Between Desire and Guilt: Diana the Huntress – Diana a Caçadora

Abstract

This study presents an interdisciplinary analysis of Márcia Denser's work Diana the Huntress, focusing on the complex dynamics between desire and guilt that permeate the protagonist's journey. Utilising Freudian concepts of Eros and Thanatos, the Oedipus complex, and the compulsion to repeat, the research interprets Diana's self-destructive behaviours as expressions of unconscious conflicts and repressed desires. It incorporates Émile Durkheim's sociological theory on asceticism, considering the impact of cultural values and the internalisation of social judgements on the female psyche. This analysis reveals how the character reflects a cycle of seeking pleasure followed by emptiness and self-punishment, reinforcing a critique of the superficiality of a life guided by patriarchal norms and unfulfilled desires. By integrating psychoanalysis and sociology, the study highlights Denser's critique of the cultural oppression of female identity and the emotional void that results from it.