The Tragedy Of Development (unfinished)

In this beautifully written literature, we trace the story of Goethe’s Faust (a metaphor for modern development) in the three stages of transformation he goes through driven by an insatiable desire for development. Faust tragic development goes through three main stages; dreamer, lover and developer.

To fully understand Faust’s metamorphosis, we are taken right to the inception of Faust’s desire for development with his deep dissatisfaction for his achievements and lonely life. He is restless, eager to engage more actively with the outside world in contrast to the summation of all his inwardly triumphs and his quest takes him to tap into powers from the depths of the underworld, personified by Mephistopheles.

We see Faust gradually transforming under the docentship of Mephistopheles and indoctrinated with ideas that will prove very significant in the later stages of his transformation. Faust bought into ideas such as selfishness with no moral remorse, a willingness to destroy in order to create freely, the worship of money and acquisition of speed. After a while in Mephistopheles’ company, Faust acquires wealth and mobility, becomes more handsome, confident, radiant and exciting but equally more imbued with an interest in other people and ready for genuine love.

He becomes enthralled by Gretchen, an epitome of all that is most beautiful, innocent, humble and simple in a world he had grown so estranged from. It was a doomed union because by getting involved with Faust, Gretchen grasps the possibility of developing and all that Faust loved in her disappears at the disapproval of all but Faust. Faust unable to deal with the demands of their complicated union and being a free spirit left and left her exposed to the persecution of little world she belonged to. Consequently, she dies. Mephisto tries to absolve Faust of the guilt he feels and reinforce the idea of destruction without remorse. However, the fundamental differences between them would have meant totally different trajectories and endings anyway so there was no real need to be downcast – it was inevitable.

Then Faust enters the final stage of his metamorphosis and confirms the old adage that if the student is not better than the teacher, the teacher is a failure. He astounds even Mephisto with his visionary concrete programs and operational plans to harness nature’s energy and convert it to the driving force of collective human purposes. He enters into politics as a means to gaining control over territory and a large number of people to achieve his visionary projects. Faust is convinced that speed was of the utmost essence and nothing or no one should be spared in the amalgamation of his thought and action in transforming the world for the collective good of all. But it is precisely in achieving this vision that the tragedy emanates. He deludes to creating an ideal world with clean hands and not ready to take the responsibility for the suffering and casualties that pave the way for the realisation of his visions.

In recognition of all his achievements, Faust might seem like a hero but on the other hand, in light of all that he does not want to see, details he does not want to know about, his vision is tragic. He seems only to be keen on the end result