Gender violence in tales of Olhos D’água, by Conceição Evaristo

Abstract

Brazil was constituted as a nation through a violent process of domination of the Other - the indigenous people, the enslaved black, the women. Thus, women, in general, throughout history, have always suffered from different types of violence due to the male domination, in Brazilian patriarchal society, since the beginning of colonization. In particular, enslaved black women suffered all kinds of rape. This violation of women’s body and culture perpetuates itself, over the centuries and decades, so that our society is markedly violent, although this violence is naturalized and even denied. Structural violence prevents different social classes and ethnic groups from having a voice and reaching better levels of quality of life. This issue is addressed by the literature, which, through fictionality, exposes and problematizes it. In this perspective, this article aims to analyze a portrait of gender violence in tales from the work “Olhos d'Água”, by Conceição Evaristo, since the author focuses on black women in her literary productions, aiming to raise awareness and give visibility to these subjects in contemporary society. To achieve this purpose, studies of Pierre Bourdieu (2010), Lilia Schwarcz e Heloísa Starling (2015), Regina Dalcastagnè e Maria Leal (2010), Eloísa Celmer (2010).