Animal Studies in Brazilian and Mozambican literature: João Guimarães Rosa and Mia Couto

• In Event: Eco-Criticism and Ruptured Natures

Abstract

Animal Studies as a research topic has been increasingly growing around the world and recently in Brazil; not only as part of the animal rights field and amongst hard sciences, but also as a valid theme to be approached in humanities. For this communication, I aim at presenting my current research which is part of my doctoral thesis; my main focus of study is animality, as well as the representation of the dichotomy human vs animal in modern and contemporary Brazilian and Mozambican literature. To develop my research, I have chosen two literary works to work with: the novel A Confissão da Leoa (2012) - published in English as The Confession of the Lioness (2012)-, by Mozambican author Mia Couto, and short-story “Meu tio o Iauaretê” (1961) - published in English as “The Jaguar” (2001) -, by Brazilian author João Guimarães Rosa. In these two narratives we can find the illustration of struggles between primitive and modern times, rural and urban life, indigenous/black and white humans, men and women. Therefore, I propose an interdisciplinary analysis which seeks to contemplate literary, anthropological, historical and sociological theories in order to show how these themes are part of the internal literary aesthetics of said texts.

Author

• Ana Carolina Torquato Pinto da Silva