O Riso de Fausto

Resumen

This article constitutes an inquiry into one of the most subtle themes in Thomas Mann's novel 'Doctor Faustus' – namely, Adrian Leverkühn’s laughter. Its aim is to establish a connection between a specific element within the novel (Adrian's laughter) and the overarching theme of artistic creation in the modern age. Not only does the author explicitly link the novel to the broader concept of artistic creation, which is its central concern, but the presence of Theodor Adorno, who was both a reader and critic of the work further underscores this connection. Consequently, the question that guides this study is the following: In what way does Adrian's laughter intersect with his own artistic creation? Throughout this article, we make associations with Stanley Cavell's ideas on acknowledgment and the skepticism which refers to its failure.  Theorists such as Bergson, Baudelaire, and Morreall provide the foundation for theories of laughter.  What’s more, in the essay, the presence of laughter in other Faustian interpretations written in the first half of the twentieth century will also be comparatively addressed. Thus, in this study, Adrian's unique position in the Faustian landscape is shown to be connected to the eruption of laughter, which, far from being a minor detail, proves to be crucial for understanding his artistic production.