O narrador moderno em “A Hora da Estrela”

Abstract

This paper investigates the modern elements that constitute the narrator of “The Hour of the Star”, the last novel published during the life of Clarice Lispector. Defined by its narrator, Rodrigo S. M., as a “silent photograph,” the book intensely explores the creative process of its fictional author, becoming the analytical focus of this study. The aim is to understand how modern narrative constructs a narrator whose voice reveals the impossibility of objective neutrality or absolute omniscience, hallmarks of modern literary production. This analysis contributes to unraveling fundamental questions about modernity and its literature, characterized by the suspension of belief in science, the dissolution of institutions, and the collapse of metanarratives. These dynamics reflect the essence of the modern soul: fragmented, bereft, and self-aware. Examining Rodrigo S. M.'s literary craft allows one to uncover the intricacies of written expression, capturing its “delicate essence.” To map the elements that constitute Rodrigo S. M. as a modern narrator, this article will draw on authors such as Theodor W. Adorno, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Anatol Rosenfeld.