FST358
History and Culture of
Brazil
Guide for Reading The
War of the Saints
As you read this novel by Jorge
Amado, you should do the following:
-
on note cards, keep track of the
various characters which Amado introduces. It
quickly
becomes apparent which are important and which figure into the novel only
in marginal ways. Typically new characters are introduced in sketchy
fashion with fuller information coming later as part of flashbacks and
through asides/note benes/postscripts to the reader.
Be aware that Amado weaves
in many real personages, living and dead, into his narrative, e.g. Aleijadinho,
Caetano Veloso., Vinicius de Moraes, Glauber Rocha etc. If you have
access to the InterNet check out these names.
-
the primary action occurs during
a two day period, but Amado provides many flashbacks to provide background
for the events he is exploring. Keep the flashbacks separate from
the narrative flow – if necessary develop a time-line.
-
be aware of the various levels
of the novel. The narrator often speaks directly to the reader and
very frequently he explains his literary scaffolding so that we can see
what he is doing. The reason for this becomes clear at the end of
the novel when the narrator answers his critics.
-
as you read the novel, be sure
to focus on the following issues
-
the competing ideologies of religion,
including the divisions within the Catholic Church and candomblé
-
the fusion of values from Catholicism
and candomblé
-
the definition and nature of race
as described for Bahia
-
the conflict over sexual attitudes
and their resolution
-
the role of gender definitions
and stereotypes
-
the political ambience of Brazil
in the 1970s (DOPS, SNI, etc.)
-
the treatment which Amado accords
to class
-
the role of magical realism in
the novel
-
the role of the city of Salvador