Reading Notes B Week 14 : Capricious Clarice

Clarice Lispector 1920-1977 The daydreams of a drunk woman (808-814)

A Brazilian modernist. Modernism was the result of Dramatic world changes for the first and
Second World War. A darker more cynical form of writing.

Lispector use a simple vocabulary in her writings. (808)

The drunk woman calls herself lazy and a slut many times.

She is a refined woman based on her account of herself and Her painted nails (809).
And who had spent time in the capital. (811)

She also keeps coming back to the idea of having self respect (812) and this is referenced several
times over multiple pages.

Sexism and women hating women was also a theme. Slut shaming and mocking the polished and
thin appearance of an attractive woman showed that it was not just men during the time who put
women down, women did it to each other. “And the pious nanny so pleased with herself in that hat
and so modest about her slim waist line, and all that she couldn’t even bear her man a child.”
(812,813).

Shaming for the wife’s sexual desire for other men was another theme. The Businessman who the
couple met for dinner was brushing his foot against hers under the table. She wondered if it was
intentional or not in her more sober state. She seemed indifferent by shrugging her shoulders at the
thought. (814).

The wife in the story did not seem to care for her husband or children very much “… Her chubby
little children sleeping in the other room, the little villains. “ (814)

“Go to hell! … prowling around me like some old tomcat. “He seem to think more clearly and said,
firmly, “You’re ill, my girl. “ she accepted his remark, surprised, and vaguely flattered.” (810).

“She was in love… She was anticipating her love for The man whom she would love one day.
Who knows, this sometimes happened, and without any guilt or injury for either partner. “
she wanted to find love again (811).

She was tired of being an object, yet was Jealous later as another woman was admired as an
object. “ but when he bent over to kiss her her capriciousness crackled like a dry leaf. “ (810)

“Capricious is an adjective to describe a person or thing that's impulsive and unpredictable, like
a bride who suddenly leaves her groom standing at the wedding altar. You can criticize a fickle-
minded person as capricious, but it could just as well describe quickly changing weather, as in
"capricious spring storms."”