Esta dissertação tem como objetivo investigar de que forma a estrutura e a temática do texto de Franz Kafka, ao criarem um espaço de estranhamento na relação entre o leitor e o texto uma sensação constante de que algo está fora de lugar, constroem um campo de resistência política. Parte-se da análise dos elementos constitutivos da obra kafkiana, buscando localizar quais elementos efetuariam tal processo, assim como da análise dos trabalhos de pensadores como Adorno, Benjamin, Deleuze & Guattari e outros sobre o escritor checo. Para tanto, será feito recurso livre à produção do autor, com destaque para a tríade O Processo, O Castelo e A Metamorfose, sem prejuízo de outros contos, novelas, cartas e anotações de seus diários. Também será buscada uma articulação dos temas inerentes à obra de Kafka com os conceitos principais dos filósofos citados. Como procedimento metodológico, estruturamos este percurso em quatro eixos principais: a escrita, o conceito de mímesis, o conceito de estranhamento (unheimlich) e as relações entre arte, política e sociedade, com especial foco no conceito de resistência, presente nas definições de Adorno e Deleuze sobre a arte. Assim, busca-se averiguar o caráter político dos textos de Kafka como alegorias da condição humana. / This work aims to investigate the way Kafka´s thematics and narrative structure builds the sensation of uncanny, misplacing and oddity between the reader and the story. Simultaneously, these characteristics of Kafka´s work can build a political field of resistance. To achieve this goal and locate those elements in Kafka´s literary corpus, an in-depth analysis of his works letters, aphorisms, romances and short stories - is necessary, with special attention to The Process, The Castle and The Metamorphosis. Also, this work intends to establish a dialogue between Kafka´s thematics and the concepts of Adorno, Benjamin, Deleuze and Guattari, among others. Four lines of force are the core of this thesis: Kafka´s writing techniques; the concept of mimesis; the uncanny (unheimlich); and the linkage between art, poltics and society, with emphasis in the concept of resistance which is present in Kafka´s work and in Adorno´s (and also in Deleuze´s) definition of art. At last, what is the political status of Kafka´s work as an allegory of human condition?

Esse trabalho versa sobre a perspectiva de atualização da função especular. Tendo como base as obras “O Espelho” (1882), de Machado de Assis; O retrato de Dorian Gray (1891), de Oscar Wilde; “A mulher no espelho: reflexo e reflexão” (1929), de Virgínia Woolf; “Espelho” (1997), de José J. Veiga; e O homem duplicado (2002), de José Saramago, importa analisar a trajetória de evolução do espelho – a qual acompanha o desenvolvimento do cenário literário – assim como a sua relevante significação perante as narrativas. No século XIX, Machado de Assis retrata a capacidade de suprir a falta do olhar do outro, revelando o desaparecimento da individualidade do sujeito e expondo a importância atribuída à alma exterior; em Oscar Wilde, é a função especular quem faz o narcisista Dorian descobrir-se no retrato e, depois, perceber sua verdadeira essência maculada por ações egoístas. Nos século XX e XXI, com a contribuição das teorias psicanalíticas de Freud e de Otto Rank, que dão novos contornos para a questão da consciência do sujeito, Virgínia Woolf narra a descoberta da verdade que ninguém conseguia encontrar – o vazio interior; J. J. Veiga desloca o foco narrativo para o objeto, que revela a qualidade e a veracidade da alma interior; e Saramago discute a falta de singularidade do sujeito e o reconhecimento pelo outro. A função principal do espelho é revelar a verdade que está mascarada e instigar um processo de reconhecimento, de estranhamento entre imagem e reflexo, dialogando, frequentemente, com a temática do duplo e a do fantástico. / This dissertation is about the update perspective of mirror’s function. Based on the works “O Espelho” (1882), by Machado de Assis; The picture of Dorian Gray (1891), by Oscar Wilde; The Lady in the looking-glass (1929), by Virgínia Woolf; Espelho (1997), by José J. Veiga e O homem duplicado (2002), by José Saramago, it’s important to analyze the mirror’s evolution path – which comes with the literary scene development – as well as the relevant significance before the narratives. In the nineteenth century, Machado de Assis portrays the ability to address the lack of the other’s gaze, revealing the subject’s individuality disappearance and points out the importance attached to the exterior soul; in Oscar Wilde, it’s the mirror’s function that makes narcissist Dorian discover himself on the portrait and, after, realizes his truth essence which is tainted by selfish actions. In the XX and XXI centuries, with the psychoanalytic theories’ contribution from Freud and Otto Rank, which offers new perspectives to the subject’s consciousness issue, Virgínia Woolf narrates the discover of truth that nobody could find – the blank inside; J. J. Veiga dislocates the narrative focus to the object, which reveals the quality and the veracity of interior soul and Saramago discusses subject’s lack of uniqueness and recognition by the other. The mirror’s main function is to reveal the truth that is masquerade and to instigate a recognition process, an uncanny between image and reflection, dialoguing, often, with the doppelganger and the fantastic theme.

Esta tese apresenta uma reflexão acerca da minha produção artística – o conjunto de trabalhos que identifico como Alegorias do Estranho, desenvolvidos entre 2010 e 2014. Nesta investigação, analiso o processo de criação dos trabalhos, partindo da descrição e reflexão teórica e poética acerca de cada uma das suas etapas, dos elementos técnicos, materiais e simbólicos que constituem meu trabalho como um todo. O texto está estruturado em três capítulos que correspondem às três principais questões suscitadas por meu trabalho: 1. De onde vêm as imagens?, 2. Por quê a gravura?, e 3. Alegorias do estranho?. O primeiro capítulo – De onde vêm as imagens?, tem como objetivo investigar a constituição do meu universo imaginário em relação às minhas influências e referências, propondo o meu trabalho como a articulação de um universo simbólico, através da alegoria. O segundo capítulo da tese - Por quê a gravura?, Investiga os procedimentos técnicos de criação do meu trabalho – o desenho, a gravura, o bordado, a apropriação e a montagem, a partir dos seus aspectos formais e simbólicos. O terceiro capítulo – Alegorias do Estranho?, envolve a reflexão acerca do animal como tema e como símbolo no meu trabalho, a partir da sua identificação com o estranhamente familiar. / This thesis presents the reflection about my artistic production – the body of work I identify as Alegorias do Estranho, developed between 2010 and 2014. In this investigation, I analyse the procedures of creation of works, starting from the description and theoretical and poetic reflection on each of its stages, the technical, material and symbolic elements that represent my work as a whole. The text is structured in three chapters corresponding to three main questions suggested by my work: 1.Where do the pictures come from?, 2. Why engraving ?, and 3. Alegorias do Estranho?. The first chapter – Where do the pictures come from?, has as objective to investigate the constitution of my imaginary universe related to my influences and references, proposing my work as the articulation of a symbolic universe, through allegory. The second chapter of the thesis – Why engraving?, investigates the technical procedures for the creation of my work – the drawing, engraving, embroidery, the appropriation and montage, from its formal and symbolic qualities. The third chapter – Allegories of the uncanny?, involves the reflection on the animal as theme and symbol of my work, from its identification with the strangely familiar.

This paper will use Sigmund Freud’s essay “The Uncanny” to analyse William Shakespeare’s play Richard III. It will be argued that, although the play predates the ideas of Freud, it makes use of several elements of the uncanny to set the scene or to enhance imagery. With the goal to reveal such aspects of the play, a number of specific topics and ideas will be discussed and examined. The dreams of the play will be interpreted; Richard III is noteworthy for its reliance on dreams to replace the supernatural elements often used by Shakespeare, but the very nature of the dreams calls that into question—as they seem prophetic. The roles of women, and Richard’s own “femininity”, will be examined. While the men dream, women speak curses that, eventually, appear to come true. The doubling of characters, historical events and devices like dreams and curses will also be looked into—all to find the uncanny core of the play’s narrative. A large part of that narrative involves political manoeuvring, and the psychology of Richard as he goes about achieving his goals before conscience causes his downfall. Both will be analysed with the help of close readings, psychological research and comparisons to Niccolò Machiavelli’s ideas. In the end, the full extent of the uncanny impact on the play should be revealed with an explanation of how the individual aspects of the play come together, and how the reversals of Richard makes him seem uncanny both to fellow characters and audiences. Keywords: Richard III; William Shakespeare; history; the uncanny; Sigmund Freud.

The topic of this thesis is the gothic fiction of Selma Lagerlöf. Its primary purpose is to investigate how Lagerlöf's work can be understood in relation to the gothic genre; what particular themes, motifs and formal aspects appear when making this connection and how they can be interpreted, as well as which literary and cultural contexts become relevant. The study is based on close readings of six short stories that, in comparison, appear to be some of the most gloomy and horrific in her production: "Karln. En julsägen" (1891), "De fågelfrie", "Stenkumlet", "Riddardottern och havsmannen" (1892), "Spökhanden" (1898) and "Frid på jorden" (1917). The gothic was an important feature of the literature of the last decade of the nineteenth century, when Lagerlöf made her debut. Therefore one of the main purposes of this study is to highlight her as one of the key writers of gothic fiction in Sweden by the time. In this context the gothic might be considered as closely related to the currents of decadence and fin-de-siècle. However, the gothic continued to be an important element throughout Lagerlöf's production, and this is illustrated by the inclusion of a story from a later period among the primary sources. The gothic genre can be defined by certain themes and motifs, but also by its narrative strategies. The analyses of the six stories show how themes and composition are used to create an atmosphere of fear and darkness, but also, more importantly, to create a sense of ambiguity. The study also discusses the relationship between the gothic and the fantastic and special attention is paid to aspects such as the hesitation concerning how to interpret the supernatural, as well as the fragmentary bodies and psyches of the stories. The main themes of the six stories can be summarized as dealing with the haunting and return of the past, as well as the fear associated with the transgression of limits - between fantasy and reality, the civilized and the primitive, life and death and self and other. Central to the argument in this study is das Unheimliche - the uncanny - a concept that links a certain kind of fear to uncertainty, doubles, ghostliness and haunting. Sigmund Freud has described it as a paradox, as something terrifyingly strange and yet familiar at the same time. The gothic reproduces the experience of reality expressed by this concept - a sense that the self is the source of horror and that identity is something highly unstable.

This research aims to explore the place of marginality (or that which is not the immediate focus of narrative) in the context of the play and through the examination of the characters of Fortinbras and Horatio, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The intended outcome is to encourage diversified perspectives and approaches to the play by focusing on the marginal themes and/or characters. The chapters address the characters of Fortinbras and Horatio; the first inverts the protagonist/foil relationship by reading Hamlet as a foil to Fortinbras, while the second uses Freud’s “The Uncanny” as a way to understand Horatio’s role in the play, as its uncanniest phenomena. Both are marginal to the text, but both are significant to the understanding of the text. Essentially, the objective is to encourage readings of the play, and of narratives, that appreciate the complexity of marginality, in order to broaden the language for future research.

Syftet med denna uppsats är att reda ut hur Stanley Kubricks filmadaption av The Shining(1980) har lyckats framställa känslor av obehag. Utredningen sker genom en analys av trespecifikt utvalda sekvenser ur filmen. Analysen arbetar utifrån en kvalitativ metod och despecifika huvudområden som analysen utgår ifrån är de audiovisuella aspekterna, det villsäga fotografi, ljussättning, ljudläggning och musik. Dessutom är Sigmund Freudspsykoanalytiska begrepp ”The Uncanny” (det kusliga) en viktig utgångspunkt i analysen.Kombinationen av de konkreta och psykologiska aspekterna kan således bidra till endjupare förståelse och redogöra för hur filmen lyckas framkalla känslor av obehag.Resultatet av analysen påvisar hur de audiovisuella aspekterna har utgått frånokonventionella metoder i gestaltningen. Känslor av obehag har skapats på ett icketraditionellt vis, exempelvis genom fotografiets fördelaktiga nyttjande av kontinuitetsfelsom avsiktligen försöker desorientera publiken. The Uncanny hjälper till att förmedla ettdjupare psykologiskt tema och att gestalta de oförutsägbara aspekterna. De familjäraaspekterna bär i själva verket på en icke-familjär kontext vilket gör det betydligt svårareför publiken att urskilja det goda mot det onda. Detta framkallar på så vis en känsla avovisshet hos publiken, vilket medför en betydligt mer obehaglig innebörd av filmen. Islutsatsen påpekas dessutom hur de konkreta och abstrakta aspekterna har ett kontinuerligtsamspel med varandra, exempelvis fotografiet som åskådliggör de psykoanalytiska teorierna.

Hollywood adaptations of Japanese stories derived from manga have failed to connect with a Western audience, and not for a lack of fan interest. Instead, the core issues one encounters are matters of mistranslation, which construct the fatal flaws of American adaptations of manga. In my research, I identify three major errors in adaptation typically present in these narratives. First, I discuss mistranslations of story via analysis of Netflix’s 2017 adaptation of Death Note, which includes plot reduction for the sake of time and budget restraints, as well as conflict rearrangement to fit the traditional Hollywood mold. Next, I discuss mistranslations of cultural values, as successful adaptations of Japanese manga that are accessible in an American context require a trans-cultural fluency American studios seem to lack; I use Paramount Pictures’ Ghost in the Shell (2017) to illustrate this point. Finally, mistranslations of form are present in these failed adaptations. In order to bring the spirit of a manga to life on-screen, many directors have tried to replicate the style of this apparatus to film, often with unsuccessful results due to its jarring deviation from the Western norm. Spike Lee’s Old Boy (2013) becomes case-in-point in this section as I contrast the apparatus of anime to film. Ultimately, I conclude that successful adaptations are quite possible; one merely needs to select the right story and cater it to what American fans of manga find fascinating about the genre—its cultural authenticity and wholly original (and decidedly non-American) ideas.

The photographer Rodney Smith shows us images of real things and people, but real things and people that aren’t positioned in real ways and places people would actually be. Instead, he uses something very familiar to each of us–the human body–and consistently puts it in very unfamiliar situations. By using something so intimately familiar to each of us as the body in weird ways, he automatically jars our own experienced sensations. And this jarring of familiar sensations, this defamiliarization of something so familiar to us, is what typically results in what literary critics term the feeling of the uncanny. What the uncanny does, in its defamiliarizing of the familiar, is to jar viewers from their sense of the familiar. It displaces them from where they normally are. In Rodney Smith’s photographs, our bodies, unfamiliar with the bodily experiences of his subjects, are dislodged from where they are. Yet the feeling produced by Smith’s photography is not uncanny; rather, it has a sort of reverent, almost sacred, effect. His background as a graduate of the Yale School of Divinity makes him deeply interested in truth beneath the surface, and so he uses photography to get at that sort of truth through his use of the body in ways that would typically produce an uncanny effect, yet don’t. The settings in which he places bodies, as well as the way he uses the bodies themselves, help to shift the feeling of the uncanny into the feeling of the divine or sacred. His ability to do so is highly contingent upon his use of bodies: because we, the viewers, all have bodies, our bodies resonate with those we see in his photography. We are connected to the subjects of his works in a fundamental and profound way because of our embodiedness. And using this connection, Rodney Smith takes our now displaced bodies and transports them with his bodies to somewhere beyond the surface, somewhere sacred. Through his use of techniques typical of the uncanny, he shifts the effects of the uncanny from simple displacement of the self to meaningful replacement of the self within the greater context of our unique and, in his eyes, beautiful world we live in.

The subject of the thesis is a comparative analysis of sign production and the interpretation of the film and painting of oneiric or horror genre focused on Vall Lewton's films and their similarity to the painting in creating an atmosphere of uneasiness and fear. Although these works are based on a sign structure, which is an important key to their interpretation, they are not independent of the different interpretations they allow. On the contrary, it seems that the work's intention is to encourage the viewer to complete the art by projecting his own fear into it. This approach is based on Umberto Eco's and Jan Mukařovský's theory of the interpretation, both of which emphasizing the reader's role in understanding the principle of functioning of the work of art. The concepts of the model author and model reader in Eco's theory and the term semantic gesture within Mukařovský's work are sharing numerous similarities.