O inquieto coração de Clarice: autenticidade e autoria em Perto do Coração Selvagem de Clarice Lispector.

Abstract

Perto do Coração Selvagem (Near to the Wild Heart in English) was published in 1943, the novel was written by the then debutant Clarice Lispector. It is interesting to think that the work of an unknown young woman has attracted the attention of renowned critics. Expressions such as surprise, shock, originality and vivid interest were used to demonstrate the effect of this reading by critics such as Sérgio Milliet, Álvaro Lins and Antonio Candido. The novel has a peculiar structure and ambiance compared to the traditional forms of Brazilian literature at the time. One of her impressions is the desire that moves Joana, the main character, in the search for her own self. As readers, we are taken to a world of provocations and shocks caused by the destabilization of things and spaces that make up the novel. The notion of shock seems to be a significant element in the construction of this authorship. But how does this happen? We seek to understand the shock at the time of elaboration of the author's writing and aesthetic arsenal, and consequently, in the provocative effect that the work has on its readers. If the strong characteristic of Perto do Coração Selvagem is the possibility of providing a very provocative reading experience, it is appropriate to analyze it using the concept of authenticity theoretically elaborated by literary critic Lionel Trilling. Aided by this concept, we try to understand the content of this literature that presents personal and moral issues as themes in its writing. The ambivalence between different ways of life, the yearning that drives Joana against the boundaries of social conventions, as well as her identification with the wild aspect, are some of the novel's characteristics. Under the criteria of authenticity, the reader of this type of literature expects that it can cover socially unacceptable and threatening themes of life in society, while the artist can appear as an example of this affirmation of being in the face of social existence. Therefore, how is this way of life based on order and refinement destabilized to the extent that Joana wants to be unfinished, fluid and in movement? Lispector's personal literature makes us reflect on the themes that guide his writing, also considering the delicate relationship between life and art. The ways of life and ambivalent moral schemes that run through the novel are aesthetically configured based on this author's elaboration.