"Sobre a terra há de viver sempre o mais forte": representações ficcionais da exclusão social em Torto Arado, de Itamar Vieira Junior

Abstract

This research aims to develop an analysis of the representation of social exclusion in the contemporary Brazilian novel Torto arado, by Itamar Vieira Junior (2019). From this perspective, the purpose is to examine how social exclusion is represented in the constitution of the narrative space and how it affects the characters. Complementarily, the study seeks to highlight the relations established between literary representation and reality, emphasizing the proximity of contemporary Brazilian literature to social hardships; to identify the spatial dimension of the narrative as a symbolic element that structures exclusion, as well as the effects of this configuration on the characters’ lives; and to observe the stance of the characters within the exclusionary context they face, considering the intersecting aspects of class, race, ethnicity, and gender. The research follows a bibliographical and qualitative approach, based on the sociocritical method proposed by Barbéris (2006). It draws on studies of the relationship between literature and society – especially within the scope of contemporary Brazilian literature based on Candido (1999, 2004, 2023), Compagnon (2009), Dalcastagnè (2012, 2021), and Schøllhammer (2009) –; on perspectives of social exclusion addressed by Oliveira (2006), Sawaia (2014a, 2014b), and Wanderley (2014); and on notions of space and its relation to the social environment on the basis of Brandão (2007), Dimas (1985), and Santos (2011). The reflections of Spivak (2010), Nayyar (2012), Munanga (2012), Bento (2022), and Crenshaw (1991, 2002) also guide the analysis regarding subalternity, coloniality, and intersectionality. The results indicate that space is a structuring element of exclusion in Torto arado, establishing criteria of permanence in Fazenda Água Negra that restrict rights and hinder access to fundamental social guarantees. Moreover, the characters bear, both physically and emotionally, the marks of exclusion, while transforming them into sources of strength and resistance. Ultimately, the novel reaffirms the humanizing and political potential of literature, capable of amplifying the voices of historically marginalized subjects and fostering critical reflection on Brazilian society.