Fragmentação do eu e paixões literárias: uma análise semiótica do romance A confissão de Lúcio, de Mário de Sá-Carneiro

Abstract

This study presents an analysis of the novel A Confissão de Lúcio (1914), by Mário de Sá-Carneiro, through the lens of the Semiotics of Passions, an approach that considers meaning as inseparable from emotion and enunciation. The choice of this work is justified by its relevance within Portuguese modernism and by its symbolic and subjective complexity, marked by themes such as anguish, fragmentation of the self, and existential unrest. The research problem aims to understand how the Semiotics of Passions contributes to the interpretation of the affective states of the characters Lúcio, Marta, and Ricardo, and how these states influence the construction of meaning and identity within the narrative. The methodology adopted is qualitative and analytical-interpretative in nature, grounded in the framework of Discursive Semiotics and, more specifically, in the Semiotics of Passions, as developed by Greimas and Fontanille and further explored by authors such as Fiorin and Barros. The structure of the study is divided into three main axes: the theoretical foundation of the Semiotics of Passions; the historical and literary contextualization of Sá-Carneiro’s work within Portuguese modernism; and finally, the analysis of the discursive construction of the passionate states of the central characters. The narrative of A Confissão de Lúcio is characterized by a fragmented structure, elements of the fantastic, and enunciative ambiguity, which intensify the emotional instability of the characters and the oscillation between reality and delusion. The analysis reveals that passions are constructed on the discursive level through enunciative and figurative operations that shape the characters’ behavior and influence the narrative outcome. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the affective states depicted in the novel go beyond psychological aspects, being organized within a system of meaning that dramatizes the condition of the modern subject in crisis. Through the articulation between passion, language, and identity, the study highlights how the Semiotics of Passions enhances the interpretation of literary subjectivity and contributes to understanding discourse as a space for the dramatization of human emotions. It concludes that the application of semiotic analysis to Sá-Carneiro’s work enables new readings and interpretations, revealing the symbolic and affective richness of the narrative and reaffirming the value of literature as an aesthetic expression of the anxieties of the modern subject.