Betty... a feia, la fea, ugly : a construção da protagonista ante os mesmos textos e fórmulas em diferentes contextos e formas

Abstract

Through a poetic analysis, centered on the conformation of the dimensions of the protagonist of three versions of the franchise “Betty, a Feia”, “Yo Soy Betty, la Fea” (1999), “Ugly Betty” (2006-2010) and “Betty en NY” (2019), this research seeks to understand how the formal choices of the work take place. And how such choices ultimately reveal themes and universes that are socially and historically relevant to the present moment of the versions. To this end, we chose to broaden the look at the meaning - real world, and we also started with a narrative/style dimension, based on the assumption of melodrama as a guiding narrative genre. And how this melodrama acted for the permanence, alteration or expansion of certain aspects of the narrative. Methodologically, we borrowed the contributions of David Bordwell to seek a formal reading of the works. We adopted the notion of narration system undertaken by the author, understanding it as the dialectical compound of plot/dramaturgy + style/concept that will allow, from the work, to think about ideological meanings present in the work. To reflect on the constructions of the protagonists, we summoned James Phelan on the occasion of his contributions on the mimetic, synthetic and thematic dimensions of the characters. As a result, we noticed that the three versions thematize the internal and external transformation of the character, but each one does so in the face of its contemporary world: “YSBLF”, dated from the late 90s, draws a protagonist who still slips into canonical patterns of the heroines. of telenovelas; “UB”, from the 2000s, strongly brings up the issue of Latinity, and breaks certain conventional patterns of melodrama to show the (new) social place of this Latin protagonist in the United States; “BENY”, on the other hand, is situated in a world crossed by dichotomies (including North American territorial ones) from the end of the 2010s, and this is evident in the way it tries to reconcile polar values in the construction and conduct of history. of the protagonist Betty.