Dr. Pan started lecture by noting a tension (what he calls a contradiction) between the way in which Goethe's version of the Faust story is a reinterpretation of an old tale and the fact that the point of Goethe's version is to focus not on stories, books and words but to focus on the real world. Although Goethe wants to emphasize the importance of worldly experience, he is doing so by means of words, concepts and abstractions. His method (literature) seems to be in conflict with the moral of his story (to experience the world). We also see here how literature is then construed as an imitation of the world. Experience is prior to interpretation. Dr. Pan contrasted this with Kleist. Kleist thinks that events and experiences are just how they are interpreted. On this view, experience is not prior to interpretation. Each interpretation, each act of putting meaning on the world or understanding the world, is a creative act that has consequences for the real world. Literature, then, can be prior to the world.
In the 19th century, Goethe was criticized for his seemingly anti-religious, individualist, humanist ethic. Joseph von Eichendorff criticized him for undermining religion and other idealistic enterprises, since Faust does not want to just follow ideals but to develop through striving and struggling. When Germany became unified in late 19th century (1871), Goethe's Faust becomes the tale of a hero who represents an ideal German national identity. In fact, praise for Faust's character peaks during the Nazi period in Germany. Hermann August Korff, in accordance with Destro, notes that Faust thinks that personal development is more important than conventional morality. Dr. Pan wants to note a similarity between the "Faustian man", who fulfills his earthly projects at all costs and the expansionist thinking that characterizes the Nazi period in Germany.
There is an alternative reading of Goethe's Faust. W.E.B. Du Bois, for example, puts a more positive spin on the notion of striving. Du Bois calls upon oppressed individuals to strive against their oppressors and to "attain a place in the world". Another link between Du Bois and Goethe is the notion of two souls. In 1111-17, Faust talks about his two souls: one desiring worldly striving, the other wanting sublime ideals. Du Bois thinks that having two souls, or having a split nature, is at the core of the problem for African-Americans living under Jim Crow laws. Du Bois calls this a "double consciousness", meaning that one is always looking at herself through her own eyes and through the eyes of the dominant society. This is now a conflict between two cultures instead of just a conflict between an individual and society.
Dr. Pan thinks that the Kleist story is a story is related because we must consider whether "The Betrothal in San Domingo" is mainly a conflict between an individual and society or between two communities. Dr. Pan notes that at the outset, the narrator seems to be presenting objective facts, but the narrator actually presents a very biased opinion by leaving out important details, such as the practice of slavery in San Domingo (where it had been practiced since the 16th century) or the fact that there was a revolution going on in Haiti. In 1789, Haiti made up 2/3 of the economic production of France. Or more specifically, the work of half a million slaves accounted for 2/3 of French trade. 1789 was also the year of the French Revolution, which was based on principles such as the equality of all men and their natural born freedom. The Articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man include claims about how all humans have rights such as liberty. Clearly these ideals conflict with the practice of slavery. So in 1791, a slave revolt begins. At this point, Britain actually attempts to take over the colony and take advantage of slavery. In response, the French abolish slavery in order to protect San Domingo from British and Spanish intruders. After abolitionist Toussaint L'Ouuverture helps the French to succeed, he is imprisoned and then dies a year later, in 1803. In 1804, the black general Dessalines (known for defeating French troops in 1803) declares independence for Haiti.
The French Revolution is relevant for Germany, as there were some battles between German troops defending a monarchy and French revolutionists. The western border of Germany was home to many battles between those who wanted to liberate German citizens and those who wanted to support the German monarchy. Finally in 1806, Napoleon defeats Prussians at Jena, starting a French occupation of the German-speaking world. Kleist was actually a soldier in the siege of Mainz, fighting against French troops. Kleist is then later imprisoned in the same place as L'Ouuverture, where he could have heard about the struggle of Haitians against the French. We can see that the French played a role in much of the conflict in Kleist's own life as well as being a main focus of his story.
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