An analysis on the feelings of guilt, fear and shame in A palavra que resta, by Stênio Gardel

Abstract

This article offers a critical analysis of the character Raimundo, protagonist of the novel A palavra que resta (2021), by the Brazilian writer Stênio Gardel, focusing on the feelings of guilt, fear and shame concerning sexuality. By using a theoretical framework and a transdisciplinary analytical approach which relies on literary studies, psychoanalysis and social sciences, this work examines how these feelings, enhanced by Christian values, operate as mechanisms of social control, affecting the protagonist's journey. We highlight how the family plays a fundamental role in transmitting Christian guilt to Raimundo. However, in addition to the main themes discussed in this study, we point out the protagonist’s liberation process: from middle age onwards, Raimundo elaborates his traumas and accepts his sexuality, overcoming the feelings that hindered him throughout his life.