‘Água Viva’ by Clarice Lispector: What it means to be alive
This article explores the philosophical themes of Clarice Lispector's 'Água Viva', focusing on the concepts of living in the present and taking risks. The author reflects on how the book resonates with their own experiences of self-discovery.
Why it matters
It highlights the enduring cultural and psychological relevance of literature in personal development and mindfulness.
I am an overthinker who also enjoys living in the moment. This is especially evident in my love for nature. To experience nature, you have to be fully present. Not a second later. You can only notice how tree branches dance to the tune of the wind as it happens, never otherwise.
In Água Viva , the narrator calls this the instant. The now, if you will. The narrator opens up her consciousness, sharing her thoughts and life as she experiences it. Throughout the book, we are invited into the narrator's life and her inner thoughts. She speaks of death. Joy. Good. Evil. God. And the interconnectedness of living things.
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