- Iracema
Infobox Book |
name = Iracema, the honey lips: a legend of Brasil
title_orig = Iracema
translator = Lady Isabel Burton
image_caption =
author =José de Alencar
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country =Brazil
language = Portuguese
series = Alencar's indigenist novels
subject =
genre =Romance novel
publisher = Bickers & Son
release_date = 1865
english_release_date = 1866
media_type =
pages =
isbn =
preceded_by =O Guarany
followed_by = Ubirajara"Iracema" is one of the three indigenous novels by
José de Alencar . It was first published in 1865.Plot introduction
The story revolves around the relationship between the
Tabajara indigenous woman, Iracema; and the Portuguese colonist, Martim, who was allied with the Tabajara nation's enemies, thePitiguaras .Through the novel Alencar tries to remake the history of the Brazilian colonial state of Ceará's origins, with Moacir, the son of Iracema and Martim, as the first trueBrazil ian in Ceará. This pure Brazilian is born from the love of the natural, innocence (Iracema) and culture and knowledge (Martim).Explanation of the novel's title
Its name is
Guarani language for "honey-lips", from "ira" - honey, and "tembe" - lips. "Tembe" changed to "ceme", as in the word "ceme iba", according to the author.Iracema is also an
anagram to "America", appointed by critics as fitting to the allegorization of colonization of America by europeans, the novel's main theme.Characters in Iracema
*Andira: Araquém's brother. Old warrior and hero of his people.
*Araquém: Iracema's father. Spiritual leader of the Tabajara's nation.
*Batuireté: Poti's grandfather
*Caubi: Iracema's brother
*Iracema: Araquém's daughter. She is the beautiful Tabajara woman with "honey-lips" and dark hair.
*Irapuã: The warrior leader of the Tabajara nation.
*Jacaúna: Poti's brother.
*Jatobá: Poti's father. He is an important veteran warrior of the Pitiguara's nation.
*Martim: Portuguese colonist. Named in honor of Mars, who was the Roman god of war.
*Moacir: The child of Martim and Iracema.
*Poti: Martim's friend and the Pitiguara warrior who is brother of Pitiguara leader.Iracema and the Indianist Novels
Iracema, alongside with the other novels "
O Guarani " and "Ubirajara" portrays one of the stages of the formation of the Brazilian ethnical and cultural heritage. Iracema symbolizes the initial meeting between the white man (Europeans) and the natives. Iracema is an anagram which means "America", this is believed to be the author's reference to how Martim (the European) conquered Iracema (or America)."Moacir" means "Son of Pain", what is related to his birth, alone with his mother, who was abandoned by Martim for some time as he had to go and help the Potiguaras in a tribal war against the Tabajaras.Awards and nominations
*There is a Brazilian stamp in honor of Iracema's centennial (1865/1965) and its author.
*There is a Brazilian painting byAntônio Parreiras .
*Iracema is cited in "Manifesto Antropófago" ("Cannibal Manifesto "), which is published in 1928 byOswald de Andrade References
*Alencar, José de. "Iracema, the honey lips: a legend of Brasil" (1886) by Lady Isabel Burton. London: Bickers & Son.
*Alencar, José de. "Iracema" (2000) by Clifford Landers. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-1951-1547-3
*Burns, E. Bradford. "A Working Bibliography for the Study of Brazilian History" "The Americas", Vol. 22, No. 1 (Jul., 1965), pp. 54-88External links
*pt icon [http://www.academia.org.br/ Academia Brasileira de Letras]
*pt icon [http://educaterra.terra.com.br/literatura/ Brazilian literature]
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