From body fragmentation to text fragmentation: a literary "formless" based on Bataille, Duras and Hilst

• Grant number: 23/15723-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Literature Theory
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Akcelrud Durão
• Grantee: Sarah Dethloff Cavalcanti de Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem (IEL). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this research is to suggest a literary interpretation of the Bataillian informe, taking into account the fragmentation of the body and the body of the text in three key works: Madame Edwarda (1941), by Georges Bataille, Le Ravissement de Lol V. Stein (1964), by Marguerite Duras, and A Obscena Senhora D (1982), by Hilda Hilst. From a close and parallel reading of the works chosen, it is possible to see that they have in common, above all, the preponderance of the body, which acts as the main force in the narratives, and this is reflected in different ways in the structure of the three texts. In this light, our section highlights the many fragmentations present in the works, both in relation to the characters' bodies and the form of the text itself, which we will also seek to treat as a fragmented body. The concept of the "formless" was proposed by Georges Bataille in 1929, and has already been explored in depth by some specialists, such as in Georges Didi-Huberman's famous work La Ressemblance informe, ou Le gai savoir visuel selon Georges Bataille. Considering that these interpretations have been elaborated mainly from the perspective of art theory, we believe that an interpretation of this concept from the point of view of literature can contribute to valuable reflections, precisely because it allows us to see the contradictions and multiplicities of themes present in the works of Bataille, Hilst and Duras.