By the surface of the world: objects and memory in contemporary Brazilian literature

Abstract

The experts in fake paintings tell us that it is not the face or the hand of the portrayed that betrays the forger – she will have taken all precautions in these features. Her mistake will appear in an unimportant detail, perhaps in the dress or curve of an ear, where she will feel more at ease and, without realizing it, will leave a signature: her own brushstroke. Abandoning, then, the focus on the plot, or the protagonists of the narratives, I try to think contemporary Brazilian literature from elements considered secondary, if not irrelevant: the objects that make up the scene. Their meanings, often evocative of the memory of the characters or their relatives, mark the situation of men and women in the contemporary world and reveal something about the authorial perspective. This text, inspired by different narratives and even in the visual arts, is a brief journey through the concerns that underlies this reflection.