Construção do ciúme patológico em Dom Casmurro: uma leitura à luz da teoria psicanalítica

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the construction of pathological jealousy in the character Bentinho, the protagonist of the novel Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis, through a psychoanalytic perspective. Starting from the understanding of jealousy as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, the research investigates how this feeling manifests obsessively and delusionally throughout the narrative, compromising the narrator's subjectivity and his affective relationships, especially with Capitu. The methodology adopted is qualitative, with a bibliographic and analytical approach, based on literary and psychoanalytic studies, particularly those of authors such as Freud, Birman, Fernandes, and Parrott, in addition to Machado de Assis criticism. The analysis shows that Bentinho's jealousy is closely related to narcissistic fragility, maternal overprotection, and difficulty in dealing with the otherness and autonomy of others, resulting in a biased perception of reality. It concludes that pathological jealousy not It not only structures the psychology of the character but also influences the narrative construction of the novel, revealing Machado de Assis's genius in problematizing subjectivity, memory, and the reliability of the narrator