A Portuguese Don Juan. The Deconstruction of Myths in the Novel by Almeida Faria <i>O Conquistador</i> (<i>The Conqueror</i>)

Abstract

The novels by Almeida Faria are not best sellers, although the author is very much appreciated in academic circles throughout Portuguese-speaking countries, like Brazil. His writing is iconoclastic and shows both the break with literary tradition, as well as a critical view of Portuguese society and history. This article analyses his last novel O conquistador (The Conqueror/The Seducer), where he merges two great myths, that of Don Juan, called the myth of deconstruction of myths, and that of the Hidden One ( O Encoberto ), important in Portuguese and English contexts. This myth relates to the Portuguese King Sebasti &#227; o (1554-1578) known for his military fervour. Reversing the interest in military conquests, the modern hero of this novel is more interested in sexual ones. Assuming the narrative modus of a Bildungsroman , where the search for the individual’s identity and knowledge through erotic experience are important, this novel is constructed as an anti-epic and becomes a profound meditation on collective way of living. The frequently scandalous effect of the Don Juan myth is related to the deconstruction of a great national myth that is a satirical depiction of the Portuguese society. This paper shows how this novel critically deconstructs the cultural heritage of Sebastianism providing not only a critical view towards Portuguese society but also a subversion of cultural canons through myth.