Passeios pela Alameda Metafórica de Astrid Cabral

Abstract

This research aims to analyze the metaphors crafted by Astrid Cabral in her work Alameda (1963), a collection of twenty short stories where non-human protagonists, such as plants, flowers, and beans, take center stage. The stories are narrated in third person, with an implicit narrator, and explore philosophical and existential issues that permeate the relationship between the vegetal and the human. The research problem focuses on the following question: how do the metaphors used by Astrid Cabral in Alameda contribute to recreating the contingencies of the human condition and exploring the multiple relationships between the vegetal and the human? In the first chapter, titled “Paratext, Time, and Memory,” we analyze the elements surrounding the work and how time and space are depicted in the narratives. The reflections include theories from Gérard Genette and Jean Chevalier on paratexts and symbolism, along with contributions from Massaud Moisés and Aleida Assmann on time, space, and memory. The second chapter, “A Rosary of Little Deaths: Metaphors in Alameda,” focuses on the role of metaphors in recreating reality. Based on theories by Paul Ricoeur and others, we examine how metaphors in Alameda enrich the work, creating new perspectives on existence. In the third chapter, “Beings and Their Existential Limits,” the analysis delves into the intersection between literature and philosophy, with a focus on Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialism. We explore José Fernandes’ work to discuss the presence of existentialism in Brazilian literature and apply these reflections to Cabral's short stories, considering life and death a central metaphors. The research concludes that Alameda transcends a common literary work, promoting a profound reflection on the interconnectedness between humans and nature. The vegetal metaphors reveal a universe of existential dilemmas that challenge conventional perceptions of life, expanding the boundaries between literature, philosophy, and ecology.