“Flores recolhidas”, despite being shattered: an analysis of violence due to the condition of being a woman, through a short story by Lídia Jorge

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the represented and denounced forms of violence in the short story As três mulheres sagradas, by Lídia Jorge (2014). In this story, the disarray of abortion practice and a solidarity institution called “Collected Flowers” that seeks to assist future and young mothers come to the forefront. The narrative introduces four significant female characters: Vera, the leader of the association; Julinha Moreira and Dinah, two collaborators; and Margarida, a young woman pregnant from a rape who is taken in and transformed into the institution’s spokesperson. Within the scope of the analysis, we observe representations of both physical and symbolic violence of silencing concerning the characters Vera and Margarida. It is crucial to highlight that Lídia Jorge portrays complex and multifaceted characters that go beyond mere depictions of fragility and passivity. Her works frequently delve into the human condition in all its nuances, encompassing the various ways in which female subjects grapple with their vulnerabilities and find forms of resistance in the face of adversity. To accomplish this, it was necessary to draw upon the theoretical contributions of Derrida (2014), and Todorov (2009) in the field of the relation between fictional and real discourse; Michaud (1989) regarding the concept of violence; Bourdieu (2012) for reflecting on male domination; Butler (2018), and Beauvoir (2009) for considerations about the feminine gender; and Fernandes (2021) in regard to sorority.