Faustine in a Fairy Tale

In a fairy tale, the social rules and exceptions are flexible, and the social hierarchy is in place precisely to display potential flexibility. In this research, Kore Yamazaki’s Frau Faust (2017) serves as a transmodern fairy tale retelling of the Faustian legend, challenging social boundaries by reimagining Faust as an adolescent female who pursues educational goals beyond her prescribed social status and gender role. Yamazaki employs the trope of absentation, defined by Vladimir Propp (1968) as a hero or family member leaving the security of home. Johanna Faust enacts this trope when she signs a contract with the devil and departs to satisfy her innate drive for knowledge – an opportunity otherwise unattainable due to her gender and social position. Through this contract, she secures the scholarship she desires, transcending societal constraints. In this fairy tale manga, Johanna is not confined by social expectations; instead, she actively challenges her marginalized position, and the educational barriers imposed on her. Yamazaki’s female Faust, across the five-volume series, contests the legitimacy of the dominant male Faustian legend. Her portrayal of the female Faust diverges from both the traditional male Faust, who pursues self-fulfillment through the quest for knowledge, and the figure of Gretchen, who guides Faust toward repentance and redemption. Instead, Yamazaki’s female Faust transcends the socially prescribed and gendered roles imposed by society, positioning her as a fairy tale protagonist who surpasses the limitations of these conventional narratives.