It has been said—by Pessoa?—that the artist must use all the means at his disposal to give light to his own work. Otherwise, the difficulties will not be overcome and, probably, the work will not come out. It is necessary for the artist to build a favorable environment, to mold his life around the central objective; to have a daily schedule reserved for his work, a schedule that represents the core of his routine and to which he arrives every day in his best disposition. This for years, for as long as he lives—always aware, as Pessoa himself was, of inhabiting the present while belonging fully to the future.
Tag: literature
Nelson Rodrigues Is One of the Rare Brazilian Authors…
Nelson Rodrigues is one of the rare Brazilian authors whose literature has universal value. This is simply because Nelson does not play at creating stories, he does not just say how bright the sun has risen or how sad a character is. Nelson judges, the world and the man, and exposes a personal interpretation of existence. Here lies the distinctive feature that most Brazilian authors seem to lack. In other words, one could say: Nelson’s literature contains a particular philosophy.
More About Dostoevsky’s Style…
Let’s return to Dostoevsky’s style. For many, prolix, defective—and so they conclude that his work lacks technique. Children… The inaccuracy of this verdict derives from its superficiality: it only considers external aspects. What can be perceived in Dostoevsky is that, structurally, his narratives contain dramatic arcs very well prepared—and for this reason, but quoting another, Nabokov said that Dostoevsky would have been a great playwright. Going deeper into his narratives, that is, analyzing his characters individually, we notice that they, too, have arcs and transform themselves throughout the story, following the chain of events that will lead to the ending and give meaning to the work. The violence with which feelings are experienced and the impression of continuous aggravation that we get when we go through Dostoevsky’s pages would never occur if Dostoevsky did not conduct the narrative intelligently, fulfilling a methodical structural planning conceived precisely to enhance and dramatize the elements of the story. To say that Dostoevsky lacks technique is to assert, not fearing ridicule, that several of the most moving works of universal literature have come out of luck.
There Is No Control Over the Environment
The true artist, understanding his vocation and his role on this earth, must accept that it matters little what happens to him in life, what torments he suffers, which paths he takes. What matters is the profit he makes from the raw material that is offered to him to shape it and convert it into art, reacting to the reality that surrounds him and the conditions that are imposed on him. There is no control over the environment; there is, however, over the responses—which represent, in short, the artist’s individuality.