Literatura e etnografia: aproximações e distanciamentos em produções de Gonçalves Dias

Abstract

The search for a national identity was one of the maxims in Brazil in the first half of the 19th century. In literature, this project took shape in the Nationalist-Indianist phase, during which writers devoted themselves to representing nature and indigenous peoples, considered the most expressive symbol of authentic Brazilian nationality. This initiative to unify identity was also taken up by the Brazilian Historical and Geographical Institute (IHGB), which sought to discover the “true Brazil” through the indigenous peoples of the lesser-known provinces. To this end, it invested in various ethnographic research projects. Involved in both of these fronts was Gonçalves Dias, the most notorious poet of Romanticism, an active member and head of ethnographic studies at the IHGB. From this perspective, this research explores the poet's scientific and literary works. The general objective is to comparatively analyze the figure of the Brazilian indigenous people in the poem I-Juca-Pirama and in Relatório E (Etnografia) by Gonçalves Dias, investigating their similarities and differences. The specific objectives are to reflect on Comparative Literature and its interdisciplinary nature; discuss romantic and indigenous Nationalism-Indianism in the poetry of Gonçalves Dias; examine his participation in the context of 19th-century ethnographic studies; and, finally, compare the poem and the scientific text, identifying and explaining the convergences and divergences between the indigenous peoples represented in the two works. The comparative analysis, based on qualitative documentary and bibliographic research, showed that, despite similarities in terms of the warrior character and the figure of the chief, there are significant differences between the indigenous peoples in the two works. The poem presents an idealized and heroic representation of the natives, while the report adopts a predominantly descriptive and objective approach. In addition, the ethnographic text offers a broader picture of indigenous life, characterizing them as hunters and fishermen, and shows greater attention to ethnic diversity, unlike the more homogeneous and superficial treatment present in the poem. As for the theoretical framework, studies in Comparative Literature were used, such as Carvalhal (1991, 2003, and 2006), Nitrini (2010), and Coutinho (2014), in addition to Roncari (2014), Candido (1999, 2002, and 2010), Pereira (2018), among others.