Look at page 34

1. Look at page 34 • Why is Faust dissatisfied with the original text? What does he finally settle upon? • Why does Faust feel comfortable with changing the Bible? What does this show about him? • Look at the four words Faust chooses (Word, Sense, Force, Deed). What does each represent to Faust? What are the problems with the first 3? What does the progression through the four show about Faust’s quest for meaning? • What is real and true? Where does true meaning lie? How do you define truth?

2. Run away! • The solution of running away together seems to solve their problems. What are some of the difficulties? Why are these a problem? How can they overcome these difficulties? • Given the discussion of hidden versus exposed guilt throughout the book, what does this decision mean for the character’s well being? For their sense of morality? Will it be a good decision or not? How do you know? Explain. • Why does Pearl react the way she does in this chapter? Compare and contrast it to her reaction on the scaffold in chapter 12 and in the governor's house in chapter 8. What motivates Pearl in her relation to her father? • Is there ever a time when running away from your problems is a good idea? Explain.

3. Run away again! • Watch the clip from Into the Woods. What are some of the difficulties of running away from your problems according to the old man? Are these similar to the problems Hester and Dimmesdale will face? • What about the other side? What are the difficulties of facing your problems according to the young baker? Which is worse?

4. Road Trip! • Review! What is the object these people’s trip? Why are they all travelling together? Where are they going? • What can you tell about a person by the way they tell a story? What aspects of the story reflect the character of the narrator? Explain how this works. • How do you tell a story? What do you do to catch attention? How do you develop the action? How do you conclude? What adds appeal to your story? Explain the process. • When you go on a trip, what do you do to pass the time? What are your favorite methods of entertaining yourself on longer trips?

5. Look at the terms of the deal on pages 44-45. • What does Mephistopheles offer?  Why isn’t this good enough for Faust? • What does Faust ask for instead?  What does Faust truly want? • This is one of the most famous passages in western literature.  Why?  What makes Faust worth reading?  What makes it resonant with humanity? • What is your own greatest desire?  What would you give for this?

6. The Minister in a Maze • List the temptations that Dimmesdale faces on the way home from the woods. • Why do these tempt him? What is wrong with him? • What kind of events cause people to act out of character? Is erratic and crazy behavior excusable when significant events are happening in a person’s life? • Have you ever been in a situation in which you acted out of character? What was such an experience like?

7. Look at the interpretive note on page 369. • What is the historical significance of this tavern?  In what ways was it associated with the Faust legend in Goethe’s day? • What does Goethe change about the legend here?  What does he keep the same?  Why? • What would be the purpose of including this scene in his story if he is going to change it so much?  What does it accomplish here? • If you were to rewrite the story of Faust and put your own spin on it, what scene would you keep?  What would you focus on? How would you change the plot and characters?  Why?

8. Faust: Kitchen and Street • Does the Faust of the Witch’s Kitchen scene seem to be the same as the Faust of the Street scene?  What causes his response to Gretchen in the street scene?  Give evidence. • What do the Marmosets in the Kitchen scene mean?  What do they accomplish in the text?  Why little animals? • What is the significance of the image in the mirror?  How does it affect Faust? Give evidence. • How important is youth?  What’s your opinion?  How does age affect one’s personality?

9. SOAPSTone • SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of questions that students must first ask themselves, and then answer, as they begin to plan their compositions. Who is the Speaker?The voice that tells the story. Before students begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going to be heard. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, students should determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece. What is the Occasion?The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing. Writing does not occur in a vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response. Who is the Audience? The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. As they begin to write, students must determine who the audience is that they intend to address. It may be one person or a specific group. This choice of audience will affect how and why students write a particular text.

10. SOAPSTone • What is the Purpose?The reason behind the text. Students need to consider the purpose of the text in order to develop the thesis or the argument and its logic. They should ask themselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?" What is the Subject? Students should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. This step helps them to focus on the intended task throughout the writing process. What is the Tone?The attitude of the author. The spoken word can convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice. With the written word, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal, and students must learn to convey this tone in their diction (choice of words), syntax (sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language). The ability to manage tone is one of the best indicators of a sophisticated writer.

11. What does Dimmesdale attribute to good and what does he attribute to evil in this passage? • What philosophy does Dimmesdale use to understand his suffering in this passage? Give evidence. • Imagine a discussion between Dimmesdale and Hazel and Augustus on the nature of suffering.  What might they agree upon?  In which ways would they disagree? Give evidence. • Have you ever experienced something that was awful and seemed purposeless while it was going on but which you later appreciated or saw the benefit of?

12. Clean Little Room • Summarize the story of the King of Thule from Gretchen’s song. What does her interest in the song show about her character? Does it in any way relate to her relationship with Faust? What does this insight into her character foreshadow? • What is significant about the context of this song? Why is it done while she’s changing clothes? How is this context significant to characterization and action? • The book introduced Faust through scenes filled with long monologues and deeply discussed ideas. However, Gretchen’s characterization is done significantly through action. Why do you think Goethe does this? How does it influence our perception of the characters? Give evidence. • Because this is a play, the choices of the actors and directors can influence the way this scene is portrayed. If you were directing the action in the scene, what would you say to the actor playing Gretchen in order to convey her character clearly?

13. Quiz • What two pieces of furniture does Faust look at in Gretchen’s room? • Where do they leave the present? • What special object does the King of Thule prize above all else? • What is in the box Gretchen finds? • Where does the present end up according to Mephistopheles?

14. IB Objectives (World Lit) • AO 1.4 Substantiate and justify ideas with relevant examples • AO 2.1 Demonstrate an ability to analyse language, structure, technique and style, and evaluate their effects on the reader

15. Ron Pearlman • Watch the clip and listen to actor Ron Pearlman’s comments on his make up in this scene. What does his insistence show about the acting process and the way the actor creates character? How does his choice here relate to the conclusions you drew about Gretchen? Reflect on how much thought goes into imagery and characterization in a work. Be sure to reference both Pearlman’s comments and the text.

16. Group Activity • After you receive all of these instructions, you’ll break into your Marmoset groups. • You will pick up a copy of the passage from Cymbeline in which Iachimo investigates Immogen’s room. • Together you will reread the passage and the scene from Faust in which Faust investigates Gretchen’s room (p 74-75, lines 2687-2728). • Goal: Identify whether or not Goethe was influenced by Shakespeare when writing this scene.

17. Group Instructions, continued • After examining both scenes you will conclude that the scene is one of the following: • Clearly influenced by Shakespeare’s Cymbeline • Feasibly influenced by Shakespeare’s Cymbeline • Unlikely influenced by Shakespeare’s Cymbeline

18. Group Instructions, continued • Make a list of evidence for your conclusion: • Solid Evidence: textual similarity, clear structural similarity, exact diction • Circumstantial Evidence: Similar characterization, theme, symbolism, structure (loose), etc.

19. GO! • Passage Keepers may now pick up texts and Recorders prep your materials.

20. Closing Reflection • Reflect on the group work experience. Consider the following: • How did you come to your conclusion in your group activity? How was your process? Did you feel you examined the passages completely and thoroughly? Do you feel confident in your answer? Why? If you were to do a similar assignment, would you structure it differently? How would you approach it differently?

21. Arguments and Suffering • Many people have tried to answer the question of why we suffer. Why do human beings have to suffer? What arguments have you heard explaining this problem? Give examples where possible. What do you think is the reason we suffer? • What are some techniques people use to form believable arguments? What makes an argument believable? What do you do to convince others of your point? • If you were to try to explain the meaning of suffering to someone, what would you do to be convincing? What techniques would you use to persuade your audience?

22. Dimmesdale: It may be, that, when we forgot our God,--when we violated our reverence each for the other's soul,--it was thenceforth vain to hope that we could meet hereafter, in an everlasting and pure reunion. God knows; and He is merciful! He hath proved his mercy, most of all, in my afflictions. By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast! By sending yonder dark and terrible old man, to keep the torture always at red-heat! By bringing me hither, to die this death of triumphant ignominy before the people! Had either of these agonies been wanting, I had been lost for ever! Praised be his name! His will be done! Farewell!

23. Note rhetorical devices throughout. What affect do they have on the speech? • What is the overall tone of the first paragraph? • Why use the dash in paragraph 2? • Who is his audience? • Where does the tone shift? • Where does the author reveal his purpose?

25. What is Truth? • Mephisto and Faust argue about what constitutes the truth and what makes a lie in the second street scene.  How does Faust define truth?  What is the line between truth and falsehood?  What is the example they use?  How does this tie into his personality and Romanticism?

26. Music • Name a song that gets stuck in your head. Why are songs easy to remember? What elements make them stick? • What are some of your favorite songs? Why do you like them? • What are some elements you look for in a song? Lyrics? Genre? Beat? Vocals? Etc. Explain why you value these elements.