In His Image and Likeness: Discursive Representations in the Comic Lavagem, by Shiko

Abstract

This article analyzes how the opacity of power relations shapes the representations of husband and wife in Lavagem (2015), by the comic artist Shiko. The analysis focuses on the contrasts between image and text, aiming to understand the tensions and discursive dynamics at play. The corpus consists of a sequence of sex scenes imagined and fantasized by the husband, in which his wife is portrayed with another man. The theoretical framework draws on the work of Michel Pêcheux (1995–1997), Eni Orlandi (1987–1996), Elisabeth Roudinesco (2008), and Suzy Lagazzi (2013, 2020, 2021), among others. The study examines how the roles assigned to the husband and wife reflect social and historical tensions, particularly the ways in which the female body is subjected to physical and discursive violence by the male figure.