O fantástico angustiante de Clarice Lispector no conto A mensagem

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the fantastic element present in the short story “The message”, by Clarice Lispector. In it, the unusual, inserted in everyday life, is present in the form of an old and enigmatic house that is metamorphosed into a living figure, resembling a sphinx to be contemplated and deciphered by a couple of teenagers who are face to face with this grotesque and symbolic element. This unusual encounter has a profound transforming effect on the characters. The fantastic house of the Claricean short story works as an element of instability in the narrative, actively interfering in the fate of the characters. Therefore, Clarice's short story can be considered an example of neo-fantastic literature, both for being part of the 20th century, and for bringing reflections on the everyday (un)reality and on the psychology of the characters through an intimate writing. In addition, anguish functions as one of the main themes of this work, which also brings reflections on love, on the masculine and feminine and on human relations. For the development of this analysis, the works of authors such as David Roas (2014), Felipe Furtado (1980), Bachelard (2008), Bessière (2009) and Plato (2010) will be used as theoretical support.