The oval portrait, Edgar Allan Poe

- Engagement:

- Mostrar para os alunos o vídeo “The oval portrait (animated short)” (disponível em <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuHQV65Bazw>, acesso em 21 ago. 2017). Pausar o vídeo após os primeiros 50 segundos e perguntar a eles que tipo de história eles acham que estão assistindo a, como chegaram a essa conclusão e perguntar o que geralmente esperam que aconteça em histórias do tipo. Perguntar também se gostam. Passar o vídeo até o fim.

- What kind of story is this? How could you get to this conclusion?

- What usually happens in stories like this?

- Do you like this kind of story?

- Ladies and gentlemen…:

- Professor, começar a contextualizar autor e obra a partir da grande contribuição de Poe (1809-1849) na afirmação do conto (short story) como um importante gênero e na criação das histórias de mistério, a ele atribuída. Poe foi um importante escritor a utilizar a temática gótica e o suspense, utilizando-se, em especial, da ambientação gótica, do ambiente soturno e apavorante para grande parte de suas histórias, desdobrando o gótico tradicional e chegando ao que se denomina literatura de terror e de horror do século XIX, influenciando a ficção científica. Também foi o primeiro escritor norte-americano a tentar usar seu ofício como única atividade econômica, o que lhe trouxe sérias dificuldades financeiras no final da vida.

- Escrito em 1842, The oval portrait nos traz uma reflexão acerca da relação entre arte e vida, alertando para a negligência da última na busca pela perfeição da primeira.

- Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809. He was the first American author to try to make a living through writing, what has brought him some difficulties before he died, in 1849. He is considered the inventor of the thrilling stories, and also he is certainly the one who gave to short stories an importance which had never been attributed to them before.

- The gothic style and mysterious atmosphere of his stories allows him to write about many different themes. In the present short story, he deals with life and art relationship, warning to the danger of neglecting the second to pursue perfection in the first.

- Read it!:

The chateau into which my valet had ventured to make forcible entrance, rather than permit me, in my desperately wounded condition, to pass a night in the open air, was one of those piles of commingled gloom and grandeur which have so long frowned among the Appennines, not less in fact than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe. To all appearance it had been temporarily and very lately abandoned. We established ourselves in one of the smallest and least sumptuously furnished apartments. It lay in a remote turret of the building. Its decorations were rich, yet tattered and antique. Its walls were hung with tapestry and bedecked with manifold and multiform armorial trophies, together with an unusually great number of very spirited modern paintings in frames of rich golden arabesque. In these paintings, which depended from the walls not only in their main surfaces, but in very many nooks which the bizarre architecture of the chateau rendered necessary- in these paintings my incipient delirium, perhaps, had caused me to take deep interest; so that I bade Pedro to close the heavy shutters of the room- since it was already night- to light the tongues of a tall candelabrum which stood by the head of my bed- and to throw open far and wide the fringed curtains of black velvet which enveloped the bed itself. I wished all this done that I might resign myself, if not to sleep, at least alternately to the contemplation of these pictures, and the perusal of a small volume which had been found upon the pillow, and which purported to criticise and describe them.

Long- long I read- and devoutly, devotedly I gazed. Rapidly and gloriously the hours flew by and the deep midnight came. The position of the candelabrum displeased me, and outreaching my hand with difficulty, rather than disturb my slumbering valet, I placed it so as to throw its rays more fully upon the book.

But the action produced an effect altogether unanticipated. The rays of the numerous candles (for there were many) now fell within a niche of the room which had hitherto been thrown into deep shade by one of the bed-posts. I thus saw in vivid light a picture all unnoticed before. It was the portrait of a young girl just ripening into womanhood. I glanced at the painting hurriedly, and then closed my eyes. Why I did this was not at first apparent even to my own perception. But while my lids remained thus shut, I ran over in my mind my reason for so shutting them. It was an impulsive movement to gain time for thought- to make sure that my vision had not deceived me- to calm and subdue my fancy for a more sober and more certain gaze. In a very few moments I again looked fixedly at the painting.

That I now saw aright I could not and would not doubt; for the first flashing of the candles upon that canvas had seemed to dissipate the dreamy stupor which was stealing over my senses, and to startle me at once into waking life.

The portrait, I have already said, was that of a young girl. It was a mere head and shoulders, done in what is technically termed a vignette manner; much in the style of the favorite heads of Sully. The arms, the bosom, and even the ends of the radiant hair melted imperceptibly into the vague yet deep shadow which formed the back-ground of the whole. The frame was oval, richly gilded and filigreed in Moresque. As a thing of art nothing could be more admirable than the painting itself. But it could have been neither the execution of the work, nor the immortal beauty of the countenance, which had so suddenly and so vehemently moved me. Least of all, could it have been that my fancy, shaken from its half slumber, had mistaken the head for that of a living person. I saw at once that the peculiarities of the design, of the vignetting, and of the frame, must have instantly dispelled such idea- must have prevented even its momentary entertainment. Thinking earnestly upon these points, I remained, for an hour perhaps, half sitting, half reclining, with my vision riveted upon the portrait. At length, satisfied with the true secret of its effect, I fell back within the bed. I had found the spell of the picture in an absolute life-likeliness of expression, which, at first startling, finally confounded, subdued, and appalled me. With deep and reverent awe I replaced the candelabrum in its former position. The cause of my deep agitation being thus shut from view, I sought eagerly the volume which discussed the paintings and their histories. Turning to the number which designated the oval portrait, I there read the vague and quaint words which follow:

"She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to pourtray even his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead. But he, the painter, took glory in his work, which went on from hour to hour, and from day to day. And be was a passionate, and wild, and moody man, who became lost in reveries; so that he would not see that the light which fell so ghastly in that lone turret withered the health and the spirits of his bride, who pined visibly to all but him. Yet she smiled on and still on, uncomplainingly, because she saw that the painter (who had high renown) took a fervid and burning pleasure in his task, and wrought day and night to depict her who so loved him, yet who grew daily more dispirited and weak. And in sooth some who beheld the portrait spoke of its resemblance in low words, as of a mighty marvel, and a proof not less of the power of the painter than of his deep love for her whom he depicted so surpassingly well. But at length, as the labor drew nearer to its conclusion, there were admitted none into the turret; for the painter had grown wild with the ardor of his work, and turned his eyes from canvas merely, even to regard the countenance of his wife. And he would not see that the tints which he spread upon the canvas were drawn from the cheeks of her who sat beside him. And when many weeks bad passed, and but little remained to do, save one brush upon the mouth and one tint upon the eye, the spirit of the lady again flickered up as the flame within the socket of the lamp. And then the brush was given, and then the tint was placed; and, for one moment, the painter stood entranced before the work which he had wrought; but in the next, while he yet gazed, he grew tremulous and very pallid, and aghast, and crying with a loud voice, 'This is indeed Life itself!' turned suddenly to regard his beloved: - She was dead!

(POE, 2014, p. 5-10).

- Pay attention to…:

- Professor, observar que o conto e o filme só trazem em parte a mesma história: Edgar Allan Poe contou uma “história dentro da história”, ou seja, a partir da narrativa sobre o viajante que, ferido, encontra abrigo no castelo, desenvolve a história principal - a da jovem que se casou com o pintor que “tinha outro amor: a arte”. Notar que a segunda história tem início à meia-noite, horário carregado de simbologias na cultura ocidental e que, depois de seu desfecho, não nos é trazida a impressão do viajante que tanto ficou admirado com o retrato e que narrou tal história enquanto ia lendo-a em um livro que versava sobre as pinturas do aposento em que estava.

- Alguns destaques importantes do conto são o ambiente (um castelo abandonado nas montanhas), o horário em que o retrato oval é avistado (meia-noite), os traços de vida da jovem que vão se apagando (não nos é dado saber se por ciúme da arte, se por uma doença que não pode ser percebida pelo marido, absorto em sua empreitada para terminar o quadro) e a fala do artista ao terminar o quadro: “This is indeed life itself” – “Isso é vida de verdade” – enquanto a esposa está morta.

- Atentar para a estrutura clássica do conto (conforme gráfico presente no material do aluno) e pedir que identifiquem qual das duas histórias se enquadra na estrutura apresentada e quais são os fatos que evidenciam os momentos: situação inicial (o retrato avistado chamando a atenção do viajante) – complicação (a revelação de que o artista tinha “outro amor” e a descrição progressiva da vida se esvaindo) – o clímax (as cores do quadro terem aparentemente sido “roubadas” do rosto da modelo) – e o desfecho (o quadro terminado e a esposa morta).

- Is it correct to say that The oval portrait brings a story inside another story? What are these stories?

- The wounded narrator doesn´t have the opportunity to state his opinion about the story he read. Why do you think it happens? Whose opinion about the story is important?

- The short story is built in a simple way, bringing some details that reveal a little of its intention and atmosphere. Think of these:

Where does it happen? At what time is the portrait seen by the narrator?

What does the artist say when he finishes the painting and what is happening to his wife at this moment?

- A classical short story plot consists of:

Exposition – conflict – rising action – climax – falling action – resolution

And they are “organized” like this:

Can you identify these parts on The oval portrait?

- …As well:

- Professor, é esperado que os alunos questionem por que o autor optou por contar uma história dentro da outra, e também por que decidiu não encerrar a primeira. Observar que muitas são as respostas possíveis: podemos interpretar sua escolha de diversas formas, desde sendo um motivo para o uso da estética do gótico – o castelo abandonado, a atmosfera sombria, o mistério – até uma amostra de que a arte talvez só interessasse a quem nada melhor tivesse para fazer – fato que poderia ser ilustrado pelo quarto fechado de uma casa abandonada e pelo viajante ferido e febril em uma noite insone. De qualquer modo, dizer que vale o fato de os questionamentos acerca da história principal serem deixados por conta do leitor, bem como da interpretação e entendimento dos motivos que levaram à construção da história da forma que foi feita. Caso os alunos não percebam essas questões, provocá-los com perguntas:

- Why is there a “story” inside other “story”? What was the author´s intention with it?

- How does the secondary story end? Would you have a suggestion for its ending?

- Do you think this story contains a “moral”? If so, what is it?

- What about today?:

- Professor, pode-se dizer que o conto traz a ideia da não subsistência dos elementos em competição: a mulher e a arte disputaram o amor do artista, prevalecendo a segunda; a arte e a vida disputaram o espaço do castelo, prevalecendo novamente a arte; o momentâneo (vida) perdeu lugar para o etéreo (a arte). A morte é um tema recorrente nas obras de Edgar Allan Poe, porém, neste conto, ela não se dá por ódio ou vingança, mas sim pelo fato de o artista amar somente por meio da arte, ficando de olhos e coração fechados para outros fatos e sentimentos.

- Mostrar para os alunos que o conto é uma representação do Romantismo: a mulher é, por todo o tempo, observada pelos homens – pelo marido para a composição do retrato e pelo viajante (que sabemos ser um homem por estar acompanhado de um “valet” – termo usado para criado de senhores do sexo masculino) – tendo sua rara beleza eternizada na tela, um ideal bem romântico de “beleza etérea”.

- Fazer uma reflexão acerca da arte e da vida: qual a relação entre elas? Imitação, escape, oposição... dar espaço para os alunos opinarem e trazerem/buscarem outros exemplos.

- Who and what are the opposites in this story?

- Life and art have an antagonistic relationship in this short story. Do you share the author´s opinion about this or do you have a different way of thinking? What is art and life relationship today?

- Beauty, specially the female one, is treated as eternal in the story. This is typical from the romantic era, when the good things used to be idealized. What about today? What is the importance of beauty and how do you see it?

- Text-web (Read, watch and listen):

- Professor, destacar que, de tudo o que foi lido, possivelmente seja na estética gótica e na atmosfera de mistério e suspense que residam as mais importantes contribuições de Edgar Allan Poe, sendo que muitos escritores inspiraram-se nesses elementos para compor a sua obra. Não deixar, no entanto, de observar dois elementos principais:

- Pay attention to the following excerpt: “not less in fact than in the fancy of Mrs. Radcliffe”. Who is Mrs. Radcliffe?

Ann Radcliffe (1764-1823) foi a pioneira daquilo que ficou conhecido como “horror gótico”. Romances como The romance of the forest (1791), The Italian ( 1797) e The mysteries of Udolpho (1794) influenciaram autores como Lord Byron e Edgar Allan Poe na criação de suas histórias e no uso da estética escolhida.

- Have you ever heard of the myth of Pygmalion?

Professor, explicar que esse mito, embora o faça de maneira inversa, também reflete acerca do problema da relação da arte com a vida, sendo que a primeira não satisfaz o personagem principal, levando-o a precisar da segunda – basicamente, o oposto do que é contado por Poe.

Tired of vagrancy and lewdness, Pygmalion decided to live by himself. Working as a sculptor, carved a marble woman of extreme beauty and fell in love with it. While observing his creation, he used to think that the best art was the one that disguised art (OVÍDIO, 2003). In fact, the statue was so perfect that it seemed to be alive, and, several times, Pygmalion touched it to certify it was not real. Deeply in love, Pygmalion hugged, kissed, and finally, started to share his own bed with the statue. Once, Pygmalion asked the Gods to make his staue alive and the Gods granted it […] We can notice that Pygmalion loved his creation but couldn´t be pleased only with the art. Rejecting real women, he couldn´t resist to the perfection of the marble sculpture, wishing it could come alive. Art can be perfect, but without life, is not complete. (OLIVEIRA, A. P. de, 2012, p. 5, tradução nossa).

- Book:

The picture of Dorian Gray (O retrato de Dorian Gray, romance, Oscar Wilde, 1890)

- Professor, se possível, acessar o Youtube – www.youtube.com – e digitar o título do conto em seu campo de busca. Mostrar para os alunos as diversas adaptações que lá estão disponíveis, dando destaque e, se possível, assistindo, ao video do filme Vivre sa vie (1962) de Jean-Luc Gódard, disponível em <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq_ytGRD5do>, acesso em 12 dez. 2017, em que o personagem principal faz a leitura de parte do conto em voz alta.

- Movie:

Vivre sa vie (Jean Luc Godard, França, 1962).

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