Between imagination and denunciation: the ethos of Lygia Bojunga

Abstract

According to Fiorin (2008), the image of the enunciator is defined within a totality of texts, taking into account the choice of subject, figurative and thematic paths, the construction of characters, the selected linguistic style, among other elements. Thus, through the study of A casa da madrinha (The Godmother’s House) by Lygia Bojunga — a work that navigates between reality and imagination — we will focus on the trajectories of three characters: Alexandre, Vera, and the Peacock, to outline Lygia Bojunga’s ethos. As a theoretical framework, we employ discursive and tensive semiotics to analyze veridictory and epistemic modalities, figurative and thematic paths, strategies of modalization, as well as processes of filtering and blending. By sharply depicting the context of poverty and social exclusion — juxtaposing it with the lightness of the imaginary world — while denouncing various forms of ideological restraint and control, the work gradually reveals the traits of a compassionate, sensitive, and courageous enunciator.