A Pact With the Devil: Faust's Modernity (GER-0174)

Fall 2026 · GER 0174 · Tufts University · 4 credits · Undergraduate

How far would we go—making a pact with the devil—to attain power, knowledge, or (sexual) pleasure? Examination of Goethe's "Faust" and its resonances in literature (Bulgakov, Mann), visual arts, and film (Delacroix, Murnau), and music (Gounod, Berlioz), from the 19th through the 21st centuries. Challenges students to reflect on the ethical (or unethical?) underpinnings of modernity by opening a window onto the rich cultural tradition of "Faust" across artistic genres and media. In English. Upper-level offering of GER 74. Extra assignments and class meetings in German. Recommendation: One of GER 22, 34, 44, or 61. Credit cannot be received for both GER 74 and GER 174.

Course codes: GER-0174, GER 0174, GER0174, GER-174, GER 174, GER174

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