The Music in Perto do coração selvagem

Transcendence and Jewish Identity in the Work of Clarice Lispector

Abstract

This article examines the symbolic role of music in Clarice Lispector’s novel Perto do Coração Selvagem, emphasizing its function as an existential and transcendental element tied to Jewish cultural identity. The study investigates how music transcends the aesthetic to reflect on themes of belonging and redemption, intertwining with Jewish spirituality and the emotional interiority of the characters, particularly the protagonist Joana. The narrative is structured through a "melopoetics," in which rhythm, repetition, and silences shape its form, addressing universal themes such as exile, memory, and belonging. The work engages in intercultural dialogue, positioning music as a metaphor for transcendence and cultural resistance. Employing a bibliographic and comparative-analytical approach, the analysis is grounded in the works of scholars like Berta Waldman and Jewish thinkers such as Saadia Gaon and the Gaon of Vilna. The study concludes that Lispector employs music not merely as a narrative device but as a means to explore subjectivity and the protagonist’s epiphanies, connecting these to broader existential and intercultural questions.