Gonzaga Rodrigues e a preservação da memória histórica e social da cidade de João Pessoa

Abstract

Inside culture, politics or opinion section of the newspapers that still resist the brand-new and immediacy of digital world, the Paraiba’s chronicles are solid. Gonzaga Rodrigues, raised in Joao Pessoa, but Alagoa Nova born, mostly makes chronicle about the capital of Paraiba. It is observed that part of his chronicles shows the city’s every day and peculiarities, and through then it is possible to identify memories, critics and notes not only about the people, but also about their culture and the town’s physical spaces. Besides that, the city’s picture is drawn by his literary technique and the author’s identity. Over his literary work, in special the chronicle, it is possible to understand History, once the literature products are within a historical context. On the other hand, the variety of research concerning chronicle field in Academy has selected successful and mainstream authors, in general, over local productions. Thus, the current article aims to analyze the documental character of the chronicles Gonzaga Rodrigues about the city of João Pessoa, investigating, through the texts present in the book ‘Notas do meu lugar’ (1978), which have been building the collective and historical memories and the capital imaginary, using for elaboration, a comparative analysis of other texts that deal with the evolution and changes in the city of João Pessoa, in an attempt to contextualize and situate the chronicles in time and space. For this, it is also essential research chronicle whilst a hybrid genre, going through journalism, literature and history; and analyze author’s work into the historical context. Regarding chronicle as genre, the inquiry will be built by the inspection of authors such as Melo (1985), Pereira (1994), Galvani (2008), Sá (1985) and Bender and Laurito (1993).