Arte e o desenvolvimento das emoções: uma interpretação objetivamente analítica da obra literária O livro dos abraços de Eduardo Galeano

Abstract

Emotions are traditionally understood in our society as negative, as a result of irrationality, internal forum, and should be contained based on individual capacity. However, this study presents emotions in a radically opposite direction – they should not be contained but rather understood, which generates self-control of conduct. This research analyzes emotions and their role in human development mediated by art. The objective is to systematize theoretical elements of Vigotskian theory that contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of emotions in producing human development and the role of art in mediating that development. Specifically, the study seeks to: 1) systematize the fundamentals of Vigotskian art theory and their possible implications in the psychologist's practice; 2) develop a theoretical and methodological understanding of Vigotskian emotion theory and its contemporary interlocutors; 3) interpret Eduardo Galeano's literary work The Book of Embraces based on the theoretical precepts developed previously. The study systematizes Vigotskian art theory fundamentals based on a theoretical-conceptual study of the author's book Psychology of Art, resulting in the presentation of the objectively analytical method that supported the interpretation of the chosen work, as well as deepening the concepts of catharsis, art as the social in us, and art as a social technique of feelings. The transformative nature of art is highlighted, accompanied by elaborations on the potential uses of art in the context of psychotherapy. The second stage systematizes Vigotskian emotion theory based on his book Theory of Emotions, resulting in the identification of emotions based on a critique of the organic theory of emotions rooted in Cartesian philosophy and proposing Spinozan characteristics of development, transformation, and motivation of emotions. Additionally, the study engages in a dialogue with contemporary literature through the metasynthesis of 17 articles on the concept of emotion in Vigotskian theory, resulting in 7 conceptual sub-themes: a) emotion as a form of communication; b) emotion in unity with reason (affect and intellect unity); c) emotion in its motivational role (affective-volitional basis of actions); d) emotions develop/transform; e) emotions in relation to the social environment; f) emotion as a higher psychological function; g) emotion as a function that permeates other psychological functions. The final stage results in the interpretation of The Book of Embraces added to the concept of fatalism coined by Martín-Baró. The book represents a way of coping by recovering the historical memory of humanity, the feeling of fatalism that dominates the experience of Latin American people. It is composed of fragments of memories that represent universal feelings of the Latin American people, with the author demonstrating compassion for his people's experiences and shaping them aesthetically. Thus, the book's content, the history of the Latin American people, a history of so many injustices, takes shape in personal and collective experiences represented poetically. Therefore, new feelings and emotions can be developed by engaging with the work. The individual can connect with feelings that they may not have been aware of, transforming the person who feels them, resulting in human development in totality.