A infância nos contos de Conceição Evaristo

Abstract

The perception of childhood has undergone significant changes over the years, this process can also be observed in the literature. The present work is based on the analysis of the tales "Zaíta esqueceu de guardar os brinquedos", "Di Lixão" and "Lumbiá" from the book Olhos D'Água by Conceição Evaristo and aims to observe how the stories portrayed in the author's fictional narrative reveal the fragility of family and social relationships and the need for a critical look at the rights of children in contemporary society. The analysis was carried out through bibliographical research, based on the study of theorists and scholars of the topics covered, such as Philippe Ariès (1981), David Brookshaw (1983), Zilar Bernd (1988), Dejair Dionísio (2013) and Eduardo de Assis Duarte (2011). In the first story "Zaíta esqueceu de guardar os brinquedos" urban violence is the main focus of the analysis, as the character Zaíta is the victim of a stray bullet during a shootout by rival gangs in the favela wheres he lives. The analysis of the story 'Di Lixão', about a street boy, marks the character's condition of social vulnerability. In the third story, "Lumbiá", the highlight is the exploitation of child labor. Through the analysis, it is concluded that, in Conceição Evaristo's fictional literature, the child enables the visibility of subjects previously considered less important. Zaíta, Di Lixão and Lumbiá represent the condition of millions of poor and marginalized children in an exclusionary society.