Saramago's dogs

for an inclusive humanism

Carlo Salzani

Kristóf Vanhoutte

pp. 193-210

in: Carlo Salzani, Kristóf Vanhoutte (eds), Saramago's philosophical heritage, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018

Abstract

Saramago's privileged relationship with his dogs goes way beyond biographical trivia and was artistically sublimated into a highly symbolic function in his writings: dogs appear in many of his novels, and in some of them, they ascend to the rank of central characters. If the dogs always play a positive role, their presence is however charged with symbolism, and their philosophical and artistic functions need to be unpacked. This chapter presents a phenomenology of Saramago's dogs, arguing that they not only constitute a powerful and captivating artistic device but also endow his work with a strong politico-philosophical charge that at times even transcends the author's intentions.

Cited authors

Saramago José