the iĄaculty oÍ' Graduate Ątudies April, L96[ - MSpace at the ...

t_ l_
and to hurnanity as whole, Ï,iithin its extended scope,
which takes us from Goethefs novel to such conteraporary
works as Thomas lvlannls Der Zauberbel'g and Hermann Hessers
Glasperlenspiel, Kolbenheyerts work is distinguished by
giving expression to the response of the whole man who
conmi'Ls hinself totally to i;his maturing and rederapbive
process" ParacslÊgq thus stands out i-n sharp relief
frorn the cÌespairing milieu of the novel of exüreme
situati-ons" I(olbenheyerts novel owes its vlgour io the
way an engrossing and ti-meless therne has been treabed,
and noi less so to the courageous aeceÐtance of its
nhlI I êrìcrê tn ou_r o1¡m age "
The relationship between bhe historical Paracelsus
and the legendar]¡ and myth-enshrouded Dr" Faustus provid.es
the key to ûhe present stuciy'" Interest in Paracelsus
made j-t naiural to see both figures rn¡ithin the context of
a v¡idening tradition. The Paracel-sus-Fausûus theme, trhich
has proven inexhaustible, has not lost any of its
relevance and meaning in our i;ime in that ihe purpose and
values of human existence are as much to the fore as ever.
l'uith its rj-ch combination of fact and fiction, the source
material never ceases to make íts compelling appeal to
bhe creative imagination.
The nrotean nature of õhe Paracelsus theme has