Originally Posted by
Susan R. Henley
I do not disagree with your assessment of the significance of the quote.
I did spend some time putting it in context with the events in the book. The lines are spoken by Faust when he is finally alone again after conjuring the presence of the Earth Spirit. At the sight of the Earth Spirit, Faust is cowed by the grandeur and power of the Spirit. Initially, Faust cannot even bear to peek at the Spirit; however, he finally musters the courage not only to look at the Spirit but also to address him. In fact, Faust's ego inflates him so that he addresses the Spirit as a peer. It is at this point that the Earth Spirit belittles both Faust and his efforts to understand the mystic--such as the Earth Spirit. After the Earth Spirit departs, Wagner, Faust’s assistant, enters the scene to discern what was the source of all the loud talk he heard coming from Faust’s study. It is only later when Faust is alone that he contemplates the events of earlier that evening.
The invoking of the Earth Spirit was the first time Faust had been successful at reaching a higher mystic plane. While he is elated at the achievement, he is crushed by not only the awe-inspiring visual greatness of the Earth Spirit but also by the words of the Spirit who put him back in his place as a lesser being--even calling him a worm.
So, Faust has reached a major goal which he has worked hard to achieve; but, though that achievement, he realizes that he is not nearly as grand, in the cosmic scheme of things, as he believed himself to be. His ego has been trampled and his premises have been shattered. He is emotionally distraught. As you said, he is disillusioned and struggles with trials of life in which even victories give rise to losses.
As with so much of this book, for me, there are layers of meaning. For instance, Faust seems to be thinking that he can no longer follow his own judgment. A primary implication of this is that Faust has opened the door for Mephistopheles to enter and show him a new path. However, if one keeps in mind the lines with the Prologue discussion between God and Mephistopheles, the quote can be seen to allude to both the path of goodness offered by God and the promise of worldly fulfillment offered by Mephistopheles. The quotation becomes a rhetorical keystone for the choices Faust will face and what happens next in the plot.
Also, although I have not finished reading the book, I believe that, in the end, it is Faust’s reliance on his inner goodness that saves him from damnation--which takes us back to the beginning--that Faust should have trusted his own judgment. Ultimately, it is through this return to trusting his inner concept of “for the greater good” that Faust finds the path to redemption and salvation as offered by God.
IMO
Susan