The Fetishization of Female Trauma. How Mozart Constructs Sovereignty Through Maleness and Denies Sovereignty Through Femaleness

Literature Review , 2016 , 9 Pages , Grade: A

Musicology - Miscellaneous

I aim to illuminate the sexual, familial, and the political power structures in "Don Giovanni" through the use of Lauren Berlant’s theory of the intimate public sphere and Rousseau’s theory of the body politic.

More specifically, I wish to examine how through maleness, sovereignty is constructed and through femaleness, sovereignty is denied. Going beyond the contents of the libretto, I also endeavor to explore how Mozart fetishizes and desires female trauma through the music in "Don Giovanni".

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• The Fetishization of Female Trauma: How Mozart Constructs Sovereignty Through Maleness and Denies Sovereignty Through Femaleness
• Don Giovanni as a Microcosm of the Intimate Public Sphere
• The Patriarchal Structures of the Intimate Public Sphere: A Rousseauian Reading
• The Fetishization of Female Trauma: An Exploration of Mozart's Music
• The Opera as a Reification of Hegemonic Power Structures: Mozart's Contribution to the Intimate Public Sphere

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This work examines the portrayal of female trauma and the construction of sovereignty through gender in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni. It draws upon the theories of Lauren Berlant's "The Queen of America Goes to Washington City" and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's The Social Contract to analyze the opera's representation of power dynamics and the intimate public sphere.

• The role of female trauma in constructing male sovereignty
• The intimate public sphere as a site of patriarchal power
• The relationship between citizenship and sexuality in Don Giovanni
• Mozart's musical portrayal of female vulnerability and exploitation
• The opera as a reflection of hegemonic power structures in 18th-century Europe

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The Fetishization of Female Trauma: How Mozart Constructs Sovereignty Through Maleness and Denies Sovereignty Through Femaleness: This chapter introduces the central themes of the work, focusing on the relationship between female trauma, male sovereignty, and the portrayal of power dynamics in Don Giovanni.
• Don Giovanni as a Microcosm of the Intimate Public Sphere: This chapter examines how the opera depicts the intimate public sphere, drawing upon Lauren Berlant's theory of the intimate public sphere and its relationship to the family, sexuality, and citizenship. The chapter explores how the opera's characters exist within this sphere and how it contributes to the construction of male dominance.
• The Patriarchal Structures of the Intimate Public Sphere: A Rousseauian Reading: This chapter analyzes the opera's portrayal of patriarchal structures through the lens of Rousseau's theory of the body politic. It discusses how the characters in the opera embody the tension between the sovereign, the state, and the individual, highlighting the role of male power and female subjugation.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

Key terms and concepts explored in this work include Don Giovanni, Mozart, female trauma, sovereignty, gender, intimate public sphere, citizenship, sexuality, patriarchal structures, Rousseau, Berlant, and hegemonic power.

• Course: Seminar II
• Grade: A
• Author: Lena Dassonville (Author)
• Publication Year: 2016
• Pages: 9
• Catalog Number: V346597
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668359727
• ISBN (Book): 9783668359734
• Language: English
• Tags: Don Giovanni, Mozart, Lauren Berlant, Rousseau, body politic, intimate public sphere, critical theory