Esta dissertação, cujo enfoque central é a novela \"Michael Kohlhaas\", do escritor alemão Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811), procura identificar o mecanismo que permite à prosa do autor trafegar pelos mais diferentes espaços e assuntos sem, aparentemente, esfacelar-se. No primeiro capítulo, apresenta-se um breve panorama da crítica kleistiana, identificando-lhe alguns percalços. No segundo, analisam-se com mais atenção os mecanismos formais utilizados pelo narrador para compor o texto com que acompanha a trajetória do protagonista. No terceiro, analisam-se os móveis da ação de Kohlhaas. Ao final da dissertação, conclui-se que a novela traça um perfil da subjetividade moderna, revelando-lhe o caráter alienado. / This dissertation, whose main object is the novella \"Michael Kohlhaas\", written by the German author Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811), tries to identify the mechanism which allows the writer\'s prose to inhabit the most diversified spaces and to present the most diversified subjects without apparently falling to pieces. The first chapter presents a short overview of the Kleistian literary criticism pointing to some of its problems. The second one analises the formal mechanisms used by the narrator to build the text with which he will present the path opened by the main character of the novella. The third one will analise the motives of Kohlhaas\' actions. At its final part, this paper concludes that this Kleistian novella presents the profile of the modern subjectivity revealing its alienation.

Esta dissertação, cujo enfoque central é a novela \"Michael Kohlhaas\", do escritor alemão Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811), procura identificar o mecanismo que permite à prosa do autor trafegar pelos mais diferentes espaços e assuntos sem, aparentemente, esfacelar-se. No primeiro capítulo, apresenta-se um breve panorama da crítica kleistiana, identificando-lhe alguns percalços. No segundo, analisam-se com mais atenção os mecanismos formais utilizados pelo narrador para compor o texto com que acompanha a trajetória do protagonista. No terceiro, analisam-se os móveis da ação de Kohlhaas. Ao final da dissertação, conclui-se que a novela traça um perfil da subjetividade moderna, revelando-lhe o caráter alienado. / This dissertation, whose main object is the novella \"Michael Kohlhaas\", written by the German author Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811), tries to identify the mechanism which allows the writer\'s prose to inhabit the most diversified spaces and to present the most diversified subjects without apparently falling to pieces. The first chapter presents a short overview of the Kleistian literary criticism pointing to some of its problems. The second one analises the formal mechanisms used by the narrator to build the text with which he will present the path opened by the main character of the novella. The third one will analise the motives of Kohlhaas\' actions. At its final part, this paper concludes that this Kleistian novella presents the profile of the modern subjectivity revealing its alienation.

The strong-minded woman as a character capable of genuine self-determination has not received nearly as much literary attention and study as the less psychologically and socially aware sublime woman, the innocent woman, and the femme fatale. Consequently, the strong-minded woman is only an occasional literary phenomenon and is absent entirely during some literary periods. Thus the purpose of this thesis is to establish that the strong-minded woman exists as a literary figure, that she is a fully developed character capable of forming meaningful and even traditional relationships when allowed by circumstances. She is capable of relying on her own abilities and is willing to take the consequences stemming from her actions.