VARIATION OF THE GRAMMAR IMPERATIVE IN BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE: COMIC REPRESENTATIONS BY “TURMA DA MÔNICA JOVEM” AND “CHICO BENTO MOÇO”

Abstract

Based in the orderly variation concept (LABOV, 2008 [1972]), we analyzed the variation in the grammatical imperative in Turma da Mônica Jovem (TMJ) and Chico Bento Moço (CBM) comic books. In such publications, imperative is expressed in its indicative form (Deixa o robô proteger você!) or in its subjunctive form (Deixe que eu lute por você, princesa!) in the você pronoun context, and in preverbal negation sentences (Não deixa ele escapar!). In such cases, grammar tradition records the imperative in subjunctive form. We identified 4,235 data in 89 TMJ, and 1,010 data in 28 CBM, submitted to statistical treatment. We discussed effects of characters and polarity/pronominal context. We highlighted that Chico Bento uses less imperative in the indicative in the university environment. We compared this social representation with the research of Turma da Mônica children’s version, in which Chico Bento represents rural setting, and widely uses imperative in its indicative form.