Love, Fear, and Salvation: Approaches Between Valdomiro Silveira and João Guimarães Rosa

Abstract

Valdomiro Silveira reduces his narrative "Salvation" to a story of animals. Nevertheless, it is not a fable. This tale can be included in the set of works that, afraid to express eroticism, conceals love with fear. "A hora e vez de Augusto Matraga" does not disguise eroticism and gives sense to athe characters and to the text, interwaving a few little genres: the so-called saga nordestina (Brazilian northest saga, in fact cordel); hagiography; the theme of the "Erring Jew" and the parable. The power of Sagarana´s tales come from the systematic utilization of the little genres, found in orality. They work as a basis both for the production and the reception of texts and enunciations. Orality, which serves to show the hick as capable of deep spirituality, is also a supporting resource of the religious secret.