Reading Notes W6,: FAUST , Part A

The setting is like the biblical story of Job. Where the angels are before the Lord discussing creation when Mephistopheles , who represents the devil, is bored and disappointed with humans.

Just like with the story of Job, God ask Mephistopheles has he considered Faust. They enter into bet to see if Faust will find his way back to God, despite Mephistopheles temptations.

Faust is a scholar, he is suffocated by the books in his study. “I’ve got a Master of Arts degree, On top of that a Ph.D., (105). He has studied but feels stuck in life. He is unsatisfied with head knowledge, so he decides to turn to magic to have an experience outside of books.

Its ironic that he claims that he is stuck soon after speaking of his desire to experience nature, yet he speaks of his knowledge of the moon but never goes for a walk to experience it. “Oh misery! Oh, am I still stuck here in this dismal prison” (106). He instead opens yet another book [He opens the book and his eyes encounters the sign of the Macrocosm] (107).  Faust rationalize that everything in the world is in harmony and has a temporary moment of contentment, only to conclude it’s all just a show. Then again, he turns to the very thing that he is trying to escape, another book, and his eyes settle on the sign of the earths spirit.

He begins to demand the spirit to come. In doing so summons the spirit. He cowers from the spirit but then tries to equal himself to the spirit. The spirit rejects him “It’s your idea of me you’re equal to. Not Me! [vanishes].   Then he is interrupted by his understudy.

Faust even though a scholar gets into a debate with Wagner about the uselessness of knowledge.  Faust argument is that books are useless while Wagner insist that it’s a privilege to learn from past scholars through their writings.

Faust contends that no one will ever understand or experience nature. “Nature lets no one part her veil, and what she keeps hidden, out of sight, all your levers and wrenches can’t make her reveal” (113).

In his reasoning his eyes his drawn to a vial of poison. He believes if he takes the poison that it will redeem his weakness shown towards the spirit and reveal his braveness in the face of death, but when he is about to drink the poison, he is interrupted by a choir of angels and women (114). This makes Faust think twice about killing himself.  As Christ was resurrected and lives so he will choose to live.

The scene switches to outside the city gate with people from different walks of life who are drinking, looking for pleasure and love. Faust and Wagner enter the scene. Faust seems to see a change in nature. A brighter day so to speak. “The streams put off their icy mantle. Under the springtime’s quickening smile. Hope’s green banner flies in the valley’ while breaded winter, old and frail retreats back up into the mountains and still retreating” (118).

He see’s the crowd and how they bask in the sun because they celebrate Jesus’ Rising. He now feels closer to nature and feel alive in his spirit by being out from his study and surrounded by people who are joyful and hopeful. “Now I can hear it, the village commotion, out here, you can tell, is the people’s true heaven. Young and old crying exultingly: Here I am human, her I can be free” (119). However, it is now Wagner that wants to be imprisoned in the study with his books because he can not stand the vulgar.