▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁Germany ' s ▁" d iss ol ute ▁triumph s " ▁as ▁he ▁tells ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁his ▁friend . ▁ ▁S ources ▁and ▁orig ins ▁Mann ▁published ▁his ▁own ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁gen esis ▁of ▁the ▁novel ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁The ▁novel ' s ▁title ▁and ▁them es ▁are ▁in separ able ▁in ▁German ▁literature ▁from ▁its ▁highest ▁dram at ical ▁expression ▁in ▁the ▁Fa ust ▁I ▁and ▁Fa ust ▁II ▁of ▁the ▁poet ▁Go ethe , ▁and ▁decl ares ▁Mann ' s ▁intention ▁to ▁address ▁his ▁subject ▁in ▁the ▁light ▁of ▁that ▁prof ound , ▁authentic ▁expl oration ▁and ▁dep iction ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁character . ▁Yet ▁the ▁relationship ▁is ▁indirect , ▁the ▁Fa ust ian ▁aspect ▁of ▁Le verk ü hn ' s ▁character ▁being ▁par alle led ▁in ▁the ▁ab normal ▁circumstances ▁surrounding ▁Naz ism . ▁Helen ▁L owe - P orter , ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁first ▁English ▁transl ator , ▁wrote ▁of ▁its ▁them es , ▁Read ers ▁of ▁Fa ust us ▁will ▁and ▁must ▁be ▁involved , ▁with ▁sh ud ders , ▁in ▁all ▁three ▁str ands ▁of ▁the ▁book : ▁the ▁German ▁scene ▁from ▁within , ▁and ▁its ▁bro ader , ▁its ▁universal ▁orig ins ; ▁the ▁dep iction ▁of ▁an ▁art ▁not ▁German ▁alone ▁but ▁vital ▁to ▁our ▁whole ▁civil ization ; ▁music ▁as ▁one ▁instance ▁of ▁the ▁arts ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁arts ▁find ▁themselves ▁today ▁[ sc . ▁ 1 9 4 9