Faust: The City Wall
Summary
Gretchen goes to the city wall to humble herself before the image of the Mater Dolorosa, the Virgin Mary. The image shows the Virgin Mary at the foot of Jesus' cross, "grieving for the sufferings of her son" (Study Guide). Gretchen brings flowers from her home to place in the flower pot in front of the image, then cries out to the Virgin Mother. Gretchen begins to come back to reality in regards to her actions with Faust. After hearing of Barbara's sexual encounter and premarital pregnancy, and after hearing of the community attitude towards Barbara, Gretchen realizes the mistake she has made in giving herself to Faust. Gretchen feels she has made the worst of mistakes, commited the worst of all sins, and cries out the the Mother Mary for forgiveness, and begs the Virgin Mary to "pity my wretchedness" (I. 3447).
Notes
Commentary
Study Questions
- What is the significance of Gretchen taking flowers from her own pot to place in front of the image?
- Why does Gretchen feel the Virgin Mary would be able to relate to her pain?
External Resources
Works Cited
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von. Faust, Part 1. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Vol. 2. 8th Ed. Trans. Martin Greenberg. Sarah Lawall, et al, eds. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006.