Fragmentos do pretérito: a memória, em Esta noite sonhei com Brueghel, de Fernanda Botelho

Abstract

With this dissertation, we seek to propose a possible reading of the work Esta noite sonhei com Brueghel (Tonight I Dreamt of Brueghel), by Portuguese author Fernanda Botelho, encompassing the theme of memory as a central focus of analysis, viewing its access as an impulse for reflections that allow the self-discovery of the main character, Luíza. In the aforementioned work, the character develops an autobiographical process as a process of self-reflection, enabling her, based on her experiences, to reevaluate not only her past, but also to make decisions about the present. Within this context, the paintings of Pieter Brueghel, a Belgian painter, are also relevant to Luíza's identity process, as the character develops a relationship of transposition through works of art as a means of reflection and discussion about her own life and the experiences that shape it. We will therefore start from dynamic points, in this case memory and the aesthetic experience of art, for a reading of the aforementioned work that contemplates the understanding of the main character's process of self-discovery. The theoretical contribution is based on subsequent studies of Fernanda Botelho's work, for a more accurate understanding of the author's biography and the way she articulates various themes in her works, using the studies of: Araújo (2011), Barbosa (1998), Lepecki (1969), Lopes (2002), Martins (2009), Martiolli (2022) and Oliveira (2011). From the perspective of memorialistic studies, we will follow the concepts presented by Bosi (1994), Candau (2012), Halbwachs (1976), Le Goff (2013), Ricoeur (2007), and Valverde (2014). Finally, to articulate reflections on the aesthetic experience of art, we will use Danto (2006), Dewey (2010), Dufrenne (2008), and Jauss (1979). Thus, this work also seeks to contribute to studies involving modern/contemporary Portuguese literature, mainly that produced by women, highlighting Fernanda Botelho who, despite being critically acclaimed in Portugal, has not yet had her literature widely researched in the Brazilian context, especially in the region of Feira de Santana.