Trusting Your Senses Can Save Your Life. Here's What Happens When You Don't
Part 1
When we don’t trust our senses, harmful consequences may be the outcome.
One book paints a very vivid illustration of these harmful consequences.
Johann Goethe’s book “Faust” highlights the trials and tribulations of Dr. Faust who makes a deal with the devil to find happiness and fulfillment in life. He meets a woman, Grechen, who he wants to spend his life with romantically. In the end, both Dr. Faust and Grechen end up not trusting their senses and suffer very negative outcomes.
DR. FAUST AND GRECHEN’S RELATIONSHP
In the story, the devil approached Dr. Faust and offered him the ability to use cunning and manipulation to get what he desires in life. One desire of Dr. Faust wanted to fall in love with a woman. One day, Dr. Faust meets a woman named Grechen as he was walking down the street. Dr. Faust later then tells the devil that he wants to become romantically involved with Grechen. The devil springs into action. The devil takes the appearance of a gentleman and manipulates Grechen to going on a date with Dr. Faust.
In another situation, Dr. Faust and Grechen wanted to have sex at Grechen’s house, but Grechen’s mother was home. Dr. Faust gives a sleeping potion to Gretchen so that she could give it to her mother. Consequently, the sleeping potion kills Gretchen’s mother. Now Gretchen is culpable in the death of her mother, and she has a sexual relationship out of wedlock with Dr. Faust.
Gretchen eventually becomes pregnant and has a son from her secret love affair with Dr. Faust. Gretchen feels shameful and sinful for having a child out of wedlock. Her response is to kill her child, thus saving her child from this world of shame. Gretchen wants to make things right and tries to fix the problems that she has caused.
Grechen’s brother Valentine found out about Grechen’s secret relationship with Dr. Faust. Valentine confronts Dr. Faust to defend his sister’s honor. The devil provides magic to assist Dr. Faust in killing Valentine. Both Dr. Faust and Gretchen have blood on their hands in the killings of Grechen’s baby son, mother and brother. Meanwhile, the devil is having a grand time doing what he does best: causing suffering and destroying mankind.
Grechen is eventually caught for her deadly crimes and is in prison to be executed.
This is part 1 of a multi-part article. The next article will conclude this story and analyze it.