Damned Maria: The failure of civility in "Maria", by Conceição Evaristo

Abstract

This paper has the objective of drawing some considerations about certain aspects regarding problems of identity, otherness and civility which constitute the main themes in the short story "Maria", by Conceição Evaristo, published in the book Olhos d'Água (2014). In this way, what we intend to analyze is how and to what extent Maria's identity and her otherness set in relation to other people who surround her in a public environment, in this case, a bus, contribute to the absurd violence which she is exposed to. The abscence of civility, is another feature that is highlighted here as it promotes hostility and destablizes the feeling of solidarity that may humanize the contact among individuals. We propose a reflection about otherness in the contemporaneity, where relationships are more fluid, emotional networks are more fragile, solitude and incommunicability are a constant sometimes; and, as a result, all those aspects promote the failure of our civility.