It is human nature to want something more than what they have. It might be a trait, a talent, or perhaps a different look. We aren't happy with what we have. The question is, what would one give to acquire said desire? Some would be willing to give, ultimately, who they are. Their soul and their lives for the rest of eternity. Why? This question, and the Faust theme of good versus evil, have lasted throughout time in literature because it gives people an answer, security, and its ability to be related to.
Faust, like Odysseus, is striving to pursue full knowledge and understanding of the world and everything in it. He is a seeker. He is willing to risk his life and damnation for it. However, he learns that this is never attainable, and the mysteries of the universe shall remain unknown. In his journey, he realizes all of this and after his thirst for knowledge shifts to earthly and selfish desires, he found his way to good.
The Faust theme of selling your soul to the devil and the fight between the everlasting good and evil has appeared in many aspects of society over time, found in numerous songs and movies. In The Little Mermaid, Ariel makes a deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to sell her voice in exchange for legs and in the long run for love. Ursula’s song Poor Unfortunate Souls has a line that says, “This one longing to be thinner, this one wants to get the girl, and do I help them? Yes I do!” This is an example of the human longing for more, or in this case to be human so she may fit in with her true love and make him reciprocate the feeling, in a movie made for small children. It is a trait that’s instilled in us. Rosemary's Baby, in which a man offers his son to the devil for wealth, another selling your soul to the devil situation straight from Faust, and the song “The Small Print” by Muse, which is from the viewpoint of the devil and talks about someone selling their soul to him and him being “The...