Between history and myth

discursive representations of Chica da Silva

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48075/rlhm.v21i38.35824

Abstract

This article makes a study of the historical novel Xica da Silva, by João Felício dos Santos, a work that allows investigating the biased image that was formed in the Brazilian social imaginary about black women. The objective is to analyze the historical figure of Chica da Silva in contrast to the character woven in the novel, considering the rescue of discursive memories. For this, we have as a starting point a bibliographical research based on the productions of Júnia Furtado (2003), Eni Orlandi (2005), Michel Pêcheux (1995), Abdias Nascimento (1978) and Frantz Fanon (2008). Concepts of Discourse Analysis and stereotyped images about black women in Brazilian ideas are discussed. There is also a reflection on Chica da Silva and the fictional character Xica da Silva, in an approximation between history and literature. It is concluded that the stereotypes created around Chica da Silva are linked to the strong Eurocentric roots on which Brazil was constituted and which still survive in discursive memories. The proposed theme enables a reflection on the issue of being a black woman in Brazil, based on a historical figure who has overcome the barriers of time. This study can instigate debates around the deconstruction of stereotypes, for a more just and egalitarian society. To this end, between fiction and history, it was the Black Cinderella of Arraial do Tejuco, Chica da Silva.

 

Keywords: Historical novel. Chica da Silva. Speech analysis. Racism.

Author Biography

  • Bruno Andrade da Gama, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA)

    Mestrando do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras (PPGL / UFOPA); licenciado em Letras - Língua Portuguesa (Unasp / 2022). Membro dos grupos de pesquisa AGOGE (Grupo de Estudos sobre Filosofia e História da Educação) - Unasp; GIPACE (Grupo Interdisciplinar de Pesquisa em Arte, Cultura e Educação) - IFPA; desde 2021 é membro do NEABI (Núcleo de Estudos Afro-Brasileiros e Indígenas) - IFPA/campus Santarém, atuando em atividades de ensino, pesquisa e extensão.

Published

09/12/2025

Issue

Section

“QUEM TÁ FALANDO?” REPRESENTAÇÕES FICCIONAIS DOS AFRODESCENDENTES NA LITERATURA BRASILEIRA

How to Cite

Between history and myth: discursive representations of Chica da Silva. Journal of Literature, History and Memory, [S. l.], v. 21, n. 38, 2025. DOI: 10.48075/rlhm.v21i38.35824. Disponível em: https://saber.unioeste.br/index.php/rlhm/article/view/35824. Acesso em: 10 jun. 2026.