O contexto repressivo associado aos símbolos nos contos de Morangos mofados, de Caio Fernando Abreu e Los niños tontos, de Ana María Matute

Abstract

This paper investigates the theme of the repressive context associated with symbols, especially the feeling of emptiness, relating them to the dictatorial system in the short stories Morangos mofados, by Caio Fernando Abreu, published in 1982, and Los niños tontos (1956), by Ana María Matute. The research is comparative and is based on the meaning-laden symbolism used by the authors in the narratives. The study begins with a brief history of the short story, the mini-story and Spanish children's literature. The second part provides an overview of the lives and works of the authors in question and compares them to the time in which they are set, the Military Dictatorship and the Spanish War. The third part is a discussion of the symbolic elements surrounding the emptying of identities as a result of the system in the short stories and mini-stories. "El corderito pascual", "El escaparate de la pastelería" and "La ninã que no estaba em ninguna parte" related to the short story "Los sobreviventes"; "La niña fea", "El negrito de los ojos azules" and "El niño al que se le murió el amigo", related to the short story "Transformações"; and "Polvo de carbón", "El incêndio" and "Mar", related to the short story "Morangos mofados". This is followed by a comparison of the considerations in the narratives by Abreu and Matute. The main studies that support the analysis are Cardoso (2015, 2016), Chevalier and Gheerbrant (2015), Cirlot (1984), Habert (1996), Hall (2002), Porto (2010) and others.Finally, the work also includes a reflection on critical studies of the authors and their works, pointing out the need to develop a reading of the text based on the articulation between social content and literary symbolism.