“The Weaver Girl” (“A Moça Tecelã”) by Marina Colasanti: Myths, Silence, and the Feminine in the Contemporary Fairy Tale

Abstract

 This paper undertakes an analytical examination of the contemporary fairy tale “A moça tecelã” (“The Weaver Girl”) by Marina Colasanti (2006), with a focus on its narrative construction and its articulation of feminine subjectivity through metaphorical language. The study explores how the text engages with elements of oral tradition and classical mythology, particularly through intertextual resonances with figures such as Arachne, Philomela, and the Moirai/Parcae. These mythological references are further contextualized through foundational literary works, including Homer’s Odyssey—notably the character of Penelope—and Ovid’s Metamorphoses, which recounts the myth of Philomela and her sister Procne. The theoretical framework draws upon key concepts from literary theory, including polyphony, dialogism, and intertextuality, as articulated by Bakhtin (2013), Brik (2013), Candido (2011), Kristeva (2012), Samoyault (2008), and Todorov (2012). In addition, the study incorporates perspectives on fairy tale structures, the heroine’s journey, and feminist literary discourse, referencing the works of Jolles (1976), Murdock (2022), Tatar (2022), and Valenzuela (2022; 2024), among others. Primary texts and interviews by Marina Colasanti herself are also employed to substantiate the interpretative claims and deepen the textual analysis.