FFLCH/USP Yawp

Revista dos Alunos de Graduação da Área de Estudos Linguísticos e Literários em Inglês FFLCH/USP Yawp

Editor responsável Lindberg S. Campos Filho

Assistência editorial Gislene Fernandes Soares

Edição e revisão Caroline Guarda Francisco Dau Gislene Fernandes Soares Ingrid Puche Jéssica Campos Oliveira Jonathan Renan Silva Souza Lilian De Carvalho Marcela Prado Siqueira Thaís Gomes Trindade

Capa e diagramação Maria Lúcia Rigon

Prefácio Profª Drª Maria Elisa Cevasco

Revista Yawp #7, ano 2013 Revista dos Alunos de Graduação da Área de Estudos Linguísticos e Literários em Inglês – Fflch /Usp Issn 1980-2862 // São Paulo – SP Preface

was very glad when my students asked me to write this preface to Yawp, and this Ifor a number of reasons. I have always been an enthusiast of the project of a journal produced by students to circulate their own intellectual production, and I think there is a lot to celebrate in the continuity of the project. This is issue 7, a number that points to consolidation and stability. But I was particularly pleased to introduce an issue whose theme is “Politics is everything and is everywhere”. When I was a “Letras” student, back in the 1970s, the idea that politics and letters were inextricably intertwined was not on the agenda. By and large, we still followed the principles laid out in the 1860s by the founder of literary criticism Mathew Arnold, for whom culture was “sweetness and light, the study of perfection, of the best that has been thought and said in the world”. This idealized realm of lofty human values was to be the province of the study of the humanities in general and of literature in particular. Arnold’s legacy was fundamental for the setting up, in 1917, under the aegis of F.R. Leavis, of the most influential discipline in the humanities in Britain, Cambridge English. The object of study was the canon of English literature, a selective tradition promulgated by Leavis himself. The method of study, pioneered again by Leavis and by I. A. Richards, close reading, clearly embodied the disjunction of culture and society which is the hallmark of the discourse: one should read the words on the page, isolated from the social and historical contexts that shape their meaning and in which the works acquire significance. The purpose of the discipline was to form minorities that would keep up the tradition. In Leavis’s own words this is fundamental because: “Upon 1 F.R. Leavis. this minority depends our power of profiting by the finest human experience of the “Mass Civilization and Minority past; they keep alive the subtlest and most perishable parts of the tradition. Upon them Culture”[1930]. depend the implicit standards that order the finer living of an age, the sense that this Reprinted in is worth more than that, this rather than that is the direction in which to go, that the For Continuity. center is here rather than there.”¹ Cambridge, Minority Press, It is revealing that the definition is made in such vague terms; if you did not 1933, p.40. understand what the unstated direction was, or where exactly the center was, it is your problem. You clearly do not belong to this minority. From Cambridge, this idealized notion of English was exported to many other countries in the West and became, as Terry Eagleton puts it “the natural way of studying literature”². Implicit in this constructed 2 Terry Eagleton. . naturalness is one of the recurrent themes of the permanent crisis in the humanities: Literary Theory Basil Blackwell, how can an intellectual pursuit be socially relevant if it posits itself above social conflict England, 1983, and validation? How can it combine a noble defense of human value with the belief that p.24. only a minority can grasp it? 3 revista YAWP

It took the discipline a long time to of communication. He saw those as pos- arrive at the point in which it could begin to sible facilitators for an opening up of the give productive answers to those questions possibilities for inverting the customary and a students’s journal could confidently flow of cultural goods, from a handful of state that politics is everywhere. The 1960s producers to a mass of consumers. He saw a truly epidemic phase of conceptions laid out the practical possibilities that of culture and of literary criticism. In a new technologies such as cable, and video world in change, even university profes- cameras could offer to emergent produc- sors, those slow turtles, as a great critic puts ers of culture. But he was also fully aware it, had to revise their ways and methods. that in order to achieve this extension, we The way was open for people of my genera- would have to choose “a different kind of 3 Raymond tion to link our political commitments and economy and a different kind of society.”3 Williams. Towards our intellectual and pedagogic work. We, students and professors of the 2000. (London, And again I am glad that one of 2010s, cannot say we have advanced much 1983), p.151. the key contributions to this process of in this respect. Even though we have de- change was made by Raymond Williams, constructed the opposition between high whose thought and principles have been and low culture, we are as far as ever from very important in my personal process of any notion of a common culture. On the joining political and intellectual issues. contrary, we have learned to fear it as if it Born to a working class family, this could only mean a totalitarian homogeni- “Welsh European” (as he liked to define zation of all difference and plurality. himself) thinker set out to reclaim the con- But of course, and contrary to cept of culture for more democratic uses. current fears of any form of community, In his memorable formulation, culture is except the ones marked by one single fea- ordinary, it is a whole way of life. The poli- ture, like sexual orientation or ethnical tics that goes with this definition is not one origin, a common culture need not be yet of preservation or of elitist diffusion, but another version of “more of the same”. If one of extension. The method of reading by “extending human and social knowl- also changed, now we had to link culture edge and critical possibility” we succeed- and society in the very act of responding ed in engaging the active participation to a work of art, as literary form and so- of all the members of a society, then we cial formation are seen as “manifestation should expect this democratized cultural of the same impulse”. The reasons for process to produce real plurality of values studying Letters also change: the aim was and life forms. to interpret the world in order to change It is to be hoped that “Letras” stu- it. And culture would be paramount in this dents who stary their academic life stat- process of necessary change. ing that politics is everywhere will be able He was fully aware of the fact to join in the struggle to achieve this new that he was, and we still are, living at a democratic culture.

time of prodigious expansion of means Maria Elisa Cevasco 4 Table of Contents

Literature

Challenging Patriarchy: Gender, Sex and Sexuality in Orlando and Maurice

By Lindberg S. Campos Filho...... xx

The American Social Exclusion Through The Space Element: A Compared Analysis of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

By Bruno Pereira......

Pirate Grace – How American values, Capitalism and Brecht are developed in Lars von Trier’s Dogville

By Olívia Fortes......

The Grey and the Green: Aspects of Escapism and Environment in the works of J.R.R.Tolkien

By Eduardo B. Kumamoto......

The Demystification of the Figure of Genius and Sexist Stereotypes of Domi- nant Society in The Movie Deconstructing Harry by Woody Allen

By Amanda Souza......

The Laughable Woman

By Juliana Cunha Mendonça......

Luiz Ruffato and Aluísio Azevedo: A Socio-Comparison Between Um outro mundo and O Cortiço

By Laysi Praxedes Nobre......

Creative Works

Simply Forgiven

By Marcela Prado Siqueira......

Compromisso

By Wanderley Corino Nunes Filho......

5 revista YAWP

Selected Poems

By Wanderley Corino Nunes Filho......

Sobre um Reino e uma Janela

By Alessandro Suenaga Wagner......

Translation

Between Verisimilitude and Identity: The Translation of Geographic Referenc- es in Films for Children

By Thaís Gomes Trindade......

Language and Education

Homeschooling: Why it Should be Considered

By Cintia Alves......

Learning American English: Difficulties in Pronunciation

By Caroline Guarda Francisco Dau......

Is There a Space for English Literature in Brazilian High School Curriculums?

By Jonathan Renan Silva Souza...... Literature 1 Undergraduate student of English at University of Challenging patriarchy: Gender, Sex and Sao Paulo (USP), email: lindberg. Sexuality in Orlando and Maurice [email protected] Lindberg S. Campos Filho1

Abstract: Our society is culturally and socially founded on patriarchal values and ideologies that attribute certain roles and characteristics to people according to their gender. This social dynamics creates and reproduces unequal power relations between women and men. In addition to that, patriarchy is structured so that it generates hierarchies and evaluations of sexual behaviour that presuppose heterosexuality as the natural order of things and, as a result, triggers a process of social marginalisation of homosexuality. Although gender is clearly a process that only manifests socially, it is arbitrarily determined and imposed by taking into consideration solely the biological sex. This biological determinism has severe psychological and social impacts on those who cannot comply with neither the gender nor the sexuality that have been designed for them. This essay analyses how two English twentieth-century novels challenge and subvert preconceived notions of gender and sexuality. It examines Virginia Woolf’s Or- lando: A biography (1928) and E. M. Forster’s Maurice (1971), and demonstrates that both novels are articulated in order to denounce and deconstruct patriarchal structures, which culturally regulate and police human gender and sexuality. These novels are carefully read in the light of ideas of gender and sexuality developed in Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity (1990), Michel Foucault’s The His- tory of Sexuality: An Introduction Vol. 1 (1978) and eminent critical works on both novels. The conclusion provides the reader with a brief summary of the main discussions about the two novels and the aspects that approximate them. Keywords: Virginia Woolf, E. M. Forster, patriarchy, gender politics, sexuality

She remembered how, as a young man, she had insisted that women must be obedient, chaste, scented, and exquisitely apparelled. ‘Now I shall have to pay in my own person for those desires,’ she reflected; ‘for women are not (judging by my own short experience of the sex) obedient, chaste, scented, and exquisitely apparelled by nature.

Virginia Woolf

His family, his position in society – they had been nothing to him for years. He was an outlaw in disguise. Perhaps among those who took to the greenwood in old time there had been two men like himself – two. At times he entertained the dream. Two men can defy the world.

E. M. Forster 7 revista YAWP

Introduction tions. Human sexuality and gender have been used to establish unequal power eeling intrigued and puzzled by read- relations between men and women. It is Fing ‘She remembered how, as a young not hard to find examples of this commit- man, she’ and ‘there had been two men ment not only in the Bloomsbury Group, like himself [...] Two men can defy the but also in turn-of-the-century works world’ is inevitable, for both excerpts such as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and violate well-established gender and sex- Mr. Hyde (1886), The Picture of Dorian Gray ual norms. These quotations illustrate (1890), Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891), Jude how modern literature challenges values the Obscure (1895), Ulysses (1922), Mrs. Dal- and beliefs, which are normally taken loway (1925) and To The Lighthouse (1927). for granted and serve as social laws. The These novels were challenging patriarchy modern artist will look at stable institu- either by denouncing the corruption of tions such as family, religion, social class, a society ruled by men, by questioning colonialism, identity, gender and sexual- traditional notions of masculinity, by ity, and start questioning them through portraying a world without the bourgeois artistic experimentation and innovation model of family, by deconstructing the in terms of not only themes, but also and apparent innate chastity, purity and pas- especially of form and style. sivity normally attributed to women, or This commitment to innovation by portraying women in a more profound and subversion is intimately related to and privileged way. the collapse of how individuals see and The rise and consolidation of the deal with such social structures whose industrial phase of capitalism in late eigh- main function is to bring stability to re- teenth and early nineteenth centuries led lations of dominance within society. One to the development of an urban order and of the social constraints to which modern to the necessity of creating social control literature pays particular attention and devices by the English ruling class. This attacks is patriarchy. As Terry Eagleton urban context, on the one hand, sophis- astutely observes ‘[Virginia Woolf and ticated state persecution of homosexuals her contemporaries] lived in an age when and other social minorities through the it was too late for Victorian paternalism Labouchere Amendment 1885 that made and still somewhat early for socialist de- gross indecency a crime in the United mocracy’ (Eagleton, 2005, p. 309), which Kingdom and the creation of the Metro- reinforces the idea that even though the politan Police in 1829, but, on the other Bloomsbury Group was not particularly hand, created the necessary conditions interested in the radical break with the for the proliferation of urban gay subcul- capitalist social order, they were deter- tures (Carlin, 1989, pp. 13 – 19). It was the mined to denounce and break with patri- age of prosecutions and convictions of archal and paternalistic structures that homosexuals for acts of gross indecency constrained and regulated social rela- from Oscar Wilde in 1889 to Alan Turing 8 literature in 1952. The first was sentenced to two homosexual themed novel Maurice was years of hard labour, and the latter to only published posthumously, it is also a chemical castration. In addition to that, well-known fact that he had started writ- it was in this period that Radclyffe Hall’s ing it in 1913. The state persecutions and lesbian novel The Well of Loneliness (1928) his self-oppression might have prevented was prohibited from being sold and that him from publishing Maurice, but it is im- some of Sigmund Freud’s writings about possible to deny the fact that he was using innate female passivity gained immense his art as a way of relieving his sexual and popularity. However, it was also a time psychological constraints. Essentially be- of resistance with works such as Mar- cause Maurice should be seen as a politi- cel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past cal work, which supports the fight against (1913 – 1927), which openly narrates and social constructions of sexuality and the discusses homosexual relations; Simone pathologization and marginalisation of de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949), which homosexuality. strongly criticised many of Freud’s as- This essay examines how patri- sumptions on women’s nature; Virginia archy is not only challenged, but also Woolf’s works that challenged gender and how its norms are subverted in Virgin- sexual constructions; the rise and revival ia Woolf’s Orlando and in E. M. Forster’s of feminism with the Women’s Suffrage Maurice. These two novels have been se- Movement in the United Kingdom; and lected because of their privileged context the intellectual movement of some Ox- of struggles for sexual transformations ford intellectuals that used works by Pla- and liberation, and also because they to and other Hellenistic elements to dis- provide us with a rich depiction of social sociate homosexuality from pathological constructions of sexuality and gender. and medical views (Cramer, 2012, p. 193). Firstly, we will verify how Woolf decon- It was within this context of sex- structs the naturalness and rigidity of ual puritanism contestation and vivid gender, and the way gender is commonly political campaign for women’s liber- used to control the self. Secondly, we will ation that Virginia Woolf’s Orlando: A analyse E. M. Forster’s depiction of the biography (1928) and E. M. Forster’s Mau- cultural process of constructing a mascu- rice (1971) were written. Such works and line identity that is fundamentally based writers were not only influenced by this on patriarchal notions of virility and het- context, but also influential in the social erosexuality, and his strong criticism of transformations that were occurring at English society. Finally, the conclusion that moment. Virginia Woolf’s writings will present the main aspects that approx- were profoundly shaped by her explicit imate the novels in terms of theme, style, feminist politics, concern and fascination format and engagement with criticism of with gender identities and with wom- patriarchal ideologies. en’s lives, histories and fictions (Marcus, 2012, p. 142). Even though E. M. Forster’s 9 revista YAWP

Orlando to plod, without looking to right or left, I in the indelible footprints of truth;... n 9 October 1927, only a few months But now we come to an episode which Obefore the publication of Orlando, lies right across our path, so that there Virginia Woolf wrote in one of her letters is no ignoring it. Yet it is dark, mysteri- to Vita Sackville-West ‘It sprung upon me ous, and undocumented; so that there how I could revolutionise biography in a is no explaining it. Volumes might be night’ (DeSalvo and Leaska, 2004, p. 75). written in interpretation of it; This statement suggests that in a certain (Woolf, 2008, p. 63) way the main theme, the format and the style of Orlando were being articulated to Woolf mixes up long-established reach one of its author’s main objectives, biographical techniques such as the use which was to revolutionise biography. of photos, documents and real historical Woolf wanted to revolutionise and sub- facts to give background and context to vert one of the most popular, traditional the narrative with her modernist style and prestigious literary genres at that and writing inventiveness in order to blur time: the biography. It can be said that she the boundaries of the biographical text successfully accomplished such objective and the novel itself. This commitment to by writing Orlando, for even though it is subvert biography can be read as a way commonly referred as a novel, it is less a of deconstructing the false sensation that novel than a kind of parody of the clas- many people have whilst reading a biog- sic way of writing biographies. It can be raphy, which is the sensation that one will called a parody or an anti-biography, for be given access to what the biographee it does not only tell the story of a fictional was really like simply by reading a book character, but also because it has innu- that is, in practice, a collection of inter- merable passages, in which the narrator, pretations of documents. In other words, and at the same time biographer, reflects Orlando shows biography’s incapability upon his difficulties in writing. These of telling its readers about the individual comments make the reader start think- identity of the person, firstly because it ing about the impossibilities of writing a suggests that it is impossible to restrict biography: one’s identity to documents. In Woolf’s view, identity is not something easily ac-

The biographer is now faced with a cessible, neither perfectly stable, on the difficulty which it is better perhaps to contrary, modernism shows us that indi- confess than to gloss over. Up to this vidual identity is something much more point in telling the story of Orlando’s unstable, fragmented and is frequently life, documents, both private and his- shaped by bigger forces, for example, torical, have made it possible to fulfil politics, economics, culture and religion, the first duty of a biographer, which is which are beyond the individual’s control. Secondly, because the very notion of iden-

10 literature tity is a way of reducing the individual to not the biography itself, but the relation something social stable and intelligible. people establish with it instead. Biogra- phy readers are led to believe that they It is, indeed, highly unfortunate, and are reading the indisputable truth about much to be regretted that at this stage one’s life, whilst they are in fact learning of Orlando’s career, when he played a fragments of one’s life that were inter- most important part in the public life preted and very likely intensified or omit- of his country, we have least informa- ted by the biographer. Essentially Woolf is tion to go upon. [...] But the revolution showing that the distance that separates which broke out during his period of biographies from fiction are not so big, office, and the fire which followed, and, most importantly, not so clear as we have so damaged or destroyed all those are led to think. Furthermore, the biog- papers from which any trustworthy raphee’s characteristics that are usually record could be drawn, that what can taken for granted by people, such as gen- give is lamentably incomplete. Often der and sexuality, are in fact very unclear. the paper was scorched a deep brown It is very ironic that even though one can in the middle of the most important read Orlando’s biography entirely, one sentence. Just when we thought to elu- will not be so sure about one of the most cidate a secret that has puzzled histo- basic human characteristics, which is Or- rians for a hundred years, there was a lando’s gender. For this reason, it is possi- hole in the manuscript big enough to ble to say that Virginia Woolf articulates put your finger through. We have done theme and format, for she deliberately our best to piece out a meagre summa- links the instability of identity, which is ry from the charred fragments that re- restricted by the traditional biography main; but often it has been necessary with the instability of gender, which is re- to speculate, to surmise, and even to stricted by biological sex. It can be easily use the imagination. proved by paying particular attention to

(Woolf, 2008, p. 115) Woolf’s depiction of Orlando as a character with a free-floating gender and nebu- In this passage the biographer ad- lous sexuality, and her deconstruction of mits that documents are not irrefutable, biography’s universal and unquestion- they require interpretation and also that able truth character. the biographer needs to ‘speculate’ and even to ‘use the imagination’. Although the passage above clearly and strongly II mocks biographical conventions, Orlan- n Orlando, Woolf does not only narrate do should not be read merely as a protest Ithe process of fabricating a masculine against biography, but against the lim- identity based on the protagonist’s innate itations it imposes on people’s identity sex, but also the collapse of such identity and personality instead. The problem is by parodying the randomness of biologi- 11 revista YAWP

cal determinism and its consequences in This passage can be viewed as an il- shaping one’s gender. For, Orlando is in- lustration of Judith Butler’s line of reason- troduced to the reader as a young noble- ing, which says that ‘the presumption of man who was playing with a sword as a a binary gender system implicitly retains typical boyish behaviour: ‘[Orlando] was the belief in a mimetic relation of gender in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor to sex whereby gender mirrors sex or is which swung from the rafters’ (p. 13), otherwise restricted by it’ (Butler, 1999, p. and, as the novel develops, he suddenly 10), for Orlando clearly perceives that her becomes a woman: ‘Orlando had become nature and personality traits have been a woman – there is no denying it. But in limited by her gender. Orlando’s biologi- every other respect, Orlando remained cal sex was used to determine her gender, precisely as he had been’ (p. 133). It is fun- which also determined the type of clothes damentally important to highlight that he she would wear, the education she would ‘remained precisely’ the same, because it have, what her nature would be like, the is crucial to the deconstruction process of way she would experiment her sexuality the naturalness of genders’s binary divi- and the boundaries of her own individual sion and, consequently, the social practic- identity as a whole. es naturally attributed to them, for Orlan- Moreover, Orlando does not only do is able to compare how he was taught cleverly understand that her idea of the to look and classify women when he was nature of women was arbitrarily con- a man with how he truly feels now that he structed and taught to her, but also she is a woman. This process is particularly learnt that the perspectives women had evident when she has her first experienc- in society and the way they were treated es with her new sex in the company of the were quite different from men’s. Woolf captain in the ship going back to England. was aware of women’s inferior position She realises that the preconceived ideas in society and this is the reason why she she had of the nature of women were bad- uses Orlando to show the contradictions ly inaccurate: of preconceived ideas of gender, for when Orlando becomes a woman, she loses all She remembered how, as a young man, social privileges attributed to her former she had insisted that women must be gender, nonetheless, at the same time, obedient, chaste, scented, and exqui- she is now able to talk about gender dis- sitely apparelled. ‘Now I shall have to crepancies taking into consideration both pay in my own person for those de- points of view. sires,’ she reflected; ‘for women are not (judging by my own short experience ‘And that’s the last oath I shall ever be of the sex) obedient, chaste, scented, able to swear,’ she thought, ‘once I set and exquisitely apparelled by nature. foot on English soil. And I shall never

(Woolf, 2008, p. 150) be able to crack a man over the head, or tell him he lies in his teeth, or draw 12 literature

my sword and run him through the of English society, which becomes more body, or sit among my peers, or wear fierce and direct in herA Room of One’s a coronet, or walk in procession, or Own (1929) published one year later. There sentence a man to death, or lead an are other examples in the novel, in which army, or prance down Whitehall on a the author denounces women’s political charger, or wear seventy-two different and social inferiority in English society, medals on my breast. All I can do, once for instance, when Orlando goes back to I set foot on English soil, is to pour out England and discovers that she is being tea and ask my lords how they like it. sued, for women cannot hold any prop- D’you take sugar? D’you take cream?’ erty, and in the nineteenth century when And mincing out the words, she was she realises that she needs to have a hus- horrified to perceive how low an opin- band to fit in with the society. As Orlando ion she was forming of the other sex, learns, women are immensely dependent the manly, to which it had once her on men, taught to be chaste, scented, ap- pride to belong. parelled and to serve tea, whereas men (Woolf, 2008, p. 151 – 152) are the ones who can say what they truly think and accomplish glorious military Orlando’s observations about gen- achievements. In this sense it is perfect- der roles are fascinating, because she does ly plausible to say that gender is used to not only simply see what is left for wom- create and reproduce unequal power re- en in English society, but also critically lations between men and women, which compares women’s position with men’s. It are the very basis of patriarchy. is significant to point out that the military examples present in this passage can be easily connected with historical processes III that are usually used to explain women’s fter getting tired of spending time oppression. One of the typical arguments Awith Alexander Pope in the eigh- to explain the consolidation of patriarchy teenth century, Orlando goes to her is precisely the militarization process that house and starts taking advantages of many primitive western societies under- her free-floating gender by switching gen- went and were hardly reconcilable with ders and enjoying the lack of restrictions women’s reproduction work. Such social that this condition provided her with. As dynamics was fundamental for the con- the narrator describes, Orlando has no finement of women in the domestic work difficulty in switching genders and such and men’s privileged position in the pub- facility can be seen as an unusual and lic sphere of patriarchal societies (Carlin, profound instability in the usually fixed 1989, p. 5; Leacock, 1981, pp. 33 – 194). notion of gender. It is also noteworthy that in a certain way Woolf is anticipating her Then she rose, turned , and went into criticism of the patriarchal organization the house, where she sought her bed- 13 revista YAWP

room and locked the door. Now she deed—the deed is everything.” In an ap- opened a cupboard in which hung plication that Nietzsche himself would still many of the clothes she had worn not have anticipated or condoned, we as a young man of fashion, and from might state as a corollary: There is no among them she chose a black velvet gender identity behind the expressions suit richly trimmed with Venetian of gender; that identity is performative- lace. It was a little out of fashion, in- ly constituted by the very “expressions” deed, but it fitted her to perfection and that are said to be its results.

dressed in it she looked the very figure (Butler, 1999, p. 33) of a noble Lord. She took a turn or two before the mirror to make sure that her As Judith Butler affirms, gender petticoats had not lost her freedom of cannot be seen as an immutable deter- her legs, and then let herself secretly ministic social category in which we are out of doors. classified according to our ‘natural sex’.

(Woolf, 2008, pp. 205-206) On the contrary, gender is a constant process based much less on biology than on Orlando’s facility for alternating social practices. Although Orlando had genders does not only drastically mini- her sex changed, nothing else changed, mise the importance of the biological sex neither in terms of personality nor fea- to determine gender, but also indicates tures. Due to the fact that Orlando lived as that gender is more a group of cultural ac- a nobleman for most of her life, she does tions and behaviour than an immutable not find very difficult to perform both gen- and biological characteristic. Orlando ders. Orlando is a woman only whilst she breaks free from the gender constraints, behaves or dresses as a woman and she is experiments her sexuality freely and live a man whenever she acts as a man. Such her life at will. Woolf denounces the artifi- flexibility makes us see the very notion of ciality of gender by showing that, in prac- ‘being a gender’ as an inaccurate one, for tice, Orlando’s gender depends less on her if Orlando were a gender it would not be sex than on her clothes. possible for her to be any other gender at will. Therefore, the gender is not within In this sense, gender is always a doing, her, it is in the clothes, behaviour, and in though not a doing by a subject who her social and sexual practices. Thus gen- might be said to preexist the deed. The der should be seen more as an action than challenge for rethinking gender cat- a being or less as a ‘noun’ than as a ‘verb’. egories outside of the metaphysics of substance will have to consider the relevance of Nietzsche’s claim in On the Ge- IV nealogy of Morals that “there is no ‘being’ y examining the novel, we can quick- behind doing, effecting, becoming; ‘the Bly perceive that Orlando is not the doer’ is merely a fiction added to the only character, whose gender is uncertain

14 literature and unstable. Sasha, the Russian princess, that certain clothes might generate, as it is presented to the reader as an extremely can be seen in the opening of the novel: androgynous figure, for not even Orlando ‘He – for there could be no doubt of his is capable of easily saying whether she is a sex, though the fashion of the time did boy or a woman when they first met: something to disguise it’ (p. 13). Rachel Bowlby points out that ‘here the denial a figure, which, whether boy’s or wom- of the doubt is just what lets in the doubt, an’s [...] The person, whatever the name by saying what it says needs no saying.’ or sex [...] When the boy, for alas, a boy (Bowlby, 2008, p. 37). Another illustration it must be – no woman could skate of gender indeterminacy is the scene that with such speed [...] but no boy ever had Orlando is leaving the gipsy communi- a mouth like that; no boy had those ty, in which she remarks that ‘the gipsy breasts [...] She was a woman. women, except in one or two important

(Woolf, 2008, pp. 36-37) particulars, differ very little from the gipsy men.’ (p. 147). All these examples of Another example is the Archduch- gender ambiguity can be read as proofs ess Harriet who confesses to Orlando that gender should be seen more as social upon her arrival in London that she is ac- decisions than something innate to the tually a he. Archduke Harry cross-dressed human being (Bowlby, 2008, p. 40). in order to seduce Orlando when he was a man and now that Orlando is a woman he To what extent do regulatory prac- is finally capable of letting Orlando know tices of gender formation and divi- the truth. sion constitute identity, the internal coherence of the subject, indeed, the In short, they acted the parts of man self-identical status of the person? To and woman for ten minutes with great what extent is “identity” a normative vigour and then fell into natural dis- ideal rather than a descriptive feature course. The Archduchess (but she must of experience? And how do the regula- in future be known as the Archduke) tory practices that govern gender also told his story – that she was a man and govern culturally intelligible notions always had been one; that he had seen of identity? In other words, the “coher- a portrait of Orlando and fallen hope- ence” and “continuity” of “the person” lessly in love with him; that to compass are not logical or analytic features of his ends, he had dressed as a woman personhood, but, rather, socially insti- and lodged at the Baker’s shop; tuted and maintained norms of intel- (Woolf, 2008, p. 171) ligibility. Inasmuch as “identity” is as- sured through the stabilizing concepts It is also worth mentioning that of sex, gender, and sexuality, the very Woolf constantly draws the reader’s at- notion of “the person” is called into tention to the sex indeterminacy effect question by the cultural emergence of 15 revista YAWP

those “incoherent” or “discontinuous” cially because, she does not only depict the gendered beings who appear to be per- impossibility of confining one’s individual sons but who fail to conform to the identity to the boundaries of biography gendered norms of cultural intelligibil- and one’s gender and sexuality to a bina- ity by which persons are defined. ry division, but also demonstrates that the (Butler, 1990, p. 23) ‘social intelligibility’ these things aim at are in fact ways of controlling, reducing As Butler points out, gender and and restricting the self. sexuality are concepts that stabilise identity and makes it social intelligible. Vir- For it is probable that when people talk ginia Woolf is not interested in reproduc- aloud, the selves (of which there may ing the mechanical ways of representing be more than two thousand) are con- the self that have been used by traditional scious of disseverment, and are trying biographies. She is more concerned with to communicate, but when communi- the fragments, failures and mutability of cation is established they fall silent.

the self that might not be very intelligi- (Woolf, 2008, p. 299) ble and extremely hard to be interpreted or understood. It is possible to say that Woolf revolutionised biography because, Maurice if on the one hand, one of biography’s I main objectives is to provide the reader . M. Forster finished writingMaurice with a rounded, stable and seductive ac- Ein 1914, however it was only pub- cess to one’s individuality. On the other lished posthumously in 1971. It is of great hand, even though one reads all her Or- importance to highlight that Maurice is a lando, one will be barely capable of telling novel without antecedents and its main if Orlando is a man or a woman, hetero- theme was very avant-garde for the ear- sexual or homosexual. ly twentieth century, not only because it Although Virginia Woolf did not explicitly portrays homosexual relation- believe in literature as a simple, practical, ships without pathologising them, but and, most importantly, mere way of con- also because it has a happy ending, which veying political ideas, her Orlando does was very rare during that period and challenge patriarchy, for it defies one of suggests a positive view of homosexuali- the most fundamental ideologies that sup- ty (Leavitt, 2005, pp. 11-13). Furthermore, ports patriarchal practices, which is gen- at that moment, homosexual relations, der. She subverts gender by deconstruct- either privately or publicly, were consid- ing its commonsensical naturalness and ered acts of gross indecency and criminal by exploring its arbitrariness and insta- punishable through the 1885 Labouchere bility. Besides, Woolf connects her gender Amendment, which was revoked only in criticism with her biography experimen- 1967. It is not a very surprising context, tation in order to revolutionise both. Espe- for the early twentieth century was vastly 16 literature influenced by the Victorian period, which ishment was rarely used in the eigh- is known for having been very conserva- teenth century, the murder of a plas- tive, puritan and, above all, patriarchal terer during a vicious pillory against particularly in terms of sexuality. him and his partner, a coachman, in Despite the fact that neither capi- 1780 was a warning of the kind of bru- talism nor Victorianism inaugurate sex- tality that could be meted out and a ual and gender oppression, it is possible precursor to a very bloody period from to affirm that there was an intensification the late eighteenth century into the and sophistication of conservatism in Vic- nineteenth century in which persecu- torian society. It can be argued that some tion of same sex acts was intensified. of the reasons for this ideological dissem- (Dee, 2010, p. 35) ination of puritanism was due to the fact that the emergent urban industrial cities For the English ruling class, ho- in England were seen as highly dangerous mosexual relations represented a threat by the new and old English ruling class. to immensely important institutions, Not only because of the geographical and ideologies and norms that brought so- temporal proximity to the French Revo- cial stability, for instance, the nuclear lution, but also and especially due to the family, monogamy, chastity, virility and terrible working conditions of the early heterosexuality. As a result, homosexual industrial phase of capitalism in the eigh- relations were extremely marginalised teenth and nineteenth century, which cul- because they did not only disobey those minated in many riots. In times like these, patriarchal rules, but also challenged the nuclear family is usually strength- them. This is why E. M. Forster’s Maurice ened and deviance and rebellious be- can be viewed as an attack on patriarchy, haviour is brutally repressed in order to for it denounces the imposition and arti- forge social stability (Carlin, 1989, pp. 12 – ficiality of patriarchal masculine identity, 23; Dee, 2010, pp. 31 – 57; Trumbach, 1997). the English society conservatism and the This is the context of the 1885 Labouchere severe social sanctions to those who defy Amendment, which is constantly seen as patriarchal norms. a more efficient way of condemning homosexuality, for even though it was not as drastic and severe as the death penalty, it II was much more comprehensive and easi- orster meticulously depicts the er to be executed. Fprocess of cultural construction of masculine identity, which is essentially Throughout the eighteenth century heterosexist. By showing patriarchal mas- sodomy remained punishable by death culine identity as something constructed and continued to be referred to as instead of innate, Forster is preparing the ‘the abominable and detestable crime reader for an alternative way of exper- against nature’. Although capital pun- imenting sexuality, which is not in line 17 revista YAWP

with the one that is socially prescribed. day through the premise that it is the real Additionally, the happy ending of the nov- nature of men. Forster draws the reader’s el indicates Forster’s opinion that it is pos- attention to certain moments of Maurice’s sible to be happy without complying with adolescence in order to show the artificial a social prefabricated identity. Howard J. process of fabricating masculine identity. Booth provides us with an insightful com- One of this moments is the opening of ment that relates Maurice’s ending with the novel, in which Mr. Ducie, a teacher its main theme: at Maurice’s school, is asking some questions to him and learns that Maurice did Maurice does not look like a text of not have significant male references in modernist period in its positive, and his life. As a result, Mr. Ducie ends up giv- some might say ‘old-fashioned’, resolu- ing Maurice a lesson in the secrets of sex tion. However, the text can be seen as between man and woman. addressing self-formation in a way that anticipates the era of ‘identity politics’. ‘Well you’re quite an ignorant little

(Booth, 2007, p. 176) beggar.’ They laughed. After a pause he said, ‘When I was your age, my father Taking into consideration Booth’s told me something that proved very observation, Maurice can be read as useful and helped me a good deal.’ This novel about an Englishman’s search for was untrue: his father had never told identity, mainly because it shows its pro- him anything. But he needed a prelude tagonist’s psychological conflicts and re- to what he was going to say [...] luctance to fit in with a sexual identity I am going to talk to you for a few mo- that has been designed for him. In other ments as if I were your father, Mau- words, although Maurice Hall is obvious- rice! [...] ly attracted to the same sex, he cannot You are becoming a man now, Maurice; live his sexuality freely, for he is socially that is why I am telling you about this. sentenced to a compulsory heterosexual It is not a thing that your mother can life. As discussed above, this social and tell you, and you should not mention cultural condemnation happens due to it to her nor to any lady, and if at your the hegemonic cultural role that patriar- next school boys mention it to you, just chal structures played in early twentieth shut them up; tell them you know.

century England. (Forster, 2005, pp. 8-9) Patriarchy is founded upon the cultural construction of masculine iden- The first thing to be considered is tity, which is essentially composed of Mr. Ducie’s emphasis on the necessity of virility and heterosexuality (Badinter, having a male figure in Maurice’s life; sec- 1992, p. 149). This patriarchal masculinity ondly, his insistence that he is telling it be- has been culturally and historically con- cause Maurice does not have a father and structed and is socially reproduced every his mother cannot talk about it with him; 18 literature thirdly, he says that other school boys old man and I tell you that. Man that is might know about it, possibly because born of woman must go with woman if their fathers told them. This dialogue has the human race is to continue.’ an extremely patriarchal view of family, Maurice stared after the housemaster’s for it reinforces the supposed vital and ir- wife, underwent a violent repulsion replaceable importance of having a man from her and blushed crimson: he had in a family, and also makes it very clear remembered Mr Ducie’s diagrams. A that only men have the power to talk about trouble – nothing as beautiful as a sor- the unspeakable secrets of sex. It is worth row – rose to the surface of his mind, mentioning that Mr. Ducie’s authority is displayed its ungainliness and sank. Its very artificial and it is granted because of precise nature he did not ask himself, patriarchal social structures. He is social- for his hour was not yet, but the hint ly allowed to be a type of Maurice’s tem- was appalling, and, hero though he was, porary surrogate father in order to teach he longed to be a little boy again, and him how to reproduce heterosexuality. to stroll half awake for ever by the co- Furthermore, the artificiality of this au- lourless sea. Dr Barry went on lecturing thority and of this conversation as whole him, and under the cover of a friendly is denounced by Mr. Ducie’s inoffensive manner said much that gave pain. lie, which, in practice, functions as a way (Forster, 2005, p. 21) of making this kind of conversation more natural than it really is. By the end of the In this passage Dr. Barry, a doctor, scene, we can see that Maurice is aware of neighbour and friends with the Hall fami- the instability of Mr. Ducie’s explanations ly, explicitly and literally reminds Maurice not only because they were written on the of the nature of men’s sexuality. Ironical- sand, but also because Maurice remarks ly it is exactly Dr. Barry’s very necessity that ‘Ducie is a ‘liar’, for ‘he worries that of reminding Maurice of heterosexual women will see the images, and a world of sex naturalness that can make us suspect hypocrisy, guilt, and complexity opens up of its naturalness. In other words, if het- that Ducie said he was removing’ (Booth, erosexuality were the only natural order 2007, p. 179). of things, as Dr. Barry states, it would Later in the novel, Forster gives an- not need to be remembered. Besides, this other example of how heterosexuality is scene is a turning point in the novel be- socially imposed on Maurice: cause it is in this part that Maurice begins to become more aware of what is expect- ‘Oh, you young fellows! Butter wouldn’t ed of him in terms of sex. He combines his melt in your mouth these days. Don’t two male references, Mr. Ducie and Dr. know what I mean! Prudish of a petti- Barry, and understands that in order for coat! Be frank, man, be frank. You don’t him to be accepted by those surrounding take anyone in. The frank mind’s the him, he needs to embrace heterosexuality, pure mind. I’m a medical man and an however the mere image of it makes him 19 revista YAWP

feel ‘repulsion’ and ‘pain’. In both scenes scribes and goes beyond what he calls the Forster is focusing on two stages of Mau- repressive hypothesis that basically be- rice’s growth in order to demonstrate and lieved that there was a process of constant denounce the social compulsoriness of and brutal repression of human sexuali- heterosexuality and its psychological con- ty. Although Foucault admits that there sequences for those who cannot conform have been political and social forces that to it. By the end of his adolescence, Mau- had been repressing sexuality for centu- rice realises that the process of formation ries, he is more concerned with the pro- of his own identity is not completely un- cess of transforming sex into discourse. der his control, but it is shaped by bigger He observes that especially in the seven- cultural, political and social forces that teenth and eighteenth century there was are beyond his control instead. a proliferation of scientific, education- Moreover, another aspect that ap- al and even religious discourses on sex. proximates both scenes of Maurice’s mas- Essentially this process represented the culinity formation is the transformation establishment of a new series of power of sex into discourse as a way of establish- relations that were supported by the very ing unequal power relations between him secrecy of sex. and those older men. Mr. Ducie and Dr. Barry felt the patriarchal necessity of “fixing” Maurice’s The sex of children and adolescents “broken” nuclear family, and their patri- has become, since the eighteenth archal male role in society provided them century, an important area of con- with the social privilege that is required tention around which innumerable to talk about sex. It is worth remarking institutional devices and discursive that the nuclear family is fundamental strategies have been deployed. It may for the reproduction of patriarchal and well be true that adults and children heterosexist ideologies and this is the rea- themselves were deprived of a certain son why the lack of a father figure impli- way of speaking about sex, a mode that cates a ‘broken’ family, for it is exactly the disallowed as being too direct, crude, father who is going to be the main, not the or coarse. But this was only the coun- only one, responsible for reproducing pa- terpart of other discourses, and per- triarchy. If we use Foucault’s observations haps the condition necessary in order to analyse these two scenes of Maurice, it for them to function, discourses that will be possible to say that Mr. Ducie and were interlocking, hierarchized, and Dr. Barry combine their patriarchal social all highly articulated around a cluster position with sex discourse to establish of power relations. unequal power relations with Maurice.

(Foucault, 1990, p. 30) These power relations are essential to make Maurice not only willing to accept In The History of Sexuality: An social conventions, but also to make him Introduction Vol. 1, Michel Foucault de- legitimise and reproduce them. 20 literature

Maurice also draws the reader’s at- to homosexual, and finally Maurice’s re- tention to the artificiality and collapse of luctance to accept heterosexuality at all this heterosexist education, for not only costs. These reorientations should be read Maurice rejects heterosexuality, but also as a way of blurring the long-established Clive Durham and Alec Scudder undergo boundaries of sexuality and to attack the a processes of sexual reorientation in the naturalness of patriarchal and heterosex- novel. ist ideas of masculine identity.

He saw a gamekeeper dallying with You prefer to be natural? two of the maids, and felt a pang of Sometimes. But it is such a very difficult envy. The girls were damned ugly, pose to keep up.

which the man wasn’t; somehow this Oscar Wilde made it worse.

(Forster, 2005, p. 146) III It is not a coincident that Forster ne of the most important character- introduces Alec as heterosexual man, Oistics of Maurice is its engagement for Alec’s apparent bisexuality is essen- with criticism of English society and West- tial for Forster’s deconstruction of the ern culture in general, which are strongly naturalness of heterosexuality. Later in influenced by patriarchal ideologies. This the novel, Scudder tells Maurice that it is social criticism can also be exemplified ‘natural to care for women’ and that he by Clive Durham’s sexual reorientation, has never had sexual relations with other for it is commonly read as a way of show- man before. Maurice questions Alec’s af- ing how society can repress one’s feelings firmation by saying that to care both for and desires, particularly in terms of sexu- women and men ‘isn’t natural for [him]’. al practices, and by Maurice’s loneliness, Alec was born in a patriarchal society and psychological conflicts and attempt to be has been exposed to all its patriarchal ide- cured of his own homosexuality. ologies, and for this reason, it is expected First of all it needs to be said that that he reproduces heterosexuality and it is not possible to affirm without a shad- sees it as the natural order of things. It is ow of a doubt that Clive opted for getting exactly his homosexual experience that married and living a heterosexual life makes him start questioning heterosex- only because he was afraid of the social ual sex as the only possibility. Forster is sanctions he was subjected to if he had not concerned with rigid binary defini- embraced homosexuality. Basically be- tions of sexuality, on the contrary, he de- cause he clearly desired and wanted to fies and subverts them by showing Clive’s be desired by the opposite sex, which can acceptance of homosexuality and later be verified in Clive’s thoughts about his change from homosexual to heterosexu- nurse and women in general: al; Alec’s reorientation from heterosexual 21 revista YAWP

He noticed how charming his nurse ‘into a world of delicious interchange’. was and enjoyed obeying her. When he When he goes to see a film, it pleases went a drive his eyes rested on women. him that ‘the man who made it, the Little details, a hat, the way a skirt is men and the women who looked on – held, scent, laughter, the delicate walk they knew, and he was one of them’.

across mud – blended into a charming (Leavitt, 2005, p. 17) whole, and it pleased him.

(Forster, 2005, p. 103) For these reasons, it is perfectly possible to state that, regardless of Clive’s sex- The narrator’s use of the verb ‘no- ual orientation, his sexuality was strong- ticed’ and Clive’s apparent rediscovery of ly shaped by English social conventions his own sexuality, whilst driving his car that evaluate heterosexuality positively, in the excerpt above, suggest that these whereas marginalise homosexuality. This sensations were not noticed or felt very sexual instability suggests that perhaps if often before. This whole part of the nov- Clive had Virginia Woolf’s Orlando ability el is carefully written in order to create a to switch genders, he would be able to live type of photograph of his reorientation his sexuality to the full, for either women and the new sensations that came with or men would equally respond to his flir- it. Nevertheless, the reasons that moti- tations and he would not be socially nor vated Clive’s supposed reorientation and criminally punished, for he would be, at the reorientation itself are debatable, for least apparently, respecting the patriarchal Forster’s descriptions of Clive’s feelings boundaries of gender and sexuality. are ambivalent and give the impression Maurice’s second appointment that he was not only seduced by women, with Mr. Lasker Jones is another scene but also by the social privileges that em- that illustrates Forster’s commitment to bracing heterosexuality could offer him. denouncing English society conservatism: Furthermore, this ambivalence can be strongly felt if we take into account the ‘And what’s to happen to me? Said less sexualised and more metaphorical Maurice, with a sudden drop in his tone of Clive’s brief sexual experiences, voice. He spoke in despair, but Mr and if we compare the much more sexual- Lasker Jones had an answer to every ised relationship between Alec and Mau- question. ‘I’m afraid I can only advise rice with the relationship between Clive you to live in some country that has ad- and Anne. opted the Code Napoleon, he said. In essence, what seduces him [Clive] ‘I don’t understand.’ is the system of ‘beautiful conven- ‘France or Italy, for instance. There ho- tions’ that embraces him and Anne, mosexuality is no longer criminal.’ his fiancée, once they announce their ‘You mean that a Frenchman could engagement. Whereas men ‘had never share with a friend and yet not go to responded’, women now welcome him prison?’

22 literature

‘Share? Do you mean unite? If both are disorder. In fact the impossibility of cure, of age and avoid public indecency, cer- and Maurice and Alec’s happy ending in- tainly.’ dicate that Maurice’s real problem was ‘Will the law ever be that in England?’ not homosexuality itself, but the way so- ‘I doubt it. England has always been ciety dealt with it instead. disinclined to accept human nature.’ This passage and the end of the Maurice understood. He was an En- novel clearly represent the massive social glishman himself, and only his trou- contradiction between the English patri- bles had kept him awake. He smiled archal dominant culture and the individ- sadly. ‘It comes to this then: there al- ual who defies it. Maurice Hall needs to ways have been people like me and al- break with English society in order to try ways will be, and generally they have to be happy and the price of doing that is been persecuted.’ to renounce all his social class privileg- (Forster, 2005, pp. 187-188) es. Maurice’s ending can also be seen as a fierce criticism of the hypocritical and The passage above is preceded by judgmental English society and dominant Mr. Lasker Jones’ several unsuccessful at- culture, for we should remember that by tempts to hypnotise Maurice in order to the end of the novel Maurice and Alec cure him of his ‘congenital homosexuali- abandon English society, but not England. ty’. Mr. Lasker finally desists and suggests that Maurice should live in a country They must live outside class, without where people like him are tolerated. This relations or money; they must work scene is immensely important due to the and stick to each other till death. But fact that it does not only openly criticise England belonged to them. That, be- English society’s reluctance to ‘accept hu- sides companionship, was their re- man nature’, but it also shows the limita- ward. Her air and sky were theirs, not tions and inefficiency of discourses and the timorous millions’ who own stuffy practices that pathologise homosexuality, little boxes, but never their own souls. above all, because it demonstrates that (Forster, 2005, p. 212) Maurice cannot be cured. Moreover, it is fundamental to highlight that the association of ‘human nature’ with homosexu- Conclusion ality and Maurice’s conclusion that ‘there t is not imprecise to say that Orlando: A always have been people like [him] and al- Ibiography and Maurice are quite differ- ways will be’ are elements that construct ent in many respects, particularly in form an image of homosexuality as a natural and style, nonetheless it is also true that manifestation of human sexuality, for it both novels have strong commitment to contradicts early twentieth century En- challenge and subvert patriarchal struc- glish society commonsensical notions of tures, which inevitably approximates homosexuality as an abnormal mental each other. Especially because both nov- 23 revista YAWP

els engage with the depiction and denun- It is also of great importance to ciation of the instability of traditional state that both novels are carefully struc- notions of gender and sexuality, which tured in a such a way that they convey in repress and confine the self to a prefab- a very profound way the formation pro- ricated identity. In Virginia Woolf’s novel cesses of their protagonists, and their re- we are exposed to characters whose gen- luctance to accept social conventions of der are difficult to be determined such as gender and sexuality. Therefore, Orlando, Orlando, Sasha, Archduke Harry and the Maurice and Clive’s memories, impres- gypsies, whereas in Forster’s work we are sions and emotions should not only be introduced to characters whose sexuality considered constitutive components of is free-floating: Clive Durham and Alec the novels, but also elements as signifi- Scudder, for instance. These indetermi- cant to depict the characters’ psycholog- nations do not only corroborate, but also ical and identity conflicts as their actions, demonstrate the collapse of the natural particularly because they reveal a much and immutable characteristics associated less fixed and stable experience of gender with patriarchal notions of gender and and sexuality. sexuality. Besides Orlando: A biography as Not only the conventions for repre- well as Maurice can be viewed as critiques senting character had changed for of society and the social actors within it, Woolf’s generation, but also the very which are the ones responsible for repro- concept of character and personality. ducing unequal power relations between The human personality was not one genders and sexual hierarchisation. It given fixed monolithic entity, but a can be verified in Orlando’s reflections shifting conglomerate of impressions on women’s inferior position in English and emotions. Psychoanalysis was un- society and in Maurice’s observation of covering a multi-layered self, in which how much English society is hypocritical dreams, memories, and fantasies were for relying merely on appearances and as important as actions and thoughts.

condemning people because of their un- (Showalter, 2000, p. 18) willingness to conform to its conventions: Finally I want to consider that Or- While paying three guineas he caught lando: A biography and Maurice are two sight of himself in the glass behind the early twentieth century works that antic- counter. What a solid young citizen he ipate the era of identity politics, for they looked – quiet, honourable, prosper- already questioned and destabilised pa- ous without vulgarity. On such does triarchal structures, which aim at reduc- England rely. Was it conceivable that ing the self to artificial, oppressing and on Sunday last he had nearly assaulted restrictive binary divisions of gender and

a boy? sexuality. Y

(Forster, 2005, p. 134) 24 literature

Bibliography

Badinter, Élisabeth. XY de L’iden- Forster, Edward Morgan. Maurice. tité Masculine. Paris, Odile Jacob, 1992. London, Penguin Classics, 1971; 2005.

Booth, Howard J. Maurice. In Hankins, Leslie. Orlando: “A Prec- Bradshaw, D. (ed.) The Cambridge Compan- ipice Marked V”: Between “A Miracle of ion to. E. M. Forster. Cambridge, Cambridge Discretion” and “Lovemaking Unbeliev- University Press, 2007, pp. 173 -187. able: Indiscretions Incredible.” In Barrett,

Bowlby, Rachel. “Introduction to E and Cramer, P. (eds.) Virginia Woolf: Les- Orlando: A Biography”. In: Woolf, V. Or- bian Readings. New York, New York Uni- lando: A Biograpy. Oxford and New York, versity Press, 1997, pp. 180 – 202. Oxford University Press, 2008, pp. 12 – 47. Leacock, Eleanor Burke. Myths of

Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Fem- Male Dominance. New York, Haymarket inism and the Subversion of identity. New Books, 1981; 2008. York and London, Routledge, 1990;1999. Leavitt, David. “Introduction”. In:

Carlin, Norah. “The Roots of Gay Forster, E. M. Maurice. London, Penguin Oppression”. In: International Socialism Classics, 2005. Journal 42. London, Spring, 1989. Marcus, Laura. “Woolf’s feminism

Cramer, Patricia. “Virginia Woolf and feminism’s Woolf”. In: Sellers, S. (ed.) and Sexuality”. In: Sellers, S (ed.) The Cam- The Cambridge Companion to Virginia bridge Companion to Virginia Woolf. Cam- Woolf. Cambridge, Cambridge University bridge, Cambridge University Press, 2010; Press, 2010; 2012. 2012, pp. 180 – 196. Showalter, Elaine. “Introduction”.

Dee, Hannah. The Red in the Rain- In: Woolf, V. Mrs Dalloway. London: Pen- bow: Sexuality, Socialism & LGBT Liberation. guin Modern Classics, 2000. London, Bookmarks publications, 2010. Trumbach, Randolph. “London’s

DeSalvo, Louise. and Leaska, Sodomities: Homosexual Behaviour and Mitchell A. (eds.) The Letters of Vita Sack- Western Culture in the Eighteenth Centu- ville-West and Virginia Woolf. New York, ry”. In: Journal of Social History 11 (1), Ox- Cleis Press, 2004. ford: Oxford University Press, 1997.

Dowling, Linda. Hellenism and Ho- Wilde, Oscar. “An Ideal Husband”. mosexuality in Victorian Oxford. New York, In: The Collected Works of Oscar Wilde: The Cornell University Press, 1994. Plays, the Poems, the Stories and the Essays

Eagleton, Terry, The English Novel: including Des Profundis. Ware: Word- An Introduction. Oxford, Blackwell Pub- sworth, 1885, pp. 589 – 662. lishing, 2005. Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biog-

Foucault, Michel. The History of raphy. Oxford and New York, Oxford Uni- Sexuality: An Introduction Volume 1. Trans. versity Press, 1928; 2008. Robert Hurley. New York, Vintage books, 1978; 1990.

25 The American Social Exclusion Through the Space Element: A Compared Analysis of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 1 Undergraduate Bruno José Pereira1 student at University of Sao Paulo, email: bruno.jose. Abstract: The space feature is a useful element in the analysis of the social op- [email protected] pression in the North American society. Through Capote’s novel, it is possible to identify some fixed structures of exclusion which have appeared in other canonic novels. The recurrent usage of journeys and contingent spaces in these novels reveals a deep sense of dissatisfaction in relation to the historical conditions and political relationships. Keywords: Truman Capote, space, social class, American literature, exclusion.

Introduction he novel In Cold Blood (1966) is mainly known for its non-fictional aspect. It is based Ton a story of a murder, which takes place in the South of the United States. In fact, the first impression caused on the concerning the book comes from this gossip frame which gives consistency to the narration. In the first few lines, it is evident the amount of description, which constitutes one of the main features. In different levels, it is possible to identify details from the most diverse nature, conveyed by a third person and omniscient narrator who seems to have access to all possible information. More precisely, the reader can also notice that the space is constantly described throughout the narrative. Having said that, the purpose of this essay is to analyze, from a comparative perspective, the constitution and significance of such formal element and its importance through the whole novel. Besides, it is vital to establish a connection between the question of space and the social relation between characters in order to clarify the reading and interpretation. To substantiate the analysis, other three American novels will be used in opportune moments: The adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), As I lay dying (1930) and The grapes of wrath (1939). Before starting the analysis itself, it is important to highlight some theoretical points about space. In Espaço e romance (1985), Antonio Dimas argues that this technical feature is not taken into account properly by critics, it has been neglected over the years. In certain passage, he claims that one of the objectives of studying it is

ir-se descobrindo a funcionalidade e organicidade gradativamente, uma vez que o escritor soube dissimulá-lo tão bem a ponto de harmonizar-se com os demais elementos narrati- vos, não lhe concedendo, portanto, nenhuma prioridade.

(Dimas, 1985, p. 6) 26 literature

Actually, the purpose of this analy- On grounds of what has been stat- sis is to point out this broader meaning of ed, it is possible to adopt a more accurate space in the novel and its relation with the approach in terms of analysis. At first, social frame rooted in the descriptions, in the isolation of the city – place where the order to establish ‘um quadro de significa- actions are developed – is of paramount dos mais complexos’ (Dimas, p. 20). importance in the narrative. In addition, The beginning of the novel is a there is a sense of fixity in the constitu- good example of how the category of tion of Holcomb that seems to character- space can be directly to the configura- ize the town’s structure precisely. The jobs tion of characters. Before narrating facts carried out by the citizens are absolutely themselves, the narrator resorts to a care- determined, creating a sense of perma- ful description of the small town of Hol- nence in relation to old social structures: comb ‘The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, The inhabitants of the village, num- a lonesome area that other Kansans call bering two hundred and seventy, were out there’ (Capote, 2000, p. 21). satisfied that this should be so, quite As the narrative progresses, it is pos- content to exist inside ordinary life - to sible to notice that the isolation of the area work, to hunt, to watch television, to has resonance in the constitution of Hal- attend school socials, choir practice, comb’s citizens in a general sense. In his arti- meetings of the 4-H Club. cle about Capote’s style, Ralph Voss indicates (Capote, 2000, p. 23) such association, saying that ‘the opening and closing lines of the book are often quot- The intersection between the iso- ed as evocative of the isolation of the area, lation of the area and the pre-established but the richness of detail in the opening pag- functions of Holcomb citizens gives us a es also evokes the people as well as the place’ sense of “normality” and demonstrates (Voss, p. 74). Thus, the feeling of loneliness the persistence of old social and ideolog- is established through the element of space, ical structures. which confirms the theoretical approach of In The adventures of Huckleber- the part of Antonio Dimas, which consists of ry Finn, the protagonist lives in similar proving the novel’s organicism: conditions. In the beginning of the first chapter, the reader finds a boy in a home- Não permitir que os componentes se ly environment, living according to strict mostrem gratuitos e soltos ao longo do laws established by his aunt. The civilized romance ou que ganhem valor por si world of Miss Watson and her sister re- mesmos, mas que de uma forma ou de veals a sense of rigidity, based on religious outra cobrem significado contextual e and social contact orientation, which abatam o potencial virtuosístico que clearl worries and limits the freedom toda descrição carrega dentro de si. of action. The motivation of the journey (Dimas, 1985, p. 42) comes from this delimited sphere. 27 revista YAWP

Coming back to Capote’s novel, it bonuses; the men who worked for him is interesting to pay attention to Clutter’s - and there were sometimes as many as description and configuration. The head eighteen - had small reason to complain of the family, Herbert Clutter, occupies (Capote, 2000, p. 30) a center position in this fixed world, a consequence of his social position in the This social consciousness - impos- Holcomb society. This leadership is also sible to be expanded in the context afore- suggested in the description of his office. mentioned – is carefully developed in The grapes of wrath. The transitions of space The office was fundamentally his re- as a consequence of the Joad’s journey, treat - an orderly sanctuary, paneled which does not exist in the case of Hol- in walnut veneer, where, surrounded comb city at a first moment, allows these by weather barometers, rain charts, a characters to develop a social view that pair of binoculars, he sat like a captain they were not equipped with in the begin- in his cabin. ning. Tom and his relatives, enclosed in

(Capote, 2000, p. 40) their low social position, adopt a different world vision after the disintegration of The rising social position of Mr. the family. From this situation, it becomes Clutter – especially important in the con- possible to place the individualized char- text of an isolated city – maximizes the acters into a bigger structure. crime previously described. In a certain It is important to say that Herbert passage, one resident of Holcomb ques- Clutter is the only Clutter member able to tions himself about justice. leave the small city after the marriage of his two daughters. However, the travels How was it possible that such effort, mentioned by the narrator are provoked such plain virtue, could overnight be by the demand of money, in order to main- reduced to this - smoke, thinning as it tain Clutter’s social position. Differently rose and was received by the big, anni- from the Joad family, Mr. Clutter does not hilating sky. acquire the same social consciousness as

(Capote, 2000, p. 111) in Steinbeck’s novel. As well as the other citizens in the context, the social differ- Furthermore, the ignorance and ences are ignored: indifference of these citizens in relation to people from other class is clear. Many Without exception, Garden Citians times, the posture adopted attempts to deny that the population of the town avoid the social tensions: can be socially graded […] but, of course, class distinctions are as clearly

he was known for his equanimity, his observed, and as clearly observable, as charitableness, and the fact that he paid in any other human hive good wages and distributed frequent (Capote, 2000, p. 59) 28 literature

Another interesting detail in Clut- take the murderers in an opposite per- ter’s configuration is the figure of Nancy. spective. Both Perry and Dick are char- Suffering depressive mental disorders, acterized through their constant move- she develops an important function as ment in the American territory. In a first a spatially fixed character and demon- approach, the characters are described strates the instability in a structure that as poor people, which are obliged to con- seemed fixed and stable at a first moment. stantly travel in order to survive: Her social function in the husband’s absence causes insecurity, the character until Mrs. Meier explained that the cats cannot execute the actions required. were hunting for dead birds caught in the vehicles’ engine grilles. Thereafter (…)when her husband was off on one of it pained him to watch their maneu- his business journeys she was continu- vers: ‘Because most of my life I’ve done ally expected, in his absence, to supply what they’re doing. The equivalent (...)

snap judgments concerning the affairs (Capote, 2000, p. 327) of the farm, and it was unendurable, a torment. What if she made a mistake? In this case, the journey per- What if Herb should be displeased? formed by Perry and Dick is provoked

(Capote, 2000, p. 53) triggered by their social condition, but its aim is not only the need for better mate- These individual and social con- rial conditions. In this sense, the reasons flicts are repressed by the order and sta- are similar to the ones in As I lay dying. bility brought in the city’s descriptions. In such Faulkner’s novel, the social con- These tensions are revealed when the dition of the Brundrens is similar to the crime disestablishes the superficial rela- murderers’ in In cold blood, and there is tion between the citizens. Consequently, a mixture of interests among the charac- the sphere of Holcomb is modified “An- ters. Maria Irene Ramalho de Sousa San- other reason, the simplest, the ugliest, was tos argues that that this hitherto peaceful congregation of neighbors and old friends had suddenly to No corpo morto de Addie, ou seja, na endure the unique experience of distrust- promessa feita à morta de lhe enterrar ing each other” (p. 121). When the figure of o corpo em Jefferson, se projetam os the murderers Perry Smith and Richard anseios das diferentes personagens do Hickock appears, the conservative space romance. O enterro de Addie é, assim, a of the city is invaded “Or did, until, as she viagem do mais secreto desejo de cada complained, Clutter thing came along,” um, realizado ou não” bringing with it “all these out-of-towners, (Santos, p. 168) all this newspaper fuss” (p. 112). Considering these commentaries This way, Perry and Dick face sev- about Clutter’s family, it is important to eral obstacles during their lifes, and the 29 revista YAWP

journey becomes a consequence of their cial position, which motivates his actions loneliness, difficult material situation – in the novel: ‘his lonely, mean life’ (p. 224) - and individual interests. These feelings seem to be overcompen- Moreover, the aforementioned sated for by dreams of being rich and journey seems to have a substantial sim- powerful, a tendency to brag about ilarity in relation to Twain and Steinbeck his exploits, spending sprees when he novels. In Huckleberry Finn, for example, has money, and dissatisfaction with there is a kind of desertion in relation to only the normal slow advancement he the society represented by Miss Watson. could expect from his job

The protagonist is in conflict with the so- (Capote, 2000, p. 364) ciety where he lives and the presence of disbelief about the chances of transform- These aspirations are present, in ing the social spaceis made clear. Maria a different level, when it comes to Perry’s Irene argues that configuration. However, his desires seem to belong to another order and his lonely trata-se de uma viagem que levará childhood is an important factor to ex- Huck do estabelecido, do cruel, da civ- plain it. Perry develops a strong sense of ilização de Miss Watson, de tudo o que loneliness, which is evident in the contin- reprime para o desconhecido, não civi- uous descriptions of spaces occupied by lizado, e que por ser novo é simultane- the character. The end of the narrative, amente excitante for instance, is marked by his absolute

(Santos, p. 156) isolation in the prison sphere ‘this establishment, officially called the Segregation In The grapes of wrath, the family’s and Isolation Building, constitutes a pris- condition requirres them to travel across on inside a prison’ (p. 381). the country and there is always an uto- It is important to say that Perry’s pian vision of a better place, represented loneliness is also associated to his diffi- in the image of a harmonic California. cult social conditions. In a certain pas- Throughout the narration, the family, as sage, the character points out his family well as the initial dream of finding an aus- difficult situation, which caused them to picious place to live, failed in many levels, keep moving out ‘we were always what but the characters can transform their as- you would call semi-poor. Never down pirations according to the developments and out, but several times on the verge of of facts. it’ (p. 343) Up to a certain extend Perry and Another interesting topic in In cold Dick carry the same discomforts towards blood, also present in the other three nov- the social environment and show hope els, is the frustrated forms of resistance in for change. In Dick’s case, the character relation to the unequal social conditions. evinces a desire for occupying a higher so- In fact, the journey itself represents, in 30 literature

The grapes of wrath and Huckleberry Finn, where he is serving a thirty-year sentence an attempt to find a way of facing the op- for armed robbery’ (p. 352). pressive society and social needs. In As I Furthermore, the element of space lay dying, the motifs vary according to the is an important element in the represen- character and their individual point of tation of these frustrated attempts of re- view, represented by the fragmented as- sistance. The utopian California in The pect of the novel – including the space el- grapes of wrath becomes a disappointed ement. In every way, the reflections about destiny; in Huckleberry Finn, the returns to the contradictions of modernization and Miss Watson’s house indicates a contrast the permanence of social class tension between a frustratedly-constructed soci- work as a way of imposing resistance. ety and continuous hope for a new Amer- In Capote’s novel, this form of re- ica of dreams; and the status of space in sistance is present in the behavior of the As I lay dying along with other formal el- excluded characters, best represent by ements, function as an incomprehensible Perry and Dick. The attempt of stealing and oppressive element of power, absorb- is recurrent through the novel, which ing and separating the characters from reinforces the idea of resisting to the eco- each other. nomics system, in which they occupy a In cold blood gives a similar sense peripheral position. The crime described of deception in relation to it. The absence in a meticulous description also works in of a place where the character can reach the same way. works as a symbol of their continuous All that belonged to him, Dick, but he and irreversible social position. The desti- would never have it. Why should that nation of the journey excludes the charac- sonofabitch have everything, while he ter in question as a social element. had nothing? Why should that “big- shot bastard” have all the luck? With a Anyway, he couldn’t see that he had knife in his hand, he, Dick, had power “a lot to live for.” (…) What was there

(Capote, 2000, p. 252) to look forward to? He and Dick were “running a race without a finish line” However, In cold blood demon- - that was how it struck him. And now, strates how far the insoluble aspect of after not quite a week in Miami, the the economic environment can reach. long ride was to resume. (…) So tomor- The frustrated results of these attempts row, with only twenty-seven dollars are represented by Well. Upon denounc- left of the money raised in Kansas City, ing his colleague Dick, Well tries to solve they were heading west again, to Texas, his own financial problem. Nevertheless, to Nevada - “nowhere definite.” the oppressive and exclusionary social (Capote, 2000, p. 254) system keeps him in the same position ‘at present he is a resident of Mississippi In this sense Maria Irene in her State Prison in Parchman, Mississippi, analysis of Huckleberry Finn, reveals that 31 revista YAWP

there is a ‘denúncia perfeita da contradição ican society. The crime brought up by entre a utopia e a ocupação sócio-econômi- Truman Capote reveals a complex system ca do espaço, entre a promessa do lugar e of social exclusion and its consequent os conflitos sociais de classe e raça’ (San- repressive violence which, in a diverse tos, p. 167). This thought seems to approxi- and multifaceted way, has direct relation mate the four novels and their usage of the with the other three novels. The recurrent element of space as a representation of the usage of journeys and contingent spaces frustrated form of resistance. in these novels represents, in a broader Overwall, in light of what has been sense, a deep feeling of disappointment analyzed, it is possible to affirm that the in relation to society and also depicts an element of space is crucial when it comes operant system of social exclusion from to the social conflicts of the north Amer- which the characters try to escape in vain. Y

Bibliography

Capote, Truman. In cold blood. New ratura americana. Disponível em York: Penguin Twentieth-Century Classic,

Castilho, Maria Teresa Lobo. Da Sentido%20na%20Literatura%20Ameri- impossibilidade de “voltar” à América. Di- cana.pdf> Acesso em 4 de julho de 2013.

sponível em Acesso em 4 de wrath. New York: Penguin, 2011.

julho de 2013. Twain, Mark. The adventures of

Dimas, Antonio. Espaço e romance. São Huckleberry Finn. New York: Random Paulo: Série Princípios, Editora Ática, 1985. House, 1885.

Faulkner, William. As I lay dying. Voss, Ralph F. “A legacy of style” London: Vintage Books, 1998. In: Truman Capote and the legacy of In Cold

Santos, Maria Irene Ramalho Blood. Alabama: The University Alabama de Sousa. Lugares de sentido na lite- Press, 2011.

32 1 Olívia Fortes is Pirate Grace – How American Values, an undergraduate Capitalism and Brecht are Developed in student at the University of São Lars Von Trier’s Dogville Paulo. E-mail: Olívia Bueno Silva Fortes¹ oliviabsfortes @hotmail.com

Abstract: The present paper aims to study Lars von Trier’s 2003 filmDogville taking into consideration the criticism of American culture and capitalist values present in the film, to observe how the two main characters are developed throughout the narrative, as well as to propose a comparison between von Trier’s film and Brecht’s poem “Pirate Jenny”. Keywords: Lars Von Trier, Dogville, Brecht, Capitalism.

Pirate Jenny – Seeräuber-Jenny Lyrics: Bertolt Brecht/Marc Blitzstein

1 You people can watch while I’m scrubbing these floors And I’m scrubbin’ the floors while you’re gawking Maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell In this crummy Southern town, in this crummy old hotel But you’ll never guess to who you’re talkin’. No. You couldn’t ever guess to who you’re talkin’. Then one night there’s a scream in the night And you’ll wonder who could that have been And you see me kinda grinnin’ while I’m scrubbin’ And you say, “What’s she got to grin?” I’ll tell you.

There’s a ship, the black freighter with a skull on its masthead will be coming in.

2 You gentlemen can say, “Hey gal, finish them floors! Get upstairs! What’s wrong with you! Earn your keep [here! You toss me your tips

33 revista YAWP

and look out to the ships 4 But I’m counting your heads By noontime the dock is a-swarmin’ with as I’m making the beds [men Cuz there’s nobody gonna sleep here, honey comin’ out from the ghostly freighter Nobody! Nobody! They move in the shadows where no one Then one night there’s a scream in the night [can see And you say, “Who’s that kicking up a row?” And they’re chainin’ up people and And ya see me kinda starin’ out the winda [they’re bringin’ em to me And you say, “What’s she got to stare at askin’ me, “Kill them NOW, or LATER?” [now?” Askin’ ME! “Kill them now, or later?” I’ll tell ya. Noon by the clock and so still by the dock There’s a ship, the black freighter You can hear a foghorn miles away turns around in the harbor And in that quiet of death shootin’ guns from her bow I’ll say, “Right now. Right now!” 3 Then they’ll pile up the bodies Now you gentlemen can wipe that smile And I’ll say, [off your face “That’ll learn ya!” ‘Cause every building in town is a flat one This whole frickin’ place will be down to And the ship, the black freighter [the ground disappears out to sea Only this cheap hotel standing up safe And on it is me [and sound And you yell, “Why do they spare that BRECHT, Bertolt, “Seeräuber-Jen- [one?” ny”, Song Lyrics in German and English. Yes, that’s what you say. Available at All the night through, through the noise [and to-do From reading Brecht’s “Pirate You wonder who is that person that lives Jenny”, we can consider the importance [up there? of both this poem and Brecht himself in And you see me stepping out in the the structure of Lars von Trier’s Dogville. [morning Firstly, it is clear from the storyline of the Looking nice with a ribbon in my hair. poem that it was a great influence in the plot of the film: a girl who is ill-treated And the ship, the black freighter by those around her keeps a secret, and runs a flag up its masthead is able to violently force revenge upon and a cheer rings the air those who abused her. Another important element is the influence of Brecht’s Epic 34 literature

Theater, which excludes one of the most there seems to be such a clear intention of basic fundamentals of ordinary theater – taking away from the audience anything and ordinary cinema: the engendering of that might interfere with the plot, or dis- illusion. The film does not attempt to cre- tract us from what is happening to the ate an atmosphere of reality, and is able to characters. Dogville is directed by a Dan- do so from the very first scenes of the film ish filmmaker who has never been to the by the use of the scenery. United States, and yet this does not seem Dogville is shot in a black studio, to be an obstacle to Von Trier’s writing where we have a blueprint of a city, and and directing a film about a society that just a few props here and there. There is has its geographical center so far away no mesmerizing horizon for the audience from him and his homeland. Indeed, to be distracted by2, no beauty whatsoever Dogville shows us how deep American 2 It is interesting to notice how in that would prevent us from focusing sole- cultural values are incorporated in what Melancholia, this ly on the plot, the dialogues and the hor- we believe to be “human nature”, how is not the case ror that is slowly being played out. easy it is for us to mistake these values anymore, the film There is, from the beginning of the as universal, how impregnated we are by is hauntingly beautiful, and film, a sense of universality, present in the them, even if we have never left our own this beauty is unidentified nature of the scenery, in the countries thousands of miles away from as terrifying as seclusion of the town, the simplicity of its Hollywood. According to Fredric James- the effect of the townspeople, which give us the impres- on, on the essay “Notes on globalization lack of aesthetic elements in sion that the story being told could have as a philosophical issue”, “American Dogville – if not happened anywhere, at any time. Dogville blindness can be registered, for example, more. does not want to create an illusion of in our tendency to confuse the universal reality, as we are accustomed to expect and the cultural, as well as to assume that from films. It seems to make use of the in any given geopolitical conflict all ele- estrangement we feel towards these un- ments and values are somehow equal and usual formal elements to emphasize trou- equivalent.” (JAMESON, page 59). bling aspects of human nature – showing The film’s plot is elaborate. It is how self-preservation instincts and re- divided into chapters that give a concise venge can take over anyone’s actions – description of what is about to happen, and also how a capitalist system excels in and the film is narrated by an omniscient exploring what is worst in our nature. Ac- narrator. In a small town near the Rocky cording to Brecht, in “Street scene”, “The Mountains, during the Great Depression, epic theatre is a highly skilled theatre Dogville begins. Tom is a young man that with complex contents and far-reaching lives in Dogville, and believes to be a writ- social objectives”3. er. Through him, we are introduced to the 3 Available at: http://bit.ly/ The choice of America as the spot other residents of the town, that he clear- tkFJsY where this apparently timeless tale is tak- ly sees as flawed and in need of guidance – ing place cannot be seen as an accidental and Tom believes he is worthy of this task. or minor characteristic of the film, as Yet, he has nothing to show to back up 35 revista YAWP

this notion, aside from his own intellectu- that what had been stopping her from al pretension. In reality, it seems that his judging them all along, the fact that they neighbors are just a poor excuse for him were poor and did not know any better, to postpone any actual writing. was no longer enough to justify their ac- One night, he hears gunshots, and tions, and mercilessly and cruelly has the the fugitive Grace arrives in the town. entire town put to death. She refuses to tell Tom the reason why The film was largely viewed by she is running away, and puts herself in critics as anti-American, and it is effort- a completely vulnerable position, telling less to think of the story as a dark illus- him that he would be greatly rewarded if tration – a word that is so many times he betrayed her and called the gangsters used by Tom – of how apparently friendly who were after her. Driven by the plea- Americans can become brutal and inhu- sure of finally having someone to hear his mane when confronted by a stranger. A advice and willing to blindly follow his di- country of immigrants, that has for cen- rections, Tom suggests that, in exchange turies received vulnerable and poor peo- for protection, she would work some time ple who had nothing to offer except their everyday for all the residents of Dogville. workforce, the U.S. have a long history of The townspeople quickly go from saying xenophobia, abuse and rationalization of that they don’t need any help at all to the this violence – all of which are present in total and cruel abuse of Grace, who takes von Trier’s film in Grace’s suffering. The it all with a martyr’s endurance. Verbal ending credits that close the film to the violence becomes physical violence, cli- sound of David Bowie’s “Young Ameri- maxing in her rape by all the male resi- cans”, the pictures of working class Amer- dents of the town, with the exception of icans from the 1930s, combined with the Tom. He just observes everything and Independence Day sequence, where all tries to rationalize his neighbor’s, and the townspeople sing “America the beau- his own, behavior – in spite of the alleged tiful”, ironically the verse “God shed His love he had for her. The vulnerability of grace on thee”, are also clear indications her position seems to give an excuse in of that the film can be seen as a critique to the townspeople’s mind to do whatever American culture. they wanted with her – because they were A strange sense of unity is devel- giving her protection. She is then chained oped by the residents of Dogville through- to a device to stop her from running away out the film. At the beginning of the sto- and, after being refused by Grace, even ry, this unity does not exist: each house Tom turns his back on her and decides seems to be detached from the other, the to call the gangsters to capture her. We townspeople are often in conflict amongst find out then that Grace is the gangsters’ themselves, and they are more individual- boss’s daughter, and by him is given the istic. But this changes with the arrival of possibility of wiping out the entire town. Grace: she supplies them the ‘other’ with- Reluctant at first, she eventually realizes out which no ‘we’ would be possible. As 36 literature they unite and become a group, Dogville the same logic as the Abu Ghraib photos. now works together against the outsider, Willis relates the incident to the KKK Grace. This has been observed in America movement, that according to her was im- time and time again; there always seems pelled by ignorance and poverty5 – the to be a new threat, a new minority, which same excuses that Grace gives to not ap- is persecuted and humiliated in order to ply the same moral standards she sets for “protect” the interest of “real Americans”. herself to the residents of Dogville. Igno- The people of Dogville believe themselves rance and poverty have been subterfuge to be virtuous – they are just doing what for racism, xenophobia, violence and seg- they can to protect themselves given regation throughout American history – the circumstances – there was no other as we can see in Willis’ text, from the KKK choice. to Abu Ghraib – and is exploited by von It is possible to draw a comparison Trier as he begins his trilogy portraying between what is depicted in Dogville and America6. Still, Grace does not comply to the situation analyzed by Susan Willis this innocence in penury until the end of in her essay “Quien es mas macho?”. Her the film: the final turn of the plot suggests focus is the photos taken by members of that people should be responsible for United States army in Iraq of prisoners their actions, that they do have a choice being tortured: “Fresh-faced American of action, and to lower moral standards girls who could easily double as Disney for people who are from a lower class or employees are shown smiling over a pile do not have a higher degree of education of naked prisoners and enthusiastically is arrogant and patronizing. This is, of giving the “thumbs up” while Iraqi men course, one possible interpretation. are forced to masturbate or simulate sex. According to Lars Von Trier: “Grace (…) Slavoj Žižek maintains that the Abu presents herself as a gift to the towns- Ghraib photos offer insight into ‘the ob- people, and that’s dangerous. It gives scene underside of US popular culture’”4 people power over you and power cor- (pg 117). The story of a simple, Christian rupts. I think that the people of Dogville and friendly community that rapes and were OK until Grace came along, just as tortures an innocent girl seems to follow America would be a beautiful country if

4 Willis’ text also deals with the relationship between sex and violence in her essay, and how these two combined have constantly been a part of American history. They also have a significant role in Dogville, for through rape the violence against Grace reaches its peak, and through it she loses her own position of human being, to the eyes of the townspeople. The narrator says: “the harassments in bed did not have to be kept so secret anymore because they couldn’t really be compared to a sexual act. They were embarrassing the way it is when a hillbilly has his way with a cow”. Sexual violence can be seen, then, as a device for lowering people, forcing a sense of inferiority.

5 Can we say that the social factors of ignorance and poverty that fueled the Klan’s growth have ever been overcome?” (Willis, pg 120)

6 Dogville is the first film of a trilogy by Lars von Trier called USA: Land of Opportunities. 37 revista YAWP

there were only millionaires playing golf. cissistic behavior is often related to very It would be a wonderful, peaceful soci- low self-esteem. Nevertheless, despite the ety, but that is not how it is, as far as I’ve fact that this sentence says so much about 7 DUPONT, been told.”7 Grace’s role in the downfall Tom, it is clear that its literary relevance Joan. “Lars von of Dogville here seems to be more than is null, still Tom carefully archives it, as Trier: Looking for America”, ever related to the figure of the foreigner, if it was worth keeping. The manner the International the outsider who, in his inferior position, narrator informs us of Tom’s ‘profession’ Herald Tribune. ends up disturbing the security of those is particularly sarcastic, as he describes it Available at who are already well settled. However, through Tom’s eyes. He sees himself as a she hides the fact that she is powerful and not done anything to earn all of these ti- rich, much more than her torturers could tles, but he firmly believes that he is in a ever dream of being. position to counsel the others, as he can The specificity of Grace’s character so clearly point out the moral failures in makes her a more elaborated and inter- all of them. esting individual, but it is also responsible Tom is remarkably arrogant when for giving the plot of the film more com- it comes to the townspeople. He disagrees plexity and depth. She is not so innocent with them at every opportunity he gets: herself and, just like the other characters, his father should listen to the news; Chuck is compelled by the environment she is in should allow the children to give Moses to make difficult and controversial deci- food; Ma Ginger should not hoe the soil as sions. In order to better understand the much and, more importantly, they should character’s motivations, we will direct all confide in him when it came to ethi- our focus to Tom and Grace, and how they cal issues. These are all things he is not are developed throughout the film. qualified to judge the others on, but still As the film begins, we are first he allows himself to do so. Tom fantasizes introduced to Tom Edison Jr’s character about being surrounded by other writers, by the narrator (that we need to keep in “great gatherings that’d listen in silence mind is exceptionally sarcastic, despite to Tom after the publication of yet anoth- his serene and nonjudgmental tone of er volume that scourged and purged the voice). He informs us that Tom is a writ- human soul”. Tom’s desire for attention er. At least he believes so: Tom has only and recognition is clear, and he would go written a small sentence – “Great or through great lengths to achieve it, but he small?” –, which by itself is the defini- preferred to postpone actual writing. tion of Tom. Regardless of the fact that The cause for Tom’s displeasure throughout the film Tom is constantly before Grace’s arrival is soon exposed. trying to make himself look greater, he Firstly, he is infatuated with Bill’s sister is aware of his insignificance. Over-nar- Liz, who despises him. She is the only one 38 literature in Dogville who intimidates Tom, and he other citizens. Tom deliberately chooses is not able to confront her and respond to to mention only negative things, to show her insults. Secondly, he feels compelled how clearly he is able to see where the to educate his neighbors on acceptance others are going wrong. and morality, which is nothing more than Another important factor is that a way to disguise his inability to write. He Tom and Grace shared ideals. As much as hopes to use the townspeople and their this was attractive to Tom at first, later on, behavior as an illustration to his work, when he is inclined to put ideals aside so hence he consciously converts the town that they can sleep together, Grace’s ide- into his own social laboratory, to provide als prove to be more powerful than his, the illustration he craved. When he meets and he eventually is unable to cope with Grace, he obtains all the tools he needed rejection. in order to start his experiment. It is unlikely that Grace was ever The reason why Grace became so more than just an instrument for Tom. attractive in Tom’s eyes is simple. Apart She fitted his purposes perfectly, always from her looks, she was on a terribly vul- agreeing with him, trusting him and his nerable position, so that from the start convictions, relying on him completely. Tom had a great amount of control over As time passed, peoples’ ethical standards her fate. Being responsible for whether began to sink lower and lower, whereas she lived or died was the gift he was hop- Grace’s dependence on Tom became high- ing for. The narrator tells us Tom felt “a er and higher. She elevated his self-worth, fine sensation of mastery… New for him and probably was responsible for increas- in terms of the opposite sex”. Liz was im- ing his confidence until Tom was strong mediately forgotten, as Grace’s vulnera- enough to betray her, when Grace came to bility and amiableness made her a much be hazardous to him. simpler object for his advances than Bill’s The fact that Tom is repeatedly sister did. putting Grace in danger validates this After Tom’s intervention in her fa- hypothesis: he exposes her to Chuck, who vor, he takes Grace for a walk around the is obviously dangerous; even though he township, showing her the houses and threatens to, he does not hinder the men describing each of Dogville’s residents. from raping her; he tells the other citizens The manner he characterizes his neigh- that she stole money from his father; all bors is extremely disdainful. They are of this before he actually turned his back all defined by short, demeaning sentenc- on her and called the gangsters, a possi- es, that are meant to make them appear bility he had on his mind all along, oth- smaller, and Tom look greater: Chuck and erwise he would have just thrown the Vera hate each other, Jack McKay pathet- telephone number away. What led to Tom ically hides in his own house, Ben drinks to turn Grace in was the fact that she in- and frequents a whorehouse, Ma Ginger cisively injured his ego. When the town and Gloria use their store to exploit the demanded that he took sides and, more 39 revista YAWP

specifically, got rid of Grace, he stood by Grace’s attitudes at the beginning of the her, for he believed this to be was the sac- film, it seems that as much as Tom is test- rifice he needed to make in order to be ing her and the townspeople, she is also gain acceptance in Grace’s bed. When she conducting a behavioral experience her- rejects him once more, accusing him of self. She had never been in touch with a being tempted to join his neighbors, Tom poor community before, and naively be- became angry, “not because he’d been lieves that they might be different from wrongly accused but because the charges the people in the city. She decides to “give were true! His anger consisted of a most herself to Tom at random, like a gift”, a unpleasant feeling of being found out!” as strange choice of action for a girl who had put by the narrator. After that, Tom quick- been involved with gangsters all her life, ly concludes that Grace was not worth and perhaps should be more suspicious threatening his professional career, or of people. The fact is that, from the start, depriving his future readers of his works. Grace is also testing Dogville, trying to fig- His behavior from this point on shows ure out how far they are willing to go for us how feigned he could be, and might her. Because of that, she does not ask for have been all along, for he is able to lie to Tom’s help after the gangsters are gone Grace’s face the next morning, and even the first time, on the contrary, she says: be affectionate to her. Later, completely “I’m sure he’d offer a big reward if you unmasked, he exposes himself to Grace told him where I was”. Instead of trying in all his cruelty, before trying to fool her to convince the town that she is reliable, one last time, when he realizes that the she tells them they really have no reason tables are turned, and now she is the one to trust her. Grace only tries to charm holding his life on the palm of her hand. them because she is told to do so by Tom, Grace’s character is responsible for and from then on she obeys his every in- Dogville’s mystery and the denouement of struction. Grace’s admiration for Dogville the film. She is superficially represented comes from the fact that they survive as a generous, altruistic person, but this under such harsh conditions and, in her notion is subverted when she opts for re- mind, that is enough to gain her compla- venge, and is responsible for the murder cence. All of the negativity that Tom sees of all the citizens of Dogville. Yet a closer in the town is irrelevant to Grace, because look at her behavior can suggest that this living like they do, they could not have was not a sudden change in her position, done any better. She can pardon their but that she was capable of doing this all faults because she has very low expec- along. Grace’s analysis will connect her to tations of them, and therefore the stan- Brecht’s poem “Pirate Jenny”, which Lars dards she sets to herself are much higher Von Trier admittedly used as an inspira- than the ones set to the townspeople, that tion when writing Dogville, and is on the can behave like animals, for they do not first page of this paper. know how to act any differently. They When giving a second glance at are inferior, irresponsible children in her 40 literature eyes, and consequently Grace vainly feels of abuse gives Chuck the encouragement that what she is doing is close to charity for raping her later. After he does, Grace work. What can be superficially seen as does not want Tom to confront him, be- generosity in Grace’s tone of voice is con- cause “even though Chuck looks strong, descension and a patronizing superiority. he is not”. His weakness is to Grace an ex- This can be observed in the count- cuse for his behavior, thus she sees no rea- less times Grace forgives, and even encour- son to discipline him. Once again, poverty ages immoral attitudes in the people of gives them the right to be uncivilized. And Dogville. Ben, for example, should not be Grace, because she did not grow up poor, ashamed of going to the whorehouse, for thinks that she should endure, for she is he should make the best of his life. This strong and well-educated, and therefore statement is extremely contrasting to is in a position to be better than them. Grace’s own behavior when it comes to sex, When Vera confronts her about as she passively allows all men in Dogville hitting Jason, Grace could simply have to rape her, but does not allow herself to be explained properly what had happened, intimate with Tom, with whom she is sup- but she chooses not to, once again test- posed to be in love. She even tells Tom that ing the townspeople’s limits. She does he can have her if he is willing to force her the same thing when Vera believes that – once again testing his reactions –but she Chuck and her are having an affair, Grace would not consent to it herself, because could have told her that she was being her ideals are too great. raped, but again she does not. After the An example of how Grace’s be- figurines are broken, Grace follows Tom’s nevolence is actually disguising her ar- advice and tries to leave town, only to be rogance is her conversation with Chuck, raped again and accused of stealing Tom after he tried to kiss her while they were Senior’s money. Instead of defending her- picking apples. He confronts her, never self from the accusations, Grace remains denying he tried to kiss her, but saying silent, and for that she is punished with that he cannot teach her without touch- the escape mechanism built by Bill, with ing her. He goes on to say that he does not the help of the entire town, one of the believe she cares for apples and, in his strongest scenes in the film. rage, he thought of turning her in if she Grace addresses the citizens one did not show him more respect. Grace’s last time, taking Tom’s advice, and final- reaction is astonishing, as she actually unemotionally reveals to them all she ly apologizes, an attitude that is absurd has been through since her arrival in considering the circumstances, and even Dogville. After she finishes her speech, gives him an excuse for acting the way he the townspeople decide that she should did: “You’ve been really alone here haven’t leave, and that Tom should do something you? You haven’t had anyone to comfort to make her disappear without letting you. And I should ask for your forgive- her ‘lies’ spread. As we mentioned before, ness”. Her disregard for this first attempt Grace rejects Tom’s attempt to sleep with 41 revista YAWP

her afterwards and confronts him about Grace’s father exposes her. He ac- being tempted to betray her. Again, we see cuses Grace of being arrogant, because her challenging him, trying to discover she forgives those she finds inferior, for how far he will go for her. Tom calls the it is in their nature to behave the way gangsters, and for some days the towns- they do. She exonerates everyone, for no- people try to pretend that everything is body could attain the same moral stan- normal. From the first morning after the dards as her, not giving them the chance meeting, Grace is suspicious, and for the to be accountable for their actions and first time actually doubts Tom. The fact is learn from their mistakes. His speech is that she could not conceive that the peo- extremely convincing, mainly because ple of Dogville could act any differently, Grace cannot defend herself from his ac- and from her behavior, we can assume cusations. She is given time to think, and that she knew what was going on. quickly realizes that if she had acted like On Brecht’s poem, “Pirate Jenny”, them, “she could not have defended a sin- the girl that is abused consciously de- gle one of her actions and could not have velops a trap to punish the people that condemned them harshly enough”, and harmed her. Jenny is not innocent in any suddenly she decides that it was her duty point, and she is plotting her revenge from to make justice, as she had the power to the beginning, even taking some pleasure do so. She now vainly takes the place of a in her own pain: she grins because she vindictive god, and believes that it is her knows there will be retribution. On the responsibility to “make the world a little third stanza, Jenny says, while making better”, by burning Dogville to ashes and the beds: “Cuz there’s nobody gonna sleep shooting every single one of its residents, here, honey, Nobody! Nobody!” – a sign punishing them for their sins. It is, there- that she knows that they are all going to fore, erroneous to believe that Grace’s de- die. Ironically, the same thing happens to cision is spontaneous and that the Grace Grace. Hours before the gangsters arrive, that burns Dogville is detached from the while making June’s bed she says “No- one from the beginning of the film. They body’s gonna sleep here”, and feels star- are both the same. Grace gave Dogville ev- tled, not knowing where the words came ery chance to abuse her, and then takes from. The sentence shows us that, even if the role its executioner. As Jenny, she is only unconsciously, Grace already knew given the choice of killing everyone: “And the decision she would make some hours they’re chainin’ up people/ and they’re later, when she was bound to meet her bringin’em to me/ askin’ me, “Kill them father. In addition, we can consider that NOW, or LATER?”/ Askin’ ME! “Kill them Grace’s relationship to the mob was a way now, or later?””. The passage emphasizes to approximate her to Jenny, as the mafia the inversion of power, how she comes may be seen as a modern equivalent of from victim to killer. In the end of the piracy, in its widespread institution of il- poem, Jenny says: “And the ship, the black legal actions and violence. freighter/disappears out to sea/And on it 42 literature is me”, a scene that is very similar to the able references to American culture and ending of the film, in which Grace leaves values in Dogville, it is very unlikely that Dogville burnt to the ground, driving off the film can be seen by a Brazilian audi- in a black car. ence, for example, and people would not It seems impossible to be indiffer- identify themselves with what is happen- ent to Dogville. The film deals with sensi- ing on the screen: the discomfort we feel tive issues and is excessively logical and from watching the film has a lot to do cruel, in a way that it does not allow us with the fact that we recognize ourselves to feel safe, which is what we have grown in the characters. This is, also, a sign of accustomed to expect from a movie: a ve- the cultural reach that the United States hicle to escape our everyday reality, not have had, but it is mainly a consequence one that makes us question our beliefs, of the capitalist system that is now pres- principles and ideals. Moreover, because ent in most of the world, shaping culture, Dogville takes this second category to ex- and creating what we consider to be “hu- treme levels, it is profoundly disturbing man nature” and “universal” because it

– but it demands our attention. Despite can be witnessed all around the world. Y taking into consideration the innumer-

Bibliography

Jameson, Fredric. “Notes on Global- Souza, Evelise Guioto de. Dogville, ization as a philosophical issue”. In: The Filme e Crítica. Master’s thesis, Universi- Cultures of Globalization. Edited by Fredric dade de São Paulo, 2007. Jameson and Masao Miyoshi. Duke Uni- Willis, Susan. “Quien es mas ma- versity Press, 1998. cho?” In Portents of the real: a Primer for

Freud, Sigmund. “Introducción del post-9/11 America. Verso, New York, 2005. narcissismo”. Obras completas, volume 14. p. 115-136. Buenos Aires: Amorrortu Editores, 1990.

Lima, Elizabeth Maria Freire de Araújo. “DOGVILLE - ou quando a vida é reduzida a um ciclo interminável de pro- Filmography dução e consumo.” In: Interface, Comunic, Trier, Lars Von. Dogville. France, Saúde, Educ, v8, n15. March 2004. p. 393-396. Lions Gate Entertainment / California

Safatle, Vladimir. “A ética do sacri- Films. 178’, 2003. fício em Gibson e Von Trier”. Available at: Saif, Sami. Dogville Confessions. . November 2, 2011. fornia Films. 53’, 2003.

43 The Grey and the Green: Aspects of Escapism and Environment in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien 1 Undergraduate Eduardo Boheme Kumamoto¹ student of English at University of Sao Paulo (USP) email: eduardo. Abstract: In this paper I discuss how the British writer and scholar J.R.R.Tolkien, kumamoto@ who has frequently been labelled as ‘escapist’, can and should be seen as an author aware usp.br of the problems of the 20th century. The core of the study consists of an approximation between his biographical and fictional elements concerning the theme of nature, having in mind the representative images of the Tree and the Machine and their implications. The addressing of these questions leads to the conclusion that escapism in Tolkien is a form of resistance, which allows, up to some extent, a political understanding of his works. Keywords: Tolkien, Escapism, Environment, Politics

Introduction uch has already been said about the stigmatization of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien Mas an author who, when not indifferent to his time, tried to flee from it. There- fore, I will here make only an account of main considerations about this paramount problematic. The critics who have put Tolkien under the label of escapist had reasons to do so. Not only is the fantastic genre in literature considered the escapist one par excel- lence, but also the surface of his works provides enough argument for such an opinion. Moreover, Tolkien’s own deliberate defence can be easily understood as the outright confession of what they regard as a literary crime:

[…] I do not accept the tone of scorn or pity with which ‘Escape’ is now so often used: a tone for which the uses of the word outside literary criticism give no warrant at all. In what the misusers of Escape are fond of calling Real Life, Escape is evidently as a rule very practical, and may even be heroic.

(Tolkien, 2006, p.148)

However, it is now a consensus among the experts that his works should not be taken as “escapist” in the pejorative sense. Two of these great experts, though not entirely consonant in other respects, converge to this one point: for Verlyn Flieger (2000, p.6), “his work could not have spoken so powerfully to his own century if he had completely succeeded in escaping it.” Accordingly, Tom Shippey (2001, p.xxvii) claims that Tolkien was “responding to the issues and anxieties” of the 20th century. 44 literature

Two World Wars, the ascension of became part of an idealised but lost past: Nazism and Fascism, the rule of six dif- in 1900, the family moved to industrial ferent monarchs in England: as a witness Birmingham, and this clash between the of such events and many others in more pacific rural England and the overcrowd- than eighty years of life, Tolkien could ed city, says Carpenter (ibid., p.43), was not be alienated to his surroundings, and rapidly felt: “trams struggling up the hill, certainly not unaware of political issues. the drab faces of passers-by, and in the Some of his opinions on Nazism, Fascism, distance the smoking factory chimneys Communism, Gender and so forth can of Sparkbrook and Small Heath.” be found scattered throughout excellent Birmingham played an important books with biographical content, but in role throughout the Industrial Revolution this article I intend to deal with another that took place in England from the 18th issue that has been widely discussed in century, and Tolkien’s move from Sare- recent decades: environment. hole to this city happened some fourteen In spite of Tolkien’s suspicion years before the end of what has been about the overlapping critics made of his conventionally called the Second Indus- life and his fictional work, their proximity trial Revolution. Among the technologies in the question of environment cannot be that were consolidated during this phase overlooked. Thus, this article will feed on was the internal combustion engine. this proximity, by means of a description “How I wish the ‘infernal combus- of both aspects and the establishment of a tion’ engine had never been invented. Or relation between them, so that in the con- […] that it could have been put to rational clusion I will try to explain how this mat- uses — if any.”, remarked Tolkien in one ter can be ultimately regarded as political of his letters (id., 2006b, p.77). He had such (however subtly) in its implications. a rich imagination that even this contempt for cars served as a fictional matrix to him: a car was a “supporting actor” in It had begun with a leaf… Mr. Bliss, a children’s book invested with In search for Tolkien’s relation Tolkien’s own lack of skill in driving the with nature, the biographical records lead automobile he bought in 1932. us straight to Sarehole, a hamlet near Bir- Besides technological progress, mingham to which John Ronald moved the chief notion we nowadays have of pol- with his mother and brother in 1896. lution is also a product of the Industrial Humphrey Carpenter (2002, p.35) notes Revolution, when great loads of coal were that “The effect of this move on Ronald used to feed the voracious machines. How was deep and permanent. Just at the age ironic it is that Tolkien’s love for the Welsh when his imagination was opening out, he language, which was later to become im- found himself in the English countryside.” portant to his legendarium, should have This period of his life is easily ro- been awakened by the inscriptions on coal- manticised, especially because it soon trucks during his period in Birmingham. 45 revista YAWP

There was something of an Arca- Gondor, Niggle’s tree, the Birch in Faery; dian2 in him. Warren Lewis, C. S. Lewis’s even the sparse, incipient trees on the brother, recollected in his diary an an- mountains of the Dark Land of Mordor: 2 The reference ecdote which tells how Tolkien, strolling the recurrence and relevance of this image here is to with a group in Oxford, spotted some throughout the books is so noticeable that the literary movement deer: “Tolkien swept off his hat to them the Tree has become one of the strongest, that arose in and remarked ‘Hail fallow [sic] well met’” if not the strongest symbol of his works. some European (id., 2006a. p.56). There certainly coexist- And it was not only in fiction: many of his countries in ed in him both Arcadian values of fugere finest drawings are depictions of trees (cf., the 18th century, called Arcadismo urbem and locus amoenus. Once again the for instance, the Tree of Amalion); his letters in Portuguese, issue of escapism emerges: was it possible are full of references to them. Even the last and which to escape from City in a physical world, in picture took in his life shows him in front cherished the “Real Life” as it were, when City was de- of one of his favourite trees in Oxford. simplicity and temperance of vouring whatever stood on its way? Was As it occurred with nature as a a pastoral life. there any familiar locus amoenus remain- whole, the destruction of trees was a sor- It is roughly ing? In Tolkien’s case, the answer seems row for him, and he found “human mal- equivalent to no. He did return to Sarehole in the 1930’s, treatment of them as hard to bear as some what is called Neoclassicism but Sarehole was not there anymore. At find ill-treatment of animals” (ibid, p.220). in English (or least not the one he used to know, with its When a large poplar tree of his acquain- perhaps a branch new and numerous buildings. tance (and “acquaintance” is an appropri- of Neoclassicism All nature, its importance and ate word) was suddenly cut down, he re- rather than an equivalent), gradual disappearance, was summarised, marked, grieved: “I do not think it had any but the word for Tolkien, in the Trees. Some justifica- friends, or any mourners except myself ‘Arcadian’ is tion is necessary. In a letter to his son and a pair of owls” (Tolkien, 2001, p.vi). more appropriate Christopher (id, 2006b, p.91), he said that Of course, against what is “nat- to the present discussion than spacious, barren lands, such as those he ural” stand “artificial” things. For him, ‘Neoclassical’. used to see as a small child in South Afri- artificiality was epitomised in the afore- ca, stirred deeply his heart, and that if this mentioned machines; the polluting, noisy kind of landscape did not exist, he would devices, which supposedly saved labour, be left with a hatred for green. But the de- but ended up creating “endless and worse light in barren grounds does not under- labour”, as he himself asserted (Carpen- mine the role of Trees in his imaginarium, ter, 2006b, p.88). as long as they are natural and not a prod- Nor was this the kind of thing uct of human hands. In this sense, even de- enjoyed by the hobbits, a rustic folk void, sandy grounds can be circumscribed who “do not and did not understand or within the range of the arboreal image. like machines more complicated than a To mention some examples, the forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand- Ents in Fangorn forest, the Two Trees in loom […]” (Tolkien, 2008a, p.1). Valinor, the Fragrant Trees in Númenor, Christopher Tolkien commented the Mallorns in Lórien; the White Tree in in a documentary3 that, for his father, 46 literature machines represented coercion and dom- the proud and powerful elvish prince; the ination. This may be interpreted in two jealous elf and courtier, Saeros: they all be- ways, both of them correct: the domina- long to a higher rank in their spheres, but tion of Men over Nature, the main scope suffer some kind of disparagement. of this paper, and the domination of Men Therefore, the roles of superior 3 J.R.R.T.: A Film Portrait of over Men. Tolkien dealt with the latter on and inferior personae are inverted, and the J.R.R.Tolkien was a basis of inversion and dissipation that nefarious domination is dissipated, gener- a documentary can be explained by means of examples. ating a period of appeasement in the final produced in 1992, One of themes that most moved scenes which, however, does not configure the centenary of his birth. him was the aggrandisement of the seem- an altogether “happy ending”, at least not ingly unimportant people before the in a permanent sense: in Tolkien’s litera- course of History, and his hobbits are the ture, Evil works in cycles, and though it greatest representatives of this theme. can be kept at bay, it cannot be fully elimi- Farmer Giles of Ham, the protagonist of nated, since its seeds will ever grow again. a homonymous story published in 1949, The land of the hobbits, called also evinces this kind of ennoblement. It The Shire, seems to be consolidated in is noteworthy that Giles is sometimes re- people’s minds as an earthly paradise. But ferred to as a “churl”, a word which is in- this image can be deceitful, particularly for serted in the semantic field of “rustic” and those whose appreciation of Tolkien goes can also be used pejoratively. no further than Peter Jackson’s film trilo- Thus, both terms show how the gy. By the end of The Lord of the Rings, the “unimportant” characters were at times Shire has gone through a drastic change: related to rural landscapes, and yet they “An avenue of trees had stood there. They were the ones who carried the potential to were all gone. And looking with dismay change radically the lives of many and as- up the road towards Bag End, they saw a cend socially: Farmer Giles becomes king; tall chimney of brick in the distance. It was Meriadoc, Peregrin and Samwise, three of pouring out black smoke into the evening the main hobbits in The Lord of the Rings, air” (id., 2008b, p.1314). the latter being a gardener, eventually The degradation of the Shire is but achieve high social positions. Frodo’s tra- a glimpse of what the whole world began jectory is also upwards, since he is grant- experiencing long before the time of The ed the transcendent right of sailing over- Lord of the Rings: according to Tolkien’s seas never to return. legendarium, we live in Arda Marred, the On the other hand, there are plen- world disfigured by Evil. Take, for in- ty examples of “great” characters being stance, another fragment that pungently portrayed in a moral and physical process depicts the corruption in nature: of debasement. The greedy king of Farmer Giles of Ham; the arrogant king of Númenor, Where once the fair pool of Ivrin had Ar-Pharazôn; or Gríma Wormtongue, the lain in its great stone basin carved by deceitful advisor to the sovereign; Fëanor, falling waters, and all about it had been 47 revista YAWP

a tree-clad hollow under the hills, now subordination. To overthrow enormous [Voronwë] saw a land defiled and deso- areas of forest and put a pasture instead late. The trees were burned or uproot- or to disrupt fragile aquatic ecosystems so ed; and the stone-marges of the pool as to build hydroelectric stations are fla- were broken, so that the waters of Ivrin grant illustrations of how the ends over- strayed and wrought a great barren come by far the means. Only that these marsh amid the ruin. All now was but a ends are perhaps not the best ones. Many welter of frozen mire, and a reek of de- “hindrances to progress” had to, have cay lay like a foul mist upon the ground. to and will have to be sacrificed in this (id., 2010, p.49) whole process of subordination. However, one might argue that This is also indicative of how the all ended well in the Shire. It is eventual- Shire is a small illustration of the whole ly healed: Saruman is killed, trees grow world: in the above quotation, Evil is the again stronger and more beautiful, and Primordial Evil, configured in the arch-vil- the streams and rivers run clear once lain Morgoth. In The Lord of the Rings, Evil more. But, as a counterargument, every is incarnated in lesser spirits. With regard healing presupposes a wound, as much as to the case of the Shire specifically, it is every healed wound presupposes a scar, if represented by Saruman, a wizard. Wher- not a physical one, at least a scar in Mem- ever he is, Saruman promotes the destruc- ory. And Memory is, in Tolkien’s works, tion of nature in favour of machines, and the great abyss that separates a healed his deeds leave behind a trail of smoke. thing and a renewed one. As mentioned Again there is an opposition between Nat- before, “happy endings” in Tolkien’s more ural and Artificial: on one side, Saruman; serious works are often illusory. on the other, Radagast, another wizard, Another example of this distinc- whose provinces are the plants and the tion, in a simplistic way, are the immor- animals. Saruman holds for him great tal characters, the Elves, who can “die” by contempt and refers to him as “the Sim- means of violence or grief but are able to ple” and “the Fool”, words that carry a se- reincarnate with the same memories and mantic relation with “Churl” and “Rustic”. without the sorrow they once bore. They Besides his fondness for machines, are, in this way, healed, but not new. The he is known within the books for the per- same occurs with the Shire. suasive power of his voice. Concerning his We end up with the same ques- speeches, Tom Shippey makes a brilliant tion: is there any familiar locus amoenus assertion (2005, pp.135-136): “Saruman remaining for the hobbits to return to? talks like a politician”, and in his claptrap The answer is still no. Not while Memo- he betrays, among other things, a defence ry lingers. Tolkien’s Shire does not owe of the “subordination of means to ends.” to Sarehole its origins alone, but also the Why, contemporary world can feeling of an irremediable loss. It is “long be largely described as a product of such ago in the quiet of the world, when there 48 literature was less noise and more green” that The rejects it, either in political and supra-po- Hobbit begins, but that is not how The Lord litical levels. This is one plausible way of of The Rings is closed. In the end, the fate looking at it. However, one can see es- of the Shire is to be green but stained with capism also as a form of resistance, and the specks and the memory of grey. a most “heroic” one, as he put it. By finding his way into ancient times, Tolkien projected in literary form the values that Conclusive remarks he wanted to see restored, and also, in he title of the second session, “It had opposition, reinforced which elements in Tbegun with a leaf…”, is a direct refer- his contemporary society should be dis- ence to the short story Leaf by Niggle, pub- missed, despised and disposed of. lished in 1945. In this allegorical piece, In other words, it is not a simple the painter Niggle begins his magnum escape, a mere nostalgic trip, but a fiction- opus with a leaf, which then evolves to a al revisiting to the past in search for an- tree and finally becomes a whole country. swers to questions and solutions to prob- This gradation can be used to illustrate lems which then afflicted him. However, the expansion of the environment issue, these problems, rather than being solved, which began timidly but has now become acquired even greater proportions now- urgent: greenhouse effect, global warm- adays: the dragons got bigger. Therefore ing, deforestation, pollution, overgrowth Tolkien, with his literature, was offering of cities and overpopulation are some of resistance to a concrete world, and be the key-expressions of our time. Being ur- sure to understand “concrete” as an adjec- gent, such questions made their way into tive and as a noun. the agenda of politicians. Nowadays, it is Many who were eager to interpret in to be green. The Lord of the Rings in a political, engaged Of course politics is not exclusive perspective, did so by means of wrong and to politicians. Literature, for example, has easily refutable premises, say, “The Lord of always played a decisive role as a politi- the Rings is an account of World War II in cal tool. One may ask, however, if engagé fantasy form,” and “Tolkien was a racist”. literature is the most efficient of tools. There are more down-to-earth ways to Shippey (ibid., p.371) holds it is not: “it is search for this kind of content. the fantasists like Orwell or Golding or To exalt nature and loathe ma- Vonnegut or Tolkien who have been con- chines, for example, was a subtle politi- fronting the fearful and horrible issues of cal response to one of the anxieties of his political life, while the E. M. Forsters and time. But that was not the only concern John Updikes stayed within their shel- in his mind. He himself recognised that tered Shires.” “there are other things more grim and For the last time, I put the ques- terrible to fly from than the noise, stench, tion of “escapism” on the stage. Shippey’s ruthlessness, and extravagance of the in- interpretation is that Tolkien ultimately ternal-combustion engine. There are hun- 49 revista YAWP

ger, thirst, poverty, pain, sorrow, injustice, diction. But the point is that if this char- death.” (Tolkien, 2006, p.151) acteristic was generalised, it would be Readers of this article may have overexploited and, as a consequence, the reached this point with the impression richness of his stories would be reduced. that Professor Tolkien’s work is a collec- Therefore, it is better and more profitable tion of Manichaean dichotomies: green to think that there are political concerns and grey; Natural and Artificial; Trees and indeed, which are strewed throughout his Machines; simple people versus powerful narratives in a way that allows them to people; Radagast and Saruman. Another be recognised and/or interpreted as such, article would be necessary to explain why but also preventing the work from being this is not true as a general rule, but if read- merely propagandistic. ers think so, they are not to be blamed. In To say that Tolkien was an en- fact, an impression of dichotomization, vironmentalist, or an activist (a word however false it may be, is also reflected laden with political implications), or a by politics; a battlefield for the Left and “tree-hugger” is preposterous to anyone the Right. With the only difference that more or less familiarised with his life. On the Evil one is always… the other one. the other hand, it would be even less ac- After all, is politics everything ceptable to think that he must be regard- in Tolkien’s works? And is it a pervasive ed as a “détaché-entertainer”, someone feature? Not likely. Under the light of this who wrote exclusively to delight the gen- exposition, the word politics itself, derived eral public, a stranger in his own world

from polis, “city”, would be even a contra- and to his own time. Y

Bibliography ______. The Road to Middle-earth. Carpenter, Humphrey. The In- London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2005.

klings: C.S.Lewis, J.R.R.Tolkien, Charles Wil- Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings: liams and their friends. London: Harper The Fellowship of the Ring. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006a. Collins Publishers, 2008a. ______. J.R.R.Tolkien: a Biography. ______. The Lord of the Rings: The London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2002. Return of the King. London: Harper Collins ______; TOLKIEN, Christopher Publishers, 2008b. (editors). The Letters of J.R.R.Tolkien. Lon- ______. The Monster and the Critics don: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006b. and Other Essays. London: Harper Collins Flieger, Verlyn. A Question of Time: Publishers, 2006. J.R.R.Tolkien’s Road to Faërie. Kent: The ______. Tree and Leaf. London: Kent State University Press, 2000. Harper Collins Publishers, 2001. Shippey, Tom. J.R.R.Tolkien: Author ______. Unfinished Tales of of the Century. London: Harper Collins Númenor and Middle-earth. London: Harp- Publishers, 2001. er Collins Publishers, 2010. 50 The Demystification of the Figure of Genius and Sexist Stereotypes of Dominant Society in the movie Deconstructing Harry by Woody Allen Amanda Souza¹ 1 Undergraduate student of English at University of Sao Paulo (USP) Abstract: The movie Deconstructing Harry (1997) by Woody Allen unveils the email: am_otk@ myth of the Genius, a person apart from society with “natural” fantastic abilities which hotmail.com could be represented by the writer Harry Block, the main movie character. However, the “natural ability” for fiction from Harry comes from his stories lived with his ex-wives retold with different names and places in his books, so the Harry geniality is wrong. Implicitly, the movie shows how the concept of geniality from the dominant culture might be misleading. Also, the movie shows a plenty of cultural stereotypes about women, they are “turned to aggressive behavior”, they do harm towards men according to the perspective from the main male characters or they are merely a commodity to be consumed by them since the protagonist wastes his money with hookers, showing how women are objects to be manipulated by the hegemonic paternalistic society seen until today. Keywords: Woody Allen, Capitalism, Patriarchy, Geniality, Romanticism

he movie Deconstructing Harry begins with a scene of woman leaving a taxi car Tdesperately, which repeats several times along with the classical opening credits of Woody Allen movies, showing a black background and white letters. Also, they are accompanied by music, precisely a song called Twisted performed by Annie Ross. However, the song is not used as a futile accessory either increasing or manip- ulating an emotion on the movie spectator, a sad song to portray a deep sorrow felt by any movie character. The song is applied as a reflection element. Who sees the movie needs to be aware if the song corroborates or not with perspective of the main narrator in the movie, seeing what is the relation between the song and the action represented. The important issue of Twisted is how the song recovers the romantic myth of genius, a person apart from the society, who has something unique. She is locked on her own world creating, composing “masterpieces”, thinking about them and her apparently “madness” is a result of prejudice by those who do not understand her ideas and pecu- liar way of being and did not to study hard, representing the belief of capitalistic society in which the product is only a product, it exists alone, without interference, hiding the fact was done by human hands and the fabrication of these products requires oppression of dominant class upon the minorities. So a man is a man by his own, Harry did 51 revista YAWP

not finish his college to become a writer If we connect the geniality of the and to sell his books which some stories song with the geniality of Harry, this underlies sexist stereotypes about women union is “false”. The geniality discourse which will be analyzed in this essay. is relativized through the movie. It is Every statement of the song is a clear that Harry is not genius. He writes key element to comprehend the perspec- his stories inspired by his own life, there tive of main narrator and character in the are autobiographical elements which are movie, Harry Block, a writer who lives a very notable on his fiction. The woman deep crisis life which affects his writing; that appears in the first scenes is Lucy, his he does not know anymore how to begin ex-lover and sister of his last and ex-wife a story. Jane. “My annalist told me that I was right After the opening credits, we have out of my head”, this phrase is a literal scenes of betrayal by Leslie and Ken, both mention to the mind state of Harry Block, are married, and the latter is married with he is a writer and the fiction world created her sister. Then, will be known that these by himself will intrude his life. He starts scenes are filmed scenes from Harry’s to talk with characters from his novels or novel were really inspired on his betrayal living situations lived by his characters as of Jane with Lucy. Nevertheless, the story in The Actor, a story he tells to his annalist is not well disguised, even the name of the in which the protagonist, an actor who is characters. Harry just changed the name completely blurred physically and Harry of Jane to Janet. Thus, Lucy recognizes ev- will live the same situation. erything on his story, she is furious and However, as it was mentioned there are scenes in the Harry’s apartment before, the issue of geniality as import- where she tries to kill him, because Jane ant issue of the song, it appears on these discovered though the book, the betrayal phrases: of her sister and Lucy is abandoned by her husband. They say as a child I appeared a little Her dialogue with Harry is im- bit wild portant. As Lucy says With all my crazy ideas But I knew what was happening’, I knew How could you write that book? Are [I was a genius” you so selfish…you don’t give a shit “But I said “Dear doctor, I think that it’s who you destroy? “Everyone’s misery, [you instead you even cause misery… and use your Cause I have a got a thing that’s unique alchemy to turn it to gold”, “literary [and new gold” It proves that I‘ll have the last laugh [on you Although she is exalted, her words ‘Cause instead of one head …I got two make sense, Harry explores what he lived, and his experiences are used to write 52 literature books and to sell them, they are worthy represent the real characters. The Harry’s profit. However, they are used not to make second wife, Joan is represented by Demi their readers learning, reflecting their Moore, an actress known by her beauty. lives, though they are used to entertain Besides, the Joan fictional seems calmer them. If we remember the text of Walter than the real one. The same is applied Benjamin, The narrator. The type of narra- with the characters that are alter-ego tor who tells his stories, he has something from Harry. to tell, because he learned with his expe- All these examples illustrate his riences and acquired some knowledge perspective; the art is a sort of “salvation”, which is passed to those who hear them. where the world which can be manipulat- Thus, if we look at Harry, he is not this ed through characters, plot and it is nicer kind of narrator. than the real world. It shows his alien- When Lucy says “Of, course, you ation from the rest of the world. made a few stupid exaggeration”, “Ken fon- Even though he is not considered dled Leslie’s large breasts”, “You gave her himself as a genius, the way he lives is large breasts”. This indicates the Harry like a genius figure, but if see the whole modus operandi. He modifies his real expe- movie, we see how this figure is an ideol- riences in his books to be funnier, to be ogy, because everything he writes is not delighted in the common sense of what “unique” , “new” or he had an original arts should only entertain their receiv- ideas to write. ers. The scene of betrayal is settled inside As it was mentioned before, his fic- the cottage and Leslie grandma appears, tion is inspired by situations he lived. though she is blind and they talk with her Besides, he believes in geniality. while they are making sex. In real life, This can be seen in the dialogue with his we know through Lucy that this scene young son, Hilliard. Harry congratulates really happened, but it was settled on her his son when Hilliard wants to name his father’s funeral, showing how things are penis as “Dillinger”. The writer says “Dil- “nicer” in fiction than the reality accord- linger us perfect!”, “Dillinger is great!”, ing to Harry. “Dillinger was a genius in his chosen pro- When we see the characters from fession… like Willy Sutton”. the filmed scenes of his novels that appear Dillinger and Willy Sutton are in the movie, and then compare them known as American famous gangsters with the characters of “real life” from and their exceptional intelligence to com- Harry, we see physical differences. mit his crimes. They represent this figure The characters from his books of geniality, living not according to the are more beautiful physically if we think legal laws². 2 John Dillinger. Disponível em: about the hegemonic and dominant view Also, when he knows that Adair . they have nicer appearance by those who lege. He feels pride about it. Implicitly, we 53 revista YAWP

can think that as he is a genuine artist, he deal of products which are not necessary did not to study to become one. to live with. Harry, immerse on his nar- The manner Harry lives, alone and cissism, he will not accept that his last desiring that life conspires according to girlfriend who abandoned him to flirt his his wishes, makes him to live immerse on friend, Larry. As he knows that he will be his narcissism. When he tells one of his honored by the Adair University, he invites stories, the Actor to his annalist, the end of Fray, but the homage date is concomitant the story is the actor’s family using glasses with her wedding with the “devilish” Larry. to deal with his new way of being, since he One of his stories, when he talks became physically a blurring figure. about the marriage with his second wife When the annalist says to him and mother of his only child, it is clear he “You expect the world to adjust… to the dis- blames her in relation to their relation- tortion you’ve become”. He is not wrong in ship was not successful, because her “ex- this affirmation. Harry became a selfish aggerated Jewish beliefs” and her mother- man, spending his money with hookers, hood makes them “never socialize”. because with them he does not need to Trough his stories, the problems conquer them, he just pays, as he says occur not because of him. The “others” “You don’t have to discuss Proust or films” cause his problems. with them. Peter Bailey clarifies this idea: His life is without meaningless and coherence. He compensates this with The central defect of Harry’s work, hookers and pills, showing an element of clearly, is the cardinal defect of his life: contemporary life. As says Girgus (2002): narcissism. Because it is so busy indicating others for what Harry believes Deconstructing Harry proposes con- they have done to him, his work never comitant crises in our culture of mind, moves beyond the closed circle of ego- morality and psyche. Allen presents a tism to register the reality or complexi- world, according to Harry Block, of in- ty of other lives. Therefore, his charac- coherence, fragmentation, and distor- ters are caricatures expressing Harry’s tion that defies human understanding. resentment at their models’ refusals to As Harry lives in this world, morals fulfill his desires.

and values become arbitrary. (…) In the (Bailey, 2001) absence of coherence, belief, and certi- tude for Harry, forces and institutions His egocentrism will make him of pornography, perversion, and power to a weird road movie, with a proposal of converge to define the current social searching meaning of life in the homage and cultural condition. to him from a University he studied, but he did not finish the course there. To compensate their meaningless He kidnaps his son from her ex- lives, the capitalistic society buys a great wife; he takes the hooker Cookie and his 54 literature friend Richard who has a heart disease to the University, there are flashbacks to- with him. gether with filmed scenes from his books. Through his journey, he goes to his Other important aspect in the sister house. She is strictly Jewish and he movie is how the characters use their does not accept that she became a religious intellectual apparatus superficially. Har- person as she says to him “Because it always ry comments about Freud with his son enraged you that I returned to my roots”. “Freud said the most important things in However, she is the character most life… ate the work that you chose and sex” next to understanding Harry. His absence He left behind a plenty of issues of parameters to live and how he compen- from Freud’s work, the historical context sates it: “You have no values. Your life...it’s of his studies about sexuality and other nihilism, cynicism, sarcasm and orgasm.”, important aspects are not mentioned. He “He’s betting everything on physics and justifies he likes sex because Freud said pussy. He has no spiritual center”. this. In the moment that he cannot un- He talks that “When I was young- derstand anymore what he lives and sees er, it was less scary... Waiting for Lefty than in the world and so rooted on physical it is Waiting for Godot”, he just say this experience and how he believes in this without purpose or what is the reason he world which cab “touchable”, this makes says this. him to have “the block” of his last name Fray says to him that their rela- in his work. tionship was like “Henry Higgins and This “block” not only appears on Eliza Doolittle”, characters from the play Harry, though also in the construction Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw. The play of the movie. There are fast abrupt cuts story tells about a phonetic teacher who from a frame scene to the other. The scene tries to attenuate the cockney accent which we see Richard coming to Harry for from the flower girl Doolittle and make the first time, the camera does not capture her to look like as if she was a Duchess, a the whole action of Richard’s walking to- member of High Society. Fray just under- wards Harry. We see Richard appearing lies the fact of teacher – student. Harry is and going to Harry, though it is not shown a sort of a teacher to her and learned with totally this act, we see only its half of it. him. However, the play is much more the Soon, we see him talking with Harry. relation between teacher and her pupil. The movie does not have the pat- It satirizes the rigid British Class system tern of naturalism of causality between and talks somehow about the women’s from scene to the other which gives the independence.3 3 Pygmalion of impression of realism as witnessing a Moreover, the characters show Bernard Shaw. Disponível em: “real” action developing in front of us. a lot of cultural stereotypes. Amazon is . 55 revista YAWP

The woman’s position in the mov- like man who are aggressive, which is can ie is diminished as merely commodities. be considered a trace of masculinity (oth- When we see the scenes of the er stereotype). story “Death knocks”, Harvey Stern, al- At the end of the movie, his jour- ter-ego from Harry, he works in a shoe ney to Adair University is a disaster. store and wants to betray her wife. He His friend Richard dies, while Harry is talks with a co-worker who advises him talking with University about his works, to pay a hooker and go to a hotel, though he is arrested due to his son kidnapping. Harvey says that he does not have money The dialogue with the professor of enough. So, his friend says that Harvey Adair is interesting, because he assumes needs to get a borrowed apartment from his defect; he has no traces of geniality on someone else and says that he knows a his work. He confesses that everything he wonderful Japanese hooker. wrote is part of his life. While he tells the All this dialogue happens in a story of man who has his blond girlfriend commercial establishment, a shoe store. was stolen by the Devil, inspired by his The place was not chosen occasionally, story with Fray and Larry who his ex-girl- women are products as shoes. Even name friend preferred his friend instead of him, of the hooker Cookie emphasizes this fact. so accusing Larry of being the “devil” who She is a product to consume. took his girlfriend from him. When this As Sam Girgus says story is filmed, differently from the other Harry’s stories, all the characters are act- Figures, most especially women, func- ed by the same actors of “real” life from tion as such object- instruments (…) Harry. There are not traces of disguising. Whether in Harry’s imagination with Harry is lived by himself as well Larry. Leslie (Louis- Drefus) or with the pros- While Harry starts to write this titute Cookie (Hazele Godman), sexu- story ‘While Goldberg was asleep one ality in this film manifests elements night… the devil entered his apartment… of sadism and masochism, faceless abducted his beautiful blonde love… and service, domination, subservience, took her to hell’. There is a scene of a man self-depreciation, and mechanized and who is not Harry, an actor representing routinized pleasuring, all usually at sleeping in the bed with the actress who special cost do the dignity and respect plays Fray, Elizabeth Sue. for women. Larry and Fray visit him and pay

(Girgus, 2001) his bail and Harry accepts their marriage, saying ‘I give up’. Also, there are stereotypes typical However, all the facts that Har- from bourgeoisie society about woman ry had to live, in the end of the movie he personality when Larry says to Harry learned nothing from his last experiences. “Some women are turned on by aggres- He goes to his house and imagine sive behavior”, suggesting that women that finally received his homage from the 56 literature

Adair University Scholars and the charac- he is happier than the real life. The song ters of his stories are happy and cheer him. Twisted appears again, making the cyclic So Harry says that movement of movie, showing that the Harry’s perspective did not change. This, for me, is like the best dream I’ve This happy-end, if the spectator had in months”, “the happiest dream”. adheres to this perspective, probably he So, he talks about a new story, again will think that art is really “nicer than the inspired on him: “A character that’s too real world”, not an important element to neurotic to function in life… but can only reflect, to understand about many aspects function in an art. Notes for a novel. of human life which are not either are cir-

culated or told by the hegemonic power. Y The movie ends with Harry still believing that art is the ideal place, where

Bibliography BAILEY, Peter. “How We Choose GIRGUS, Sam. The Films of Woody Allen. to Distort it: Deconstructing Harry”. In: 2nd ed. Cambridge: CUP, 2002. p. 148 - 174. BAILEY, Peter. The Reluctant Film Art of John Dillinger. Disponível em: Woody Allen. Kentucky: The University . GIRGUS, Sam. “Conclusion to the Pygmalion of Bernard Shaw. second edition - Allen’s Fall: Mind, Morals, Disponível em: .

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Undergraduate student of English The Laughable Woman at University of Juliana Cunha¹ Sao Paulo (USP) email: juliana silvacunha@ Abstract: This paper analyzes the short story “The Laughing Man”, by J.D. Salin- gmail.com ger, relating it to the moment of female empowerment experienced by the United States in the context of the publication of this short story. Through this analysis, we show how the author used a story that relies basically on male characters to talk about issues that concern the woman of that society. Keywords: Salinger, abortion, feminism, American literature

riginally published in The New Yorker magazine in 1948, the short story The OLaughing Man discusses the collective rite of passage of a group of children and the young man who takes care of them. The story is driven by an unnamed narrator who reflects on a remarkable experience in his past while looking to revisit this trau- matic experience with adult eyes, trying to use what he knows at the time of the narrative to elucidate what he went through nine years before, in 1928. In this analysis, we intend to explain how social, economic and gender issues permeate a story that seems to be so simple and uncomplicated. According to our reading, this story, that apparently focuses on male characters, actually brings a powerful portrayal of the changing roles of American women from that time and their process of untying the home environment that brought consequences for both family and society organization. During his childhood, the narrator of The Laughing Man belonged to a group of 25 children who were taken care of during the afternoons, Saturdays and most national holidays by a young college student who functioned as a kind of babysitter or “full year camp monitor”. Hiring his services shows beforehand that these are presumably middle class children with busy parents. The fact that the kids have a “nanny” during the holidays gives the impression that they are slightly neglected by their families. The amount of kids — 25 for only one adult — and the young age of the caregiver reinforce the idea of the parents’ lack of heed. The group environment that is present in the story is essentially masculine not only because it is composed of boys but also because any sign of femininity and family is refuted. The physical plays and displays of aggression are often punctuated by the narrator. Early in the story, the narrator explains that when the group is in the mood for sports they prefer to go to a place where the fields are large and the “opposing team does not include a pram”: “If we had straight athletics on our minds, we went to Van Cortlandt, where the playing fields were regulation size and where the opposing team did not include a baby carriage or an irate old lady with a cane” [page 57]. This subtle comment presented as one of the narrator’s many rhetoric jokes, is decisive in our interpretation of the story: 58 literature

John Gedsudski, the “monitor”, is have access to the thoughts of the protag- the central figure of the story. While the onist and is unable to give meaning to his other boys in the group are vaguely and actions. In this aspect, he resembles other sparsely described, giving the idea that narrators that appear in Salinger’s work, they work rather as a cohesive group than such as the one from A Perfect Day for Ba- as individual characters, “the Chief”, the nanafish, who also refuses to explain the leader of the Comanches — as the group meaning of the most decisive actions of calls itself — is thoroughly studied by the the protagonist. narrator. His job is to get the boys at 3 pm It is worth noting that this is a at school with his van and take them to short story that explicitly presupposes Central Park to play football, baseball or the existence of a reader and enters into whatever ball they want for the day. On dialogue with this presupposed audience, rainy days, they go to the Natural History an artifice explored by Salinger in other Museum or to the Metropolitan. works. The narrator not only speaks to John lives in Staten Island — the reader, he also makes it clear who which means that he lives in a less priv- leads this narrative by saying: “I’m not ileged area than the boys, who live in saying I will, but I could go on for hours Manhattan — and combines his “nan- escorting the reader — forcibly , if nec- ny” activities with his role as a law stu- essary — back and forth across the Par- dent at the New York University [NYU]. is-Chinese border.” [page 61] He was also a baseball “star”, something As the narrator explains his pow- that may have facilitated his entry into a er as a storyteller by stating that he could private university. As far as his physical be “escorting the reader forcibly, if neces- appearance is concerned, the Chief is far sary” [page 61], John Gedsudski also wields from being the best looking guy that ever power over the group of children through walked the Earth — he is short, stocky creating a mythology that indirectly en- and has a broad nose — but in the eyes of hances his own figure. Of all the many the boys he looked like a heartthrob, like a skills of the “Chief”, storytelling was the movie star. The general picture is that of a most valued by the narrator. In the late young man in financial trading and with afternoon, when it got too dark to play, an exhausting workload that includes the boys went to the bus and vied for the Saturdays and holidays. best places to hear The Laughing Man’s The plot of The Laughing Man adventures narrated by John. The story drags on for months and takes the reader of the “Laughing Man” runs parallel to to a tour around New York as if they were the one of the boys and their caregiver. It aboard the van in which the characters means that the narrative of the short sto- wander. By remembering these childhood ry works in layers: in the foreground we tours, the narrator aims to unmask a piv- have an adult who remembers facts from otal moment that marked his passage to his childhood. In the background we have maturity. This narrator, however, does not the story of John Gedsudski and his boys 59 revista YAWP

walking around the town. In addition to to this affection. His greatest enemy is a this, we have the story of The Laughing French detective and her daughter, a girl Man, who works at the same time as a who is kind of pretty, but who looks “like strategy that the caregiver developed to a transvestite” [page 60]. entertain the children and as a way to im- Until this point we can notice an prove his self-esteem by projecting a more insistent — though subtle — work of is- attractive image of himself to the kids. sues related to family and femininity. It According to the narrator, the tale appears in the French girl who looks like of The Laughing Man was tailor-made for a transvestite, in the orphanage of the the Comanches and combines the fea- Laughing Man, which confluences with tures of a classic. The story has traces the boys’ condition of certain parental of famous legends such as The Phantom abandonment, in the stroller that hinders of the Opera. The only son of a wealthy the fun in the park, on the death of the missionary couple, the protagonist is kid- mother of the leader of the pack — and napped in infancy by Chinese bandits. His will be even more explicit hereafter. parents decide not to pay the ransom for The boys embrace the history of “religious conviction” [page 58], so the bad Laughter as a personal mythology. Each guys decide to torture the child to deform of them imagines themselves as a direct him and let the boy live with them, always descendant of the character, not as the wearing a mask made of poppy, so that he child of their real life parents. Family life will not scare them with his monstrous and boyish everyday activities are just a face. The Laughing Man learns the ban- scam to protect their identity as legend- dit’s secret techniques and excels them, ary bandits: turning himself into the biggest crook in the region. The bad guys became jealous I was not even my parents’ son in 1928 of his fame and decide to kill him while he but a devilishly smooth impostor, sleeps wrapped in a sheet, but they end up awaiting their slightest blunder as an killing the mother of the leader of the pack excuse to move in — preferably with- by mistake instead. To protect himself — out violence, but not necessarily — to not from death, but from hassle — the assert my true identity. As a precaution Laughing Man is obliged to lock the bad against breaking my bogus mother’s guys in a mausoleum. Then, “our” hero heart, I planned to take her into my follows committing crimes and crossing underworld employ in some unde- several times the “border” between China fined but appropriately regal capacity. and Paris. The Laughing Man becomes But the main thing I had to do in 1928 the richest man in the world, but gives ev- was watch my step. Play along with the erything for monks and lives in a hut with farce. Brush my teeth. Comb my hair. four friends — a wolf, a dwarf, a giant At all costs, stifle my natural hideous Mongolian and an Eurasian girl who is in laughter.

love with him, but he does not correspond (pp. 61 – 62) 60 literature

The driving force that stops the was Columbia, in 1983. The Seven Sisters collective farce of the Comanches is a worked as a female parallel of these elite woman. One day, the narrator enters the universities, with broad social (and mar- van and observes a strange picture of a riage) flow among their students. The uni- girl near the driver’s seat: ‘It seemed to versity attended by the protagonist, NYU, me that a girl’s picture clashed with the does not belong to this group. general men-only decor of the bus, and I bluntly asked the Chief who she was. He John justifies the presence of the photo hedged at first, but finally admitted that giving the impression it was imposed she was a girl’. (p. 62) to him: “(...) the picture had more or The entry of a female element in less been planted on him.” [page 63]. the scene is not very well received. John The word used in the story is “plant- is challenged to explain who the girl is ed”, a meaningful lexical choice to this and what she is doing there. She is Mary analysis: This word is also used in the Hudson, we learn, a former student of old metaphor of the seed planted in Wellesley College. The Chief does not tell the belly of the woman to bear a child. us what she does for a living or what the Whether it was planted or not, the pic- status of his relationship with the owner ture remains intact in the following of the photograph is, but he emphasiz- weeks, it is not swept out of the bus es that the university she attended is a along with the candy wrappers and school for rich people, everything that other traces of children presence, but John himself does not seem to be. In fact, the boys are oblivious from that un- the Wellesley College is a school for rich pleasant image and go on with their girls: it is a member of the “Seven Sisters lives and their farces: “During the next Colleges”, a collective of American univer- couple of weeks, the picture — how- sities aimed solely at women and intend- ever forcibly or accidentally it had ed as a “female Ivy League” at a time — been planted on the Chief — was not as late as 1960 — when many Ivy League removed from the bus. It didn’t go out universities did not accept women. “Ivy with the Baby Ruth wrappers and the League” is a group of eight private and fallen licorice whips. traditional universities of northeastern (p. 63) United States associated with high-quali- At one point, the owner of the ty in both sports and academia, but also picture appears. She knocks on the bus’ with an elitist and conservative spirit. The door interrupting the narration of an- term Ivy League came into use in 1954, other chapter of “The Laughing Man”, and, therefore, after the publication of all dressed in a fur coat: she arrives in- this short story, in 1949. Until the 1960s, terrupting the collective farce, the story many of the Ivy League universities ac- that has given group identity to those cepted only men in their undergraduate little men. Woodland animals were the courses. The last college to receive women first friends that the Laughing Man had 61 revista YAWP

in his life. Now, a woman in a fur coat Hudson is a girl who does not know when enters his bus. Mary Hudson is astonish- to go home. Just like the beautiful girl in ing beautiful. Throughout the narrator’s a bathing suit that the narrator would life, he only meets three women who meet years later, she has trouble nailing were irreproachably beautiful. The first her tent on the beach. The narrator is ap- was Mary Hudson. The second, a girl in palled by the refusal and stumbles on a black swimsuit that he saw struggling to third stroller. The game ends and the cou- put down her orange tent on the beach, ple does not reconcile. Mary Hudson goes when he was already an adult. The last, a away running and crying and Chief goes girl aboard of a ship tour who threw her back to the bus with his team. cigarette lighter on purpose (the Laugh- The narrator does not know what ing Man would not approve this last one). happened between them, even today, when Despite the strength of the group, which he is already an adult, he just has an “in- considers her to be a girl who “does not tuition” about what could have happened: know when to go home” (p. 64), Mary is “I had no idea what was going on between incorporated into the Comanches and the Chief and Mary Hudson (and still hav- plays baseball with them a few times a en’t, in any but a fairly low, intuitive sense), week. Their friendliness and the fact that but nonetheless, I couldn’t have been more she does not play as badly as they expect certain that Mary Hudson had permanent- helps in her acceptance. ly dropped out of the Comanche lineup”. One day, the van of the Coman- (p. 70). This intuition is not shared with the ches stops at the Fifth Avenue to wait for reader. The narrator doesn’t even try to Mary Hudson, but she does not come. assign meaning to the attitude of the pro- Feeling angry, the Chief goes away and tagonist, which seems suspicious, since the takes the kids to the park. In the middle of very purpose in telling the story was to use the game, the narrator realizes that Mary his adult gaze to understand an episode of Jane is there, watching the game from a childhood. Instead, the narrator refuses seat between two nannies with strollers. to make any kind of analysis, to raise any This is the time when baby strollers defi- hypothesis of explanation for the breakup nitely makes the opposing team. The nar- between John and Mary. From our point rator tells John about the presence of the of view, the narrator of The Laughing Man girl. He goes over to talk to her. The couple can, therefore, be classified as unreliable apparently fight. The Chief returns to the due to this retraction over the central field. Mary changes place and go to a bank event of the narrative. reserved for players. The narrator goes to Back at the bus, John brings a trag- her and invites her to join the team. She ic end to the story of the Laughing Man refuses. Then he invites her to have din- for the terror of the boys. The hero dies on ner at his house one day and says that the the hands of the detective and his “trans- Chief always goes there. She emphatical- vestite” daughter. The evildoers also die, ly refuses and asks to be left alone. Mary but not before giving out the Laughing 62 literature

Man’s best friend. It means that the char- critical is that Mary Hudson has an abor- acter does not only dies, but he dies in a tion. Frustrated by failing to protect his useless an antiheroic way, unable to give own son, John quit playing the father of protection to his friends. The tragedy is his 25 Comanches. Maybe things do not complete and thoroughly descriptive. need be that radical: the couple might When the story gets to its final point, the have just decided to put an end to the re- youngest of the Comanches hiccups from lationship when it became clear to both crying. The narrator recalls that his knees that Mary Hudson did not know “when to were shaking. He is left home in shock, go home”: she did not know how to fulfill where he receives a bureaucratic treat- her “female role”. She was displaced, had ment from his parents. ‘I arrived home problems in exercising her femininity with my teeth chattering uncontrollably as well as the other women who appear and was told to go right straight to bed’. in the plot: the daughter of the detective (p. 73) In the first version of the story, pub- who looks like a transvestite, the mothers lished in the New Yorker magazine, this of the Comanches with their eloquent ab- passage was slightly different: ‘I arrived sence, the girl who couldn’t down her tent home with my teeth chattering uncon- on the beach. trollably and had to be put to bed’. Although the end of history is left This version excludes any possi- quite open, the approach to the issue of bility of physical contact between parent women and their new roles in American and child. The narrator is now a com- society of the time is made clear in this pletely orphan since John gives up to pro- short story and Salinger —an author who tect the Comanches and surrender them is usually and quite unfairly taken as clois- to the hardness of life. What happened tered in his own subjectivity and oblivious between the couple, which probably moti- to social issues —, disclose a quite interest- vated the tragic end of the Laughing Man, ing artistic treatment of these new female is left open. One possible interpretation roles in a story that on the surface appears that has already been raised by several to be dominated by men. Y

Bibliography

Bloom, Harold. J. D. Salinger [Mod- Salinger, J. D. Nine Stories [1953]. ern Critical Views]. Chelsea House Publish- Boston: Little, Brown Books, 1991 ers, New York, 1987 Kerr, Christine. Bloom’s How to

Grunwald, Henry Anatole. Salin- Write about J.D. Salinger, Chelsea House ger, a critical and personal portrait. Harper Pub, New York, 2007 Perennial, New York, 1962

Mcduffie, Brad. Teaching Salinger’s NINE STORIES. New Street Communica- tions, Wickford Village, 2011

63 Luiz Ruffato and Aluísio Azevedo: A socio-comparison between Um Outro Mundo and O Cortiço 1 Undergraduate Laysi Praxedes Nobre¹ student of English at University of Sao Paulo (USP) email: laysipraxedes@ Abstract: This study aims to analyze the novel O Cortiço (1890), by Aluísio Azeve- gmail.com do in comparison to the “short story” Um outro mundo, from the novel O Mundo Inimigo (2005), by Luiz Ruffato. The objective here is to compare the socio-political aspects from both works through Claudio Guillén’s supranational model of comparative literature and detect how this historical background influences the content and form of these sample Brazilian literature. The supranational model b of comparative literature, from Guillén, claims that a comparison can occur when the social-economic aspects is similar to the literary works compared. I approximate the end of the nineteenth century with the 1960s and 1970s during the twentieth century, in terms of socio-economic characteristics, to show how those local and particular characteristics of our history influenced the literary work of Azevedo and Ruffato, in concern with the novels already mentioned. Keywords: Brazilian Literature, Comparative Literature, Socio-Economic aims, Aluísio Azevedo, Luiz Ruffato.

Introduction s a common knowledge, O Cortiço (1890) has been studied as a naturalistic novel Afrom the second part of the nineteenth century in Brazil. It narrates the tenement’s development – which is the main character – through the social rise of João Romão and his exploitation of Bertoleza as slave. They thus become the parents of the main character – a building – and the tenement represents metaphorically Brazil with a huge variety of characters. What I claim here is that this novel, before being considered a naturalistic work of literature, is a representation of the social-political moment in our particular history; Azevedo’s writings originates from a local preoccupation with our politics, not only a aesthetic one. The scientific ideas/philosophies in this novel came from the social practices from a generation of political agents. It was since 1890 that this “intellectual” generation, socially heterogenous, carried forward their political actions against the Brazilian imperial status quo (Alonso, 2002). According to the sociologist Angela Alonso (2002) these actions was shown in the form and in the act of write and it was made by politics and intellectuals as well. That’s why the author does not overlap culture and politics,

64 literature but she identifies the social practices of in this novel that we find Um“ outro mun- the politics/intellectuals agents and pri- do”, an excerpt that will be analyzed and oritizes these practices rather than the compared with O Cortiço. analysis from the ideas plan. Then she In “Um outro mundo”, differently comes to the conclusion that politics and from the narrative linearity of O Cortiço, intellectual activity cannot be separated the story combines two temporal dimen- from each other. sions – present and past – without a clear I also share some of Antonio Candi- separation in the life of the main char- do’s ideas in his article “De Cortiço a Cortiço” acter, and also, in a way, the narrator, Zé to this analyses. Antonio Candido (2004) Pinto. He reports to us his glorious past, claims that O Cortiço is a primary text, in nostalgically: how he has been consoli- the way that it tries to reproduce and in- dated as a capitalist, owner of rent house, terpret the Brazilian society, and a second how he has been forsaking friendships text, because of the direct influence from and passions – like his passion for gam- Émile Zola’s L’Assomoir. In this sense, at the bling and his love for Valdira – and how same time the novel reproduces the Bra- he is now in his old-age. It would be as zilian reality, it makes it with the form of João Romão’s story could continue until the French literary novel (Candido, 2004). his getting old, after his social climbing. Therefore, this Brazilian novel creates a As follows, after having situated the hybridism that reveals a compositional novels, this study proposes a comparative style between the European Naturalism analysis between these Azevedo and Ruffa- movement and the Romantics movement to’s works, already mentioned, through the of José de Alencar. As a result, the novel theoretical assumption from the Spanish becomes more thematic, in comparison to comparator Claudio Guillén (2005), who the French: because it makes the relation developed three models of literary compar- between who exploits and who is exploited ison. It will be used here the model b. coexist together, as it does to the Brazilian According to Guillén’s suprana- nature with the capital accumulation pro- tional model b of literary comparison, we cess as well (Candido, 2004). can compare two or more literary works Ruffato’s novel makes part of a lit- when the socioeconomic process and de- erary project from the author that intends velopment is common for them (Guillén, to show the Brazilian industrial history 2005). The historic component becomes from the urban proletarian point of view. relevant in this theoretical approach, The project, named as Inferno Provisório therefore the consciousness between lit- (2005-2011), with five volumes, begins to erary and social aspects is a theoretical narrate since the 1950s to the present the premise, and the analysis should combine social and personal history of our urban both socioeconomic and compositional working class. The second volume of the aspects of the narrative. series, O Mundo Inimigo (2005) is totally When Azevedo and Ruffato’s lit- situated between the 1960s and 1970s. It is erary works are compared and, as an 65 revista YAWP

extension, the nineteenth, twentieth and O Cortiço: brief considerations twenty-first centuries, in a first moment it s a photograph that reveals a reality is possible to assess the dissonance of the Afragmentation picture, even passing compositional narrative techniques. As a through the subjectivity of the photogra- consequence, an approximation becomes pher, Aluísio Azevedo’s literature also ex- possible to the way that both authors hibits the external Brazilian reality with treat a common theme: the logic of capi- his personal intellectual ideas. Those tal accumulation and social ascension in ideas were a result from the European ex- Brazilian capitalism economy. Different portation thought with the confrontation moments of our capitalism are treated with the Brazilian nineteenth century through the histories of João Romão and reality. Then his aesthetics expressions Zé Pinto. Thus Zé Pinto’s past is connected were published in journals of religious with João Romão at the end of Azevedo’s and slavers critics, pre-determining a novel; between the last decades of nine- posture that is called by Angela Alonso teenth century and twentieth century “Positivists Abolitionists” (2002). His most there is a socio-historical approximation famous novel, O Cortiço (1980) is an exam- in which permitted that the socio ascen- ple of how he re-signifies European ideas sion becomes equal to the characters. Ba- with our social reality. sically the difference between both texts, The novel takes place Rio de Janei- besides the esthetics elements, is that in ro City, in a time when the urbanization Ruffato’s work is narrated the moment process favors this kind of residence. before this social ascension and in Aze- Through the narrative of João Romão’s vedo’s novel the narrative ends with João enrichment and development of the Romão in his higher acquisitive power. tenement, from three little houses to Those decades, 1960s and 1970s, João Romão Avenue, the narrator advise carry an economic development called us that this construction, besides João Brazilian “economic miracle”. In the end Romão rent money from Bertoleza and of nineteen century the Brazilian agrar- work together with her, he also steals, ian sector was the most relevant to the “graças à circunstância de que nesse tem- country, with the service sector starting po a polícia não se mostrava muito por to grow by the first capitalists, like João aquelas alturas” (Azevedo, 2011 p.18). It Romão and in the 1960s and 1970s the was, then, from the political-economical Brazilian industrial potential starts to model from Brazil nineteenth century develop, meanly the automobilist one that made possible this kind of ascension: (Fausto, 2010). Those facts changed the through a negligent politic who permitted way of life and acquisitive power of the steals and slavery, with a private sacrifices population. because of the particular desire to become In those contexts the two narra- rich, the novel traces an economic trajec- tives are developed, justifying a compar- tory of a capitalist. The focus is how the ison between them. 66 literature process of accumulation of financial re- Foi da superação fétida destas ide- sources and capital works and what kind ias que se formou no coração vazio of result this economic system provides do Miranda um novo ideal – o título. to the oppressed, like the slave Bertoleza, Faltando-lhe temperamento próprio para who takes her own life at the end of the os vícios fortes que enchem a vida de um book after she finds out that João Romão homem; sem família a quem possa amar would to give her back to her “owners”. e sem imaginação para poder gozar com The narrative begins with a presen- as prostitutas [..] desde então principi- tation of the main character: “João foi, dos ou a sonhar com um baronato, fazendo 13 aos 25 anos, empregado de um vendeiro disso o objeto querido de sua existên- que enriqueceu entre as quatro paredes de cia, muito satisfeito no íntimo por ter af- uma suja e obscura taverna nos refolhos inal descoberto uma coisa em que podia do bairro Botafogo [...]” (idem, p.14). Since empregar dinheiro, sem ter, nunca mais, the beginning the Picture takes from the de restituí-lo à mulher, nem ter de deixá- character’s life only covers the economic lo a pessoa alguma aspects. It does not matter his subjectivity, (idem, p. 32 – 33). his past, what matters are the years that he began the process of accumulation The first part in italics reveals the that, here in this case, it was passed from motives that the character wants a noble João Romão’s boss to himself as a cycle: an title: without vicious, without love and unscrupulous accumulation cycle: imagination, what remains for him is the Desde que a febre de possuir se apoder- selfish desire to have a name and show it ou dele totalmente, todos os seus atos, to the society. It also shows a personality todos, fosse o mais simples, visavam who lives in accordance to what the oth- um interesse pecuniário. Só tinha uma ers think through the worship for to mon- preocupação: aumentar os bens [...] Aqui- ey and social convention. lo já não era ambição, era uma moléstia The character of “Um outro mun- nervosa, uma loucura, um desespero de do” is going to display this same behavior acumular, de reduzir tudo a moeda. of João Romão and Miranda. Centuries af-

(idem, p.26, 27) ter this previous novel the same Brazilian issues would be problematized by Luiz This part of the novel reveals a nat- Ruffato. uralistic description of a character; the desire to become rich that influences all his actions, like a pathologic disease. Aspects from the “Um Another character that represents outro mundo” and possible the desire to become socially important approximations with O Cortiço is the Portuguese Miranda. His desires to m outro mundo, like O Cortiço, con- have a noble title, and decide to buy a title Utains a narrative procedure that has of Baron a common practice on that time: the process of accumulation. Through 67 revista YAWP

this process it tells the story of a charac- like Miranda and João Romão’s desires. ter that is making a revision from his past. But different from them, here the old man Hence present and past are conjugated as is alone in the end of his life, finding in the same way that the narratives voices the pornographic videos his lost passion. are condensates. Some movements of the prosaic In the begging of the narrative a life, as the kitchen noise made by his house- third person narrator describes Zé Pinto maid washing the dishes and making his being awaken by a life never stop, oppos- food, as well she speaks from the house- ing his stagnation situation. There is a maid, put the short story into the present description of a man of seventy years old. of the narrative. Thus the narrative has a This description takes the mental voice pendulum image, going to the present and of the character, although there is no dia- to the past temporal dimensions. logue or speaking from Zé Pinto, the only Zé Pinto’s past is narrated as someone who speaks is the housemaid twice. thing positive to him but that he does not So after the housemaid says a robotic have anymore. All his life meant the effort “good morning”, Zé Pinto thinks: to accumulation things and has “a name”, Às vezes acreditava que Deus o like João Romão. When he tells us his sto- escolhera para semente. Já passara mui- ry he clearly assumes what kind of paper to dos setenta anos, o mundo dera tan- his wife, Maria, developed in his needs: tas voltas! e ele ali, firme, rijo, as juntas doíam de quando em quando, mais no in- Ela debruçada em cima da máqui- verno, mas era uma bobiça à-toa, a saúde na-de-costura, as pernas inchadas de de ferro [...] e o pinto, esse! não podia ver tocar pedal, para ajuntar uns trocados uma bunda que já ia despertando, enxeri- e comprar um metro de areia, uma car- do (p.173). roça de tijolo, um saco de cimento [...] E The enunciation “o mundo dera ele na labuta, pedreiro sem ser, suspen- tantas voltas e ele ali, firme, rijo”, contains dendo pouco a pouco o prumo de cada the antitheses of world that continues to parede-e-meia; puxando luz, cômodo develop and a life that is stagnated. There por cômodo, sem eletricista ser

is no action in the present because the (p. 174). presencce of this character is to remember the past between his movements of This excert is very similar to the prosaic life. The I and the world are prob- beginning of O Cortiço: like the slave lematize, like the temporal dimension. It Bertoleza, Maria helped her husband to also appears here a latent sexual desire. As become rich, making an enormous effort we read it we know that Zé Pinto married (“pernas inchadas”) to reach such finan- a Portuguese woman to have “a name”, be- cial status. Maria can be compared with cause he believes that a man is the name Bertoleza, they are both only a path that he has. But he renounced his passion to men use to get where they dream to. Also, the black Valdira to have a social position, when Mary is on the verge of death, Zé 68 literature

Pinto, opportunistically, asks her to sign a moves away from João Romão, because he document that transfers her material pos- contains a greater complexity. Zé Pinto is sessions to his name. This passage com- not only the man who wanted to get rich; pares the story with the last chapter of he lost his humanity for that and at the the tenement, in which João Romão while end of his life, his noticed it. He had other delivering Bertoleza again to slavery and desires, as passion for Valdira, which when sees committing suicide because of that, does not hold up to bring the feeling of frus- get a group of abolitionists in his office, tration for him. After all, the other is seen bringing a degree of socio-worthy. Thus, to such a character as a springboard for so- we note that the relations between both cial climb or a cliff that provides financial Ruffato’s character from Azevedo’s ones, plummeting. Maria is linked to the first ex- are permeated by the interest in increas- ample, the mulatta Valdira to the second. ing social position. Their tenants are in the middle: they can The material issue is so import- either help him with the rent money, and ant to Zé Pinto that he is described in the overthrow him with friendship and com- story by the things his possess: “Quem passion that he could nurture. ainda se lembra de Zé Pinto? O primeiro Valdira can be compared to Rita na rua a ter geladeira, quando ninguém Baiana, as João Romão to Zé Pinto: but dif- nem sonhava com isso. A ter televião [...], ferently from O Cortiço’s characters, who a ter telefone [...] a ter fogão-a-gás. Mas were overwhelmed by the place they lived para conquistar esses confortos todos, in (Brazil), Zé Pinto stands firmly by his haja tino! E tutano” (idem, p.181). Thus, Zé capitalist ideals. This also makes it back to Pinto is what he has, he constructs him- his past, questioning it. Just like in the be- self to the other in a relationship of these ginning of the story it is said, “All stores are possessions. However, this relationship remorseful”, by Carlos Drummond de An- changes when the other also has access drade, Zé Pinto’s one also makes the char- to such possessions, which occurred be- acter have any sense of guilt and distress tween the 1960s and in 1970s. in relation to whoever lived, which can be Zé Pinto accumulated their cap- verified only in the fact to revisit his past. ital working hard with his wife as João, lending at interest, and also, mortgaging. Levanta-se, madrugada alta, coloca However, with the government policy of uma fita pornográfica no videocassete granting credit, and with the advent of in- e deixa-a rodar, rodar, até que a man- dustrialization, the population increased hã, com seus barulhos, o surpreenda e their purchasing power and could buy the a vida volte a girar, sem amigos, com- items that Zé Pinto got first. As follows, the padres, parceiros, nem ninguém para social function of the character is lost. And lhe fechar os olhos na hora em que a to recall his past, it seeks to understand indesejada encostar-se ao batente da that your loss utilitarian for others, like an porta para anunciar o fim old object. Accordingly, such a character (p. 186). 69 revista YAWP

In the end the story comes full cio-historical relations gave the same circle. Thus the capital accumulation re- characteristics to the literary works. lates to the lack of human relations and When we look at our economic history experience. All those lost experiences are through the social and economic ascen- re-affirmed, but it is too late. sion of the characters João Romão and Zé All the present analysis had the Pinto, in different moments of our capi- Claudio Guillén’s supranational b model. talism, the works question the ways and It was possible to notice that although the politics that made those ascensions

with different time of history the so- possible. Y

Bibliography Azevedo, Aluísio. O Cortiço. São Diverso: Introducción a la Literatura Com- Paulo: Nova Fronteira, 2011. parada (Ayer y Hoy). Barcelona: Margina-

Alonso, Angela. Idéias em mov- les Tusquets Editores, 2005.

imento: a geração 1870 na crise do Bra- Montello, Josué. Aluísio Azevedo e sil-Império. São Paulo: Paz e Terra, 2002. a polêmica d’O Mulato. Rio de Janeiro: José

Candido, Antonio. “De Cortiço Olympio, 1975.

a Cortiço”. In: O Discurso e a Cidade. São Nitrini, Sandra. Literatura Com- Paulo: Duas Cidades, 2004. parada. História, Teoria e Crítica. São Pau-

Fausto, Boris. História do Brasil. lo: Edusp, 2010.

São Paulo: Edusp, 2010. Ruffato, Luiz. “Um outro mundo”.

Guillén, Claudio. “Tres modelos de In: O Mundo Inimigo. Rio de Janeiro: Re- supranacionalidad”. In: Entre lo Uno y lo cord, 2005.

70 Creative work

Simply Forgiven Marcela Prado Siqueira¹ 1 Undergraduate student at University of What is forgiveness? Sao Paulo (USP) A murder of what I cannot forget? email: marcela. [email protected] If I were as innocent as a kid Wouldn’t I see beauty in the world and [forgive?

If I were as pure as an angel Wouldn’t I see the truth in the words and [forget?

If I were as simple as breathing Wouldn’t I feel warmth and peace and [forgive?

If I were as natural as tasting Wouldn’t I feel flavors of joy and forget?

Now I know what forgiveness means It is as eternal as dying A part of me that forgets and dies to [forgive.

71 1 Undergraduate student of English Compromisso at University of Wanderley Corino Nunes Filho ¹ Sao Paulo (USP) email: wanderley. [email protected] rsula acelerou o passo para pegar Sabia que era inútil estudar minutos an- Úo ônibus que estava parado metros tes da avaliação. Sua idiota! – murmurou adiante. Não fosse o peso excessivo de sua - Você sempre deixa tudo pra última hora. mochila repleta de livros, teria corrido. Não Enfiou uma edição surrada de um correra, perdera o ônibus e teria de aguar- livro dentro da mochila. Havia adquirido dar por no mínimo 20 minutos pela próxi- -o em um sebo por mais da metade do pre- ma condução. Lei de Murphy, pensou. Essas ço. Mais do que pagar um preço acessível, merdas só acontecem comigo! Decidida a lhe atraía a ideia de possuir um objeto que não desperdiçar tempo, resolveu comprar já pertencera à outra pessoa, ainda mais algo para comer e entrou na padaria. Dez a um desconhecido. Por quantas mãos mini pães de queijo e um sonho, por favor. haveria o livro passado? Por que o dono Pagou pelo pedido e enquanto retornava anterior teria se desfeito dele? Teria acha- ao ponto, engoliu rapidamente o desjejum do-o ruim? Ou será que o dono falecera e antes que viesse o próximo ônibus. Úrsu- a família resolveu desfazer-se dos perten- la indagava-se há quanto tempo não fazia ces? Adorava se prender a esses detalhes uma refeição sem pressa. No pain, no gain, mínimos e valorizava ainda mais o livro concluiu enquanto chupava o resquício de se houvesse inscrito o nome do antigo doce de leite sobre os dedos. proprietário. Era como se possuísse não Passados alguns minutos, perce- somente o objeto, mas a pessoa em ques- beu que as pessoas no ponto moviam-se tão. Podia controlar a história, o passado, ansiosamente; sinal de que o ônibus esta- mesmo que numa brevidade temporal. va chegando. Ao que o veículo estacionou, Mais além, havia uma espécie de empatia Úrsula tomou a dianteira da multidão, por livros rotos. Remendos feitos grossei- disposta a conseguir um assento. Rodou ramente com fita adesiva eram cicatrizes, a catraca, avistou um lugar vago e sen- provas de como o livro havia lutado bra- tou. Pelo menos vou conseguir estudar vamente para sobreviver. Quem olhasse tranquilamente antes do seminário. Lido para Úrsula apenas com a visão não po- o primeiro parágrafo, Úrsula percebeu deria enxergá-la. Viver, para Úrsula, era que não conseguia se concentrar. Talvez sinônimo de sobreviver. fosse a conversa de duas senhoras à es- O toque do celular avisou o rece- querda que estava atrapalhando. Talvez bimento de uma mensagem de texto. Vou fosse o barulho irritante de um casal que me atrasar. Perdi a hora. Fala pra psôra estava se beijando logo atrás. Talvez fos- que vou me atrasar, belê? Bjos, se alguém que estava a ouvir música no Miriam. Oh, great! – pensou Úrsula celular sem o fone. Abandonou a leitura. – Pelo menos não vou passar carão sozinha. 72 creative works

Cerca de meia hora depois, Úrsula cê-la. Sabia o que cada pessoa gostava de percebeu que estava perto de sua parada ouvir. Tinha necessidade de ter a atenção e então dirigiu-se à porta. Deu sinal, des- das pessoas — mesmo que isso significas- ceu e caminhou sem pressa alguma pelos se não expor o que realmente pensasse. cinco quarteirões que a separavam da fa- — Então vâmo logo acabar com culdade. Um peido não é nada pra quem essa porra – sugeriu Miriam. Tenho coisas já tá cagada, murmurou. Odiava ficar sua- mais importantes pra fazer depois. da sempre que corria. Achou conveniente — Como o quê? Curso de origami? aguardar Miriam na entrada do prédio Gargalhadas explodiam da boca para entrarem juntas na sala de aula. Não de Miriam. Seu riso era marcado por solu- demorou muito para divisar a desgre- ços compulsivos, o que a deixava corada, nhada cabeleira da amiga. O volume dos sem ar. Com o peito ainda arfando, disse: cachos denunciava que a garota também — Deixa a Cris ouvir você dizendo saíra às pressas. isso! Aliás, como é que você se tornou tão — Eaê Mi! E essa juba que nem viu venenosa? Vocês eram amigas, não eram? pente hoje? Já não tá na hora de ir tosar, — C’mon! You’re my fucking best não? teacher. Digamos que se estivéssemos em — Ah, meu cu pra você! Que que “Garotas Malvadas”, você seria a Rachel cê tá fazendo aqui fora? Não me diga que McAdams e eu, a Lindsay Lohan. a vaca da professora faltou e eu desloquei —- Por que você tem que ser a mais minha beleza até aqui pra nada? gostosa? — Eu me atrasei também, tava es- — E depois você pergunta de onde perando você pra subirmos juntas. vem a nossa fama de sapatas. - Ai, como você é romântica! Olha As duas subiram um lance de es- que assim você reforça a fofoca de que so- cadas e em seguida entraram na sala que mos fanchas... restava num profundo silêncio. Apenas — Me dá um beijinho, amore! – uma voz masculina levemente nasalada disse Úrsula fazendo biquinho. ecoava pelo ambiente. Sentaram-se então — Como você consegue manter perto da porta. Adquiriram esse costume esse bom humor antes do seminário? Eu no decorrer do semestre, pois facilitava a tô cagando tijolos... fuga depois de terem assinado a lista de — Tô tão nervosa quanto você, presença. benhê. Não li nem metade do livro. É só Logo que o rapaz terminou sua a gente usar a estratégia de sempre: faz fala, a professora disse em tom monótono carão de eu-sei-o-que-estou-falando e e desafiador: repete tudo o que a professora falou em — Quem serão os próximos? aula. Basta dizer o que ela gosta de ouvir Úrsula levantou o braço. Esse ato e a gente garante nossa média. — Ao di- fez Miriam suar frio. zer isso, Úrsula sentiu uma pontada de — Cê tá louca? Vâmo por último — remorso, porém não o deixou transpare- cochichou. 73 revista YAWP

— Eu sou ansiosa demais. Se eu es- Enquanto retornavam aos seus perar, tenho um troço. assentos, a professora fazia anotações em As duas amigas se dirigiram à par- seu caderno sobre a última apresentação. te frontal da sala. Era visível o nervosismo Sua boca desenhava um traço que indica- de Miriam. Sua mania de enrolar as pon- vam uma severidade. Aos olhos de Úrsula, tas do cabelo com os dedos estava acentu- aquilo significava uma coisa apenas: es- ada por suas mãos trêmulas. Úrsula olha- tou na lista negra. va para um ponto fixo no fundo da sala Miriam afundou-se na carteira e quando começou a apresentação. Falava pôs-se a mexer compulsivamente em seu com uma confiança quase convincente, celular. Úrsula lembrou-se de como tem- sem pausas, quase sem respirar. Abrup- pos atrás costumava recriminar mental- tamente passou a palavra pra Miriam, mente a amiga pelo vício em redes sociais que não conseguiu evitar uma expressão virtuais: “Qual o sentido de ficar online cômica de terror, como se houvessem jo- até as tantas? Ficar postando citações que gado uma granada sem o pino em suas se dizem ser da Clarice Lispector, isso sim mãos. Miriam sempre fora mais indisci- é cult, hein? Pra mim isso cheira a uma plinada no quesito estudos que Úrsula. tentativa desesperada de chamar a aten- Não raramente dependia da solidarieda- ção dos outros, como um constante exer- de da amiga para livrá-la dos sufocos aca- cício que certifica sua existência nesse dêmicos. No entanto, naquele momento mundinho medíocre.” Quem diria, hein! estava desamparada: tinha de falar por si. Agora você pode falar com pro-pri-e-da-de Começou a falar em voz baixa um discur- sobre a mediocridade humana e como é so mecânico, decorado. Foi quando veio a perder horas de sono e foco nos estudos intervenção da professora: por conta da internet. Medíocre e hipócri- — Fale mais alto. Ninguém lhe ta, isso sim é o que você é. Você se acha ouve. superior aos outros, se acha melhor que Miriam não suportava críticas. seus amigos, mas não passa de uma vaga- Não que fosse arrogante ao máximo. Ha- bunda preguiçosa que não consegue cum- via, na verdade, um quê de incapacidade: prir os compromissos que arranja. Fraca. não conseguia encontrar solução frente a Isso mesmo, uma fraca! um problema. Úrsula achava que a ami- Tão absorta que estava em seus ga era mimada demais pelos pais, o que pensamentos, Úrsula demorou a notar resultava numa preguiça sem medidas. que a aula havia terminado. Saiu da sala Conforto é para os fracos — pensou. evitando qualquer tipo de contato com Miriam retomou a fala visivelmen- Miriam ou com qualquer outro conheci- te abalada. Sua voz soou exageradamente do: precisava urgentemente ficar só e em mais alta, evidenciando uma gagueira silêncio. A mais remota ideia de ter que nervosa. Pulou trechos importantes, responder a um “Oi, tudo bem?” irritava-a confundiu termos específicos e concluiu profundamente. Do que adianta pergun- apressadamente. tar-me se está tudo bem se ninguém se 74 creative works interessa de verdade em como estou me parte do tempo em seu quarto, até mesmo sentindo? para fazer as refeições. Notava que seus Entrou numa sala de aula vazia e pais viam na filha uma completa estra- jogou o peso do corpo sobre uma carteira. nha e ela retribuía o sentimento. Consta- Ficou a fitar a lousa branca, como se qui- tou que entre os amigos, era o mesmo: a sesse absorver o vazio do quadro. Estava instituição familiar estava em vertiginoso cansada de racionalizar. Outrora achava declínio. Úrsula parou para aguardar o que conhecimento lhe traria respostas, fechamento do semáforo. Acesa a luz ver- conforto, paz de espírito. No entanto, a melha, Úrsula começou a atravessar sobre extrema consciência não aliviara suas a faixa de pedestres. Quando é que meu dores: potencializava-as. Ok, sou uma pai vai parar de fingir que minha mãe não pooooobre vítima da civilização capita- sabe que ele tem uma amante? Um carro lista e machista. E daí? Estar ciente disso que vinha em alta velocidade não parou ajudou em alguma coisa? Não! Permane- nem mesmo após ter feito o corpo de Úr- ço a mesma garota sonhadora e estúpida sula completar uma curva de 180º no ar. de antes. Só os sonhos que mudaram. Se O corpo estirado sobre o asfalto antes minha vida se resumia a acreditar atraía a atenção de curiosos. Conforme o numa vidinha aos moldes dos romances corpo esvaia-se em sangue, a respiração de de Nicholas Sparks, hoje sou a trouxa que Úrsula tornava-se mais escassa e esparsa. acredita que pode mudar o mundo. Sentia uma dor latente na boca – talvez Mundo. A palavra ressoou pesada- eu tenha perdido alguns dentes - e uma mente sobre os pensamentos de Úrsula. pressão aguda na cabeça. O sangue que es- Olhou para o relógio e se deu conta que corria do supercílio direito tingia parcial- havia passado muito tempo desde que en- mente de vermelho a visão que tinha dos trara naquela sala. Precisava correr para rostos a sua volta. No entanto, não sentia não perder ônibus e ter tempo para engo- mais nenhuma dor. Lentamente, deixou lir o almoço antes de trabalhar. Enquanto de ouvir as exclamações dos pedestres que andava apressadamente para sair do pré- a observavam. O mundo vermelho e nítido dio em direção ao ponto de ônibus, Úrsu- foi esmaecendo, dando lugar a um borrão la ainda estava a refletir sobre sua vida. negro. Não havia mais pressa. Desde sempre se sentia desajustada onde quer que fosse. Em casa, passava a maior Janeiro/Fevereiro de 2012.

75 Selected Poems Wanderley Corino Nunes Filho¹

Life in duotone 1 Undergraduate student of English at University of Calma, calma... Não precisa ter Sao Paulo (USP) email: [email protected] [pressa. Sem precipitação, sem grande [agitação. Pra que se afobar quando já se Somewhere [sabe a direção? and I’m here going somewhere dreams Não há nada de novo, nada além do jogo against fears a battle so unfair. [que tentamos viver jogar e burlar As peças posicionadas e as regras [ditadas... há como sabotar? Um pouco de Conto de fadas [emoção nesse jogo sem ação. Quando pequena mamãe me dizia: “-Viva Como numa partida de xadrez destino e eu: [um conto de fadas! Não fique pra titia!” [confronto entre reis. Como evitar o xeque- Então cresci e muito esperei pelo [-mate? Quem sabe, negociando um empate? [príncipe no cavalo pra ser o meu rei E o príncipe se me viu, não sei Só sei que [do cavalo um coice eu levei Quero ser wireless (pá de cal) De coração partido Cicatrizes por todo o Ai que bom seria se eu pudesse desplugar [lado Sacodi a poeira Deixei pra lado esse [o cabo de alimentação! Sem obedecer fado [aos teus comandos, testando minha Mas eis outro príncipe que não me [própria configuração. [esnobou Peguei meu melhor e no O amor que compartilhas não passa de um [calabouço trancou [‘cavalo-de-tróia’ como um ‘bug’ em meu Não sou idiota como a Julieta Matei o [sistema ERRO FATAL! - estou em paranóia... [Romeu que me fazia de besta Mas adquiri anti-corpos e criei este Quando pequena mamãe me dizia: “-Viva [firewall. Agora de molho, em quarentena. [um conto de fadas! Não fique pra titia!” [Ctrl+alt+del: joguei uma pá de cal. Quando pequena mamãe me dizia: “-Viva Não adianta me procurar deixei de ser [um conto de fadas!” Mas fiquei pra titia [hackeado. Redefini minhas preferências ...e fui feliz pra sempre... [versão beta: atualizado.

Sentimentolices A cobra que morde o eu digo sentimentos e você: “tolices!” me próprio rabo [deixe só com minhas sen.ti.men.to.li.ces Não me lembro do começo Me perdi pelos meios E o fim, não sei se busco ou se evito.

76 Sobre um reino e uma janela Alessandro Suenaga Wagner¹ Undergraduate student of English at University of Sao Paulo I era bem pequeno. Talvez não com toda (USP) email: uitas coisas eu jamais suportei em essa complexidade, mas eu pensei e logo le.suenaga@ Mtoda minha vida. Como por exem- vi que me enganara. gmail.com plo, aquela arte – se assim posso dizer – Alguns dizem que as pessoas têm que os homens mais praticam e pelo qual pleno poder sobre o seu próprio destino e vivem se digladiando por ninharias, ás se elas têm uma vida relativamente ruim vezes nem isso. Lutam por um poder que ou boa é porque escolheram este ou aque- na realidade não existe... Sempre haverá le caminho. Outros dizem que o meio con- alguém mais forte que nós, por mais tolos diciona o nosso comportamento e a vida que sejamos, sabemos perfeitamente dis- na sociedade. Não acredito em nenhum so. No entanto cometemos uma série de desses pensamentos. Ora, o livre-arbítrio crimes por pura vaidade, por orgulho. Or- é um gracejo; como que podemos compa- gulho este que nos corrói e não bastando rar dois indivíduos, sendo um deles rico e isto, também corrompe o outro. Matar, os o outro pobre? Um obviamente teria van- senhores devem estar se perguntando se é tagem sobre o outro e conseqüentemente o que eu quero dizer com toda essa idiotice seria menos suscetível a criminalidade, até então. Matar... Qualquer animal estúpi- por exemplo. E por outro lado o contexto do pode matar, não é isso a que me refiro. social não pode ser único fator determi- Contar-vos-ei alguns casos para que podeis nante para o caráter do ser, caso o contrá- compreender um pouco da minha sina. rio não veríamos pessoas medíocres per- Sempre fui um sujeito covarde. tencentes a uma classe abastada ou então Cauteloso seria um bom atenuante, mas gênios cuja origem é as massas. Pois bem, diante das lembranças que me perse- acredito que cada um possui uma essên- guem, dos dias exaustivos, porém de in- cia que influenciada por fatores externos tensa monotonia, tentarei ser demasia- formam juntos a nossa identidade. Na es- do honesto. Parece até piada... Honesto... cola e em casa aprendemos o silêncio; as pff... E quando é que eu fui sincero até o coisas que pensamos devem permanecer momento? Provavelmente o que escrevo trancafiadas em nossas mentes, enquanto a vós, não passa de alienações de um ho- isso, devemos reproduzir o que os demais mem demente e vil. E o que me importa? dizem. A questão é que todos possuem Devem estar rindo de minha falácia como características, dons, que nos são dados todos os outros já fizeram outrora. Na mi- a partir do nascimento aleatoriamente e nha infância aprendi a ficar calado. Quem o que mais repudio é o dom de discursar. pouco ou nada fala não deve sofrer as do- Discurso é coisa de gente impor- res da vida, foi o que eu pensei quando eu tante, os senhores devem estar exclaman-

77 revista YAWP

do indignados. Uma ova! Esses malditos representação e transformação do mundo usam esse recurso a seu favor, oprimindo, pelo ser e, portanto, o contexto social a que humilhando, cuspindo na cara dos mais pertencemos constrói a nossa imagem pe- fracos, independente de suas posições so- rante os membros da sociedade. ciais! E por que achais que tanto os odeio? Qualquer tipo de discurso de poder A resposta é simples: Sou um sujeito na- que utilizemos estabelecerá uma imagem turalmente fraco. Um pobre diabo que de nós mesmos nas respectivas situações além de não ter atingido nenhum objetivo em que nos encontremos. E não necessa- na vida, é um inválido esperando no leito riamente o homem discursará através de a morte chegar! Achais que por acaso os somente um dos tipos que a pouco expus, criticaria se pertencesse a seu grupo? Com podendo usar dois ou até mesmo os três certeza chegaram a um consenso que eu ao mesmo tempo. Existem homens que estou definitivamente discorrendo sobre já nascem com habilidades discursivas, os políticos, juízes, reis, ministros, gover- ou seja, possuem o dom de dominar, ma- nadores... Não é isso apenas! Os vermes nipular pessoas. Posso, por exemplo, ter como nós também possuem essa capaci- grande habilidade no discurso lógico, dade, no entanto em diferentes níveis. mas ter pouca competência no discurso Classifico os diversos discursos emocional ou coercivo. Na vida, com a de poder em três, semelhantes à retórica convivência com outros seres humanos, aristotélica, com algumas divergências. aprendemos mesmo que minimamente, O primeiro é o de cunho mais intelectual, cada um desses discursos, já que a relação no qual o indivíduo convence utilizando dos homens é simplesmente uma disputa argumentos lógicos, o chamado “Logos”. O de poder, onde o mais hábil e o mais aben- segundo tipo, denominado “Pathos” envol- çoado, seja pelas características físicas ou ve as emoções no discurso, onde o orador pela posição social, consegue ascender de conquista o coração do público, apelando nível ou se manter nele. para os seus sentimentos. Este eu chamo Do meu apartamento através da vulgarmente de “demagogia”, discurso janela, consigo ver os transeuntes na rua. mais recorrente no âmbito da política Nunca tiverdes o desejo de entrar em partidária e moralista. Por último eu con- suas vidas? Pelo comportamento, pela sidero o uso da coerção, da violência para vestimenta e pelos traços físicos eu tento persuadir e obrigar determinada pessoa a imaginar para onde essa pessoa está indo, tomar certa atitude pelo medo. Para Aris- o que ela fará, quais são os seus traumas. tóteles o terceiro meio de persuasão da Isso nada mais é do que o passatempo retórica seria o “Ethos” pelo qual o sujeito de um velho louco. Observem aquele ser formaria seu caráter ao outro, mostrando- miúdo ali de uniforme... Deve estar vol- lhe que tem autoridade suficiente para fa- tando da escola; possui um olhar triste e lar do assunto em pauta. Todavia, meus ca- abatido; a camisa suja, abarrotada e seus ros, não estamos apenas no âmbito da fala traços rústicos revelam sua origem social. ou da escrita. O discurso compreenderia a Seu nome é Miguel. Doze anos, menino 78 creative works taciturno, tem medo de se expressar. Tem cima do outro, desferindo-lhe um soco. A problemas em casa. Outro menino que briga se inicia, o mais forte vence. Lançam também tem problemas familiares o es- justificativas como a velha URSS e os EUA panca praticamente todos os dias. Isso faz e guerreiam; cai o muro de Berlim e junto sentido para os senhores? Ambos vêm de com ele o corpo do derrotado. O público um contexto semelhante, mas o que faz ao redor incita o conflito. Querem sangue. um tão diferente do outro? O menino que Confesso que também apreciei o combate. agride tem características que o fazem ser Só faltou um balde de pipoca. Que pena dominador, ele sabe inconscientemente que eu apostei no homem errado. Justo o desse fato e o utiliza em seu benefício. E que eu achei que ganharia a briga, perdeu. sabem o que ele ganha com isso? Absolu- Não sejam moralistas! Cada um toma seu tamente nada! Miguel, como eu, é natural- partido! Os que consideraram que o ho- mente fraco, não consegue utilizar direito mem X tinha razão torceram por ele e do a maldita ferramenta dos opressores, de- mesmo modo com o homem Y. Isso em al- magogos e intelectuais esnobes, que é a gumas circunstâncias. E os que apoiaram linguagem. Hitler ou Stalin? Devo choramingar pelos Vou tomar os meus medicamentos, mortos? Não vale a pena resgatar um pas- os senhores, por favor me dêem licença. sado que não vivenciei, entretanto, podemos pensar que os alemães ou os russos II não tiveram muita escolha senão obede- uito bem. Estou aqui há um bom cer, não estou certo? Com a vigência de Mtempo e nada aconteceu na rua... determinado pensamento as pessoas não Aliás, peço desculpas pelas minhas men- puderam escolher suas posições. Nem tiras... Não conheço nenhum Miguel e nos dias de hoje temos liberdade plena na inventei essa história toda. Parem de me hora de escolha. E se pensarmos melhor censurar, pois foi inevitável. Queria achar as pequenas coisas de nosso cotidiano um argumento numa coisa prática. Há! não nos distanciam muito de tempos obs- E para que? Para convencê-los, senhores. curos como aqueles. Caso desse certo eu abriria uma igreja ou O que faríeis na situação? Eu? Acre- formaria um partido político. É isso que dito que gaguejaria de medo e tomaria um me mata aos poucos... soco na fuça. Não sou bom na violência, Esperem! Que barulho foi esse? muito menos na demagogia. Este último Ouço gritos, tumulto, batida! Dois carros é o tipo que mais abomino: Ai, “O meio acabam de se colidir. Nada muito grave... ambiente”; “a liberdade”; “a igualdade”; Somente uns arranhões. Dois homens dis- “o respeito”; “a honra” e blá-blá-blá. Com cutem. Cada um com seu argumento: dezenas de palavras de efeito milhares de — Olha só o que você fez! homens vão para a guerra por espontânea — A culpa é toda sua, seu infeliz! vontade. Emocionados, homens miserá- Após tanta filosofia e demonstra- veis doam quase todo o seu dinheiro a ins- ção de civilidade, um deles parte para tituições desprezíveis. Queremos provar 79 revista YAWP

para nós mesmos e para o outro o quanto mais candidatos um teste de conhecimen- somos melhores. Nunca vistes um sujeito tos gerais. Não me sai mal e após a prova ignóbil dando bagatelas aos indigentes? os bem sucedidos foram conduzidos a Ele não o faz por um sentimento sincero outra sala onde fariam finalmente a en- e sim por vaidade, uma vez que visa mos- trevista. Chegou a minha vez e falei sobre trar a todos que é um ser virtuoso. Dessa minhas experiências que totalizavam maneira construímos o nosso caráter, a uma insignificância. O analista ouviu te- fim de persuadir o próximo para que o di- dioso e pediu para que o próximo falas- ferente se torne igual e as oposições entre se. Este era um moço alto e magro com o o “bem” e o “mal” se tornem cada vez mais semblante grosseiro e sério, mas ao falar nítidas. Eu sou o bem e o outro é o mal, mudou totalmente seu jeito, mostrando assim se separam as distintas idéias de graça e simpatia. Falou de toda a sua vida, mundo e se atritam pessoas, famílias, reli- de seus amigos, parentes, do que gostava giões, partidos, nações, julgando-se deten- de fazer e absolutamente nada de suas ex- toras da verdade. Bom... Chega de tolices. periências profissionais. Enfatizava sem- Contarei um pouco da minha vida... Apos- pre suas qualidades pessoais. Assim eu to que muitos compartilham da mesma observei que os candidatos contratados experiência que eu e possivelmente me eram sempre os retóricos, manipuladores achem um fraco, lamentoso. Eu nunca o da linguagem. Muitos eram arrogantes e neguei, caros senhores, isto é fato. Conta- até grosseiros para com o entrevistador, rei brevemente para que não vos chateie. porém quanto mais o eram parecia que Eis a história de um verme. este os apreciava. Enquanto isso, os fracos e os feios, que revelaram polidez e certa III modéstia, foram eliminados, independen- a minha infância nada tenho a dizer. te de seus atributos e experiências. Pare- DOs anos passaram voando e quando ceu-me tudo aquilo uma campanha polí- percebi já estava fora do casulo inóspito tica: Discursos comoventes conquistam que é a juventude. Ainda era jovem. Aos a aderência do povo. Além do mais, um dezoito anos sentei-me na sala de espera candidato não pode ser monstruosamen- de uma entrevista de emprego. Quem não te feio, uma vez que um sujeito asqueroso tem berço tem que fazer por onde. Órfão provocaria náuseas e péssima impressão desde os catorze, vivendo sob a tutela do tio à imagem da empresa ou da nação. alcoólatra e vagabundo, tive que procurar Voltei para casa. Passaram-se duas trabalho ao atingir a maioridade, se não fa- semanas e não consegui arranjar trabalho lar dos bicos que fiz a partir dos quinze. Pe- algum. Meu tio, cansado da minha para- guei emprestada uma camisa branca, uma sitagem, decidiu intervir ainda mais na calça preta, e os sapatos do meu tio e fui à minha vida. Possuía alguns amigos que busca de sustento e independência. trabalhavam numa loja e estes me indica- Esperei por uma hora aproxima- ram para o meu primeiro emprego como damente, até que deram a mim e aos de- estoquista. Não era um mar de rosas, no 80 creative works entanto me acostumei com o serviço que conhecimento da minha fraqueza e falta pouco dispunha de interação com outras de ação, eles me davam cada vez mais ta- pessoas. Carregava, empilhava, mandava refas. Os outros auxiliares conversavam, recados sem muitas dificuldades. O proble- tomavam café, passeavam pela loja, pois ma não era o trabalho em si, mas sim meus sabiam que eu faria tudo calado sem dar caríssimos colegas... O estoque em sua um pio sequer. Estava rodeado de gente maioria era composto por gente bastante corrupta e gananciosa. Precisava sair dali. ignorante que só falava em vulgaridades. Contudo eu gostava da loja e sempre tive Entre eles falavam de uma maneira agres- fé no mérito, isto é, que um dia ascenderia siva, como se estivessem brigando sempre, para um cargo melhor e menos venenoso portanto me sentia deslocado naquele lu- quando finalmente notassem a minha de- gar de gente estranha e rude. Parecia um dicação para com a empresa. inseto perto deles... Mal notavam minha Perdi minhas esperanças quando presença e nunca tentaram conversar co- eu completei quatro anos de serviço na- migo; a não ser bem no comecinho quando quele inferno e continuava na mesma po- fizeram perguntas básicas do tipo:Qual é o sição, com o mesmo salário, acrescentado seu nome?; Quantos anos você tem?; Já traba- de alguns reajustes ínfimos. Ao meu redor lhou nisso antes? E quando percebiam que os colegas já não eram mais os mesmos. eu estava ali, debochavam do meu jeito e Tinham arranjado emprego em outra do meu físico que não era apropriado de parte ou então ainda pior: mudaram para forma alguma para aquela ocupação, di- um cargo superior dentro da própria loja! zendo em bom tom: Olha só o frangote! Não Consumia uma tremenda raiva dentro de tá aguentando não, filho? Vai trabalhar no mim, mas nada podia fazer. Precisava do escritório, que é mais a sua cara! Bem que eu dinheiro por mais miserável que fosse e o gostaria mesmo de trabalhar fora daquele meu moralismo não me permitia reagir de palco de horrores... As pessoas não vivem, nenhum modo. E sabia que essas pessoas elas atuam. É tudo pura politicagem! estúpidas não progrediram por mérito. Fa- Prestava muita atenção na conver- ziam piadinhas, contavam histórias, riam sa e no trabalho dos meus colegas. Ficava alto, bajulavam... Tudo isso me dava nojo! admirado com o trabalho dos vendedo- Certo dia a loja mudou de geren- res. Não era gente muito inteligente, mas te. Era uma senhora de seus quarenta e apreciava o modo como falavam bonito cinco anos que agora nos comandava e e tratavam bem os clientes da loja. Eram como todo chefe sua origem era desco- muito diferentes dos ignorantes do esto- nhecida para nós. Em outras palavras, que. E neste mesmo momento, após ter fora indicada para aquele cargo sem nun- perdido dois anos da minha vida naquela ca ter trabalhado ali. Assim que me viu latrina, eu também observara que quanto criou grande simpatia por mim, não uma mais eu ralava duro mais eu era esma- atração física, – como os senhores devem gado. Sabia também que ninguém dava estar imaginando – mas um sentimento a mínima para o meu esforço e tendo de compaixão, amizade com que o ser 81 revista YAWP

humano raramente demonstra de ma- os bancos de madeira eram meu refúgio. neira sincera. Seu nome era Glória e logo Ali sempre lia alguma coisa, desde jornais gostou do meu jeito. Às vezes temos umas até literatura. Como podeis ver, apesar do reações esquisitas mesmo. Ao avistar de- meio repugnante onde fui criado, eu apre- terminado indivíduo pela primeira vez ciava uma boa leitura, quebrando total- podemos ter uma série de emoções para mente com a visão determinista que men- com ele, como paixão, simpatia, dó e até cionei a pouco. Ainda não estava escuro mesmo ódio. Algum tempo se passou e de- quando de repente vi um vulto e quando cidi para meu próprio bem que a adularia. percebi se tratava de uma mulher senta- Fazendo uma aliança perfeita com essa da ao meu lado. A primeira instância eu mulher consegui finalmente mudar de es- não entendi por que aquele ser fizera tal toquista para vendedor e posteriormente ato, uma vez que os demais assentos se para subgerente da loja! encontravam inteiramente livres. Voltei a Agora sim eu era respeitado. Com ler, mas de súbito tive uma sensação que o salário novo pude alugar uma casa só a criatura me olhava de forma fixa. Tornei para mim e abandonar a pocilga onde meus olhos para ela e no mesmo momen- vivia com meu tio. Era uma casa bem pe- to baixou o rosto timidamente, desviando quena, o dinheiro que ganhava também o olhar. Foi aí que eu vi o seu rosto puro não era muito, no entanto eu tinha algo e meigo, os olhos grandes e encantadores que eu nunca sonhara em ter: poder. A ex- traziam um sentimento de tristeza; seus cessão da gerente e daqueles pertencen- trajes revelavam simplicidade, o que a tor- tes a mesma categoria que eu, cada um nava ainda mais bela. Eu empalidecera e daqueles funcionariozinhos medíocres comecei a suar frio de nervoso. Perceben- comiam na palma da minha mão. Podia do o meu nítido transtorno ela se virou esmagá-los da mesma forma que fizeram para mim: comigo! “Imprestáveis!” “Vagabundos!” — D-desculpe, senhor... Eu estou lhe Palavras como estas formavam um voca- incomodando? — perguntou hesitante. bulário absolutamente normal no meu Quando falou comigo eu travei. dia-a-dia. Tinha agora meu pequeno rei- Não conseguia dizer uma só palavra, talvez no. Contudo, de que adiantava eu ser um de medo ou timidez. Após um breve mo- rei no trabalho e toda vez que chegava em mento de silêncio eu fiz um esforço e disse: casa eu desabava em lágrimas. Precisava — N-n-não... De modo algum. de alguém para ficar do meu lado, com- Afinal qual era a dificuldade nisso? partilhar sonhos comigo e com isso ser Não fora eu vendedor e agora não coman- feliz. Precisava de uma família. Coisa que dava um porção de subalternos? Engana- de fato eu nunca tive... va as massas com discursos demagogos e os fazia levar produtos caríssimos ao qual IV não tinham dinheiro para comprar. Cada oltando do trabalho eu sempre pas- vez mais eu via os clientes se endividan- Vsava por uma praça, cujas árvores e do e mesmo cheio de dívidas compravam 82 creative works mais e mais. Num tempo anterior sentiria ças sobre nossos gostos, hábitos, manias e asco de mim mesmo por ludibriar essas também sobre nossas histórias. Lívia era o pessoas, porém, cego pelo despotismo seu nome. Vivia apenas com a mãe e tra- e pelo lucro – que na realidade nem me balhava como balconista em uma loja de pertencia – eu fazia com muito prazer. Na acessórios femininos. Também não supor- verdade, agia conforme as leis do sistema, tava suas colegas esnobes, muito menos ou seja, não tinha escolha... Além disso, das senhoras que compravam por lá. Não lidava com gente grosseira, arrogante possuía amigos, a única pessoa com quem e falsa, mas como seria lidar com uma se importava era sua mãe, mas cuja doen- mulher? Nunca tivera essa experiência ça avançara a tal ponto que não viveria e neste instante ela veio como um tapa mais do que um ano. Portanto Lívia fica- na minha cara. Precisava falar com ela! ria sozinha. Sempre foi sozinha e quando Nem que fossem os assuntos mais torpes me viu naquele dia finalmente encontrou e esquisitos, eu queria criar uma imagem alguém como ela. Não preciso dizer mais positiva de mim mesmo para ela, nem que o que aconteceu neste instante. Já se su- fosse uma mentira. bentende... Passaram-se alguns anos e nós Por fim não consegui mentir e fui simplesmente nos casamos... eu mesmo: fraco e desajeitado. Ao menos Não gosto dessa parte da história e fui sincero. Achei que seria um tanto ina- desse modo contarei o mais breve possível. propriado se a abordasse perguntando Não importam os detalhes! O desfecho é o seu nome, entretanto o tempo se passava mais importante... É a hora em que o fraco e tive medo de que fosse embora e que deixa de existir para se tornar forte. nunca mais a visse. Falei a primeira coisa Enfim... Alugamos uma casa maior que veio na minha mente: para nós e para o bebê que estava para vir. — Moça... Por que você se sentou ao Éramos iguais, IGUAIS, eu pensei e nada meu lado? poderia nos afetar, pois amávamos um ao Eu mesmo fiquei espantado com outro. Como qualquer casal as brigas sur- a frase grosseira que acabara de pronun- giram no começo, contudo foram apazi- ciar. Encabulada, ela fez menção de se le- guadas e nosso filho nasceu lindo e sadio. vantar, mas eu a impedi. Aquele pequenino ser nos uniria ainda — Não! Quero dizer... Não quis ofen- mais e já não éramos mais dois infelizes dê-la. É que mal posso acreditar que... Err... deslocados no mundo. Tínhamos uma fa- Não consegui terminar a fala, esta- mília estruturada, meu reino, meu maior va trêmulo. Seus olhos tristes agora mos- tesouro. travam grande comoção e seu rosto pálido Os anos de casado não fizeram corou quando eu a interpelei. Entendeu bem para mim... Fui promovido a ge- tudo o que eu não disse, como se compre- rente de outra loja e lá pratiquei ainda endesse meu olhar igualmente triste. O si- mais a minha tirania sobre os meus ser- lêncio se interrompeu e quando eu percebi vos. Criou-se em mim um sentimento de nós dois conversávamos como duas crian- crueldade e superioridade em relação aos 83 revista YAWP

demais, já não era mais um homem e sim lhida, chorando de ódio. Nada podia fazer, um monstro. Com minha querida Lívia o eu era muito mais forte... Não acreditei no processo não foi diferente. De rainha ela que fizera... Tudo agora fazia sentido! Que virou uma mera camponesa maltrapilha. diabo era esse que tinha o poder de truci- Chegando em casa eu agia como um dés- dar os outros e a si próprio?! Pedi perdão pota, reclamando da vida medíocre que de joelhos, chorei, supliquei para que me levávamos e principalmente do maldito desse outra chance. Ela com os lábios di- choro do bebê que esperneava toda vez zia que sim, mas seus olhos amargurados que eu entrava pela porta da frente. Todos me diziam “adeus”. ao meu redor passaram a me odiar. Até Uma semana se passou desde o ele, tão pequeno já me detestava. Cum- incidente e Lívia caiu em profunda de- priam minhas ordens porque não tinham pressão. Já não tinha mais forças para vi- escolha. Eu queria impor meu pensamen- ver... Certo dia pressenti que algo de ruim to sobre ou outros e logo reparei que eu aconteceria. Sai um pouco mais cedo da e minha esposa éramos demasiadamente loja e voltei a casa, mas era tarde demais... diferentes e eu não podia suportar aquilo. Abri a porta que dava para a sala de es- Percebi que o olhar de Lívia, assim como tar e estranhamente não ouvi o choro do o meu, mudara totalmente. No fundo ela bebê. Era um silêncio aterrador e o medo conspirava, algum dia se libertaria da mi- tomou conta de minha alma. Entrei no nha coerção e esse dia não demorou mui- quarto e meus temores haviam se concre- to para acontecer. tizado... Horrorizado cai de joelhos ao ver Retornei ao meu reino familiar e o corpo inerte de Lívia pendurado por um como de costume, o bebê chorava e eu di- lençol. Na cama jazia uma criança morta, zia grosserias a minha esposa. Ouvindo o estrangulada... Ao seu lado uma carta es- barulho infernal e observando o ambien- crita por ela destinada a mim. Não vou re- te caótico em sua volta, seus olhos apáti- velar-lhes o seu conteúdo! Minha esposa cos se arregalaram e Lívia deu um grito e meu filho estavam mortos! Isso já basta ensurdecedor que ecoou por toda a casa. senhores! Desci o corpo cuidadosamente Fiquei desnorteado e ela correu para a co- e o pus sobre a cama. Passei pela última zinha trazendo junto a si uma faca para vez meus dedos sobre seus cabelos... Eu se vingar de toda a humilhação que eu a que causara minha própria desgraça! tinha feito passar. Tenho plena consciência que Lívia fez Você vai morrer seu desgraçado!!! — aquilo porque não suportava mais o meu berrou, se atirando contra mim. egoismo e esta seria a única maneira de Tentei desculpar-me, segurá-la, me derrotar! Eu estava sozinho de novo... mas tudo foi em vão. A raiva tinha domi- Não me restava mais nada... Ela sabia que nado o seu caráter dócil e agora ela se re- eu era fraco demais e que não poderia fa- belava contra o rei. No instinto lhe dei um zer o mesmo. Aquilo tudo seria pior que a golpe no estômago, o que fez ela cair enco- própria morte...

84 creative works

V do e chorando... Gosto de analisar suas depois? Como seria a vida do rei após vidas. Tento imaginar qual futuro lhes Ea queda? A vida monótona e alienada aguarda. Passo o dia ora lendo livros ou se estendeu por longos anos. De que adian- vendo os transeuntes na rua. Tento achar ta contar o que vem em seguida? Não casei explicações para o meu destino, para os nem tive mais filhos. Entre a vida e a mor- seres humanos, enfim, para o inexplicável. te eu vaguei pelas ruas. Já não era mais Já estou velho e a vista daqui de cima me um homem e sim um ser desalmado que parece cada vez mais atraente. Desejo um não vive o presente nem projeta o futuro. dia ter forças para que num impulso de- As lembranças me corroem lentamente... sesperador eu termine estirado em algu- Não entendo a natureza humana. Não fui ma calçada. Morreria como um indigente, honesto convosco. Disse que não perten- um nada. Quem dera eu ser uma árvore, cia ao grupo dos fortes... Na verdade não tranquila, calada. Talvez eu não sofresse existe classificação nenhuma! Todos são as dores da vida. Se Deus existe por que fracos e fortes em relação a alguém, feri- não me cede a morte? mos e somos feridos, violentamos e somos Todos os dias histórias como a violentados. Eu que sempre me achei fraco minha se repetem em diferentes lugares, e tinha repugnância dos outros que exer- envolvendo diferentes pessoas. A vida é ciam tirania, me tornei o próprio tirano, uma eterna repetição... Os vermes nos um corrupto! Não julgo mais ninguém... governam, sempre nos governaram. Nada Todos são podres! A questão é a oportuni- mais justo... Eu e os senhores somos iguais dade de se parecer melhor para o outro. a eles. Não sejam hipócritas! Não quero Quando ela surge, nós a agarramos e nos pensar em mais nada. Encerrarei este dis- tornamos ainda mais podres. curso. Espero ter vos convencido... Não su- Gosto de ver as pessoas do meu porto mais essa maldita existência! apartamento, andando, conversando, rin-

85 Translation

Between Verisimilitude and Identity: The Translation of Geographic References in Films for Children 1 Undergraduate Thaís Gomes Trindade¹ student of English at University of Sao Paulo (USP) email: thais. Abstract: Translations are necessary, sometimes creative, but they can also be [email protected] misleading. This essay will show how name of cities were translated from English to Portuguese in three different movies - Lilo & Stitch (2002), Surf’s Up (2007) and The Prin- cess and the Frog (2009). This essay brings an analysis of the relation of identity and verisimilitude of these translations with the story shown and the real world references, whether it is well built or faulty. Keywords: translation, geographic references, films for children.

he world changes all the time. People are always creating means to express them- Tselves and to be understood. In the nineteenth century cinema was created. In the beginning, films had no sound; just actors’ actions were seen. There was no need for translation. Those who had access to cinema would understand the scenes, expressions and actions. After some development and improvement music was used. The aim of af- firming a nationality and culture made the films begin to have more than music sound- ing. Legends were gradually adopted and inserted, they needed to be translated, as ‘the mass’ public would not understand a foreign language. When actors had their voices inserted in the films we came to the era of “Spoken Cinema”, which increased the necessity of translation. These changes were represented, for example, in the French movie The Artist (2009). Adults are the main public for films, directly or indirectly. Movies for children, although called “for children”, are made, dubbed, translated by adults and chosen by other adults as the movie to be watched by their kids. In the whole process we have the adulthood interference or mediation. Therefore, we have a process of affirmation of identity, through the clothes, cultural or even geographic references presented in movies. Such indirect information can be perceived by teenagers and adults, people who might have a more developed critical view and knowledge, but the same would not happen with a child. The first child films that have gone over a larger number of boundaries were produced by Walt Disney Studios. According to Disney website, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the “first full length animated feature”, launched in 1937. It was successfully watched and criticized all over the world, and after that, more films were produced 86 translation and launched. Most of them are medie- erences, besides the dubbing studios’ ide- val “fairy tales” adaptations. “The Index als aims and rules. Translationum on the UNESCO website Lilo & Stitch is a scientific-fiction/ mentions Disney, Blyton and Verne as family film created by Walt Disney Stu- the most translated authors of children’s dios, launched in 2002, which is a story books. The ubiquitous Walt Disney tops of a Hawaiian girl, Lilo, who thinks that the list.” (Ghesquiere, 2006:30) Most of has a dog, Stitch, but in fact, he is an alien these children stories that came from lit- that falls on Earth (in Hawaii to be more erature to full screen feature were medi- precise). Nany, Lilo’s old sister, buys Stitch ated by Walt Disney Studios, but we also to the latter after her decision. At night, at have other companies as Sony Pictures Lilo’s home, on the first day she got Stitch, Animation. Usually, these products are he builds a city and a bridge with books translated from English to Portuguese, and toys and destroys it latter. The image and rarely bring problems as regarding of the bridge, its color and structure be- dubbing. sides how Lilo calls it is of great impor- In translation studies, the domes- tance. In the English-dubbed version Lilo tication approach will tend to find simi- calls it “San Francisco”. lar or equivalent national references on San Franciso is located in Califor- translating foreign ones; the foreigniza- nia, USA, where there is a bridge known tion, on the other hand, will use the same in the whole world by its red structure, as reference made in the original movie. we can see in the film image of the bridge These different approaches can be a sym- build by Stitch. bol of affirmation towards one identity (baring in mind the idea of identity as a compound of language, territory and culture altogether). Most Brazilian Studios are carioca and their translations prime for domestication rather than foreignization. Lilo & Stitch (2002), Surf’s Up (2007) and The Princess and the Frog (2009), for example, have geographic references 1. Stitch’s San Francisco Bridge made towards the USA, but the Brazilian version changes them to Brazilian references – carioca references are predomi- nant. So, there is an attempt to affirm the Brazilian identity through a foreign film. It is one possible strategy, but it must be carefully made. The translator working with the film, his/her ‘text’, should reflect on the public’s world knowledge and ref- 2. San Francisco Bridge. 87 revista YAWP

These pictures are really similar, despite one being a drawing, and the other, a picture. What this makes clear is the use of real-world references in the film. References about the Earth are always produced. Here it is related to American geography as we have Hawaii and San Francisco which might be known by Lilo, as she is American. The references are 3. Rio-Niteroi Bridge. even reinforced by the images in the movie, which makes them verisimilar and co- ing to Brazilian children that know the herent in relation to the movie story and Rio-Niteroi Bridge and have reached an its development. age and knowledge to compare it critical- According to Aristotle’s Poetic, the ly. On trying to domesticate foreign refer- verisimilitude is the impression of truth ences and to reaffirm nationality through that a work might have. It must be care- it, the translation was unfortunate, disre- fully constructed attending to a necessity specting the film scenes and the public’s of the text, in such decorous manner that critical view towards the studio attempt might be seen as truth, being linked with of emphasizing their region. the whole text without failure. In this sense A second analysis will approach the English-dubbed version is verisimilar. Surf’s Up, a film launched by the producer But what about the Brazilian Sony Pictures Animation in 2007. Cody version? The Brazilian dubbed version Maverick is the protagonist, a penguin changes the “San Francisco” spoken refer- surfer which wants to perform on Ha- ence to “Ponte Rio-Niteroi”, which is a do- waiian Islands. He lives in “Shiverpool”, mestication of the text. The Studio wanted a creative name that makes references to affirm Brazilian nationality through to “Liverpool”, and as it is located in Ant- one ‘region’ (Rio de Janeiro) despite the arctica, in the movie, the reference has original source. Is the domestication veri- an association with bad weather – “Shiv- similar? Is it supported by the images and er”. When Cody arrives in Hawaii, he not interfering in the story coherence? meets “Chicken Joe” who says that he is No, it is not verisimilar and not even sup- from “Sheboygan”, located in the Ameri- ported by the images presented in the can state Wisconsin. After greetings, an movie. Below, there is a picture of “Rio-Ni- image of “Chicken Joe” in Sheboygan ap- teroi” Bridge. It is very different from San pears. That first reference has influences Francisco’s Bridge build by Stitch. It has which would only be perceived by those no red structure, there are just lampposts. who know English, Liverpool and the Although this alteration does not meaning that “Shiverpool” creates. The interfere in the story structure and com- second one has a real-world value, but prehension, it can cause a strange feel- it is not a world-famous city. Those who 88 translation

Chicken Joe in Sheybogan, Wiscosin. does not live or know Wisconsin may not coherence, structure or comprehension. know the city by its image presented in Despite this good strategy of domestica- the movie. However, in Sheboygan, Chick- tion in translation, the second reference en Joe is surfing, so we can see the wave is “Sheybogan” translated as “pantanal”. It and some trees. could be done without harm to the pub- The Brazilian dubbing tends to lic, but the vegetation illustrated in the domesticate these territorial names used. fourth picture is not similar to Brazilian So, instead of calling the first reference pantanal. There aren’t opened seas and as “Shiverpool”, the Portuguese dubs calls waves in pantanal as it would be thought Cody’s hometown as “Frio de Janeiro”. It of with such image. Although it does not is intriguing to observe that we still have interfere in the story development, it may a creative use of language towards name affirm to children a faulty image of ele- of cities and, also the mentioning of the ments (landscape and vegetation) about hard weather from Antarctica – shiver, their own country – what is commonly “frio”. Beyond that, the dubbing Studio used by people on stating their identi- preferred to reaffirm Brazilian identity ty. Children that have never been to this by their carioca identity and the men- place or even seen it might create a wrong tioning of “Rio de Janeiro”. This change idea of how Brazilian vegetation is. This shows how creativity can bring different is still a domestication of the text, but it is possibilities of translation towards a geo- misled and harmful as can bring to chil- graphic reference, which might help children wrong ideas and images of their own dren perceive the vividness of language place. and how we can adapt it for different Finally, The Princess and the Frog purposes, even for amusement or humor, is a Disney adaption for full screen of without interfering within the film story, Grimm Brothers’ adaptation of the “The

89 revista YAWP

Frog Prince” fairy tale. It is animated and the changes made did not affect the sto- spread around the world, by Cinemas or ry verisimilitude as, at first, the question DVDs, for children. In Brazil, it was trans- made by “Ray” is answered negatively lated by the carioca studio “Delart”. In the and, afterwards, his interlocutors explain film, there are USA geographic referenc- where they are from – which does not es, such as “New Orleans”, “San Francis- affect the rest of the film development. co” and non-USA references, as “Maldo- Concerning the public – children – this nia” (the Prince’s Kingdom). change will not affect the story compre- It is possible to say that there are hension. This might just catch the public’s foreignization on “New Orleans” and “Mal- attention and create a possible ‘identifica- donia” references, as the last is not trans- tion’ with this reference. lated to possible equivalents connected This shows the important role and with Brazilian identity and the first one influence translation have on its public. have an adaptation of the first word “New” Translations are necessary and import- to “Nova”, but Orleans remains in its for- ant for those who want to amuse them- eign form – half domesticated, half foreign, selves with foreign entertainment such as in some sense. San Francisco appears in movies. But the translator and Dubbing the story when a firefly called Ray meets Studios, as a mediator, a bridge in this Tiana, Prince Naveen and Louis. When the connection, must be concerned with and insect hears Tiana and Naveen tongue, in bear in mind verisimilitude, identity and the original version, he asks them: “Are the translation’s influence and impact on you from San Francisco?” On the other the public in order to avoid faulty iden- hand, the Brazilian dub has it translated tity affirmations or misunderstandings. as “Are you from Copacabana?” The ref- As the example from Lilo and Stitch and erences are quite different. The English Sheboygan’s from Surf’s Up shows, the af- version affirms the American identity firmation of national identity of a target by using its own territorial references on country through the image and transla- dubbing, which might be known and rection of films from a source country, con- ognized by American children. The Brazil- cerning references which are not similar, ian version tries to reach Brazilian public may be harmful, in a sense it presents and establish an effective communication to children from this “target country” a and identification through a carioca ref- faulty connection of name of geographic erence. Even if this is not known by chil- references from their country to images dren, it might be known by the parents from other places which are not similar. who might explain it or be entertained This may confuse children who already with it. The choice of Rio de Janeiro refer- know these references, as a child that ences has to do with the Studio’s identity knows Rio-Niteroi Bridge can possibly and location as carioca. doubt her/his own knowledge or question Independently of a range of inter- the existence of more than one “Rio-Ni- ests that led this translational decision, teroi Bridge”. And those who have never 90 translation been to this place may create an errone- showing the vividness and playfulness of ous idea of how it looks like, faithfully be- language through references which nei- lieving in such association. On one hand, ther interfere in the story development a translational decision besides being or verisimilitude nor create a misleading difficult and a creative act can be faulty association of images, landscapes and to influence; on the other hand, it can bring names of real geographic references. And to the public an affirmation of a country if this does not have a positive impact or a good time on humorous associations on the public at least it does not mislead as that of “Shiverpool”/“Frio de Janeiro” them. Y

Bibliography

Ghesquiere, Rita. “Why Does Chil- The Princess and the Frog. Direction: dren’s Literature Need Translation?” In: Ron Clements and John Musker. USA: Walt COILLIE, Jan Van; VERSCHUEREN, Wal- Disney Pictures, 2009. 1 DVD. 97 min., son., ter P. Children’s literature in translation: color. Translated by: Delart Studio. challenges and strategies. St. Jerome Pub., SAN FRANCISCO. Hyatt Regen- 2006. Page 30. cy Hotel. Height: 500 pixels. Width: 390 Lilo & Stitch. Direction: Dean De- pixels. 60KB. JPEG format. San Francisco: Blois and Chris Sanders. USA: Walt Dis- 2011. Color. Available at: . Accessed on: November 03rd 2012. Lilo & Stitch. Direction: Dean De- LILO & STITCH. Walt Disney An- Blois e Chris Sanders. Rio de Janeiro:, imation. Height: 560 pixels. Width: 374 2002. 1 DVD. 85 min., son., color, dublado. pixels. 47 KB. JPEG format. USA: 2002. Translated by: Delart Studio. Color. Available at: . Accessed on: mation, 2007. 1 DVD. 85 min., son., color. November 03rd 2012. Surf’s Up. Direction: Ash Brannon PONTE RIO NITEROI. Height: and Chris Buck. USA: Sony Pictures Ani- 609 pixels. Width: 502 pixels. 78 KB. JPEG mation, 2007. 1 DVD. 85 min., son., color. format. Color. Available at: . Accessed on: November 03rd 2012. Bros, 2011. 1 DVD. 100 min., son., black SURF’S UP. Sony Pictures Ani- and white. mation. Height: 1024 pixels. Width: 768 The Princess and the Frog. Direc- pixels. 83 KB. JPEG format. Color. Avaible tion: Ron Clements and John Musker. on: http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/ USA: Walt Disney Pictures, 2009. 1 DVD. z218/Elliotfangirl/Surfs%20Up/Chicken- 97 min., son., color. Joe.jp Accessed on: November 03rd 2012. 91 Language and Education

Homeschooling: Why It Should be 1 Undergraduate student at Considered University of Cíntia Longuini Alves¹ Sao Paulo (USP) cintia.alves@ usp.br Abstract: The number of families adopting home education to their children is rising around the world. Still, this method of education faces lots of critics and even the prohibition of some countries. This work intends to clarify why home education should be taken as a possible alternative of instruction and why the state should not be against it. Based on previous academic researches, expert reviews and official documents, this article analyzes some polemic points of homeschooling and the benefits of this method, being useful for parents, teachers and interested in education in general. Keywords: democracy; education; homeschooling; parenting; state

Introduction

n this article I shall defend the right of parents to choose the educational model they Ithink is most appropriate and profitable for their children. Based on previous academic researches, expert reviews and official documents, I intend to go against the dominant thinking that the school institution is the only reasonable option, undoing some prejudice concerning homeschooling and showing its advantages and challenges for today. The main purpose of this work is not to establish homeschooling as the best and only way of education, but to claim that its execution is a perfectly possible alternative and that its right should be guaranteed and not obstructed by the state. Although home education was a common form of education until the beginning of the 20th century, today homeschooling is seen by common sense as a dangerous path to go through. According to Daniel Monk (2004:12), school attendance today is perceived as indispensable to childhood experience, so home education would be the robbery of childhood and not just another form of education. But to label homeschooling as inju- rious to children is an oversimplification of the issue and to impose a universal concept of what is the best for children.

Positions against home education and their vulnerabilities he homeschooling trend emerged in the 1960s and 1970s in North America and Tit has since been spreading to other parts of the world. Today, USA, UK, Belgium, Austria, Ireland, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and South Afri-

92 language and education ca are some of the nations that permit the sonality and to the strengthening of practice of children being taught by their respect for human rights and funda- parents or another person in the family mental freedoms. It shall promote un- circle as alternative to traditional school derstanding, tolerance and friendship institutions, with different levels of re- among all nations, racial or religious strictions or regulating conditions. But groups, and shall further the activities countries like Brazil, Germany, Greece, of the United Nations for the mainte- Cuba and Turkey still deprive their people nance of peace. of making that choice. 3. Parents have a prior right to choose The main reasons for this posi- the kind of education that shall be giv- tioning against home education is gener- en to their children. ally based on the idea that attendance to a school is a right of all children and that In other words, every child has homeschooled children suffer with the the right to education, not to school at- lack of socialization. Also, Paula Rother- tendance, and the choice of which meth- mel (2005:74) calls our attention to the od would be better for s/he should be of fact that home educators are often ste- parents. By banning home education, the reotyped as eccentric, ignorant, fanatical state takes to itself the parents´ authori- religious or hippy by “concerned profes- ty to choose the appropriate education sionals and others who make statements for the children. Monk (2004:7) reminds based upon their beliefs rather than re- us that sometimes “the parental right to search”. This prejudiced view caused by home educate is not simply a private mat- the lack of information is also one of the ter of individual choice but has a broader reasons for homeschooling to be frowned political significance to the extent that it upon. is an essential part of democracy”. In a The fact is that Article 26 of the world post-WWII, protecting individuals Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the state is extremely necessary to (1948) states that: avoid the emergence of totalitarian re- gimes, such as the Soviet regime or the 1. Everyone has the right to education. Nazi regime, which had a centralized con- Education shall be free, at least in the trol of education. elementary and fundamental stages. Socialization is also a very im- Elementary education shall be com- portant issue because if a child is not ad- pulsory. Technical and professional equately socialized, s/he won´t be able to education shall be made generally make contributions to community. Ac- available and higher education shall cording to Anthony Giddens (2006:163), be equally accessible to all on the basis “socialization is the process whereby the of merit. helpless infant gradually becomes a self- 2. Education shall be directed to the aware, knowledgeable person, skilled in full development of the human per- the ways of the culture into which he or 93 revista YAWP

she was born.” Banning homeschooling faith, distrust societies belief/values, we want because it is harmful to children´s social- to be with our children, child shy/demand- ization is the same that declaring that ing, not suited to school, and others. In the only institutional schools are reasonable end, Rothermel divides the motivations in agents of socialization, which is a fallacy. two groups: those relating to experiences When a child is home educated s/he will with school and those related to family not be restrict to a school environment, ideology. These answers indicate a great with people of her/is age only, but s/he concern of homeschooling parents with should be encouraged to have contact their child welfare and their character with people of all ages and social contexts. formation. This kind of parents cannot be This contact can be made in the familiar dealt as eccentric or ignorant by having environment, in the neighborhood, in as- these assumptions when choosing their sociations, in sports centers and even in children’s education. Also it is import- daily activities places, such as a supermar- ant to notice what Rothermel claims in ket or a bank. This different form of so- her article: homeschoolers are not a ho- cialization is very profitable for children if mogeneous group and religious families done properly, because children will learn or New-Age families did not necessarily the rules and traditions of their commu- home educate their children because of nity actively and closely to their families. their religious beliefs or spiritual lean- Thus, to be in touch with others would not ings but both groups have the desire to be a sudden rupture for the children, but a have control over their children´s educa- natural and serene process. tion, which particularly is remarkable in Regarding prejudice against ho- a world where parents and children are meschoolers and their stereotypes, Ro- increasingly distant from each other due thermel´s research (2005: 79-81) about to the lack of quality time together. motives for home education gives us important data. The research is based on the analysis of questionnaires answered by Others advantages of 419 home education families in the UK. homeschooling The question “What motivated you to omeschooling is also advantageous home educate?” was answered by a third Hdue to other reasons. The curricular of the parents (30.77%) with disappoint- freedom is one of the most cited benefits, ment with education and schools. Other because it enables the teaching of differ- parents (29.17%) said it was because of ide- ent subjects using empiric methods, with ology or they always intended to home ed- a flexibility that is not found in a school- ucate. Parents also cited bullying (25.32%) room. At school children are required to and their child´s depression or stress caused reach a common pattern of knowledge by by a school experience (24.04%) as a moti- the same methods and at the same time, vation to homeschooling. Other answers which ignores each child as an individual appeared, such as standards of morality & with different characteristics and poten- 94 language and education tials. According to homeschoolers, it is the By providing an investigative atti- curriculum that must adapt to the needs tude, homeschooling is seen as a promot- of the student, and not the way round. er of auto didacticism because, gradually, In this way, it is easier to personalize a homeschooled children cease to see their homeschooled child curriculum because parents as their only instructors and seek s/he receives an individual instruction knowledge by themselves, achieving the that respects her/his own rhythm, which real interdependence of adult’s age, as makes of it a great method to educate chil- stated by Schebella (2010). This inclina- dren with special needs. tion for research develops the capacity According to Schebella (2010), of intellectual production, which is desir- ex-pedagogical director of ANED (Asso- able in every society. Martin-Chang (2011), ciação Nacional de Educação Domiciliar), author of a Canadian study about home- home education also makes the learning schooling, claims that children homes- process more natural, because it occurs chooled by a structured program outper- without changing children´s daily rou- form their public school colleagues. She tine, locus or role of the involved subjects. concludes in an interview at Concordia Parents are already recognized by chil- University website that “structured ho- dren as authorities. When they become re- meschooling may offer opportunities for sponsible for teaching, it is not a complete academic performance beyond those typ- break in the natural order, but a continu- ically experienced in public school.” ity of the process. In this view, children´s Another benefit of home education home, a usual and secure place, becomes is that it could be in accordance to par- the “place of the knowledge”, allowing ents´ philosophical and ideological views. parents to adapt the instruction accord- The fact that parents decide what kind of ing to the pupil´s routine and necessities. view their children will receive is frowned In homeschooling all the family is in- upon by some critics, because it would be volved in the education process, nearing an imposition and would not permit chil- its members while transmitting to children to choose their own world view. But dren the notion of routine and its rules, this argument reminds us of what Monk responsibility and the differences of roles (2004:3) says about “how the rights claims of each one in the family according to of parents and children can be used to their activities. Thus, homeschooled chil- mask public interests”. Schebella (2010) dren are prepared by their own families alleges that the teaching process is always to deal with life in a society. It is necessary partial, because it invariably transmits to affirm that the familiar relations are the values and principles of the teacher essential to form the children´s charac- or of the educational system. In other ter, but it is not exclusive and, of course, words, both home and school system of parents should present to their children education will transmit values, the differ- other situations of socialization, as previ- ence is on who is going to determine what ously mentioned. will be transmitted. Of course homes- 95 revista YAWP

choolers defend that this task belongs to education they think is most appropriate parents, inquiring that if it is dangerous for their children. The issue is not about allow parents transmit their own views to denying the application of traditional their own children, what would make it schooling, but to guarantee the parents´ less dangerous to let this task to a school right of choice, as it is said in Article 26 or the state? By homeschooling, these (3) of the Universal Declaration of Human parents allege they can avoid problems Rights (1948). such as a premature sexual education or This work has addressed some im- political indoctrination to their children, portant points of homeschooling method which is a very reasonable point if we and has shown us that its implementation have in mind what the American Conven- is possible. What is not possible when it tion on Human Rights (1969) has settled in comes to education is to establish a fixed its Article 12 (4): “Parents or guardians, as formula and apply it in a generalized way. the case may be, have the right to provide Each child is unique, with different needs for the religious and moral education of and cultural backgrounds, and the kind their children or wards that is in accord of education chosen must respect that. It with their own convictions”. means that child´s peculiarities will define the type of education that is best suit- Conclusion ed to her/his formation of intellect and The increase of homeschooling character. It is important to highlight that nowadays is a fact coped in different homeschooling is not the solution for the forms by countries. While some of them chaotic situation of public education in allow the practice of homeschooling and most countries. As any kind of education, even elaborate laws to improve the imple- what will make of homeschooling a suc- mentation of this method, others forbid cess is the commitment and dedication of

it, depriving parents to choose the kind of those involved in this process. Y

96 language and education

References

American Convention on Hu- Kunzman, Robert. Understanding man Rights - Pact of San Jose, Costa Rica. homeschooling: A better approach to reg- (1969). Retrieved September 28, 2012, ulation. Theory and Research in Education, from

B2_American_Convention_on_Human_ Martin-Chang, S., Gould, O. N., &

Rights.html>. Meuse, R. E. The impact of schooling on

Desjardins, Sylvain-Jacques. Struc- academic achievement: Evidence from tured homeschooling gets an A+. (2011, homeschooled and traditionally schooled September 8). Retrieved September 28, students. Canadian Journal of Behavioural 2012, from . 2011.

Fonseca, Patrícia. E se, em vez de Monk, Daniel. Problematising ir à escola, o seu filho estudar em casa? home education: challenging ‘parental Visão. (2012, June 1). Retrieved September rights’ and ‘socialisation’. Legal Studies 24 28, 2012, from . motives for home education? Evaluation

Giddens, Anthony. (2006). “Sociali- and Research in Education, 17(2)(3). 2005. zation, The Life-Course and Ageing”. In: Schebella, Fabio Stopa. Benefícios Sociology (p.163). Cambridge: Cambridge da Educação Domiciliar. (2010). Retrieved Polity Press, 2006. September 28, 2012, from . a problem. Washington Times. (2009, De- The Universal Declaration of Hu- cember 13). Retrieved September 28, 2012, man Rights. (1948). Retrieved September from http://www.washingtontimes.com/ 28, 2012, from http://www.un.org/en/doc- news/2009/dec/13/home-schooling-so- uments/udhr/index.shtml cialization-not-problem/

97 Learning American English: Difficulties in Pronunciation

¹ 1 Undergraduate Caroline Guarda Francisco Dau student at University of Sao Paulo (USP) email: caroline. Abstract: When learning the English language, one of the major problems that a [email protected] Brazilian student faces is the difficulty in pronouncing the words correctly. This happens because of the different use of the articulatory system by each language: the American English has much more sounds than the Brazilian Portuguese, being eleven vowels and twenty-four consonants against seven vowels and nineteen consonants. This contrast happens because the words in English have fewer syllables than the ones in Portuguese, so there must be a greater variety of sounds for them to be distinguished. Another issue that makes the learning process of English difficult for a Brazilian student is the correlation between pronunciation and writing, since there is almost no correlation between them in English, whereas in Portuguese it is almost total. There are also differences in the accent and rhythm of each language: while Portuguese has only three types of stressed syllable and its rhythm is syllable-timed, English has at least five types of stressed syllable and its rhythm is stress-timed. The purpose of this article is to identify some phonological differences between the languages; to explain the difficulties that a Brazilian student has in the learning process and to give some suggestions for the improvement of it. Keywords: pronunciation, ESL, phoneme, English teaching, phonology, difficulties

Introduction very language has its features according to its origin and history. Both English and EPortuguese have come from the same stock: Indo-European, but, due to their different trajectories, now they differ a lot from each other, with the exception of a few words that are alike. The differences that occur between these languages not only do happen in structure and vocabulary, but also in phonetics and phonology. Each language has a different usage of the articulatory system and, therefore, they have specific phonemes. This fact is one of the reasons why the major problems in learning a language remain in the pronunciation. A person who speaks only one language believes that the sounds produced by him or her are the only ones possible. This idea interferes in the learning process of the student, because one will be based on his or her own phonemes and, therefore, will not recognize the sounds of the foreign language the way they actually are. Although English and Portuguese have some similarity in vocabulary – mainly in writing –, pronunciation is very different in each language. While Portuguese has 98 language and education seven vowels and nineteen consonants, and to give some suggestions for the im- American English – which is the language provement of it. variety that will be used in this article – The references that will be used has eleven vowels and twenty-four con- for this article are Schütz (2008), Junior sonants. This contrast happens because (1985), Gimson (1970), Jones (1966), Avery the words in English have fewer syllables (1995) and Mazurkiewicz (1976). than the ones in Portuguese, so there must be a greater variety of sounds for 1. Differences between languages them to be distinguished. and difficulties in the learning Another contrast between the lan- process of English guages is the correlation between pronun- 1.1 Correlation between writing and ciation and writing: in Portuguese, the pronunciation oral interpretation of each word is clear, According to Junior (1985), the writing sys- that is, the pronunciation of the written tem is derived from speech. In fact, chil- language is very similar to the oral one. In dren usually learn the pronunciation of English, this correlation does not happen: words long before the spelling. Junior adds it is and very irregular and not clear, as that “languages often exist for hundreds of we can see, for example, with the graph- years before they are reduced to writing” eme “i”, that can represent six different (p. 218) and “all widely used spelling sys- sounds, as in the words machine; bit; bite; tems are more or less irregular, and it must noise; pencil and fruit (Schütz, 2008). be admitted that English spelling may well There are also differences in the be the most irregular of them all” (p. 219). accent and rhythm of each language: Por- The oral interpretation of the words tuguese has only three types of stressed spelled in English is highly unclear. Its writ- syllable and its rhythm is syllable-timed, ten system exists for more than a thousand in which each syllable is pronounced years and, although the pronunciation of clearly. English, however, has at least five English has changed, its writing has not, types of stressed syllable and its rhythm is making the spelling increasingly irregular stress-timed, which results on a compact- (Gimson, p. 2). Besides that, the developers ness of the syllables. of English written form did not want this Due to all those phonological language to have a phonetic regularity: differences between the languages, the learning process of English as a foreign they have been much concerned with language in Brazil is difficult and it takes having a spelling that would reveal a long time for the Brazilian learner to something of the history of words and recognize all the differences. The purpose their relationship to other words. For of this article is to identify some phono- example, the b in debt /dεt/ serves as logical differences between the languag- an indication that it is derived from es; to explain the difficulties that a Bra- the Latin debitum, though it results in zilian student has in the learning process an irregular spelling. (Junior, p. 219). 99 revista YAWP

Avery (1995) gives us some exam- en. It happens because English has a large ples of this irregularity in the spelling number of words with only one syllable; system, mentioning, for example, that the it is a very compact language. Therefore, same sound may be represented by dif- it requires a great number of vowel pho- ferent letters, such as two, threw and shoe, nemes, so it would distinguish one word which have all the sound /u:/. One sound from another through pronunciation. can also be represented by combinations This great quantity of vowel of letters, such as “gh” and “ph”, which sounds requires hearing accuracy, so the have the /f/ sound. Another irregularity speaker would be able to recognize and is that different sounds can be represent- produce the sounds correctly, which is ed by the same letter, such as the letter a, very difficult for Brazilian learners be- which has five vowel sounds, as we can cause of the discrepancy between the see in make, math, all, any and sofa. languages when it comes to quantity of However, in Portuguese, the pro- vowel sounds. “The higher the number nunciation of the written language is of vowels, the more subtle the difference very similar to the oral one. For example, among them will be” (Schütz, 2008). there are seven phonemes and five letters A usual mistake made by ESL stu- that represent the sounds. It makes the dents is the substitution of one vowel for correlation clear, constant and regular. another. Junior (1985) states that the causes Therefore, an ESL (English as a Sec- of it are that (i) the learner pronounces the ond Language) Brazilian student finds a letters the way they would be pronounced great difficulty when learning how to spell in one’s native language; (ii) the irregular and to read words in English, since one spelling of English deceives the student; comes from a very regular spelling lan- (iii) one cannot identify nor reproduce two guage to a very irregular one. That is one different sounds either because one does of the reasons why pronunciation is so not have them or there is no distinction be- important during the learning process of tween them in one’s native language. English: if one tries to study only through According to Schütz (2008), a mis- reading, one will not learn the right pro- take that is made by Brazilian learners is nunciation of the words, due to its irregu- the non-distinction between sounds, such larities. According to Mazurkiewics (1976), as the phonemes / iː / and / ɪ /, that are English has a sound-spelling correlation produced by the learners as / i /, so there of 12 to 13 percent, which is a very low per- would not be any differences between centage, in fact, the lowest one. words such as leave and live. The phonemes / æ / and / ɛ / are both perceived as / ɛ /, so the pronunciation of the words 1.2 The vowels of English and bad and bed would be noticed as the same. Portuguese / uː / and / ʊ / are pronounced as / u /, According to Schütz (2008), English has so there would not be any distinction be- eleven vowels and Portuguese has only sev- tween fool and full. 100 language and education

1.3 The consonants of English and so the use of the supporting vowels makes Portuguese it more comfortable for the ESL Brazilian Schütz states that English has twenty-four student to pronounce them. consonants and Portuguese has nineteen. The phonemes / ð / and / θ / also Again, the former language has more pho- do not exist in Portuguese, so the speaker nemes than the last one and it also caus- tries to replace the first one by / d / and the es difficulties for the Brazilian learner to second one by / f /, / s / or / t /. It also caus- pronounce them all, since Portuguese does es miscomprehension of words like math not have some of English consonants, so [mæθ] and think [θɪŋk], which may be pro- the ESL student would make the replace- nounced as Matt [mæt] and sink [sɪŋk]. ment of one consonant for another. Schütz also cites that Portuguese Schütz says that one of the mis- does not always have the retroflex / r /, so takes that is made by the learners is, for it is usually replaced by the phoneme / x / example, the lack of aspiration of the in word-initial position. This substitution voiceless stops / p /, / t / and / k /, since neutralizes the contrast between words there is no such device in Portuguese. It like hair [hɛər] and rare [rɛər]. may cause misunderstanding, because these sounds without proper aspiration could be perceived as / b /, / d / and / g / by 1.4 Word-Stress, Sentence-Stress and the native speaker of English. Rhythm Another mistake made by Brazilian In English, the most important syllables learners that is highlighted by Schütz is the of a word stand out among the unimport- pronunciation of the sounds / t / and / d / be- ant ones. Hence, stress is a very important fore / iː / or / ɪ /: in most part of Brazil, there feature when learning it. If a word is pro- are no / tɪ / or /diː/ sounds, so the speakers nounced with the wrong stress, it is very tend to pronounce / tʃɪ / and / dʒɪ /, caus- hard for people to understand what was ing misunderstanding and neutralizing the said (Junior, 1985). contrast between words like tick and chick. Junior (1985) adds that, when a syl- Another very common error com- lable is unstressed, its vowel usually has mitted by ESL students that Schütz indi- one of the following sounds: / ɪ /, / ʊ / or / ə /. cates is the tendency to add a supporting The most neutral and frequent vowel is vowel to the end of words that end with the schwa / ə /, because it is automatically stops, affricates and fricatives, such as produced by speakers, since their speech like [laɪk] and word [wərd] , which are pro- organs are relaxed, so it is easier to be nounced as [ˈlaɪkɪ] and [ˈwərdʒɪ]. As we made. It happens because native speakers can see, a syllable is added to the term and do not think that it is worth making effort it can cause misunderstanding in words in the pronunciation of unstressed sylla- like Ed [ɛd], which would be pronounced bles. Since there are more unstressed than as edge [ɛdʒ]. It happens because these stressed syllables, the sounds / ɪ /, / ʊ / and kinds of words do not exist in Portuguese, / ə / are the most frequent in English. 101 revista YAWP

Junior cites a common error com- a thought group; (ii) weakening unstressed mitted by ESL learners, which is the pro- words and syllables, and obscuring the vow- nunciation of unstressed vowels the way els in most of them; (iii) organizing words they are spelled, that is, instead of pro- properly into thought groups by means of nouncing [əpærəntlɪ] (apparently), it is said pauses; (iv) blending the final sound of each [æpærɛntlɪ], for example. word and syllable with the initial sound of In English, the stress of a sentence the one following within the same thought is as important as of a word. According to group; (v) fitting the entire sentence into a Schütz, it is a stress-timed language, that is: normal intonation pattern.

(Its) rhythm is based on stressed syllables of certain words that occur at ap- Conclusion parently irregular intervals when we fter this reflection about the differ- look at the written sentence. The rows Aences in pronunciation between of in-between unstressed syllables Portuguese and English, many difficulties tend to be compressed and some sylla- in the learning process of an ESL Brazil- bles can almost disappear. This means ian student were found and commented. that the amount of time it takes to say These problems happen due to the dif- a sentence in English depends on the ferent use of the speech organs that each number of syllables that receive the language makes and to the dissimilar primary sentence stress (Schütz, 2008). features of them. There are many English phonemes that do not exist in Portuguese, In contrast, Portuguese is a sylla- making the acquisition of them very hard ble-timed language, in which: for the Brazilian learner, and, therefore, causing the phenomenon of vowel and (Its) rhythm of speech is based on the consonant substitution, which causes syllable, taking each syllable a simi- misunderstanding in the communication. lar amount of time to be pronounced. Another contrast that was cited in Therefore, the amount of time to say a this article was the correlation between given sentence depends on the number writing and pronunciation, which is very of syllables, and contractions rarely irregular in English and regular in Portu- occur. […] each syllable is distinctively guese. A person who studies the former and clearly pronounced, timing the language only through reading will prob- flow of the language (Schütz, 2008). ably have many problems in pronunciation. In order to avoid this issue, there Junior (1985) illustrates the difficul- should not be an early contact with an En- ties of obtaining a good rhythm in English, glish text; the learner should always be in dividing them into five parts: (i) giving touch with the oral form of the language proper emphasis to stressed syllables, and through a teacher, a friend and, especially, making them recur rather regularly within a native English speaker. It would help the 102 language and education student to understand and to pronounce clearly separated, so a Brazilian learner well the words that one reads. Besides, has difficulty to speak English the way one would also learn the right pronunci- native speakers do. Again, it is crucial to ation of the term, decreasing the mistakes listening to an inborn English speaker, so caused by vowel and consonant substitu- one would be more familiar with it. tion. It demands practice and attention to For the ones who are teaching En- the native speaker’s speech. glish, it is very important to pay attention Rhythm, word-stress and sen- to the students’ pronunciation, correcting tence-stress were also discussed in this their mistakes since the beginning, so it article. These features are very import- would be easier for them to face those ant to English: there are no boundaries common problems when they meet them. between the syllables, so this language is A teacher should not let a student speak set through its rhythm and stress. On the wrongly; he or she has to insist on the other hand, Portuguese has the syllables right pronunciation.

Bibliography

Avery, P. and Ehlich, S. “Spelling ______. (2008). Os Fonemas and Pronunciation”. In: Avery, Peter and Consoantes do Inglês e do Português. En- Ehrlich, Susan. Teaching American Pro- glish Made in Brazil [Online]. Available: nunciation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995, p. 03-09. [Accessed 20 May 2013]

Gimson, A. An Introduction to the ______. (2008). A Correlação Pronunciation of English. E. Arnold, 1970. Ortografia x Pronúncia. English Made in

Jones, D. The Pronunciation of En- Brazil [Online]. Available: [Accessed 20

Junior, C. and Robinett, B. Manual May 2013] of American English Pronunciation. Saun- ______. (2008). História da ders College Publishing, 1985. Língua Inglesa. English Made in Brazil

Mazurkiewicz, A. J. Teaching about [Online]. Available: . [Accessed 16 June 2013]

Schütz, R. (2008). Diferenças de ______. (2008). Ritmo e o Pronúncia entre Inglês e Português. English Fenômeno de Redução das Vogais em Inglês. Made in Brazil. Available at: [Accessed 20 . May 2013] [Accessed 04 June 2013] ______. (2008). Os Fonemas Vo- O período pré-românico (2006). gais do Inglês e do Português. English Made A Língua Portuguesa. [Online]. Avail- in Brazil [Online]. Available: [Accessed 20 pt_2.1.php> [Accessed 16 June 2013] May 2013] 103 Is there a Space for English Literature in Brazilian High School Curriculums?

1 Undergraduate Jonathan Renan da Silva Souza¹ student of English at University of Sao Paulo (USP) email:jonathan. Abstract: Literature has a wide and complex role in the upbringing of high schools philia@gmail. students, and Literatures of English-speaking countries can help improving this forma- com tion. This paper has the purpose of discussing the problem of the literary text in class, focusing the presence or absence of the foreign literatures. Other important issues are the role of teachers, the problem of the subject, the problematic of cultural knowledge and the reading practice. The object of study is the government policies and textbooks. Keywords: Literature, Teaching, Foreign literatures.

fter some years of hard study at University, a lot of English students in Brazil feel Adisappointed about the use of English Literature in their careers. This situation is not exclusive of English but it is more relevant, considering the importance and necessity of this language. Society as a whole agrees about it; however, the curriculums are not open to Literature from the English speaking countries. In this paper my intention is to show that it is important and possible to include English Literature in High Schools Curriculums without causing any problem to the subjects and contents that are already established. To defend this perspective I will bring some ideas and considerations of William Cereja, from his book Ensino de Liter- atura. Also, I will present some examples of common textbooks used in classrooms. In the end the intention is not to overvalue English or its role but to propose a way of im- 2 Pelo diálogo proving the upbringing of students in Literature and maybe help the language learning entre textos de diferentes épocas, process, concerning cultural aspects. autores, línguas e William Cereja (2005) devotes his book to a discussion towards possible approaches culturas, alunos to the teaching of literature. His reflection includes the concept of dialogismo which is taken e professores from Bakhtin’s thought. His justifications can be summarized in this excerpt: estariam mergulhados na possibilidade de Through the dialogue among texts of different times, authors, languages and cultures, stu- compreender dents and teachers would be drowned in the possibility of understanding the past and the o passado e o present, or the presence of present in a text from another time. (2005: 8) [my translation] 2 presente, ou a presença do presente num Reading Situation texto de outra One thing cannot be ignored in the teaching situation nowadays. The presence época. or absence of other languages’ cultures and the literature teaching are important details, but the state school in Brazil still faces a precarious and worrying environment.

104 language and education

And even if data proves an increase in the The conclusion here is that even indicators about reading, for example, we if teachers have problems motivating know that a lot of students avoid the read- students to read, their responsibility and ing practice. So, we have the distance be- role are still relevant. And as Candido tween students and the books. Although (2002) points about the role of literature in the last few years the government has at schools in terms of formation, teachers given the schools some more “attractive” have to be aware of their space creating a books, sometimes these books do not repertoire of reading, because in this pro- reach the students because of the difficul- cess they can totally “conquer” students ty in managing schools libraries, among or “distance” them away from the already other reasons. distant books. If we insist on going deeper into this set of problems, we find the discussion about the literary culture which “we have” The Subject Problem or “do not have” or “we are constructing”. t is impossible to discuss the possibil- About this, Soares (2004) has given good Iity to include foreign literatures in ideas, developing concepts as letramen- high schools without contextualizing the to literário. Thereby the “literary culture problem of the role of Literature – which problem” is something that has direct re- in the last few years has taken space. lation with the historical context – mainly Since the period of military dictator- the last century – and political policies. ship, the government policies began to focus on the practical and technological intention of the teaching. This propos- Role of Teachers al corresponded to the development of nother interesting point that Cere- Brazilian economy. After some time, in Aja takes from his practical research this decade, the government decided to done in schools – public and private – in change the policies radically. Literature, São Paulo city is that teachers have an Portuguese Language, Foreign Languages, important role indicating and giving di- Spanish, Art and Physical Education are rection to the choice of students about included in a big area called “Languages, books and reading habits. He observed 4 Codes and their Technologies”. As we see schools and one of the questions which in Perrone-Moisés (2006) the concept of guided his research was “When you read Literature is losing space, the discussions 3 Primeiramente, literary works, are they in general…?” and are vague and Literature, strangely, was destaca-se o papel 67,5% of total answered “The ones that put in the “reading” category. These and da escola como agente formador teachers recommend”. From this the au- other points have direct consequences in de leitores e do thor indicates: “Firstly, I highlight the role the teaching practice as they regulate the gosto literário. of schools as a formation agent of readers production of textbooks, the attitude of 4 Exame and of literary taste.” (2005: 22) [my trans- teachers and give direction to important Nacional do 3 lation] national tests such as ENEM. 4 Ensino Médio. 105 revista YAWP

The situation that is presented is ernment policies, the development of text- that Literature itself is being forgotten and books, the formation of teachers and the reduced in curriculums. Perrone-Moisés practice of teaching itself. The inclusion argues that this is not only a Brazilian of foreign literatures depends on this. Be- problem, situating also the French and Por- sides, Brazilian and Portuguese texts have tuguese case. So, a question could remain: also lost their space which has to be re-af- in the end, is this discussion worthless? – If firmed. Mainly considering the generic Brazilian Literature is endangered, foreign texts that have been substituting the liter- literatures would be much more. Actually, ary texts: summaries, internet comments our discussion is, due to this entire envi- and interpretations, and vestibular focused ronment, more opportune and relevant. In approaches, only to mention some. a globalized world, which dictates educational policies, questions and problems as “global vs. local identity”, “cultural knowl- An alternative way to start edge”, “wide formation of students”, surely nother forgotten situation is that the foreign literature dilemma is included. Athe teaching of Foreign Literatures can also open doors to introduce some difficult books of Brazilian/Portuguese History or Literature teachers? Literatures making them easier or more ollowing Cereja and looking closely interesting to have contact with. Fat literature lessons, some problems A simple example can make this are noticed, and each of them has impli- idea clear. Some scholars as Helen Cald- cations in the teaching and learning pro- well (2002) bring closer the important cess. We want to point a few: The focus on works Dom Casmurro by Machado de “History of Literature”. Teachers use the Assis and Otelo by William Shakespeare. time of classes to talk about the periods, Firstly, most teachers as we will see next esthetics, authors, but the literary text is neglect the knowledge produced in the forgotten. This is not something new and academy circle. Actually, in many cases it 5 É certo que, embora circule teachers are aware of that. As the author is not their fault because the access to the nas aulas de says: “It is sure that although the litera- studies is not total, but the internet has literatura ture lessons circle a didactic speech about been turning it possible. um discurso the literary, almost always in them the Anyway, the point that is relevant didático sobre o literário, quase literary text itself is barely explored and is that teachers could do this approxima- sempre nelas o experienced by students.” (2005: 11) [my tion which surely will improve the les- texto literário translation] 5 And this worry about teach- son and contribute to the view about propriamente ing the historical background makes the literary work. It would situate dito é pouco trabalhado e teachers more “History teachers” rather Machado in a tradition and clarify his vivenciado pelos than Literature ones. influences not to overvalue the “ori- alunos. The conclusion is that this situa- gin”. And it also would show how the tion has to be changed, but it involves gov- genius writer continues an important 106 language and education literary thematic (love and jealousy) the influences that authors and books in which area he left his great and receive are also important and relevant expressive legacy. We could imagine even more in the Brazilian panorama – a some justifications to this situation. country that was colonized and it is still For instance, lack in the formation building its own culture. of the teacher, lack of interest, inade- About the cultural profits of teach- quacy of textbooks, difficulty to man- ing foreign literatures, Perrone-Moisés age all the possible approaches to the gives her contribution: teaching of Literature. About the specialization in foreign Actually, it is not impossible to literatures, it does not constitute neces- insert this kind of study. In fact, some sarily a separation from Brazilian culture teachers are not used to working with because this is the result of assimilation comparative approach; however, an of many foreign subsidies (…) And the activity like this would improve and good literature is, by definition, universal. go deeper in the literature ways. And (2006: 28) [my translation] 6 6 Quanto à especialização from this point, other arts like cinema em literaturas could be included, making a huge net A look in the Policies estrangeiras, ela of connections that students would aking a look at the policies that the não constitui befit from and their upbringing too. TBrazilian government established for necessariamente um afastamento Indeed, a lot of important and relevant state teaching we can see the space that da cultura knowledge from the academy is neglected an intended “wide” formation gives to brasileira, porque in the historic method, mainly consider- other nations’ literatures. The Orientações esta é fruto da ing studies about the texts themselves and Curriculares para o Ensino Médio (2006) assimilação de muitos aportes their relations. So, almost all the compar- make only one comment in the section estrangeiros ative studies are put aside by teachers and that concerns the choice that teachers (...) E porque a textbooks, and the university research have to make about what they will teach. boa literatura continues distant from schools. It says: “Nothing prevents, and it is desir- é, por definição, universal. able, that literary works of other nation- alities – if this correspond to the necessi- Culture and Relations ties of the curriculum of your school – be 7 Nada impede, ollowing the ideas from Candido and also selected”. (2006: 74) [my translation] 7 e é desejável, que FAuerbach and other scholars, teach- obras de outras ers and textbooks production cannot nacionalidades, forget that the books have relation with Textbooks se isso responder às necessidades the Literature tradition – not only with oncerning the didactic material, a do currículo brief research of two common text- the historic and social events. This does C de sua escola, not mean that the literary schools and books used in Brazil helps to discuss the sejam também esthetics teaching are essential, but that present direction of the teaching. The selecionadas. the world of culture and their relations first is the collection of books published and connections cannot be hidden. So, by Cereja & Magalhães: Português Lingua- 107 revista YAWP

gens: Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of 2010. These These two situations clearly show three books, one for each year of high the problem that we are trying to point school, substitute the only-one edition and discuss here. There is an exaggera- used for many years in state schools since tion about the importance or about the the end of 90’s. The other is a new work necessity for students to know in detail by Faraco & Moura – Português Projetos: all the Brazilian and Portuguese litera- only-one edition of 2009 – that is starting tures. The literary works find in classes a to be chosen by teachers now. very small space, in most cases they just First of all, it is important to make appear to provide exercises or to be an ex- a distinction between the citation of a ample of a literary esthetic. Considering book and a work, such as exercises or dis- that the textbooks lead and sometimes cussions made about the book or a chap- determine the way that the classes are ter or even about an excerpt. In the two given, we have a very poor educational objects of analysis, the first and second proposal. It is evident in the collection textbooks of the collection of Cereja & of Cereja & Magalhães that Edgar Allan Magalhães and the textbook of Faraco & Poe has a privileged place, because the Moura, the English-speaking origin books authors make different connections with are just mentioned, indicated as a possi- Poe, mainly between the gothic esthetic ble reading, or as other literary works re- and the short-story tradition. In fact, Poe lated to some issue. appears more than any English-speaking Beginning with the first volume writer even Shakespeare himself. And of Português Linguagens, it mentions 16 still there is a significant dependency on books of English-speaking literature that the French tradition and literature, as the go from the popular Harry Potter series by poets and novelists of France appear a lot. J.K. Rowling and The Da Vinci Code of Dan With Faraco & Moura the situation Brown to the classical Romeo and Juliet by is more problematic because we do not William Shakespeare and Moll Flanders of even have citations. Shakespeare and Tolk- Daniel Defoe. The second volume has 22 ien were genius but they do not represent references of books and some just of writ- themselves the entire English-speaking lit- ers. Some examples of books are Moby erary tradition. The authors deliberately Dick of Henry Melville, Tom Jones of Hen- put aside the whole tradition of foreign lit- ry Fielding and some books and short-sto- erature as it does not exist and they place ries of Edgar Allan Poe; and as mentioned the Brazilian and Portuguese literatures as writers there are William Shakespeare independent and distant of any influence. and Oscar Wilde, for example. The textbook has its good features as the On the other hand, Faraco & Mou- inclusion of a contemporary view but this ra in their entire textbook make only two absence is symptomatic of an educational citations of English-speaking writers: position that does not have to be accepted Hamlet of William Shakespeare and The without a long discussion. Lord of the Rings series of J. R. R. Tolkien. 108 language and education

Conclusion Then the authors include an ex- n their methodology section, Cereja & cerpt of the PCN+ as a way to reinforce IMagalhães discuss the proposal of a this idea, but actually the text of the poli- dialogical teaching practice. About this cy is dark and obscure making even more “presence” of foreign literatures they say: difficult to understand this desirable This dialogical perspective does not presence which is not real in the curric- fit in the narrow limits of an extreme ulums and textbooks. Their discussion is nationalistic conception of teaching interesting as a new point of view, which that admits just the Brazilian or Lu- intends to relate different literatures, re- so-Brazilian literary text as an object of alities and cultures. And finally they bring teaching. The dialogues in the areas of Bakhtin to affirm that the text has to be culture and literature transcend geo- put in the “great temporality”. So we see graphical and linguistics borders. It is that the issue is still open to discussions not about depreciating our traditions, mainly considering the cultural impact, our culture, nor our ethnic and linguis- the role of teachers and textbooks and the tic formation. On the contrary, it is to space that the literary text has nowadays persecute the dialogues of our litera- in the classrooms. ture in itself or with other literatures. Finally this gap of reflections It is comprehend it better and respect about this polemic topic again contrib- it in its historicism, in its particular utes to this current environment in characteristics and its differences, in which textbooks lead the classes, teachers its movements of pure subservience do not think about their practice and its and imitation or in its revolt about consequences and students have small the foreign culture. (…) The studies are significant contact with the literary text, open also to incorporate texts of for- national and foreign. In fact, the space for eign writers which contributed to de- foreign literatures in high schools curric- fine the ways of our literature. (2010: 7) ulums is just another – but crucial – detail [my translation] 8 in the complex problematic of literature teaching in Brazil. Y

8 Essa perspectiva dialógica não cabe nos limites estreitos de uma concepção ufano-nacionalista de ensino, que admita apenas o texto literário nacional ou luso-brasileiro como objeto de ensino. Os diálogos no âmbito da literatura e da cultura transcendem fronteiras geográficas e linguísticas. Não se trata de desprestigiar nossas tradições, nossa cultura, nem nossa formação étnica e linguística. Ao contrário, perseguir os diálogos realizados por nossa literatura no interior dela mesma ou com outras literaturas é compreendê-la melhor e respeitá-la em sua historicidade, em suas particularidades e diferenças, em seus movimentos de pura subserviência e imitação ou de revolta em relação à cultura estrangeira. (...) Os estudos se abrem para incorporar também textos de autores estrangeiros que contribuíram para definir os rumos tomados por nossa literatura. 109 revista YAWP

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