The great courage: openness to otherness from Clarice Lispector and Martin Heidegger

Abstract

The presentation of many of the recurring themes in Clarice Lispector's work resonates with Martin Heidegger's ontology-hermeneutics, especially with regard to the revealing power of Clarice's texts in relation to the human condition. Thus, this text will develop an analysis of the short story “As Águas do Mundo”, from the book Felicidade clandestina, in dialogue with some aspects of Heidegger’s philosophical work, in particular, the encounter with otherness, anguish and the experience of strangeness. We believe that in addition to the short story being able to bring to light central issues present in the philosopher's work, the two authors reveal to us the possibility of astonishment in the face of what seems obvious and banal.