The representation of the black population in the Brazilian naturalist novel

Abstract

Using four emblematic works of Brazilian literature, published in the naturalist context at the turn of the 20th century, this article proposes to discuss the question of the literary representation of black characters. Mainly in relation to the ways in which they were described, their “types” and narrative constructions. Methodologically, this research was carried out through the methods of content analysis and comparative study, using the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti. as a resource for the systematization of the literary material. We start from the theoretical assumption that the authors of the period occupied a strong role as contributors to the Brazilian imaginary, influencing a worldview in their reading public, at the same time that they were influenced by the scientific-historical conjuncture of the period, in formation since the beginning of the 19th century.