RETOMADAS E ESPELHAMENTOS DE ALGUNS ELEMENTOS DO CONTO “O COBRADOR” PELO ROMANCE O MATADOR

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to analyze excerpts from two texts of contemporary Brazilian literature. The first is the short story “O cobrador” by Rubem Fonseca, and the second is the novel O matador by Patrícia Melo. Both works share very similar themes and styles. These narratives address the issue of urban violence, exposing the cruel side of human nature through acts of barbarism. The texts are written in a direct and objective manner, bringing their authors closer in terms of style. Based on the concept of intertextuality, developed by researcher Julia Kristeva in 1966 and grounded in the studies of philosopher Mikhail Bakhtin, we will discuss the various connections that can occur between texts. Our focus will then shift to the technique of mise en abyme, which originates from the early twentieth-century writings of André Gide. As our main theoretical framework, we will employ El relato especular by Lucien Dällenbach (1991), complemented by critical studies by Alonso (2017, 2024), Carvalho (1983), Ginzburg (2010), Goulet (2006), Labeille (2011), and Nitrini (2021). The objective is to identify and analyze the presence of this technique in the relationships of embedding and mirroring that can occur between distinct works or within a single text. In our analysis, we examine the interaction between the two aforementioned works, demonstrating that mise en abyme has the capacity to create a highly distinctive reading experience, enhancing key aspects of the selected narratives. Furthermore, this technique can serve as a valuable object of study not only in emerging literary texts but also in works published in previous periods, thus opening possibilities for further research. In this way, its versatility and relevance within contemporary literary studies become evident.