Faust is a tragic play that is split into two parts. The first part begins with Mephistopheles, or the Devil, making a bet with God that he can lure Faust, God’s favorite human, away from his righteous pursuits. Faust is an aging scholar who considers suicide due to thinking that learning has become less and less useful, but who does not because of Easter celebrations nearby. Mephistopheles offers to serve Faust in life, so long as Faust serves Mephistopheles in the afterlife. Hesitant at first, Faust eventually agrees as long as Mephistopheles helps Faust experience a feeling of transcendence on Earth, one which he would want to feel forever. Faust, with the help of Mephistopheles, seduces a woman named Gretchen, but causes the death of her mother and brother. Also, Gretchen is convicted of drowning her child, afterwhich Faust and Mephistopheles try and fail to persuade Gretchen to escape from prison.
Above is only about Part One of the play, but this part is the most relevant when discussing why Johnson featured this play at this point of the story (p.97-99). The narrator in Johnson’s novel has left America and is now in Europe, abandoning his life that he realizes in the final parts of his Europe-trip is a gift that he should have never let go of. I think that Faust and the narrator closely resemble each other because of this. In both Faust and Autobiography, the main character tries to escape or detach themselves from their ambitions in order to be successful, driven by the fact that their ambitions have been underwhelming. Another important party of Autobiography in this discussion is love/attraction. We see how the narrator is infatuated with a woman, who turns out to be his sister. Earlier in the book, we see how the narrator’s love is the “real tragedy” that he wants to call out in the play; the widow that the narrator was talking to was eventually killed…the narrator blames himself for this, seeing the havoc that his love caused. In Faust, we can also see the consequences of Faust trying to indulge in his, quite literally, sinful desires of love (the death of Gretchen’s child, her mother, and her brother).
And finally, regarding DuBois’ “double consciousness” term. I think this term is very relevant in discussing Autobiography because we see how the narrator is an example of someone who succumbs to the pressures of being both of African descent and being black, in a discriminatory society. He eventually ends up marrying a white woman and passes as white, and invests in real estate and moves away from any profession that is associated to black Americans at the time. Despite this, he does view his position of being a black American by “[looking] at himself through the eyes of others who are a part of the dominant culture,” and constantly critiques all groups of peoples, describing them as if he is detached. We can also see how much he switches between associating himself more towards the white community versus the black community, showing the struggle that DuBois speaks about in his work.
I think you have an insightful analysis of the relevance of W.E.B DuBois’ concept of “double consciousness”. The narrator’s decision to distance himself from his African American identity shows the pressure he felt to conform to dominant cultural views. As well as his constant critique of different groups, as you mentioned, reflects his internal struggle with an identity that is not accepted and stripped of its humanity. Despite his efforts to assimilate, he drifts further and further from the black community. Specifically, when he marries a white woman and makes the personal choice to pass as a white man.
The parallels between Faust and the protagonist’s journey are glaring. Universal themes of temptation, identity, and the pursuit of fulfillment are all at play, especially with the “Ex-colored man”. Just as Faust seeks knowledge and power beyond his human limitations, the protagonist seeks belonging and opportunity in a society that denies him based on his race. Unfortunately, both characters face moral dilemmas and wrestle with the consequences of their own choices.
By incorporating Faust, Johnson adds depth and complexity to the protagonist’s overall narrative, inviting the audience to consider the broader implications of his actions. As a result, it prompts reflection on the enduring relevance of themes, like morality and fulfillment, across different cultural contexts and time periods.