Um passeio com Tânatos : a ficcionalização da morte nos contos de Lygia Fagundes Telles

Abstract

This dissertation presents a study about the fictionalization and the representation of death in the short stories of the Brazilian writer Lygia Fagundes Telles. Starting from the idea that the perspective of finitude has always threatened the human beings, it was analyzed how death unfolds and varies in different short stories from different works of Telles’ literary trajectory. Therefore, the aforementioned writer writes and rewrites death in different ways in her narratives, showing diverse aspects of this matter, also seeking to deepen the comprehension of the biggest enigma of all times, the one that chases the mankind since the beginnings until nowadays. It was verified that in the studied short stories there are two kinds of approaches to death that are portrayed: the death of the other and the death of oneself. Besides, it was discussed how the aesthetic fruition of literature can pacify and help people in the searching for comprehension and acceptance of death. Due to complexity of death’s matter, it was necessary to get into theories and concepts of other subjects, such as: anthropology, philosophy, history of mentalities, psychology, psychoanalysis and sociology. Mainly, Lygia Fagundes Telles, while fictionalizing the finitude, seeks to immerse and get into the mysteries of human existence, calling her readers to embark on narratives where death and life seem to be amalgamated.