Specificity of the Faustian Story in F. Werfel's play "The Mirror Man"

The legend of Faust has repeatedly become the object of artistic reconsideration of writers during different eras. This work appeared to be the most significant for the literature of Germany and Austria. The crisis of the 20th century forced writers to address to this legend again. In O. Spengler's works there is a concept of the "Faustian man", a person eternally looking for and seeking domination. In this man O. Spengler finds the reflection of the German national idea. Besides, German-speaking literature shows the influence of F. Nietzsche's philosophy and Russian literature. However, these common tendencies border on individual author's vision. In Franz Werfel's "The Mirror Man" (1920) the reader finds not only familiar images, but also echoes of the vital experiences of the author (anti-Semitism of his wife, death of his son). The author finds the reasons of sufferings of the "new" Faust, Tamal, in the vanity of the human nature embodied in the image of the mirror man. The plot of the play changes cardinally, too. The image of Goethe's innocent Gretchen is embodied in the image of Amfe who decided to cheat on her fiance and punished for it. The conditions of the contract with the Devil change. Now the deal is not even sealed with blood. The external plot is framed with the trials of monks who have the hero pass a number of tests on his way to self-improvement. But with each test Tamal sins more and more (kills his father, betrays a friend, leaves the beloved) realizing his chosenness. The masquerade in the play is the way of social satire. The man from the mirror and his admirers either become a thoughtless crowd or politicians and the press. The motive of the trinity of the word, thought and business plays an important role in the play. For Tamal it is a way of self-determination, whereas for Faust - the ground for scientific and philosophical searches. The philosophical and confessional perspective of Werfel's play differs from Goethe in many respects, but at the same time confirms a thought important for Goethe about the unity of all religious and philosophical doctrines. Werfel states the unity of all religions. Thus, Werfel's play "The Mirror Man" is one of the main embodiments of the author's idea about the unity of all religions, concepts of the good and the evil. Goethe's "Faustian" motives help Werfel to find the literary confirmation of his outlook.

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