Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira: o papel da metáfora como crítica social

Abstract

The present work aims to analyze the work Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira by Portuguese writer José Saramago (1995) with the main focus of examining the metaphor present in the work as social criticism. Initially, metaphor and its relationship with literature are discussed, addressing metaphor theories including traditional metaphor and conceptual metaphor, as well as their effects on meanings, using Lakoff, Johnson (2002) and Tuner (2002) , Ferrarezi (2008) and Borges (2000). Next, José Saramago's biography is presented, based on José Marque's book (2010), in addition to his works and critical fortune. Subsequently, the book is analyzed, focusing on existing metaphors and the way the author uses them as social criticism, delving deeper into ethical issues. The present work seeks to investigate the way in which the work portrays the metaphor of blindness to symbolize the dehumanization of society, generating a critical reflection on social issues present in the book. Throughout the studies, it was possible to notice that the work, despite being fictional, reflects on the reality of contemporary society. Saramago's work shows how metaphor plays a valuable role in the exercise of social criticism, expanding the view of aspects of the work under analysis.