The Devil's Offer: A
Course
Description
Welcome to a devil of a course. For centuries, but especially since
the dawn of modernity, the legend of the devil's pact has served as a
metaphor
for the desire to surpass the limits of human knowledge and power at
any
cost. Starting with the sixteenth-century
Faust Book which recounts
the story of a scholar, alchemist and necromancer who sold his soul to
the devil, and extending to the most recent cinematic, musical and
literary
versions of the devil's pact, this course offers an exploration of our
enduring fascination with the forbidden.
Should you decide to accept this bargain you will be assured of
discussing
the following issues:
- the meaning of evil and history of the devil
- the devil's pact as signature metaphor for modernity
- the infernal logic of political systems and ideology (Nazism
and
Stalinism)
- witchcraft, magic, and sexuality
- the purported link between the devil and music
- the devil as cultural interloper
- the devil and self-knowledge
Throughout the semester we will move at a leisurely pace--no need to
rush
at a breakneck speed. It's my conviction that knowledge is more
tempting
when you give yourself time. We'll want to linger over the issues that
intrigue us, spend time with the films, music, and literary works that
we encounter. Among the course's real temptations are:
- a (ma)lingering reading of Goethe's Faust, one of the
classics
of
world literature
- discussion of six outstanding films involving a devil's pact
including Angel
Heart and Rosemary's Baby
- discussion of the novel Mephisto which links the legend
of the
devil's
pact with Hitler and the Nazi regime
- a focus on Bulgakov's amazing Soviet era novel The Master and Margarita
- an exploration of Japanese director Kurosawa's renowned film Ikiru
- a session devoted to blues legend Robert Johnson who supposedly
sold
his
soul to the devil
- an encounter between the devil, coyote, and rock and roll in
American
Indian
writer Sherman Alexie's Reservation Blues
- clips from other films and popular culture such as The
Simpsons, South
Park, and Tenacious D.
The victim, I mean student, who signs up for this course is guaranteed
an enticing blend of intellectual and cultural titillation, a
substantial
acquaintance with the wide-ranging popular legends of the devil's pact,
and an opportunity to explore some of the burning questions of our
time.