UNVEILING THE SACRED: TORTO ARADO AND THE COMPLEXITY OF BRAZILIAN REALITY

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the work Torto Arado by Itamar Vieira Junior, exploring the symbolic and cultural richness present in the narrative and highlighting the intrinsic relationship between the Sacred and the plot. The research addresses the confluence of religions, with an emphasis on the influences of African and indigenous roots, highlighting the positive connection of the work with Afro-Brazilian religion. Throughout the events that intertwine hard work, subservience, and mysticism, the spiritual and cultural resistance of the community stands out, especially under the spiritual leadership of Zeca. The author also emphasizes the critique of Western philosophical perspective and underscores the role of the novel in giving voice to minorities, revealing a reality often silenced in Brazil and symbolized by the knife as a representation of a country divided by violence and racism. In this context, the research seeks to demonstrate how religion, as a cultural aspect, can interfere in a specific social reality. Using qualitative and analytical methods in a bibliographic approach based on the theories of Candido (1967, 2000), Goldmann (1967), Howe (1998), and Lucas (1970), the analysis reveals a character of contestation in literature, which, by addressing social and cultural issues in the fictional sphere, seeks to denounce the adversities that afflict the most vulnerable layers of society and affirm the identity of a people.