen from prison, but Mephisto warns him that there are avenging spirits who want to punish Faust for Valentine’s murder. But Faust persists and is not worried about his own welfare. It seems he is prepared to sacrifice himself for the rescue of Gretchen.

Protagonist faces literal or metaphorical death and either loses the battle but gains self-respect, meaning and peach; or wins the battle but loses those things: Faust faces literal death and even literal damnation when Gretchen begs him to throw himself in the mercy of God, but Faust chooses not to stay with her because even though his inner moral compass led him back to Gretchen, he still does not recognize his own guilt for her tragedy. He is able to flee with Mephisto before the avenging spirits find him. He loses Gretchen for good.

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3. What is the point of view?

There is a third-person omniscient narrator who stays unknown to the reader. Faust has been written as a play. That is why we encounter mostly dialogue as well as occasionally some stage directions that make the reader feel like he/she is in a theatre watching the production of the story.

The intended audience is the general public who comes to see the play. The purpose of the play is to tell a cautionary tale about the striving of a scholar who wants to know everything about the world. But he is so disgruntled about human impotence and about the limits of what he can learn that he agrees to a deal with the devil. The story is written in the present tense set in late modern history (mid-18th century) with creatures from Greek mythology (Part 2).

We witness the story as it unfolds. The narrative distance shifts from being in the audience [being aware of witnessing a play (prologue in the theatre)] to being caught up in Faust’s life as we follow him along.

Faust Part 1 and 2 use all three forms of narrative drive. Faust knows nothing about the bet between God and the devil (dramatic irony). The reader has the same information as Faust because neither the reader nor Faust know the world that Mephisto will show him (suspense). There is also some form of mystery because we as the audience as well as Faust do not know how Mephisto will try to win his bet or Faust’s soul.

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4. What are the objects of desire?

External/Conscious: Faust wants to know the absolute truth and the meaning of existence so that he can find the moment of peace when he is absolutely satisfied and does not want to strive anymore. Faust is trying to overcome his physical nature and find peace on a spiritual level. (Worldview)

Internal/Subconscious: Faust needs to start to appreciate life and the life of others to understand what the meaning of life is. He has to start to use his gift (knowledge and striving) to create a better world for humanity. (Moral)

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5. What is the controlling idea / theme?

Evil reigns when the Protagonist pursues selfish needs ahead of the needs of others.

Evil reigns when a learned scholar is so dissatisfied with his achievements that he agrees to make a deal with the devil, who strengthens the inner dark side of the scholar pushing him on to follow his selfish ambitions so that the scholar is able to experience all life has to offer at the cost of intentionally harming others for his own personal gain.

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6. What is the beginning hook, middle build and ending payoff?

Beginning Hook – When a scholar (who is dissatisfied because all his studies didn’t bring him closer to the absolute truth of the meaning of existence) wants to commit suicide but is interrupted by a stray dog, he learns that even the devil is subject to a form of law. He has to decide if he wants to make a deal with the devil to find the answers he’s been searching for all his life or if he does not risk his soul. Faust agrees to the deal with Mephisto to strive beyond the restrictions of human impotence, so he leaves with Mephisto to Auerbach’s Keller, but he can’t be tempted with animalistic freedom and the irresponsibility of drunkenness.

Middle Build – Faust sees the image of a beautiful young woman in a mirror and agrees to restore his youth to be able to go after the girl named Gretchen by using premeditated lies to win her affection, but as he becomes aware of his immoral action and that he is becoming dependent on Mephisto for the fulfillment of his wishes, he must decide if he wants to seduce an innocent girl and be controlled by his lust or if he continues to believe that values like love and meaning exist? Stimulated by Mephisto’s erotic references, Faust decides to take Gretchen down with him and uses her for satisfying his lust. Faust gets Gretchen pregnant and has no feelings left for the girl who he now considers only as something to satisfying his carnal appetites.

Ending Payoff – When confronted by Gretchen’s brother Valentine of his wrongdoing, Faust cowardly murders him and runs off to celebrate Walpurgis night with Mephisto, but when Faust’s moral sensibility makes a final effort to assert itself and he remembers Gretchen and his love for her, he has to decide if he goes down with Gretchen to throw himself into the merciful arms of the Lord (as Gretchen pleads him to do) or if he continues to follow his quest and stay with the devil. Faust is no longer concerned with his own welfare and persists that Mephisto helps him free Gretchen, but Faust still does not acknowledge his own guilt for Gretchen’s misfortune. He leaves her to her certain death, but Gretchen’s salvation and her loving concern for him right up to the moment of her death are lessons that make a permanent impression on him.

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