The fate of Don Juan: the myth and the man

The literary character of Don Juan has offered an opportunity to study certain characteristics in an adult man who began a behavior pattern in adolescence that resembled the legendary and mythical Don Juan. Power and dominating control issues were paramount defenses against a narcissistic depression in this man as seen in his relationships with women and in the transference relationship with me. The transference data have been put to use in providing a formulation for an explanation of the phenomena observed. Other clinical data concerning women and some homosexual men are presented in a more abbreviated fashion. This research effort is a retrospective construction of the dynamics that led to this man's neurosis. In my opinion, a self psychological interpretation offers the more felicitous fit than the classic oedipal interpretation. In fact, at first I tried interpretations based on classic oedipal theory--concerning issues of competition with me as father and fear of retaliation and castration--but this strategy resulted in little or no response. More important than symptomatic response, however, the data minimally and weakly supported those interpretations. To be sure, there were and still are competitive and phallic oedipal issues. Moreover, when the patient's mother died, he was drawn into a closer relationship with his father, a relationship accompanied by wishes and fantasies of taking his mother's place. These wishes were quite real, but, as the analysis preceeded, this negative oedipal configuration occupied a much less prominent place in the dynamics. Power and control issues dominated the clinical picture, masking a depression emanating from a deeper narcissistic focus. Interpretation of these narcissistic issues provided my patient with the relief he was seeking, while the main effect of the antidepressant medication was to help him sleep. By giving him something, a deeply seated wish was gratified and was in keeping with an idealized mother transference.