A contística de Raduan Nassar sob a perspectiva da violência e do erotismo

Abstract

This dissertation aims to investigate how violence and eroticism are represented in the short stories of Raduan Nassar. By addressing multiple forms of violence and their victimized subjects, Raduan Nassar employs a literary discourse that is both violent and filled with erotic meanings, evoking discomfort and denouncing the way so-called “minorities” are treated in society. Initially, it was noted that there is a considerable tendency among critics to approach eroticism in Nassar’s work as dissociated from a constant element: violence. Furthermore, there is a gap in academic production, which is mostly based on the author’s best-known texts, such as Ancient Tillage (Lavoura Arcaica) and A Cup of Rage (Um Copo de Cólera). These observations justify this dissertation, which, by focusing on lesser-known short stories, fosters discussions about power relations in a Brazilian society still marked by patriarchy and male domination. The results obtained show a willingness in recent studies to acknowledge, even if briefly, the pervasive violence in these stories, reinforcing the importance of this theme in Nassar’s work. Furthermore, regarding violence and eroticism, the research confirmed the interconnection between these two themes within human relationships, which are often represented in literature. Throughout the analysis of the short stories, a predominance of male narrators and characters was identified, who exert their violence to maintain male domination, primarily targeting women and other minorities: immigrants, Black people, lower social classes, children, and prostitutes. Additionally, a harmful eroticism was identified, structured as a device to enact violence, along with possible obscenities, which nonetheless encounter resistance opposing the forces of oppression and ferocity.