Nationalism and ambivalence in O sertanejo by José de Alencar

Abstract

José de Alencar’s novel O sertanejo represents the Brazilian romantic nationalistic agenda inasmuch as it openly proposes to celebrate a feature of Brazilian nature known as the “sertão” (outba- ck) of the state of Ceará, as well as the “typical” man who inhabits it represented by the novel’s hero, Arnaldo Louredo. In the fi rst part of this essay it is demonstrated how the authorial manipulation of the narrative focus and the repeated use of fi rst person plural possessive pronouns are employed to create the perception of nation as Benedict Anderson terms it. Next, issues related to the complex matter of land possession and alienation in colonies such as Brazil are discussed to demonstrate the ambivalence in the characterization of both the protagonist and the novel’s authoritarian landowner, Captain Pires Campelo using Homi Bhabha’s theories. It is concluded that despite its apparent sim- plicity and even in its attempt to cover them up, the novel reveals the complex social origins of Brazil irremediably affected by European colonization.