Teatralidade em Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas

Abstract

This paper, which is part of the project entitled “Fiction by Machado de Assis: Human Theatricality and its Representation through Dramatic Arts Resources”, seeks to identify the presence of dramatic patterns in Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas, a novel by Machado de Assis, published in 1881. Its analysis is justified because the theme of the theatricality of human actions is present in the narrative, which, in addition, uses resources of theater in the same discourse. Based on bibliographical research, this reflection offers a panoramic view of the historical context of the 19th century, when the Brazilian writer lived and the novel’s story takes place. It presents a synthesis of the Brazilian dramaturgy, which emerged in the same period, and the biography of Machado de Assis, through which the writer’s passion for dramatic arts and his efforts to achieve the consolidation of Brazilian theater is proved. Furthermore, the paper analyzes aspects of the dramatic arts, proving its presence in Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas. Publications by Juracy Assmann Saraiva, João Roberto Faria, and Renata Pallottini were crucial for the research, having contributed to confirm the hypothesis that Machado de Assis uses elements of dramaturgy to produce the post mortem biography of Brás Cubas.