Narcisa e a condição da mulher indígena em Beiradão (1958), de Álvaro Maia

Abstract

This article examines the condition and representation of Indigenous women during the cycle of the rubber in the Amazon, focusing on the novel Beiradão (1958) by Álvaro Botelho Maia. The character Narcisa is chosen as the central focus of the study, as her identity construction reflects the plight of Indigenous women captured during clashes between rubber tappers and Indigenous communities. She subsequently becomes a victim of violence and exploitation by the rubber plantation owner (employer) and the tappers (employees). This research, of a critical-analytical and bibliographical nature, is structured into two parts: first, it addresses the historical, political, and social aspects of rubber exploitation in the Amazon between the 19th and 20th centuries, based on scholars such as Gondim (2007), Monteiro (1998), Cunha (1999), Lima (2009), Souza (2003), and Tufic (1982). Next, it discusses the violence, exploitation, and silencing of Indigenous women, grounded in feminist literary criticism as well as cultural and gender studies, drawing on authors such as Bonnici (2007), Zolin (2009), and Beauvoir (1970). The conclusion highlights literature as an instrument of denunciation and awareness, emphasizing the silencing and violence faced by Indigenous women throughout Brazilian historiography.