"Don Juan" Fulfilled Man or Heartless Player? by Byron

“Don Juan” is Byron’s most famous piece, his uncontested chef-d’œuvre! I have taken the time in the past to read this poem, therefore most of what I would like to describe in this blog will not necessarily “ring a bell” to anyone in the class, if we consider the reading from the passage we had in the book. I did not really enjoy the part that was in the book. This poem is worth reading in its entirety. This is actually one of the stories we hear at a very young age back home. It is like a traditional story we like to recount. So, the following will most likely be my humble opinion on (what I know of) how terrific of a writer Byron was! It took him about five years (1819 to 1824) to publish it all, which is impressively long. It is a poem that he calls himself the “northern lights”, in which the main underlying theme is not so much the traditional hero but more the poet himself and all that consists of the “weft of his soul”: his experiences, his works, his thoughts, his desires, or again his internal conflicts. Under a fictional storytelling, Byron never ceases to set himself out on the “frontline” and work on subtle variations regarding two major recurring topics: the love of liberty and the loathing of hypocrisy. In this poem, he subtly handles ambiguity, maybe to fool the reader by inversing on purpose the tone he adapts when he narrates tragic events or when he uses humorous comments. Throughout the poem, Juan’s face fades away to leave its place to that of the author. The confessions seem to be more and more personal, to the point of thinking that Byron might have placed himself in a situation facing a “psychoanalyst” just as if he wanted to judge himself before “his time.” His sincerity, his phenomenal writing skills and his abrasive irony can only conquer his contemporary readers’ hearts. Some critics at the time, troubled by such a new creative style, chocked by some of his outrageousness, did not hesitate to violently condemn his works. Some, however, more advanced in their time, certainly appreciated the originality of “Don Juan” and the ingenuity displayed by such a talented writer. Don Juan, a young aristocrat from Sevilla, was sent overseas by his mother when he was sixteen years old because of an affair he had with a married woman. His ship wrecked and the survivors became familiar with the torments of hunger and thirst. Don Juan’s dog and adviser were the targets of pure human savagery. They both got eaten, evidence of an act of cannibalism not that rare in times of complete despair. Juan is thrown overboard on one of the Greek Island cost! He was finally discovered a few hours later and brought back to life by the gorgeous and beautiful Haidee, a pirate’s daughter. They both instantly fell in love with each other and lived some idyllic times together. Unfortunately, Haidee’s father, Lambro, who had been gone for a long time and considered dead, came back. He, by mistake, discovered the “game” the two lovebirds were playing. He decided to challenge Juan in a duel. During that fight, he wounded him and captured him to take him away from his daughter. Act of over-protection? Jealousy ? A bit of both? No one will really be able to tell. The next thing we know, Juan has been sent to Constantinople to be sold as a slave on the public market. At that point, it is evident that a terrible end is in store for Juan, but do not kid yourself, this is not knowing Juan well. After being put on the slave market as meat, he is bought by a sultana who, day after day, became passionate about him. But by the little attention he was showing the young Dudu, Juan sparked off jealousy from Gulbeyraz who threatened him to death. He, therefore, fled from that place and joined the Russian army who was besieging the city of Ismail. His heroic behavior during the fights allowed him the honor of being send to St. Petersburg to bring the news of victory to the empress Catherine. The empress, as it’s like everyone who meets Juan has drank an aphrodisiac cocktail, was filled with enthusiasm toward the handsome Juan. After a while, however, she became bored with his company and decided to get rid of him by sending him on a mission in England. The hero had many affairs in this country, evolving in the society and entering various social circles. His relationships with women did not prevent him from pondering over human beings and life in general. He enjoyed recounting the tokens of his past. The highlight of the overall burlesque situation would have to be when the aging duchess of Fitz-Fulke, drawn toward the always-attractive Juan, decided to disguise herself as a ghost to be able to “sneak into” his room while he was sleeping to “fall in his arm.” Back in France, “Being a Don Juan” is now used as an expression for a man having a definite ability to attract plenty of women but who can not settle for one. Byron makes a good point about life in general and relationships in particular throughout that poem. He tells us that it is hard to live your whole life with only one person but the reward for finding the right person will be worth the “soul search.” He does not believe Juan is fully happy and fulfilled with his lifestyle. However, is it not a matter of taste in relationships…?