Description
The main objective of this dissertation is to develop a comparative analysis of the representation of death in the following prose works of two authors: Brief einer Unbekannten, 1922, (Carta de uma desconhecida, 2008/ Letter from an Unknown Woman), Angst, 1920, (O Medo, 1965/ Fear), Vierundzwanzig Stunden aus dem Leben einer Frau, 1927, (Vinte e quatro horas na vida de uma mulher, 2008/ Twenty-four hours in the life of a woman), Amok, 1922, (Amok, 1961) by the Austrian author Stefan Zweig [1881-1942]); and Dor Surda, 1957 (novel), Diário Íntimo (intimate diary), 1957, and Cartas, 1943 (letters) by the Portuguese author Manuel Laranjeira [1877-1912]. Although they experienced different cultures (Portuguese and German), both shared the onset of the twentieth century, and the terrible biographical circumstance of suicide. This work begins with a biographical and historic-cultural contextualization of the time in which both lived, and with a discussion about their respective biographies and bibliographies. Given that both resorted to epistles and diaries, the ways in which these genres were employed and evolved will be considered. Subsequently, a narratological text analysis it will be carried out which will take into account plot structures, characters depiction, the use of spaces and times, modes, voices, and discourses. Furthermore, the texts will be delved to expose representations of antagonistic forces associated with the themes of love and death, oppression and freedom, solitude and coexistence, topics that convey and contribute to an image of human complexity, of the citizen’s dilemmas shared by these two thinkers and visionaries. Thus, starting from the works’ analysis a critical thinking will be developed and consolidated around the literary images of death, suicide and feminine issues. The similarities and differences between the psychological, social and historical facets of their respective literatures and cultures will be emphasised as echoed particularly in the practices of Zweig and Laranjeira, in order to highlight a unifying train of thought between two cultures as diverse as the Portuguese and the German.Period | 2017 |
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Examinee | Donzília Alagoinha Felipe |
Examination held at |
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Degree of Recognition | PhD |