Macunaíma, el héroe rapsódico de nuestra gente

Abstract

In the rhapsodic potpourri that constitutes Macunaíma, we can observe a singular assimilation of satire –one that parasitizes and recreates, irreverently, the conventions of modern literature and psychosocial theory–. This “brinquedo”, as Mário de Andrade calls it in the first unpublished preface, is less a reformist critique denouncing the “characterless” and more a playful portrait of Brazil –at times raw, yet also compassionate and condescending– that accentuates, in the “hero of our people”, a national culture that is complex, boundless, and elusive, resisting modern imperatives of characterization. This interpretation becomes evident when examining the counterpoint between the rhapsody and academic debates on national culture, as well as the dialogues the work engages in with productions aimed at the general public in newspapers and magazines contemporary to its time. We also question the association of Macunaíma with popular rhapsodism and “rhapsodic literatures”. Ultimately, Macunaíma emerges as both a medium for investigation and a sensitive meeting point for Mário de Andrade’s exploration of Brazilian popular culture.