Is Jorge Amado the Gateway to Brazil, or Not?

Abstract

In the national and international search for a Brazilian identity, we often say and hear that we are the country of soccer, samba, and Carnaval. This has given us a reputation as a party country, lacking commitment, a reputation reinforced by the economic interests of the entertainment industry. For a long time, particularly within the collective consciousness of the Brazilian people, the predominant perception has been that Brazil is not a "serious country" (many have said Charles De Gaulle was the first to use this phrase in reference to Brazil; however, Carlos Alves de Souza, Brazilian ambas- sador to France during the "Lobster War," cemented its use, and Annick T. Melsan demystified the idea), even though the Brazilian economy and the country's politics have begun to undermine this pejorative reputation. For most Brazilian intellectuals, especially those socially engaged in find- ing a solution to the country's disparities, this view of Brazil is tinged with a profound sadness that arises from the absence of an auspicious present and the distance from a redemptive future. This idea can be found in Paulo Prado's book Retrato do Brasil: Um ensaio sobre a tristeza brasileira (1928) (Portrait of Brazil: An Essay on Brazilian Sadness) and in Gilberto Freyre's classic essays marked by autobiographical witness in Casa-grande e senzala (1933) (The Masters and the Slaves: A Study in the Development of Brazilian Civilization (1946)) and Sobrados e mucambos (1936) (The Mansions and the Shanties: The Making of Modern Brazil (1987)). Additionally, Sergio Buarque de Hollanda in Raizes do Brasil (1936) (Brazilian Roots) and Visao do paraiso (1959) (Vision of Paradise) and Caio Prado Junior in Formacao do Brasil c ontemporâneo (1942) (The Formation of Contemporary Brazil (1967)) highlight "the cordial man,"