Intention and meaning in the short stories “Civilization”, by Eça de Queirós, and “O segredo do bonzo”, by Machado de Assis

Abstract

The article’s main focus is two notions of literary theory, namely, the notions of authorial intention and the meaning of the work. But also, in a combined way, the notions of consciousness, meaning, and critical stance are addressed. After the theoretical-critical discussion, the literary analysis of the short stories “Civilização”, by the Portuguese writer Eça de Queirós, and “O segredo do Bonzo”, by the Brazilian Machado de Assis, follows, seeking to demonstrate how those two central notions are evident in these two works.