Don Juan and the point of honor

Pennsylvania State University Press

1992

310 p.

Penn State Studies in Romance literatures

9780271007816

1. The one and the same: meaning and the critical myth of Don Juan; 2. Don Juan and the author: honor and seduction; 3. Don Juan and the reader: the psychology of seduction; 4. Don Juan and the economy of desire: principles of exchange, principles of exclusion.

This study of Don Juan treats literary representations and various critical and theoretical interpretations in order to undertake a systematic examination of the many questions surrounding the character. On the one hand; it might be argued that Don Juan threatens society, since he is supposedly an agent of social anarchy. On the other, given his intriguing sexual accomplishments, he could be viewed as a positive expression of life itself. Rather than addressing or answering these questions, James Mandrell shows what is at stake in the asking of such questions and, moreover, what is at stake in any and all representations and considerations of Don Juan.

Английский