Thus Spoke Zarathustra · Chapter
The Return Home explained
Zarathustra returns to his solitude, which he personifies as his true home.
What happens
Zarathustra returns to his solitude, which he personifies as his true home. He reflects on the difference between lonesomeness and forsakenness, recalling past moments of despair and isolation among men. He contrasts the pure, open stillness of his solitude with the noisy, petty, and pity-driven world of human society, where everything is misunderstood and trivialized. He celebrates his escape from the 'human hubbub' and the danger of pity, breathing freely again in the mountain air.
Themes in this chapter
Solitude and Companionship
Zarathustra personifies solitude as his true home, contrasting the purity of lonesomeness with the corruption of human companionship and pity.
Critique of Herd Morality
Zarathustra condemns the petty, pity-driven nature of human society, where everything is out-talked and misunderstood, and where 'the good' are the most poisonous flies.
Pity and Contempt
Zarathustra identifies pity as his greatest danger, describing how it forces him to lie and endure the stupidity of the good, and how it creates stifling air for free souls.
Characters to notice
- Zarathustra
Zarathustra returns to his solitude, reflecting on his past experiences of forsakenness and his relief at being away from human society.
Key passages
“O lonesomeness! My home, lonesomeness! Too long have I lived wildly in wild remoteness, to return to thee without tears!”
Zarathustra greets solitude as his true home, feeling emotional relief after his long, wild journey among men.
Zarathustra personifies solitude as a nurturing mother figure, emphasizing his deep longing for and reconciliation with isolation.
“One thing is forsakenness, another matter is lonesomeness: that hast thou now learned!”
Zarathustra distinguishes between the painful state of being forsaken and the blessed state of chosen solitude.
He recalls three past moments of forsakenness—by the corpse, on the isle, and during the stillest hour—to illustrate the difference.
“Everything among them talketh; no one knoweth any longer how to understand. Everything falleth into the water; nothing falleth any longer into deep wells.”
In human society, everyone speaks but no one truly listens or comprehends; nothing has depth or permanence.
Zarathustra criticizes the superficiality and noise of the marketplace, where wisdom is drowned out by trivial chatter.
“In indulging and pitying lay ever my greatest danger; and all human hubbub wisheth to be indulged and tolerated.”
Zarathustra identifies pity and indulgence as his greatest threats, noting that human society demands constant tolerance and softness.
He reflects on how living among men forced him to disguise himself and lie out of pity, which he now sees as corrupting.
“With blessed nostrils do I again breathe mountain-freedom. Freed at last is my nose from the smell of all human hubbub!”
Zarathustra celebrates his return to the pure, free air of the mountains, away from the stench of human society.
The imagery of smell and breath underscores his visceral relief and the cleansing power of solitude.