Em busca da identidade: a construção da protagonista em “A manta do soldado”

Abstract

The dissertation was built upon an analysis of identity constructed by the discourses and relationships of the main character and the people around her. Lídia Jorge highlights the role of the main character who is both her own narrator and that of her life and the issues around her. The novel revolves around the character's journey with her gaze turned inward and toward others. To establish a dialogue between the discourse of the novel, I revisit the processual reading of literary theories and cite important female figures such as Gayatri Spivak, Djamila Ribeiro, and Margarida Calafate Ribeiro in a broader sense of the limited female role in society, as well as the three Marias - Maria Isabel Barreno, Maria Velho da Costa and Maria Tereza Horta - who mark a part of Portuguese society's history. To relate some of the narrative issues of the novel, I will mention thoughts and reflections of literary critic Walter Benjamin. The part of the discourse that narrates the self is essential to the identity in formation, and she needs to observe other people to find herself. The context of the girl revolves around another important character, Walter, her biological father. The paternal issue directly influences her life. In the novel, relationships are heightened around Walter's history, which directly affects the girl's story. She lives as her mind feels comfortable in relation to paternal affection until a certain moment in her trajectory. Lídia Jorge's novel contextualizes the Portuguese patriarchal society with the barriers built to limit the female figure. Throughout the analysis, we will discuss the obstacles represented by the character and other female figures interconnected to this female issue, such as remembering and relating to the situation of Mariana Alcoforado. As the young girl matures, relationships begin to open up, more situations and new experiences happen with the character when Valmares' house's door opens, and the home is no longer the only place she knows