Lesson 5, Faustian Bargain in "An Anxious Man"

 

“An Anxious Man”

 

1. What evidences Joseph’s lack of control in the opening scene? What are at the root of his compulsive behavior? Is he perhaps addicted to the rush of high stakes, like a gambling addiction? Does he thrive on the drama to compensate for something that’s lacking in his life?He is the fool who stakes his happiness on the whims of Lady Fortuna as described by Boethius. Possible explanations for Joseph's stock market addiction include: he's running away from ennui; he's running away from his own emptiness; he has defined himself as someone who needs to be a certain financial level; otherwise he will be suffering from an affliction. But he has made himself too vulnerable and he is not what he needs to be a successful person: He is not self-possessed.
2. How does page 4 set up Joseph’s sense of entitlement and discontent that never existed before? What does it mean to confuse necessity with desire? (see top of page 5) Studies show that wealth and a concern with money encourage privilege and degrade our powers of empathy.
3. How might some describe Morton Dowell, described on page 5, as a Trickster or a Devil, a figure who stirs the malignancies within Joseph’s soul? Good salesmen never sell; they give us “opportunities.”He is a sort of pimp or drug dealer who entices by escorting us through the various levels of human emotion.
4. What dichotomy of existence do we see in the story: Adrenaline World and Civilian World. The former eats the latter. In choosing the former, we embrace misery, panic, and anxiety because we prefer drama and its power to distract us from death and vapidity. See page 7 and 8. Does it not seem Joseph knows he’s made a deal with the devil yet can do nothing to stop himself? What does this say about free will? Once we get the wheels in motion, we can accelerate toward our demise with no opportunity to veer away from the danger.
5. Explain how regret is the defining emotion of stock market investment. See page 8. You never invest enough; you never sell quickly enough; you sell too soon; your life is one of second-guessing yourself and regret and anger. You become bitter but you keep coming back for more and more of the stuff that poisons you.The irony is that this despair becomes an addiction.
6. What does it mean to be “grounded”? What evidence is there that Joseph is not grounded? See page 18 among others. To be grounded means that we have the Third Eye, self-control, humility to learn from our mistakes, and developing strategies as solutions to problems rather than wallowing in the drama of our problems. All of the qualities come from a moral sense, so that when we say we are grounded we mean we have a moral center that directs our thoughts and actions.

 

 

“The Old Man”

1. What several similarities does the story have with “The Half Sister”? You have a man in a state of stagnation who is preyed upon by a devilish character who needs a sort of sacrifice to continue her operations smoothly.
2. What evidence is there that Conrad will be the next Mirek?
3. The story’s last page is similar to the conclusion in “The Half Sister.” Explain in terms of the theme of free will. 

Sample Thesis Statements

The tragedy of the Faustian Bargain is that once we are seduced by a false paradise, we submit our will to that sacrifice resulting in the Irrational Mind evidenced by _____________, ____________, _______________, and _______________. 

Ennui and a lack of life purpose make us vulnerable to the Faustian Bargain in four ways, not the least of which is ____________, _______________, _____________, and ________________. 

The characters in Lasdun's short story collection are woefully lacking in free will and are therefore slaves to the irrational mind evidenced by ________________, _______________, ______________, and __________________. 

Class Activity

In a brief paragraph, describe a Trickster or Chimera you once knew (or currently know) and what made this Trickster/Chimera so powerful and seductive?