Yes no maybe

irony and the construction of simultaneity in Pedro e Paula

Abstract

This article analyzes how the effects of meaning in Pedro e Paula (1998), by Helder Macedo, are crossed by irony, a central element in the construction of the narrative. From the perspective of Hutcheon (1991), irony is understood as a fundamental discursive tool for the articulation of identities and power relations in the book. Also based on the theories of Hall (2006) and Rorty (2007), the analysis investigates identity as a fluid and historically situated process, as well as the construction of subjectivities through language. The greatest example of this ironic effect is manifested in the character Paula, whose trajectory shows shifts and negotiations of identity throughout the book.