NEGRITUDE E CONSCIÊNCIA DE SI EM O BEIJO NA PAREDE (2013) E O AVESSO DA PELE (2020), DE JEFERSON TENÓRIO

Abstract

This study examines Black identity and the awareness of being Black in Brazilian society through the works O Beijo na Parede (2013) and O Avesso da Pele (2020) by contemporary author Jeferson Tenório. The primary aim of this research is to analyze the configurations of the Negritude Movement as a means of fostering self-awareness in O Beijo na Parede and O Avesso da Pele, particularly in the lives of the protagonists Henrique and João, Black men living in southern Brazil. The study adopts a bibliographic and analytical character, referencing theorists such as Bernd (1988), Bento (2022), Brito (2022), Cuti (2010), Duarte (2019), Fanon (2022), hooks (2019), Kilomba (2021), Mbembe (2018), Munanga (2020), Nascimento (2016) and Nascimento (2021). It explores the global development of the concept of Negritude, the emergence of the Black movement in Brazil and its achievements, and offers a critical discussion on structural racism in Brazilian society. The study further addresses the perception of being Black and the importance of self-recognition in combating racism. Additionally, it examines the historical social perspectives about Black individuals that have influenced literature. The discussion includes the portrayal of Black individuals from the Baroque period to contemporary trends and their inclusion in narratives and poetry. In contemporary literature, there is a notable presence of Black authors using writing as a form of resistance. However, this resistance is not exclusive to the modern era; even during slavery, Black writers resisted the white, patriarchal, and colonial system. Thus, this analysis highlights Jeferson Tenório’s works as both a critique of racism and a reflection of his aesthetic-literary project, emphasizing the creation of characters aware of the Black experience in Brazilian society.