Throughout the history of literature, Faust is, no doubts, the greatest poem ever written. Combining the philosophic problem and the dramatic events, it grabs you by the hand and leads you the way Faust was walking. However, the question is whether the impressions about this little walk would be the same in the case of a believer and an atheist.
First of all, I would like to drive your attention to what the central theme is here. Faust is a poem that has raised a lot of debates, and even now the most outstanding maestros of literature cannot come to terms with certain problems, I tend to think that it is the theme of the man who is aching to behold the absolute knowledge and the man coming to understand that it is impossible. This is the theme of giving your soul for the biggest treasure ever possessed, knowledge.
Thinking about the impact the poem has on a believer, I would say that the first emotion is a shock. Indeed, it is hard to take this interpretation of the relationship between God and the devil. According to the Bible, it is blasphemy to think of God and the devil having a peaceful conversation. While at the beginning of the poem they do speak quite peacefully.
The next thing a believer would think strange and devilish is that Faust makes the deal with Mephistopheles. And it is even weirder that the devil is posed not like a creature superior to a man but the thing that can be tricked or fooled.
However, an atheist would not notice these fine points. He would rather indulge in the capturing plot that catches you in a moment and will not let go till the very last page.
So, it would be a bit different for such a kind of reader.
It seems to me that an atheist will see the key point about selling the immortal soul to a devil in exchange for knowledge not that frightening. It would rather be a common so-what shrugging shoulders, or even a sarcastic smile saying, “What are you talking about, sir? We are all machines and as we die, we die completely. There is no Hinnom, as well as there is no Heaven”.
However, as the plot unwinds, the reader forgets about these ideas. He recollects his own childhood when he was reading fantastic tales about the beasts and the supernatural powers, and the whole plot turns even more meaningful for the reader. It is the author’s style that makes people forget what they thought to be primary and sink deeper into the ancient legend.
In fact, there is no means to make these scenes even more meaningful to an atheist, because they already are. It is just that such a reader would not think much about the ambiguities that can arise if you have read the Holy Script, but he would still feel the power of the poem.
What makes both a believer and an atheist focus on the main theme is the weirdness of the situation. However well-read a man can be, it is still strange to think of a soul, the existence of which is taken for granted but has never been proved, to be sold. It is not a pair of shoes, after all. And that makes the actions of Dr. Faust even more sinful and attractive in their being so daring and bold.
It must have been the extreme desire that has brought Dr. Faust to such a strange and scary decision. And yet it is easy to understand him. However much a person can know, it still won’t be enough to feel that you have known the world and its essence. And here the devil with his powers comes in handy to show you the biggest secrets in a single day. After all, not all people have enough patience to wait until Judgment Day to get to Heaven and join the wisest.