João Guimarães Rosa: The Streaming Matter of Narrative

Presented by ADALBERTO MÜLLER
Professor of Literary Theory and Cinema
Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ


Beyond any dichotomy of regional vs. universal, the work of Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa moves towards an understanding of life as becoming. Not only human life, but also other ways of becoming (such as woman-, animal-, child-, mad-becoming). More then narrating sheer facts, more than just telling stories, Guimarães Rosa’s narrators want to understand the “streaming matter” (“a matéria vertente”) of events, the flowing of life as a ceaseless movement. Thus, Guimarães Rosa’s narrative depends on the way it articulates points-of-view (according to the Deleuzian concept of “point de vue” in his reading of Leibniz). In this brief report of a Seminar held recently at Rio de Janeiro, I want to sketch some paths to move across Guimarães Rosa’s novels and short stories, according to some concepts of Bergson’s and Deleuze’s philosophies.

Para além da dicotomia do Regional e do Universal, obra de Guimarães Rosa se move em busca de uma compreensão da vida enquanto devir. E não apenas da vida humana, mas também de outros devires (mulher, animal, criança, louco). Mais do que narrar fatos, mais do que contar histórias, os narradores roseanos querem entender a “matéria vertente”, o fluxo, a vida como movimento incessante. Mas é sempre a partir de um (ou mais de um) ponto de vista (Leibniz via Deleuze), que a narrativa se constitui. Esta breve leitura de algumas obras de Guimarães Rosa– de maneira sincrônica e comparativa – quer apontar caminhos (veredas) de uma teoria da narrativa a partir da filosofia de Bergson e Deleuze.


Prof. Adalberto Müller’s lecture will be in English.
Followed by Wine and Cheese Reception

Event time: 
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 - 4:00pm
Location: 
Romance Languages Lounge See map
3rd Floor, 82-90 Wall Street
New Haven, CT 06511