Insubmissa mulher: Maria Firmina, uma voz feminina negra no contexto da abolição

Abstract

Studies on historical figures who confronted colonialism, such as Maria Firmina dos Reis, are of singular importance in the field of decolonial studies, disputes over counter-hegemonic narratives, and anti-racist struggles. Reis was an insubordinate woman who, in the context of nineteenth-century Brazil, brought black, peripheral, and indigenous women and men to the center of her narrative, that is, people who were marginalized from political discourses and the Brazilian literary corpus. This research aims to recover Maria Firmina's trajectory in the personal field and in her literary production. Our main objective is to demonstrate how, crossed by intersectionality, Maria Firmina dos Reis was a black, poor, northeastern woman, a teacher, and a writer who, in a disruptive manner, was the first black novelist to publish a book in Brazil, positioning herself frontally against slavery. Therefore, we chose to analyze the novel Úrsula (1859) and the short story A Escrava (1887), where we can analyze the connection between race, gender, and class that permeate Firmina's entire work. Qualitative methodology and bibliographical review will be used as methodological resources. Books, periodicals, seminars, and lectures that deal with the author and her production were used as sources. The situation of Brazil and Maranhão in the 19th century gains relevance to outline the historical panorama where Firmina was born, lived, and produced her works. We undertook the selection and analysis of several well-known images of the author to discuss racism and the representation of black men and women throughout history. Her written work is understood as a memorable historical contribution because it reveals the oppressions that structure the emergence of the Brazilian nation. Keywords: Maria Firmina dos Reis, Decoloniality, BlackWomen´s Literature, Escrevivência, Intersectionality.