Between Gentlemen, Sambas and Beers: the discursive construction of the easy mulatto woman in Brazil

Abstract:

This article aims to undertake a reading of the discourses that deal with the imaginary about easy mulatto woman in Brazil (Freyre, 2006 [1933]), considering its historical and semiological density. That aim is based on statements that emerge on that mulatto woman in slavery period, discussing how it is put to the test during the twentieth century and, finally, analysing the updates and appropriations of that memory nowadays. The starting point is a discourse analysis derived from Michel Pêcheux, but also incorporates the contributions of Michel Foucault, as well as current discussions undertaken by Jean-Jacques Courtine, especially those concerning to the Historical Semiology.

Keywords:
Discourse; Semiotics; Memory; Enslavement; Easy Mulatto Woman