A Pernambucan Story

analysis of the preface and the first chapter of O Cabeleira

Abstract

This article analyzes the preface and the first chapter of the novel O Cabeleira (1876) by Franklin Távora as a means of understanding the conception and execution of the author’s political-literary project, the “Literature of the North,” which is centered on the valorization of the historical and cultural background of the northern provinces of Brazil. While the preface letter of the book is crucial for understanding the historical context to which Távora’s literature responds, Chapter 1 of O Cabeleira presents several elements that underpin the author’s reflections on Pernambuco’s historical formation and its relation to the social issues prevailing in Brazil at the end of the 19th century. The joint analysis of these texts provides a broad overview of the themes developed throughout this and other historical novels by Franklin Távora, grouped under the epithet of “Literature of the North,” as well as the processes of historical reconstruction, rhetorical resources, and ideological stances assumed by the author in composing these narratives. In this sense, the preface and the first chapter of O Cabeleira are not merely an introduction to the narrative, but fundamental elements for understanding Távora’s effort to reconfigure the literary perception of the northern provinces of Brazil and to promote a literature that is both critical and representative of his region, based on the ongoing discussions about historical practice in his time.