The Literature facing massacres perpetrated by the Brazilian State: a comparison between Euclides da Cunha and Racionais MC's
The Carandiru Massacre (1992) happened almost a hundred years after the War of Canudos (1896-1897). However, it is possible to create links between these events, which were relevant in the History of Brazil. Both were crimes committed by the Brazilian State, originated by orders of rulers, and they...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Online |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| Published: |
Universidade Estadual de Campinas
2021
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://econtents.sbu.unicamp.br/inpec/index.php/tematicas/article/view/13861 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The Carandiru Massacre (1992) happened almost a hundred years after the War of Canudos (1896-1897). However, it is possible to create links between these events, which were relevant in the History of Brazil. Both were crimes committed by the Brazilian State, originated by orders of rulers, and they involved a huge repressive apparatus. It is also meaningful that in both cases the State attempted to erase officially the memory of the harm done, by destroying the places that were stage for the massacres. Canudos was flooded to create the Cocorobó Dam in 1969 and the Carandiru Prison was imploded to give place to the Parque da Juventude in 2002. This paper will discuss how important were literary works to engender the memory of said crimes. Rebellion in the backlands by Euclides da Cunha did it for the Massacre of Canudos and “Diário de um detento” [Convict’s diary] by the rap group Racionais MC’s did it for the Carandiru Massacre. This discussion becomes even more relevant in view of the fact that Brazil has systematically failed to judge crimes committed by the State. Taking into account the differences between the book by Euclides da Cunha and the song by Racionais MC’s, the goal of the paper is to discuss how literature was summoned, in these cases, to take a stand about the Brazilian history, accusing state crimes that were, and still are, susceptible to being forgotten. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2595-315X |
