Extraordinary Men: Bludgeoning Pawnbrokers and Consulting with the Devil

Greg posed an interesting thought in response to my last blog post- "The man who trusts in the Devil is granted divine knowledge and pleasures, while those who are God fearing wallow in mediocrity." This concept reminded me strongly of Dostoyevsky's bulky Crime and Punishment, which I finished over break.  The parallels are irresistible.

 

The protagonist of Dostoyevsky's novel commits the premeditated murder of a rich pawnbroker after sending an article for publication in the Weekly Review. He is driven to kill by the theory that mankind can be divided into two parties- the ordinary and the extraordinary. When the police detective Porfiry discovers the article, Raskolnikov explains: 

"I maintain that if the discoveries of Kepler and Newton could not have been made known except by sacrificing the lives of one, a dozen, a hundred, or more men, Newton would have had the right, would indeed have been in duty bound...to eliminate the dozen or the hundred men for the sake of making his discoveries known to the whole of humanity" (Dostovesky 302).

The core of the theory is that extraordinary men have an inner right to break the law, even to kill, if it furthers an exceptionally new idea. Men like Napoleon, "these benefactors and leaders of humanity were guilty of terrible carnage" (302). So, Raskolnikov chooses the pawnbroker, a louse who takes advantage of the impoverished, and bludgeons her to death with the blunt end of a stolen axe. He intends to use her money and pledges for good. Later in the novel, stricken ill by guilt, he admits that he committed the murder to prove that he was significant. He wanted to be extraordinary- just like Faust wanted to separate himself from the multitude, the common people. And just like Raskolnikov commits a blasphemous sin because of his egoism, Faust makes a pact with the Devil himself. Also, just as in some versions Gretchen's negotiations with God save Faust, it is Sonia's Christianity that salvages Raskolnikov while he is residing in a Siberian prison.

But, what I'm really asking is what Greg suggested in his response to my previous blog post- why do Raskolnikov and Faust believe the only path to greatness transcends morality? In both novels, is the introverted scholar merely an archetype for perpetuating Christian morals? 

A Comparison Between Marlowe's, Goethe's, and Mann's Versions of the Faust Legend

The author's Christopher Marlowe, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Thomas Mann all have overlapping versions of the famous Faust legend.  All three of the main characters are men that seek to overreach their human capabilities in gaining access to more knowledge (or in Thomas Mann's novel) increased musical ability.  However, there are key differences in the plot of each version, which demonstrates the intended purpose of each version or, the impact each of them would have on the audience.

The earliest of the three, Marlowe's version of Doctor Faustus has the most plot similarities to Goethe's Faust, which we have been focusing on.  However, Marlowe's version involves the presence of a Good Angel and Bad Angel at crucial moments in the text.  They are both present when Faust considers the pursuit of magic, they appear again when Faust signs over his life to the Devil, and at the end of the play when Faustus is about dragged to hell.  With the Good Angels presence, there are much more opportunities in the play for Faust to repent and choose God over evil.  In addition, the purpose of Marlowe's Dr. Faustus is relatively straightforward- it serves as a lesson to the audience about the consequences of trying to surpass the limits of human ability.

Goethe's Faust on the other hand is more complex than Marlowe's version.  One of the key differences in his play is the opening scene with the wager between God and Mephistopheles.  It sets the stage for Faust to make his own decisions when he is tempted/influenced by Mephistopheles- he has no outside interference or guidance that encourages him to make the right decision.  Also, unlike Dr. Faustus in Marlowe's play who does magic and harms multiple people under Mephistopheles influence, Faust's deal with Mephistopheles only harms one other person: Gretchen.  Gretchen's downfall caused by Faust's pursuit of her love demonstrates the negative impact his deal had just as well as Dr. Faustus doing harm to multiple people in Marlowe's version.  Lastly, what makes Goethe's version of the Faust legend so complex is Gretchen's action of drowning her illegitimate child.  This component of the play involves questioning her morality and instills a reaction within the audiences and readers.

Lastly, Thomas Mann's novel titled Dr. Faustus The Life if a German Composer Told by a Friend differs greatly from Goethe's and Marlowe's versions of the Faust legend even though it has a similar story line with the main character seeking enhanced musical genius and composing ability.  The German composer named Adrian Leverkuhn intentionally contracts syphilis to deepen his artistic inspiration, through the madness induced by the disease.  Throughout his madness, he encounters a character similar to Mephistopheles with whom he strikes a deal with to gain musical genius for 24 years.  Mann's purpose of his version of the Faust legend is drastically different from Goethe and Marlowe.  It does not necessarily focus on serving as a lesson to its readers regarding how to behave- it parallels the historical times and hardship that Germany was going through when the novel was written.

For more information, on the summaries of Marlowe's and Mann's Faust stories go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Faustus_(Thomas_Mann_novel)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tragical_History_of _Doctor_Faustus

Imaginary Homelands: The Good in Grappling with Dual Identities

In his essay “Imaginary Homelands”, Salman Rushdie raises the point that duality in an author’s identity provides a highly unique point of view within their work.  Rushide describes his experience writing his novel Midnight’s Children on the basis of his experience relocating to Britain from India.  In regards to the standpoint he has on being an author with a dual sense of identity from both cultures he says: “Our identity is at once plural and partial.  Sometimes we feel that we straddle two cultures; at other times, that we fall between two stools.  But however ambiguous and shifting this ground may be, it is not an infertile territory for a writer to occupy if literature is in part the business of finding new angles at which to enter reality, then once again our distance, our long geographical perspective may provide us with such an angles.” I personally agree with Rushdie’s point here and believe that it holds true not only for those of dual geographical or national identity, but for those with intersecting identities involving race and gender as well.  Authors who have personally experienced and grappling with several components that make up their identity are at an advantage of having a unique position.  Although it may pose challenges within their writing, (for example Rushdie contemplates writing in English over his native language) it also enables them to tell a story that is nonetheless distinct and valuable.  For example, being a man of color within a society that functions on white privilege and is primarily patriarchal has a different experience to tell than a woman of color that lives in the same society that imposes those constraints.  Though it may be difficult for the author, the “territory” that he/she occupies is still valuable and is worth being read and listened to.  Literature has the ability to provide a space for these stories to add richness to communicating the human experience and I think Rushdie’s statement within his essay upholds this idea. 

Could Faust be an Urdu Poet?

          Goethe’s intriguing tale Faust is essentially a story of life comprehension. Faust strives to understand the unknown meaning of existence while still existing. Faust’s preoccupation with earthly academic knowledge begins to seem pointless as it does not appease his desired connection to the natural realm of the universe. Of course, Faust’s struggle to understand the meaning of life is not a rare debacle as countless artists, philosophers, and intellectuals are fascinated by the same questions.

For example, upon reading the desperate woe and melancholy of Faust, I was reminded very much of the ghazal in that both Faust and Urdu poets struggled to find significance in their own lives. In many ways, Faust is struggling to find the same divine truth as the masters of the ghazal. Nature is a common theme in the ghazal as poets like Ghalib and Faiz marveled at the wonders of the earth, discerning them as testaments to the grandeur of the life spirit. In the same ways, Faust is intrigued by the splendors of universal nature. In “Outside the City Gate”, Faust and Wagner travel outside the town to observe the seasonal transition and beauty of nature. Parts of Faust’s dialogue in this section are similar to the style of the ghazal: “Freed from the ice are brooks and rivers/ By spring’s enchanting, enlivening gaze;/ Hoary winter with senile shivers/ Back to his mountain lair withdrew” (Goethe 26). This poetic explanation of seasonal transition is eerily similar to the ghazals I analyzed in the first essay. One of Faiz’ matlas begins with, “Some signs of spring have come in sight, at last,/ Some flowers with cloaks rent we can now descry”.

It is interesting to see two writers (Goethe and Faiz) from such different cultures and eras expressing wonderment and inquiry for the natural world in the same manner. Examples such as these prove that art, no matter how different culturally, strives to answer the same existential questions.

10 deals with the devil

“Selling your soul to the devil” is not an unfamiliar theme. Many popular movies, television shows, books, plays, and so on, have been based off of this idea. Why is it that this theme is so popular? It could be because it was based off of true accounts in history. Perhaps thinking that Faust’s story could happen in real life makes this theme even more terrifying and exciting for people. Faust’s character is based off of an actual person who was born in the fifteenth century, who supposedly traded his soul in exchange for knowledge. Knowing that this story of Faust actually happened (for those who believe this kind of thing is possible) makes it exponentially more interesting. There are accounts of other people from different times and places around the world who have been accused of similar circumstances. I found an interesting article online about 10 different people from history who are reported to have sold their souls to the devil. The real Faust is included in this list. They each had unique motivations. One was a musician who wanted to improve his technique, some wanted riches, and some wanted knowledge like Faust. They are each frightening in their own way. I think what is most horrifying about some of them is the way that their decisions effected the people around them. Just like Faust’s decision effected people in his life (i.e. Gretchen becoming pregnant and ending up in prison), some of the people in this list clearly effected people around them. It really is an interesting article.

http://listverse.com/2010/05/10/10-people-who-sold-their-soul-to-the-devil/
 

Here’s a picture of one of the people mentioned in the article and the description given-

"Gilles de Rais was considered intelligent, courageous and very attractive with a bluish black beard. Born to one of the most distinguished families in Brittany, he came into his own when his father died in Gilles’ 20th year. He found himself with untold wealth and power which eventually led to his downfall. Gilles got an attack of “keeping up with the Joneses” which ultimately led to the loss of much of his wealth. In desperation he began to experiment with the occult under the direction of a man named Francesco Prelati, who promised that Gilles could help him regain his squandered fortune by sacrificing children to a demon called “Baron.” Over the course of his killing spree, Gilles raped, tortured, and murdered between 80 and 200 children. He was tried, found guilty, and executed by hanging and burning."