The main aim consisted in comprehend attributed meanings by biological mothers to the process of diagnosis disclosure of HIV/aids to children infected through vertical transmission (VT). It is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory research. Data production happened from April to June 2012, through semi-structured interviews, respecting ethical aspects of researches with human beings in the Resolution 196/96, following the National Health Board. Subjects were seven biological mothers that assisted their HIV infected children in the Infectious Diseases Services/Pediatric Ambulatory in the University Hospital of Santa Maria. Data were submitted to Thematic Content Analysis, emerging three main categories: I didn t know I had it , The Disease brought good and bad things and Process of diagnosis disclosure to the child. We found that the mother is the main care giver to the infected child, participating on consults, being responsible for the adherence of the child to the treatment and, above all by the diagnosis disclosure. Therefore, the meanings of disclosure are constructed and elaborated since the moment that the mother knows her diagnosis, being characterized as a scary moment, facing questioning of health professionals and through probability of vertical transmission to the child. In addition, the mother also is involved through doubt about fidelity of her partner, holding him responsible by his health condition. But, gradually the mother identifies other factors that favor new meanings to life. Some factors related to quality of life were identified by mothers as positive changes that gave the disease to his life, and others who refer the condition of being sick with aids, how bad situations that have arisen with the disease. Thus, the revelation was characterized as a process in which the information was revealed gradually, as asked by your child or as treatment adherence, presenting or facilitating factors of resistance to the beginning of the process. Finally, as vertical transmission specificity, there were mother s fears of being judged by children for the transmission of the virus. / O objetivo geral da pesquisa consistiu em compreender as significações atribuídas pelas mães biológicas ao processo de revelação do diagnóstico de HIV/aids para os filhos infectados por transmissão vertical. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, de natureza exploratório descritiva. A produção dos dados ocorreu no período de abril a junho de 2012, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, respeitando os aspectos éticos das pesquisas com seres humanos, seguindo a Resolução 196/96 do Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Os sujeitos foram sete mães biológicas que acompanham seus filhos infectados pelo HIV ao Serviço de Infectologia/Ambulatório Pediátrico do Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria. Os dados foram submetidos à Análise de Conteúdo modalidade Temática, emergindo três categorias principais: Eu não sabia que eu tinha ; A doença me trouxe coisas boas e coisas ruins ; e Processo de Revelação do diagnóstico ao filho. Evidenciou-se que a mãe é a principal cuidadora da criança infectada, participando das consultas, responsabilizando-se pela adesão do filho ao tratamento e, sobretudo pela revelação do diagnóstico. Assim, tem-se que os significados da revelação são construídos e elaborados desde o momento que a mãe tem conhecimento do seu diagnóstico, sendo caracterizado como um momento assustador, diante dos questionamentos dos profissionais de saúde e pela probabilidade de transmissão vertical ao filho. Além disso, a mãe também é envolvida pela dúvida sobre a fidelidade do seu companheiro, o responsabilizado pela sua condição de saúde. Porém, aos poucos a mãe identifica outros fatores que favoreçam novos sentidos à vida. Alguns fatores ligados à qualidade de vida foram identificados pelas mães como mudanças positivas que a doença proporcionou à sua vida, e outros que remetem à condição de estar doente de aids, como situações ruins que surgiram com a doença. Assim, a revelação caracterizou-se como um processo, no qual as informações foram reveladas gradualmente, conforme questionado pela criança ou conforme a sua adesão ao tratamento, apresentando fatores facilitadores ou de resistência para o início do processo. Por fim, evidenciou-se como uma especificidade da transmissão vertical o receio das mães em serem julgadas pelos filhos pela transmissão do vírus.

English summary This dissertation focuses on the apocalyptic fiction of Thomas Pynchon and analyses various representations of the apocalypse as "revelation" or "unveiling of truth" in its various aspects and manifestations (i.e. paranoia, angels, etc.) in the novels V., The Crying of Lot 49 and Gravity's Rainbow. The theme of apocalypse as a revelation concerning the true nature of the world has a key role to play in the above mentioned novels as well as significance for Pynchon's protagonists. This is so despite the fact that such revelation is depicted as illusory and mostly unattainable, since these novels are all based on the premise that there is no ultimate truth, and therefore, there is nothing that can be revealed. Pynchon's characters get only a revelation of individual truth, and thus theirs is a private apocalypse. When analysing the role of the apocalypse in Western culture, it is also important to analyse the role of millenarian expectations as well as the supposed communication process between God and people, a process depicted as being mediated by angels. The interpretation of God's message can never be precise and perfect, since its meaning is distorted during the communication process. On the rhetorical level, this distortion is equal to metaphor, which in turn causes feelings of paranoia...