Abstract
The aim of this doctoral thesis is to certify the presence of prose lyricism in Brazilian novels, explaining its operation in lyrical novels. Besides the examination of a selection of prose fiction works and writers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the thesis also inquires about the absence of the subject in Brazilian literary studies, exposing the origin of a prejudice against lyrical narratives and refuting this negative preconception. This work bridges this gap and brings to light some of the implications of this absence, regarding Brazilian literary studies. In doing so, it also aims to contribute to the lyrical novel theory, adding to its premises recent and flexible configurations in the theory of the genres.Chapter 1 analyses the changing nature of the concepts of novel and lyricism, while it contributes to achieve an updated perception of the lyrical novel. These variations are compared in order to obtain a theoretical standpoint from which to assess Brazilian literary works from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Chapter 2 examines the historical provenance of the merger between lyricism and sentimentalism/escapism, one consequence of which has been the disparagement undergone by prose lyricism in Brazil up to the present. Chapter 3 offers an overview of canonical and non-canonical authors who work with prose lyricism – its main objectives are to do justice to this historical inquiry and to open new perspectives for research into these writers. The concluding Chapter 4 focuses on contemporary writing in Brazil. This examination is made in contrast with the current status of realism in Brazilian literature, questioning recent literary representations. Three lyrical novelists are taken as case studies, expanding the parameters obtained throughout the thesis.
| Date of Award | 1 Oct 2017 |
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| Original language | English |
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| Supervisor | David Treece (Supervisor) & Felipe Botelho Correa (Supervisor) |