O labirinto, a memória e a percepção do mundo em Piranesi, de Susanna Clarke

Abstract

This dissertation conducts a study of labyrinths with focus on the book Piranesi (2021), written by Susanna Clarke, reflecting its labyrinthine form in writing and guiding the reader through the world of mazes. Based on the understanding of what a labyrinth is and the creation of an overview of the figurations of labyrinths in fiction throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the scenario in which Piranesi emerges as a new labyrinthine landmark is established. Through reflections on memory, an important factor in dispute in Piranesi's narrative, this work analyzes different passages of the book and draws on theorists such as Edward S. Casey, Gaston Bachelard, James Duncan, Walter Benjamin, Nancy Huston, among others, to think about the appearance and disappearance of memory in labyrinths, especially in Piranesi's House (the labyrinth). In a broad consideration, this research focuses on the disputed gaze in fiction and identifies the ways of understanding the world in fiction, as well as determining the fables present in Piranesi and paying attention to the importance of notorious characters such as Valentine Ketterley and Laurence-Arne Sayles, and also to the relevance of unnamed characters, such as birds, for the world-building in the narrative