Abstract
This article analyzes two of Caio Prado’s essays, Retrato do Brasil and Paulítica, beginning by diagnosing the historical formation of Brazilian society, marked by the triad ‘unrest, excess and unruliness,’ and the difficulties it poses for establishing a modern social order in the country. Within such an interpretation of Brazil, the themes of melancholy and the romantic ethos are key pieces, capable of organizing the narrative from the most remote historical moments, from the invasion to the 1920s, when these essays were written. Hence, according to Paulo Prado, it is about the meaning and usefulness of historical studies for reflecting on a given modernity.
Keywords:
Paulo Prado; Melancholy; Individualism