Pedro bala, o cicerone das ruas: um estudo sobre o espaço e a identidade em Capitães da Areia, de Jorge Amado

Abstract

This study proposes an analysis of the construction of Pedro Bala's identity, the protagonist of the novel Captains of the Sands by Jorge Amado, focusing on the relationship between subject and urban space. The research problem guiding this work is: How does space contribute to the construction of Pedro Bala's identity in the novel Captains of the Sands? As a general objective, we seek to analyze how Pedro Bala’s identity is shaped through his relationship with space in the narrative. More specifically, we aim to understand how the author constructs the narrative with an emphasis on character development; investigate the dynamics of interaction between Pedro Bala and urban spaces, highlighting how these interactions influence his character development; and explore how the representation of urban spaces in Captains of the Sands contributes to the characterization of settings and the formation of identity. Based on a qualitative, bibliographic, and interpretative approach, the study seeks to understand how the spaces represented in the narrative, such as the warehouse, the sandy beach, the port, the police station, and the reformatory, directly influence the protagonist’s subjectivity. The city of Salvador is interpreted as a living organism, functioning both as an instrument of oppression and a space for resistance. The analysis engages with theorists such as Foucault (2014), Lefebvre (1991), Bachelard (1993), Bourdieu (2011), Hall (2005), and Goffman (2008), allowing us to observe that Pedro Bala's identity is shaped by his lived experiences in marginal spaces and his interaction with mechanisms of power. At the end of the research, we understand that the urban space in Captains of the Sands plays a crucial role in the construction of Pedro Bala’s identity, acting as a site of exclusion, resistance, and transformation. Thus, Captains of the Sands reaffirms the importance of literature in addressing social dynamics in Brazil and in giving visibility to the trajectories of marginalized individuals