The Privilege of ‘Not-Knowing’: Clarice Lispector’s A hora da estrela as Self-Critique

Clarice Lispector’s A hora da estrela is primarily a work of self-critique. As in several of Lispector’s earlier texts, the theme of ‘not-knowing’ as a method of spiritual transcendence forms an integral part of the narrative. What distinguishes A hora da estrela is the fact that through the marginalized figure of Macabéa, Lispector intertwines the theme of not-knowing with its less-attractive underside: naïveté and ignorance. In the novel Lispector reveals how Macabéa’s not-knowing/ artlessness limits her life choices and leaves her more vulnerable to abuse. Within the multilayered fabric of this metafictional text, the spiritual and philosophical not-knowing that serves as the focus of Lispector’s earlier questing novels forms a part of what is being reassessed. Thus, in her final hours Lispector critiques the privilege inherent in her previous questing works and wholeheartedly engages with the ways that issues of class intersect with questions surrounding the purpose and value of artistic expression.