Representações da mulher negra na poesia narrativa nordestina – 1896-1970: fatores históricos e socioculturais
Data
2022-04-04
Autores
Oliveira, Letícia Fernanda da Silva [UNESP]
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Editor
Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp)
Resumo
Na poesia narrativa nordestina, além de personificar a fealdade e a deformidade, a mulher negra é frequentemente associada à figura do demônio. Na Cantoria e na Literatura de Cordel produzida entre o final do século XIX e a década de 1970 do século XX a mulher negra figura, majoritariamente, de maneira negativa, sendo constantemente diminuída e demonizada. Não são raros os repentes e folhetos em que a mulher personifica os males mundanos, agindo como a intercessora diabólica na perturbação da ordem e da moral vigente. No interior dessas práticas culturais em particular, tais mulheres representam exemplos de moralidades às avessas, haja vista terem nascido predeterminadas a servir de contraponto à "verdadeira" conduta feminina. Nesta pesquisa pretendemos analisar as várias representações da mulher negra nos folhetos de cordel produzidos no período mencionado, bem como investigar os fatores históricos e socioculturais que se encontram no cerne dessas representações. Para que fosse possível descobrir quais elementos influenciam essa representação negativa da mulher negra optamos por seguir três eixos temáticos, sendo estes: o fortalecimento da figura do demônio no Ocidente, partindo do texto bíblico até a transformação que ocorre na cultura popular, que o transforma em um diabo logrado; a Inquisição e a perseguição às mulheres, acusando-as dos crimes de feitiçaria; a escravização brasileira promovida durante a colonização e o racismo científico. Todos os estes foram fatores determinantes para a representação estereotipada da negra na Literatura de Cordel, fundamentada no racismo e no sexismo.
In the Northeastern narrative poetry, aside from personifying ugliness and deformity, Black women are frequently associated to the image of the devil. In Cantoria and Cordel Literature produced between the end of the 19th century and the 1970s of the 20th centuriy, Black women are depicted, mostly, in a negative way, being constantly diminished and demonized. It is not rare the repentes and brochures in which women represent worldly evils, acting as a diabolical intercessor in disturbing the order and morals in place. Inside these cultural practices, such women are examples of inverted morality, seen as being born fated to serve as the counterpoint to the “real” feminine behaviour. In this research we intend to analyze the various representations of Black women in the Cordel brochures produced in the period mentioned above, as well as investigate the historical and sociocultural factors that are found in the core of these representations. To unveil which elements influence the negative representation of the Black women, we opted to follow three-themed axes: the strengthening of the devil’s image in the Western civilization, coming from the biblical text to the transformation deriving from popular culture, which transforms it in a satirized devil; the Inquisition and the persecution of women, blaming them of witchcraft; as well as Brazilian slavery promoted during colonization, and scientific racism. All these were determining factors to the stereotypical representation of Black women in Cordel literature, substantiated on racism and sexism.
In the Northeastern narrative poetry, aside from personifying ugliness and deformity, Black women are frequently associated to the image of the devil. In Cantoria and Cordel Literature produced between the end of the 19th century and the 1970s of the 20th centuriy, Black women are depicted, mostly, in a negative way, being constantly diminished and demonized. It is not rare the repentes and brochures in which women represent worldly evils, acting as a diabolical intercessor in disturbing the order and morals in place. Inside these cultural practices, such women are examples of inverted morality, seen as being born fated to serve as the counterpoint to the “real” feminine behaviour. In this research we intend to analyze the various representations of Black women in the Cordel brochures produced in the period mentioned above, as well as investigate the historical and sociocultural factors that are found in the core of these representations. To unveil which elements influence the negative representation of the Black women, we opted to follow three-themed axes: the strengthening of the devil’s image in the Western civilization, coming from the biblical text to the transformation deriving from popular culture, which transforms it in a satirized devil; the Inquisition and the persecution of women, blaming them of witchcraft; as well as Brazilian slavery promoted during colonization, and scientific racism. All these were determining factors to the stereotypical representation of Black women in Cordel literature, substantiated on racism and sexism.
Descrição
Palavras-chave
Mulher negra, Literatura de Cordel, Demonização, Feitiçaria, Raça, Black women