ABOUT ORIGIN, NATIONALITY AND POSSIBLE LITERATURES

Abstract

The writing of the history of Brazilian literature began in the 19th century, when foreign historians, analyzing Portuguese literary production, registered authors and works produced in Brazil. Under the condition of dependence, resulting from the political situation, the literature and the history of literature that resulted from it had the mark of historical weight, associating production and conditions of production. Without literature, however, historians looked more to the future than to the past, resulting in a unique vision of history. Among these historians, Ferdinand Denis assumes the role of a pioneer, so that to speak of the history of Brazilian literature, in contemporary times, is to resort to the past in order to try to understand the “possible literatures” that Brazil presents.