Silva’s colleagues: men’s performance and vulnerability in chronicles by Luis Fernando Verissimo

Abstract

The article presents the analysis of four chronicles written by Luis Fernando Verissimo – “Silva’s wife”, “Kisses”, “The search” and “The serenade” – all included in the book Silva’s wife, published in 1984. The analysis is developed under the perspective of the studies of masculinities. The aim of the article is to investigate how performance and vulnerability, relevant issues for the debate upon masculinities, are focused in the selected chronicles. The article establishes the connections between men’s performances depicted in the literary texts and the discussions on the issues within the theoretical contributions on the subject. The approach emphasizes the multiplicity in the discompasses of men in his contemporary social practices which involve gender relations.