Essay Questions

What motivates the reader to continue reading the novel ‘The Passion According to G.H.’ by Clarice Lispector?

The zeal to unearth the protagonist's discovery is the central enigma motivating the reader to continue reading the novel. The narrator is a confused lady trying to discover why she does not know who she is. The world around the narrator is confusing her more. When she walks to her former maid's room, she gets amazed to see how silent it is, as if it has never been occupied. The pictures on the wall left by the maid prove that she hated and despised her. The life of the narrator is strange, and the reader gets curious to know what happens next.

What is the central theme of this novel?

Life predicament emerges as the central theme in this novel. It is evident that G.H. goes through a crisis, and she is trying to do everything possible to get herself out of the predicament. The narrator is suffering from a mental problem, and making matters worse, she does not understand herself. Failure to understand oneself is the beginning of a disaster in the life of an individual. There is a need for G.H. to realize who she is to get out of the crisis. Mental crisis or emotional suffering can destroy one's life, and that is why it is significant to seek help and guidance in advance.

Which quote from the narrator helps the author build the literary device 'repetition,' and what does it mean?

Repetition is a literary device that draws the reader's attention to understand the intended statement better. In 'The Passion According to G.H.,' the quote that signifies repetition is, "But there is something that must be said, it must be said.” The word ‘said’ in this statement is repeated twice to embody the perseverance of G.H. This statement by the narrator is significant in raising the reader's curiosity to continue perusing the novel to see what happened next. Something is troubling the narrator, but the reader has no clue, so he must continue reading the story to the end.