The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-21

VIII lead TO cOnN1ctiOn worth the more
for the severe test to which 1t has been
put Faust will eventually come TO the
assurance of the reality of happiness,
truth and God. The struggle will be
long and hazardous, for Faust is to have
no superhuman aid, but must do as best
he can with natural means, and the
dim consciousness of right that ls
within his own breast.
The scholarly Faust is not ignorant OF
the Bible and the light which 1t offers.
In his yearning for positive truth he
turns with strong impulse to the Sacred
volume, which has been the light and
joy to countless generations. His will is
good he is willing to rest on this author
ity But, alas, belief does not depend on
the will, and Faust cannot accept the
Scriptures as an infallible authority sim
ply because he would like to have them
infallible. He knows, moreover, that even
were the Scriptures infallible he must
bring his own intelligence to bear upon
their Interpretation, and that his inteiiect
Is by no means infallible.
He is puzzled now quite as much as pc
fore. and his conclusion is that even The
truth of Scriptures can be known to be
true only as 1t harmonizes with the truth
of human experience-that is to say,
Goethe will have Faust solve the problem
as to the meaning OF man and OF his
final destiny without any supernatural
aid, or any explanation of the problem
as. given in Scriptures.
Loathing as Faust does his present
condition and every kind of knowledge,
and finding no satisfaction either out
side of himself or within himself. he
decides to escape all his dreariness of
life by plunging into the depths of SEN
sual pleasure. He does not aim at hap
piness for he has already proved that
happiness, like everything else, Is a deu-
sion His only craving Is an excitement
that may help him forget himself. Hith-
erto he has kept aloof from humanity,
and was shut up In his study, living a
recluse In his own thoughts. Now he de-
cides that he will give up his lofty as
piration, and will accept the lot of ordi-
nary mortals. He will share their veal
and their woe: he will bare his breas,
TO every human pang; he will dilate his
mind to that of the common mass. and
finally will share with them the general
shipwreck Of mankind.
This rash decision, made in despair is
not without a certain tendency in the
right direction. There is here already a
vague presentiment of the way of happi-
ness, and that it lies. If anywhere, in
sympathizing with humanity rather than
in ignoring it. This vague presentimeni
is but another echo of the keynote of the
Faust drama as given in the Prologue In
Heaven:
"A good man, in the direful grasp of i'll,
His consciousness of right retaineth
STILL"
1t is true that Faust's only thought IL
of self, and to be rid of self, and that ht
comes in touch with humanity at firs
only on the sinful side, as this offers mos
illusion and Standardization. The de.
graded forms of sin, however, fail to at
tract him. Faust is a man as we'll az
an animal, and purely animal gratifica-
lions soon become very repulsive to him
lie has an instinct for something higher
love of purity beauty and goodness
and these, in the person of Margaret
will lead him upward and onward. But
the progress will be varied and slow, for
Faust will have to ascend always by the
rugged paths of experience, and not by
the glorious superhuman way that Dante
was borne from star to star by the ra-
diant light of Beatrices eyes.
AT frst In his relation with margaret,
Faust is half beguiled into the thought
that now he has found happiness: that
here is the Satisfaction which his soul
had craved sweet sense of intoxica-
ton ovefpowers him. In the excess of
feeling he reels from craving to enjoy
ment. and in enjoyment he languisnes Tor
desire. Hardly conscious of what he Is
saving he is ready to call this deliriun
of feeling the glow Of heaven-the highest
satisfaction possible to the human soul.
In a burst of passion, he exclaims, CAL
1t bliss. heart, love, God.
This sensual pleasure does not afford
the qualification it promised, and Faust,
when he comes to himself, Will md that
1t not only proves fatal to the happi-
ness of the individual, but also destructive
to the family relations and the welfare OF
society No such domestic, self-destroylng
power then, as this, can be recognized
as God and acknowledged as supreme.
Tho god to whom allegiance shall be paid
must not destroy, but promote, the we'll
being of humanity; and the life worth liv-
ing must be one that brings happiness,
not pain to the individual.
Taught by this painful experiences,
Faust goes on his weary way. In spite of
himself he must solve the problem as to
the meaning of life and give satisfac-
tory answer to the questions, rs happi-
ness possible? II so, In what does IL con-
sist?'' He has proved that 1t is not on the
ulane of self gratifcation--and this is a
long step forward. He has learned that
his own wel-being Is dependent on the
vell-being Of others and that his own
measures can never be purchased at the
expense Of another
Without entering INTO tiie Ndriouc Minus
OF experiences by which Goethe makes
hjs hero try now one form of enjoyment,
then another it Is sufficient to say that
Faust goes on struggling, advancing, re-
treating, learning by repeated failures as
well as glad successes the direction In
which true happiness lies With only a
dim presentiment of the right. he gropes
his wav continually. coming more and
more into accord with the noblest senti-
ments Of humanity. Giving up gradual
Iv that individual self-seelSing which must
necessarily end in despairing pesssinlism,
he merges his own interests in the well
fare of all mankind. He has come to
recognize his error in allowing himSelf
30 long to be the victim of capricious
lusts and appetites. and of going through
life like destroying tempest. Listen
to his words, part III, Act 81:
II have only raced through the world,
have seized every appetite by the hair
have only desired and accomplished
And again desred and so with violence
stormed through my life, at first great
and mighty,
But now it goes wisely. thoughtfully.'
At the same time Faust learns that this
earth is the proper field for mans ac-
tivities. 1.-THE view beyond 10 barred
from mortal ken and he is a fool who