This dissertation explores Clarice Lispector's writing in three of her novels: A Paixão Segundo G.H., Àgua Viva, and A Hora da Estrela. The critical studies on this author typically center on three distinct points: (1) an examination of mysticism in relation to silence, (2) an underscoring of social criticism in Lispector's work, (3) a focus on the female role and its fractures. Taking a different path, and following poststructuralist thought, I demonstrate that writing constructs itself in order to be destroyed. Writing's "death" appeals to an aperture into the Other, so that it can inhabit a continuous life, which includes life and death. This aperture implies a sacrifice of writing's grammatical logic, a rupture with a rational order, and a contestation of the cumulative/capitalist system from a plethora of characters. To what extent, then, is this writing an act of love? And what are the ways in which it is constructed to be such an act of love? The answer can be summarized in one word: desire. Lispector's language is saturated with desire (desire for other human beings, for things, for animals, for God, etc.). This writing thus stretches itself to its limits for a desire that, paradoxically, does not necessarily go outside of a system, but inside of the intimate life of the characters, things, or animals. In this sense, the author goes back to the most organic level of life. From that place she inhabits and feeds the characters, the writing, and the readers with the power of life.
Beyond the thematic of love in Lispector's work, I argue that language itself surrenders to desire; love therefore circulates within the writing, which breaks free of the "secure" trends of language, defying its logic, so that it comes to be possible to feel the silent identity of the world. Clarice Lispector's fiction mesmerizes us with what might be called obscure passages, which find their raison d'être in the strength of sensation rather than logic.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-12082010-192944 |
| Date | 30 January 2011 |
| Creators | Canedo Sánchez de Lozada, Mónica Alejandra |
| Contributors | Mara Negrón, Hermann Herlinghaus, Juan Duchesne Winter, Bobby Chamberlain |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12082010-192944/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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