A memória como cinza em W. G. Sebald: um itinerário

This paper seeks to investigate the nuances of the memory as ashes in the work of the writer W.G. Sebald. Centered on the effects of destruction, Sebald's writing continuously supports the idea of retention. Having The Rings of Saturn as central framework, due to its strong tone of compendium and the amplitude of the examined theme, the following itinerary registers the flux of the rescue of the ashes – understood as residue, reminiscence – through three essential points of convergence: Space, Image and Literature. The abovementioned categories will consider recurring aspects of the author's work, seen through the lenses of the proposed framework. Among them, the following shall be highlighted: the theme of pilgrimage – fundamental strategy of Sebald's narratives, in which the notion of the mobilization of space is intrinsically connected to the mobilization of memory; the strong interest towards the work of art and photography – especially, the understanding of the work of art as a residue; and the constant literary incidences – of the references evoked by the writer to register the memory of the dead, who are, essentially, also writers. Lastly, this paper endeavors to criticize Sebald's work under the perspective of the crossing between the dimensions of memory and oblivion, and, consequently, of the rescue made through his works. When examining Sebald's writing, it is possible to affirm that the author has the formalization of an absence as a principle. This procedure, which will be examined through this work, aims to contribute to the understanding of the work of art through the appreciation of what is forgotten – and must be rescued. It is within this context that the writer's obsessive preoccupation with the past is configured. In correlation, the followed itinerary seeks to replicate this movement of rescue and to unveil the author's intents