The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-27
"FAUST."
Lecture by Prof. Thomas Davidson of
New York.


Under the auspices OF the Athenmum
managers, Prof. Thomas Davidson OF New
York Ia delivering an exceedingly inter
esting course of lectures on Goethe's
"Faust" on Monday afternoons at
the Women's College building on Benefit
street. Yesterday afternoon he took up
the plot OF the drama from the point when
Faust first met Margaret and discussed
the episode which eliminated in the death
OF Margaret in that most beautiful and
sad scene in the prison.
"Faust is DRAMA" said he, "meant
to embody the entire spiritual movement
OF an epoch in a living and speaking pict-
ure. A. drama which undertakes this
must not present its subject merely from
the mans side of humanity.
IL must present il also from
the woman's and the child's,
for humanity is triune process which
cannot be comprehended IL any element is
omitted. In the Gretchen episode, Goethe
has endeavored to give us a view of the
modern movement toward the emancipa-
tion of the individual, from the standpoint
of woman. In dealing with this we
must bear i'm mind two things: that
Goethe is seeking to present TO us in
Gretchen the typical mediaval woman, as
she was made by the institutions about
her, and that il is German, deeply inn
bued with German motives regarding
women, hat is making such presentation.
Gretchen then is the mediRval woman,
the good woman, as society and church
have made her. The question with the
poet is: What will become OF her,
as such, in the general process
Of religious, ethical and intellectual
disintegration? She is charming, simple,
truthful German girl, belonging TO the
middle class, that class in which
all the virtues are most likely
to ripen. Her mother, believing
in retirement and simplicity OF living, has
trained her daughter in almost cloistral
seclusion and has instructed her in all
simple household duties. But like all
persons who are reared aside from the
current of human life, she lacks exper-
fence, and in consequence has very sem
sitive. responsive imagination, which is
state OF mind only too likely to lead to
perilous consequences"
The speaker carried the narrative on,
with a running commentary, TO the scene
in Martha's garden, showing the crafty
way in which Mephktopheles managed
the whole matter to bring about his ends,
sation of Martha with Mephistopheles
gives us very good picture of one phase
Of the social life of the times.
"The evening comes and Mephisto and
Faust meet Martha and Gretchen in
Martha's garden. They at once pair off
and we get alternate scraps of the CONVEX
sation. The couples are admira BILE foils TO
each other and give us the two sides of
the process of personal corruption.
But finally after Faust and
Gretchen have sealed their vows with
their first kiss the parties separate.
Faust goes to wander in romantic solitude,
now at last brought into that loving con-
tact with nature for which he had
so long been striving, conflict
going on between his romantic passion
and his lust. AS for Gretchen, her peace
of mind is gone, and she tells us so in that
song which has justly been famed over
the world. This scene brings out into
sharp relief the principles upon which
Gretchen can rely for protection, and we
find that they are purely external, con
sisting in mere ritual and outward cere-
monious worship. This was all that the
religion of the middle age had to offer.
"Faust's sophistical answer TO Margaret's
query as to his religion, which she proposes
at'their next meeting, is merely gush of
meaningless romantic words, so dexterous-
ly calculated to strike the vague, immoral,
romantic sense that wiser people than
Gretchen, indeed, nearly all the readers of
Faust, including some of the editors,
have been taken in by il and supposed it
TO be true account OF God.
Poor Gretchen! She accepts such
rubbish and thinks it is much the same as
what the priest says, only in different
words. And the sad thing is she is not SO
very far wrong. The priest has no true
conception of God, else he would prob
ably not have been so easily deceived"
Prof. Davidson now continued with the
story of Margaret's fall, her mothers
death from the soporofic drug given her
by Faust, her brothers murder and her
own misfortune, in which she was
utterly alone, deserted by all, even Faust,
who was detained by Mephistophles till
the very night before the execution of
Gretchen, when he compelled Mephisto
to take him to her. He found her insane
from her troubles and all his attempts to
call her to herself proved vain,
till at last the consciousness OF her APP
preaching death restored her senses.
Faust now called ON her to follow him
and be free but she was no longer the in
experienced girl of year before and she
realized the consequences. In the face of
fearful odds she now de6ed the same
passion which had tempted her before
and declared for the right.
She realized that freedom and life with
Faust meant also life with Mephstopheles
and cried out to God for help. Her choice
of the right and reputation OF the evil
was her salvation.
Warren.