2020-21 Academic Catalog

We all know the story: Faust sells his soul to the devil. It does change over time though: once for 24 years of magic, then for knowledge, also for bliss. From the first Faust book via Christopher Marlowe’s play, to Goethe’s masterpiece and Thomas Mann’s novel, all the way to contemporary film and even Homer Simpson selling his soul for a donut, what is at stake in the Faust legend? Just what is the soul? Via the figure of Faust, how can we understand key periods and works in German-language literature, film, and thought throughout the ages? Taught in German. Prerequisite: German 204 or equivalent