From Um Brasil para os brasileiros to Diário de Bitita: an intepretation of Brazil through the works of Carolina Maria de Jesus (1972–1986)

Abstract

This work engages with discussions in the field of Social Thought in Brazil, the Sociology of Literature, and the critical reception of the work of Carolina Maria de Jesus (1914–1977). The objective is to characterize a social vision of Brazil developed by the writer, understood as her interpretation of national issues. The analysis will be based on Um Brasil para os brasileiros, a manuscript published posthumously under the title Diário de Bitita (1986). To understand the characteristics of this interpretation, the study intends to draw upon terms and emic categories specific to De Jesus’s work, such as “cost of living”, “urban reform,” “agrarian reform,” “Second Abolition,” and criticism of “developmentalism,” among others. The study focuses on De Jesus’s work in the period following Quarto de Despejo (1960), marked by her move to the far south of São Paulo, by oblivion, and by scarcity. It seeks to understand how, in this context, the author develops an interpretation of modernity, nation, and citizenship. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate the tensions present in her work and the possible reasons that contributed to her work remaining on the margins of the literary canon and discussions of Brazilian Social Thought. The study will use Um Brasil para os brasileiros as its primary source, in comparative dialogue with Diário de Bitita and with research dedicated to the author’s works.