Seminar paper from the year 2012 in the subject Romance Studies - Portuguese Studies, grade: 65, University of Birmingham, course: BA Modern Languages, language: English, abstract: Loneliness is a major health concern, a debilitating condition and a universal human emotion. It at once fascinates and terrifies us, which makes it an invaluable literary theme. The lonely and the elderly are often synonymous; Portuguese authors known for their short stories, such as those above, invariably include among their works an 'old woman' story in some form. The theme of loneliness comes as part of the package. The ways in which the narrative incorporates it, however, are as varied as the narratives themselves.