Projective relations in intimist literature

god and the rat in the short story “Forgiving God” by Clarice Lispector

Abstract

This study examines projective relations in intimist literature through the short story Forgiving God, by Clarice Lispector. The objective is to understand how the mechanisms of psychoanalytic projection, as formulated by Sigmund Freud and developed in contemporary studies, are manifested in the symbolic construction of the figures of God and the rat. The research adopts an interdisciplinary approach, articulating concepts from literary criticism, semanalysis, and psychoanalysis, in dialogue with projective methods applied to literary reading. The analysis also advances a feminist critical perspective grounded in Julia Kristeva’s notion of abjection, examining the symbolic deconstruction of the sacred from the standpoint of female subjectivity. The findings demonstrate that intimist literature, when understood as language within a projective space, constitutes a privileged field for the projection of the unconscious and for the aesthetic elaboration of deep psychic conflicts.