The disciplining of the spirit: an analysis of the institution’s rites in the novel O Ateneu

Abstract

This paper examines the institution’s rites as disciplinary mechanisms present in O Ateneu, a novel written by Raul Pompeia and published in 1888, which depicts a boarding school at the time. It is understood that the production and reproduction of the disciplinary ideal in the college rely on ceremonies, rites and solemnities pertaining to widely shared educational and political interests. The analyzed rites are the examinations the inmates undergo, the disclosure of exam scores and of inmates’ behavior through the “livro das notas” (book of notes) and the ceremonies that happen at the “Grêmio Literário Amor ao Saber” (Love for Knowledge Association for Literary Activities) We conclude that the institution’s rites in the college move implied disciplinary ideals as long as they rely on the solemn sense produced by the rites’ magic.