THE LIFE AS A RITE OF PASSAGE IN O AMANUENSE BELMIRO, BY CYRO DOS ANJOS

Abstract

This article seeks to problematize the concept of rites of passage experienced by the protagonist Belmiro Borba in the novel O Amanuense Belmiro, by Cyro dos Anjos, based on the reflections of Arnold van Gennep in his work The Rites of Passage. To this end, it works with three specific stages: separation, margin, and aggregation. It is noted that the protagonist, by experiencing these rites, (re)constructs his trajectory through a memoir, in which he seeks his essence in the past and his substance in the present. The analysis of these stages allows for an understanding of both the composition and writing of Belmiro, as well as the meaning attributed to the narrator, revealing the sociocultural and literary link that alternately brings closer and distances author and character, narrator and character, and individual and object. O Amanuense Belmiro presents itself as a true ritual of celebration and revelation of the character's transition moments, allowing him to experience temporal variations that provoke deep changes in the natural order of his story. Thus, the article investigates how these and other rites help to determine the behavior of the protagonist. Such practices are related not only to his social acts but also to the way the narrative is constructed. To this end, the contributions of authors such as Arnold van Gennep (2011), Antonio Candido (1974; 1979), and Roberto Schwarz (2008), among others, are used.