Patriarchal violence and Brazilian masculinities in clarice lispector's a maçã no Escuro

Through close readings of some passages of A Maçã no Escuro, I focus on the representations of masculinity in the construction of the characters Vitória and Martim. I contend that their 'masculinities' - shaped by Brazilian social codes - are denounced and presented as obligations, which constitute, ultimately, destructive experiences for both characters. Nevertheless, the characters themselves fail to acknowledge the gendered dimension of their sufferings. I analyse these masculinities as 'subjects' and, particularly, as 'objects' of Brazilian patriarchal violence. I intend to show how, through the representation of the masculine roles and expectations which are, respectively, assigned to Martim and chosen by Vitória, a particular brand of violence is either inflicted or self-inflicted as a direct consequence of a distinctly Brazilian - and Luso-Brazilian - patriarchal system. Following the introductory text there are two subdivisions in my article: 'Masculine submission/domination' and 'The meaning of the crime'.