EXISTENCE IN RUINS: REVISITING AND DISILLUSIONMENT IN THE SHORT STORY “PENELOPE” BY DALTON TREVISAN

Abstract

This research aims to foster debate about the ruins of a particular worldview and civilizational proposal that still prevails in the behavioral patterns of modern and contemporary Western society. To this end, this work analyzes the short story "Penelope," by Dalton Trevisan (1994), from a narratological, comparative, and interdisciplinary perspective, in order to emphasize some aspects related to the aesthetics of ruins, the literary transformation of previous texts, and the narrative structure of the text in question. The story recounts the life of an elderly couple who move from a small town to a large capital city after the death of their children. More specifically, the narrative unfolds the turmoil caused after the couple begins to regularly receive an anonymous, unaddressed letter, filled with insults and provocations and summarized in two words. In the text, the elderly man amplifies his sadness, bitterness, and paranoia, and, after the arrival of the anonymous letters, develops excessive distrust and jealousy. The elderly woman finds herself in a situation of powerlessness and silent revolt in the face of her husband's transformations. The story's key elements include: the impact of the retelling of the Penelope legend; the unpredictability provided by the combination of games and secrets; the disparity created by the psychological and physical contrast between the two main characters; the manipulation of narrative rhythm made possible by alternating between narration and the expression of the characters' thoughts; and the scope of the use of textual compositions that are sometimes metaphorical, sometimes ironic.