Essa estranha vizinhança da loucura com a literatura

Abstract

Madness is portrayed in different ways throughout human history. Traditionally, the figure of the madman would be an allegory to represent that which is diff erent, which does not fit the social standards for a harmonious coexistence in community. Thinking about the segregation of subjects considered deviant in conventional society, this brief study intends to carry out an analysis on the representation of madness in Literature, in order to verify how historical influences are still evoked in the arts, and how these influences are transgressed through the literary creation of iconic and enigmatic characters, who, because they do not conform to the dominant social system, end up being considered crazy, and driving those around them crazy. Some literary texts will be mentioned as an example of madness in the work, particularly the short story “Bartleby, the clerk”, by Herman Melville. As a theoretical reference, Michel Foucault’s reflections will be considered mainly.