Evil as seduction. Jawbone & Paradais, two narratives of violence and fear

Abstract

This article explores the literary configurations of evil narrated by marginalized subjects who experience, voluntarily or forced, a social, political, and existential discontent, whose outcomes are significant transformations in their identity, since they direct their emotions to the edge of extreme violence. Based on the reference to two novels written by Latin American women: Jawbone, by Mónica Ojeda, and Paradais, by Fernanda Melchor, this paper addresses the various manifestations of evil: sadism, rape, sects, and crimes. The origin and dimension of evil can be traced by studying the theoretical proposals made on the subject and by considering the author’s social and political context, which may function as triggers of such.