Os percalços da maternidade solo na obra Quarto de Despejo: diário de uma favelada de Carolina Maria de Jesus

Abstract

The general objective of this study is to analyze how black women's single motherhood is portrayed in the work Quarto de Despejo: Diário de uma favelada, by Carolina Maria de Jesus, reflecting oppressive structures inherited from the colonial period and perpetuated in contemporary times. The specific objectives are: to investigate how marginalization influences black female authorship in Brazilian literature, highlighting writing as a form of resistance and representation of peripheral experiences; to understand how the coloniality of power and gender reinforces inequalities that mark black single motherhood; and to analyze, based on the author's work, the social conditions and challenges faced by peripheral black women in single motherhood. The theoretical foundation is based on the decolonial theories of authors such as Quijano (2005); Mignolo (2017); Lugones (2008); Oyéwumi (2020); Crenshaw (2004); Ferréz (2005) and Fanon (2008). The approach is qualitative and based on bibliographical research. This study is important for addressing the context of contemporary Brazilian literature, which seeks to analyze the figure of the black, poor, motherly and marginalized woman. Although there are several studies on this context, this study analyzes historical facts that are still in motion today, such as physical strength work, racial and gender prejudice, and, significantly, issues related to motherhood.