With a gang of his friends, Augustine sneaks into an orchard at night and steals a load of pears. He did not want the pears, nor was he motivated by any self-interest. He simply enjoyed the act of doing wrong for its own sake. Trapped in misdirected love of earthly goods, the soul separates itself from God and tries to demonstrate its power over God by breaking God's laws. Augustine knows also that he would never have committed the theft alone. He withdraws from contemplation of his crime in disgust, taking refuge in God's peace.
Connect with CliffsNotes
