Deconstructing the ‘Amélias’: a comparative analysis between the lyrics of Desconstruindo Amélia and the short story Vinte anos de amélia by Alciene Ribeiro Leite

Abstract

To compose song lyrics, many artists draw upon the reality in which they live, just as many writers represent, in their works, the historicity of a particular period. From this perspective, comparative literature studies provide the theoretical foundation to establish an intertextual dialogue between both artistic forms, highlighting relations of connectivity and symbolic reinterpretation. Within this context, this article analyzes the intertextual relationship between the song Desconstruindo Amélia (2009), written by Pitty and Martin Mendonça and performed by Pitty, and the short story Vinte anos de amélia, by Alciene Ribeiro Leite, included in the collection Mulher explícita (2019). The analysis seeks to identify contrasts and convergences between the two works based on feminist representations, emphasizing how both challenge gender stereotypes and question traditionally assigned female roles. The research was carried out through bibliographic review and comparative reading of the texts, drawing on authors such as Butler (2003), Kristeva (2005), Carvalhal (2006), Nitrini (2010), Beauvoir (2019), Rago (2019), Louro (2020), among others who contribute to the dialogue between literature, music, and gender studies. The results show that the relationship between the two artistic languages reveals both similarities and differences in their modes of expression and in their portrayals of contemporary women, reaffirming the relevance of cultural productions as spaces of resistance and the construction of new female identities.