As figurações das práticas de leitura em Ilusões Perdidas

Abstract

This work aims to analyze the figurative meaning of the reading practice in Illusions Perdues (Lost Illusions) by Honoré de Balzac. To contextualize how these practices occurred, historically, we referred to researchers and historians such as Márcia Abreu, Roger Chartier and Robert Darnton. With the purpose of better understanding Balzac’s literary universe, as well as his biographical aspects, we surveyed Paulo Rónai’s works and to address the characterization of the 1800’s novels we sought support in Ian Watt’s studies. At the same time, our proposal was to elaborate a study on the motivations of the creation of the La Comédie Humaine (The Human Comedy), through the analysis of its Avant-propos (preface). This research intends to contribute to broadening the perception of how reading practices were approached by the French writer and depicted in his work with the contextual help of the history of reading. We also observed how his reader characters were built, what they used to read, either novels, newspapers or poetry; we also focused on the environment where readings occurred such as the large salons, in the open air, and in literary offices. We attempted to elucidate how reading was carried out, either in intimate environments or socially, aloud or quietly. We proposed a study on the motivations to read, whether they were shown as a source of information, entertainment or pure distraction. Another objective was also analyze when reading occurred, in parties, at night, while doing some work, etc. Finally, we could observe that in Lost Illusions, the reading practice was the base for the plot and the narrative tensions.