The pecking thrush: the social consciousness in the writings of Rubem Braga

• Grant number: 13/14008-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2013
• End date: August 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Literature - Brazilian Literature
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Rigatto de Souza Andrade
• Grantee: Guilherme Nogueira Tauil
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Owner of a unique style that could dissolve the barrier between verse and prose, Braga used to write about the beauty of life. His deep care for nature, women, childhood and details gave him the epithet "the thrush". This nickname, however, is not always appropriate, since Braga was also a combative author, frequently denouncing poverty. Without writing political propaganda, he used to stand against the government and to speak out for the poor. The aim of this project is to study this social consciousness in four writings of Rubem Braga's inicial phase, sustained by a perspective of the literary context of the 30s and by the concept of "sermo humilis", studied by Erich Auerbach. (AU)