Master Zacharius

Master Zacharius is a short story by the French writer Jules Verne. The short story was first in April and May 1854 the French title Maître Zacharius ou l' avait perdu son âme qui horloger. Tradition genevoise published in the journal Musée des Familles. 1874, the story was first published in book form in the collection of narratives An idea of Dr. Ox (Le Docteur Ox).

Action

Before an unspecified time, which is probably in the period between the 17th and 18th centuries, lives on the edge of Lake Geneva in the then small town of Geneva watchmaker Zacharius. His house is located on a small island in the Rhone, which is located in the inlet to the lake. The foundation of the house is pretty rotten piles. Zacharius is watchmakers out of conviction and has made as a mechanic some small inventions that make him known beyond the borders of the city. The recognition of the anchor escapement developed by him filled him with pride but also with arrogance. His watches are characterized by a high degree of accuracy and precision that is paired with artistic merit. For Zacharius that is the basis for a substantive secure life.

Zacharius maintains in its secluded workshop only dealing with his journeyman Aubert. In his house, nor his daughter lives Gerande and the old housekeeper Scholastique. Aubert and Gerande fall in love and plan to marry soon. The always introverted Zacharius is always whimsical. He also suffers from a mysterious illness that leaves him languishing on and on. He loses his inner drive. In parallel, there are problems with its built in the past watches. Zacharius thus it feels attacked in his pride. He also wants to convey his very special philosophy of work to his companions, who, however, has a different attitude to his work. Zacharius wants to convey Aubert that the metals Zacharius edited to throb through whose genius begin as living flesh. He says to Aubert, that he has come out the secret of life. He understands by the mysterious connection between soul and body. He compares himself increasingly with God, which he sees himself assimilated by his work and his creations, at least.

The conflict raised a question of faith erodes increasingly Zacharius. Then, when even the first customers to come to his workshop that return him his now all broken watches, he sees himself misunderstood by the world and he suffers more and more physically underneath. A strange figure appears, which acts as an anthropomorphized clock. This male visited the Master Zacharius, but pursued on the way into the city's children. Gerande is deeply concerned because the males expressed the view that Gerande Aubert will never marry.

Gerande realizes that her father has lost the true faith. She decides that her father should be refined in addition to their daily prayers by a visit to the St. Peter Cathedral. The last missing clocks are returned by the customer at the Masters. All customers are demanding their money back because the watches were useless. Master Zacharius must be separated from his modest prosperity. Poverty returns into the house. Gerande can persuade her father to church. However Zacharius is not the humble churchgoers. Full of pride, he remains in the church are the words from the pulpit do not penetrate to him. Since it hits something in his heart of hearts: The church clock, which still ran exactly until then will be placed in service in the middle. Zacharius collapses unconscious. At home, he realizes that his time is up. He promises Aubert weakened the hand of his daughter. He defends himself against death. He flips a clue following its order books and finds out that all of his watches were brought back down to one. He imagines that his own existence is tied to this clock and want to find it again.

To the surprise of the young people he disappears. This follow him based on the information in the order book. The missing clock is obviously in the castle of Andermatt. He's almost crazy with joy when he finds the intact clock and tries to bring it into his possession, as it is the symbol of his life for him. The mysterious figure on dips. It turns out that it lives in the castle and is the owner of the clock. The male champion promises Zacharius the clock if this gives him his daughter to wife. The two fiance are horrified. The required clock is designed so that it indicates pious sayings at regular intervals over an ingenious mechanism. Now it shows but instead blasphemous sayings on, such as: "Man can become like God ." Finally, the clock bursts and that males Pittonaccio sinks with a blasphemy on their lips in the soil and Master Zacharius dies.