O maravilhoso satirico em As Intermitências da Morte, de José Saramago

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the presence and communion of magical realism and satire in the construction of the novel As Intermitências da Morte (2005), by José Saramago. The central objective of this research is to examine not only the individual presence of each category, but also how these literary procedures coexist and interrelate, culminating in a unique aesthetic and critical effect, which we call satirical marvel. Throughout the narrative, Death's actions are responsible for the events that unfold, since, from its strike, various concerns related to social activities arise. Humanity, which has always longed for immortality, finds itself in absolute chaos when it glimpses the realization of this great desire, in a situation where fear and self-interest intertwine. In this context, the work is organized into three moments: the sudden cessation of death, its return to activity, and its personification. The methodology adopted is bibliographic in nature and is based on an analytical reading of the novel, in addition to dialogue with theoretical contributions that support magical realism, according to Irlemar Chiampi (2015) and David Roas (2014), and satire, based on the conceptions of György Lukács (2011) and Mikhail Bakhtin (2010). The results obtained demonstrate that satirical wonder is configured as the structuring axis of the work: the unusual is naturalized by the narrative voice, transforming itself into a vehicle that intensifies criticism and exposes the ethical bankruptcy of the characters and social institutions, while satire operates the debasement of figures of power and the elevation of popular wisdom and the art's transformative force, validating the satirical wonder as a key to the understanding social criticism and the philosophical reflection in the poetics of José Saramago.