Confissões dispersas: ficção, memória e história em Lima Barreto

Abstract

Composed of seven chapters and developed based on comparative methods, this dissertation aims to discuss Lima Barreto in relation to literary criticism and history, as well as the avant-garde nature of Barreto's texts, initially. In the second phase, a special focus is placed on the writer's intimate diary and the novels "Recordações do escrivão Isaías Caminha" and "Vida e morte de M.J. Gonzaga de Sá," starting from the premise that there is a connection between these three texts. This connection will be examined from a memorialistic perspective that emphasizes three elements of Barreto's production, namely: fictional, autobiographical, and historical-cultural elements. The dissertation also discusses thematic and formal aspects of the three mentioned texts. This dissertation aims to present Barreto's production as the result of dedicated full-time work, thereby refuting previous critical assessments that characterized Barreto's writing as "careless" and "hasty."