Maria Firmina dos Reis: the black founder of another Brazilian literary tradition

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the work Úrsula (1859), by Afro-Brazilian writer Maria Firmina dos Reis, pioneer in the publication of the novel and the abolitionist content in Portuguese-language fiction. Through some general lines about the context of the work, the observation of the preface and the constitution of black characters, the objective is to highlight the extent to which the work operates a fracture to the colonial order as a unique framework for black people, establishing a new tradition in Brazilian literature.