Abstract
Machado's literature resonates with contemporary audiences because of its insightful exploration of 19th-century Rio de Janeiro society, particularly its grappling with slavery. Machado de Assis, a key figure of the time, critiqued societal norms sharply through his short stories and chronicles, employing various literary techniques to condemn the pervasive slave system. This article focuses on analyzing how Machado addressed race in his "Bons Dias!" series (1888-1889), published in Rio de Janeiro's Gazeta de Notícias. We aim to understand the production context of these texts within black-Brazilian literature and emphasize the importance of this perspective in contemporary assessments of Machado's work. Our study employs a theoretical and bibliographical approach, drawing on insights from scholars like Duarte (2009DUARTE, Eduardo de Assis. Machado de Assis afrodescendente: escritos de caramujo. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro; Belo Horizonte: Pallas; Crisálida, 2009.; 2020______. Machado de Assis afrodescendente. 3. ed. Rio de Janeiro: Editora Malê, 2020.), Gledson (2006)GLEDSON, John. Por um novo Machado de Assis: ensaios. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2006., Chalhoub (2009)CHALHOUB, Sidney. A crônica machadiana: problemas de interpretação, temas de pesquisa. Remate de Males - Revista de Teoria e História Literária, Campinas, v. 29, n. 2, p. 231-246, jul./dez. 2009. Disponível em: Disponível em: https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ ojs/index.php/remate/article/view/8636276/3985 . Acesso em: 15 nov. 2023.
https://periodicos.sbu.unicamp.br/ ojs/i...
, and Guimarães (2017)GUIMARÃES, Hélio de Seixas. Machado de Assis, o escritor que nos lê. São Paulo: Editora Unesp, 2017.. We also incorporate perspectives from scholars such as Cuti (2010)CUTI. Literatura negro-brasileira. São Paulo: Selo Negro, 2010. and Fanon (2008)FANON, Frantz. Pele negra, máscaras brancas. Salvador: EDUFBA, 2008. , who contribute to the discourse on ethnic-racial issues and black-Brazilian literature. Ultimately, our research highlights Machado de Assis's role as a conscientious black-Brazilian author who bravely confronted and exposed the injustices endured by the black population in a nation built on their exploitation and genocide. Machado's writings not only critique societal inequalities but also contribute to the broader struggle for social justice and equality.
Keywords:
chronicle; Machado de Assis; Black-Brazilian literature