Unveiling the eternal feminine: Vision and blindness in Goethe's Faust

This thesis argues that das Ewig-Weibliche is a dialectical concept and mitigates Faust's tragic character. While typical criticism develops das Ewig-Weibliche as the force of passive love, I maintain that she equally exercises powerful, shattering agency. Scenes depicting the eternal feminine are recognized by critics as interruptions to the Faust story. I diverge here from traditional criticism and claim that the eternal feminine is present from beginning to end of Faust I and II. Foundational to my thesis is Goethe's fusion of Christian and pagan symbolic language. Gretchen, the Idol and Homunculus and Galatea illustrate the dialectical nature of das Ewig-Weibliche. I assert that Faust's land reclamation project is also an expression of the eternal feminine. Faust's apparent salvation results directly from the spirit, Sorge. Throughout, I explore how insight and blindness brought into juxtaposition with das Ewig-Weibliche play a significant role in transforming Faust's tragic character.