Augustine Weeps Analysis

There are few examples that Augustine discusses in which he weeps. He first weeps for Dido of Virgil’s Aeneid, and looks back on this with judgment; berating himself for caring so deeply about a fictional characters sins and sorrows while paying no mind to his own. The second, and perhaps most influential is the death of Augustine’s good friend. This debilitating loss pushes him to his lowest point. As he recalls this event he vocalizes his belief that, as he had been involved with the Manichaeans, his despair stemmed not only from the loss of his friend but the lack of God in his life. The last prominent example of Augustine weeping is when he is grieving his mother, Monica, someone he holds in high respects but that he knows has sinned throughout

The first incident in which Augustine is open about his strong emotional reaction to a situation is when he discusses his deep connection to Dido when reading The Aeneid. As an adult, he condemns these emotional displays, believing them to be vacant of deep thought and meaning. Consequently, he argues that it cannot be moral and right to weep over a fictional tragedy, but feel no sorrow for one’s own sins, or to condemn someone for a speech using a barbarism or solecism, but fail to condemn one’s hatred of their fellow human beings or the lust that plagues them? (Conf. 1.28) In Augustine’s mind, education without moral content leads only to further estrangement from God. This leads to a human race with skewed values and improper morals. Augustine laments over his useless education for this very reason. He is extremely critical, to the point of being quite harsh, of the literature filled curriculum that he partook in throughout his life. He is ashamed of the value he placed upon it and the opinions of

He makes it very clear that he looks up to her and her death is another time of spiritual awakening for him. His reaction is so intense that he physically cannot handle it, “I trembled with fear and the same time burned with hope and exultation at your mercy, Father (Ps. 30:7-8)” (Conf. 9.9). Monica had been the influencer Augustine needed to find his way to God; she was a constant source of religious guidance and promoter of more profound and spiritual thought throughout Augustine’s life. He speaks of his time spent conversing with her, “We ascended even further by internal reflection and dialogue and wonder at your works, and we entered into our own minds.” (Conf. 9.24). Augustine knows his mother has sinned, for she admitted this to him when revealing the story of her life. Through the influence of Monica and her devotion he realizes that the power of God is what saved her. She had a vice and it was cured so very quickly because of the mercy and mysterious workings of the Lord, as Augustine proudly claims, “Even from the fury of one soul, you brought healing to another.” (Conf. 9.18). As a result of her sins, Augustine feels the need to defend his mother and pray for forgiveness for her, telling his God “She exercised care for everybody as if they were all her own children. She served us as if she was a daughter to all of us.” (Conf. 9.22). Augustine admits that he brushes over many aspects of his life in his confessions, both