"And Death Shall Be No More": A significação da morte em As Intermitências da Morte, de José Saramago em justaposição ao soneto "Death, Be Not Proud", de John Donne

Abstract

In the following article, “And Death Shall Be no More”, I first aim to describe José Saramago’s writing style in the novel Death with Interruptions (2014) to then emphasize how the author employs, through his writing style, the stream of consciousness technique in order to maintain a conversation between the narrator and the reader, and to convey a symbolic, followed by a humanizing, portrayal of death. Next, I will demonstrate how this signification evolves throughout the narrative: first, by examining the collective characterization of society and its division into groups, and then by focusing on the portrayal of Death and a musician who, summoned to die, inexplicably resists his fated end. Finally, I will compare Death with Interruptions (2014) and John Donne’s sonnet “Death, Be Not Proud” (2024), exploring how each work addresses the theme of death and highlighting their similarities and differences.