abstract
The novel A casa dos budas ditosos (1999), by João Ubaldo Ribeiro, uses mockery as its narrative thread. The narrative is represented by the voice of the narrator-protagonist - an elderly woman of about 70 years who only identifies herself through the initials CLB. This woman from Bahia, who now lives in Rio de Janeiro, is at the center of the plot. She decides to tell most of her life story highlighting lust, sex, social barriers and prejudices, and, above all, sexual independence. We underscore mockery as the narrative’s cornerstone to show how Ubualdo Ribeiro’s novel articulates the notions of irony, laughter, addiction and debauchery that are generated by sex. The article thus proposes mockery as one of the elements of modern novels.
Keywords:
João Ubaldo Ribeiro; A casa dos budas ditosos; modern novel; mockery