O ciclo da cana-de-açúcar: a mega-narrativa de José Lins do Rego.

Abstract

The objective of this work is to prove the hypothesis that the body of José Lins do Rego’s novels which form the sugarcane cycle can be read as a meganarrative, even if carried out by different narrators. Following the purpose of the analysis whose goal is to take the aesthetic aspects of the novel, we intend to contribute for a revision of Rego’s criticism which, for the most part, turns to the author’s biography to study his work. Aiming at fixing limits of the events which mark the beginning of sugar mills downfall, a critical reading of the cycle from the second part of Fogo Morto was accomplished. Only after it was carried out the first and second parts of the novel were read. The following task was the reading of Menino de Engenho and at last Doidinho, which structure the first part of the meganarrative. This reading order detects and demonstrates the linearity of the process which goes from sugar mills formation to the beginning of their downfalls. We realized, therefore, the organic relation among the examined novels. Analyzing the narrative category of time and comparing different narrative voices, we proved that these categories maintain a dialogue and resume themselves, articulating a body of plots termed meganarrative.