Entre a alegria e o abismo: revisões do trágico na literatura brasileira

This essay seeks to challenge what Eduardo Lourenço described as “the lack of sensitivity to any form of the tragic” in Brazilian literary production. According to the thinker, there exists a form of denial regarding both the country’s slaveholding past and the lingering consequences of colonization. Additionally, most modernist novels are characterized by an optimistic and celebratory view of life. However, through specific examples, this study argues that a significant body of works departs from mere joy, transfiguration, triumphalism, and magical strategies. Instead, these texts present a reflective and critical perspective on the human condition and the nation’s history.