“REJEITAR A RENDIÇÃO É A NOSSA CONDIÇÃO”: A REPRESENTAÇÃO DE MULHERES NEGRAS EM AS LENDAS DE DANDARA

Abstract

The objective of this study consists of analyzing the representations of black women present in the book entitled As Lendas de Dandara (2015), which was written by Jarid Arraes. The approach contemplates the perspective of the book as a form of transgression against a historiography that silences the history of Dandara, leader of the quilombo dos palmares, and many other black women, through the performance of the fabulation gesture. The paper begins with an assertion of the essential role that the writing of black women plays in the creation, preservation, and sharing of memories and identities. After this contextualization in the literary field, the study is directed towards Jarid Arraes’s experiences and her relationship with the construction of As Lendas de Dandara. This is a relevant novel because it rescues and celebrates the afro-brazilian roots that played a fundamental role in the construction of the nation. Next, following this retrieval of roots, an in-depth analysis of three black characters is conducted: Iansã, Bayô and Dandara. Iansã, the orisha, brings with her motherhood and elements of the orisha's history that intertwine with her character. Bayô, on the other hand, enriches the narrative with her care and love for Dandara, as well as sharing her expertise in cooking and knowledge of herbs. Dandara is portrayed as a warrior who tirelessly seeks her own freedom and that of those around her. It is through these literary representations that a critical geography of the past can be traced with the purpose of shaping the present. For this analysis, we will draw upon studies by authors such as Carneiro (1958), Evaristo (2010), Hartman (2008), Kilomba (2019), Lopes (2005), Nascimento (1980), Prandi (2003), and Siqueira (1985).