Os romances de fazenda de José de Alencar: uma nova narrativa sobre a formação da nacionalidade

This article supports the hypothesis that novels O tronco do ipê (1871) and Til (1872) are a significant reconfiguration of José Alencar’s narrative on national iden- tity in books such as Guarani (1858) Iracema (1865). These “plantation nov- els” were written amidst struggle surrounding future slavery, which Alencar was one leaders so-called slaveholding group Brazilian parliament. In order to support his argument maintaining slave ownership rejecting 1871 Free Birth Law (Lei Ventre Livre, Portuguese), de- vised an established theory formation identity. However, this view contrasted with indigenous novel, most relevant point for discussion identity during Empire Brazil. Whereas before, vast open landscapes scene encounters between native people Eu- ropeans across ethereal undefined timeframe, now, enclosed space private slave-owning plantation setting integration hierarchical amalgamation races, process already underway should not be artificially accelerated by abolitionist measures.