Awakening and Resistance in Paulina Chiziane’s As Cicatrizes do Amor and Clarice Lispector’s Amor: A Comparative Analysis

This article analyzes two Portuguese-language short stories, offering a comparative examination of the female characters in Clarice Lispector’s Amor and Paulina Chiziane’s As Cicatrizes do Amor, through the lenses of feminist criticism and comparative literature. By comparing these narratives, the article investigates the personal transformations and struggles of women in patriarchal societies. Chiziane’s As Cicatrizes do Amor set in Mozambique, portrays love as shaped by cultural and social constraints, while Lispector’s Amor provides an introspective exploration of the protagonist’s psyche, depicting an existential and emotional awakening that challenges societal norms and expectations. Through the transformative journey from submission to awakening, comparing women’s experiences across diverse cultural contexts and their struggles with love and pain, the article presents the expression of feminist consciousness and individual differences.