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Of the Vision and the Riddle
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Rethinking Morality
The Superman and the Will to Power
Death of God and Christianity
Eternal Recurrence
Summary
Analysis
Within a few days, Zarathustra has overcome his bitterness and rejoices again. It is afternoon, the time when he found his companions for the first time; it is also the afternoon of his entire lifespan. He is in the process of creating his children by going to them, returning from them, and perfecting himself.
After passing through a time of sorrow and solitude, Zarathustra experiences a kind of rebirth. He is drawing closer both to his own perfection and to the emergence of the Superman.
Themes
Someday, Zarathustra’s children, like trees, will each stand in solitude, “a living lighthouse of unconquerable life.” Then, each tree will be tested to show whether it’s master of its will, a “fellow-creator” with Zarathustra. For the sake of such trees, Zarathustra continues perfecting himself, no longer ensnared by loving his children. When he remained brooding in his love, he was shadowed by doubts and unable to hear the summons to perfection. He casts aside involuntary bliss, ready instead for pain. Happiness, however, keeps running after him.
Zarathustra’s offspring will exemplify the will to power (“unconquerable life”), creators like himself. For their sake, he has to keep perfecting himself. That involves casting aside pity for his children—pity being something that Nietzsche considers a short-sighted weakness, shortchanging the future and the Superman. Pity also makes Zarathustra self-absorbed and slower to perfect himself; he must be vigilant not to indulge himself too much.
Themes
