Lima Barreto

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Afonso Henriques de Lima Barreto (May 13, 1881 – November 1, 1922) was a Brazilian author, who wrote one of the country's classics, Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma or Tragic death of..., describing the adventures of a music- and book-loving odd-ball confronted with Brazil's peculiarities at the turn of the century. Though little known outside Brazil, the author is widely considered one of the best satirical writers in Brazilian history. He used a very sarcastic, but disguised, style of writing, what prevented him from being persecuted by politicians or military authorities, his favorite "victims".

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[edit] Life

Lima Barreto was born in Rio de Janeiro to a poor family of mixed race (mulatto). He became a public servant and wrote as a journalist and novelist at the same time. He led a life affected by alcoholism and psychiatric interventions.

A sharp social critic, his novel Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma, takes up the 1910 Sailors’ "Revolt Against the Lash", & has gone through many printings.

An anarchist, his journalistic pieces included writing for the labor & anarchist press, such as "A Plebe" (The Crowd), "A Voz do Trabalhador" ("The Worker's Voice) & "A Lanterna." (The Lantern)

Barreto died from a heart attack at the age of 41.

[edit] Writing Style

Barreto was a very sarcastic author, and he passed this personality to his books. His favorite theme to "attack" is the mediocrity of the Brazilian people, mainly the government and the commercial / military authorities. One of his works that represents better this style is "Os Bruzundangas", a collection of tales he published in newspapers during a period of 20 years (see "Main Works" below).

[edit] Main Works

[edit] Triste Fim de Policarpo Quaresma

Tragic Death of Policarpo Quaresma - 1915

Considered his best work, this story is frequently read in Brazilian schools and popular in the so called "Vesribular", an national yearly test. It tells the story of Policarpo Quaresma, a radical Brazilian patriot. Policarpo's wondest dream is to see his beloved land Brazil as one of the world most powerful nations. He notices many problems in the political and social structure of his country, realizing that the Brazilian people loved the European culture more than their own country and tries to change that.

The story, them, can be divided in three distinct parts:

  • THE CULTURAL REFORM: he tries to change the Brazilian official language (portuguese) to Tupi, an native-indian language. He sends a letter (written in Tupi) to a proud and arrogant politician, who is know as being one of the most intelligent man in the State. He doesn't understand any word in the letter and, with his pride wounded, fires the author of the letter. Policarpo them goes to the rural field of Rio de Janeiro and then begins a new activity;
  • THE AGRICULTURAL REFORM: Policarpo constructs, with the help of an old black man, a little farm and tries to sell his products to the capital. His desire is to make people see how valuable could be the Brazilian lands. Unfortunately, a plague invades his field and he begins a little war against the ants and the vermin. A local politician them arrives in his home praying for electoral support, but Policarpo refuses the offer. Then, by revenge, the politician starts to prejudice Policarpo's farm. At this moment, a huge chaos is set in Brazil by lots of popular revolutions and Policarpo is recruited to war;
  • THE MILITARY REFORM while trying to defend a fort, Policarpo sees lots of problems in the Brazilian military structure and sends a letter to the president, Floriano Peixoto, a rude and ignorant man, praying for better conditions for the war prisioners and the other soldiers of the fort. Floriano, when reads the letter, considers Policarpo a revolutionary man and condemns him to death. At the end of the story, Policarpo Quaresma is killed for the crime of high treason.

[edit] Os Bruzundangas

The Bruzundangas

A collection of tales that Lima Barreto published in newspaper during the period of 20 years, approximately. It tells the life and the costums of the People of Bruzundanga, an imaginary country that represents the Brazil. In the book, tale by tale, Barreto tells the corruption presents in every sector of the Bruzundanga's life, since the politics to the education.

Lima Barreto decided to create a new country to represent Brazil to escape from politician and any other authority's persecution.

[edit] Cemitério dos Vivos

Cemetery of the Living

Barreto tells the life in a "manicômio" (brazilian traditional word for a hospital for mad people) and describes the horror of being in such place. It's based in the period he was put in this kind of hospital when he had a public epileptic attack.

[edit] Other Works

  • Recordações do Escrivão Isaías Caminha (1909)
  • Clara do Anjos (1948, posthumous)
  • A Nova Califórnia (short story)

[edit] Sources

[edit] External links

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