“Uma janela que dá para uma parede” Ferréz: a literatura desiludida

Abstract

This thesis aims at analyzing the literary production of Ferréz, identifying an aesthetic and ideological project within his works. The premise is that the periphery, in the author’s perspective, is perceived as a country. This study aims to elucidate how his compositions concurrently engage in dialogue and contradict the conventional notion of “nation”, as expounded by scholars such as Homi Bhabha, Benedict Anderson, and Partha Chatterjee. By referencing prior research, it is observed how Ferréz establishes his standpoint through the means of confrontation, questioning, and even the “sabotage” of official narratives. Subsequently, the analysis explores how the author’s works navigates the liminal space between fiction and reality, with the intent of introducing in the Brazilian literature the peripheral ethic - underpinned by the studies of Jacques Rancière. This occurs in conjunction with the detective novel genre and its sociological implications, as elaborated by Ernest Mandel and Tzvetan Todorov. Characterized by an enduring sentiment of disillusionment, which is foreshadowed in the title of his inaugural published book, Ferréz’s compositions lay bare a societal structure founded on the creation of “sub-citizens”, a concept proposed by Jessé Souza. These individuals are relegated to the lower echelons of a system that can be understood, in accordance with Isabel Wilkerson, as a “caste system”. This system, which disproportionately oppresses peripheral individuals, also dooms the middle class to a state of isolation and depression. Despite the pervasive sense of impotence in the face of reality, the author subtly imbues his work with a glimmer of hope and a slight optimism, rooted in the belief that solidarity has the potential to promote an improvement to the precarious circumstances that the majority find themselves in.