In Goethe’s epic drama the Homunculus is a little being of fire conceived in a laboratory flask. He is a masculine figure who voluntarily unites with the vast Ocean, the divine feminine aspect of the soul. According to mystical traditions of all faiths and philosophies, without such ego-annihilating submission, it is impossible to attain spiritual enlightenment, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding.” Ralph yearns for nothing less. “The Homunculus,” he continues, “is the character that represents all I would have been, had it been possible for me to be that way. But it’s not how I
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