Abstract

This paper will firstly focus on the development of stylistic studies in Brazil. The stylistics that characterized such studies surpassed what might be called literary stylistics and aimed at examining the Portuguese language expressive resources. The concept of style will then be discussed in the light of current discursive perspectives, indicating how stylistic studies ar developed today. That concept will be examined from two points of view: a) the recurrence of features at the levels of expression and content, which produces a sense of individuality effect; b) the heterogeneity that constitutes the style, which is considered a discursive fact. The concept of literary text will also be analysed in order to verify whether it results from mere convention or whether such convention relies on characteristics intrinsic to the text.