Leitores cegos em diálogo com o mito de Teseu: recepção clássica, formação literária e ressignificação.

Abstract

Mythology represents the expression of humanity’s archetypal symbolism. Given its thematic richness, numerous narratives have been passed down through time, whose protagonists, due to their extraordinary deeds, came to be known as heroes. Although such stories are deeply tied to the process of human maturation and the embodiment of classical virtues, not all are accessible to readers with disabilities, which hinders the development of an education that can fully incorporate the unique characteristics of learners into the teaching and learning process. Against this background, this study poses the following research question: how can the reception of the myth of Theseus contribute to the development of readers with visual impairments? From this question, the general objective is defined as “to analyse how the reception of the myth of Theseus contributes to the formation of readers with visual impairments at the Institute for the Blind of Campina Grande”. The specific objectives are: a) to show how Greco-Roman mythology remains relevant to an educational practice focused on developing learners’ full potential; b) to demonstrate the parallel between Theseus’s journey into the labyrinth and the development of reading skills through engagement with literary texts; c) to assess how reading the myth of Theseus can be meaningful when considering the challenges involved in promoting inclusive literary education. This work is characterized as action research and adopts a qualitative approach for data analysis. Data were collected through the following stages: selection of participants and interviews with ten students from the Institute for the Blind of Campina Grande; and a shared reading experience carried out over four sessions with the participants, using an adapted audiobook version of the myth of Theseus. The theoretical framework draws on reception aesthetics, with contributions from Martindale (1993; 2006), Jauss (1994), and Iser (1979; 1996); on reflections concerning the symbolism of myths and the heroic archetype by Brandão (2015a; 2015b), Campbell (2007), Eliade (2018; 2019), and Rank (2015); and on studies of literary education and the teaching–learning process for people with visual impairments by Ormelezi (2000), Preto (2009), Silva (2014), Petit (2008), and Bajour (2012). The results reveal a growing interest among participants in mythological narratives — a trend explained both by the enigmatic nature of the myth itself and by the opportunity to connect everyday knowledge to the interpretation of heroic deeds. It is concluded that myths, by recounting events situated in illo tempore (in primordial time), foster engagement, critical awareness, and the contextual reinterpretation of mythic struggles by readers, which highlights the importance and necessity of continuously seeking more accessible forms of literary content.