A autorreferência no discurso literário : por uma análise semiológico-enunciativa da obra “São Bernardo”, de Graciliano Ramos

Abstract

This paper addresses self-reference from a semiological-enunciative perspective with the aim of analyzing the character Paulo Honório, protagonist of the novel São Bernardo, by Graciliano Ramos, and how self-reference, materialized in full signs, is essential to understanding the discourse of the literary character who is the protagonist of the plot. The investigation starts from the question: how is self-reference performed in the construction of the subjectivity of Paulo Honório, narrator-character of São Bernardo? To reach the answer to this question, it is essential to recognize that this study is based on the theoretical concepts of Benveniste (1958, 1989) and on the most recent research on the foundations of this author's studies, such as the writings of Flores (2013, 2019), Flores and Teixeira (2013), Ferreira Júnior (2014) and Laplantine (2008) in the field of Enunciation. Furthermore, we sought to analyze the work "São Bernardo" in light of the ideas of Antonio Candido (2006), a renowned author who addressed the work in a set of essays called fiction and confession. As part of our study, we chose to conduct theoretical research with a qualitative-interpretative character through which we undertook a reading of Émile Benveniste's semiological-enunciative reflection, seeking elements to understand the role of self-reference in literary discourse. The aim of this study was to demonstrate how linguistic studies, especially those related to self-reference, can serve as a basis for understanding an enigmatic character who is considered one of the most significant in Brazilian literature, not only due to the complexity of his construction, but also due to the role he plays in the social critique present in "São Bernardo". Thus, the way Honório presents himself and those around him reveals a lot about his social position and the power relations that surround him. In addition, the protagonist's discourse was viewed from a world constructed through the contradictions and social conflicts of the time in which the plot is set. Therefore, the analysis presented in this study based on Benveniste's semiological-enunciative concepts goes beyond the simple description of a person's behavior. That is, self-reference reveals the complexity of Paulo, as a character and narrator, inviting the reader to reflect on the relationship between subjugation and social construction. In view of this, the importance of interdisciplinarity between linguistics and literature is confirmed, establishing, between these two areas, a relationship of complementarity with regard to language studies.