Entre a devoção e a submissão: duas figuras femininas de O coronel e o lobisomem, de José Cândido de Carvalho

Abstract

This work aims to analyze traces of patriarchal order in female figures, especially Francisquinha and Esmeraldina, characters from the novel O coronel e o lobisomem (2014), written by José Cândido de Carvalho and published in 1964. The main goal is to compare their social situations and their relationships with Colonel Ponciano de Azeredo Furtado, the novel's protagonist. This work is based on the theory proposed by Roberto Reis (1987) in A permanência do círculo, focusing on the typologies of “nucleus” and “nebulosa,” as these hierarchically establish the place where people with unequal social power belong. Furthermore, focusing on Esmeraldina, Francisquinha, and Ponciano, this paper investigates the similarities and differences between them, and to which social circle each character belongs. In addition to this comparison, the analysis considers topics such as gender roles, ethnicity, and social, historical, and cultural aspects. The study also examines how these patriarchal traces affect pedagogical processes in the teaching of literature. In conclusion, the reality faced by women was adverse, and achieving social and economic independence was difficult without marriage; depending on one's ethnicity, it was even harder due to a society that was strictly patriarchal and entrenched in slavery. The patriarch, a representative figure of the economic and social center, serves as a parameter for determining the level of proximity of those around him to the “nucleus.” Furthermore, we conclude that the perception of these aspects in literature has the potential to alter the understanding of literary texts in the classroom.