Carol Ann Duffy’s “Mrs Faust,” part of her celebrated 1999 collection The World’s Wife, reimagines the classic Faust legend through the sharp, sardonic voice of Faust’s wife. Known for her feminist retellings, Duffy flips the traditional narrative—typically centered on a man who trades his soul to the Devil for knowledge and power—to spotlight the woman left in his shadow. This poem blends biting humor, modern materialism, and a critique of gender dynamics, making it a standout in Duffy’s oeuvre. Below, we’ll dive into a summary of “Mrs Faust” and a detailed line-by-line analysis to unpack its themes, tone, and poetic brilliance.
Summary of “Mrs Faust” by Carol Ann Duffy
“Mrs Faust” chronicles the life of a couple whose relentless pursuit of wealth, status, and intellectual dominance defines their existence. The narrator, Mrs. Faust, begins by recounting their early days as students, their marriage, and their climb up the social ladder, marked by academic degrees, fast cars, and luxury homes. As Faust’s ambition grows, so does his moral decay—he trades his soul to the Devil for boundless power, indulging in politics, finance, and even arms dealing. Meanwhile, Mrs. Faust embraces the lavish lifestyle but grows detached from her husband, turning to self-improvement fads like yoga and therapy. Their marriage erodes as Faust seeks pleasure elsewhere, and Mrs. Faust feels irritation rather than jealousy.
The poem crescendos when the Devil claims Faust, dragging him to Hell with a smirk on his face. Mrs. Faust inherits his vast fortune—yachts, jets, and all—yet reveals a twist in the final lines: Faust, the “clever, cunning, callous bastard,” never had a soul to sell, outsmarting the Devil himself. Through this retelling, Duffy critiques materialism, exposes the hollowness of ambition, and gives Mrs. Faust a voice that’s both complicit and defiant, cementing her as a complex figure in this modern myth.
Themes in “Mrs Faust”
Before delving into the line-by-line analysis, it’s worth noting the poem’s key themes: greed, gender roles, and moral decay. Duffy uses the Fausts’ materialism to mirror society’s obsession with wealth, while Mrs. Faust’s perspective challenges the male-centric original tale. The couple’s mutual corruption—his through power, hers through vanity—underscores a shared moral decline, making this a biting commentary on modern life.
Line-by-Line Analysis of “Mrs Faust”
Let’s break down “Mrs Faust” stanza by stanza, exploring Duffy’s language, structure, and intent.
Stanza 1:
- First things first – / I married Faust.
- The blunt opening sets a conversational tone, as if Mrs. Faust is casually recounting her life. “First things first” suggests a list-like narrative, reflecting her methodical mindset.
- We met as students, / shacked up, split up, / made up, hitched up, / got a mortgage on a house,
- Rapid-fire phrases mimic the couple’s fast-paced life, with colloquialisms like “shacked up” grounding the poem in modernity. The progression from students to homeowners charts their early ambition.
- flourished academically, / BA. MA. Ph.D. No kids.
- Their intellectual success is listed like trophies, but “No kids” hints at a sterile, self-focused existence.
- Two towelled bathrobes. Hers. His.
- This fragmented line emphasizes their separate lives, even in domesticity, foreshadowing emotional distance.
Stanza 2:
- We worked. We saved. / We moved again.
- The staccato rhythm reflects their relentless drive, with “moved again” suggesting restlessness.
- Fast cars. A boat with sails. / A second home in Wales.
- Material possessions pile up, each item a status symbol. The alliteration in “sails” and “second” adds a playful lilt, mocking their excess.
- The latest toys – computers, / mobile phones. Prospered.
- Technology marks their modernity, while “Prospered” is a smug summary of their wealth.
- Moved again. Faust’s face / was clever, greedy, slightly mad. / I was as bad.
- Repetition of “Moved again” underscores instability. The description of Faust—echoed by Mrs. Faust’s admission—reveals their shared flaws, setting up their moral descent.
Stanza 3:
- I grew to love the lifestyle, / not the life.
- A pivotal distinction: Mrs. Faust craves luxury, not love, hinting at disillusionment.
- He grew to love the kudos, / not the wife.
- Parallel structure highlights Faust’s narcissism, prioritizing fame over their bond.
- He went to whores. / I felt, not jealousy, / but chronic irritation.
- His infidelity is met with detachment, not passion, showing their emotional rift.
- I went to yoga, t’ai chi, / Feng Shui, therapy, / colonic irrigation.
- Her list of trendy pursuits mocks shallow self-improvement, contrasting Faust’s darker vices.
Stanza 4:
- And Faust would boast / at dinner parties / of the cost / of doing deals out East.
- Faust’s bragging exposes his vanity, with “cost” implying both money and morality.
- Then take his lust / to Soho in a cab, / meet panthers, feast.
- Soho, a red-light district, and “panthers” (prostitutes) paint his debauchery vividly. “Feast” suggests gluttony.
Stanza 5:
- He wanted more. / I came home late / one winter’s evening, / hadn’t eaten.
- Faust’s insatiable greed drives the narrative, while Mrs. Faust’s hunger contrasts her neglect.
- Faust was upstairs / in his study, / in a meeting.
- His isolation in “his study” symbolizes their growing divide.
- I smelled cigar smoke, / hellish, oddly sexy, / not allowed.
- The sensory detail evokes the Devil’s presence, blending danger and allure.
Stanza 6:
- I heard Faust / and the other / laugh aloud.
- “The other” is the Devil, their laughter chillingly complicit.
- Next thing, the world, / as Faust said, / spread its legs.
- Crude imagery reflects Faust’s conquest of power, personifying the world as submissive.
- First politics – / Safe seat. MP. / Right Hon. KG.
- His rise in status is briskly listed, each title a stepping stone.
Stanza 7:
- Than banks – / offshore, abroad – / and business –
- Financial exploits expand globally, hinting at corruption.
- Vice-chairman. Chairman. / Owner. Lord.
- Titles escalate, culminating in “Lord,” a peak of arrogance.
Stanza 8:
- Enough? Encore! / Faust was Cardinal, Pope,
- Greed knows no bounds; even holy roles are seized.
- knew more than God; / flew faster than / the speed of sound
- Hyperbole mocks his godlike delusions, defying natural limits.
- around the globe, / lunched; walked on the moon, / golfed, holed in one;
- Absurd achievements pile up, blending the cosmic and trivial.
Stanza 9:
- lit a fat Havana / on the Sun.
- A surreal image of excess, lighting a cigar on the Sun.
- Then backed a hunch – / invested in smart bombs, / in harms,
- “Smart bombs” and “harms” reveal his ethical rot, profiting from war.
- Faust dealt in arms.
- A stark, damning summary of his corruption.
Stanza 10:
- Faust got in deep, / got out. Bought farms, / cloned sheep.
- His ventures shift to biotech, showing adaptability in sin.
- Faust surfed the internet / for like-minded / Bo Peep.
- A darkly humorous twist, seeking perverse companionship online.
Stanza 11:
- Faust was in. A word, / he said, I spent / the night
- His voice briefly emerges, boastful as ever.
- being pleasured / by a virtual / Helen of Troy.
- Technology fuels his lust, referencing the mythic beauty.
Stanza 12:
- For all these years / of gagging for it, / going for it, / rolling in it,
- Repetition captures their hedonistic spiral.
- I’ve sold my soul.
- Mrs. Faust echoes Faust’s pact, implicating herself.
Stanza 13:
- At this, I heard / a serpent’s hiss, / tasted evil, / knew its smell,
- Vivid senses mark the Devil’s arrival, tying back to Eden’s snake.
- as scaly devil’s hands / poked up right through / the terracotta / Tuscan tiles
- Hell breaches their opulent home, a dramatic intrusion.
- at Faust’s bare feet / and dragged him, / oddly smirking, / there and then / straight down to Hell.
- Faust’s smirk hints at his final trick, unraveled later.
Stanza 14:
- Oh, well. / Faust’s will / left everything –
- Her indifference (“Oh, well”) is chilling, followed by a list of riches.
- the yacht, / the several houses, / the Lear jet, / the helipad, / the loot, et cet, et cet, / the lot – / to me.
- The inventory of wealth overwhelms, “et cet” dismissing its scale.
- C’est la vie.
- A flippant French shrug, accepting her windfall.
Stanza 15:
- When I got ill / it hurt like hell.
- Pain ties her to Faust’s fate, punning on “hell.”
- I bought a kidney / with my credit card, / then I got well.
- Materialism saves her, a grotesque twist.
- I keep Faust’s secret / still –
- She guards his ultimate deception.
- the clever, cunning, / callous bastard / didn’t have a soul / to sell.
- The final revelation: Faust outwitted the Devil, leaving Mrs. Faust with both wealth and irony.
“Mrs Faust” is a masterclass in satire and feminist revisionism. Duffy’s sharp, clipped lines and modern imagery transform the Faust myth into a scathing critique of greed and gender. Mrs. Faust emerges as both victim and accomplice, her voice a lens on a hollow marriage and a soulless world. For poetry lovers, students, or anyone intrigued by reimagined myths, this poem offers endless layers to explore.