Binarismo na literatura: rosa e azul na coleção Jovens Leitores

Abstract

This thesis, “Binary in the literature: pink and blue in Jovens Leitores collection”, has as its object of study texts by juvenile production directed exclusively to girls or to boys. It presents as theoretical support the historical studies of literature for children and youth developed by Ferral; Jackson and Richards, researchers that have postulated the existence of a literature divided into two parallel lines, accordant to boys or to girls. The thesis consists of two main parts. The first part retrieves the path of literature of binary nature (for girls and for boys), from a historical perspective. The second part has as its central focus the systematic analysis of 38 narratives that comprise Rosa-Choque and Azul Radical series, contained in Jovens Leitores collection, published by editora Rocco, from a grid model developed by João Luís Ceccantini (2000). The Rosa-Choque series brings together works from authors Ann Brashares, Marcia Kupstas, Angélica Lopes, Thalita Rebouças, Louise Rennison and Cherry Whytock. Azul Radical series consists of narratives by Alberto Alecrim, Ariel Dorfman and Joaquin Dorfman, Richard Hofstetter, Domenica Luciani and Gustavo Reiz. The choice for these series was motivated by the explicit design that each one has, geared towards boys or girls, from premises that define different focuses of interest. The set of works revealed that strands suffered changes since they were forged. In the current model, they dialogue directly with a certain type of young, middle-class, resident of urban centers and essentially consumer. The psychological narrative gained more space, breaking in part with the classic division between adventure literature for boys and sentimental literature for girls. In the comparison established between the literature written by Brazilian and foreign authors, the incipiency of domestic production was evident, since our country don’t values what criticism understands as "entertainment literature." The result is that while foreign literature launches works that reveal an efficient ethical and aesthetic work, the national reality is invaded by an anodyne and impoverished literature.