Uma análise de(s)colonial do romance “Maréia”, de Miriam Alves

Abstract

The present Course Completion Work analyzes the novel Maréia (2019), by Miriam Alves, from the perspective of Descolonial Theory, focusing on the study of the characters Alfredo and Maréia, protagonists of the narrative. The research explores how the work addresses the Portuguese invasion and its effects on racial and social relations in Brazil, the exploitation of the land, the use of enslaved labor, the struggle of marginalized populations against oppression, and the affirmation of their identities. The objective is to reflect on the dynamics of power and resistance present in the work, as well as the deconstruction of hegemonic discourses in Brazilian literature. The analysis centers on the dichotomy between the characters Alfredo, the white heir of a traditional family representing the privileges and perspective of the colonizer, and Maréia, the black heir who values her African ancestry and symbolizes cultural resistance. Descolonial Theory is used to question the power structures that perpetuate coloniality and to understand how Miriam Alves breaks with Eurocentric logic, transforming black characters, who were represented as objects in canonical white literature, into subjects of their own history. We conclude that the novel Maréia can be seen as an act of decolonization, in which the author Miriam Alves legitimizes the black experience and identity in Brazilian literature. The theoretical references for the research include authors such as Cida Bento, Conceição Evaristo, and Achille Mbembe, who discuss racial and social inequality issues and make significant contributions to Descolonial Theory. It is also supported by the thinker Grada Kilomba, who analyzes the fact that racism is not only a historical problem but a present and structural issue that deeply affects subjectivities and social relations. These authors contribute to a critical analysis of power and identity structures, as well as racial and social relations in the Brazilian and global context.