A construção da subjetividade a partir da duplicidade em O homem duplicado, de José Saramago, e O Visconde partido ao meio, de Italo Calvino

Abstract

This final paper examines the constitution of contemporary subject identity based on the duplicity in the novels The Double (2002) by Portuguese writer José Saramago and The Cloven Viscount (1952), by Italian writer Italo Calvino. From a theoretical perspective, we draw on Comparative Literature theory, as presented by Nitrini (2010), and key concepts regarding duplicity in literature, particularly, Otto Rank’s categorization of the double (1914). Additionally, we explore the formation of postmodern subject identity based on the perspectives of Hall (2014) and Bauman (1997). Accordingly, we analyze the narrative trajectory of both novels in relation to their authors and identify thematic similarities between them. Both works engage with the postmodern movement by addressing the construction of their characters’ identities, especially within the framework of modernity’s fragmentation and disposability. We also observe that both novels align with Rank's sósia category, as they depict separate doubles who are identical in appearance yet possess divergent personalities. Furthermore, we associate Calvino's representation of the double with Rank's persona dupla category, as his narrative presents a protagonist with two alternating personalities coexisting within himself.